"Legend has it that those born with one black and one yellow eye can see ghosts and gods, but in her village, she was deemed ominous. Later, a Japanese wealthy merchant took her to Tokyo for adoption, and their relationship was rumored to be ambiguous."
"After the merchant died, she vanished without a trace. Rumors spread that she fell gravely ill, but years later, she reappeared, claiming to have attained enlightenment in the Himalayas and vowing to save the world."
"Eventually, she established the Global Cultivation Association in Hong Kong, only accepting disciples from prominent wealthy families at exorbitant fees."
Shirley Yang laid out much of Ying Caihong's backstory in one breath.
Yoko, who regarded Ying Caihong as both family and deity, was livid, nearly charging at Shirley before Ying Caihong restrained her.
"And..." Shirley Yang was about to continue when—
"Stop right there," Cao Yi interjected, sensing that the discussion could escalate into violence.
Seeing Cao Yi step in, both Ying Caihong and Yoko chose to swallow their anger. Big Gold Tooth and Wang Kaixuan, knowing Cao Yi's prowess, remained silent.
Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang, new to the scene, looked at Cao Yi with curiosity.
"I am Cao Yi, also known as Jinhong, the abbot of the Jade Void Temple in New York," Cao Yi introduced himself.
"Cao Jinhong, the abbot of the Jade Void Temple? Is it true you spent 3.75 million dollars at the Christie's auction two days ago for the Purple Dragon King jade?" Shirley Yang asked, surprise evident in her voice.
News travels fast!
Cao Yi nodded. "That's correct."
Shirley Yang glanced at Ying Caihong, realization dawning on her.
The money to buy the jade had come from Ying Caihong.
"Yang, Wang came here for the Flower of the Other Shore and won't back down until he finds it. Hu won't let Wang take risks; he will help. You can't stop this," Cao Yi stated plainly.
Shirley Yang turned to Hu Bayi, who averted his gaze.
"Hu Bayi, remember this is the last time," Shirley Yang relented.
Cao Yi then addressed Hu Bayi, "Next, I will rely on you."
"Understood," Hu Bayi agreed.
He stepped up to a suspension bridge, crouched down to examine it, and tossed a stone.
As the stone rolled, eerie phosphorescence lit up the bridge.
"Ah!" A man's scream rang out.
All eyes turned to the source of the scream, revealing Big Gold Tooth, who appeared terrified.
The sight of a grown man so scared left everyone speechless.
"The bridge is covered in thick phosphorescent moss. Just a slight friction can ignite it; anyone who crosses will perish," Hu Bayi stated grimly.
"Hu, what do you think those broken boards on the bridge resemble?" Cao Yi asked.
Cao Yi recalled that the bridge and its boards were related to the concept of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams).
Hu Bayi used a flashlight to inspect the bridge closely, his eyes lighting up. "It's the Bagua!"
"Seeking dragons and splitting gold while observing the mountains; every twist is a barrier. If there are eight barriers, they form the shape of Yin and Yang…," he recited as he took out a compass from his pocket.
"The Bagua indicates direction; we should head northwest," Hu Bayi concluded.
Cao Yi was about to proceed when he heard Ying Caihong call out, "Daoist Priest, hold on."
What could it be now?
Cao Yi turned, puzzled.
"Let them go first," Ying Caihong instructed, gesturing to the two foreigners.
The foreigners moved forward as if in a trance.
As they approached the bridge, Cao Yi reached out to stop them. "No need."
With that, he stepped onto the bridge.
Seeing Cao Yi cross without triggering a reaction, everyone followed suit.
Cao Yi led the way, occasionally glancing down. The water below appeared green, likely due to the excess phosphorescence.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air.
The bridge swayed violently, resembling a swing.
Cao Yi recognized the source immediately—it was Ying Caihong, who seemed unable to steady herself.
After a moment, the swaying stopped, and Cao Yi continued forward.
One bridge. Two bridges. ...
Hu Bayi, Big Gold Tooth, Wang Kaixuan, and Shirley Yang completed four-fifths of the crossing, while Cao Yi and Ying Caihong were only halfway across.
In a stone chamber, a withered corpse sat cross-legged atop a dusty stone platform.
At the corpse's chest lay a rusted copper emblem, weathered by time.
"The third copper emblem," Ying Caihong exclaimed, visibly excited.
To open the coffin of the ancient god, where the Flower of the Other Shore is kept, three copper emblems were required. She had already collected two; with this one, she would have them all.
"Yoko, take it down," Ying Caihong commanded, her voice trembling.
Yoko obeyed and stepped forward, but before her hand could touch the emblem, a massive hand like an iron clamp seized her wrist.
"Daoist Priest?" Yoko gasped in shock, recognizing it was Cao Yi who had stopped her.
Did he want the emblem for himself?
"Last time, when we took a copper emblem, the skeletal knight turned to ash and released corpse poison. This time, it's likely this entire place will be destroyed. Given your condition, Ying, you should leave first," Cao Yi advised.
"Should I?" Yoko hesitated, glancing at Ying Caihong.
"Daoist Priest has a point. I'll leave this to him," Ying Caihong replied decisively.
"Alright," Yoko said reluctantly, giving Cao Yi a worried look as she helped Ying Caihong exit the stone chamber.
"Golden leaves…"
While waiting, Cao Yi's gaze drifted to the corpse's waist, where a small bag lay, already torn and revealing two golden leaves.
"Daoist Priest," a sweet voice suddenly called out.
Cao Yi turned to see Yoko carrying a bundle into the chamber.
"This is an asbestos suit," she explained, placing the bundle down and retreating quickly.
Cao Yi watched her leave, then opened the package, putting on the asbestos suit before removing the copper emblem from the corpse's chest.
Boom! The entire corpse ignited in flames.
Not wanting to take chances, Cao Yi swiftly exited the stone chamber. Just a short distance away, green phosphorescence erupted.
Flames raced down the stone pillars supporting the chamber, rapidly turning the area into a sea of fire. Other pillars soon caught fire as well.
Within moments, one after another, the pillars collapsed spectacularly.
Yoko anxiously remarked, "Master, do you think the Daoist Priest is in danger?"
Ying Caihong furrowed her brow but remained silent.
With a thunderous crash, another pillar fell, taking the suspension bridge with it.
Yoko strained her neck to see, but the flames obscured her view.
"Yoko!" a voice called out.
Turning, she saw it was Cao Yi, emerging from a side bridge.
"The copper emblem!" he said, approaching and handing it to her.
"Master!" Yoko barely glanced at it before passing it to Ying Caihong.
"The third copper emblem," Ying Caihong said, trembling as she received it. She carefully wiped it with a piece of white cloth before handing it back to Yoko.
"What about Hu Bayi and the others?" Cao Yi asked, looking around for them.
"Where could they go? Seeing the fire, they ditched us and ran," Yoko pouted.
Cao Yi strained to listen, faintly hearing Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan's voices.
"They're in the cave over there," he deduced.