When that powerful spiritual light shone onto the resentful spirits, large fields after fields of smokes and clouds dispersed and dissipated, and a martial god donned in white armour with a sword in hand broke through the clouds.
It certainly was Jun Wu. When the party saw him it was as if they saw their parents had come back to life, and they all cried, "AH!!! My Lord!!!" and tears streamed down their faces. Each of Jun Wu's steps radiated glory as he languidly landed, "Don't panic, don't panic. Is everyone alright?"
The four within the array of the spiritual light quickly disassembled, and transformed back to their original forms. Pei Ming asked, "My Lord, aren't you guarding the Heavenly Capital? How come you've come personally?"
"Lord Rain Master had informed me through the communication array that the barrier of Mount TongLu had broken. The circumstances are dire, and so I've come," Jun Wu replied.
Everyone looked over and the Rain Master was still riding atop that black ox, and all thought inwardly, so that was it. Since the barrier had broken, then surely the communication spells would be functional again. Their heads were all rushed with blood earlier, their minds filled with nothing but destroying the spirits, and almost no one thought to communicate through the array. Xie Lian took a step forward, "My Lord, it's White No-Face. He's come back."
Jun Wu nodded faintly, "I figure he would be relentless."
"He's very elusive," Xie Lian said, "Now that you've come, we don't know where he's gone hiding."
"No matter," Jun Wu said, "Let's settle these resentful spirits first before we go seek him."
Everyone looked to the sky and the rolling black clouds in the air were currently being purified by the powerful light Jun Wu had brought forth. Pei Ming said, "So the birth of a new ghost king has been stopped this time, right?"
"I guess so," Xie Lian said, "After all, the one who broke through the Kiln wasn't anyone but this." Everyone's eyes moved uniformly to the side. After Xie Lian stopped controlling it, that giant stone divine statue was still obediently lying on the ground, a gigantic, exquisitely sculpted thing. Now that it'd fallen down, it also looked like a small mountain. Xie Lian stood near it and raised a hand to pet its cheek, then he turned to Hua Cheng, "San Lang, what should we do with it?"
Hua Cheng had looked thoughtful and when he heard the question, he snapped out of it, "There's no need for gege to worry. Until it's been repaired, let's leave it here for now."
"Can it be repaired?" Xie Lian asked.
"Of course, as long as there's the stones of the Kiln," Hua Cheng said, "I will have it repaired for sure, and have it stand once again."
"Then let's leave it for now," Xie Lian said, "The volcano over by the Kiln is still erupting, who knows when it'll be safe again."
Right then, the resentful spirits swirling in the air suddenly shrieked and transformed into a tornado, charging towards somewhere. For a moment, no one could tell what had happened, but when they looked closely, they saw the place the spirits were rushing to was that divine temple of WuYong in the underground.
Originally, those creatures had nowhere to hide under the powerful glaring rays and would disperse sooner or later. But after such a large number of resentful spirits poured into that underground temple, it was as if they were completely sucked clean, completely vanished. Mu Qing was dumbfounded, "What's going on?"
Xie Lian felt dread and exclaimed, "It's White No-Face! He's drawn a Distance Shortening Array and sent those resentful spirits away!"
Jun Wu swept his hand and threw off the roof of that temple, and a large piece of ground was peeled away too. However, other than that giant array that was just drawn inside, there was nothing else.
"Just what is he planning?" Feng Xin exclaimed, "Where did he connect the array to? Where has he sent them??"
If this was the past, then this would be when Ling Wen entered the picture. It wouldn't take more than half the incense time for the Palace of Ling Wen to report all the locations, yet now, who knows which civil gods took over the position temporarily, but right when they needed, not a single person could be found. Feng Xin cursed in outrage, "FUCK, AND THEY USUALLY BLOW THEMSELVES TO THE SKIES FIGHTING TO SHOW OFF. NOW THAT IT'S TIME TO SHOW WHAT THEY'VE GOT WHERE THE HELL HAVE THEY ALL GONE?! I'LL NEVER SAY THE PALACE OF LING WEN IS INEFFICIENT EVER AGAIN!
Just then, Hua Cheng's voice came, "At the royal capital."
Everyone turned to him just as he dropped the two long and slender fingers from his temple, "He's sent those creatures to a number of different fortress cities. So far only the royal capital is detected since the essence of evil there suddenly spiked."
...The civil gods of the Heavenly Court were useless, and they had to rely on the head honcho of the ghost realm to determine the location of escaped evil beings; many of the heavenly officials present couldn't help but feel ashamed. However, because the situation was dire, the sense of shame went away pretty fast. Mu Qing spoke up, "We know very well what the White Clothed Calamity is planning, of course he'd send those creatures where there's the most people. Once the human face disease explodes, it'd spread quickly, and the royal capital is the most populated, of course he wouldn't let it go."
Pei Ming also piped up, "Let's take care of this quickly, no time to waste, otherwise if we delay for too long things can get ugly."
The temporary civil gods were also making Jun Wu speechless with a headache, and he turned to Hua Cheng, "Has My Lord found out the exact locations of any of the other fortress cities?"
"They're currently being located. It won't take long. Yin Yu, you take over." Hua Cheng commanded.
"Yes sir." Yin Yu quickly acknowledged.
He was banished by Jun Wu in the past, and while Jun Wu was only doing his duty, when he saw Jun Wu he still couldn't help but feel nervous. After communicating with the subordinates on the Ghost City side for a moment, Yin Yu prudently reported the general directions: "Three hundred miles south; two hundred and seventy miles north..."
Jun Wu turned to Feng Xin, "Nan Yang, you take the south."
Feng Xin didn't instantly acknowledge the order and hesitated for a moment. Xie Lian figured it was because he wanted to search for the Jian Lan and Cuo Cuo and was just about to speak when Feng Xin answered, and walked away to draw an array for himself. Pei Ming spoke up knowingly, "I'll take the north?"
"Naturally." Jun Wu replied.
Pei Ming nodded, turned around and walked away, but after a few steps Pei Su came following after him so he looked back, "Your wounds aren't healed yet, and the poison hasn't cleaned out. Stay with Lord Rain Master for now."
Pei Su was puzzled, "General, I'm not, poi, soned?"
Pei Ming patted his shoulder sympathetically, "Your broken phrases haven't healed yet, and you say you're not poisoned?" Then, he inclined his head slightly, bowing to the Rain Master in courtesy before leaving on his own. Jun Wu continued, "Qi Ying, why don't you go to the west. Remember not to cause..."
However, Quan Yi Zhen was confused, "Why am I going to the west? Just what exactly are we doing right now?"
"..."
No one could blame him for not knowing what was going on. Perhaps, he was confused the entire way: Why was he beaten? Why was he buried inside a wall? Why was he turned into a daruma doll? And why did he have to turn into a sword too? There was not an instance where he figured out what was happening. Seeing this, Yin Yu sighed, "I'll take him. I'll tell him on the way." There was probably no one with the patience to tell him anyway. "Okay!" Quan Yi Zhen said enthusiastically.
Mu Qing waited and waited but his turn never came, and he couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, what about me?"
Jun Wu looked him over and said, "Xuan Zhen, have you forgotten something?"
Mu Qing was confused, "What?"
"You're currently under detention." Jun Wu said.
"..."
Mu Qing's face immediately fell. He really did forget about this. And not just him, almost everyone had forgotten that Mu Qing had escaped the Heavenly Court under the suspicion of creating the fetus spirit using wicked spells, and that suspicion hadn't yet cleared!
"You don't have to get involved. Head back to the Heavenly Court afterwards and the confinement will be lengthened."
"...My Lord, it really wasn't me!" Mu Qing cried.
"Once we get to the bottom of the affair and the truth is revealed, you will naturally be released." Jun Wu said, "Otherwise, if I let you out without reason now, it'd be a disgrace."
Mu Qing felt horribly aggrieved but at the same time there was nothing he could do, so he could only acknowledge quietly, "Yes sir."
Seeing Mu Qing so tormented, Hua Cheng laughed out loud unkindly without holding back. Mu Qing gave him a look, then glanced at Xie Lian who was beside him, and he must've thought of something as his face grew darker by the minute.
As for the rest, the Rain Master was no martial god, so she didn't try to act tough and only made it clear that should there be any need for her assistance just call for her, then she left silently. Xie Lian naturally chose the royal capital that was the most populated and the most difficult to deal with. As for Jun Wu, he would stay behind and face those three mountain spirits, and White No-Face who could still very well be around. Hua Cheng toss the dice and opened the Distance Shortening Array, and he and Xie Lian left together.
It was already deep in the night at the royal capital, the streets were silent with not a sound, each household had their windows and doors shut tight. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng flashed out from one of the alleyways and started searching for inhuman creatures as they sped walked. After a few steps, Xie Lian raised two fingers and pressed them against his temple, activating the communication array, whispering, "My Lord?"
"What is it, Xian Le?" Jun Wu answered, "Have you reached the royal capital?"
"We've arrived. I've something to talk to you about." Xie Lian said.
"Did Crimson Rain Sought Flower do something to you?" Jun Wu questioned.
"..."
Hua Cheng seemed to have noticed something and cocked a brow, and Xie Lian replied, "No, he hasn't done anything to me. It's something else. The situation earlier was too urgent and I didn't have the chance to speak." He turned serious, "My Lord, do you still remember my master?"
Hearing him mention this person, Jun Wu seemed to be slightly taken aback, and a moment later, he replied, "Are you talking about the Guoshi of XianLe back then?"
"Yes." Xie Lian said, "You must've come in contact with him quite a bit in the past? Have you noticed anything strange or unusual about him?"
All ceremonies and services in the Kingdom of XianLe were conducted solely by the Guoshi, and the Guoshis were the bridge that connected the mortals to the gods. After a moment of silence, Jun Wu replied, "Yes."
Xie Lian held his breath, "...How was he strange?"
"Xian Le, do you really want to hear this?" Jun Wu said.
"Yes." Xie Lian said.
"Even if you'd become disappointed after you've heard?" Jun Wu asked.
Xie Lian glanced at Hua Cheng, "Yes."
It was a good while before Jun Wu said slowly, "That master of yours, to be the Guoshi of XianLe was a gross oppression of his talents. His knowledge and skills are far beyond your imagination."
Xie Lian listened quietly. The next words made his heart sink.
Jun Wu continued, "I believe, the true number of years that Guoshi had passed in this world is no less than mine. Perhaps, even greater than mine."
"..."
A part of his conjecture had been verified.
If Guoshi truly lived in this world for longer than Jun Wu, then, the possibility he was one of the Four Guardians of the Crown Prince of WuYong was even greater!
Xie Lian couldn't help but ask, "How come you've never told me this before?"
"Because for a long time, I couldn't be sure." Jun Wu said.
"Then how did you confirm this later?" Xie Lian asked.
"After XianLe had fallen, I found him, and neutralized him. But now it seems, in the end he still escaped."
"..."
That there could be someone other than White No-Face who could escape from Jun Wu's hands. Xie Lian had always thought the Guoshi had fled during the chaos of war but he hadn't thought it was Jun Wu who personally went to do him in!
"Then... then why did you need to neutralize him?" Xie Lian asked, "And why didn't you tell me after you had verified it?"
"Your two questions are actually only one question." Jun Wu said.
"What?" Xie Lian asked.
"If I told you, perhaps you would feel disappointed when you hear it," Jun Wu said, "But, perhaps the you now can withstand feeling disappointed in others."
Xie Lian's heart was thumping faster and faster, and he unconsciously clutched one of Hua Cheng's hands tight. Hua Cheng's other hand came to cover over the back of his hand.
On the other end, Jun Wu said, "Because I discovered that he seemed to want to awaken something within you."