Chapter 283: Bai Qi's Request to Add More to the Foolish Powder's Crown

I need you to help me kill Yuan Yang, wake QingSongShu, and bring Yi Rong back." I knelt before Bai Qi, begging: "Now I have no other way; even a hundred of me combined couldn't match Yuan Yang. The three-year limit hasn't passed, I can't summon my grandmaster, so I can only ask you this way."

I continued to plead with Bai Qi through tears: "Helping me kill Yuan Yang would be an act of merit for you too; in life you killed too many, bringing disaster upon your family, and Little Fat cannot be reborn because of the killing karma you, his father, committed. With enough merit, Little Fat can be reborn."

Bai Qi remained silent for a moment, then still expressionless asked me: "Merit, just how much merit?"

"Saving the common people—does that count as great merit?" I gritted my teeth and stood up. Yuan Yang has set up a formation at Return Spirit Ground, using boundless resentment to forge corpse soldiers; once the formation is complete, those corpse soldiers will walk out of it, and at that point who can withstand his advance? These monsters aren't afraid of bullets at all.

Bai Qi remained silent, but the oppressive pressure in the air gradually lessened. With a wave of his hand, Little Fat and Murong Jia Jia mysteriously disappeared.

"What are you...?" I said, standing up confused. I knew Bai Qi had something he wanted to say to me alone, so he sent Little Fat and Murong Jia Jia away.

After a moment of silence, Bai Qi slowly spoke: "You're right; in life I created too much killing karma, burying alive four hundred thousand Zhao soldiers captured, and the karmic debt visited disaster upon my family. My son, ever since birth, has become an idiot. Because of me, he still retains his original appearance and cannot be reborn. If there is enough merit, it can indeed dispel my influence on him. But..."

"But what?" I clenched my fists, anxiously asking.

"I simply cannot take action; I am bound by the Heavenly Dao. If I exerted my full strength in the Yangjian, the patrolling Star Lords would notice, and then heavenly thunder would strike me to ashes." Bai Qi said in an unchanging tone, stating the truth.

My heart instantly felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it. That explains why Bai Qi has appeared twice without ever truly striking; he only uses his cultivated killing aura to intimidate. It's not that he doesn't want to act, but that he fundamentally cannot—if he did, it would be equivalent to violating the laws of heaven and earth. Then, counting past and future debts together, he would only end up annihilated.

"However, there is a method we could try." Bai Qi suddenly said: "But this method will get you killed."

Hope reignited in my heart as I looked at Bai Qi and pleaded: "Tell me any method; I'm ready to die. Death holds no fear for me."

Bai Qi's method is to have him possess my body, thereby evading the inspection of the guarding Star Lords; but once he leaves my body, I will instantly have my soul scattered and destroyed. Because Bai Qi's power is something my body cannot withstand.

I first blinked, thinking: Isn't this the same as what Pangzi called the "upper servant"?

"Fine, I'll follow General Bai Qi's method. As long as I can save QingSongShu and bring Yi Rong back, being turned to ashes or having my soul scattered doesn't matter." Nowadays, death is the least frightening thing for me; what's truly terrifying is watching the people around me die one by one while I can only helplessly weep.

"Don't get too excited yet; before that, you must agree to my two requests." Bai Qi leaned toward me and slowly stated the two requests.

………………

Two days later, on a night, I carried a heavy broadsword and the Longquan Sword, bringing Murong Jia Jia and Little Fat, fully prepared, and walked out of Chan Yi Hall.

As I was about to leave, I turned back and quietly glanced at Chan Yi Hall. This place meant to me what Tongyuan Bay meant to Han Duo, carrying half my life's joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness.

I left a letter for the still-unconscious Pangzi, and as soon as I administered the drug, I gave Pangzi the Sleep Incantation.

The Sleep Incantation is a witchcraft often used in warfare before the Eastern Han. When there is a need to buy time, states that support shamans will have the shaman place this incantation on the enemy's commander; though it causes no harm, it makes the person fall into a deep sleep for several days and nights.

Pangzi will still need a few days to wake; in the letter I explained everything to him and stated my last wishes. Perhaps after he wakes he will cry and curse me bitterly, but these are things I will never see again.

Little Fat never wanted to leave me, even when I once held a sword to his neck. Right now, Little Fat resembles the mythic Red Boy: a red bellyband tied around his stomach, he holds a red-tasseled spear. Standing there, he indeed has the aura of the Red Boy—though the Red Boy wasn't this fat.

Taking advantage of the darkness, I slowly approached Guiling Mountain with the broadsword and Longquan Sword on my back. I brought no talismans or banners, because I have this broadsword on my back.

Bai Qi's first request was for me to forge a broadsword weighing over a hundred jin. Because in life Bai Qi used a sword, and when possessing me he needs a weapon that feels right in his hand. From the moment I draw the sword, Bai Qi will possess me. As for the Longquan Sword, it serves another purpose.

Looking left and right at the desolate Guiling Mountain, I felt both astonished and a palpitation. I had never noticed that within the city there existed a place so heavy with resentment.

Wispy ghost fire drifted in the air, while graves echoed with the mournful wails of spirits; even the grass on the ground was somewhat corroded by yin energy, changing its color.

The locust tree by the roadside—I lightly peeled its bark, and bright red blood slowly seeped out, a sign that it was about to become a spirit. Within that flowing blood were strands of thick black liquid. It had already absorbed too much resentment; if it fully materialized, who knows how many innocent souls it might draw in.

Gazing ahead, atop the mountain flew black banners; from the green light on the game pieces and the green light reflecting off the skull heads, it was unmistakably my Yin Shan Slaughter God Banner.

Yuan Yang indeed used Guiling Mountain as a base, constructing the legendary Heavenly Mansion of the Yin Shan Sect.

The Yin Shan Heavenly Mansion is a long-lost secret formation; the one who sealed this great formation back then was none other than my Yin Shan Sect's patriarch. The formation contains the character "heaven," which does not imply great righteousness. "Heaven" means the lord of heaven and earth; "mansion" means a space. Simply put, once the formation is complete, when all corpse soldiers burst forth from the Heavenly Mansion, heaven and earth will tremble and submit.

"That madman..." I bitterly shook my head and slowly walked toward the Heavenly Mansion.

Having climbed the mountain, I touched the edge of the Slaughter God Banner; just one more step and I would have entered the great formation.

At that moment, Little Fat stood nearby, furious, clenching his fists, ready to charge in. I grabbed him and pulled him back.

It was time to fulfill Bai Qi's second request.

Under Little Fat's bewildered gaze, I slowly untied the Longquan Sword from my waist, closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, and swung down at my own shoulder.

Blood spattered; my left hand snapped off instantly, and the pain of the severed arm made me cry out loudly.

"Clang... Hai Sheng" Little Fat yelled in panic, rushing toward me. I immediately met his oncoming body, pressed my hand against his forehead, and shouted loudly: "Go..."

Little Fat's body vanished instantly; the last image left showed eyes filled with incomprehension, anger, and tears. Little Fat hadn't disappeared—he had returned to Chan Yi Hall, to the red coffin he often stays in. Inside that red coffin lies my sealing decree; for Little Fat to break out in a short time is impossible. During his struggle, I had enough time to understand this grudge.

This was Bai Qi's second request to me: not to let Little Fat face danger. Bai Qi loves his son dearly, but even if he hadn't said so, I wouldn't bring Little Fat inside.

The soul and the Daoist's spirit are linked, sharing life and death. If the Daoist dies, the soul will also vanish; the only way is to chop off the hand that has bled and been sealed with the decree.

"Don't blame me..." I murmured toward the direction Little Fat had gone. Then I threw down the Longquan Sword, took hold of the Nether Jade, and calmly entered the "Heavenly Mansion".

From the moment I stepped into the Heavenly Mansion, the surroundings suddenly changed—became desolate, with towering resentment, and scattered bronze weapons lay about. In all four directions, no path forward could be seen; it was like an endless abyss.

"Hehe, you've finally come. How does it feel to see the Yin Shan Sect's Heavenly Mansion revived, you mediocre Yin Shan disciple? Have you ever felt ashamed?" Yuan Yang's sharp voice suddenly rang out, and immediately a fleeting figure appeared before me.

That figure was like an image, resembling the legendary external incarnation. But in substance, I know it isn't; it's merely a phantom that Yuan Yang imitates using heretical arts.