Under Pei Chen’s guidance, the group advanced along a concealed path, encountering no signs of life until they reached a tranquil bamboo grove, entirely devoid of guards.
“Is this the place?”
Throughout the journey, conversation was sparse. Shang Can took in her surroundings and suddenly asked.
“I remember this should be quite close to your Qinglian Lake, right? Putting the entrance to the Underworld Ghost Realm in a place frequently visited, aren’t you worried that disciples might stumble upon it?”
“There’s no need for concern, Can Zhe.”
Seemingly intrigued by her familiarity with the situation in Tianwaitian, Pei Chen’s gaze sharpened slightly, but he refrained from questioning her. Instead, he responded politely, “The entrance changes location every month; it won’t always be here.”
“There were arrangements for people to patrol the entrance, but later the Sect Master felt that would attract too much attention, so it was decided to discontinue that.”
“Conceal the wood in the forest,” he explained to Shang Can, “Moreover, although this is the entrance to the Underworld Ghost Realm, only the Sect Master knows how to enter. Those who are not in the know would find it very difficult to discover this entrance. You may rest assured.”
“Keeping a ticking time bomb unguarded, Tianwaitian truly seems at ease.” Shang Can snorted lightly, then asked, “Since the location changes every month, where was the entrance during last month’s discussion?”
“I believe it was… near the kitchen.”
No wonder the food prepared by Tianwaitian was so terrible—not to mention, it was clear why there weren’t many night patrols around the kitchen during that time. Shang Can thought, so that was intentional on Pei Chen’s part.
Seeing that she had no further questions, Pei Chen slightly bowed and said, “Please step back a bit.”
It must be around midnight now, with the moon hanging high. Pei Chen looked up at the moonlight, took out a talisman drawn with intricate symbols in cinnabar from his sleeve, and held it upright with his sword against his chest.
He closed his eyes, his lips moving as if silently chanting something. Shang Can quickly felt the temperature in the bamboo grove dropping, a deep chill rising from her feet. As her mind stirred, she conjured several bright flames at her fingertips, which slowly danced around the three of them, dispelling much of the cold.
Chao Ming watched with curiosity and asked Shang Can, “Can heavenly fire be used for warmth? What would happen if I touched it?”
Wondering if this was the right time to be concerned about such things, Shang Can rolled her eyes silently and casually replied, “You’d get burned to ashes.”
“…That fire sounds really dangerous; it’s swirling so close to me.”
“Since Yushan Jun doesn’t have a good relationship with heavenly fire, if I gave you a flame, you could nurture your bond with it, and maybe it wouldn’t burn you in the future.”
“Ah? It can do that?”
Chao Ming looked at her with skepticism, but Shang Can nodded earnestly. Just as she was about to continue, she noticed Yunduan, who had been silently standing nearby, suddenly lift her gaze and reach out toward the flickering flame hovering in front of her.
Shang Can jumped in surprise as the seemingly carefree flame suddenly recoiled, but it was no match for Yunduan’s hand, which easily grasped it.
“It’s quite warm,” Yunduan remarked quietly as she observed the dancing flame in her palm, “It didn’t turn to ash.”
…Only after touching it does she say such things; this little ancestor really shows no fear of what could happen.
Relieved to suppress the flame’s temperature, Shang Can sighed and said, “So, Yunduan and the heavenly fire must be on good terms by now.”
Chao Ming, who had come to this realization, muttered that she was just tricking him, but Yunduan ignored him, her cool gaze landing on Shang Can.
“Can I have that flame as well?”
“…Go ahead, it’s already in Yunduan’s hands anyway.”
As Shang Can’s slightly exasperated voice fell, the round flame slowly transformed into a slender line, obediently winding around Yunduan’s wrist and remaining still, resembling a bracelet made of fire that stood out in the night.
Just as Chao Ming began to feel a bit superfluous in this situation, Pei Chen, who had been silently performing the incantation for a long time, finally showed signs of movement. He suddenly opened his eyes and softly commanded, “Divide Yin and Yang!”
The previously restless atmosphere instantly calmed down. Although the scenery remained unchanged, Shang Can felt a sudden discomfort as if she had sunk underwater.
She looked coldly ahead and saw a circular hole appearing in the ground about five meters in front of Pei Chen, its depths as black as ink, seemingly hiding a formless entity stirring in the darkness, causing unease with just a glance.
“This is… the entrance to the Underworld Ghost Realm…”
Staring in disbelief at the nondescript hole, Chao Ming murmured, but Pei Chen shook his head.
“The entrance is indeed here, but for now, this is merely the range displayed; the true entrance has yet to be opened.”
The spell must have been taxing; Pei Chen looked noticeably fatigued but still explained to the others, “It’s not the time to open the entrance yet; I hope you can forgive me.”
“It doesn’t matter if it can’t be opened right now.”
Shang Can glanced at it a few times, her interest waning, and instead scrutinized the area around the hole for a moment before asking, “The most important thing is to determine if anyone has secretly opened the entrance and released the ghost clan—can you tell, Jun Kunya?”
“…” Pei Chen focused, walking around the hole a few times before shaking his head with a serious expression. “No one has been here.”
“Here?”
Catching onto something unclear in his words, Shang Can looked at Pei Chen and coldly stated, “Here—are you referring to this bamboo grove or this entrance?”
Pei Chen’s gaze flickered; after a moment of hesitation, he sighed and replied honestly, “I mean this bamboo grove. However, if you’re asking whether anyone has been here when the entrance wasn’t located here, it’s difficult for me to confirm quickly.”
Not only Shang Can, but even the usually good-tempered Chao Ming became anxious upon hearing this, exclaiming, “This incident occurred last month; what’s the point in confirming that no one has been here this month? Jun Kunya, this statement is really—”
“Completely useless,” she interjected directly.
He tried hard to find a gentler way to phrase it, but Shang Can clearly had no intention of doing so, saying plainly, “Jun Kunya, you can’t say you’re only now remembering to check on last month’s events, can you? I sometimes sleep late at night, but if someone deliberately delays my bedtime, I’d be angry.”
Her tone had turned dangerously low by the end, and Pei Chen’s expression became serious as he explained, “I wouldn’t bring you all here without a plan, wasting your time for no reason.”
“It truly is difficult to confirm right now,” he repeated, but quickly added, “However, there will be a way in three days.”
“…”
Shang Can often found his verbose and slow way of speaking very annoying. She was already in a bad mood, and now she felt even more irritated. She cut to the chase and said, “Speak.”
“The Ghost Realm is hard to seal; the ghosts inside are fierce and eyeing the cultivation world with hostility. Therefore, those who have been informed in Tianwaitian every generation would—” Pei Chen paused subtly, “—confirm matters in the Underworld Ghost Realm every month, and temporary sealing requires operations that can only be performed within the Ghost Realm.”
“But the opportunity to open the Underworld Ghost Realm is during the time when the spiritual energy is most abundant each month. While there might be some discrepancies due to seasonal changes, the time to open the Underworld Ghost Realm this month is roughly three days from now when the moon is high in the sky.”
He spoke plainly, but the more Shang Can listened, the more something felt off, and she furrowed her brows tightly.
“…You can’t be saying,” she asked incredulously, “that we have to go to the Underworld Ghost Realm to check if anyone has been there before, right?”
“Indeed.”
Under Shang Can’s ghostly stare, Pei Chen nodded solemnly.
“According to what I know, the cultivation world currently has only this one entrance connected to the Underworld Ghost Realm.”
“If there are indeed ghosts active in the cultivation world, they must have escaped from here; once they enter the Ghost Realm, there should be traces to follow.”
“I will ensure this matter is thoroughly investigated.”
Pei Chen spoke steadily, glancing at the tense-looking Shang Can, then slowly turned to Yunduan, who remained silent.
“But if you all need it, at that time, I can take you… into the Underworld Ghost Realm.”
“Utter nonsense.”
In the inn, Shang Can placed the teacup down on the table with a crisp sound, her face cold.
“To the Underworld… He talks about that perilous place like it’s a trip to the market; he’s definitely spouting nonsense.”
“Exactly,” Chu Ming nodded in agreement. “Although I’ve never been there myself, from what I’ve read in the records, the ghost race is extremely ferocious, being formless and incredibly difficult to deal with. Over the years, I’ve never heard of anyone daring to venture into the Underworld—typically, we call that seeking death.”
Shang Can absently tapped her fingers on the table in a disorganized manner, a hint of irritation in her voice. “Even if what Pei Chen said is true, if we need to enter the ghost realm to trace the ghost race, then I can just switch directions; there are other leads to follow…”
“But that would be unnecessarily convoluted.”
Shang Can’s subsequent words caught in her throat. She tightened her lips and slowly turned to look at her companion.
“A visit to the Underworld might just lead us to the trail of that impostor Shang…” Yun Duan said faintly, her eyes seeming to linger on unspoken words, “…you should know that in your heart, A Can.”
…So annoying.
Shang Can stared directly at Yun Duan, feeling a tide of inexplicable frustration bubbling in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
“Fine.”
After a moment of tension, Shang Can suddenly relaxed, her tone light as if she were smiling.
“Then I’ll go with Lord Kun Yao. Can you wait outside for us, Yun Zhongjun?”
“…”
Yun Duan remained silent, simply looking at her.
Those clear, bright eyes made Shang Can see her own forced smile gradually crumble, morphing into an expression of irritation.
“…The Immaculate Celestial Body,” Shang Can instinctively clenched her fist and said softly, “to go to the ghost realm?”
“Yun Zhongjun should also be well aware of the risks involved.”
Shang Can’s brows furrowed deeply; anyone could see her current apprehension. However, Yun Duan looked at her for a long moment without flinching and then quietly shook her head. “I have the means to protect myself.”
…The means to protect oneself.
Shang Can pondered over these words, revealing a fleeting self-deprecating smile.
Of course, she knew Yun Duan could protect herself—the world-renowned Yun Zhongjun, with unmatched talent, was renowned as the brightest star among the new generation of cultivators. Such a person shouldn’t be a cause for concern. If others found out that Yun Zhongjun had explained her ability to protect herself, it would likely become a widely circulated joke in the cultivation world.
But no matter how strong Yun Duan was, Shang Can didn’t want her to go to a dangerous place.
After a long silence, Shang Can finally closed her eyes in resignation.
Perhaps this was just her own stubbornness imposed on Yun Duan.
Once Yun Duan had made up her mind, it had always been a done deal ever since she was still Yun Duan’s senior sister.
Suddenly, Shang Can leaned closer, reaching out to catch a strand of Yun Duan’s ink-black hair, gently wrapping it around her fingers.
“…I don’t know what your intentions are, but I won’t ask anymore.” Shang Can spoke softly, staring absentmindedly as the silky strands slipped through her fingers. “I’ll go with your decision.”
No matter why Yun Duan knew about the Underworld entrance that only the leader of the outer realm knew, or why she seemed to frequently seek out Pei Chen, Shang Can suddenly felt disinterested.
It was really unappealing, like she was sulking.
As Shang Can reflected on this peculiar feeling, she withdrew her hand and stood up.
“I need to return to the Bi Luo Huang Quan for a while,” Shang Can said, her gaze distant as she spoke softly. “Let’s meet again in three days.”
Comment