“You might not know this, guest, but someone died on the Life and Death Arena today, and the loser was thrown out to feed the hungry ghosts of the Yin Yang Road. Listen closely—that's all the ghosts cheering and laughing.”
The one pouring tea was a scruffy beggar with a blind eye. He looked at people out of the corner of his single good eye, appearing utterly bizarre.
“Hehehe, what's the fun in mortal gambling games? Watching folks fight on the Life and Death Arena is much more entertaining! Severed arms, broken legs, blood and flesh flying everywhere—now that's what I call a thrilling spectacle! If you have some free time, guest, why not go join the fun? That way, your trip to Ruyi Pavilion won't be in vain.”
Nan Zhi glanced upward and saw iron chains driven into the surrounding stone grottoes from all directions. Every chain connected to the pitch-black stone coffin directly at the top, linking the grottoes of all sizes like a giant spiderweb.
Upon every chain burned thousands of candles, their eerie green flames casting a ghastly emerald glow across the entire grotto.
As the candles burned, wax trickled down along the chains, coating them layer upon layer. It looked like melting corpse oil, dripping down drop by drop into the mouth of a fat ghost lying right in the center of the hall.
Bloody screams and ghostly wails echoed throughout the grotto.
Guards drifted by, leading hungry ghosts on leashes.
The hungry ghosts were tall and gaunt, resembling pieces of dried, charred firewood. Wrapped in tattered strips of cloth, their exposed skin looked as though it had been roasted by fire, black as charcoal.
Their faces were equally blackened, features blurred and indistinct. Only pairs of eyes flickered with ghostly green light, brimful of insatiable hunger and greed. At the sight of living people, drool dripped from their mouths as they let out low, weeping growls.
A guard wearing a bull skull helmet threw down a bloody arm, and the hungry ghost pounced on it, biting madly. Horrifying crunching sounds echoed from its jaws, eliciting bursts of boisterous laughter from the spectators.
Nan Zhi furrowed her brow, feeling a pang of disgust.
Though she had seen hungry ghosts earlier, she had not observed them at such close range.
Ruyi Pavilion truly lived up to its reputation as a gruesome ghost domain; even its guards acted in such a bloody manner.
“I see that you're a living person, old man. How is it that you're doing business here on the Yin Yang Road?”
Suppressing her discomfort, Nan Zhi turned to strike up a conversation with the one-eyed beggar pouring tea:
“To be honest with you, this is my first time visiting Ruyi Pavilion. Seeing it today, I realize the rumors were true after all. This place is indeed strange and terrifying.”
How could I not know your background and origin? I'm just waiting for you to take the bait.
Disguised as the shopkeeper, a glint flashed in the eye of One Eyed Immortal. Exchanging a glance with Huaguzi, he forced a friendly smile and lied:
“An old man like me is already near the end of his days, taking in more breaths than he lets out. Who knows when my soul will return to the Underworld? I have no sons or daughters to my name, nor do I expect anyone to burn paper for me after I die. That's why, before I kick the bucket, I wanted to earn a few extra silver pieces here on the Yin Yang Road to bribe the soul reapers later, so I can live a bit better after I die.”
With that, he nudged the steaming teacup closer to Nan Zhi:
“Living people shouldn't eat the food of the Underworld, but this tea is from the mortal realm. The water was drawn fresh from a mountain spring just this morning. Moisten your throat with a cup, young lady, and let an old man earn a few more coins.”
“By the way, old man, I heard them say there's an extraordinary treasure in Ruyi Pavilion this year. Do you know anything about it?”
Nan Zhi raised the teacup to her lips, but suddenly remembering something, she eagerly asked:
“They say that the higher up you go in Ruyi Pavilion, the rarer the treasures become. Is that true?”
A flash of disappointment crossed One Eyed Immortal's eye, but fearing discovery, he casually humored her:
“Of course it's true. Ruyi Pavilion has always been a mysterious place. Legend has it that the higher the floor, the rarer and more precious the treasures kept within. Upstairs, countless rare items of the world are stored. Over the years, those who came to the Yin Yang Road to fight for these treasures were all seeking items that could boost cultivation or defy fate.”
“It's more than just that.”
Sitting beside them, Huaguzi displayed great patience, answering Nan Zhi with the good humor of an intimate older sister:
“Rogue cultivators like us who wander around are always the best informed. Although we don't know exactly what treasure sits on the top floor this year, look at the people visiting Ruyi Pavilion today—who among them isn't an extraordinary figure? First, there's Prince Nine of the West Sea, the youngest son of the West Sea Dragon King, who is said to rule Lake Tai as dragon king in the future. Then there's the River God and the Well God; though their divine seats aren't high, they are still water deities governing their domains. Not to mention Auntie Wanbao of the Fox Clan—a thousand-year-old fox demon whose methods are formidable. Even Old Monster Mayi of the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave has come, and he's notorious for his cruelty. Think about it carefully—if there wasn't an extraordinary item, why would such figures show up in person?”
“Hehehe, I heard that Old Monster Mayi has already reached the Nascent Soul Great Circle. There's bound to be a good show this time.”
One Eyed Immortal let out a weird laugh and turned to urge Nan Zhi to drink her tea again:
“This tea has gone cold, young lady. Let me pour you a fresh cup.”
“No need, I prefer cold tea! It quenches my thirst.”
Nan Zhi giggled and refused. Raising the teacup, her throat worked as she drank every last drop.
Success!
Delight lit up the eyes of the two sitting nearby, sharp glints flashing in their gazes, though they forced themselves to suppress it.
“Earlier, I saw those South Barbarians didn't dare cause trouble in Ruyi Pavilion. I imagine this place, like the Ghost Buddha Temple, has quite a formidable background.”
Nan Zhi seemed entirely oblivious to the subtle glances exchanged between the two, continuing to ask what she wanted to know:
“That coffin looks rather strange as well. Every iron chain connects to both a grotto and the coffin, as if holding up all these stone caves.”
“That's something you wouldn't know. They say this coffin is used to anchor Ruyi Pavilion itself. The one hundred and twenty-eight Soul Binding Chains lock this very coffin.”
In high spirits, One Eyed Immortal seemed to already envision the gruesome image of Nan Zhi bleeding from all seven orifices, cracking a sinister smile:
“Who on the Yin Yang Road doesn't know that Ruyi Pavilion is connected to the Ghost Buddha Temple? But even knowing so, nobody dares speak of it openly. Do you know why? Even the Demon Suppression Division doesn't dare make trouble in Ruyi Pavilion. Why do you think that is? Hehehe, you must know that 'the living and the dead do not interfere'—this is a rule set down by the Underworld! No matter how formidable the Demon Suppression Division is, can their reach extend all the way into the Yin Yang Road—”
With that, he pointed at Nan Zhi and eagerly called out three times, “Collapse, collapse, collapse!” Nan Zhi's expression shifted, sensing something was wrong. Just as she tried to stand, she found her entire body limp and powerless, slumping feebly onto the table:
“You... you two drugged me! I... I have no grievance with either of you, so why?”
“You have no grievance with us, but someone paid good silver for your head. The two of us are merely acting on orders.”
Triumphant, One Eyed Immortal drew a sharp blade and lifted Nan Zhi's wrist. Seeing it hang limp like a worm, he looked at Huaguzi with even greater glee:
“Huaguzi, your drug works like a charm! A few words were all it took to trick this wench into drinking it, without needing to disturb the guards at all. If you ask me, this Ruyi Pavilion is the perfect place to destroy evidence. Once the poison takes effect, we'll chop her corpse up and throw it down to feed the hungry ghosts. Clean and quiet—wouldn't that be wonderful?”
“Quiet! Hurry up and finish her before we bring trouble upon ourselves.”
Huaguzi looked at Nan Zhi, feeling that something was amiss. Yet she had personally seen Nan Zhi drink the poisoned tea, so she stepped forward and began searching Nan Zhi's person:
“Where is that Yin Wine Worm? Where did you hide it?”
“How did you know I had the Yin Wine Worm on me?”
Upon hearing those words, a flash of chilliness swept through Nan Zhi's eyes. Twisting her body like a swooping hawk, the Fish-Dragon Guillotine in her hand slashed straight at Huaguzi's face!
Her movements were fast as lightning. Caught completely off guard, neither of them had time to react, and Huaguzi ended up taking the blade straight to her chest!
Rate on N.U.
