Mistaken Era 91

Chapter 91

Yu Ling’er, utterly bewildered, clutched Tang Youshu’s hand tightly. Her fox brain, less complex than a human’s, couldn’t comprehend the unfolding tragedy.

Tang Youshu, frowning, observed the scene in silence.

He had lived two lives, but he had never witnessed a soul-marrying ceremony, nor had Ye Yi ever appeared before his master.

Cui Xiao Xiao’s arrival had set in motion a chain of unpredictable events.

Princess Yongning, kneeling beside her father’s body, her sobs wracking her body, her hair concealing her face, lashed out at Xiao Xiao, her grief turning into a desperate rage.

Xiao Xiao, shaken by the tragedy, tears welling in her eyes, stammered, “I… I only said he might be an imposter. I’m sorry, I didn’t know… But you… you should have been able to tell. How could you believe someone so easily?”

Princess Yongning, as if struck by her words, collapsed, her sobs intensifying.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, the wind howling across the wilderness, rustling the trees and grass.

Ye Yi, who had been paralyzed by fear, now stood, his usual calm replaced by a chilling intensity. He had witnessed the patricide in silence, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Now, his robes billowing in the wind, his hair whipping around his face, he raised his head.

He was still the same man, but his aura had shifted once again.

The elegant, jade-like gentleman from the magnolia forest had returned, a divine presence descending upon them.

The mysterious soul had re-entered Ye Yi’s body.

Wei Jie pointed his sword at him. “What did you do to her?”

Ye Yi, his smile cold and detached, said, “She was fully conscious when she killed her father. The soul-stealing incense in the carriage merely amplified her murderous intent. She was the one who doubted him, she was the one who struck the blow. No one else is to blame for this patricide.”

His words were calm, as if this tragedy had nothing to do with him.

But Xiao Xiao understood. “You orchestrated this!” she exclaimed. “If the previous Prince Changshan was real, why would she have mistaken him for an imposter? The bandages were a distraction! Someone else was pretending to be him, planting seeds of doubt in her mind. You and Prince Can knew her birth date met your requirements. Prince Can faked his death, took control of Prince Changshan, then used the fire and the disfigurement as an excuse to conceal his face. And when she started to suspect, you switched them back, using words and incense to fuel her rage, driving her to kill her own father! All to make her a suitable vessel for a soul exchange!”

Master Tang Youshu had been clear – a soul with lingering attachments to the mortal realm couldn’t be fully retrieved from the underworld.

Ye Yi might be a liar, but his claim of not knowing about Princess Yongning’s “marriage” could be true.

He had planned this all along, using her wedding day as the catalyst, the day she would kill her own father.

Consumed by guilt and remorse, she would become the perfect vessel!

Ye Yi, still smiling, his gaze fixed on Xiao Xiao, said, “You’re… very perceptive. Who are you? Even the Book of Life and Death can’t reveal your past lives.”

Wei Jie, irritated by his cryptic words, his attempt to analyze Xiao Xiao, scoffed. “Your plan has succeeded. What now?”

Ye Yi didn’t even bother looking at him. His former rival, once his equal, was now a mere mortal, his divine power core shattered, no longer the ruler of the underworld, the deity feared by all.

This failure, his fate stolen, wasn’t worth his attention.

Everything was unfolding according to his plan. He held their fates in his hands, manipulating them with ease. It was a satisfying feeling.

He glanced at the sky, dark clouds swirling, lightning flashing, then calculated the time, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Princess Yongning, consumed by guilt, her spirit broken, having committed such a heinous act… she no longer deserves to live. She can redeem herself, offer her soul to retrieve someone from the underworld…”

He waved his hand, and the silk covering Prince Changshan’s carriage turned a vibrant red, adorned with sinister symbols written in blood. The attendants surrounding the carriage, their souls ensnared, their faces blank, drew their swords and slashed their wrists, their blood staining their white uniforms red.

The soul-marrying procession, the gateway to the underworld, was complete. All they needed was a willing bride.

As Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao moved to stop Princess Yongning, Ye Yi raised his hand, creating a bell-shaped barrier that trapped them, preventing their interference.

He gestured again, and Princess Yongning, who had been sobbing uncontrollably, rose to her feet and walked towards her father’s body. She bent down, pulled the sword from his chest, and plunged it into her own abdomen.

The placement was precise, avoiding vital organs, yet inflicting a near-fatal wound.

This would bring her soul closer to the River of Forgetfulness, allowing them to summon the soul they sought, drawing it into her body…

Ye Yi, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, watched as she struck, unhesitatingly.

He had waited so long for this moment…

He wasted no time, guiding her towards the blood-red carriage. He stood before her, placing a red veil over her head.

Just as his plan was about to reach fruition, a gust of wind swept through the procession. Princess Yongning, who had been lifeless moments ago, suddenly lashed out, attacking Ye Yi.

Caught off guard, his concentration broken, he felt a small paper figure, carried by the wind, land on his forehead, a talisman attached to it.

The talisman, made of silver foil, covered in intricate blood-red symbols, caused his head to snap back. A golden light, attempting to escape from his crown, was trapped by the talisman’s power.

Ye Yi’s body went still. The soul possessing him, whether god or demon, was trapped.

His mortal body had become a prison.

The barrier imprisoning Xiao Xiao and the others shattered.

Xiao Xiao, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, rushed forward, high-fiving Princess Yongning, their plan a success.

Imitating Ye Yi’s calm demeanor, she tilted her head, asking, “How did you like our little performance?”

A faint blue glow emanated from the talisman on Ye Yi’s forehead.

Xiao Xiao had seen a similar glow on Wei Jie’s forehead, although the pattern was different.

Tang Youshu had said it was a divine mark, a symbol of a god!

This liar, this cruel manipulator… he was a god?

Ye Yi, trapped, his eyes wide with disbelief, couldn’t comprehend it. His meticulously crafted plan, foiled by these insignificant mortals!

How was this possible? Princess Yongning, having committed patricide, should have been consumed by guilt, her spirit broken. Why had she suddenly turned on him?

And what was that talisman? How could it bind him?

Princess Yongning pulled the sword from her abdomen, pressing the spring-loaded mechanism, retracting the blade, a triumphant smile on her lips. “What do you think? It only cost me a jade bracelet.”

The sword she had used to “kill” her father… it was the sword-swallowing prop she had obtained from their host.

Following Yu Ling’er’s suggestion, she had modified it, adding a bladder filled with chicken blood to the hilt, creating a convincing blood-splattering effect.

She had practiced the trick relentlessly at the farmhouse.

Xiao Xiao, watching her, instructed Wei Jie to release Prince Changshan’s acupoints.

The “dead” prince gasped, his eyes flying open, his gaze darting around in panic. Seeing his daughter, he pulled her close, his sobs echoing through the night, claiming he had been possessed by an ancestral spirit, nearly dragged into the underworld.

Ye Yi, ignoring their reunion, stared at Xiao Xiao, his voice low and steady. “When did you realize?”

Xiao Xiao, circling him, her gaze sharp, said, “We’ve been staying at a farmhouse, eating the same simple meals – dried meat, mountain vegetables, and that stinky fish our host made… We even had it for dinner tonight!”

Ye Yi frowned, confused.

“You were too preoccupied with your schemes,” Xiao Xiao said, her voice cold. “You didn’t realize that the real Prince Changshan hates stinky fish. He can’t even stand the smell!”

Her suspicions had been aroused when Prince Changshan, held close by Princess Yongning, had suddenly vomited, as if repulsed by her breath.

He had been unusually quiet all day, his servants speaking for him, like a puppet.

And then she remembered Princess Yongning complaining about the stinky fish, about how it lingered in her mouth.

Her mind, always sharp, raced, connecting the dots. And then it hit her – what if the bandaged Prince Changshan… was the real one?

She had been fooled by that elegant man once, nearly trapped in the underworld.

Turnabout was fair play! Years of honing her skills as a con artist… in that moment, she devised a counter-plan.

The fake sword, its blade retracted into the hilt, had fallen to the ground during the chase. She had picked it up, and now it would serve a purpose.

She had handed it to Princess Yongning, who, consumed by rage, hadn’t noticed the deception. She had gripped the hilt, triggering the spring mechanism, “plunging” the blade into her father’s chest.

Xiao Xiao had seized the opportunity, sealing Prince Changshan’s acupoints, creating a convincing illusion of death.

This performance was far more impressive than their street act in Luoyi City!

She even considered adding it to their repertoire. It would surely draw a bigger crowd than Yu Ling’er’s fox transformation.

As Ye Yi, believing his plan had succeeded, waited for Princess Yongning to regain her senses, Xiao Xiao had used the fallen paper figure, whispering in her ear, reminding her about the fake sword, instructing her to maintain her frantic act, lulling Ye Yi into a false sense of security.

And the talisman binding Ye Yi… it was the culmination of two hundred years of Lingshan Talisman Sect knowledge.

The silver used to craft it was from the underworld, imbued with yin energy. The blood was hers, a vessel of powerful artifacts and demonic energy. And the symbols… they were inscribed by Tang Youshu, her former master, two hundred years of experience channeled into them.

They had created it during their idle time at the farmhouse, brainstorming a way to counter Ye Yi.

Despite their differences, their combined knowledge was formidable.

This unique talisman, unlike any other, had successfully trapped the entity within Ye Yi, whether god or demon.

Xiao Xiao, observing the divine mark on his forehead, asked, her voice laced with a chilling calm, “Who are you? If you’re a god, why resort to such cruelty? Do the laws of heaven not apply to you?”

Ye Yi remained silent, his usual gentle smile gone, his face contorted in a grimace.

He couldn’t believe it. He had been tricked by a cheap street performer’s trick!

And the one who had orchestrated it, outmaneuvering him so easily… a young girl, a mere Golden Core cultivator.

Even a deity, their carefully laid plans shattered, would be enraged.

His expression darkened as Xiao Xiao questioned his identity. The storm he had summoned with the blood talisman dissipated. He had risked much to descend to the mortal realm, confident in his plan, his ability to retrieve the one he sought.

And now… this opportunity, squandered by these insignificant mortals!

As dawn approached, the sound of roosters crowing echoing from the nearby village, despair washed over him.

Just as Wei Jie, raising the Heaven-Punishing Sword, prepared to strike him down, Ye Yi roared, the ground trembling beneath them. The talisman on his forehead shattered.

But as the silver fragments flew, one of them sliced his forehead, drawing blood from his lightning-shaped divine mark – a sign of a damaged divine power core.

Ye Yi, his sleeves billowing, vanished in a cloud of smoke and mist.

Xiao Xiao, frustrated, stamped her foot. He had escaped again. But Tang Youshu, wiping the sweat from his brow, said, “Thankfully, the silver fragment damaged his divine mark. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have stood a chance against him!”

A god was a god. Even possessing a mortal body, their power was beyond mortal comprehension.

Xiao Xiao’s plan had enraged him, fueling his outburst, allowing him to break free.

But she was lucky. That silver fragment, striking the most vulnerable point… it had saved them all.

Tang Youshu stared at his grand-disciple with newfound awe. This Cui Xiao Xiao… she was even more terrifying than his former master.

She had now damaged the divine power cores of two deities.

This ability to bring down gods… she was a force to be reckoned with.

A worthy grand-master indeed!

Xiao Xiao, seeing Tang Youshu kneeling before her, startled, jumped back, grabbing his arm. “What… what are you doing?”

She hadn’t forgiven him, but he was still her former master. She couldn’t accept such a gesture.

Hearing his explanation, his admiration, she couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re the one who lured me to this time, convinced that my disastrous fate would benefit you. And now you’re praising me? Has my luck suddenly changed? I’ve damaged the divine power cores of two gods! That only proves I’m a walking disaster! Anyone who gets close to me suffers…”

Seeing her dejection, Tang Youshu averted his gaze, consumed by guilt.

Wei Jie stepped forward, placing his arm around her shoulders. “Didn’t I tell you? Don’t provoke her. She’s still angry with you.”

Xiao Xiao shoved him. “Make that both of you. I’m angry with both of you.”

Wei Jie refused to acknowledge his role in deceiving her. He had distanced himself from his past self.

If he admitted it, she would surely turn on him.

But Xiao Xiao wasn’t in the mood for settling old scores. She looked at the guards, their wrists slashed, their bodies weakened, victims of Ye Yi’s soul-stealing technique.

They were still alive. They had to help them.

Deities could commit atrocities and walk away. But they, mere mortals, couldn’t ignore the suffering of others.

Tang Youshu’s bamboo basket, filled with medicines and bandages, came in handy.

Even Princess Yongning, a pampered royal, rolled up her sleeves, assisting them.

Meanwhile, in a rural temple, a familiar figure knelt before a statue, offering incense and bowing his head.

The people of the Great Qi were superstitious, their world filled with gods and deities. This temple housed a statue of a popular deity – the Dongyuan Emperor.

The man offering prayers was none other than the missing Prince Can.

Having impersonated Prince Changshan for so long, he could finally breathe freely, his face no longer concealed by bandages. He finished his prayers, then looked up at the deity before him.

The Dongyuan Emperor had a unique origin. He wasn’t a mortal who ascended to godhood. He was the son of the Jiu Hua Heavenly Emperor and the Heavenly Lake Saint, born a deity.

During the ancient wars that shaped the three realms, he had been a fearsome warrior, vanquishing demons and slaying monsters, his achievements legendary.

He was supposed to rule the underworld. But his mother, heartbroken by the bloodshed he had caused, pleaded with the Heavenly Emperor, claiming that if he continued down this path, he would become a demon god, his potential for good squandered.

The Heavenly Emperor, convinced, appointed another deity, the ancient Flame Emperor, to rule the underworld.

The Dongyuan Emperor, also a powerful warrior, retreated to the celestial palace, renouncing violence, cleansing his soul with the waters of the Heavenly River, overseeing celestial rituals, cultivating his spirit, preparing to ascend to the highest realm.

Deities could accept offerings from mortals. And for some reason, the legends of his past exploits were widespread.

Temples across the land housed his statue, receiving a constant stream of incense and offerings. It seemed his mother had been right.

If he had ruled the underworld, would he have enjoyed such popularity, his divine power core nourished by such devotion?

Prince Can, his face, showing signs of age, twisted into a sneer.

Those foolish mortals, offering their prayers… did they even know whether they were worshiping a benevolent deity or a bloodthirsty monster?

Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed through the silent temple.

Prince Can looked up and saw a fissure forming on the forehead of the pristine statue, blood oozing from it…

He clutched the incense stick tightly, his eyes widening in alarm.

Those Lingshan Talisman Sect people… they were truly troublesome! What did this ominous sign mean?

As he rose to his feet, the doors swung open, and a man, his forehead bearing a fresh wound, entered. It was Ye Yi, the one who had gone to retrieve Princess Yongning.

The wound on his forehead mirrored the crack on the statue’s forehead!

Prince Can, his eyes narrowed, rushed over. “My lord, what happened?”

Ye Yi, standing before the statue, chuckled. “Have you heard the saying, ‘The falconer blinded by his own falcon’? I never imagined I would be tricked by such a crude scheme…”

His arrogance, his pride… they had blinded him. And the realization that he had been outmaneuvered by such a simple trick… it had damaged his divine power core.

He was a god. He couldn’t descend to the mortal realm without a divine decree or a summoning. This unauthorized trip… it was proving to be quite troublesome.