Chapter 396: Chapter 114 The Formation of the Book of Luo
On the first day of October, the climate gradually cooled, and the environment surrounding the Divine Capital became more akin to that of autumn, adding a desolate charm both inside and outside the city.
Within a residence in the Inner City District, the autumn breeze wafted in, bringing a faint chill. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window and landed on the bed by the window. While this caused the person on the bed some discomfort, it also alleviated the cold within him.
As a Ghost Cultivator, even though he had reached a stage where sunlight was no longer a concern, Cui Jue still did not enjoy walking under the sun. Yet, at this moment, he had no choice but to rely on the sunlight to slightly suppress the Taiyin Energy within his body.
Above his brows, a faint frost receded, turning into mist and rising. Cui Jue’s expression eased slightly, but he became more sullen.
Although he had temporarily suppressed the Yin Qi, by nightfall, the Yin Qi would return with a vengeance. It would even integrate more closely with this ghostly physique, inflicting even more intense anguish.
Clenching his teeth in frustration, Cui Jue reached out, and a black book appeared in his hand. The pages flipped on their own, and the sanguine script on the similarly black pages caught his eye.
——Jiang Li!
Born in Jizhou on Gengwu Day, Wu Yin Month, Yiwei Year, the eldest son of the seventh family of the Jiang’s branch family, Grade ***.
The Book of Life and Death displayed the brief information, with the exact lifespan seemingly smeared over, the specific numbers obscured. But as long as Cui Jue willed it, as long as he was willing to pay the price...
Looking at the two characters, Cui Jue felt an almost irresistible urge to strike them out.
"With your Yin Life, even if it’s completely expended, you can’t erase his life. Better not to try," a deep voice sounded abruptly. From the ground emerged a shadowy Yin Qi, and the outline of a sturdy man materialized.
He wore a Red Robe similar to that of Cui Jue’s, but it appeared more capacious. His features were leonine, with piercing eyes and a fierce iron visage framed by curled whiskers. Just standing there, he exuded a dread presence, yet not one of malevolence, but instead a sort of splendid ferocity.
Hearing this, Cui Jue intently stared at the name again, as if reluctant to let go.
Erasing a life from the Book of Life and Death only required a stroke of vermilion, exceptionally convenient. However, behind this convenience lay the price of one’s lifespan. The stronger the life force, the more substantial the cost, similar to the restrictive conditions of Yi Dao Divination.
And Ghost Cultivators, too, have a lifespan, albeit a Yin Life, which represents the soul body’s lifespan—the years that the soul body can exist. Expend Yin Life, and it’s akin to expending the "vitality" of the soul body. Once Yin Life runs out, the body of the Ghost Cultivator will also be completely dissipated.
If there were no limitations on lifespan, this world would have long since belonged to Ghost Cultivators.
"I know," Cui Jue said through gritted teeth, suddenly flipping the Book of Life and Death to a certain page.
——Li Mi.
These two characters entered his sight.
The one he truly wanted to kill was this traitor.
If not for this traitor, Cui Jue would never have been reduced to such a state. Even if directly confronted by Tianxuan, he still would have had some leeway to maneuver.
He was evidently still unaware of how petty a certain disciple and master of the Jiang family could be...
Looking at this name, Cui Jue held the suddenly appeared vermilion pen in his other hand, ready to mark it.
However, as soon as the pen touched the page, he felt his body writhing, as if he was about to collapse completely.
To claim Li Mi’s life, Cui Jue would pay a terribly heavy price. Although it wouldn’t drain his Yin Life completely, it would certainly remove most of it.
"That Bull-headed fellow has been guarding in the Underground Palace these days; he seems to have defected and is now under Jiang Li’s protection," said the sturdy man indifferently. "While they might not be close enough to share fate, it’s enough to make the cost of his assassination significantly higher. It’s better not to think about using the Book of Life and Death to take his life."
As a Soul Hooker of the Yin Law Department, the Bull-headed being was at least a Sixth Rank, and just one level below that of a Judge, a Fifth Rank. Naturally, he knew about the Book of Life and Death. So, after defecting, he knelt to serve under Jiang Li immediately to ensure the safety of his own life.
The Bull-headed being did not believe Cui Jue would trade his life for the other’s.
With Cui Jue now seriously injured, if he forcefully took a life, he himself would likely perish, giving the Bull-headed being a posthumous companion.
Just thinking about the price of taking a life made Cui Jue’s expression darken.
After all, he couldn’t bring himself to trade life for life; it was simply not worth it.
"Spare his life for now," Cui Jue coldly said.
"If that’s what you think, then that’s for the best," the sturdy man said. "The priority now is to help you heal. You’re currently plagued by Yin Qi and unable to return. Fortunately, the Divine Capital is teeming with vitality, so you can utilize it to dispel the Yin Qi. If the Inner City is insufficient, head to the Outer City District, where the vitality is even stronger, and it should be enough to completely suppress it."
"Recover as quickly as possible and return before any accidents happen."
The ’accident’ he referred to was, of course, the Taiping Sect.
Some time had passed since Cui Jue was injured, and King You had also noticed Tianxuan’s intentions, suspecting she wanted to use Cui Jue as bait to draw out the Taiping Sect.
As Cui Jue’s superior, King You naturally would not neglect him. Over this period, he had another sturdy man guard nearby and deployed subordinates in the vicinity to prevent assassination attempts on Cui Jue.
Ever since the assassination attempt on the Second Prince, the Upper City District of the Divine Capital had ceased to be safe, let alone the Inner City.
If Cui Jue were assassinated, the nearby subordinates would notify King You immediately, allowing the King Yan to come directly to ensure that Cui Jue would not suffer the same fate as the Second Prince.
"If only there were an accident, preferably if Lawless Freedom comes..." Cui Jue spoke with resentment.
Regardless of whether Lawless Freedom was Zhang Daoyi or not, as long as they came to assassinate him, he would ensure they never returned.
Seeing Cui Jue’s attitude, the sturdy man knew he had been tortured severely these days, and was becoming extreme. With a shake of his head, he prepared to vanish into the shadows.
However—
"Zhao Ke wraps his head, Wu Hook in frost and snow so bright."
A leisurely voice suddenly rose, echoing with a grand and forthright spirit.
Outside on the street, a man in green attire and carrying a long sword walked toward Cui Jue’s residence with a gentle but swift stride, as if in no hurry at all.
With his arrival, a cold breeze began to blow and ghostly shadows quietly emerged, darkening the skies.
"Silver saddle gleaming on a white horse, swift as a shooting star."
The man in green recited poetry as he drew closer, not faltering in his steps even as he noticed the ghosts’ presence.
The surrounding yin qi suddenly intensified, and in a flash, several pitch-black iron chains shot out from the shadows, with figures in black soap robes appearing on both sides of the street.
These were eighth-rank Ghost Officers, the grassroots Ghost Cultivators of the Yin Law Department.
The black iron chains shot toward the man in green from all directions, their clinking lock chains emitting the sounds of soul-snatching.
Yet the man in green kept walking and singing, sword qi suddenly flaring around him, snapping the chains.
"Ten steps, one kill."
A sound like ripping silk abruptly filled the air, and the Ghost Officers were all cut down by the sweeping sword qi, their bodies split in two, their soul bodies collapsing.
"A thousand miles left without a trace."
The sword qi never ceased, moving in all directions, wiping out ghost shadows wherever it went. In an instant, mournful wails like those of weeping ghosts and howling wolves rose, the yin qi scattered, and ghost bodies shattered.
The man in green had already reached the entrance of the residence, his sword qi breaking down the door, his eyes meeting those of the sturdy man inside.
"It’s you!"
The sturdy man’s expression grew more solemn upon seeing the man in green’s face.
He remembered this person, the green attire, and the sword qi moving without constraint, leaving a profound impression from his life before death.
The man in green did not reply, simply reciting poetry and gently waving his sleeve.
"When the deed’s done, leave and hide your trace, deep concealing self and name."
An object like a turtle shell flew out, dispersing in the air, forming a pattern of points and lines, spreading like stars and surrounding the residence.
The world suddenly underwent an illusion; in the blink of an eye, the man in green and the residence, along with the two people inside, disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only an empty patch of land.
Then, in less than ten breaths’ time, a torrent of yin qi rose from the ground, and the figure of King You emerged from the tidal flow of yin qi.
But his arrival was one step too late, only to see the gradually dissipating array.
"This is..." King You’s face changed drastically, "The Book of Luo? Could the descendants of Fuxi still be alive?"
...
...
Three hundred li outside the Divine Capital, amidst the mountains and wilderness, the spring scenery remained though not as bright as before, yet green trees and grass could still be seen.
By a babbling brook, the air suddenly blurred, followed quickly by the sudden appearance of a star-like array as a residence passed through space to the banks of the creek.
The sturdy man’s Divine Sense burst forth, instantly scanning the surroundings, capturing the mountain landscape in his Sea of Consciousness, his face revealing shock, his heart sinking.
Judging from the environment, this place was still within the boundaries of the Divine Capital. But the Divine Capital along with the surrounding workshops spanned extensive territory, unmatched by any city in the world. Even in the most optimistic estimate, the current location was at least five hundred li away from the original spot.
This distance would not be considered far for a fourth-rank, assuming they could detect this place.
The likelihood of King You arriving in time for support was not great.
The sturdy man’s expression was solemn, as he suddenly stepped forward, passing through a wooden window and wall to the outside, staring at the green-clad man and said in a deep voice, "Does the Daode Sect seek rebellion?"
The swordsman in green was recognized by many who had been in cultivation decades ago, for that was indeed the demeanor of the current Sect Master of the Daode Sect.
The man before them shared the same visage as that figure from the past.
But—
"Do not misunderstand, I am merely an independent avatar, and I am now no longer connected to the individual you remember from your memory. You may consider me a traitor to the Daode Sect."
The man in green slightly smiled, the sword qi at his acupoints faintly visible. He was the avatar created by the Ginsengfruit, possessing a Physical Body—the incarnation of Taibai True Monarch—Li Qinglian.
Yet now—
"Li Qinglian of the Desolate God Sect, at your service."
Li Qinglian smiled as he introduced his affiliation with the Blame-shifting Sect, clearly having switched allegiances and cut ties with the Daode Sect.
The Qi Mechanism emanating from his body was without a doubt of the sixth-rank, apparently indicating his dissociation from Taibai True Monarch.
If it were indeed Taibai True Monarch’s avatar, theoretically, it should not be just of the sixth-rank.
"Brother Zhong, when you dueled with my original body in the past, you perished in the despair of the Wan Guchou. Today, as I seek to walk my original body’s path once more, I hope Brother Zhong will not spare his guidance."