Chapter 46
Prince Can’s original intention was to diligently follow every detail recorded on those tattered life records, patiently and meticulously laying the groundwork step-by-step to manifest the written words into reality.
Initially, his endeavors proceeded smoothly, but at some point, events in the real world began to drastically diverge from the records’ descriptions.
Prince Can struggled to regain control of the situation, vainly trying to steer it back on course, but the text on the tattered pages kept shifting and blurring, rendering the sentences illegible.
And today, as Prince Can examined the dragon skin parchment soaked in the blood of exotic beasts, the densely written characters were gradually disappearing before his eyes.
Prince Can’s expression turned grave, barely resisting the urge to reach into the vat and retrieve those tattered pages. But at that moment, a new line of large characters emerged on the otherwise blank parchment:
“One who defies Heaven’s mandate has mistakenly arrived in this realm, his destined life records disjointed, the will of Heaven now obscured…”
After displaying this sentence, the dragon skin remnant slowly sank to the bottom of the vat, bubbling up a stream of blood before falling still.
Prince Can slowly narrowed his eyes, gripping the vat’s edge as he persisted in asking aloud, “One who defies Heaven’s mandate? Mistakenly arrived in this realm? What does this mean?”
Yet the tattered pages in the blood vat did not resurface.
Prince Can slowly straightened his stance. Although the cryptic words on the dragon skin were unclear, that mention of “one who defies Heaven’s mandate” had evidently disrupted his previously unobstructed path to immortal transcendence.
Closing his eyes, Prince Can carefully retraced the sequence of events, realizing the greatest variable was that Cui Xiao Xiao from the Talisman Sect!
In the original life records, he had never encountered Cui Xiao Xiao’s name!
On this, Prince Can was absolutely certain, for the original path to immortality had been so perfect that each time he reviewed it, his blood surged with eagerness to instantly ascend, every minute detail etched into his memory.
Yet now, that flawless epic had been reduced to an unpalatable heap of indigestible scraps.
However, it was not too late to remedy the situation. Prince Can knew he needed to meticulously realign each deviated event back onto its proper trajectory, allowing not even the slightest discrepancy!
Although the story on the tattered pages had undergone subtle shifts long ago, the true major divergence began with the femme fatale Si Ling’s escape.
Perhaps only by reorienting everything back on course would the dormant life records awaken once more. For now, however, the first issue to address was how to confront the widespread condemnation from the Four Great Sects.
Slowly wiping the blood from his hands, Prince Can’s expression reverted to its customary benevolent gentleness as he calmly exited the inner chamber…
As for Cui Xiao Xiao, Wei Jie and their group, after confirming there were no signs of the femme fatale Si Ling nearby, they scaled the city walls to infiltrate Luoyi City.
The detour through the illusory city had delayed them far longer than they realized, feeling as if a single day had passed above while an entire year transpired below.
To the point that after merely eating a barbecued chicken leg, Yu Ling’er was already ravenously hungry again.
However, this was not the time to seek food, so Xiao Xiao could only ask her to endure the pangs for now.
It was the dead of night, but the towering city walls proved no obstacle to their passage. The sentries guarding the gates only caught fleeting blurs and faint breezes, as if ghostly specters had drifted past.
Those soldiers did attempt to discern the disturbances more clearly, but the figures moved too swiftly, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye before the slightest sound could arise.
Cui Xiao Xiao and her group had a clear objective – heading directly for Prince Can’s manor in Luoyi City.
This manor was said to have been constructed during the reign of the previous Da Qi emperor while he was still alive.
Although Prince Can shared the same mother as the current emperor, they were born under different cosmic stems.
When the former emperor ascended as the Grand Emperor emeritus and abdicated the throne to the present ruler, the then-teenage Prince Can bid farewell to his imperial mother before taking up residence in this fief, where he had dwelled for over twenty years.
However, it seemed Prince Can had later ordered extensive renovations to the manor, resulting in drastic changes to the layouts and positions of its pavilions and towers.
Now, Wei Jie carried Cui Xiao Xiao as they leapt onto a tall tree directly opposite the manor’s walls, while Tang Youshu also climbed up with Yu Ling’er’s assistance.
From this vantage point, they could see over half of the manor grounds laid out before them.
Xiao Xiao focused her gaze intently for a moment before muttering in bewilderment, “Strange…”
“Indeed, it is quite peculiar. The layout of this manor is intimately tied to the concepts of geomancy and the five elemental phases, yet its desired objectives seem less about attaining wealth, nobility, and domestic harmony. It appears more akin to the sinister arts of absorbing spiritual energies!”
These words came from Tang Youshu, whom Yu Ling’er had helped hoist into the tree branches. Clutching the bough tightly, he stared fixatedly at the nearby manor layout, murmuring his thoughts.
Though not a committed cultivator himself, he had studied geomancy and feng shui extensively since childhood, intimately familiar with the relevant classic texts. Upon seeing such an intricate estate design, he instinctively began correlating it with his prior research.
Xiao Xiao had learned her rudimentary geomancy knowledge from the elderly Tang Youshu himself, so she naturally deferred to her master’s expertise, promptly asking, “If you understand it, explain further – what is his intention behind this arrangement?”
Encouraged by his grand-master, Tang Youshu’s spirit lifted as he expounded, “Grand-Master, look! In the manors of wealthy nobles, the water wells are typically located in the rear courtyard or near the kitchens. Yet this manor’s well is deliberately dug right in the center of the main courtyard. Moreover, it is situated amidst steep slopes forming a sunken basin – this clearly embodies the essence of converging and pooling cosmic energies from all directions! Such arrangements are considered highly unorthodox. If an affluent villager did this, the entire neighborhood would surely condemn and vandalize his residence!”
Yu Ling’er found Tang Youshu’s assertions rather incredulous, so she asked in a low voice, “But it’s just a well. Is there really that much significance to it?”
Tang Youshu solemnly nodded. “Every aspect of this courtyard’s design is a meticulous arrangement, even the placement of trees and vegetation. I only glimpsed such methods briefly mentioned in a lone surviving copy of the ‘Jiang Taigong’s Water Routes’ classic. However, these layouts were originally intended to extend the longevity of those with short, frail lifespans. Could it be someone within this manor suffers from an incurable condition, resorting to unorthodox methods in a desperate bid to alter their destiny?”
Cui Xiao Xiao had seen Prince Can before – though not as imposingly built as a martial artist, he appeared robust and vigorous, the picture of health and nobility.
Moreover, according to the original trajectory, not only did Prince Can maintain his youthful vigor, but he even attained immortality later on, his cosmic blessings extraordinarily fortuitous.
Would such a healthy man in the prime of his life feel compelled to meticulously arrange geomantic formations just to prolong his lifespan? Surely such existential contemplations were only befitting the elderly nearing life’s end?
Of course, the self-indulgent obsessions of the privileged nobility were not something ordinary people could comprehend.
It was at this moment that Wei Jie also spoke in a solemn tone, “After entering the city, I made discreet inquiries with the local populace. This Prince Can took up residence in this fief over twenty years ago, but during the first decade, he remained in extreme seclusion, never showing his face in public. It was only in recent years that he gradually began making appearances before the locals of this fief.”
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao felt there were many strange aspects surrounding this Prince Can, yet she did not know where to begin her investigation.
She asked Wei Jie if they should descend, but he replied, “The night winds are favorable now. We might as well observe from here for the time being…”
Xiao Xiao agreed, seizing this opportunity to test the effectiveness of the new concealment talismans she had recently drawn.
Ever since being transmitted to two hundred years in the past, Xiao Xiao had barely found a moment’s respite, except for those few days spent with Qin Lingxiao when she could focus on studying secret texts undisturbed in the carriage, taking the chance to experiment with new talisman designs she had never attempted before.
Previously, she had often heard her master Tang Youshu self-deprecatingly lament his lack of spiritual aptitude, which was why the Talisman Sect had never truly flourished.
Yet Xiao Xiao seemed to have an innate affinity, quickly grasping the ability to control and guide water flows.
In hindsight, if not for using her own blood essence to forcibly open her spiritual apertures, her initial progress might not have surpassed even Tang Youshu’s current mediocre level as a wandering physician.
If Tang Youshu had indeed drawn inspiration from those few human skin talismans to originally found the Lingshan Talisman Sect, he had subsequently purged all traces of their demonic origins, imbuing the talisman designs with a sense of harmony and auspiciousness.
In contrast, Xiao Xiao’s primordial use of her yin-natured blood essence to create talismans had inadvertently reverted to the sinister roots of those demonic designs, allowing the effects of her talismans to manifest far more potently.
Upon realizing this, Xiao Xiao had secretly and solemnly paid her respects to the youthful Tang Youshu: “Your disciple was deluded, failing to comprehend your original visionary intentions in establishing this sect.
If blood must be used as the medium, then it is no wonder others malign the Talisman Sect as a miscellaneous, low-ranked path.”
She must not betray her predecessor’s founding aspirations!
As the current Sect Master, she should learn to infuse talismans with her formidable spiritual force alone.
Now was the time to test the efficacy of these spiritual talismans.
After affixing the concealment talismans to the backs of her and Wei Jie’s heads, she closed her eyes and silently recited the incantations. Upon reopening them, Wei Jie’s handsome visage remained clearly visible before her.
Xiao Xiao could not help feeling deeply disappointed, but Wei Jie’s gaze suddenly sharpened as he abruptly reached out, his hand not stopping until it caressed her soft cheek.
His large palm, slightly calloused, elicited a tingling sensation as it stroked Xiao Xiao’s face.
Flushing red, Xiao Xiao instinctively swatted at his wandering hand, glaring as she whispered, “What are you doing?”
From the side, Tang Youshu murmured, “Grand-Master, you…truly have become invisible.”
It turned out Wei Jie had suddenly been unable to see Xiao Xiao, hence his exploratory touch to confirm her presence.
However, Wei Jie seemed intent on further verification, for despite feeling his master’s tender face, his palm lingered, even lightly caressing her delicate cheek.
After firmly swatting that indecorous hand away did Wei Jie finally retract it, as if just returning to his senses.
Xiao Xiao hurriedly retrieved a small bronze mirror from her pocket satchel. Peering into it revealed…an empty reflection!
Unable to fully contain her delight, Xiao Xiao realized that her spiritual force, enhanced through learning to wield the “Defying the Heavens” sword, had not only greatly benefited her sword skills but also amplified the potency of her spiritual talismans.
Yet in her momentary distraction, her image reappeared within the mirror’s surface.
Xiao Xiao quickly steadied her mind, silently reciting the incantations to activate the concealment talisman’s full power.
To her surprise, under her guidance, Wei Jie swiftly grasped the technique of projecting his spiritual force into the talisman designs. Following Xiao Xiao’s example of silent recitation, he instantly cloaked his form in invisibility beneath the night.
In contrast, Tang Youshu struggled more despite affixing the talisman, unable to conceal himself, while Yu Ling’er remained utterly clueless.
Once again, Xiao Xiao inwardly marveled at the depths of Wei Jie’s innate talents, far exceeding his outward demeanor.
It had taken her arduous practice to grasp these essential principles, yet Wei Jie had effortlessly mastered them after a single explanation, leaving Xiao Xiao with a distinct lack of accomplishment as his master.
Just as they finished concealing themselves, rapid winds suddenly converged from all directions within the silent city, as numerous formidable cultivators soared towards their location.
Unable to fully mask their auras, Yu Ling’er and Tang Youshu descended from the tree first, taking shelter in a nearby alleyway to await Xiao Xiao and the others.
Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie fully concealed their appearances and auras, remaining in the tree.
As for those wind-riding cultivators, their attire revealed them as members of the Four Great Sects.
It turned out that after receiving aid from the Wei Family in the forest near Autumn Water Pond and purging the voodoo worms, they had set out for Luoyi City.
Two days prior, as they neared the city gates, an impenetrable mist had continuously barred their path, preventing them from proceeding further.
It was only after Xiao Xiao and her group shattered the illusory city that this obscuring mist finally dispersed, allowing the Four Great Sects to arrive later than them.
Meanwhile, Qin Lingxiao stood beside a middle-aged man seated in a carrying chair.
Their strikingly similar appearances left no doubt they were father and son – this white-robed man was undoubtedly Qin Lingxiao’s father, Sect Master Qin He of Soaring Cloud Pavilion.
Focusing her extraordinary eyesight despite the late hour, Xiao Xiao could firmly confirm that the person she had glimpsed within the mirror was indeed this very Sect Master Qin He of Soaring Cloud Pavilion!
Although she had vaguely suspected as much, Xiao Xiao still felt inwardly shaken. After all, the Sect Master of Soaring Cloud Pavilion should have been worlds apart from an idle prince!
However, Qin He appeared gravely injured, his sallow complexion and feeble gasps indicating he could only remain upright in the carrying chair with the aid of his subordinate disciples’ windriding technique.
Reportedly, he had returned to Luoyi City sealed within an enclosed carriage, unable to withstand the slightest breeze lest it trigger uncontrollable coughing fits. Thus, he had not disembarked throughout the entire journey…
The Four Great Sects had clearly suffered no trivial harm from Prince Can’s treachery. Aside from the late Sect Master of Wonderful Immortal Mountain tragically perishing from his severe injuries, the other sect masters and elders, after fleeing Autumn Water Pond with the Wei Family’s assistance in expelling the voodoo worms, had spent a long period recuperating to stabilize their spiritual conditions.
Now, the furious Four Great Sects, bent on avenging their slain disciples and elders, aimed to force their way into the prince’s manor and apprehend the treacherous ruler!
Yet when several sect disciples initially attempted vaulting over the high walls, they were violently repelled by the potent spiritual defenses surrounding the manor grounds.
Left with no choice, they could only besiege the main gates after midnight, unleashing deafening torrents of vitriolic condemnation.
This raucous commotion soon drew scores of city guards converging from all sides, encircling the Four Great Sects’ cultivators.
Originally expecting the treacherous prince to cower within his manor, unwilling to face them, they were taken aback when the main gates suddenly creaked open at that moment.
A middle-aged man resembling a manorial steward emerged from the gates.
This steward appeared around forty years old – though his eyes showed some crinkles, his skin remained smooth and youthful, contrasted by a head of fully grayed hair. A distinct black mole adorned the right corner of his mouth, lending him a striking appearance.
He calmly surveyed the cultivators from the Four Great Sects. “My lord hosted a celebratory banquet three days ago at Autumn Water Pond, which should have been a joyous occasion. Yet he was greatly alarmed by the inexplicable events, returning to the manor stricken with a sudden high fever. The resident physicians are currently tending to him. Do your raucous disturbances imply rebellion?”
The Sect Master Qin He leading the Four Great Sects had also suffered grave injuries. Supported by his son Qin Lingxiao, he struggled to his feet, glaring hatefully as he accused, “He dares claim illness? When he directed his subordinates to inflict demonic arts upon us, his courage seemed boundless! Regardless, he must present himself before the Four Great Sects today and account for the deaths of our disciples and elders!”
These words incited another outburst of furious roars from the assembled cultivators.
Several disciples from Wonderful Immortal Mountain, having sustained the worst losses, could no longer contain their rage, intent on forcing their way inside immediately.
They were the sect most severely impacted, for although the Wei Family had provided timely aid, their sect master had still perished with the voodoo worm penetrating his heart, accompanied by the death of one of their elders.
If they did not personally slay the prince, how could they face their remaining sect members?
Seeing the Wonderful Immortal disciples charging forward, the steward did not attempt to stop them. He even gestured for the surrounding guards to hold their positions before calmly retreating a step, appearing fully accommodating.
But the moment the Wonderful Immortal disciples crossed the threshold brandishing icy blades, a sizzling sound rang out before they were violently repelled, letting out anguished cries as their arms and faces bore scorching burns.
The steward let out a cold laugh, pointing upwards towards the roof of the tallest pavilion tower. Even in the night, something there seemed to glimmer with a faint luminescence.
With her exceptional eyesight, Xiao Xiao immediately discerned an image of the mythical Xunxu beast embedded at the apex of that tower.
Such talismanic beasts were typically carved into the roof ridges of imperial palaces. This odd, vaguely sheep-like chimeric creature was said to possess penetrating discernment, most adept at distinguishing loyalty from treachery. The virtuous could pass unharmed, but it would devour any malicious intruders.
Currently, this Xunxu beast talisman, fashioned from some unknown luminescent material, seemed to emanate an aura of ferocity, barring anyone harboring ill intent from entering the manor grounds.
The steward let out a disdainful snort. “That Xunxu is a celestial envoy bestowed upon the Da Qi imperial ancestors by the heavenly realms long ago. This sacred talisman can perceive killing intent, repelling all who threaten the imperial lineage with untoward designs. It was later passed down to the late emperor, who in turn bequeathed it to our lord to ensure Prince Can’s well-being. If you reckless few insist on forcing your way in, I cannot guarantee your safety!”
The Four Great Sects were naturally aware of this legendary talisman, said to have originated from an illustrious deed of the ancient Da Qi imperial ancestors that helped avert a calamity spanning the three realms. In gratitude, the celestials bestowed this sacred beast to uphold their solemn covenant.
What should have safeguarded the heavenly temple from demonic intrusion now functioned as the treacherous prince’s personal guardion.
Recognizing the talisman’s formidable power, the Four Great Sects knew if Prince Can refused to emerge, merely breaking in would prove impossible.
This incited another thunderous surge of virulent denunciations.
It was at this moment that another group clad in silver armor descended, taking formation before the manor’s main gates.
At their lead was none other than the Wei Family Patriarch Wei Jingfeng. Gazing up at the Xunxu beast talisman, he coldly demanded, “Does Prince Can intend to remain shielded behind his imperial ancestor’s blessings, never emerging again? I have confirmed that a traitorous member of the Wei Family is harbored within this manor – one who harbors sinister intentions. By granting refuge to such an individual, what are your lord’s true designs?”
The steward responded to the Wei Family with relatively more courtesy, cupping his hands in salute. “To be frank, our lord is also a victim deceived by this traitor, just like the rest of you venerable cultivators. A decade ago, our benevolent lord took in a father and daughter who claimed to be refugees. This man named Wei Di possessed some supernatural abilities and cured our lord of an obstinate ailment. Out of gratitude for saving his life, our lord treated Wei Di with the utmost respect, striving to fulfill his every request for rare medicines and exotic beasts to aid his cultivation. Little did we expect he would secretly plot against all of you elders, his daughter Zhuer even deploying voodoo curses in private, catalyzing these tragic deaths. Our lord was truly blindsided! As we speak, the demon cultivators within the manor are already acting on our lord’s orders to put Wei Di to death. Our lord is willing to surrender the traitor’s remains to provide closure for those elders who met lamentable ends.”
As the steward’s voice fell, manorial guards emerged bearing a stretcher.
Lying motionless upon it was none other than Wei Di himself, his chest penetrated by a fatal wound as he had long expired.
Wei Jingfeng narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing his former sworn brother who had once been his late father’s trusted aide. Several long-serving Wei Family elders also stepped forth to examine the remains, confirming the stretched corpse’s identity as Wei Di.
After they nodded in grim affirmation to Wei Jingfeng, the patriarch could not help furrowing his brow.
He could tell at a glance that Wei Di had died from a precise, penetrating strike through the heart – a clean and decisive killing blow with no signs of struggle. Wei Di’s formidable martial skills ranked among the highest in the Wei Family, so either he had been caught completely unawares, or his killer’s prowess far surpassed his own.
Wei Jingfeng could not help wondering what extraordinary experts Prince Can could be harboring within his manor to slay Wei Di with such ease.
However, with Wei Di’s death, matters became more complicated!
For years, the Wei Family had relentlessly hunted this traitorous kinsman, yet he had evaded them with remarkable stealth until they finally tracked him down by following the leads of the Corpse-Devouring Beast and puppet worms here to Luoyi City.
Wei Jingfeng had hoped to capture Wei Di alive, for the prohibited artifact stolen by the traitor long ago remained unaccounted for.
Failing to recover it would be a severe dereliction for the Wei Family, leaving them vulnerable to heavenly retribution. The Wei Family had kept this incident under tight wraps, hoping to make amends at the final moment to avert calamity.
Now that both Wei Di and his daughter were dead, where could they possibly begin searching for that lost remnant?
Of course, the loss of the life records remnant was a closely guarded secret of the Wei Family. Divulging it publicly would undoubtedly incur disastrous consequences, which was why even Wei Jie had been kept uninformed about this matter.
The Wei Family seldom emerged from their mountain abode, only becoming embroiled in these mundane affairs due to the clandestine deployment of the voodoo worms to poach the Corpse-Devouring Beast from the underworld.
With the traitorous father and daughter now executed, yet their stolen artifact still unrecovered, the Wei Family had no choice but to seek a personal audience with Prince Can to thoroughly investigate this matter.
Though relatively more courteous towards the Wei Family, the black mole on the steward’s lips twitched as he smiled thinly. “I will certainly convey your request to the lord of this manor. However, an audience will not be possible today. Although you of the Wei Family are demon-subduing cultivators, you were also martial officers under the imperial ancestors who founded the Da Qi empire over a century before receiving your celestial mandata. Surely the Wei Family Patriarch understands proper decorum better than those uncouth ruffians from the mountains and forests?”
This mole-faced steward’s words carried obvious implications – while rebuking the Wei Family, he arrogantly disparaged the other Four Great Sects as a pack of uncivilized rustic brutes.