I am the Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysterious-Chapter 77 - 60: Deceitful Bride
The sound of that moment echoed in Sang Que’s ears, and the surroundings remained silent, with only ashes scattering gracefully around.
Wan Xiangtou?
Yan Daozi had previously exchanged letters with all sorts of people, but this title was the first time Sang Que had heard it.
Xiangtou, is it a title within the opera troupe?
Visiting Yan Daozi at this time, it might be about the sacrificial ceremony in Black Mountain Village tomorrow, a person from the power behind Yan Daozi.
The feeling just now was like a ghost passing through her body; she heard Yan Daozi’s voice. Could it be Yan Daozi’s evil spirit?
Could the Black Mountain Village in this hidden world communicate with the outside Black Mountain Village through the Yin Walker’s evil spirit?
This discovery made Sang Que feel a bit delighted but immediately gave her a headache.
In the whole Black Mountain Village, the only Yin Walkers are her and Yan Daozi. Can she really count on Yan Daozi to save her?
It shouldn’t be a problem to eavesdrop a bit first!
Walking to the main house’s entrance, Sang Que saw that the left side of the house had collapsed and bore signs of a fire.
Taking a deep look, Sang Que withdrew her gaze, facing two chairs almost completely wrapped in cobwebs.
In the ancient documents her mom showed her, the left side was always considered superior. Just now, Yan Daozi’s tone was very respectful, indicating that this person’s status was high and certainly not inferior to Yan Daozi.
Yan Daozi invited the person in, surely letting them sit on the left side.
Sang Que walked to the chair on the right, slowly extending her left hand. Suddenly, a chill burst at her fingertips, carrying a violent emotion, trying to rush into her body.
Sang Que immediately used her mind to draw the power of Yin Tong Gui Chou to suppress it. That violent power instantly shrunk away obediently, like a mouse seeing a cat, staying at her fingertips.
"...Everything is ready; there will definitely be no problem. Wan Xiangtou can rest assured."
Yan Daozi’s voice echoed in her ears.
"Once this matter succeeds, I should congratulate Wan Xiangtou in advance for officially entering the Ninth Netherworld Fifth Layer!"
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"Yes, I, the poor Daoist, am aware and will certainly handle the follow-up matters well, leaving no clues for the Evil Suppression Bureau. As for my joining the ’Ghost Opera Troupe’..."
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"I wouldn’t dare; it’s just that I’ve been stuck on this Ninth Netherworld Second Layer for too long. If I can’t progress further, how can I serve the Class Leader effectively?"
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"No, I’ve been in Black Mountain Village for more than half a year, always investigating the former temple priest’s matter, and have not seen his daughter. Could it be that the temple priest’s daughter already died young back then?"
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"Forgive me, Xiangtou! That’s not what I meant... No, truly I haven’t encountered anyone suspicious. Everything in Black Mountain Village is under my control."
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"My apprentice was youthful and impulsive, died at the hands of evil spirits, unrelated to this matter."
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"Thank you! Thank you, Wan Xiangtou. With this, the small village ghost is nothing to fear. If Kou Yushan dares to use the village ghost, I’ll sacrifice the village ghost to the ’Opera God’ too."
...
"Alright, alright. Once the affairs in Black Mountain Village conclude, I will continue to pursue the ’Nine Songs Remnants.’ My old friend has already tracked down the ’storyteller’s’ whereabouts, near Dongyang County. After this matter, I will immediately head to Dongyang County."
...
"My shoulder? Not sure, I’ve just been feeling a cold, piercing sensation since earlier..."
Before Yan Daozi could finish, a bloody red bridal veil suddenly spread over Sang Que’s head, covering it completely.
Sang Que immediately released the Evil Mist, dodging to the side.
When she emerged from the red veil, she saw the veil covered an invisible person’s head, suspended in mid-air, with the vague outlines of the person’s features visible through the veil.
All the Evil Mist was absorbed by the red veil and vanished. Sang Que felt a powerful suppressive force, making it exceedingly difficult to even summon the power of the Yin Child.
Soon after, a pair of red embroidered shoes appeared beside Sang Que, with the space around them twisting. As Liu Tianyou described, the outlines of the outside Black Mountain Village could be faintly seen, along with a pair of black boots, a pair of blue cloth shoes, and the normal blue-brick ground.
The blue cloth shoes belong to Yan Daozi, the black boots to that Wan Xiangtou.
A Yin Walker about to step into the Ninth Netherworld Fifth Layer was not someone Sang Que could afford to provoke. She decisively ran away, pulling an Exorcism Red Candle from her bosom as she fled.
The red embroidered shoes suddenly barred her path, and a hand painted with red nails pierced through space, reaching to grab her.
Sang Que hurriedly lit the Exorcism Red Candle. As the flame flickered, the surrounding bluish-gray mist suddenly dispersed, and the hands with red nails swiftly retracted.
A chilling coldness engulfed Sang Que, and the candlelight was suppressed to less than half a meter, yet those embroidered shoes still pursued her.
Sang Que gritted her teeth and ran into Shouhou’s house.
She shielded the candlelight with her hand while retreating backward, watching as those embroidered shoes intermingled and chased after her.
"Green stone, white dots are many, heartless parents want to sell me..."
The child’s rhyme forcefully invaded Sang Que’s mind, making her almost start singing along. She desperately bit her lips to stop herself from speaking.
There was no wind around, yet the light of the Exorcism Red Candle shook violently, growing fainter.
But those embroidered shoes, they stopped!
The toes of the embroidered shoes slowly turned towards the well, paused for a moment, then walked towards it.
The sound of the child’s rhyme in Sang Que’s mind gradually weakened. Seizing the chance, she climbed over the side wall and swiftly escaped, fleeing into the Deserted Forest, heading straight for the abandoned Witch Temple.
She feared that the embroidered shoes would continue pursuing her after dealing with the child’s rhyme, and she couldn’t lead the shoes to Xuan Yu and the others.
In Yan Daozi’s courtyard.
Wan Xiangtou, wearing a mask with an opera face, suddenly shivered all over and hastily summoned his Deceitful Bride back, but a strong pulling force accompanied by waves of the child’s rhyme passed through.
"Green stone, white dots are many..."
Wan Xiangtou exerted all his strength and fell back onto his chair, as if something had been severed.
Yan Daozi, lacking the needed cultivation, could neither see nor hear anything, but from the pair of eyes under the mask, he could see Wan Xiangtou’s anger and shock.
A thin line of blood suddenly streaked past Wan Xiangtou’s feet. He gasped in pain with clenched teeth; his legs were completely severed, blood gushing out, and soon his feet melted into a puddle of blood, leaving only pitch-black boots.
Yan Daozi was terrified; this was clearly the evil spirits getting injured and retaliating against their master.
Who could possibly give someone like Wan Xiangtou, who was almost in the Ninth Floor of Nine Netherworld, such a huge setback?
With trembling hands, Wan Xiangtou quickly retrieved a box from his bag. Opening it, he found a piece of foul-smelling rotten flesh. He grabbed it and shoved it into his mouth, chewing twice before swallowing.
His Deceitful Bride was back, but those embroidered shoes capable of stepping into the Hidden Realm had fallen into the well!
After swallowing that piece of rotten flesh, Wan Xiangtou’s bleeding ceased, and his lost feet grew back in an incredible way, small and delicate, nothing like a man’s feet.
"What’s with that well?" Wan Xiangtou angrily questioned Yan Daozi.
Yan Daozi was bewildered, what well, where’s there a well?
In Black Mountain Village, there’s only one well for drawing water, over by the village entrance.
Wan Xiangtou clutched his head in agony; his mind was filled with the echoing child’s rhyme, relentless and compelling him to sing along.
"What’s with the child’s rhyme!"
At this, Yan Daozi suddenly understood.
"I don’t know. This matter has been around in Black Mountain Village for a long time. I’ve been investigating, but there’s no way to get to the bottom of it. The elderly woman who first sang the nursery rhyme became muddled early on, speaking incoherently."
Wan Xiangtou snorted coldly, "After all, it’s where the temple priest once stayed; it’s not surprising there are some eerie presences. This nursery rhyme is a type of ghost curse, even my Deceitful Bride can’t resist it."
"As long as we stay away from the source of the ghost curse, there shouldn’t be any major issues. You’d best be careful until tomorrow’s success."
Yan Daozi nodded, "And what was that just now..."
"Xuan Dynasty has only a few capable of entering the Hidden Realm, likely an unfortunate passing spirit."
Wan Xiangtou could command the Deceitful Bride to pursue people in the Hidden Realm, but he himself couldn’t fully see what transpired within, only sensing in a limited way.
"To join the Ghost Opera Troupe, tomorrow’s matter mustn’t fail. I need to prepare elsewhere, so I’ll take my leave!"
Wan Xiangtou put on clean socks and shoes, slung his pack on his back, and discreetly left Black Mountain Village, aided by the Deceitful Bride’s abilities.
That ghost curse is beyond his current ability, but once he ascends, he will come back for the embroidered shoes.
After Wan Xiangtou left, Yan Daozi recalled the recent events and grew even more uneasy.
"Could it be that she has returned?"
He dared not bring up the subject with Wan Xiangtou, fearing the Class Leader’s blame, which would ruin his chances of advancing and possibly cost him his life.
"I must prepare thoroughly; at worst, I need a way to retreat. No matter how big the matter, it’s not worth my life."
If there’s nowhere left to hide, he could always report the ’Ghost Opera Troupe’ to the Evil Suppression Bureau!
