Chapter 39: Confinement Part 1

Inside the Abyss Divine Palace:

“Bring someone to take him away…”

“My stomach suddenly stopped hurting!” Xiang Xian said immediately.

Mr. Liu fell silent once more. Xiang Xian’s Qiankun Bag was confiscated again, but he had achieved his initial goal. He sat on the steps, pinching the Phoenix Butterfly Echo Bug in his hand and hiding it inside his sleeve cuff, fastening it securely to prevent it from slipping out.

Where was A Huang?

Xiang Xian looked up at the palace environment. This place was not fully enclosed; it seemed to be underground somewhere, or perhaps inside a massive cavity within a mountain, as holes dotted all four walls and glowing crystals illuminated the dome ceiling.

Unlike Chang’an’s ancient waterways, many dark corners harbored underground plants that emitted fluorescent light—enormous flowers with closed buds that faintly glowed from within.

Numerous War Dead Corpse Ghosts stood within the underground palace. Four guards stood near the high platform. Under normal circumstances, Xiang Xian would not have spared a glance for such lowly monsters, but with Mr. Liu present, any reckless move would likely earn him a beating. He did not act rashly.

After barely filling his stomach, Xiang Xian stood up as if he were there to sightsee and walked down the steps.

Although Mr. Liu did not stop him, Xiang Xian noticed as soon as he took a step that Illusory Shadow Shackles bound his ankles. They were imperceptible during small steps, but as soon as he tried to stride farther, the shackles formed of spiritual power hummed with a faint glow, warning him not to move recklessly.

He pulled at his arms… They were shackled too? Handcuffs, leg irons, and even a Neck Lock—one complete set. This must have been why Mr. Liu had not guarded against his movement.

Xiang Xian approached a War Dead Corpse Ghost soldier, leaned down, tilted his head, examined its chin, and checked its nostrils to see if it was still breathing. This was the first time in his life that Xiang Xian had encountered such a monster—it could hardly even be called a “monster” anymore. Even Shen Kuo had only heard rumors of them and never seen one.

According to Wu Yingzong, Mr. Qin from Kaifeng had also brought an army of such living corpses. It seemed these things were the Demon King’s primary minions.

The realm between life and death had always been a mystery of the world. Xiang Xian had studied the basics of reincarnation and the cycle of rebirth; he knew that after death, a person’s soul would be drawn into the Heavenly Veins, where the world’s turbulent spiritual power would cleanse all memories. Then, through the connection of the Heaven-Earth Veins, the soul would return to the earth and reincarnate.

How did the War Dead Corpse Ghosts preserve their bodies from decay and retain their souls to some degree? This was a question that generations of Grand Demon-Exorcists had failed to unravel.

“Does your clan inherit the power of an ancient divine being?” Xiang Xian asked into the silence, his voice echoing through the underground palace. He refrained from infusing spiritual power to activate the Echo Bug, lest he alert Mr. Liu.

“Your knowledge is profound,” Mr. Liu’s voice replied from above.

“Oh—” Xiang Xian understood and said, “So the ancestor of the War Dead Corpse Ghost Clan is that Celestial Maiden Hanba?”

“Yes, and no.” Mr. Liu answered Xiang Xian’s question, yet said nothing at all.

Xiang Xian walked past several War Dead Corpse Ghost soldiers and suddenly spotted a faint flicker of firelight from within a hole. Though it was just a dim flame, he recognized it immediately from their constant companionship.

A Huang hid in the crevice, risking the emission of light to signal him.

Xiang Xian’s mind raced, and he said, “According to historical records, Your Majesty, you were nearly seventy when you passed away. This body of yours doesn’t look like that of a seventy-year-old.”

Mr. Liu said gravely, “What King Mu took was the seed from my thirtieth year.”

Xiang Xian returned to the steps and sat down. “Took a seed? So you’re not Liu Che? At most, perhaps a young Liu Che? I just don’t understand—why would you unparalleled emperors serve some mysterious guy as ‘Heavenly Sovereign’?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Mr. Liu replied, his tone softening somewhat.

“Fair enough.” Xiang Xian thought for a moment and said, “Who do you think you are?”

Mr. Liu did not answer. Unable to hold back, Xiang Xian asked again, “How were you created?”

In Xiang Xian’s view, this “King Mu” was undoubtedly an expert. All his methods so far were things Xiang Xian had never seen or heard of—he could traverse thousands of li in an instant, teleporting from his lair toward Kaifeng, a feat beyond even the pinnacle of the Shrinking Earth Technique. He could extract a “seed” from a person and recreate an ancient human emperor!

On top of that, the Demon King wielded a magic treasure called the Qingyu Golden Chalice… Xiang Xian had a premonition that once this guy successfully reincarnated as the Heavenly Demon, no one would be able to stop him.

Wait… Xiang Xian recalled Mr. Qin’s actions and connected them to the seed extraction process. He suddenly understood what King Mu intended! He wanted to recreate a Song Emperor?! Perhaps even replace the original Zhao Ji and install him on the throne! If that were true… Xiang Xian could not help but shiver.

A buzzing sound emanated from several Stone Coffins, emitting blue light and interrupting their conversation. Xiang Xian looked up to see Ghost Fire igniting in previously empty coffins, where bodies of War Dead Corpse Ghosts appeared, as if teleported back from somewhere. They sat up one after another.