The fine rain drifted in the air. Xiao Kun said, “I’m thinking, if we capture that clansman first and interrogate him, will the situation become clearer?”
“That would only alert the enemy,” Xiang Xian said. “And I suspect he doesn’t know Mr. Ying’s full plan anyway.”
Xiao Kun hadn’t slept all night, and his mind felt stuffed with glue, but he admitted Xiang Xian was right. Capturing the War Dead Corpse Ghost advisor first would make Mr. Ying and Mr. Liu more guarded, complicating things further.
“What’s the Heart Lamp?” Hulü Guang asked again. “Is it a lamp?”
“A kind of power,” Xiang Xian replied. “We’ve been searching for it for a long time. It can help Exorcists purify Demonic Qi. After the last holder died, the Heart Lamp came to Aksu.”
Xiao Kun also said, “We don’t know why it came here, but to defeat the demons, we must obtain it.”
“Mm.” Hulü Guang had read about brilliant lights and dark Demon Kings in some stories and roughly understood. He asked again, “It must be a treasure! Are your enemies looking for it too?”
“Yes,” Xiang Xian said. “Xiao Kun? Come here.”
Xiao Kun was nearly asleep. At Xiang Xian’s call, he took his hand, borrowed his strength to leap, and landed behind him.
Xiang Xian signaled for him to sleep on his back first. There was still a short way to Kizil. Xiao Kun drowsily leaned against Xiang Xian’s shoulder and back and fell asleep. Xiang Xian’s scent was comforting and reassuring, reminding Xiao Kun of the brief intense summers in Shangjing, where robes were baked bone-dry by the blazing sun.
Shangjing’s summers were scorching, with light everywhere. Xiang Xian carried that same warm, blazing atmosphere.
“I think I get it now,” Xiang Xian said. “The Demon Race can’t directly seize the Heart Lamp. It’s probably sealed or requires a special method to find it—you have to summon it into your body… Xiao Kun?”
Xiao Kun had already fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun had discussed it repeatedly: the Heart Lamp was a Magic Treasure, a power. Xiao Kun needed to gain its recognition and absorb it for his own use, essentially offering himself as a sacrifice to it.
“Master, will that Magic Treasure attach to a person’s body?” Hulü Guang asked again.
“Exactly,” Xiang Xian replied. “But only someone with a pure heart, full of benevolence, can gain the Heart Lamp’s acknowledgment—perhaps far more than that.”
Hulü Guang nodded. Xiang Xian knew he hadn’t fully understood—the world of Exorcists was too complex for him.
A Huang flew down from the sky, landed on Xiang Xian’s shoulder, folded its wings, and said, “No anomalies by the Wuzat River. But there are many cave temples there. Do you know which one it’s in?”
Xiang Xian had no clue. In fact, based on the intelligence Wu Yingzong first obtained and the murals left by the previous Heart Lamp Holder Ge Liang, the path leading here was full of uncertainties, as if various coincidences of fate were pushing them step by step toward some truth.
Before Xiang Xian could speak, Hulü Guang was startled and said, “The bird can talk?”
A Huang glanced at Hulü Guang and ignored him. Xiang Xian explained, “It’s a spirit beast.”
Hulü Guang was full of surprise. Xiang Xian continued, “Its combat power isn’t strong—it can’t spew fire everywhere like a dragon. It must cast spells through me, and its Magical Power grows stronger with my cooperation.”
Hulü Guang nodded and said, “Must be great for scouting.”
With that, A Huang flapped its wings and flew off again to scout Kizil.
“Xiao Kun?” Xiang Xian said. “Wake up—we’re here.”
Xiao Kun had slept deeply the whole way. When they arrived at the Wuzat Riverbank, all around was eerily quiet, and the rain had stopped. The sky was shrouded in dark clouds.
A narrow river valley appeared before them. The southern ravine was low with lush, dense trees; the north side rose nearly ten zhang as a high cliff. Wooden galleries zigzagged up the cliff, and countless cave mouths emitted a mysterious aura in the dim light.
“Pretty quiet,” Xiang Xian said. “Doesn’t seem like there’s a trap.”
Xiao Kun remained vigilant, scanning the surroundings. The silence here was unnatural—no bird calls. The entire river valley had a deathly, desolate stillness.
Hulü Guang said, “The north leads to the Silk Road toward Alimatu.”
Xiao Kun washed his face by the river, feeling a bit more awake, and said, “Let’s go up and take a look.”
Kizil had first been built during the era of the Kucha Kingdom, nearly eight hundred years ago. The plank roads constructed along the high cliffs had long fallen into disrepair and swayed precariously as they made their way upward.
“No enemies.” A Huang flew back after his second circling patrol.
Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun exchanged a glance, both understanding that the enemy would not reveal themselves until the Heart Lamp was found.
The high cliff was interrupted by a gap, and Xiang Xian gazed toward the distant Gobi Clusters and Wuzat River.
“Why do I feel like I’ve been here before?” Xiang Xian said.
Hulü Guang: “???”
Xiao Kun: “I had that feeling when I entered Gaochang, but now is not the time for idle thoughts. Let’s start from the west side and check the stone caves one by one.”
Xiang Xian: “Hulü Guang, stay up high. Don’t make a move unless I call for you. A Huang, scout the nearby movements.”
A Huang flew off again.
“Yes, Master.” Hulü Guang understood the rules clearly.
Meanwhile, outside Gumo City, Wu Yingzong transformed into a Giant Ape. He held a piece of Golden Ink and bounded across the land, drawing numerous Talismanic Runes on the surface of the main road.
Chaosheng sat beneath a tree and asked, “Is this for capturing demons?”
The White Ape circled a few times before returning to Chaosheng and said, “Master drew it before. I watched and learned a little.”
“Alright, let’s go.” Wu Yingzong changed into a dark brown martial robe and set off on horseback with Chaosheng toward the City Lord’s Mansion. Along the way, he said to Chaosheng, “Later, I need to impersonate Lord Xiao. No matter what I say, if they ask you anything, just answer ‘yes.’ It’s simple, and there won’t be any mistakes.”
