However, Shi Qingxuan did not utter another sound.
Xie Lian knew this was bad news. "Lord Wind Master? What happened to you? Are you still there? What's going on? Why aren't you saying anything?!"
If he had only been pulled away by rowdy night cruisers who were seeking a bit of fun, he wouldn't be so quiet all of a sudden. Had he already met with harm? But his anxiety was useless, since he didn't even know where the Wind Master was right now!
The mob finally quieted down, and Ming Yi was able to push his way out of the T emple of Wind and Water. The Heavenly Realm had a decree to never use spiritual powers on mortals for selfish reasons, nor to appear before them at will. If mortals were harmed or their lives taken, demerits would be imposed. The decree certainly made things difficult for law-abiding heavenly officials—otherwise they would've sent those people flying like that roof with just a wave of their hand. The crowd finally snapped out of their shock and started screaming wildly.
"It—it's appeared! It really appeared!"
"Monsters have come!"
With that, the crowd broke up and dispersed.
"Lord Earth Master!" Xie Lian asked anxiously. "How come you didn't hold on to Lord Wind Master earlier? Have you seen him? When was he lost?"
"Ghosts snuck in and were ambushing people in the middle of all the confusion," Ming Yi explained.
It seemed that he'd seen there were lives on the line and diverted his attention to go save them; he'd fended off the ghost attack, but he lost a friend.
"Let's split up and search!" Xie Lian said. "He shouldn't have gone far."
Suddenly, Shi Qingxuan's voice came over the communication array anew. He was laughing boisterously.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...."
The laughter was abrupt, but at least there was finally something.
"Lord Wind Master! What happened to you just now?
Why did you stop talking all of a sudden?" Xie Lian hurriedly asked. "I thought something happened to you."
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha howcananythinghappen to this Wind Master I was onlytryingtoscareyouall ha ha ha ha ha ha ming-xiongyoubastard howdare younotgrabhold ofme if I die I'mdefinitelyturningintoasupreme to comeandhauntyou ha ha ha ha ha…"
"Stop your ha ha-ing. Say something comprehensible!"
Ming Yi demanded.
Xie Lian knew that the more anxious and frightened Shi Qingxuan was, the more he would ha ha ha. In fact, he'd even forgotten to pause between words.
"You didn't open your mouth to speak, did you?" Xie Lian interrupted. "Your face didn't show any obvious reaction?
Have you fought back?"
"I didn't speak. My expression didn't change. I haven't fought back," Shi Qingxuan answered.
Oh dear. He's scared silly. Xie Lian relaxed his tone into something gentler. "Very good. Lord Wind Master, listen to me. Everything's all right, don't be scared. Keep on as you have and pretend you didn't notice anything. If you have something to say, just say it secretly in the communication array. Absolutely do not let the creature notice that you know what it is. Secretly spread your divine aura to form a spiritual circle beneath your feet to protect yourself; that way you can at least ensure you won't trip or fall into a ditch. You'll be able to sense any incoming weapons too."
Shi Qingxuan sounded like he was on the verge of tears.
"Okay. And then?"
"And then take deep breaths," Xie Lian said. "That's it. A couple times… Do you feel a little better?"
His tone was very gentle and quite effective at reassuring people.
"Maybe a little bit," Shi Qingxuan said. "Thanks, Your Highness."
Xie Lian then tried probing. "Now…how do you think you would feel if you tried to open your eyes to sneak a peek at the creature pulling you along?"
Would he be able to handle it?
"I'd probably die," Shi Qingxuan said.
"..."
It seemed that if Shi Qingxuan took so much as a glance, his terror would peak the moment he did, and he would turn into a most delicious meal for the Reverend of Empty Words. After that, he would probably lose any capacity for self-defense. Furthermore, if that thing was staring back at him the moment he opened his eyes, the esteemed Wind Master would probably foam at the mouth and crash like a fallen star.
"Why don't you just keep your eyes closed, then," Xie Lian advised.
"What direction did it head in after it took you from the T emple of Wind and Water?" Ming Yi asked.
They urgently needed Shi Qingxuan's location. Shi Qingxuan's eyes were closed and he couldn't see where he was going, but he could approximate his location based on his general bearing and a count of his steps.
And yet Shi Qingxuan replied, "I don't know."
"You don't even know that?!"
Shi Qingxuan was outraged. "Who in their right mind would take note of something like that? And I thought it was you pulling me, didn't I?!"
Hua Cheng was still only observing the proceedings from the sidelines and was already bored to the point that he'd changed back into his red robes. Then he changed to black robes again. Then to white robes. Almost every time Xie Lian looked back, he was sporting a new look, and with every new look there were different hairstyles, different accessories, different boots, and so on. Sometimes playful, sometimes elegant, sometimes deadly, sometimes extravagant. Xie Lian was dazzled by all the colors, but he kept looking back, unable to keep his eyes off Hua Cheng for long. The moment he realized what he was doing, he blinked hard, only just stopping himself from impulsively blurting out, "that outfit's not bad," or "that looks good."
He said instead, "Stop, stop, now's not the time to argue. With every word, Lord Wind Master takes another step, and the farther he wanders the harder he'll be to find."
Shi Qingxuan moaned his grievance. "Is it really that hard for you guys to find me?! It hasn't been more than fifty or sixty steps, I think! It definitely can't be over a hundred;
we're going super-duper slow!!"
Not over a hundred steps? Ming Yi swiftly charged to the end of the street and disappeared, then reappeared in an instant in front of the entrance of the T emple of Wind and Water.
"Not there!"
Curses.
"The teleportation array!" Xie Lian cried.
After the Reverend of Empty Words used the mayhem as cover to abduct the Wind Master from the T emple of Wind and Water, it probably cast the teleportation array and sent them both elsewhere. Otherwise, with a radius of only a hundred steps to search, he should've been long since found. If the creature had used that spell, they could be anywhere in the world by now, and searching for the Wind Master would be like hunting for a needle in a haystack!
They couldn't be careless in this affair, so Xie Lian immediately said, "I will report to the Upper Court."
However, Shi Qingxuan hastily stopped him. "Wait! Your Highness, don't go! You promised to keep this a secret. My brother's third Heavenly Tribulation is coming soon. The third one is huge; he can't mess this up!"
"Keep this up, and I'll make you go through a tribulation right this minute," Ming Yi said.
Shi Qingxuan was enraged. "I said no, and I mean it. Do you have any idea how many eyes are watching my brother?
That thing definitely timed this deliberately, but I won't let it have its way! Never! Even if I die and my bones rot, I'll only allow myself to be dug up after my brother's completed his trial!"
A moment later, Ming Yi relented. "Fine. Very well!"
Xie Lian's intuition was sharp, and he sensed a suppressed fury in Ming Yi's tone. Such an intense emotion had never surfaced on him before, and it unsettled Xie Lian.
Unwilling to allow any other problems to start, he cut in.
"Lord Wind Master, is the creature still dragging you along?"
"Yeah," Shi Qingxuan replied. "It's gripping my arm right now."
"Is there anything notable about its body? Like a peculiar evil aura, or a certain smell or feel?" Xie Lian asked.
"No. There's nothing."
"What about your surroundings? Is the path under your feet rough or smooth? Have you stepped on anything or hit anything?" Xie Lian wanted to see if he could draw a general perimeter based on the surrounding environment.
"The path is very strange!" Shi Qingxuan said. "Very soft, very light. It's like I'm walking on clouds."
"..." Xie Lian had no response but thought to himself, You're probably just weak in the knees from terror...
T wo out of five of Shi Qingxuan's senses were already sealed; it was hard enough just to scrape together any clues, and they likely had no more coming. Although Hua Cheng was with them, bored stiff while watching the show, his tagging along was purely for his own entertainment. He had no attachment to Shi Qingxuan whatsoever, and as an entity of the Ghost Realm, he had no reason to help a heavenly official. Furthermore, Xie Lian didn't want to trouble him by always begging for his help, so he steadied himself and voiced his idea.
"Lord Wind Master, I have a plan that might help you escape from the creature in a flash. But I need your permission."
"Okay! I give you permission!" Shi Qingxuan replied without hesitation.
However, Hua Cheng suddenly stiffened. "The Soul-Shifting Spell?"
"What?" asked Shi Qingxuan.
"That's right," Xie Lian responded. "The Soul-Shifting Spell!"
The Soul-Shifting Spell was exactly as its name indicated; it was a spell that let the caster swap souls, to use one's eyes to gaze through another's. The spell wasn't used often, as it brutally burned spiritual power, and very few were willing to give up control of their bodies to begin with.
Hua Cheng's expression grew serious. "Gege, caution."
"What're you gonna do if it looks at you?" Shi Qingxuan asked.
"I'm not scared of it, so it doesn't matter," Xie Lian replied.
"Do it," Ming Yi said.
Hua Cheng, however, pressed him again. "Gege, please reconsider."
Suddenly, Shi Qingxuan said, "It stopped moving."
Hearing this, Xie Lian shouted in the communication array, "There's no time to hesitate!"
Shi Qingxuan gritted his teeth. "It's all up to you now, Your Highness!"
"Okay!" Xie Lian said.
He closed his eyes as soon as the words left his mouth.
All of a sudden, his body felt feather-light, light enough that it seemed he was floating into the heavens. Then he abruptly became exceedingly heavy, heavy enough that it felt like he was going to plunge deep into the earth. The world whirled around him before his senses gradually returned. He steadied himself, but his eyes remained closed. He could not hear a single sound.
There was a hand gripping his arm, and he was standing still.
Xie Lian opened his eyes. One hand removed the earplugs, and the other twisted to seize the Reverend of Empty Words in a reverse hold. He smiled at the creature.
"Hi there."
Shi Qingxuan's eyes had been closed for a long time, and it was pitch-black all around them. Thus, when Xie Lian opened the eyes of Shi Qingxuan's body, he hadn't adjusted to the darkness and couldn't see anything. But whatever had been grabbing him was now being grabbed by him. Ruoye wasn't here, so Xie Lian cast a locking spell to secure that hand like an iron cuff, preventing this creature from escaping with magic.
Shi Qingxuan's voice came over the communication array. "Your Highness! Are you okay? If not, we'll switch back, and I'll take care of it myself after all!"
It seemed Shi Qingxuan had also safely switched to his body. Xie Lian had a firm grip on the Reverend of Empty Words, and he clobbered it with over thirty hard kicks in the span of a second.
"I'm fine!"
Since their souls had only just been switched, they needed time to adjust. As soon as Xie Lian had gotten a chance to get used to this body, his moves would be even more brutal.
"Your Highness, let me tell you the incantation for manipulating my spiritual weapons—use as much of my spiritual power as you need, don't hold back!"
Xie Lian had no sword to wield, so he flashed open the Wind Master fan. "Okay!"
Shi Qingxuan then added, "I'll also tell you the spell for transforming into a woman! I'm stronger in my female form!"
Xie Lian resolutely refused. "No. That's not necessary!"
"Gege, hurry and take a look at your surroundings," Hua Cheng said gravely. "T ell me where you are."
"No," Ming Yi said. "First tell us what you're fighting right now."
During their exchange, Xie Lian's eyes had adjusted to the dark environment. He squinted at the black shadow before him. However, even though the contours of the surrounding trees and branches could now be distinguished, he just couldn't make out the black shadow's face. It was as if there was a cloud of evil black mist swirling around its figure.
The Wind Master's fan was a first-rate spiritual device; it could blow away evil and cleanse the world. After he received the incantation spell from Shi Qingxuan, Xie Lian recited it in his mind and swept the fan. A whirlwind blew up from the ground, rattling the surrounding woods, and even a few of the small, weaker sprouts were pulled from their roots entirely. It was undeniably powerful, but unfortunately the wind had veered a little off course and didn't hit the right target.
Spiritual devices weren't easy to manipulate. He wasn't the master of the Wind Master fan, after all, and naturally couldn't handle it as smoothly as Shi Qingxuan. The proper angle and power were both difficult to grasp; it was either too strong or too weak, either off course or completely backward.
After realizing this, Xie Lian gave up and changed tactics. He snapped the fan shut and used it as a blunt weapon instead, furiously striking at the creature's weak points. He then opened the fan again with another snap. A sheen of spiritual aura generated on the edge of the fan, turning it into a razor-sharp steel blade. It slashed through the air, its glint chilling.
Shi Qingxuan probably figured out what he was doing and cried out despairingly. "Your Highness, what's wrong with you?! That's my spiritual device! I can't believe you're using it as a martial weapon! What a waste of god's gift!"
This was a common flaw when it came to martial gods.
Though he was otherwise occupied, Xie Lian spared a moment to say flatly, "It's all the same. Makes no difference!"
"Gege!" Hua Cheng's tone was becoming harsher.
Xie Lian knew what he was pressing for, and as he fought, he rapidly scanned his surroundings. There was picturesque natural scenery, as well as towers and pavilions.
However, ultimately nothing stood out that could indicate where he was.
The Reverend of Empty Words noticed his movement and probably guessed his objective. "You're not Shi Qingxuan," it stated.
Xie Lian never paused in his attacks, but his mind rapidly processed the comment. It shouldn't be this easy to guess that the Soul-Shifting Spell is active. How did it determine I'm not Shi Qingxuan so quickly? Well, whatever.
Keep going!
The way he fought was completely inhumane. The Reverend of Empty Words seemed unable to take the beating anymore, so it spoke. "You'll fall down this instant!"
Sure enough, it had started to direct curses at Xie Lian.
However, it was like Xie Lian had heard nothing, and he only pummeled it harder.
The Reverend of Empty Words then said, "You're going to face defeat!"
Xie Lian laughed. "I already faced defeat eight hundred years ago; a few more times means nothing to me. How much more can I be defeated? Just give up! Nothing you say to me will work."
"Gege," Hua Cheng called. "If you can't determine where you are, just launch a whirlwind into the sky with the Wind Master fan, and I'll be able to locate you!"
What a coincidence! Xie Lian had just had the same thought.
"All right!"
Just as he was about to make the move, the Reverend of Empty Words let out a creepy chuckle.
"Someone's coming?"
For some reason, that alarmed Xie Lian. Sure enough, the creature hissed, "Don't worry. The one coming to find you will die before your very eyes!"
Xie Lian couldn't laugh anymore. His heart dropped violently, and his breathing hitched. The next second, he surprisingly yelled out loud, "Shut up!"
In a flash, he landed more than fifty heavy kicks on the Reverend of Empty Words, each bashing directly on its head.
Though it could barely speak under such an onslaught, it still sighed in deep satisfaction, like it had partaken of some sacred gourmet delight. It then laughed coldly. Xie Lian had accidentally dropped his guard and let it taste what it wanted.
But Xie Lian hadn't the mind to notice, because what it said truly struck a terrible blow on his heart. Even if he knew Hua Cheng wouldn't "die before his very eyes" so easily as the creature said—and to be frank, Hua Cheng was already dead—a deep, uncontrollable panic still manifested in him. He hadn't realized that he couldn't stand to even hear the idea.
Although those in the communication array didn't notice anything amiss, it was as if Hua Cheng had a sixth sense, and he grew audibly alarmed.
"Gege? Is it saying something to you?"
"It's saying nonsense… No! It said nothing," Xie Lian replied.
Hua Cheng immediately understood and let out a curse.
"It's seeking its own death! T ell me right now, and I'll come straight to you."
"No need, don't come here," Xie Lian hastily said.
"Absolutely do not come!"
"T ell me!" Hua Cheng urged.
"Sorry to interrupt," Shi Qingxuan spoke up. "The two of you really did secretly exchange verbal passwords, right?
Your Highness, did you not notice? You're in the wrong array, the wrong array!"
It was only then that Xie Lian realized the problem. Ever since he used the Soul-Shifting Spell, while every word Hua Cheng said to him was passed through their private communication array, he'd been so focused on fighting and his heart was such a mess that he'd been responding in their group spiritual communication array by accident. Now the fact that they had connected in private communication was utterly exposed.
However, this was no time to be embarrassed. "It's nothing," Xie Lian said. "Give me half an incense time. I can take care of this thing!"
After that, he plugged his ears anew and focused only on dealing with the Reverend of Empty Words, unleashing even more brutal attacks. He had no idea that back in the town of Fu Gu, Hua Cheng heard his reassurance, raised his hand, and struck Ming Yi. Ming Yi crashed a meter into the ground from the force of the blow.
Hua Cheng whirled around to address Shi Qingxuan, who had taken over Xie Lian's body. "Switch back."
Shi Qingxuan had already planned on changing back, but after seeing that strike, he hurriedly said, "Crimson Rain Sought Flower, what are you doing?! I'll switch back right now. His Highness is helping me, so it'd make more sense if you hit me; why did you hit Ming-xiong?!"
But the moment he spoke, he realized that he was currently in Xie Lian's body—of course Hua Cheng wouldn't hit him! If he had to hit someone, his only choice was Ming Yi.
Back in the dark forest, Xie Lian's immersion in the fight was disrupted by Shi Qingxuan hollering in the communication array.
"Your Highness, can you please plug my ears and run away? I'm switching back!"
"Lord Wind Master, will you be able to handle it?" Xie Lian asked.
"I can't fight it, but I can still flee from it!" Shi Qingxuan replied.
Xie Lian gave the Reverend of Empty Words one final kick, sending it flying dozens of meters away. He turned around to make a run for it, but then he stopped.
"Wait, you don't need to flee! Let me set up a protection array for you! Lord Wind Master, do you have any protective spiritual devices on your person? If you don't, precious treasures will do!"
Hearing him, Shi Qingxuan hastily replied, "Treasure?
I've got that. Feel around my neck—there's a longevity lock. Will that do?"
Xie Lian felt around, and sure enough, Shi Qingxuan was wearing a longevity lock on a long golden chain. Its sheen was exquisite and opulent.
"Yes. This is a rare treasure, excellent!" he exclaimed in delight.
"Really?" Shi Qingxuan said. "I've got plenty more:
there's the jade belt around my waist, the agate ring on my finger, some pearls on my boots, the sandalwood handle of my whisk that's older than you—oh, apparently the whisk's hairs are also rare, plucked from some spiritual beast…" He rattled off seven or eight items in one breath, then concluded, "In any case, Your Highness, just take a look and see if you can use anything on me."
"..."
Yes, they could be used—they were all extremely rare treasures! Xie Lian was shocked. As expected of the younger brother of the Water Master, the God of Wealth!
"These will work," Xie Lian assured. "I'll find a house nearby to set up an array. When you've switched back, keep the earplugs in and don't look outside. Stay in the house and don't go out. Wait until we come find you!"
Shi Qingxuan was about to break down in tears. "Your Highness, you're just too reliable! Thank you! From today onward, you're my other best friend. This Wind Master will never forget you in any good endeavors!"
Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he responded politely, "Thank you!"
During their exchange, the Reverend of Empty Words was left in the dust. Glancing around, Xie Lian found a small pavilion nearby and hurried inside, then shut and locked all the doors and windows with a wave of his hand. He wrapped the golden longevity lock around the door latch, laid out the other treasures in formation, and bit his finger to draw an array with blood. All of these actions were done in quick succession, and once complete, he sat in the center of the room and closed his eyes.
"One, two, three. Soul-Shifting Spell—return!"
He felt violently hurled into the skies again, then plunged downward. After a wave of vertigo, Xie Lian once more felt his feet touch the ground. He swayed and very nearly fell over, but a pair of hands caught and supported him before he could. He heard Hua Cheng's dark, grave voice when he opened his eyes.
"Gege, I think you had better explain yourself."
Xie Lian grabbed his arm to keep steady. Just as he was about to respond, he noticed someone was missing.
"Where's Lord Earth Master?" he asked.
"Don't know," Hua Cheng said dismissively.
Xie Lian was taken aback. "Don't know...?"
Then he looked to the side. There was a human-shaped crater on the ground, and Ming Yi was slowly crawling out of the hole. Xie Lian was struck momentarily speechless.
Shi Qingxuan's voice came over the communication array. "Huh?"
Xie Lian tensed. "Has it come?"
Since he'd had access to so many of Shi Qingxuan's treasures to form an array, the defense of the house was impenetrable. The Reverend of Empty Words shouldn't be able to intrude so easily; even if it was powerful, it would still take quite a bit of time.
However, Shi Qingxuan said, "No, no, no. Your Highness, this array is impressive, steady as the mountains; it's really secure. I don't think anything could break in for the next three days and nights. It's just…I can't believe I'm here."
"Where? Do you recognize it?" Xie Lian asked, amazed.
"Of course I recognize it," Shi Qingxuan replied. "This is the T errace of Cascading Wine. It's where I ascended."
The T errace of Cascading Wine? Xie Lian blinked.
Shi Qingxuan seemed to have made a circuit of the room. "That's right," he firmly concluded. "I'm sure of it. I come back here every few decades to check up on it."
No wonder the Reverend of Empty Words could tell he wasn't the real Shi Qingxuan. If he were, he wouldn't have been so disoriented when scanning for nearby landmarks—he would've known they were near the T errace of Cascading Wine with just one look.
After Ming Yi crawled out of the hole, he squatted on the ground to start drawing an array. But after only drawing a few strokes, he raised his hand and blasted away the array entirely. Hua Cheng's eyes grew cold, and Xie Lian was startled.
"Lord Earth Master, what are you doing?"
Ming Yi rose to his feet. "We can't use the teleportation array anymore. We have to go on foot."
"What do you mean we can't use it?!" Xie Lian exclaimed.
"Someone has just destroyed all teleportation array connection points near the T errace of Cascading Wine… No, all the connection points in this whole area."
Shi Qingxuan was brought to the T errace of Cascading Wine via the teleportation array not long ago. It would appear that as soon as Shi Qingxuan hid himself inside the pavilion, the Reverend of Empty Words reacted—it had tampered with the points to intentionally slow the rest of them down. It was like their attempt to cross through a mountain range had been thwarted by their enemy destroying the passes. Now, no one could get close to the T errace of Cascading Wine using the teleportation array.
"If we leave now, how long will it take before we get there?" Xie Lian asked.
Ming Yi had already turned and set off. "An hour!"
Xie Lian called out to Shi Qingxuan in the communication array. "Lord Wind Master, we're heading to where you are. We'll be there within an hour. Just sit tight until we get there. If anyone or anything knocks, you absolutely must not open the door."
"Yes, yes, yes. That goes without saying," Shi Qingxuan said. "Even if you hadn't said it, I already know that. I'm not a toddler who'll open the door to anybody. So then…My Lords, please hurry, okay?!"
Fortunately, the town of Fu Gu and the T errace of Cascading Wine weren't on opposite ends of the earth but within an acceptable distance of each other. They could still make decent time if they hurried, so the three set off then and there. On the way, Xie Lian casually tested how much power he had left and discovered that the Soul-Shifting Spell had indeed burned out his supply quite aggressively. Of the enormous flood Hua Cheng had poured into him, more than half was already spent.
Hua Cheng noticed his movements. "Gege, do you need more?"
Xie Lian hastily shook his head. "No. Really, San Lang, thank you ever so much for your generosity earlier."
"You're welcome," Hua Cheng said. "I already said, you can take as much as you want." After a pause, he added, half-jokingly, "But when gege pays me back, can I collect some interest?"
Xie Lian softly cleared his throat, thinking it was probably a question of whether he could pay anything back at all. But of course, he still put on a bold front.
"Yeah…sure."
Although they had estimated the journey would take an hour, the three of them weren't mortal and it was a dire situation, so naturally they arrived sooner than expected.
When they reached the T errace of Cascading Wine, Xie Lian took a look around—sure enough, it was the same place he'd seen before. They were surrounded by the chaotic mess created by his misuse of the Wind Master fan; it had refused his control and blown over trees and bushes. Xie Lian felt a little embarrassed by the sight.
"Your Highness, in which building did you set up the spiritual array? Do you remember?" Ming Yi asked.
Of course Xie Lian remembered, and he was searching for it as well. Soon, his eyes lit up and he pointed.
"It's that small pavilion."
The three headed toward the pavilion; the nearer they got, the more relaxed they became, as if they had finally seen a ray of hope. But when they were close, Xie Lian's pupils shrank.
The doors to the small pavilion were open. They creaked eerily as they swung back and forth in the cold night air.