Chapter 105: Three Gods One Ghost; Reverend Nowhere in Sight (Part 1)
Shi Qingxuan returned to being serious and continued, "I want to try and see if I could take care of that thing myself. Your Highness also has more experience, so are you free? If not, don't force yourself."
Shi Qingxuan had helped Xie Lian out many times before in the past, and now that he had an emergency and came to him for assistance, there was no way Xie Lian could decline and say he had the heart but not the power. However, Hua Cheng came from faraway as a guest and hadn't even stayed for more than a few days. If he left, who's going to host Hua Cheng? Although it wasn't like he was a very good host.
Just as he was considering his options, Hua Cheng supported his chin with one hand and smiled, "Is gege going to try and catch a glimpse of that Reverend of Empty Words? If it wouldn't be a bother, will you bring me along? It's a rare monster after all, I've never seen it myself either."
Xie Lian thought to himself, 'Much ashamed, but San Lang understands me.' Filled with gratefulness of his consideration, he nodded. Shi Qingxuan didn't say anything on the subject; of course he knew Hua Cheng coming along wasn't to help him, but at least he wouldn't be messing around, so whether if Hua Cheng came meant nothing to him. Xie Lian then said, "That Reverend of Empty Words is a mysterious creature, who knows when or where it would appear again?"
Shi Qingxuan replied, "I don't know either. If anything, I plan on going to the imperial capital and reserve the best room at the best restaurant to drink eighty or a hundred days, put on plays and set off firecrackers everyday. It'll come out eventually."
"That's one way to do it," Xie Lian said, "However, even if it comes out we might not be able to capture it. The best way to win every battle is to know oneself and the enemy inside and out. Has Lord Wind Master investigated what its preys had been in the past? How does it operate? See if there's any patterns."
"Of course my brother had already investigated this." Shi Qingxuan said as he took out a scroll from his sleeve, spreading it open. Xie Lian scooted closer to take a look and was awe in spite of himself, "Amazing. Amazing."
What a guy! That creature really only fished for the big ones. The series of names on that scroll were pretty much all the big names in the mortal realm, each of them a character of notoriety, and almost all of them ended in tragedy. Every one of those tragic ends were all suicides after breakdowns.
There were those who slit their own throats after armies were ruined like mountains fell; those who cleanly offed themselves by a three meter long white bandage after their amassed fortune dissipated overnight; and those who were sunken into the depths of despair having spent their entire lifetimes seeking influence and affluence but achieved nothing. They weren't necessarily defeated in the hands of the Reverend of Empty Words, they were defeated by the fear of 'loss' in their own hearts.
However, there weren't any emperors or kings on that list. True kings had the protection of the aura of heaven's son, and evil could not invade easily. Generally speaking, those who had the potential to ascend would also have a natural spiritual shield covering their bodies and force the demons and monsters to evade, so Xie Lian felt whatever it was that attached itself to Shi Qingxuan wasn't something so simple, and perhaps there's someone behind the scenes purposely coming for him. If that was the case, whoever it was must be quite formidable. However, Shi Qingxuan was marked when he was but a baby, so how did he attract such a character?
Just then, Hua Cheng spoke up, "Gege, may I take a look?"
Xie Lian passed the scroll over to him "Here."
Hua Cheng only swept a look over it roughly and questioned, "Who put this scroll together?"
"My brother. What?" Shi Qingxuan replied.
Hua Cheng tossed the scroll back on the table and said, "Nothing. It's crap full of mistakes. I suggest your brother try again."
Hearing him, Shi Qingxuan was going to throw a fit, "CRIMSON RAIN SOUGHT FLOWER!"
Xie Lian immediately held him down and said apologetically, "Lord Wind Master, please sit down. Sit down. Let it go, San Lang always talks like this. He doesn't mean it."
Shi Qingxuan sat down, sounding doubtful, "Always like this?"
Xie Lian turned to Hua Cheng and asked, "San Lang, you said it's full of mistakes. How so?"
Hua Cheng shuffled over too and the two sat much closer than before. Hua Cheng pointed at a few names and said, "These ones are wrong."
Xie Lian looked at the names closely and they were all vengeful, malevolent tyrants. "How do you know?"
"Because I killed them." Hua Cheng said.
"..."
"Doesn't this say they all died by suicide?" Xie Lian said.
"Before I make my move I'd send messengers to greet them first, and they'd end themselves." Hua Cheng replied, "So I don't know if that counts as my kill?"
Who knows whether if that counted as his kill, but at least he was honest. Shi Qingxuan coughed a few times uncomfortably, his lips twitching, "Can ghosts please not so plainly describe how they kill people in front of heavenly officials? Can ghosts please not discuss these types of questions openly with other heavenly officials in front of other heavenly officials?"
Hua Cheng pointed at a few other names and said, "These ones are wrong too."
"And who killed those ones?" Xie Lian asked.
"Black Water killed them." Hua Cheng said.
Xie Lian was taken aback, "That Black Water Demon Xuan? Doesn't he always lie low?"
"Doesn't mean he doesn't kill." Hua Cheng said.
Then, he turned to Shi Qingxuan, "Your esteemed brother gave you a scroll that's inaccurate and full of mistakes, there's no heart in this investigation at all, and it only looks like a suspicious red herring, a bunch of rags. So, I suggest, you rip this up and rewrite another one."
Shi Qingxuan grabbed that scroll back and exclaimed, "My brother isn't like that!" Although his words were weak, his tone was firm. Shi Wudu wouldn't be so careless when it came to his own younger brother, so, there could only be one possibility, and Xie Lian asked, "Every profession has its own niche, Lord Water Master should've borrowed another's power in his investigation. May I ask who was the one who actually put the scroll together?"
After some hesitation, Shi Qingxuan replied, "Ling Wen."
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead and stopped speaking. Although the other heavenly officials all cursed the Palace of Ling Wen for its inefficiency, still it shouldn't have made so many mistakes; it'd almost look like this was nothing more than a rough draft. The Tumours look like they shared a good relationship, at least on the surface. Just what twists and turns were underneath, outsiders would probably never know.
Hua Cheng shuffled back and continued, "Let me tell you another way to tell the difference between what's true and fake: once the Reverend of Empty Words sets its eyes on a prey, it will pull the weed out by the roots. Not only will its prey suffer breakdowns and die, the families and friends of said prey will all be affected. So, those who only died by themselves here on this scroll whose friends and families are alive and well, those names are all wrong too."
Hearing this, Shi Qingxuan's face paled by another shade. Soon after, he regained his cheer and laughed drily at Ming Yi, "Ming-xiong, doesn't that mean you're in danger too? You're my best friend after all!"
Ming Yi shifted to sit further away from him, his entire face written with "Can I not have you as a best friend please". This move brought him closer to Xie Lian, and Hua Cheng's eyes swept over him, sharp as knives. Seeing Shi Qingxuan still hadn't forgotten to joke around even at times like these, Xie Lian couldn't help but smile. Nevertheless, he could faintly tell Shi Qingxuan was anxious. Or rather, it was because he was anxious that he had to use extra cheer to push it down.
Shi Qingxuan flashed his Wind Master fan and fanned faster than usual by five, six times, his black hair flying wildly in the wind, "Then let's go right now! To the fanciest, tallest tower to drink ourselves into oblivion! I gotta see for myself if it'd dare come out with so many of us around. We've got the numbers, HAHAHAHahahahaha..."
"..."
"Lord Wind Master, please calm yourself." Xie Lian said, "Wait for me for a moment, I've got some little things to take care of in the shrine still."
Who knows how many days this trip would take, and with two children, two mouths plus a godforsaken ghost possessing a man, he couldn't just leave them be. He thought about finding someone reliable in the village to help watch other them, but it seemed Hua Cheng knew all of his worries and considerations and spoke up, "If gege must go, then go without a worry. I've got hands. When you're gone, there'll naturally be people to watch over the shrine."
Xie Lian let out a breath of relief, "Thank goodness for San Lang. It'd be better if there's someone here to watch over things."
Hua Cheng smiled too, "Yea. There needs to be someone watching over things."
Their "watch over" obviously meant different things. However, no one pried about it. Ming Yi moved the altar table away and started drawing the Distance Shortening array on the ground. Shi Qingxuan's fan was fanning so rapidly, its form no longer seen, "By the way, Your Highness, I forgot to ask earlier. Just who is that outside the door? How did I piss him off, to have such rude words come out of his mouth?"
To be asked about only at the end and in such an offhanded manner, if Qi Rong heard, he'd no doubt suffer heartburns again. It really was rude, Xie Lian thought as he packed up Ruoye and Fang Xin leaning against the corner, "Didn't he already announce his own title?"
"What, that really was the Green Ghost?" Shi Qingxuan was surprised, "A face with that attitude? You really gotta see things for yourself indeed!"
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead and briefly gave an account of things, reminding him to keep things a secret, especially to Lang Qianqiu. Between their exchange, Ming Yi also finished drawing the Distance Shortening array. The one Nan Feng drew the last time was crude and rough and it took him a long time. Ming Yi was the complete opposite; his hands were swift and precise, completing the drawing with but one line, and the circle he drew was cleaner and more accurate than if one was to use a ruler. The characters were also neat and orderly like they were pressed prints, and Xie Lian couldn't help but gape in awe secretly.
With the array finished, Ming Yi said, "Let's go." Shi Qingxuan sucked in a breath and blew gently, extinguishing the candlelight.
Hua Cheng took the lead and was the first to push the door. The little door creaked open, and it was pitch black outside, as if the door was connected to an old house that's been abandoned for many years, the air was thick with mold and dust.
Following behind Hua Cheng was Xie Lian, softly thanking the Hua Cheng who took the initiative to open the door as he crossed through, then Shi Qingxuan, and the last one was Ming Yi. Once he crossed over, he closed the door behind him.
The moment that door was shut, within the darkness came a voice from behind the door, gloomy and chilling, "The place you wish to go will become the nightmare you wish to never remember!"
The instant Xie Lian heard the voice his foot kicked out.
That door instantly collapsed from his kick, yet once that array was used it'd lose its effect, and behind the door was no longer Puqi shrine but a pile of trash. That intense action roused thick clouds of dust, and Xie Lian coughed, a little glad that he didn't break the door Hua Cheng made, and said with his sleeve covering his face, "Was that the Reverend of Empty Words?"
Shi Qingxuan was gripping his whisk and his Wind Master fan tightly and replied, "That's its voice! Has... has it been following me?"
Xie Lian waved away the dusty air and negated, "No. There were only three heavenly officials and one ghost king earlier, if something was following you, how would we not know? Clearly it'd only just come."
Ming Yi said too, "Calm down."
Shi Qingxuan exclaimed, "I'm calm. I'm very calm. I've been calming!"
Hua Cheng however, stood ahead and said leisurely, "Calm is good. But there's definitely something going on. Does anyone know where we are?"
Xie Lian looked around and wondered too, "Weren't we going to the nicest restaurant in the imperial capital?"
No matter how he looked, this old abandoned house looked nothing like that restaurant Shi Qingxuan spoke of. The four of them explored around and found the entrance but it was locked by giant locks! Xie Lian kicked again and the locks broke, opening the doors. Once the doors opened, what appeared before the four were neither hellish fires nor mysterious landscapes of evil. It was a perfectly normal, indistinct little town.
Hua Cheng raised his brows, "The imperial capital shouldn't look like this."
Xie Lian agreed wholeheartedly. The aura of an imperial capital could not be compared to such a small town, and he turned around, "Lord Earth Master, did you make a mistake in your array?"
Ming Yi however, said, "I didn't make any mistakes. The original destination wasn't here."
Xie Lian immediately understood. This meant that creature had meddled. They were sent by it to this place.