Everyone hadn’t forgotten that this was the ghost abyss; it’s just that the scenery here was too beautiful, which lowered their guard.
While Director Jiang was still shouting, people like Elder Zhou had already started showing their supernatural abilities and attacked the female ghost. At this point, words were unnecessary, and it was time to act. In this place, just like in a real ancient city, they had to deal with the immediate threat of the female ghost before they could even think about finding the focal point.
Chu Ruochun had informed them that they couldn’t stay inside the haunted cave for more than twelve hours; otherwise, their bodies wouldn’t handle it, so they had to find the focal point quickly.
With so many Taoist masters working together, they managed to engage the female ghost in combat. However, the female ghost turned out to be more formidable than they had imagined, and it took some time.
The female ghost in white silk was quite skilled, giving off a modern qian-nü1a type of female ghost in Chinese folklore vibe. Unfortunately, a ghost was still a ghost, no matter how beautiful, and this wasn’t a movie or a story from Liaozhai Tales.
The shaman threw her prayer beads at the female ghost, binding all her ghostly powers. Director Jiang was rescued, and the shaman continued her incantations. The female ghost’s form gradually became thinner until she was about to disappear, and then she revealed a sinister ghostly smile.
“You fools, didn’t even realize you were being used as tools,” she cackled.
The shaman remained composed, unaffected by her words. With a final incantation, the female ghost dissipated.
She retrieved her prayer beads, saying, “With your meager tricks, you don’t know how many ghosts I’ve dealt with in front of me.”
Director Jiang breathed heavily, feeling like he’d escaped from a disaster. If he had known, he wouldn’t have followed them. His life almost ended there.
The brothel turned into ruins as the female ghost vanished. They left the place, and once they were away from it, the brothel regained its previous appearance of splendor.
This place had its own set of rules. For now, they could only ensure their own safety. That’s what Chu Ruochun had told them.
Old Zhou examined the map in his hand. The focal point was very clear, but his compass wasn’t responding. “Can you guys determine the direction?”
Liu Zhaodi shook her head. “My precious baby has almost fainted,” she said, clearly feeling unwell herself.
The Yin energy here was just too heavy.
Ah Nian asked, “Zhou, let me see the map.”
Zhou handed the map to him. Ah Nian had considerable skills, with his senses of smell and hearing being ten times better than the average person. He could distinguish different scents.
Ah Nian crouched down, listened, and then sniffed the air before pointing north. “We should go this way; the Yin energy is the heaviest there.”
The group followed Ah Nian.
Finally recovering from his uneasiness, Director Jiang asked a question that had been on his mind for a while, “Old Zhou, Master Chu and Master Feng entered ahead of us, but why haven’t we seen them?”
Old Zhou pointed to the dark clouds above their heads. Strangely, none of those dark clouds seemed to care about them, the living humans.
“They’re heading in a different direction. Do you see those dark clouds up there?” Old Zhou explained.
“It seems like Little Chu is making quite a move.”
“He’s truly talented.”
“Do you know how deep his knowledge of Taoism is?” Director Jiang accidentally asked a question that made everyone feel uneasy.
Old Zhou gave a straightforward assessment, “Definitely above me.”
Director Jiang inquired, “And what about Feng Qi?”
Liu Zhaodi responded, “They’re all above us. I have no idea where they gained such profound knowledge of Taoism or who their masters are.”
The usually silent Feng Jiu interjected, “My son didn’t learn his Taoism from our Feng family,” leaving his explanation somewhat open-ended.
Old Zhou added, “I can tell they’re not part of our system.”
No one brought up the subject of the Feng family curse, as these were widely known facts, and it was better left unspoken.
Under Ah Nian’s guidance and with Chu Ruochun’s map, they passed through the ancient city walls and found the focal point near the palace.
Everyone prepared themselves for action.
Meanwhile, all the Yin energy gathered above the palace.
Director Jiang remained outside the protective formation of the eight, with Old Zhou and the others forming the protective circle. Director Jiang and his subordinates guarded Old Zhou’s group, ready to report any disturbances to the masters if needed.
However, Director Jiang’s attention was entirely focused on the palace above. “Chu Ruochun and Feng Qi must be inside the palace, right? It looks like quite a commotion over there.”
Zhou Wansheng and the others still had some spare energy to observe.
As time passed, though, they noticed the surrounding Yin energy growing heavier.
—
After parting ways with the others, Chu Ruochun and Feng Qi headed straight for the palace.
The palace gates automatically opened for Chu Ruochun, and they walked all the way to the main hall without any hindrance.
Standing in front of the grand hall, Chu Ruochun asked Feng Qi, “Senior, does this palace match your memories of it?”
Feng Qi, as the former national teacher, had presided over numerous ceremonies and naturally remembered the layout of the palace. After being taken away, he could never return to the imperial city. So where did those memories of revenge come from?
Arriving here, Feng Qi began connecting all the pieces. At this moment, he finally realized, his face paling, and he confirmed, “After my death, you took my soul away.”
Chu Ruochun nodded in acknowledgment.
“Then, you created this Soul-Devouring Formation. I didn’t actually kill the Emperor, did I?” Feng Qi noticed while walking the path they had just taken that the other malevolent spirits around them were afraid of his junior, Chu Ruochun.
“That’s right. You didn’t kill them; you merely took their souls. Their souls were supposed to disperse,” Chu Ruochun replied as he approached the lofty imperial throne.
“Tell me honestly, where did these spirits come from?” Feng Qi asked him. If they were going to support him, they would need more souls.
“The Imperial City,” Chu Ruochun confessed to Feng Qi at this moment. “Senior, they watched you being brutally tortured, everyone was so indifferent. We eliminated the evil for them, and this is how they repay us. They all deserve to die.”
“The entire city, including the common people?” Feng Qi stared steadily at Chu Ruochun. “You…”
Chu Ruochun lowered his head almost imperceptibly. “Yes, after their deaths, they formed this city. And now that you’ve returned, they no longer need to exist. You shouldn’t have come here, and I actually didn’t want you to know all of this.”
Feng Qi’s eyes welled up with tears. He understood what Chu Ruochun had done for him, and no matter what he said, he believed it. Deception didn’t matter anymore.
At this point, Chu Ruochun had nothing left to hide from Feng Qi.
Feng Qi sighed and walked toward Chu Ruochun. His attitude remained unchanged, and he could understand his actions.
“Then can you not leave?”
Chu Ruochun looked into Feng Qi’s eyes. “Senior, I should have died long ago.”
Before he could respond, a chilling voice came from a distance.
“Chu Ruochun, indeed, you should die!”
Feng Qi saw the newcomer clearly. Those who entered the formation, except for themselves, could only be spirits, and they had to be spirits.
This spirit still retained his appearance from when he was alive. Feng Qi recognized him; he was the Empress’s brother, the Imperial Uncle, and one of the people responsible for his death.
“Feng Qi, I didn’t expect Chu Ruochun to actually resurrect you. But he killed an entire city of people, causing countless civilians to lose their homes and lives.”
Feng Qi shook his head and said, “Your death was not undeserved. Don’t put all the blame on Chu Ruochun. Even if I hadn’t returned, the Zhao Dynasty was destined to fall. When I was still alive, the Zhao Dynasty was already on the brink. They faced external threats and internal problems, the royal family lived extravagantly, natural disasters and man-made calamities occurred year after year, and the people were barely surviving. How could the Zhao Dynasty have continued like that? Even without me, there would have been rebels and the downfall of the dynasty.”
The Imperial Uncle’s anger flared up. “You’re just defending Chu Ruochun!”
Feng Qi shook his head and said, “Do you know why I’m not angry, even though I know the truth? Because if he hadn’t done this, all of you would still die.”
The Imperial Uncle argued, “He slaughtered an entire city for you! Our entire clan is gone!”
Feng Qi continued to speak up for Chu Ruochun. “How did he slaughter? He just drew all of your souls into this formation. No knives, no guns, no pain at all. Just a change of place to live.”
The Imperial Uncle conceded, “Yes, you’re right. We didn’t suffer any pain, but we’re trapped here, unable to be reborn for eternity. We either have to devour others’ souls or be devoured by other spirits. That’s our choice.”
Chu Ruochun sat in his chair and said, “In the court, aren’t you also relentless, just like others, to ensure your immortality? I’m simply providing another place for you to be immortal, and you’ve even become a Ghost King. What’s there to complain about? You’ve lived five hundred years longer than others.”
The Imperial Uncle erupted in rage. “Chu Ruochun, give me your life! None of you will leave here today! By devouring you all, I can finally escape!”
Chu Ruochun didn’t move, but Feng Qi had already thrown a talisman. He had a string of copper coins in his hand, and when the Imperial Uncle charged at them, he was bounced back and slammed into a pillar in the hall.
At that moment, two powerful auras approached the palace, one was an elegant young man, and the other was an armored general. They stood in front of Chu Ruochun and Feng Qi, while the other six Ghost Kings stood with the Imperial Uncle.
The Imperial Uncle said, “Ten years ago, you left the Ghost Formation, and there’s a flaw in this formation. Since you’ve returned, it means that as long as we kill you, we can escape.”
The young man said, “But you have to defeat both of us, General Feng, first.”
The Imperial Uncle spat, “You two lapdogs.”
The other Ghost Kings said, “Why waste time talking to them? Let’s annihilate them. Ten years of patience has led to today, their deaths are our offering.”
Chu Ruochun, who had died countless times, had no fear of them. He was eagerly waiting for the arrival of these Ghost Kings to deal with them once and for all.
The two of them, along with the two Ghost Kings, engaged in a battle against the six Ghost Kings within the palace.
Chu Ruochun asked Feng Qi, “Senior, do you still have enough spiritual power?”
Feng Qi nodded, “Yes, I do.”
His cultivation was already formidable, and even though he had only recovered eighty percent of his power, it was more than enough to deal with these Ghost Kings, especially with the help of the two Ghost Kings by their side.
The Imperial Uncle fought fiercely, and the other five assumed he was their leader. However, their combat strength was divided, and the first to be eliminated was the Imperial Uncle. Chu Ruochun used only two talismans to disperse his soul.
Chu Ruochun had brought a peach wood sword this time, which added to his power. The efficacy of the talismans was enhanced, and he successively dealt with two more of the remaining Ghost Kings.
On Feng Qi’s side, there was still one remaining, but visibly, his face was turning pale, and sweat was beading on his forehead.
This place was truly a Ghost Abyss, with an overwhelming Yin aura. Feng Qi’s body was eroded by the Yin energy, and he was susceptible to possession by the spirits at any moment.
Chu Ruochun pasted a Soul-Sealing Talisman on his back, giving Feng Qi some relief. “Senior, take a rest. I’ll handle the rest.”
Chu Ruochun dealt with the remaining one, with some spiritual energy still remaining. The other two Ghost Kings were also taken care of by him. General Feng and Young Master Liang didn’t dare to devour the remaining Ghost Kings in front of Chu Ruochun, as they had an agreement that Chu Ruochun would assist in their rebirth, so they refrained from consuming fierce spirits.
After a fierce battle, Chu Ruochun had depleted most of his spiritual energy.
Young Master Liang conjured a fan and fanned himself while saying to Feng Qi, “Senior, it’s been many years, and you’ve grown weaker.”
Feng Qi remembered Young Master Liang, the top scholar from years ago. Unfortunately, he had been harmed by the Imperial Uncle and others because he refused to marry the princess born of the Empress.
General Feng had a similar fate, having been killed by others. He had led troops in battle, but due to the Prince’s desire for military funds at the time, he had deliberately framed him, resulting in his exile. While he didn’t die at the hands of the enemy’s hundred thousand troops, he ultimately perished from starvation at the hands of his own people.
Young Master Liang said, “We willingly entered this Ghost Array. Master Chu requested our assistance.”
Feng Qi replied, “You will also leave eventually.”
Young Master Liang said, “We hope so. We are fierce spirits, and besides this place, there is nowhere else for us to go. If we venture outside, we will still be pursued.”
Chu Ruochun sighed and said, “I will fulfill my promise to you. Today, I’ve come to release you both from the contract.”
He then made two gestures in the air, breaking the contract with both of them. At the same time, he used his remaining spiritual energy to cleanse their ghostly aura, placing both of them into a small bag and handing it to Feng Qi.
“Senior, take care of them. When you return, find a monk from Jingkong Si to perform rituals for them. Their salvation will be more effective that way.”
The conversation circled back.
Feng Qi asked, “Aren’t you leaving?”
Chu Ruochun shook his head. While Feng Qi was distracted, he affixed a restraining talisman to him. “Senior, I can’t leave. Today, I am here to resolve the Soul-Devouring Array. I have only dealt with the major spirits so far; there are still minor ones to handle.”
Feng Qi felt his body immobilized, and he had forgotten to guard against this. He exclaimed, “Release me!”
Chu Ruochun knelt in front of him, holding his face in his hands as if to etch this image into his heart, to remember for a very long time.
He said, “Senior, take good care of yourself.”
Feng Qi pleaded, “What will I do once you’re gone?”
Chu Ruochun planted a gentle kiss on his slightly cool lips and said, “Senior, I don’t want to reincarnate anymore. If there’s another life, I’m willing to grow up with you. No mystic world, no ghosts and monsters, just ordinary people. We can be students together, from elementary school to university. We’ll work together, live together, carefree and happy, free and unrestrained.”
His beginning was this array, and his ending was also this formation.
While he was here, the formation existed. When he perished, so did the formation.
He had enlisted the help of a few elderly experts to maintain the formation, actually relying on their power to dissolve it.
After saying this, regardless of the sorrow in Feng Qi’s eyes, he resolutely stood up.
Feng Qi watched his figure gradually disappear before shouting with all his might, “Chu Ruochun, come back to me!”
He inserted his peachwood sword in the very center of the Imperial City.
At this moment, with the Imperial City as the epicenter, Chu Ruochun slowly infused all the spiritual energy within his body into the array under his feet.
All the golden light dispersed into the ground, and bit by bit, the Yin energy within the city dissipated. The city, its walls, and the inhabitants played by the souls of the ghosts inside the city all gradually disappeared, purified bit by bit.
Feng Qi’s restraining charm fell off, and he rushed towards Chu Ruochun, who was gradually collapsing, holding the peachwood sword. Chu Ruochun’s body was getting weaker.
Chu Ruochun took one last look at Feng Qi, his lips moved, and finally, he sighed in relief. His once calm eyes finally closed.
Feng Qi caught Chu Ruochun, holding him tightly, unable to speak as tears welled up.
Is this how you held onto my bones and wept all those years ago?
The sky gradually turned blue, the mountains and waters became beautiful, and the sounds of insects and birds filled the air.
Director Jiang and his group, standing not far away, looked bewildered.
The Ghost Abyss that had stood for five hundred years, was it really gone just like that?
