Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Only after that upright and elegant figure had disappeared from the courtyard did Shen Xiyin finally lose her composure, letting out a soft, strained "mm" from between her lips.

Her legs trembled, and she could barely stand. Pressing on her lower abdomen, she hurried to the washroom. But once there, she still couldn't go, and tears welled up in her eyes from frustration.

The cramped washroom was dark and stuffy, with a small ventilation window on the side. Shen Xiyin gripped the window frame with one hand while pressing inward on her lower abdomen with the other.

But a person's body isn't a water pouch you can just squeeze to get the water out. With each push, only a few drops came out, yet Shen Xiyin was already soaked in sweat.

In the stillness of the night, the soft, restrained moans from the washroom were especially loud. A bird perched on a branch by the window flapped its wings and flew off, shaking the branches violently.

Shen Xiyin's face was flushed crimson, and waves of sharp, intense pressure pushed her to the brink of collapse.

In the distance, Pei Su walked along the village path. Hearing faint, fragmented sounds, he paused mid-step and glanced back, a little suspicious.

From the small ventilation window on the side, Shen Xiyin saw him look her way. Though she knew he couldn't possibly see her clearly from that position, her shame reached its peak at that moment.

Her body tensed involuntarily, and her nails, gripping the window frame, left a long, deep scratch in the decayed wood.

All around was silent, except for the distant stream murmuring and gurgling.

Shen Xiyin leaned against the window, breathing deeply, calming down after the release.

After a long while, she covered her face with her hand, overwhelmed with shame.

What was she going to do with herself like this?

---

The night on Bujun Mountain returned to peace and quiet. The sky was clear and free of fog, with a bright moon hanging high, its soft light spilling over the layered mountain peaks.

A full day and night had passed since the chaos at the funeral. Recalling those scenes, Pei Jun was still utterly horrified.

Master Yunxu, who had turned into a malevolent spirit, had undergone corpse transformation on the night of the full moon.

Pei Jun knew he would never forget the image of that half-rotted corpse, lying quietly in its coffin, suddenly sitting upright.

Decayed flesh oozed thick, yellow, sticky corpse fluid, and a suffocating stench hit their noses. Dense evil energy, like a beast breaking free from its cage, exploded forth from his rotting, cracked skin.

The full moon's light pierced through the paper window, illuminating a face so decayed that his once-handsome features were unrecognizable. In his sunken eye sockets, the eyeballs had long since rotted away, leaving only two hollow, bloody holes that stared straight ahead.

What appeared before the crowd was no longer the deceased master, but a deadly, yin-infused, poisonous evil entity.

The cultivators standing closest to the coffin were immediately affected by the evil energy, blood streaming from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Master Yunxu had reached the pinnacle of cultivation in life; after turning into a corpse demon, he was even more dangerous, especially during the full moon when yin energy was strongest.

The situation was grim. Even with all the gathered cultivators of the mystical sects, they were no match for it. Those with weaker cultivation could only hide or run.

But the thick fog on the mountain wouldn't lift, making it impossible to escape Bujun Mountain.

Pei Jun had never missed his uncle as much as he did right then. Nor had he ever wanted to roll his eyes at Xie Yusheng, who was running around panicking and screaming at everything, as much as he did at that moment.

Especially when Xie Yusheng, trembling, pointed at him in terror and said, "Behind you."

Sweating coldly and convinced he was about to die right there, Pei Jun forced himself to stay calm, turning his head stiffly to look behind him—only to find the evil being still over a hundred yards away, completely unaware of them. He nearly rolled his eyes back into his head.

It wasn't until the moon set and the sun came up, and the yin energy in the area gradually dissipated, that the gathered cultivators managed to subdue the evil being, sealing it in its coffin with seven peach wood nails.

With the fog clearing, the Message Paper Cranes could finally be used again. Pei Ling quickly sent word to Pei Daoqian to report their safety. On the other end, Pei Daoqian let out a long sigh of relief upon learning that both young Peis were unharmed.

Everything seemed to have settled, but one problem remained.

That was the mystery of why Master Yunxu, once the righteous leader of the mystical sects, had turned into a malevolent spirit.

Most who transformed into such extremely yin and poisonous evil beings were those who had committed heinous crimes in life.

Master Yunxu was certainly not one of them.

That left only one reason—

This person had been murdered by someone else, and his resentment after death was so deep that it could not be resolved.

In short, Master Yunxu's death was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

To figure out what really happened, they would likely have to ask him himself.

Tonight, the sky was clear and the air fresh—perfect for a soul-summoning ritual.

A heavy bell tolled from the mountaintop, its deep sound waves slowly spreading, silencing everything in their reach.

Inside the mourning hall, candlelight was dim, and the doors and windows were tightly shut.

Most of the mystical sect members had already left the mountain. Those who remained were people like Xie Yusheng, who had nothing better to do; Pei Ling, who was determined to find answers; and a few others closely connected to Master Yunxu.

Everything was ready, waiting only for the person presiding over the soul-summoning to arrive before they could begin.

Soul-summoning rituals were something almost everyone in the mystical sects knew, but few could accurately convey the thoughts of the summoned soul. This required not only a firm will from the caster but also extremely high cultivation.

Xie Yusheng said to the two young Peis, "If your family head were here, he would be the one to preside over a ritual like this. But since he's not, I wonder who will take his place?"

Pei Jun was also curious.

Before long, from the shadows untouched by the candlelight, a figure walked slowly forward. He wore a flowing white Daoist robe, exuding an air of otherworldly grace.

Seeing the man, Pei Jun's eyelids twitched. "Why him?"

Xie Yusheng smiled knowingly. "So it's him."

Pei Ling was not surprised. "As expected, it's him."

The newcomer was Wang Xuantong, the head of the Changyang Wang family. His birth name was Wang Yuan, but he later changed it to Xuantong, taken from the Daode Jing's phrase, "Harmonize with its light, mingle with its dust—this is called Xuantong," signifying that he had merged with the Dao and reached the highest realm.

In the mystical sects, the often-heard phrase "Southern Pei, Northern Wang" referred to Pei Su, the current head of the Pei family, and this man.

In terms of Daoist methods and reputation, Wang Xuantong was no match for Pei Su. A few years ago, the Changyang Wang family was not particularly prominent among the many mystical clans. However, this head of the Wang family was very skilled at building his own image and reputation.

For instance, this so-called "Southern Pei, Northern Wang" was likely something he spread himself.

Originally, people didn't know much about Wang Xuantong, but by linking him with Pei Su, they gained a deeper impression of him and often thought, "If this man is mentioned alongside the Pei family head, he must be quite formidable."

Moreover, he was very good at putting on a show. In recent years, there had been many deliberately crafted little stories circulating in the mystical sects, all designed to highlight personal virtue, and the protagonist was invariably this head of the Wang family.

Pei Jun felt that this man's behavior was largely an imitation of his uncle, like a clumsy copycat.

He certainly couldn't appreciate it, but surprisingly, the man had quite a few supporters.

In the chaos of the night before last, it was this head of the Wang family who discovered the evil being's weak point and, together with the gathered cultivators, subdued it.

After this incident, his reputation naturally grew even greater than before.

Among the many notable scholars who came to attend the memorial service, he ranked among the more notable figures, so it made sense for him to perform the soul-summoning ritual.

Luo Xuan, Master Yunxu's lead disciple, stepped forward and bowed to Wang Xuantong, saying, "I appreciate the trouble."

Wang Xuantong replied politely, "No need for that. It's an honor to serve the venerable one."

With that, he said no more, walked to the coffin, and raised his hand to grip his sword. A blue sword light spread out from him, instantly surrounding the coffin, making it shake.

Xie Yusheng, watching from the side, muttered, "This guy's got some real skill, huh."

But just as he praised him, they saw Master Wang cough up a mouthful of blood.

Xie Yusheng covered his face with his fan and clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Wang Xuantong's face turned grim as he stepped back.

In an instant, a stream of black energy surged from the cracks of the coffin, slowly rising into the air to form a picture.

The picture showed a tower—a plain, unremarkable one.

Luo Xuan stared at the tower, confused, and asked, "What does this mean?"

Wang Xuantong shook his head regretfully and said, "I apologize for my lack of skill in clearly reading the venerable one's intent. During the soul-summoning, I tried to ask him who harmed him and if he had any grievances to voice. With an ordinary dead person, I could've understood clearly. But the venerable one's been corrupted for so long that most of his soul's awareness has dissipated. I gave it my all and only found this one clue."

His gaze fell on the picture made of black energy. "It is this tower before us."

Pei Ling asked, "Are you saying Master Yunxu's death is closely tied to this tower?"

Wang Xuantong replied, "Exactly."

Pei Jun looked left and right but couldn't figure it out. "Isn't this just a tower you see everywhere?"

Xie Yusheng waved his fan and said, "Not quite."

Pei Jun turned to him. "What do you make of it?"

Xie Yusheng said, "That's not it. But you're wrong calling this tower common."

Pei Jun asked, "How's that?"

Xie Yusheng pointed his fan at the pattern atop the tower. "The water-calming beast carved here is a unique pattern from the Xunyang region. Xunyang's long been called the 'City of Rivers and Lakes,' and just hearing the name tells you it's full of water. Buildings along the Xunyang River often feature these carvings, meant to calm the waters, steady the river, and ensure good weather forever."

Luo Xuan said, "But I've never heard my master mention any tower in Xunyang."

Xie Yusheng said, "I've never heard of it, either."

His expression darkened. "Maybe he didn't want to mention it, or couldn't." Then he glanced slyly at Wang Xuantong, who was quietly wiping blood off to the side. "Or maybe this guy's... cultivation's just not good enough... and he messed up."

For the first time, Pei Jun fully agreed with Xie Yusheng and said bluntly, "If my uncle were here, this wouldn't have happened."

Wang Xuantong, hearing their back-and-forth, struggled to keep his cool and said, "In this art, I'm indeed no match for Lord Yucheng. But I wouldn't dare misrepresent the venerable one's intent. I swear on my entire Wang clan's future that I didn't make a mistake."

Pei Jun smirked. Swearing on his whole family's future—that really hit a nerve. But it also confirmed that this seemingly plain tower was definitely the clue the one in the coffin wanted to convey to them.

The soul-summoning ritual wrapped up late that night.

Pei Ling left the mourning hall, muttering "Xunyang" under his breath.

Pei Jun glanced at him. "What're you mumbling about?"

Pei Ling looked up and said, "I'm saying, it's Xunyang all over again. The paper the clan head left in the study also had 'Xunyang' on it. And recently, strange events have been frequent in Xunyang. I feel like Xunyang hides some unknown secret."

"You're always meticulous, noticing things others often overlook," Pei Jun said. "So, what do you plan to do?"

Pei Ling said, "I want to go to Xunyang and take a look."

That night, Pei Jun and Pei Ling used a Message Paper Crane to inform Pei Daoqian of the matter. On the other end, Pei Daoqian heard their determination and didn't stop them, only sighing and saying, "It's good for young people to go out and gain experience. But when you're away, always remember: don't be reckless in anything, and be careful in everything."

The old man always repeated the same few lines. Pei Jun and Pei Ling's ears were practically calloused from hearing them, but they quickly agreed.

The next morning, the two packed their bags and prepared to head down the mountain. Halfway, they ran into Xie Yusheng, who was also planning to descend.

He held his fan and smiled at them. "Going to Xunyang? Let's go together."

Pei Jun frowned. "You're going too?"

Xie Yusheng replied, "Yeah."

Pei Jun said disdainfully, "What are you going there for?"

Xie Yusheng flicked his fan. "I've got nothing better to do anyway."

Pei Jun's mouth stiffened, and he was momentarily speechless.

Were all the idlers in the mystical arts world as free as him?

Xie Yusheng tapped the two young Peis on the shoulder with his fan. "What are you waiting for? Let's get moving."

When they learned the three were heading down the mountain, Luo Xuan personally came to see them off.

As they reached the mountain gate, they encountered several disciples escorting a coffin down the mountain. Inside the coffin lay the eldest son of the Lu family from Luling, who had been pierced through the chest by the corrupted Master Yunxu on the night of the memorial service.

Though they weren't on good terms with him, seeing someone who was alive just days ago now gone left a heavy feeling in their hearts.

Pei Ling lowered his head, his expression gloomy. "If only I had noticed the corpse's abnormality earlier, maybe he wouldn't have..."

Pei Jun quickly said, "How can you blame yourself? If anything, blame him for not listening to advice."

Luo Xuan echoed, comforting him, "Exactly. Don't take it to heart."

Pei Ling nodded in agreement, but his face didn't brighten even after they left the mountain gate.

Seeing this, Xie Yusheng tapped his forehead with his fan. "You don't really think that noticing the corpse's abnormality earlier would have changed anything, do you?"

Pei Ling was stunned. "Wouldn't it?"

Xie Yusheng laughed. "Naive."

He twirled his fan and said mockingly, "Do you really think you were the first to notice the master's corruption?"

This time, Pei Jun was stunned. "Wasn't he?"

Xie Yusheng glanced toward Luo Xuan's distant figure. "If even an outsider like you could notice something, how could the senior disciple, who is always meticulous and in control of everything in the sect, fail to notice?"

"Mount Bujun may not be as wealthy as Jinling's Yucheng Mountain, but it still has considerable resources. Otherwise, where would the master's treasures and collections come from? They couldn't have been stolen, right? In any case, it's not so poor that they'd have to skimp on replacing a roof."

Pei Jun said, "You mean he deliberately patched the roof to look that ugly?"

Xie Yusheng said, "If the roof hadn’t been fixed that way, how would you have guessed how the second disciple who dropped dead met his end?"

Pei Ling froze. "But why would he do that?"

Xie Yusheng replied, "Isn’t the reason simple? He wanted someone to notice something off about the master’s corpse, but he didn’t want it to be him."

He chuckled. "How could a disciple who respects his teacher call his own master a demon?"

Pei Jun and Pei Ling were silent for a long time after that.

Xie Yusheng shook his head at them, clicking his tongue a few times, and sighed, "Kids, pay more attention."

A heavy silence fell. After a while, Pei Jun asked Xie Yusheng, "What about you? Did you figure it out early too?"

"Me?" Xie Yusheng replied with a smile. "Of course… I didn’t."

The three of them headed down the mountain, with Xu Yanxing quietly trailing behind them.

He wouldn’t have done this if he had a choice, but just this morning, someone had sent him a message using a Message Talisman—

If you don’t want to be disgraced and have everyone know what you did to your wife, follow those three.

Xu Yanxing clenched his fists, barely able to contain his shock and anger.

He was almost certain that another person who knew about the Mind-Trapping Array was present at this memorial service.