Chapter 9: The Netherworld

  Mujin's words didn't make me feel much fear. I just nodded, indicating that I knew what he was saying. Then my focus shifted to Kongyi and Qianzi.

  Mu Rong didn't want us to delay any further. After all, we only had four hours left now. It could be said that every second counted.

  I saw Mu Rong Xing push away the chair he was just sitting on, then pick up the rug that had been thrown to the ground. I saw a hole in the wall that one person could enter through. I have always had an innate dislike for grave robbing and furrowed my brow, saying very unpleasantly: You want us to help you rob a tomb?

  "Robbing a tomb? You're thinking too much, Lin. Just follow me and you'll see." Mu Rong didn't say any more, he just brought some water and dry rations with him before leading us down together.

  I gave Kong Yat and Qīn Zǐ some dry rations and let them drink some water. They said they felt much better, and urged me and Zhao Feiyu to hurry up and leave. Zhao Feiyu was hesitant about whether or not to tell Kong Yat and Qīn Zǐ about these things, while I had a completely nonchalant expression. Now, we can be considered to be on the same rope as Mù Zhēng Xíng, but what he knows is far, far more than us. Thinking back now, cooperating with him might have been the wisest choice after all.

  I was the first to enter that cave. I crawled forward for a while, and saw that ahead of me was always a dark mass, I couldn't see how to go on. At this moment, a beam of light came from the front and illuminated the road ahead.

  "Kobayashi, it's all right." That was Mujin's voice, and to me, it didn't sound the least bit reassuring.

  After I woke up from the operating table in the Ghost Building, I understood one thing. My life now belongs to the Ghost Building, and if one day I am no longer useful to them, they will kill me without hesitation. If it weren't for their efforts to preserve my cerebral blood, how could I still be alive today?

  I thought to myself as I crawled towards Mu Rong's position. When I reached his side, he also tactfully put away the flashlight and I was on my own brushing off the dust from my body.

  "Kobayashi, some things, don't blame Dad."

  Every time I hear this sentence, I feel inexplicably sad. Dad. How long has it been since this word last appeared in my mouth? From that time on, I've always called him by his name and forgot about that special title of his.

  I didn't say much, I just took out a flashlight from my bag and wanted to see clearly around me.

  This can be said to be a building similar to a high platform, three places can look out, and the remaining one is a wall. That is, where we just came in, I shone my flashlight around and seemed to feel something vaguely. I originally wanted to get closer to the front to take a closer look, but was stopped by Mu Zhongxing.

  "There is an array here, can't you feel it? If you don't do anything and just leave this array, the next moment, you won't even know how you died." Mu Zong Xing furrowed his brow, clearly unhappy with my reckless behavior.

  At this time, Zhao Feiyu also slowly crawled to the exit. After he came out, he also turned on his flashlight. When he felt something was wrong, he muttered a sentence: Juyang Formation.

  "You have vision." Mu Rong Xing heard Zhao Fei Yu's words, and although he didn't say much, he still felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart. "This Gathering Sun Array was something I set up with some people a few days ago. It was only after we passed by later that we discovered it wasn't right."

  Juyang Formation, I've heard of this name. However, the appearance of Juyang Formation is extremely difficult and cruel. Yang energy only exists in humans, so sacrifices are naturally indispensable.

  "How many people's yang fire have you used?" I asked casually.

  "Twenty." Mu Rong told me straightforwardly.

  Kong Yī asked somewhat discontentedly: So many people's lives, just to let you find that secret. The blood on your hands is probably stained too heavily... Amitābha.

  Mu Rong heard Kong Yi's words, just smiled and said: Master, you don't know. I used twenty lives to come back with eighty lives, isn't this transaction still a loss for me? What do you think, Master?

  I didn't have the mood to chat with them here, I just asked: How are we going to get out of here?

  "It's going to rely on your talismans and red strings, little Daoist." Mu Rongxing smiled casually and shifted his gaze to Zhao Feiyu. "I brought the four of you here for a reason. A young Daoist, a great master, a clever and perceptive little girl, and lastly... an unwitting person. When the time comes, you will naturally understand your roles."

  When I heard Mu Rong's words, I smiled carelessly. It seems that my identity is quite popular now.

  "I know what you mean." Zhao Feiyu simply replied to Mu Rongxuan, and then took out five silver talismans.

  I only saw Zhao Feiyu bite his finger, and then he took out a golden brush from his waist. Seeing Zhao Feiyu's stance, I didn't expect him to have so many treasures on him. No, it should be said that he brought all his treasures with him.

  The golden brush is called Zhen Yao. It's considered one of the top spirit brushes in the spiritual world. It's said that it can infuse a person's vital energy into the talisman paper, allowing the paper to emit even greater power.

  Zhao Feiyu dipped the tip of the demon-suppressing brush in his own blood, and then drew symbols on the silver talisman paper with a flowing motion. After finishing all five talismans, Zhao Feiyu was drenched in sweat and his face had turned pale.

  "Fei Yu Ge, are you alright?" Qing Zi asked with some concern as she saw Zhao Fei Yu suddenly become so weak and stepped forward to support him.

  Zhao Feiyu just shook his head with difficulty, then gestured for us to each take a talisman paper. He also took out a large bundle of red strings from his backpack and prepared to tie them around our wrists.

  "Considering how hard you're working, I'll give you some medicine." Mu Rong didn't know if it was a surge of compassion or what, but when he pulled out a small blue and white porcelain bottle from his bag and handed it to Zhao Feiyu, I couldn't help but think that maybe Mu Rong had prepared poison for Zhao Feiyu.

  "The effect of restoring physical strength is not bad, but don't eat it like sugar beans. Just let it melt on the tip of your tongue." Mu Rong Xing handed over the silver token and also gave the Qinghua porcelain bottle in his hand to Zhao Fei Yu.

  Zhao Feiyu held the bottle hesitantly for half a day and finally asked weakly: Isn't it poisonous?

  Mu Rong's expression changed as he burst out laughing a few times, which was his response to Zhao Fei Yu.

  "If you die, I'll bury you properly, don't worry." I said to Zhao Feiyu with a serious tone.

  I can tell Zhao Feiyu wants to beat me up.

  No need to say more, Zhao Feiyu took the medicine and was about to tie a red rope for us. Unexpectedly, Kong Yiren said seriously at this time: Feiyu, after taking the medicine, do you feel cute?

  My face twitched, and Zhao Feiyu's face also twitched. We didn't expect that this monk would actually be able to act cute at a time like this.

  Zhao Feiyu tied the red cord to our wrists with a peculiar knot, then explained: The talisman won't fail, it can maintain your yang energy for four hours, so you could say that all of our yang energy is in this talisman. But after a long time, it will lose its effect. The red cord on your wrist is called the Heart Guard Knot. If we don't come out within four hours, this thing still has some use. The rest is up to you.

  Zhao Feiyu's words were naturally handed over to Mu Rongxue. Mu Rongxue smiled and nodded, familiarly finding the way down from the high platform, and didn't forget to remind us: later when the little girl goes down, don't scare her to tears.

  Dong Qiangzi snorted and retorted: This young lady is not that weak after all.

  I was too lazy to speak, and followed Mu Rong's lead as we continued on our way. As we descended the soft ladder, we each held a flashlight in our mouths, proceeding slowly. When I finally reached the ground, I saw that there were some things around me staring at me.

  They were all wearing their old armor, holding swords, and looking at me very vigilantly. Mu Rong Xing discovered something was off and walked over to give my forehead a slap, lowering his voice to say: Didn't I teach you etiquette before? Don't make eye contact with them! They only have memories from before they died now, it's best if you don't provoke them.

  I frowned in disgust at Mu Rong's previous action, showing great dissatisfaction. I held the flashlight and followed Mu Rong silently. Dong Qi Zi, who was the most sensitive to spiritual energy, had already discovered the existence of these things. Her small face turned pale as she clutched onto Kong Yi's arm, carefully following behind him. It seemed that seeing these things had scared her enough.

  Under my feet were some already corroded armor and weapons, but sometimes when I stepped on them, they would still make some unpleasant noises. Every time these sounds rang out, it was chilling to the bone. Mu Rong walked in front, and he was probably the calmest person.

  I think I've figured out what this place is. If I'm not mistaken, the place where Zhao's army of 400,000 was buried alive back then is right here.

  We are now walking in a big pit, and there are countless ghosts accompanying us. No matter what, we are considered to have some fear. When we walked to the center of this big pit, I could see about ten ghosts lined up in front of me, marching towards us in formation.

  I've grown accustomed to seeing ghosts pass through me, but when I heard a thud behind my back, I realized something was off.

  "What's going on?" Mu Rong Xing didn't turn his head back, he just stopped in his tracks and asked.

  "Your child has fallen." Kong Yat was the last person in the team. He could see clearly what happened ahead, and as for Dong Qiang's fall, I believe Kong Yat already understood what had happened.

  "At this time dropped the chain." I cut a sound, very dissatisfied.

  Our body has a soul, and the soul is also divided into strong and weak. When the soul in our body encounters an attack from an external soul, if the soul in our body is weaker, then the soul of this body will be knocked out by the stronger external soul, and the external soul will naturally take its place as the new master of that body.

  The current situation is that Dong Qizhi's soul was frightened by the earlier encounter with the vanguard, causing her body to be replaced and her own soul to become homeless.

  We also don't know which Zhao Jun has occupied Dong Qing Zi's body, but now everyone present knows that things seem to be getting out of hand. If we were to summon souls here, I'm afraid all the souls present would enter a state of frenzy, after all, this is also an opportunity for rebirth.

  "What's going on now? It seems like Qingzi has woken up." Kong Yiren asked us with a frown.

  "Are you summoning souls?" I didn't answer Empty One, but left the question for Zhao Feiyu.

  Zhao Feiyu did not respond for a long time, presumably thinking. After he finished thinking, he said resolutely: Recruit!

  "You summon the soul, and I'll work with Xiao Lin to hold off whatever is outside. After all, the yin energy here is abundant, which can be considered a supplement for the ghost I'm raising." Mu Zongxing seemed to have no objection to this matter, instead speaking very easily.

  I didn't say a word, I just subconsciously drew out the meteorite iron. At that moment, I seemed to hear Mu Yunxiao's very small voice saying: It's been too long since I fought side by side with my son.

  I suspect I misheard.