Chapter 105: The Soul-Devouring Demon

“Bastard, don’t bring up your father with me.” The moment my mother heard me mention that topic, her face darkened instantly. She shot me a glare and then busied herself with other matters.

That evening, my mother and my second uncle hosted a banquet for us in the Underworld. It was then I realized just how powerful my second uncle’s influence was—on his left was Guard One, on the right Guard Two, to the south Guard Three, to the north Guard Four, and above them all, the mighty Fifth Great Protector. Each one radiated formidable energy. No wonder the rumors about the Underworld’s power were so fearsome. If my second uncle truly intended to launch a counterattack on the human realm, he certainly had the means to do so. Yet, I firmly believed he would never act so, for he had never lied to me.

During the meal, my second uncle told all of us that he wanted the three of us to stay in the Underworld for a few days to catch up properly. But I had no such mood; I had far more important matters to attend to.

After dinner, he took us to review his army of the dead and showed us how they lived. I was relieved to see that these soldiers did not consume human flesh; instead, they ate fruits and vegetables. This reminded me of the soldiers I had encountered in the Purple Gold Kingdom—they not only devoured human flesh but did so alive and raw, terrifying beyond measure. Could it be that those soldiers were not allied with the Underworld’s army? Was there another faction of the dead outside the Underworld?

Back at home, as everyone dispersed, only my mother and I remained in a spacious room.

“Da Chuan,” she said, grasping my hand. “Your second uncle just discussed with me about leaving you and Wan’er here. The Underworld is not the mortal world; humans and spirits coexist in harmony. I think the two of you are quite compatible. If you stay, your uncle and I won’t have to worry so much.”

Being with my birth mother and the one I loved most was the dream of many boys, yet my beloved was not here, so I could not remain.

Seeing she could not sway me, my mother ceased her persuasion. Instead, I had many questions for her—why had she come to the Underworld with my second uncle? My second uncle used to be capable of nothing but arranging ghost marriages; how had he suddenly become so formidable?

She shook her head and said some things were better left unknown. When I pressed further, she fell silent. Our time together was brief, so I ceased my questioning. Everything has its reasons.

The next day, Wei Qi, Shangguan Wan’er, and I bid farewell to my second uncle and mother, leaving the Underworld. Before parting, my second uncle warned me to be wary of Master Xingyun, whom he found suspicious. He also told me that after we left, he would temporarily reinforce all the Underworld’s seals, making it difficult for anyone else to enter.

I thought I was leaving confidently, but when parting from my mother, tears welled up. I cried, asking what I should do if I missed her. My second uncle spoke from the side: although we cannot enter the Underworld’s seal, he could come out freely, and if fate allowed, he would come to see me.

Those words comforted me. My uncle and mother did not personally escort me through the barrier, likely to spare us the pain of farewell. Instead, Guard One led the soldiers of the dead to see me out. Before leaving, I asked about Li Danian and the others. Guard One smiled and told me they had already passed through the seal; the deep pit we had fallen into was actually an entrance and exit to the barrier.

Emerging from the seal, it was midday, still on the mid-slope of Floating Mountain. The sky was overcast with light rain drifting down. Standing there, I glanced back at the dense forest, no sign of the barrier anywhere. Thinking of my second uncle and mother still in that gray, shadowed world, my heart ached deeply.

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“Qi Shu, don’t you think Master Xingyun’s behavior is suspicious? Do you feel the same?” I asked Wei Qi as we walked down the mountain.

He lowered his head, contemplating. “Da Chuan, I think so too. He acts against all conventions. For example, we all entered the Underworld, but why didn’t he go in himself?”

Wei Qi’s words made Master Xingyun seem even more dubious.

He pulled out his phone and called Li Danian to check how things were going. After all, we had entered the Underworld together and had fallen into that deep pit. Guard One had said they had come out, but as juniors, we needed to verify, a gesture of concern.

The first call went unanswered; the second connected. Wei Qi babbled for a moment before his expression darkened. Hanging up, he looked horrified. “Master Li is dead.”

I was stunned, nearly falling over. How could he be dead when they’d supposedly exited the seal?

We rushed home, leaving Wan’er to guard the house, and headed straight to Li Danian’s orchard. Li Danian was a master of profound cultivation; in this generation, aside from Master Xingyun, no one matched him. Who could have killed him? Could Guard One or my uncle have lied—killing Li Danian and the others, then sending them out of the seal? That seemed plausible, but I knew my uncle too well; he was not that kind of person.

At Li Danian’s orchard, from the foot of the mountain to the top, white banners were hung and mournful music played. In the yard lay a pitch-black coffin—the very one he usually rested in.

Here, unexpectedly, we met Wei Qi’s master, Duan Sandao, a guide for the dead. He had come to see off the fallen. During our conversation, we learned that besides the three of us, all others who entered the Underworld that night had perished.

This news threw Wei Qi and me into confusion. How could this be? Had my second uncle deceived me? Had they killed Li Danian and the others overnight—seven guides for the dead lost in one night was a grave matter.

Wei Qi asked his master if anything else had happened. Duan Sandao said that recently, chaos reigned in the realm of the dead—shops closed, businesses shuttered. Those who arranged ghost marriages, exorcisms, and feng shui had ceased their work, fearing misfortune.

I exchanged a glance with Wei Qi. Together, we approached Li Danian’s coffin, bowed thrice with nine kowtows, and descended the mountain without waiting for the funeral. Along the way, the soul urn trembled—it was Qing Ting, weeping like a child, vowing vengeance for her master.

We hurried to the county town to find Yu Fang and inquire about Li Danian and the others. She told us their deaths resembled those of the recently deceased—spirits drained of their souls. This brought Yueyue to mind once again.

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I never imagined fragile Yueyue could have become a soul-devouring demon, responsible for dozens of deaths.

“Qi Shu, do you think my second uncle could be lying to me?” Even now, I worried Yueyue might be hiding in the Underworld. Though I trusted my uncle, I feared exceptional circumstances.

“Big brother’s not that kind of person. I trust him. This is complicated—there’s a traitor among us,” Wei Qi said, smacking his lips.

“A traitor? Could it be… Master Xingyun?” I pondered, unable to identify the traitor, but had long suspected Master Xingyun’s unorthodox behavior. When we sought him and the descendants of Zhuge Jin, he claimed we were the guests he awaited, gave us the Cloud Wand and Palm Thunder, and sent us to an ancient tomb to hunt Shao Xiang. Instead, we stumbled into the Underworld and were nearly devoured by Old Zhao’s soldiers of the dead. Remarkably, he survived. Regarding Yueyue, he first called the soul-sucking technique a myth, but when others tried to capture her, he took her and Old Zhao away, claiming to help remove the dark energy from her body. Yet Yueyue escaped during his trip to Mount Wutai and mastered the soul-sucking technique. All these events seemed coherent, but reversing the perspective, it was plausible that Master Xingyun was the mastermind.

I shared my thoughts with Wei Qi, who nodded in agreement. He had come to the same conclusion—that Master Xingyun was likely behind it all. Yet, we doubted ourselves. Master Xingyun was a man of great virtue and renown; why would he do this? It made no sense.

Our growing frustration led us to drink at my home. Troubles followed troubles: Wang Ying was missing, Li Danian dead. It seemed the storm would not subside.

While drinking, Wei Qi and I agreed to patrol that night. If we encountered Yueyue, we must capture her. I had another motive too—to confirm whether the person with her that day was indeed Wang Ying.

As we drank quietly, the door suddenly burst open. Master Xingyun stormed in with a group, his face full of anger. Wei Qi and I quickly stood.

“These two scoundrels colluding with the Underworld King, causing the deaths of our brothers. Seize them!” Xingyun pointed his staff at us and ordered those behind him.