Chapter 379: Unfinished Desires (Combined Three)

Gao Guanzi stood atop a massive boulder shaped like a statue, glancing back at Gaocun village on the mountaintop.

We’re only leaving temporarily—this is not a permanent move.

Gao Guanzi now had immense faith in Master Xu.

Even more than Bai Lao.

So Gao Guanzi decided to “add fuel to the fire” for Master Xu.

He called his son, ordered him to lead the villagers ahead, then slipped quietly into a ravine overgrown with waist-high wild grass.

Instantly, strange rustling sounds erupted from within the grass.

The long blades of grass curled like hooked tentacles from all directions.

Beneath the shadow of the grass, countless tiny blood-red eyes suddenly opened!

Gao Guanzi cursed: “Blind dogs! Daring to try and eat me?”

These malevolent entities in the grass were the lowest tier in Ghost Witch Mountain.

Startled, they scrambled back in panic.

But a few had gone utterly mad, lunging at Gao Guanzi and clinging to him—he didn’t hesitate, swatting them dead like mosquitoes landing on his skin.

At this moment, Gao Guanzi’s proud expression was that of a seasoned mountain runner with real standing in Ghost Witch Mountain.

As Gao Guanzi moved stealthily through the ravine, he muttered under his breath about the miserable days he’d endured—captured by Li Shu, scolded, beaten…

Twenty li from Gaocun village stood a vast cave.

Its entrance constantly belched thick smoke, scorching hot inside and out.

As a result, the land around the cave was barren.

The only vegetation nearby was this very ravine.

But Gao Guanzi didn’t approach the cave—only shook the grass twice, then turned and left.

Yet the thick smoke from the cave slowly drifted over.

Soon it spread and drowned the entire patch of grass.

The grass shook violently, as if choking and coughing.

The smoke quickly detected Gao Guanzi’s trail.

Then it followed the ravine’s grass, tracing backward.

Gao Guanzi had already returned to the villagers’ group.

But the smoke rose and drifted, soon discovering Gaocun village had become an empty village.

A violent sound erupted from the cave.

Like wild laughter.

The sound rode the smoke, traveled the long ravine, and reached the sky above Gaocun village.

The grass in the ravine and the malevolent entities beneath it trembled violently, writhing in agony.

Then the cave suddenly vanished.

Several hours later, in Gaocun village, the original pond had become a bottomless abyss.

Rolling smoke rose from within.

From afar, the mountain peak where Gaocun village stood looked like… a volcanic crater!

This cave entity was Gaocun village’s longtime enemy.

The feud began because it believed this mountain peak was perfect for itself, and had long sought to drive Gaocun away.

The cave entity still thought of itself as a child.

It should grow into a volcanic crater, billowing smoke and boiling lava.

…

The Princess Consort’s procession encountered several attacks by malevolent entities en route.

The Princess Consort, Seventeenth Uncle, maid Ruirui, and Gao Wanli were all unharmed.

But their subordinates had been reduced to only four Seventh-Rankers.

Without Ruan Tianye’s travel permits, the mountain’s malevolent entities attacked them freely.

This was only because high-level cultivators were present, their aura intimidating most malevolent entities.

Yet some still remained—crazed, irrational things that charged without regard for danger.

Seventh-Rankers normally didn’t do servant work, but now… in both status and cultivation, they were the lowest.

Reluctantly, they did it—and the cruel Princess Consort still complained they were clumsy.

Finally locating Qidou village, the Princess Consort was about to step into the forest when Seventeenth Uncle stopped her: “Your Highness, please halt. Stay here—I’ll go. If there’s anything you need in that lake, I’ll risk my old life to bring it back.”

According to Rongrong’s memories, the danger zone was near that lake.

But Seventeenth Uncle, old and cunning, felt the entire twenty-li radius of dead silence concealed lethal peril.

The Princess Consort deeply trusted him, nodding respectfully: “Thank you, Seventeenth Uncle! Should I bear a legitimate son, I’ll choose one of your descendants as his concubine!”

Seventeenth Uncle nodded, then gestured to Gao Wanli: “Come with me.”

Seventeenth Uncle had two sons and one daughter.

He originally intended for the Princess Consort to take his daughter as a concubine—she and the Prince had been childhood companions.

But after the Princess Consort entered the mansion, she forbade the Prince from taking any other woman.

No hope remained for this generation—the Princess Consort had promised the next.

Seventeenth Uncle walked slowly, observing carefully.

Sometimes twin black-yellow flames flared in his eyes; sometimes he wore a single eyepiece of a Fan Gui; sometimes he swallowed a pill emitting a foul odor, as if his soul had left his body…

The strangest method: he cut off a small piece of flesh from his chest, kept it in a gray clay jar used for raising crickets; after only ten breaths, he lifted the lid—and a translucent strange insect flew out!

The insect flew away, vanishing into nothingness!

He switched between all these methods, yet still detected nothing unusual.

Seventeenth Uncle frowned deeply—he’d explored over eighty “uncivilized lands,” yet never encountered such a sinister place.

Having exhausted all methods with no result, he could only “urge” Gao Wanli to reach the lake’s edge and release a “Skin Man.”

It wore a human skin on the outside, its interior a mechanical artifact crafted by Gao Wanli using Fan Gui techniques.

The Princess Consort had provided premium materials.

This artifact was Seventh-Rank quality.

Gao Wanli was proud of her new craftsmanship, and after releasing the Skin Man, boasted: “Western craftsmanship is precise and exquisite, with strict standards and a complete system.

My artifact surpasses all Seventh-Rank creations of the old artisans—and all Seventh-Rank cultivators!”

Seventeenth Uncle found her attitude deeply annoying.

Especially… the skin used was from a blue-eyed barbarian.

According to Gao Wanli, it was her favorite “collection.”

She found it impossibly handsome, more beautiful than any man in the Ming Empire.

Even her own male concubines.

After being released, the Skin Man mechanically took a few steps, then stumbled on the uneven lakeshore terrain, fell, and crawled forward on all fours like a gorilla toward the lake.

Seventeenth Uncle, old and patient, held his tongue.

But the other four Seventh-Rankers burst out laughing.

The blue-eyed barbarian had thick body hair, and with this posture… all one could say: it truly looked like one!

Gao Wanli scowled and snapped: “What’s so funny?”

The four continued laughing.

They were from the Xiang Prince’s household—they didn’t fear Gao Wanli even if they were low-level.

Seventeenth Uncle stared at the gorilla… no, the Skin Man—it reached the lake’s edge, dove in, and its eyes emitted twin beams of intense light.

Seventeenth Uncle put on the crystal spectacles Gao Wanli handed him.

What the Skin Man saw, he saw too.

The lake water was murky, lifeless—no fish, no shrimp, not even a water insect.

He searched repeatedly, yet found no trace of the “dragon” Rongrong had seen.

Gao Wanli, beside him, smugly said: “Western craftsmanship also includes a technique you’ve never seen—it can instantly confirm whether the lake holds what you seek…”

Seventeenth Uncle’s face suddenly paled as he realized: “Don’t do it—”

But Gao Wanli had already activated the artifact—the Skin Man in the lake opened its mouth and unleashed a violent shockwave.

THUD!

The vibration spread through the water—

Instantly, dark emotions of loathing, disgust, and hatred filled the entire void.

As if a terrible, silent rebuke came from an unreachable distance.

Though unheard, every person—including Gao Wanli—clearly perceived it.

The Skin Man in the lake and the four Seventh-Rankers were instantly snatched into the air by an irresistible, invisible force, then vanished with a crash from this mortal world!

Seventeenth Uncle turned and ran—just as he took a step, he too was lifted into the air—

Beside him, not far in midair, was Gao Wanli!

“Aaaahhh—”

Gao Wanli turned deathly pale, her scream piercing the clouds.

Seventeenth Uncle’s mind raced—he swiftly pulled two dolls from his robe and hurled one toward Gao Wanli.

Thud! Thud!

The two crashed heavily to the ground, while in midair, two puppets replaced them, snatched away by an irresistible force from this mortal world.

Uncle Seventeen seized Gao Wanli and dashed into the forest at top speed.

That puppet was no mere crafted object—it was Uncle Seventeen’s own special creation, an exorbitantly expensive “White Duck.”

Among wealthy families, if someone committed a capital crime, they would spend vast sums to bribe officials up and down the chain, then pay another to die in their place.

This trade was called “Slaughtering the White Duck.”

It was said that in Zhengzhou, one could buy a man to die in place for as little as five hundred taels of silver.

Uncle Seventeen cultivated the “Litigation Art,” and understood every shadowy transaction within the yamen.

The Litigation Art had an entire category dedicated to buying verdict changes!

There was no case unsolvable—only money not spent sufficiently.

This aspect bore some resemblance to the “Commerce Art.”

Uncle Seventeen sprinted through the forest, dragging Gao Wanli behind him.

The intense malice in the void pursued them relentlessly.

Behind Uncle Seventeen, silver notes fluttered down in a steady stream.

Those silver notes danced like snowflakes, forming “paper people” in midair, only to be seized by an irresistible force and dragged from this mortal world!

Uncle Seventeen moved at blinding speed, and the silver notes were consumed just as rapidly!

Finally, he burst out of the forest’s edge—his heart ached with loss, every last taels of silver spent.

“Your Highness, give more money.”

The Crown Princess normally merely gestured, and her two maids would immediately dispense silver.

But Uncle Seventeen demanded far more.

Even the Crown Princess winced at the cost.

Just now, during that frantic escape, she estimated they had spent at least one hundred thousand taels of silver!

The Xiang Prince’s household was indeed vast and wealthy, but such reckless spending was unsustainable.

Moreover, the Crown Princess secretly resented Uncle Seventeen for wasting one of his precious “White Ducks” to save Gao Wanli.

Such a priceless item, used for this woman—what a waste.

The only purpose of bringing this woman was to use her to test the lake water.

Now she was useless; let her die.

Would the Gao family dare demand an explanation from Your Imperial Highness?

Even though Uncle Seventeen was worldly-wise, he could never have imagined that this very act had stirred the Crown Princess’s displeasure…

Gao Wanli is your person—I saved your person!

“Since that man is no longer here…” The Crown Princess mused, recalling the images transmitted by Rongrong, and naturally recalled another vital clue: “That mountain runner—he’s from Gao Village. Go to Gao Village!”

This journey now had only five people left.

The Crown Princess, Uncle Seventeen, Gao Wanli, Ruirui, and the guide boy.

Ruirui felt her fate was bitter—she would have to serve herself.

The guide boy was merely a mountain villager, utterly ignorant of court etiquette.

Letting him serve would offend Her Highness.

Fortunately, the boy was still somewhat useful; though he took a few wrong turns, he ultimately led them to the foot of the mountain where Gao Village lay.

The boy stared at the thick smoke rising from the mountaintop, bewildered: “This is definitely the place—but has Gao Village been burned down?”

The Crown Princess snorted. Had that mountain runner known he’d be punished, so he fled with the villagers and set fire before leaving?

“Go up and see.”

The guide boy shrank back in fear: “I’ll wait down here—those mountain runners from this village are extremely vicious…”

The Crown Princess sneered. Do you think you have a choice?

Ruirui seized the boy and dragged him up the mountain.

The moment these people reached the mountaintop, the evil within the cave erupted in fury!

…

Mr. Drifting drifted down from the Bronze Coffin Cliff.

His tongue curled, covering most of his face.

This was his way of showing shame—too embarrassed to face others.

Seeing Master Xu again, Mr. Drifting sighed softly, knowing his old friend Bai Lao had betrayed him.

Master Xu grinned: “I need to meet the master of this place. Please, sir, introduce me.”

Mr. Drifting: “Wait a moment.”

After all, he was a scholar—even when embarrassed, his manners remained impeccable.

Too bad… now he had a shrew of a wife, and all the beautiful female ghost readers had been dismissed.

Otherwise, he would have summoned them to brew tea and entertain his old friend.

Mr. Drifting ascended again, and soon returned, bowing deeply: “Your Excellency, please—”

He added a warning: “They… are about to rinse their mouths. You have little time. Say what you must, quickly.”

“Rinse their mouths?” Xu Yuan thought a moment, then recalled: Bai Lao had said that every seven days, dozens of ancient corpses would open their coffins and exhale, shrouding a ten-li radius in thick, black-green mist.

Anything that wandered into it unknowingly would turn into a corpse within five steps!

Master Xu muttered to himself: So this is the ancient corpses rinsing their mouths?

Their breath must be foul indeed—no wonder they rinse so often.

The black cliff rose seven hundred zhang high.

There were forty-one bronze ancient coffins in total.

Most rested at five hundred zhang.

At seven hundred zhang, only one bronze ancient coffin remained.

Here, a palace-like stone chamber had been carved out.

Mr. Drifting climbed up first, then Xu Yuan.

Deep within the dim chamber, oil lamps flickered to life one by one—their glow a sickly green, trembling as if burning tormented souls, emitting screams that could not reach the mortal world.

In the largest central chamber, the massive bronze ancient coffin, once lying flat, suddenly rose upright.

The lid opened, instantly swallowing both Xu Yuan and Tian Jing!

Xu Yuan immediately understood: this ancient coffin was the cliff, and the cliff was the coffin!

To ascend this cliff was to fall into its coffin.

A chilling, slimy sensation crept up his heels like a living serpent, swiftly climbing his entire body.

Ahead, dim lantern light revealed a deep, dark tomb passage.

At its end sat a terrifying ancient corpse, hundreds of zhang tall, its body black-blue, eyes crimson, fangs bared.

It wore a crown and a python robe.

Its hair writhed like maggots.

Its left hand pressed upon a blood-engraved seal carved from an elephant skull.

Its right hand gripped a bronze straight sword of Chiao-chih design.

It was an ancient corpse empress.

It stared coldly at Xu Yuan and Tian Jing.

Merely that gaze radiated an overwhelming taint.

This was her realm of the dead—she held absolute, life-and-death authority!

Tian Jing lost control; from his lower body erupted countless roots—thick and thin, long and short—spreading in all directions!

Mr. Drifting cried out in alarm: “No—”

But it was too late. From the eye socket of the elephant-seal beneath the ancient corpse empress’s left hand, a swirling crimson light flared.

An unimaginably terrible force descended from nowhere, crushing Tian Jing and all his roots beneath it.

As if a ten-thousand-jun elephant had stomped down upon him.

The ancient corpse empress seemed enraged. She raised her bronze straight sword, aiming it at Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan said coldly: “Soon, a group of cultivators will arrive at the Bronze Coffin Cliff. One of fourth-rank, one of fifth-rank, and one of sixth-rank Wu Xiu.”

I ask Your Majesty to kill them for me. What is your price?”

Mr. Drifting was stunned, his long tongue quivering violently.

Master Xu, how dare you be so bold?

You want to use someone else’s blade to kill—and you say it so openly?

Xu Yuan had no intention of hiding it.

To use the Bronze Coffin Cliff to eliminate the Crown Princess’s party, he could indeed incite both sides, set traps, and make them turn on each other.

But Uncle Seventeen was fourth-rank.

If this one on the Bronze Coffin Cliff refused to give full effort, no matter how cleverly he arranged things, the end result might be a fierce battle followed by a conversation, revealing a misunderstanding.

Then both sides would call it quits.

Their levels were too high.

It was unlikely either side could kill the other within the first few exchanges.

Uncle Seventeen is old but cunning.

And since this Corpse Empress has long sought to make Master Drifting her consort, she must possess great wisdom.

No one would let themselves be used to fight a powerful enemy to the death.

Now that Xu Yuan holds sufficient leverage, he can negotiate directly with the Corpse Empress.

Xu Yuan fears only Uncle Seventeen.

If the Corpse Empress demands too much, Xu Yuan will settle for less—so long as she keeps Uncle Seventeen occupied.

Xu Yuan will kill the Princess Consort himself, then obtain the later sections of the Dragon Transformation Scripture.

Xu Yuan wears a clay mask; Uncle Seventeen has no direct proof that he is the killer.

As for the Fu family and the Xiang Prince’s Mansion, they will surely suspect him—yet the Fu family has always suspected him; now they merely add the Xiang Prince’s Mansion to their list.

In any case, Xu Yuan is determined to obtain the Dragon Transformation Scripture!

The leverage Xu Yuan holds for negotiating with the Corpse Empress is the business that Jiao and Tian Jing run on Guanghuo Street.

Great evils seek only two things: blood offerings, or items that enhance their own power.

Xu Yuan will never accept the former.

But for the latter, whatever the Corpse Empress needs, Xu Yuan can acquire it for her on Guanghuo Street.

Yet the Corpse Empress seemed not to hear Xu Yuan at all; her ancient bronze straight sword continued rising uncontrollably, pointing at him.

Xu Yuan glanced at Master Drifting.

When will you, my favored concubine, finally whisper your poison into her ear?

Master Drifting gritted his teeth, flicked his tongue, and drifted forward to block Xu Yuan: “Your Majesty…”

Yet the bronze sword did not pause for an instant.

Master Drifting clenched his eyes shut tightly.

This life was saved by Master Xu—I return it to him—

But after waiting a long while, he felt no sensation of soul dissolving.

He cautiously opened one eye.

The Corpse Empress held the bronze sword steady, as if utterly unwilling to relent.

Yet she had not struck.

Her grim, terrifying face grew even darker.

Master Drifting smiled with elegant composure and praised: “I hadn’t noticed before, but Your Majesty is wearing the necklace I sent you a few days ago—yes, it suits you perfectly, making you even more radiant than before.”

Tian Jing instantly understood why Master Drifting could live off soft food while he could not.

This ghastly sight—hair crawling with maggots—and yet “radiant”?!!

The Corpse Empress finally spoke; her voice, though slightly hoarse, was surprisingly pleasant.

But her words were far from flattering: “What kind of disreputable friends have you been keeping outside?”

Master Drifting floated upward with a smile, brushing past the blade’s side, and sat beside the Empress on the dragon throne.

“Your Majesty, why not hear his terms? I know you still have unfulfilled wishes.”

Master Drifting pointed with his tongue at Xu Yuan: “This man is the Chief Inspector of the Imperial Purification Bureau’s Zhan City branch—he wields considerable power in the mortal realm.”

The moment Master Drifting sat upon the dragon throne, the illusion of the Corpse Empress’s “hundreds of zhang” size vanished from Xu Yuan and Tian Jing’s eyes.

The Corpse Empress was indeed very tall—taller than Master Drifting by a full head.

But still within normal bounds.

Xu Yuan tilted his head, surprised himself: Sitting together, they somehow looked perfectly matched!

“Kill four streams, five thousand living blood offerings…”

The moment the Corpse Empress spoke, Xu Yuan waved his hand: “I will never deliver living people to evil spirits to consume.”

The Corpse Empress flew into a rage; a horrific emerald-green flame erupted with a roar along the bronze sword.

Xu Yuan immediately felt a strange force surging toward him from all directions.

As if dozens of giant serpents were coiling tightly around him, squeezing.

“Master Xu!” Master Drifting began to “rebuke” him: “You show insufficient respect to my Empress! If you persist in this attitude, I will sever ties with you!”

This attitude pleased the Corpse Empress greatly.

Xu Yuan soon felt the invisible serpents around him loosen slightly.

“It is my fault,” Xu Yuan immediately followed Master Drifting’s lead.

He couldn’t help thinking: Master Drifting, truly a treacherous concubine!

“Your Majesty,” Xu Yuan said again, “I do not deal in blood offerings. If you have other conditions, we may discuss them. But if you insist on blood offerings, I must take my leave.”

After a pause, he added: “In my view, Your Majesty does not seem to need blood offerings at all. Let us speak openly and discuss this seriously—I am truly sincere.”

The Corpse Empress turned her stiff neck toward the treacherous concubine beside her.

Blood-red light flickered in her eyes, as if asking.

Master Drifting said: “Give him one chance, Your Majesty.”

The Corpse Empress nodded.

The bronze sword lowered.

Her terrifying form gradually faded; in moments, she truly became a beautiful corpse!

Yet her complexion remained slightly bluish-black, and the chill around her did not lessen.

“The Ruan family stole my dynasty!”

“This grudge is unforgivable, eternal, unextinguishable!”

“In these mountains, there remains a descendant of the Ruan impostor queen.”

“Help me eliminate it, and I will kill that group for you!”

Tian Jing and Master Drifting stared in shock.

They never imagined the Corpse Empress’s unfulfilled wish was this.

Master Ruan is the greatest evil in these mountains—even the River Dragon King fears him.

How could they possibly negotiate this?

Yet Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then smiled and said: “Your Majesty’s condition is not entirely unnegotiable.”

(End of Chapter)