Chapter 168

Boom—

Splash...

Thunder and rain batter the outside of the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum, yet inside lies absolute silence.

Xie Jinhuan's mind was in a daze; he knew not when or where he was until his cheek was slapped a few times, bringing his consciousness back to his mind. The images flashing repeatedly in his memory dissipated, and a faint sense of confusion rose in his heart:

How did I fall asleep...

What was I doing just now...

Oh right, I dug open the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum...

Damn!

At least I didn't die...

Xie Jinhuan, as if waking from a near-death illness, sat up abruptly and quickly scanned his surroundings, wanting to check if the Great Qian had exploded. But as he rose, he discovered he was lying inside the soft and comfortable Demon-Suppressing Coffin, while a figure stood to his side, frowning and gazing at him.

The figure wore a tea-green Daoist robe, with a jade crown atop her head. Her robe was grand, with a low neckline revealing a hint of cleavage, yet her figure and face were plump and lustrous. Her features resembled those of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old maiden, with large, spirited eyes.

And most distinctive of all was her head full of snow-white hair, and the temperament between her brows carried a hint of mature charm forged by years. Hmm...

A child-faced, big-breasted, white-haired little auntie?

Xie Jinhuan's expression stiffened slightly as he looked left and right:

"Uh... Miss, who are you?"

The white-haired nun's gaze was like that of a succubus atop a mountain peak, yet her appearance and demeanor could hardly support such an aura:

"Oh my~ You've slept and don't even recognize your big sister anymore?"

?

Xie Jinhuan recognized that tone, but the child-faced white-haired nun he scrutinized carefully...

Where's my huge car?

Did a five-meter car turn into a baby bus?

She's quite pretty, but...

Xie Jinhuan looked her up and down, even poking her arm with his finger:

"Is this you?"

"Mm." The white-haired nun nodded seriously: "Doesn't it look like me?"

"How can there be even a shred of resemblance?"

Xie Jinhuan felt as if he'd been scammed in an online romance. He picked up the Zhenglun Sword from his side to use as a mirror:

"Do you think it looks like me?"

The white-haired nun glanced at the reflection in the mirror. Perhaps finding the comparison a bit forced, she leaned on the edge of the coffin, her hand supporting her cheek:

"You can treat it as your big sister. This is a True Person. From now on, whatever you want to do, you needn't fear clipping through the model..."

Xie Jinhuan confirmed she wasn't the ghost's true form and immediately panicked, too afraid to even touch her:

"Is this the body of True Person Qixia?!"

The white-haired nun blinked her large eyes:

"Mm... you could say so."

"What do you mean 'you could say so'?"

Xie Jinhuan quickly raised his hand: "Good sister, please get out of the vehicle! We cannot offend this Nangong Xianzi; she is the Dazhang Sect of the Daoist Path, the foremost figure in the Immortal Way, one of the Ten Under Heaven..."

"Sigh~"

The white-haired nun reluctantly complied, yet her expression remained frozen.

Then, an unparalleled giant car clad in a gorgeous red dress manifested from her side, towering significantly taller, with a majestic and imposing aura sweeping toward him.

Xie Jinhuan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately bowed to the white-haired nun:

"My apologies, my apologies. I was young and ignorant... Eh?"

As the ghost wife logged off, the white-haired little auntie closed her eyes, becoming completely silent and still like a statue.

Xie Jinhuan dared not reach out to check her breath or pulse, so he could only ask cautiously:

"Has she already passed away?"

Ye Hongshang leaned against the Demon-Suppressing Coffin, earnestly admiring the white-haired nun's beauty:

"No. During the Wu Sect turmoil, to swiftly quell the great calamity threatening all living beings, she secretly performed a blood sacrifice of demons and monsters to boost her power. Although she gained a level of cultivation that touched the Immortal Way, she was on the verge of transforming into a demon. Closing herself in the life-and-death seclusion was to disperse her demonic Dao foundation and eradicate her demonic nature."

Xie Jinhuan nodded in realization:

"What is her current situation?"

"Her demonic nature has been mostly eradicated, but she has not fully recovered. If she emerges from seclusion now, the embers will reignite. However, after some more time, she should be completely restored."

Ye Hongshang gestured toward the Zhenglun Sword in Xie Jinhuan's hand:

"You came here likely to take this sword as your opportunity. I just examined her physique. As long as the Demon-Suppressing Coffin is sealed properly, once her consciousness recovers, she can emerge from seclusion on her own. You lost your memory after pulling the sword last time, and the Demon-Suppressing Coffin had a flaw. Of course, you lacked the power to seal that flaw back then. So, digging up the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum to take the Immortal Weapon and release your big sister was correct, and strengthening your power later to seal the mausoleum was also right. As for your big sister, she is not the same person, so whether she comes out or not doesn't matter."

Hearing this, Xie Jinhuan felt he hadn't been blindly struggling, yet he remained puzzled:

"Then what is your relationship with her? Why are you lying in her coffin?"

Ye Hongshang thought carefully, looking somewhat confused:

"I don't know why I'm in the coffin either. It seems someone deliberately sealed my memories. Now I only remember the things she experienced. Hmm... but your big sister is definitely a person, and she shouldn't be a bad woman."

Xie Jinhuan felt somewhat bewildered and carefully recalled the dream he had just had.

The result was that his own memories had become extremely chaotic; he only remembered heading south, capsizing and sinking into the sea, then arriving at the grave-digging, with the middle part missing.

"Can't you break the Soul-Locking Curse now?"

Ye Hongshang shrugged slightly: "I've broken it several times, but each time it turns out like this. The practitioner who cast it likely had too high a cultivation and set up a prohibition to prevent you and me from recalling certain things."

Xie Jinhuan was somewhat at a loss, pondered briefly, and suddenly slapped the coffin lid:

"Damn! After I return, should I go to the Jingcheng of Northern Zhou to repay that Jin Jia big sister for saving my life?"

"Yes."

Ye Hongshang sighed:

"So you return after mastering your arts, become the 'pillar of the Great Qian, a model of the righteous path,' and publicly crush Guo the Empress Dowager's uncle into a grandchild, showing not a shred of gratitude."

"Is my father still in Northern Zhou?"

"Not necessarily; he might already be exiled to Mobei herding sheep."

"Damn it!"

Xie Jinhuan climbed out of the coffin, paced back and forth a few steps, then slapped his forehead:

"I was wondering why someone would spread such outrageous yellow rumors about me; this is Northern Zhou reminding me not to be ungrateful.

"If the old man is in Northern Zhou, he's probably living on thin ice right now... No, wait, the big sister who saved me, could she be Empress Dowager Guo?"

Ye Hongshang landed before him: "Hard to say, but only a core figure of Northern Zhou could promise a royal title. You ungrateful wretch, took her pills and refined blood to save your life, yet made her act as a wife to support an Eunuch, then just slapped your own butt and went on enjoying yourself in the Great Qian..."

"Alright, alright!"

Xie Jinhuan raised his hand, cutting off her words.

A month of living in fear, worrying about exploding the tomb.

And the result? The Great Qian didn't explode the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum when they dug it up; he did!

It's a good thing we dug early; if we had delayed half a year, the savior would have noticed he put on his pants and didn't recognize her, and my father would have been scared half to death...

But if I develop in the north, I can take Wan Yi, Bing Tuotuo, and Seeing Mo Mo along; the Landlady probably...

The Landlady can marry for alliance, go to Northern Zhou to become a Wang Fei, and Duoduo can be the chief maid for the dowry!

Thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan suddenly realized there wasn't any major issue.

He could explain briefly, saying he didn't reach Northern Zhou in time to avenge blood debts; the savior should understand.

Once the grievances of the Great Qian are properly concluded and the wife moves out, he can go develop in the north; he isn't picky about the location anyway.

Thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan felt slightly relieved and asked:

"Did the tomb explosion just now cause a huge commotion?"

Ye Hongshang shook her head: "Sister reacted quickly; she used a magic treasure to conceal the heavenly secrets. The Tower of Universal Clarity might have flashed once, but it won't be able to capture the exact direction."

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan went to the mausoleum exit to check, where he saw the cowardly Meiqiu squatting at the entrance, looking up at the sky with her mouth wide open, gazing with longing.

Xie Jinhuan followed her gaze and found the entire sky had turned pale red; when Lei Guang flashed, a vague, illusory giant umbrella could be seen amidst the rain and mist, covering the entire mountain range.

Golden dragons coiled on the umbrella surface, like living creatures, overlooking the mountains and fields.

Xie Jinhuan was very familiar with this umbrella and asked:

"Is this your magic treasure?"

Ye Hongshang stood shoulder-to-shoulder before him and nodded:

"Yes. I probably gave it to her; I can't remember what it's called."

Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly, scanning the messy Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum:

"Then let's seal the body properly and go home early?"

Ye Hongshang said no more, floated into the tomb, then emerged driving the 'Green Robe Bai Mao Carriage,' raising her hand to hook something.

Whoosh~

A streak of red light flashed across the sky.

Just as Xie Jinhuan saw it clearly, the Taoist nun beside him held a red umbrella, which she opened over his head.

Pitter-patter...

Raindrops struck the umbrella surface; the physical effect was incredibly realistic, making it look like an ordinary oil-paper umbrella.

Xie Jinhuan looked at the umbrella surface and even raised his hand to touch it:

"Can I use this magic treasure?"

"No, her entire body of demonic energy relies on this umbrella to suppress it; if you take it, she'll go mad. However, Sister can cast a spell on you."

As Ye Hongshang spoke, she raised her hand to form a seal, then pointed it at the top of Xie Jinhuan's head, murmuring with her lips:

"Heaven and Earth, the Mystic Origin, the root of all Qi..."

Golden light could be seen flowing from her fingertips, spreading like ripples throughout his whole body.

Xie Jinhuan looked up at her finger, somewhat puzzled:

"Is this the Golden Light Spell?"

"Yes. With the cultivation of this body, it can make you immune to evil spirits and chaotic soul spells, allowing you to withstand a full-power strike from a First Grade without injury, but it shatters after one use, so you must run back to have it replenished in time."

Xie Jinhuan's eyes lit up; after tidying up, he escorted his wife back to the garage to lie down, then, under her guidance, resealed the Demon-Suppressing Coffin, blocked the excavated tunnel, and carefully buried all traces of the disturbance.

Once everything was finished, Xie Jinhuan shook the Wild Boar King, who had been knocked unconscious, awake, mounted its back, while Meiqiu landed on his shoulder, looking back at the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum.

Although the back-and-forth work was quite arduous, his strength has increased, his ghost wife is by his side, his father is still alive, and there is a retreat in the north; this is the greatest good news.

Next, it's just a matter of quickly sorting out the grievances and figuring out how to pack the wife up to take her away, then he can pack his things and head to Northern Zhou!

He feels he is not yet worthy of being enfeoffed as a king, but as a dragon travels ten thousand miles, he repays every grudge and returns every kindness!

The red-haired big sister saved him and his father; her grace is as heavy as a mountain. Even if he is not worthy now, in the future he will be able to shoulder all the expectations the old friend has for him!

Thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan felt a surge of hot blood; he lightly squeezed the pig's belly, and one man, one ghost, and one bird galloped away towards the outside of the mountain range...

———

(End of this volume)

I need to write the detailed outline for the next volume tomorrow, otherwise I won't know how to write; if I take leave, I will post a single chapter or two in advance.

(End of this chapter)