Xie Lian used his own body to block between the two of them.
"I think we should all sit down and talk. Look at this child, My Lord, doesn't he look like…"
"Your son, right?" Jun Wu smiled.
"…Ha, haha, hahahaha…" Xie Lian laughed awkwardly for a bit. "How did My Lord know what I was going to say?"
Jun Wu finally moved his eyes off of Hua Cheng, lightly patted Xie Lian's shoulder, and wordlessly turned around to sit back at the table. Xie Lian understood that this meant there wasn't going to be any confrontation for now, and unconsciously sighed a breath of relief.
If Jun Wu intended to kill anyone, just how terrifying he was after unsheathing the sword was something Xie Lian had witnessed himself. Under no circumstances did Xie Lian ever want Hua Cheng to face Jun Wu head-on.
However, Hua Cheng's eyes never left Jun Wu, and he still watched him warily. Jun Wu pushed the teacups forward.
"Although this isn't the first time I've met you, good sir, it certainly is the first time we are in such close proximity. Since it's a peaceful occasion, why not take tea for wine, and smooth over this situation."
Xie Lian cleared his throat lightly, and tried to appear as casual as possible as he pulled on his outer robes. He asked as he pulled on his boots, "My Lord, how are things at the Upper Court?"
"…" Jun Wu put down his teacup and turned his head away, gazing outside of the window to watch the moon. He sighed. "I do not wish to speak of it."
"…Alright. I won't ask," Xie Lian said.
It seemed things really were bad. However, Jun Wu turned his head back and said with a straight face,
"I kid. Even if I do not wish to speak of it, I must. Xianle, leave your little friend for now, and follow me outside for a moment."
It appeared there were things to be discussed that shouldn't be heard by bystanders. Xie Lian was about to comply when he heard Hua Cheng speak leisurely behind him.
"Your Upper Court is in complete pandemonium, it's not a secret. Even little country bumpkin ghosts know that the gathering of ghosts couldn't be stopped this time, and are howling nonstop in excitement. So why speak outside?"
He climbed off the bed too, and languidly came to the table. He picked up the teacup and played with it for a bit, looking like drinking the tea was of no interest to him, A moment later, the three all sat by the table. Hua Cheng's appearance right now was young, but his expression and manners almost made one forget that fact.
Jun Wu replied gently, "Nothing could deceive the eyes of this good sir."
It was tea poured by Jun Wu, after all, and due respect must be given, so Xie Lian drank it. He asked as he did so, "Isn't there still some time before the official opening and sealing of Mount Tong'lu's gates? Or is it confirmed now?"
Although Feng Xin had mentioned this before, Xie Lian always kept in mind that he might be exaggerating, and never fully took his words to heart.
However, Jun Wu confirmed: "Indeed, it can't be stopped anymore."
"It seems your original plan was like all those times before: send all the martial gods to seal off every road leading to Mount Tong'lu, and stop the demons en route," Hua Cheng commented. "But Mu Qing broke out of prison and escaped. With his whereabouts unknown, there's now suddenly a breach in the south."
Xie Lian inquired, "Did Feng Xin return to the Heavenly Court? How is he? Did he say anything?"
"He's returned, but not in good condition," Jun Wu replied. "Nan Yang returned wounded and gave a hurried report of the truth, pleading for me to give orders to all the heavenly officials not to touch the female ghost Lan Chang and her son. He had wanted to descend again after reporting in, but the state of his injuries was not optimistic; his right arm can barely move. So, I buckled him down in the Heavenly Court to recover. However, with that, the southern blockade is now full of holes."
If this was any other matter, like if they needed someone to go kill a monster or steal spiritual pills or something, Xie Lian would instantly volunteer. But something like leading troops wasn't so easily done by just charging ahead alone. One man could break through an army of millions, but he could not defend against an army of millions alone. Xie Lian had long understood that leading people and leading armies wasn't something he was good at. Rather than going forward bold-headedly, it was best if someone else more suited for the position was nominated. Thus, he wasn't quick to volunteer himself.
Instead, he asked, "Is there no other martial god that can take up the task?"
Jun Wu replied, "The other martial gods already have their own domains and missions to take care of, and have no liberty to take on more. There was Pei Su from the Palace of Ming Guang that could've been borrowed, but he's long since been exiled. As for Qi Ying, he's the same as you; a madman who likes to charge alone in the world, doing as he wills. Besides, his whereabouts are also currently unknown, and that child never answers spiritual communication. The head heavenly official of the Palace of Ling Wen is also lost on top of that. There's a temporary head, but the other civil gods, while they're certainly skilled in the arts… in terms of facilitating communication, making decisions, and coordination management, they are completely incapable. These past few days…"
Listening to him, it sounded like in the past few days, the Upper Court was about to fall apart.
Xie Lian couldn't bear to listen and his sympathies grew.
"I remember My Lord once said, even if the gathering of ghosts couldn't be stopped, there was another way to remedy the situation? What can be done?"
"Remedy?" Hua Cheng said. "More like suicide, probably."
Jun Wu gave him a look and sighed. "I've also said, unless absolutely necessary, I didn't want to take that step."
Xie Lian's heart tightened. "Could it be…?"
Jun Wu replied slowly, "That's right. Right now, the only way to remedy the situation is to send a martial god to infiltrate the gathering of ghosts at Mount Tong'lu."
Since the start of slaughter couldn't be stopped, then make sure that at the end of the slaughter, not a single one is left!
Xie Lian crossed his arms into his sleeves and knitted his brows. "I'm not too familiar with Mount Tong'lu, and I don't really know how the rules work, so how should this be done? Kill every last monster and demon that enter the mountain?"
But that was something inconceivable. To infiltrate Mount Tong'lu, one's identity must be hidden, and not too many helpers can come. Otherwise, if the ghosts should discover there were heavenly officials mixed in, they would for sure surround and destroy. Mount Tong'lu was also an extremely evil place; a heavenly official's spiritual powers would be significantly restricted, much more so than when they were at the Black Water Demon Lair.
However, Jun Wu said, "No, there's no need to exert that much effort."
"I'm familiar with Mount Tong'lu. Gege, look outside," Hua Cheng said.
Following where he was pointing, Xie Lian looked out the window. Beyond the window, there was a large field planted with some flowers and grass, and there was also a small flower pot in the corner. Hua Cheng hopped onto the windowsill and pointed at that flower pot.
"At the heart of Mount Tong'lu is a giant kiln."
Just as the words left his lips, that little flower pot suddenly fell over and rolled to the centre of the field before standing upright by itself. Soon after, with it as the heart, the once-flat ground suddenly rumbled and rolled in waves, rolling into mounds of various sizes all around.
Hua Cheng continued, "All around the 'Kiln' is a mountain range, encircling it. This entire area is within Mount Tong'lu's perimeter. It's as big as seven city-states."
Xie Lian was amazed watching this. He leapt up lightly, hopping out of the window. As he stood among the field full of little earth mounds, it gave him the illusion of being a giant looking down below.
Hua Cheng continued, "The slaughter of ghosts begins from the outer edges of the mountain range, and continues on towards the 'Kiln' at the heart."
He gave a wave of his hand, and many tiny objects on the ground started agitating. Xie Lian crouched down to watch closely; he discovered it was many weeds and small leaves twisting, like small people crossing through the mountain range.
He remarked, "Which is to say, the closer to this 'Kiln' in the centre, the ghosts are also stronger?"
"That's right," Hua Cheng said. "Because the weak weeds will have all been annihilated at the edges."
Another light wave of a hand, and a breeze brushed by; the weeds were completely cleaned away by it. The empty little earth mounds suddenly became desolate, looking rather sad. However, the little flower pot at the centre suddenly emitted a red light, truly looking like a tiny, fire-blazing Kiln. Xie Lian stared at it and noticed there was a tiny little red flower, and a few unremarkable weeds, that had jumped onto the little flower pot, spinning around the sides of the pot like little people dancing. That little red flower danced the wildest. Hua Cheng crouched down next to him.
"Finally, only a handful of ghosts at most can enter the interior of the 'Kiln'. And then, the 'Kiln' will close."
Those "little people" jumped around then fell in, swallowed by the black mud.
Hua Cheng continued, "After that, within forty-nine days, a ghost must break out of this 'Kiln'."
That little flower pot trembled violently and exploded abruptly. A blinding red light flashed, blasting a wave of dust.
Accompanying this "earth-shattering" birth, that little red flower leapt out from within the mud and raised its two little leaves as if it was shouting to the winds to announce its might to the world. Seeing this, Xie Lian couldn't help but puff a laugh.
However, perhaps it was a little too overly excited, and that little red flower slipped on the edge of that flower pot, about to fall. Xie Lian hurriedly reached out his hands and caught it lightly, holding it in his palms. That little red flower seemed to have gone dizzy from the fall and shook its "head", raising its "face" to gaze at the one who had caught it.
Xie Lian brushed off the bits of dirt that splattered onto him, and asked, "So this little one is the new Ghost King birthed from Mount Tong'lu?"
Hua Cheng nodded. "Correct. The slaughter of ghosts at the beginning was a strengthening process, and cannot be bypassed. If the ghost who entered the 'Kiln' isn't strong enough and can't break out of it, then it will be suffocated inside, burned to ashes, and become fertilizer for another."
He rose to his feet and called to Jun Wu, who was still sitting inside: "Your idea is to cut down the mighty, and leave the weeds. There's only so many with the potential to become ghost kings; once they're annihilated, the weak ones who remain can't break out of the 'Kiln' even if they enter it. If they can't break out, then they still wouldn't be recognized as ghost kings."
Xie Lian nodded. "Sounds doable. But does it work? Has this been attempted before?"
Jun Wu approached the window and said, "No. It's never been attempted before. In the past, the demons had always been stopped before they were able to gather."
Hua Cheng crossed his arms. "I'm afraid it's not doable. To fight under these conditions is no different than suicide. I suggest the one who came up with such a brilliant idea go themselves."
"I've that very intention," Jun Wu replied easily.
Xie Lian was taken aback. "My Lord?"
Jun Wu said, "Xianle, I've descended for this very reason. I will be heading to Mount Tong'lu. I need you to return to the Heavenly Court and take care of my duties for the time being."
Xie Lian dropped his hands and leapt to his feet. "That won't do! Have me take your place temporarily? My Lord, please don't joke, no one will listen to me."
Jun Wu grinned. "Then, this will be a very good chance for them to start."
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead. "My Lord, pardon me, but I really can't agree with you this time. This is too absurd. To use a vulgar example from the mortal realm, an emperor can enter the battlefield, but have you ever heard of an emperor going to infiltrate and assassinate? That the Heavenly Court can float so high in the heavens is because it is all held up by you. None of the other heavenly officials can do this, it's all My Lord's efforts. If you're there, the sky won't fall. If you're not there, then the sky really will fall."
Jun Wu, however, answered with his hands clenched at his sides.
"Xianle, there's nothing and no one in this world who will fall only because the heavens collapsed. Once you're used to it, you'll find that even with whoever's lost, life will go on. There will always be new to replace the old. To have a new ghost king be born, it's nothing if it's another Crimson Rain Sought Flower or Ship-Sinking Black Water. But if it's another White-Clothed Calamity, then the world will fall into chaos."
He looked Xie Lian in the eyes. "You've seen with your own eyes just how difficult it was to kill a Supreme like him. If it's not me who goes, then there is no other way."
Xie Lian knew that this wasn't Jun Wu being humble. To be in one's weakest state and trapped with millions of ghosts, and to be able to accurately pick out each and every one of the strongest to kill or subdue; he couldn't say for sure he could even do it himself. It was only Jun Wu that had the greatest chance at success. But, this leave might take up to ten years. What about the outside world? What about the Upper Court?
Just then, Hua Cheng spoke up.
"Who says there's no other way?"