"And what was it?" Xie Lian asked.
Jun Wu seemed to have reservations about the subject, and he deliberated for a long time before he spoke.
"What is the matter, Xianle? Why did you suddenly bring up your master? Was it something you encountered inside Mount Tonglu? Something that relates to him?"
Xie Lian came to his senses and was about to give a quick account before pressing with more questions, but a riot of noise erupted on the other end.
"I see the three mountain spirits you spoke of earlier. Indeed, they are peculiar!" Jun Wu said. "I will take care of them first, and we can talk again later. However, since Xianle has made the inquiry, remember this one thing:
your master is no ordinary character. If you do encounter him, be extremely careful!"
Then the other end fell into abrupt silence.
"My Lord?" Xie Lian called out.
But Jun Wu did not respond. One of those mountain spirits alone would be hard enough to deal with; three surrounding and besieging him must be even more difficult. Even when Xie Lian had limitless spiritual power and controlled a phenomenal giant divine statue, he couldn't defeat them. Jun Wu was facing them alone, so he probably needed to focus and exert a considerable amount of strength. Xie Lian gave Hua Cheng a brief account of the conversation, and the two came to a stop.
They found themselves on a large street. When they gazed at the sky, gloomy clouds obscured the moon; vague wisps of something resembling black smoke could be seen drifting in front of its cold whiteness like ink blurring in clear water.
Those were the vengeful spirits sent from the holy temple of Wuyong, but they had yet to enter the royal capital itself. A majestic spiritual field had been woven from intertwining sources of gleaming spiritual light, such as the aura of the king in the palace and the many temples of various gods within the city. A natural barrier such as this would bar those throngs of wicked beings from entry, forcing them to wander high in the sky.
Almost every city possessed a similar shield because outstanding characters and impressive heavenly officials could appear anywhere; rich land fosters talent, as they say. However, those spiritual fields couldn't hold up forever.
"It'll be fine as long as we reinforce the barrier," Hua Cheng said.
But the problem was how.
"Talisman spells? Spiritual devices?" Xie Lian mused. Then he said, "Probably not."
The vengeful spirits covered the entire sky above the royal capital. It would take millions of talismans and spiritual devices, otherwise such defenses likely wouldn't hold. Pacing back and forth, Xie Lian gritted his teeth.
"San Lang, I have an idea. It might help reinforce the barrier, but…I need people."
"How many?" Hua Cheng asked.
"A lot," Xie Lian said. "As many as possible. At least five hundred."
"Alive or dead?" Hua Cheng asked. That wasn't a joke—he was listening seriously to Xie Lian's words.
"Alive. Ghosts won't do," Xie Lian replied. "I need to borrow the vigor and yang energy of the living to drive the vengeful spirits away."
"Then they'll need to be willing volunteers," Hua Cheng commented.
"Yes, they have to be willing," Xie Lian said. "And they must have the will to fight and protect. If they have fear in their hearts or their wills are weak, the spirits can take advantage of that and sneak through."
Hua Cheng nodded. "They must be people with the greatest desire to win, the ones with the most faith—just like soldiers fighting on the front lines of a war. Anyone forced into it or wishing to run away will end up abandoning our work here, and we'll suffer utter defeat."
"That's it exactly," Xie Lian said. "Can San Lang find people like that?"
After some contemplation, Hua Cheng replied slowly.
"Gege, if you needed the dead, I could bring you as many as you wanted. Involuntary living beings would be simple too. But it won't be easy to find volunteers." There was a pause, and then he continued, "There are many in the Mortal Realm who worship me as the Ghost King, but most of them obey out of terror—that, or they want something from me. I could force them or tempt them with material gains, but such methods probably won't work for finding the people gege needs. I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize," Xie Lian replied, enthralled by his words. "Let's just think of a way together."
"Mmm. However, gege, there's good news," Hua Cheng said. "There's a band of living humans about fifty paces ahead of us, just around the corner."
Xie Lian had sensed them too, and he rushed forward to see just as that very group of people also turned the corner. They shouted in surprise at his sudden appearance.
"A ghost!"
After a closer look, Xie Lian recognized who they were and exclaimed in delight, "Everyone, it's not a ghost, it's me!"
This group of monks and cultivators was very familiar indeed. The leader was a cultivator dressed in extravagant robes—wasn't that Heaven's Eye? And wasn't that large group behind him the band of monks and cultivators who had harassed them relentlessly? The ones who'd been knocked out when that shady inn's roof caved in?
Hua Cheng languidly approached with his hands clasped behind his back and came to stand behind Xie Lian. He certainly wasn't in the form of a child right now. Looking nonchalant, he flashed an ominous smile. The sight terrified Heaven's Eye and the others so deeply that they instantly jumped a meter backward.
"And you say there's no ghost! Is that not one?! A ghost king, even!"
Withdrawing his fake smile, Hua Cheng clicked his tongue in annoyance, too lazy to even make a proper comment. Since Xie Lian was urgently searching for living souls, he hastily raised his hand.
"Everyone, you've come right in the nick of time. There's something —" Yet the moment he raised his hand, their reaction was far more extreme than expected. On high alert, they all hurled themselves to the ground, exclaiming to each other, "Watch out for hidden weapons!"
"…" Speechless, Xie Lian had to think for a while before he remembered which "hidden weapon" they were referring to. "Um… You don't need to be afraid. I don't have any hidden weapons on me."
Incorruptible Chastity Meatballs weren't so easily forged anyway. The knife work alone would take up most of the day.
"Besides, you forced my hand last time, and I didn't do much of anything to you," Xie Lian added. "And now, there's even less reason for me to do anything."
The mob contemplated his words and found them reasonable. They quickly got off the ground and dusted themselves off, but they still kept their distance, staffs and swords and other such spiritual tools in hand.
"I say, Daozhang," Heaven's Eye said. "We haven't seen you for days, but the ghost qi on you has gotten worse. I think it's best you turn back now while there's still a chance. And speaking of, why is it so bad? I'm not trying to scare you, but I can barely see your face anymore."
"…" Xie Lian was practically blushing, and he didn't dare look at Hua Cheng as he cut Heaven's Eye off. "Let's discuss that later. Everyone, I was observing signs in the night sky and saw some ominous creatures. Have you seen them as well?"
"Obviously!" Heaven's Eye said. "Observing signs in the skies is part of our daily duties. And here I thought it was those nefarious things causing trouble, but could it be—is it the work of Hua Cheng…zhu?"
"Of course not," Xie Lian said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here letting you know. We've also come here because of those creatures, and we were just thinking of ways to reinforce the royal capital's aura field."
Heaven's Eye was doubtful. "You two? Thinking of ways to help?
But…why would the Ghost King be so kindhearted?"
Hua Cheng grinned. "It's not out of kindness, per se. If I wanted to do something to the royal capital, that pathetic shield couldn't possibly stop me."
The expressions of the cultivators and monks were unreadable. Xie Lian knew that they couldn't so easily drop their guard, so he didn't try to force them.
"I've faced those creatures in the sky before, and they're very difficult to deal with. If we let them break through the protective shield of the royal capital, everything will be thrown into chaos. I'm seeking help right now to form an array. I need about five hundred people."
Heaven's Eye gaped. "Five hundred?! What kind of array is it, to need so many people?! I've never heard of anything like that before!"
Xie Lian didn't have the heart to tell him that five hundred was the bare minimum requirement. In fact, to be blunt, they really needed at least eight hundred.
The other monks and cultivators joined in with further commentary.
"I've never heard of an array like that either. Has anyone seen records of one in any books?"
"Can they really get that powerful?"
"I've heard of yao that eat five hundred in one bite, but I've never heard of an array that needed that many."
"Is it dangerous?"
After much serious deliberation, Xie Lian answered honestly. "I can't say for sure. Maybe, maybe not. I'm only mostly certain, since I've never attempted it before."
It would be impossible to find records of this array, since Xie Lian hadn't learned it from books or anyone else—it was something he'd come up with over the past eight hundred years as he wandered and ruminated about what should be done if Human Face Disease was unleashed again. They couldn't possibly just sit around and do nothing, after all. Although he did come up with a solution, he hadn't expected to face such an enormous crisis again—he didn't imagine his method would see any use.
The group huddled for a while, and in the end, Heaven's Eye turned around.
"We don't have that many people. Plus…" he trailed off, clearly on guard.
Plus, they didn't trust Xie Lian and Hua Cheng.
Nothing could be done. After all, they didn't know what Human Face Disease was or how devastating it would be. Not to mention, they had extensive grievances against Hua Cheng—there must've been plenty of incidents where he toyed with them as if they were no more than insects. Xie Lian had initially thought that, since these people were masters of their faith, they would each have their own schools and disciples—so perhaps they could drag a few out here from wherever until they'd gathered up three or four hundred, and he could worry about making up the remaining number later.
But it seemed this hope was fruitless.
"Gege, stop wasting your breath on them," Hua Cheng said. "Let's go."
Xie Lian nodded, not the least bit discouraged, and left with him.
However, Heaven's Eye and the others didn't leave—instead, they sneakily followed them, apparently thinking they were well hidden. Xie Lian was rendered quite speechless, but then he considered the fact that this group of masters was probably only trailing them because they were worried that he and Hua Cheng would cause trouble in the capital. Their worries were born of kind hearts. Xie Lian found it funny and stopped caring.
"Why not try the slums?" Hua Cheng suggested. "There's no lack of desperate and daring souls in a place like that. Maybe we'll find success there."
The two changed course and proceeded into the shadows of the royal capital. There, they found a nearly demolished temple. They observed the area; there were sleeping people scattered everywhere on the ground, from the inside of the temple stretching all the way to the outskirts. They seemed to be a band of homeless folks, or rather, beggars. The air was frigid and the ground cold, but almost all of them were dressed in nothing but rags. There were men, women, seniors, and children, and none of them were shy of their improper proximity. Some were lying on tattered mats, some were hugging bundles of straw for warmth, and some just slept on the ground. The ones who were awake were sighing and wailing over the rotten sores on their bodies or picking fleas off of themselves. There was even someone shuffling about, dragging a bad leg, who seemed to be delivering bowls of water to the sick. The suffocating smell of sweat and other strange odors came wafting out before they even entered.
The most prosperous part of the city was so close to the filthiest, most decrepit slums; they were but a street apart. The contrast was truly lamentable.
Of course, Xie Lian had no time to lament. He crossed over the threshold and called out, "Can anyone give me a hand?"
Curses came before any proper answers. "Fuck that! Someone should give me a hand! Ya gonna let us sleep or what?! Get the hell outta here!"
Not at all offended, Xie Lian continued to speak. "It's something very urgent. If everyone is willing to help out, then you'll certainly…it'll certainly be for the greater good!"
Initially, he had wanted to say they'd "have our utmost thanks." They would be thanked, no doubt, but their minds would not be pure if they came for rewards.
The cussing grew harsher now. "What the hell do I care about the greater good?!"
"Is there pay?" someone asked.
Xie Lian looked back. Hua Cheng's eye flashed with displeasure; he seemed ready to take a more aggressive approach. Xie Lian quickly pulled him back.
"Not yet," he said in a hushed voice. "You said it yourself, San Lang— we can't use force or temptation. Give me some time, and I'll persuade them.
There must be some folks we can use in this group of seventy or eighty."
Only then did the dangerous glint in Hua Cheng's eye fade.
Suddenly, a slightly raspy voice called out.
"Hey, hey, hey! Everyone, hear me out, everyone! Hear me out! Stop arguing! Let's hear what he's got to say first!"
Xie Lian looked back to see who had spoken. It was the beggar with the bad leg. It was difficult to see what he looked like, for his looks were obscured by his tattered appearance—he was unkempt and very thin, almost frail. However, his voice sounded fairly young. He waved to hail the crowd, but strangely, he did it with only one arm, his posture awkward. The other beggars all seemed to listen to him, so the noise of cussing and yelling faded.
"Thank you!" Xie Lian called out, not wasting any time. He flipped his hand over and lit a palm torch, the flames blowing high.
The crowd of beggars howled in fright, and the ones not yet awake were woken by the ruckus.
"What's that wicked magic?!"
Xie Lian set his expression. "It's not wicked magic, it's spiritual magic.
This proves that my words are true. It's like this: right now, a horde of evil creatures has surrounded the royal capital and is about to attack. We need five hundred volunteers to join a spiritual array that will protect the royal capital.
Who is willing? I won't lie, there might be danger. I won't force anyone—I only ask for the willing!"
"…"
A blanket of silence descended upon the broken temple. The beggars looked at each other, but no one would step forward to volunteer.
A moment later, one spoke up.
"Protect the royal capital? Forget it."
Xie Lian looked over. A slumped man was mumbling to himself, "The royal capital doesn't protect me, but they'd have me protect them? Ha. Do whatever you want—it's none of my damn business!"
The man's indifferent tone was laced with indignation. It wasn't that Xie Lian couldn't understand, but this wasn't helping right now. This temple was clearly crowded with the poor and suffering, people who shared circumstances and opinions with that man. Their lives in the royal capital weren't pleasant, and there was no reward offered, so who among them would want to help? It was already midwinter and deathly cold even huddled together inside the temple grounds. Who would want to go outside?
Xie Lian gave it one last shot. "If those creatures invade the royal capital, a terrifying plague will break out. Everyone will be affected."
"What plague could be more terrifying than all these sores on my body?" said an elderly beggar lying on the ground.
"If there really is a plague on the way, why not just leave the city, eh?
We don't gotta stay here—it's not that great a place anyway. Everywhere's the same."
"Get those mighty, noble old masters and mistresses of the royal capital to help. Someone else will do it. Why does it have to be us?"
"Well…" Xie Lian trailed off.
He couldn't tell them straight out that those mighty, distinguished old masters and mistresses would also say the same thing: "Someone else will surely go even if I don't." Besides, there would be things they couldn't bear to abandon when faced with danger; since they had assets and roots here in the royal capital, the urge to shirk their responsibility would be even stronger.
It wasn't that such a mentality was wrong or bad—it was just that nothing could be accomplished if everyone thought like that.
He waited for a while, but no one stepped forward.
"All right. Sorry for disturbing you," Xie Lian said resolutely, then turned around and left the broken temple.
"Don't worry, gege, I've got people on the move," Hua Cheng comforted him. "News has been spread; we should be able to find enough."
Xie Lian nodded. He wasn't worried they couldn't find five hundred, but that they wouldn't be found fast enough. Grabbing people at random to make up the numbers would be counterproductive. He glanced at the sky, which was still obscured by those elusive wisps within the black clouds.
A voice suddenly rang out from behind him. "Wait! Wait, wait, wait!
I'll go!"
Stunned, Xie Lian whipped his head around. The beggar with the bad leg shuffled over and hopped out the temple door.
"The people you seek—it's fine as long as they're alive, right? Broken limbs aren't an issue?"
As it turned out, the man's movements looked awkward not just because of the injured leg but because one of his arms was broken and hung limply at his side.
Finally having a volunteer warmed Xie Lian's heart. "Not a problem at all!" he replied.
"Then we're good!" the man replied, equally straightforward. "Take me along!"
The crowd of beggars inside the temple were shocked.
"What are you doing?! Didn't you hear him?! It could be dangerous!"
"Yeah! And there's no pay either! Those guys went on and on, but there wasn't a single mention of kickbacks!"
"Don't dive into that muddy water! Come back, Ol' Feng!"
"…" Since they first arrived at the temple, Xie Lian had thought that this man looked extremely familiar somehow. But he hadn't recognized him—his appearance was too different from the one in his memories, and his slightly raspy voice wasn't quite the same. But now that he heard the people call out the word "Feng," for "wind," it dawned on him.
Still, even staring right at him, it was hard to believe.
"…Lord Wind Master?!"
The beggar laughed out loud, reaching up to swipe away the black hair covering his face. "You've caught me, Your Highness!"
Underneath that filthy black hair was a pair of bright eyes, as brilliant as they had ever been. Xie Lian was rendered speechless in shock.
Shi Qingxuan scratched his head. "Gosh, ha ha ha ha ha. I wanted to disguise myself and observe you guys secretly for a bit, but I didn't think Your Highness's eyes were so sharp! It can't be helped—must be because my grace is unforgettable! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…" Xie Lian put his hands on Shi Qingxuan's shoulders and choked out, "…Lord Wind Master."
Shi Qingxuan stopped laughing, but he still scratched at his head as if his hair was swarming with itchy fleas. "Your Highness, I'm not the Wind Master anymore."
"Very well. Qingxuan," Xie Lian said. There was a pause before he asked, "How…did this happen to you?"
"Uh, just… It's a long story," Shi Qingxuan said. "It was this and that, here and there, and then I ended up like this."
The crowd inside the temple called out, "What? Ol' Feng, you know these two?!"
Shi Qingxuan turned around, winding his arm around Xie Lian's shoulders before slapping him hard on the back. "Yeah! They're my good friends from the past!"
"What?! They're your friends?! Ol' Feng, why didn't you say so?!"
"Ol' Feng, someone like you actually knows a fine little tender-skinned pretty boy who was obviously raised in sweetness? I bet you're bullshittin' again!"
It should've been funny listening to the crowd making such a big deal out of nothing, but Xie Lian could only feel upset. It had to be stated that, among the three of them, the Wind Master was the only true fine little tender-skinned pretty boy raised in sweetness.
Shi Qingxuan was furious. "What's that you say? I'm not bullshittin'!"
"Please! Remember back when you were still nuts and talked nonsense all day? Think we've all forgotten?!"
"La-la-la!" Shi Qingxuan made a series of unintelligible noises. "I'm going to go help my friends now—I'm leaving, I'm leaving! Anyone else comin'?"
This time, the people in the crowd exchanged looks. A moment later, a few spoke up.
"All right, fine. It's different if it's Ol' Feng's friend."
"Let's go along with Ol' Feng—in case somebody beats him to death.
He's already down an arm and a leg."
"Hey!" Shi Qingxuan cried.
Still, some wouldn't relent and pushed further.
"Is there really no reward? Even if there's no money, a chicken leg to eat would be fine too."
Xie Lian gave Shi Qingxuan a brief, simple account so both parties understood the situation.
Shi Qingxuan gave it some thought. "I understand that we can't use force or temptation, but giving everyone a bite to eat should be fine, right?
Nobody here has had a good meal in a long time."
As long as there was no lust for profit, it wouldn't be a problem.
"It should be all right," Xie Lian replied. "But say it like this…" He whispered a few words.
"I was thinking the same thing," Shi Qingxuan confirmed.
Then he turned around and hollered to the crowd, "Hey! After this is done, they're gonna treat everyone to chicken legs and soup! Everyone gets a bowl whether they help or not! Attention! You'll get one even if you don't go! We're only asking for volunteers!"
The way he'd phrased it was crafty indeed: "Everyone gets a bowl…" Everyone would get to eat whether they helped or not, which made the ones who decided to help out immensely valuable.
"Anyone else coming? The more the merrier!" Shi Qingxuan shouted.
"Come, come, come! Tell everyone there's no money involved, okay? It's just giving me a hand, saving the world, and protecting the royal capital while we're at it or whatever. But we only want volunteers! We'll treat everyone to a good meal after this is done!"
Perhaps it was because there was someone leading the charge, but the cold and indifferent temple became as hot as fire in the blink of an eye. Some beggars even set out to inform more homeless folks they knew.
Xie Lian, Hua Cheng, and Shi Qingxuan stood at the entrance of the rundown temple. As Xie Lian looked up at the empty spot where the establishment plaque should have been, he couldn't help but remember the dilapidated Temple of Wind and Water in the town of Fu Gu and the divine statues that they had found there—the headless statue of the Water Master and the statue of the Wind Master that was missing an arm and a leg.
In the end, he couldn't hold back. He turned to Shi Qingxuan, asking with great hesitation, "…Qingxuan?"
Shi Qingxuan dropped his arm from Xie Lian's shoulder. "What is it?
Oh, sorry about your clothes, Your Highness. My hand's a little dirty, ha ha."
Sure enough, his arm had left dirty marks on the shoulder of Xie Lian's white robes. He looked as if he wanted to help Xie Lian dust himself off but realized that his dusting would only make it dirtier. He withdrew his hand, rubbing his nose awkwardly.
As if Xie Lian cared about such trifles. He was only concerned with one thing. "Lord… Qingxuan, your fate…" Shi Qingxuan stopped. "What about my fate?"
"Did…Black Water change it after all…?" Xie Lian asked.
Realization finally dawned on Shi Qingxuan, and he quickly said, "Oh no, no, no. He didn't, he didn't. You've misunderstood. He didn't do anything."
Indeed, Xie Lian hadn't thought Black Water would actually change Shi Qingxuan's fate in the end. "Then your arm and leg…?"
Shi Qingxuan scratched at his head again and said, a little embarrassed, "This wasn't him either. How do I explain… There was some carelessness here and some really bad luck there, but this was all my own doing."
Since he wouldn't share the details, Xie Lian didn't press. Except somehow, by some mysterious force, Shi Qingxuan's present state had somehow turned He Xuan's old act of anger at Fu Gu's Temple of Wind and Water into a prophecy.
"That day, my spiritual powers were abruptly drained away, and I couldn't help you. I'm really sorry," Xie Lian said.
Shi Qingxuan waved dismissively. "The whole thing had nothing to do with you anyway. If Your Highness hadn't told me what was going on beforehand, I might have stayed confused to the very end."
"What exactly happened afterward, that day?" Xie Lian asked.
After He Xuan decapitated Shi Wudu, Shi Qingxuan had gone limp and lifeless. He couldn't process anything He Xuan said to him—he could only vaguely recall that He Xuan had taken him away from Black Water Island and later ditched him in the royal capital. Shi Qingxuan didn't understand why he picked the royal capital specifically, but before all this, he had always fussed about wanting to go there to feast and drink, so he was fairly familiar with the area. Everything was a blur; when he finally snapped out of it, he decided to simply bury his name and settle down here.
Since he had completely lost his spiritual powers, had nothing with which he could prove his identity, and spent his days in blight and squalor, it was only natural that the Upper Court couldn't find any trace of him.
"In any case, it has nothing to do with him," Shi Qingxuan said. "And I haven't seen him since."
It would probably be for the best that they never saw each other again.
This affair was truly difficult to manage—should He Xuan really be killed?
The Water Master had savagely taunted He Xuan in the moments before his death, and Xie Lian had been seriously worried for Shi Qingxuan's fate.
Just then, the band of beggars returned with more people. The mob pushed and dragged the newcomers, shouting as they came. "Ol' Feng, Ol' Feng! We've found all these people for ya—what do you think?"
Shi Qingxuan gave them a big thumbs-up. "Good work! Everyone gets a chicken leg!"
"There's so many people—can they afford to feed all of us?"
Shi Qingxuan swept his hand, and for a moment, Xie Lian almost thought he was going to toss out a hundred thousand merits. But he only said, "This is nothing! Never mind this many; they can afford to feed ten times this number!"
Finally snapping out of it enough to take a rough headcount, Xie Lian found that there were more than two hundred people gathered—completely beyond Xie Lian's expectations! Delighted, he said, "Lord Wind M— Qingxuan, this is a great help!"
Shi Qingxuan looked immensely proud. "But of course. I can call forth hundreds of folk no matter where I go. Maybe in the future I should start a gang or something, fish up a gang leader title, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…" "Ol' Feng's gone nuts again," the crowd of beggars behind them commented.
"Yeah, right! He's braggin' again!"
"What?! I'm not bragging!" Shi Qingxuan exclaimed.
But the beggars couldn't resist giving him a hard time.
"My friend, did you know?" one said to Xie Lian. "When Ol' Feng first came here, he was a mess. Babbling like a madman, chasing people around all day and boasting that he was a god."
Shi Qingxuan immediately scoffed but looked a little uneasy. "I don't have time to listen to you talk nonsense—leave your mouths free for eating chicken legs!"
Xie Lian listened to them quietly, his smile fading a bit. His heart felt like it was crumpled into a ball, but at the same time, like it was laid out and nicely flattened like rice paper.
Lord Wind Master had changed, but he also hadn't.
Thank goodness.
"Your Highness, what do we do now?" Shi Qingxuan asked. "I got the people for you; they're in your hands now."
They still didn't have the numbers they needed, but they'd deal with that later. They would figure it out after the array was set up.
"Very good. Now we need to find an empty space that can hold this many people," Xie Lian replied.
The whole time, Hua Cheng hadn't interrupted their conversation once, and Xie Lian couldn't tell what he was thinking. Only now did he speak up.
"That's easy to take care of. Gege, come with me."
Xie Lian nodded, and Shi Qingxuan hobbled over as he hailed the crowd buoyantly. "Hey! Everyone, follow us! Don't lose your way!"
On reflex, Xie Lian moved to assist him, but understood that his help wasn't needed when he saw that he didn't walk any slower than anyone else and no one else moved to support him. And so, the large, bustling group of beggars pushed out of the slum and poured into the streets.
But they didn't get very far before there was an angry shout.
"Stop right there! What's this? There's so many of you—are you trying to start something in the middle of the night?!"
The cry startled the beggars, which then turned to great alarm.
"Oh no! It's the night patrol!"
However, Hua Cheng didn't look back, so Xie Lian didn't bother either. "Don't mind them."
He'd only just spoken when the soldier slumped suddenly to the ground. The beggars started chattering in amazement.
"Quiet!" Shi Qingxuan cried. "Don't attract more soldiers!"
The group hushed each other.
Hua Cheng paused in his step. "Gege, this street will do."
"This one?" Xie Lian asked. "It's certainly suitable, but won't it be too conspicuous?"
The street in question was extremely large, straight, and spacious; its paved stones stretched far into the distance. But it was also the main avenue of the royal capital—of course it was extremely conspicuous!
Everyone chimed in, "Yeah, what if we get discovered and chased away?!"
"It's fine," Hua Cheng said. "They won't be able to chase us away, even if they discover us."
Xie Lian nodded. "Everyone, I must make this absolutely clear to you:
we will be facing something very sinister, and it could be dangerous.
However, if it breaks through our defense, the entire royal capital will be in danger. I need all of you to be certain you're doing this voluntarily and that you don't have any second thoughts. Is anyone scared and wanting to back out?"
No one.
"Very good," Xie Lian stated. "Now, will everyone hold hands and form a large circle?"
"What kind of spell is this?" someone asked, puzzled. "Why does it sound like you're asking a bunch of toddlers to line up?"
"Enough talk; just do it!" Shi Qingxuan snapped.
"Heh, you've got it wrong, Ol' Feng. No one talks more than you, yanno!"
Amidst the chatter and bustle, the crowd followed the directions and the two-hundred-some people held hands, forming an extremely large human circle on the wide, spacious main avenue of the royal capital.
"Those creatures won't be able to break into the royal capital as long as we hold hands like this?" Shi Qingxuan asked.
"No," Xie Lian said. "They'll get in sooner or later."
Shi Qingxuan was confused. "Then what's the use of this array of yours?"
"It's a trap," Xie Lian explained. "Once they break through the protective barrier of the royal capital, as long as we have this array set up, the creatures won't run amok through the city. Instead, they'll be lured to this circle—and then we'll have them."