#22: Nightfall Palace (3)

The three Scarlet Cloud Beasts came to a steady halt before a city wall. This wall stood tens of thousands of feet high. Looking up from its base, one couldn’t see its end, only feeling the solemnity of the dark, almost black brickwork, which commanded reverence. In front of them was a crimson iron gate, studded with over a hundred brass rings that gleamed under the dim light.

Once all three of them disembarked, Gu Yu waved her hand, shrinking the carriage. She then bent down, picked up the miniature golden carriage, and attached it to her waist. The three Scarlet Cloud Beasts also shrunk, eventually becoming even smaller than newborn puppies. With their big, black eyes blinking, they looked incredibly endearing in Gu Yu’s arms. Yao Yin reached out to pet the small beasts, but before she could get within three steps of Gu Yu, they spat saliva all over her.

Gu Yu laughed heartily: “My Lady, you must be careful.”

Yao Yin felt embarrassed, lamenting that she had been deceived by their appearance and that her cultivation was truly insufficient…

In the middle of the large gate was a keyhole. Gu Yu pulled a section of white bone key from her sleeve, inserted it into the small hole, and turned it slightly. The gate, easily ten people tall, swung inward. The city inside was pitch black, impossible to see one’s hand in front of their face. Unidentified breathing sounds echoed from all directions, overlapping, as if thousands of eyes were watching them. Gu Yu raised her right hand, and her palm instantly transformed into bone. A ball of green ghost fire ignited in her hand, illuminating the path ahead.

“It seems the steward is still sleeping.” Gu Yu turned to Yao Yin and smiled. Her face, illuminated by the ghost fire, looked terrifying.

Yao Yin composed herself and asked faintly, “Where is this?”

“This is considered the territory of Nightfall Palace. Beyond the ‘fence’ is the front hall of Nightfall Palace, the Lotus Palace,” Gu Yu paused, then added, “The Blood Sacrifice will be held in the Lotus Palace, and there are three days left until the ceremony.” As she spoke, a roar suddenly echoed in their ears. The roar was like thunder exploding beside them, reverberating through the valley and shaking the entire city.

Yao Yin froze instantly, her ears momentarily deafened.

Gu Yu frowned, shook her head, and shrugged, “It seems Palace Master Hua Jun has already arrived at the Lotus Palace...” Following the roar, hundreds of eyes of various sizes and shapes suddenly appeared around them.

“What is that!” Yao Yin exclaimed in surprise.

“My Lady, don’t be nervous. It must be the roar of the Suanni that woke the children,” she smiled, continuing, “This Suanni is an ancient strange beast, but Palace Master Hua Jun actually bestowed it upon Hua Li Luo. It’s truly a waste of a precious resource. Everyone knows that among the four protectors, she is the most useless piece of trash, a mere plaything seeking favor and smiles.” As soon as she finished speaking, the surroundings suddenly brightened. Rows upon rows of torch stands ignited simultaneously, stretching endlessly, instantly illuminating the entire city.

Only then did Yao Yin clearly see her surroundings. Various roars, soul-shattering, echoed in her ears. Beside her were wooden fences, layered one above another, extending upwards to a height of nine levels. Each fence held a hideous demonic beast, most of them looking at her with ill intent. Standing beneath them, she felt incredibly small.

“Is that Gu Yu, my girl?” An old man in undergarments, with a hunched back, walked out of an alley, calling out with a benevolent tone. Gu Yu immediately trembled, abandoning the Scarlet Cloud Beasts, and rushed forward to support the old man, affectionately calling out, “Grandpa Yuan—”

“Why do you have time to visit me now?” He smiled and ruffled the stray hairs on Gu Yu’s forehead. The three small Earth Wolves on the ground whined in dissatisfaction. He turned his head, glanced at Yao Yin, and frowned, “Who is she?”

Yao Yin bowed, saying, “I am Yao Yin.”

“Hmph, a petty illusion. How dare you try to show off in front of me.”

“What are you saying? Yao Yin doesn’t understand.”

“Hmph, interesting.” He scrutinized her up and down for a moment, looking slightly surprised, with an expression that said, ‘Let’s see what tricks you’re up to,’ which made Yao Yin’s heart pound.

“Oh, Grandpa Yuan, don’t tease her anymore. She’s someone with a Purple Jade Talisman, she should be Lord Wen Ren’s confidante.” As she spoke, Gu Yu and the old man led the way, chatting and laughing, seemingly having completely forgotten about Yao Yin. Yao Yin knew the principle that “the more you say, the more mistakes you make,” so she silently followed behind them, speaking little.

As they walked, Yao Yin noticed that in this city, towering walls surrounded them. Inside the city were neatly arranged cages holding thousands of demonic beasts, looking incredibly dangerous. There was no guarantee when these “fences” might fail, and the beasts would then run out and harm people. It was better to leave as soon as possible.

The old man escorted them to the gate and then departed. Gu Yu reluctantly said, “Yu’er will come to see you again next time.”

“Mm.” The old man nodded, holding his lantern, and soon disappeared.

Outside the city was a wide, tree-lined avenue. Bluestone slabs paved the street, lined with braziers. Since the Ghost Tribe was often shrouded in perpetual twilight, these braziers remained eternally lit.

The two walked along until they entered the main hall grounds of Nightfall Palace. It was midnight, and the city lights were dim, with little illumination. There were no magnificent palaces or towering pavilions as expected, nor was it as cold and bloody as legends described. Instead, it comprised ordinary two-story wooden houses, built along a river that flowed through the city. Due to the Nightfall Blood Sacrifice, the city was crowded, and houses were scarce, so many people had set up tents and slept on the ground along the river. Most of these people had come for the martial arts competition, indicating the intense competition for status within the Ghost Tribe. Unlike the Immortal Realm, where a single deification established the hierarchy, the overall situation had been set for millennia with no new ideas, merely resting on past merits and enjoying mortal offerings, which seemed somewhat unmotivated...

As Yao Yin pondered, Gu Yu had already led her across the stone bridge to a wooden house. With a slight push, she opened the door.

Yao Yin had not found the exterior particularly striking, but to her surprise, the interior was tastefully decorated. Lantern shadows danced, creating a world of its own. An Eight Immortals table carved from agarwood was placed in the center, surrounded by neatly arranged bamboo rattan chairs. A glazed lamp cast a dazzling, flowing candlelight, indicating the owner’s extraordinary taste.

“I manage this room. Tonight, I’m afraid My Lady will have to stay here. You can proceed to Nightfall Palace tomorrow.”

“What about you?” Yao Yin frowned.

“I’ll go stay with Grandpa Yuan.”

“Then Yao Yin will gladly accept. Thank you.”

“My Lady, please rest early. I shall take my leave now.” Gu Yu nodded and respectfully exited the room.

________________________________________

The next day, Yao Yin was woken up early by a clamor. The commotion outside the window made it impossible to sleep. Yao Yin opened the window and saw that it seemed to have suddenly brightened outside, with blinding white light hurting her eyes. She quickly washed up, changed her clothes, and opened the door. The moment she saw the scene outside the door, Yao Yin froze—only to see mountain spirits and demons fighting fiercely in the sky, shouting and battling. Many demonic beasts were involved, all assisting their masters. This was the prelude to the Blood Sacrifice Grand Assembly.

Not far away, two people were engaged in a magical duel. One of them leapt into the air, kicking at their opponent. The opponent barely dodged, and the force of the kick headed towards Yao Yin. It was so fast that it seemed unavoidable, but unexpectedly, the kick suddenly dissipated before the door. When it reached Yao Yin’s face, she only felt a gentle breeze, slightly disheveling her hair. That was a close call. It seemed that the buildings and plants in this city were all sentient beings... Blood splattered across the streets, and there were many injured individuals, yet the houses and trees remained unshaken, completely unaffected. A gentle breeze swept by, and willow branches swayed.

Yao Yin smoothed her hair and walked out. As someone with a Purple Jade Talisman, she had to remain calm. At least on the surface.

Yao Yin walked up along the river and saw a large platform. On the platform was a huge transparent stone whose light radiated outwards, growing brighter the closer she got. She surmised that this was why Nightfall Palace, within the dim Ghost Tribe, was as bright as day. No wonder the sky had suddenly brightened.

As Yao Yin mused, she suddenly glimpsed a magnificent complex of buildings not far away, faintly visible, appearing like a mirage suspended in mid-air. Beneath the deep purple city walls stood a four-person-tall white jade stone, on which three large dark characters were engraved—”Lotus Palace.”

So this was the main hall of Nightfall Palace. Yao Yin was surprised, but she saw a crowd of people gathered around the large stone, their expressions either excited, sullen, or mostly confident. She walked over and realized it was the recruitment area for the Blood Sacrifice Grand Ceremony. No one was managing the order, and few people were queuing.

Yao Yin couldn’t squeeze in, so she could only wait outside. A group of people around her watched her with interest, their eyes filled with curiosity.

“In the Ghost Tribe, who doesn’t fight and snatch? Has her brain been burnt out?”

“She’s not even actively signing up, why did she come to the Blood Sacrifice?”

“Perhaps she’s just looking for death...”

Yao Yin lingered at the registration area for a while, self-aware enough to plan her departure, but someone beside her bumped into her directly, and the Purple Jade Talisman slipped out of her pocket.

As the purple jade appeared, a low gasp suddenly echoed around, and then silence—an eerie silence.

The crowd immediately parted, forming a path. The ghost tribe woman at the registration desk swallowed and asked, “What is your name, young lady?”

“Yao... Yin.” Yao Yin was a little dazed.

Upon hearing this, the woman quickly flipped to the previous page and wrote down Yao Yin’s name. She then took a golden token and handed it to her, on which the character ‘天’ (Heaven) was carved.

“My Lady, this is your martial arts token. Please go to the Grand Lotus Hall on the seventh day of the Blood Sacrifice ceremony to participate in the Heavenly Yuan group duel.”

“What!” Yao Yin exclaimed in surprise, “But I don’t want to participate in the martial arts competition!”

She knew very well how much ability she truly possessed. How could she dare to show off at a martial arts grand assembly where everyone was giving their all? Did she want to keep her life or not? Besides, her meager immortal energy was just enough to prevent the Ghost Tribe from detecting her immortal aura. If someone discovered she was an immortal, she would definitely be in deep trouble!

As Yao Yin spoke, she tried to return the token.

The woman repeatedly shook her head and said with a conciliatory smile, “Since you’ve come, young lady, just keep it. If you don’t care to participate in the martial arts, just consider it an entry pass.” Yao Yin thought that wasn’t a bad idea, so she took it and turned to leave. The crowd returned to its previous clamor, still shocked but with no time to spare for anything else.

Yao Yin walked aimlessly along the river when a fierce killing intent suddenly struck her. Subconsciously, she dodged to the side, only to see a fiery arrow land precisely where she had just been standing.

If that arrow had hit her, she would probably be chilled to the bone right now.

“Who’s there?” Yao Yin exclaimed in alarm, her heart still pounding. Looking ahead, a group of people stood on the opposite bank of the river, in scattered groups, behaving strangely and looking highly provocative.

“How can someone like you directly advance to the Heavenly Yuan group? Isn’t that utterly ridiculous?” The leader spat, shouting, “Now I’ll take your nameplate and fight in your stead!” With that, he waved his hand fiercely, and a black python shot out from behind him, moving so fast that it crossed the water in an instant.

Yao Yin immediately activated her barrier and sneered, “Attacking a woman by surprise, you are truly shameless!”

The group burst into wild laughter: “Hahahahaha—so what if it’s a sneak attack? What matters isn’t the process, but the result! Die!” As soon as his words fell, the black python, obeying its master’s command, immediately spewed a puff of black gas. Yao Yin felt her vision gradually blur, her head spinning, almost losing her footing.

“You... despicable!” To conceal her immortal aura, Yao Yin had no extra strength to resist the poisonous miasma. Just as Yao Yin was swaying, a flash of white light suddenly appeared in front of her. The black python was severed into two. Black fluid gushed out, and the snake’s body evaporated into the air moments later.

Yao Yin steadied herself, only to see a figure in white robes floating before her. He raised his hand, and the long sword in his grip fell directly in front of the people on the opposite bank of the river, slicing off their hair and creating a white wave.

“Get lost.”

It was Zi Chen’s voice...

“You, you just wait!” The group was utterly intimidated by Zi Chen’s presence and fled in disarray.

Zi Chen helped Yao Yin up, only to find that Yao Yin was already somewhat disoriented.

Yao Yin vaguely looked at the person in front of her, realizing how magnificent Zi Chen looked when he was serious! If she still had the strength, she would surely jump up and applaud him.

Yao Yin smiled very weakly. She tried hard to make herself clear-headed but failed. Finally, she couldn’t support herself and collapsed into his arms, her vision turning black...