The heavy stone door creaked shut behind Xiaobai, blocking out the cacophony of noise from afar. Her bright eyes swept across the room and then landed on the man seated behind the desk.
The man was tall and imposing, with a stern countenance and an air of majesty—none other than the Ghost King.
At this moment, the Ghost King raised his gaze to meet Xiaobai’s, but he did not speak. Before she had arrived, Xiaobai had harbored a great deal of resentment in her heart, but now she found herself at a loss for words. She snorted and cast another glance around the stone chamber, frowning slightly. A strange feeling washed over her, as if something about the room was amiss. Yet, everything in the chamber appeared exactly as it had when she had last visited, with no changes whatsoever. Xiaobai could not pinpoint what was wrong.
At this moment, the Ghost King slowly rose to his feet and asked, “Why have you returned so suddenly?”
His voice was deep and low, different from his usual tone. But Xiaobai, preoccupied with her own thoughts, paid little attention to this. Seizing the opportunity, she sneered and said, “So, you do know I’ve returned? Well, I’m not here to see you.”
The Ghost King replied indifferently, “Oh, then why are you here?”
Xiaobai, growing impatient, snapped, “I’m here to find Ghost Li, but I don’t have time to explain now. I have some questions for you…”
“Wait!” The Ghost King’s calm demeanor suddenly shifted, and he interrupted Xiaobai, “You’re saying you came to find Ghost Li?”
Xiaobai glanced at him, her lips curling into a slight smirk. “So what if I did?”
The Ghost King’s expression darkened, a glint of something unsettling flashing in his eyes. He stared at Xiaobai for a moment, a chill emanating from his gaze. But Xiaobai seemed unaffected, her face unchanged, and she stared back at the Ghost King, a hint of defiance in her eyes.
After a brief, tense silence, the Ghost King sighed and looked away, saying, “Nothing.”
Xiaobai huffed and demanded, “Tell me, during this time, Fox Ridge has been in chaos. People are going mad and harming others, people are dying every day, and the entire Ghost King Sect is in fear. Do you even know about this?”
The Ghost King stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Despite the shocking news, his expression remained as rigid as stone. After a moment, he said coldly, “Oh, is that so?”
Fuming, Xiaobai stepped forward and raged, “As the leader of the Ghost King Sect, how can you be so indifferent to such a grave matter? What are you thinking?”
The Ghost King turned, his gaze becoming colder. He looked at Xiaobai and said, “You know very well who I am, the leader of the Ghost King Sect. But who are you, Xiaobai, to interfere in the affairs of my sect?”
Xiaobai was taken aback, not expecting such words from the Ghost King. Her anger flared, and their gazes clashed like sharp blades in the silent stone chamber.
After a long pause, Xiaobai spoke, “This legacy has the blood, sweat, and tears of my sister, Xiao Chī, in it. I don’t care what madness has gripped you, but I will not let you destroy it!”
“Destroy it? Hahahaha…” The Ghost King burst into laughter, his expression shifting from gloom to arrogance. Raising his head, he roared, “You understand nothing. It is because this legacy holds Xiao Chī’s efforts that I take such care. One day, I will unify the world and rule with an iron fist. Only then will you see my true power, hahahaha…”
His laughter was wild and unrestrained, his behavior completely different from his usual composure. Xiaobai was stunned. As a nine-tailed celestial fox, though she was generally kind, she did not hold human lives in high regard. But even she found the Ghost King’s disregard for the lives of his disciples to be excessive. She realized that returning here was a mistake. Everyone seemed on the verge of madness, and the Ghost King himself was acting strangely, filling her with anger and confusion.
In a fit of rage, Xiaobai shouted, “Are you mad? Those people are your disciples! How can you ignore their lives?”
The Ghost King, still laughing, stopped abruptly at the word “mad.” His face contorted, his laughter ceased, and his gaze became sharp as he fixed his eyes on Xiaobai.
Xiaobai, noticing the sudden change in the Ghost King’s demeanor and sensing a killing intent, felt a shiver run down her spine. At the same time, with her keen senses, she detected something else, causing her to look up in surprise at the Ghost King.
In the silence of the stone chamber, a faint, eerie, bloody aura began to spread. Despite her reluctance to believe it, the aura was clearly emanating from the Ghost King.
“Wh-what did you say?” The Ghost King, standing there and staring at Xiaobai, spoke in a low, deep voice, his question seeping through clenched teeth.
Xiaobai did not answer. She merely looked at the Ghost King, her expression gradually calming down. Finally, a hint of a mocking, ironic smile appeared in her eyes. After a long silence, she lifted her head and said, “I was too hasty before. I apologize if my words were harsh. Please don’t mind them.”
The Ghost King, surprised by her sudden change in attitude, relaxed slightly. The tense atmosphere in the stone chamber eased, and the sinister, bloody aura seemed to fade.
Xiaobai took one last, deep look at the Ghost King and said, “I came to find Ghost Li. Since he’s not here, I won’t stay any longer. I’ll leave now.”
The Ghost King hesitated, his brows furrowing, seemingly unsure of Xiaobai’s sudden shift in demeanor. But Xiaobai did not give him time to ponder. She stated, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” She turned and walked towards the stone door.
The Ghost King’s stone chamber, though spacious, was still confined within the mountain. Xiaobai was only ten steps away from the door. As she walked, her graceful figure moved toward the door, and the Ghost King, standing behind her, wore a complex expression. One moment, he exuded a murderous intent; the next, he seemed uncertain.
But Xiaobai did not slow her pace. Ten steps away, even walking slowly, she would soon reach the door. The heavy stone door creaked open, and she did not look back. Her white robes wrapped around her slender, graceful figure, swaying gently.
Where in this mountain cavern could there be a breeze? Behind her, all was silent. The heavy door closed, isolating her from the chamber. Xiaobai stood there, breathing deeply, and slowly walked down the empty passage, her body relaxing from its earlier tension.
Her eyes held a mysterious, almost amused glint, though no one knew what she was truly thinking. As her gaze swept over the empty corridor, it fell on the rough, deep cracks in the walls. A confirming, cold smile flickered across her face.
She had finally understood what had felt off in the Ghost King’s chamber. The bizarre, mystical cracks appeared everywhere in the Fox Ridge, except in the Ghost King’s chamber. The walls there were intact, unmarred.
Ghost Li descended from the sky, with the monkey, Xiaohui, perched on his shoulder, always eager and restless. While the monkey never tired, Ghost Li’s face was somber. He landed on the barren slopes of Fox Ridge, but instead of directly landing at the entrance of the Ghost King Sect, he alighted at the foot of the mountain and slowly walked up.
It was clear that Ghost Li was deeply troubled. His brows were knitted, and he had long forgotten the last time he truly smiled.
A heavy sensation weighed on his chest. He didn’t need to touch it to know what it was—the mysterious artifact, the Wheel of Time and Space!
Previously, Ghost Li had never heard of such a wondrous treasure. He never imagined that a wandering diviner, Zhou Yixian, would know such a secret, hidden even in the Temple of Heavenly Sounds. Though a sliver of hope had arisen, it was soon overshadowed by worry, anxiety, and confusion. Even now, he could not fully comprehend the artifact. Great Venerable Master Pu De, one of the four great monks of the Temple of Heavenly Sounds, had spent decades trying to unravel its mysteries, so how could he solve it in just a few days?
But what about Bìyáo?
Ghost Li paused, taking a deep breath. The burden on his shoulders felt overwhelming. After a long moment, he sighed and continued up the mountain.
Many people claim life is but a dream, yet they forget that in this world, no matter how much of a dream it may be, one must face it!
Unconsciously, he reached the entrance of the Ghost King Sect’s main hall. The guards, seeing his silhouette, were first startled, then overjoyed. They rushed to him, shouting:
“Deputy Sect Leader, you’re back!”
“You missed Xiaobai. She came looking for you and just left!”
“If you hadn’t come, we wouldn’t know if we’d ever see you again…”
The chaotic, overlapping voices took Ghost Li by surprise. “What are you talking about?”
The Ghost King Sect had been in turmoil. Their situation was dire, and the usually capable leaders had vanished. Qinglong had gone to the Southern Frontier and was missing. Zhuque had left Fox Ridge, and the Ghost King, the center of the sect, showed an unexpected, aloof attitude. The sect was in chaos, and only the strict rules of the Demon Sect kept the members from fleeing. Otherwise, Fox Ridge might have been abandoned.
Ghost Li, once highly esteemed in the Ghost King Sect, was always cold and distant, but he never mistreated the ordinary members. The sect’s disciples respected him, and now, in their hour of need, they saw him as a savior. Their joy was palpable.
As the disciples spoke in a rush, Ghost Li lowered his head, touching the Wheel of Time and Space, which emitted a faint, warm glow through the black cloth.
“Enough!” he said coldly.
The disciples fell silent.
Ghost Li silently pushed past them, heading into the mountain. From behind, someone shouted, “Deputy Sect Leader, are you abandoning us too?”
Ghost Li paused, then said in a low, heavy voice, “For ten years, I’ve tried to save Bìyáo and failed. I can’t even respect myself, so how can I save others?”
He continued forward, his gait slow and desolate, devoid of the youthful vigor he should have. The disciples watched him, their faces pale with despair, overwhelmed by a wave of hopelessness.
As he walked through the mountain passage, the monkey, Xiaohui, on his shoulder suddenly tensed, screeching. It stood up, its three eyes glowing with a golden light, as if sensing a formidable enemy.
Ghost Li frowned, picking up Xiaohui and asked, “Xiaohui, what is it?”
Xiaohui chattered, visibly nervous, and pointed to the sides. Ghost Li’s gaze followed, and his expression turned cold.
Xiaohui pointed to the walls, where numerous, deep, mystical cracks appeared.
Ghost Li set Xiaohui back on his shoulder and continued walking. Xiaohui, with its three eyes wide and alert, scanned the surroundings. The usually bustling passageway was now empty, with no sign of the sect’s disciples.
As they moved, the cracks on the walls grew more numerous and pronounced. A sinister, eerie presence filled the passageway, as if some monstrous entity was watching them from the shadows.
A faint, eerie, bloody scent wafted through the air.
Ghost Li’s pace slowed, his gaze shifting from one crack to another, becoming sharper and more penetrating. Something had indeed happened here.
He stopped abruptly, a thought striking him. His face paled, remembering the unknown, sinister force enveloping Fox Ridge, and Bìyáo, lying in the ice-cold stone chamber…
In a flash, Ghost Li dashed forward, the sound of his movement echoing through the silent passageway, disappearing in an instant.
The heavy stone door echoed again as Ghost Li, anxious, stood at the entrance of the icy stone chamber. As soon as the door opened enough for him to enter, he rushed in.
A soft, ethereal white mist still emanated from the icy stone platform, floating in the air. A green figure lay there, a gentle, serene smile on her face.
Ghost Li stood silently at the door, then breathed a long sigh, his tense expression slowly easing.
He looked at Bìyáo for a long moment, then approached the icy platform, gazing at her beautiful, timeless face. “I’m back, Bìyáo,” he whispered.
There was no response, only a cold, silent void. Ghost Li’s lips trembled, a shadow of sorrow passing over his eyes.
He sat beside the icy platform, looking around. The icy stone chamber, unlike the passageways, was unmarked by the strange cracks. The walls were intact.
Ghost Li frowned, puzzled, but he was not in the mood to investigate. His attention was focused on Bìyáo. He slowly pulled out the black-wrapped artifact, the Wheel of Time and Space, and unwrapped it. Its soft, white glow illuminated Bìyáo’s pale face.
“Bìyáo…” Ghost Li called softly.
Before he could continue, a cold, authoritative voice rang out from the entrance.
“Hold!”
Ghost Li’s brow furrowed, and he turned to see the Ghost King, standing at the door, his sharp gaze fixed on the Wheel of Time and Space in Ghost Li’s hand. “What is that in your hand?” the Ghost King demanded coldly.
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