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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 77: The Resurrection Catastrophe
Ji Zichen stood far away from Lin Chuyu's bed, hesitant to approach. His eyes reddened with self-reproach as he murmured, "I am truly useless; I don't even have the strength to protect her."
Shen Bifan sighed deeply, suppressing the sadness within him. "Brother Zichen, don't take all the responsibility upon yourself. If it weren't for that cult leader, this wouldn't have happened."
Although Ji Zichen understood this was a possibility, he still couldn't let go of his guilt.
Suddenly, Shen Bifan's eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope. "Brother Zichen, I might have a way to save her."
Ji Zichen's heart raced with urgency as he looked at Shen Bifan with eager anticipation. "Bifan, do you really have a way to save her?"
Shen Bifan displayed a strange expression, his face appearing somewhat pale. "I might. When I was captured by them, I overheard that cult leader talking. It seems he has some method to resurrect the Vermilion Bird."
Ji Zichen exclaimed in astonishment, "He has a way to resurrect the Vermilion Bird!"
After a moment of thought, Ji Zichen realized, "That makes sense. If they had no intention for the Vermilion Bird, why would they keep its corpse?"
He pressed on, "What is this method?"
Shen Bifan shook his head and sighed. "I don't know the details. I only heard the cult leader mention it. If we want to find out more, we need to go to Fierce Death Valley; perhaps we will discover something there."
Ji Zichen asked curiously, "Why would he tell you such things?"
Shen Bifan replied, "He didn't tell me directly. I was locked up at the time; they thought I was unconscious, but I still had some awareness left. The cult leader was speaking with someone named Zhao Zhangshi. Zhao Zhangshi wanted to resurrect the Vermilion Bird and needed help from the Hall of Malevolence. However, the cult leader seemed to despise those from the Hall of Malevolence and instructed Zhao Zhangshi to secretly infiltrate Fierce Death Valley to uncover the method of resurrection."
"I lost consciousness after that and woke up in that hall."
Initially thrilled by the prospect of resurrection, Ji Zichen now hesitated. "Is there really a way to come back from the dead in this world?"
He recalled how Lin Chuyu had died for him and Bifan, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt. No matter what, they had to go to Fierce Death Valley first before making any plans.
Zhao Zhangshi walked into the dungeon, which featured a long corridor lined with empty cells. It seemed that the security in Holy City was quite good.
As Zhao Zhangshi passed through the corridor of cells and reached the end, he found a stone door secured with a large lock. After unlocking it, he discovered that the interior was also filled with cells, specifically designed for holding serious criminals.
He stopped at the third cell and murmured, "It's quite cold in here."
Of course, he wasn't speaking to himself. His gaze shifted to a figure sitting in the corner of the cell, surrounded by straw. This person was Yuxuan, who, upon hearing Zhao Zhangshi's words, ignored him completely, her eyes vacant as if she were in a daze.
Zhao Zhangshi understood why Yuxuan was ignoring him. He chuckled lightly and said, "Princess Yuxuan, I apologize for your suffering."
At this moment, Yuxuan's brow twitched as she glared at Zhao Zhangshi. "Why did you lock me up here?"
Previously, Yuxuan had escaped from Power Hall with Ji Zichen and another companion. She had arranged for a carriage to help them leave Holy City. After they departed, Yuxuan intended to have someone retrieve the body from Jade Pavilion amidst the rubble when Zhao Zhangshi took advantage of the situation to knock her unconscious and imprison her here.
Zhao Zhangshi did not respond to her question.
Yuxuan shot him a glance and said, "I can't believe you're a spy for the Hall of Malevolence. You've hidden it well all these years, even deceiving my brother. Why would you serve as a lackey for the Hall of Malevolence? Don't you know what they are up to?"
Zhao Zhangshi smiled coldly. "I have no obligation to answer your questions. However, since you're so curious, I can tell you that I came here with one purpose: to find Phoenix Resurrection and Suffering Evil God."
"Suffering Evil God!" Although Yuxuan didn't know what Suffering Evil God was, just hearing the name sent shivers down her spine.
Her expression turned icy as she said, "So you intend to use our power to find Vermilion Bird Pearl!"
Yuxuan slowly rose and approached the iron bars of her cell. "You locked me up here to keep me under house arrest?"
Zhao Zhangshi smiled faintly and opened the cell door instead. Yuxuan was taken aback by his unexpected action. He continued, "Princess Yuxuan, I have no intention of keeping you imprisoned. I only want you to think clearly about serving us. We only seek the Vermilion Bird; once the Evil God is resurrected, we can help you reclaim your rightful identity. After all, the Arbitrator is your Uncle Emperor."
Yuxuan scoffed. "I don't need your help. If I want to reclaim my position in the court, I will do it through legitimate means. I won't rely on any Evil God's powers."
"Legitimate means?" Zhao Zhangshi sneered at her naivety. "You think you can take back the court through legitimate methods? Princess Yuxuan, I never expected you to be so innocent."
Yuxuan stepped out of her cell and stood three paces away from Zhao Zhangshi. "I will not help you; don't even think about using me or getting soldiers from Holy City to assist you."
Zhao Zhangshi sighed, "Princess Yuxuan, don't you understand? You no longer have any bargaining power."
Yuxuan steeled herself and launched an attack, raising two fingers to strike at Zhao Zhangshi's eyes. Seeing her fierce move, Zhao Zhangshi remained calm and retreated lightly. He shouted, "Princess Yuxuan, I am trying to talk to you, what are you doing?"
At that moment, Yuxuan suddenly gasped, "Who are you?"
Zhao Zhangshi's face turned pale, his expression becoming quite unnatural. "What do you mean by that?"
Yuxuan's brow furrowed in confusion, but after a moment, she relaxed and said, "You can't fool me. You are not Zhao Zhangshi. How long do you plan to disguise yourself as him?"
Zhao Zhangshi forced a smile. "Have you lost your mind? How could I not be Zhao Zhangshi?"
Yuxuan's expression darkened; it was unclear whether she was angry or amused. "Your disguise is indeed convincing—so much so that it sends chills down my spine. If I hadn't acted suddenly, I wouldn't have known the truth. Since you are pretending to be Zhao Zhangshi, then you should know that he has no martial skills. How could someone without martial skills evade my attack?"
Zhao Zhangshi could no longer smile. He had only intended to open the door and persuade her to lower her guard, but his instinctive reaction had revealed a flaw. Suddenly, he grinned menacingly. "Princess Yuxuan, you shouldn't know this. Since that's the case, you cannot be left alive. I am not afraid to tell you that I am not disguising myself as him; I have not put on makeup because I control his body."
Yuxuan was taken aback, feeling fear at his words. "You control his body?"
Zhao Zhangshi's pupils constricted; his eyes nearly narrowed into slits as he coldly declared, "So if you kill me, it would be equivalent to killing him. I know you don't have much affection for him as a caretaker, but I know you won't make a move because you simply can't bring yourself to do it—because you are too kind."
Yuxuan then calmly retorted, "Who said I want to kill him?"
With a swift movement of her body, she delivered a powerful punch to Zhao Zhangshi's abdomen, causing his stomach to contract painfully. He doubled over in agony and knelt on the ground as Yuxuan followed up with another strike that knocked him unconscious.
---
Ji Zichen and Shen Bifan had arrived at Fierce Death Valley's Gulou. There was a sentry post at Gulou with iron bars blocking the way. Ji Zichen wanted to enter when the sentry laughed and said, "Revival Technique? Are you here just to make jokes after having nothing better to do?"
Seeing the sentry blocking their path, Shen Bifan attempted to force her way through, but Ji Zichen stopped her and advised, "Don't act recklessly."
Ji Zichen addressed the sentry, "I have important business; go inform your superior."
The sentry replied impatiently, "Look at the time—it's the middle of the night! The Arbitrator is resting. Even if I go inform him, he won't see you. Do you think anyone can just waltz in here?"
"Are you going to let us in or not?" Shen Bifan demanded, his frustration evident.
Ji Zichen took a deep breath and replied, "Forget it, let's just go back."
As they retraced their steps, Shen Bifan questioned, "Brother Zichen, we could have forced our way into that camp. They wouldn't have been able to stop us."
Ji Zichen understood that they could have barged in, but what would happen afterward? There was no way to announce their intentions without drawing attention.
"We need to be polite since we are asking for help," Ji Zichen explained.
Though Shen Bifan felt anxious, he chose to remain silent.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the trees on their right. Ji Zichen turned toward the noise and spotted someone sprinting through the forest. With just a glance, he recognized the figure. "It's Yuxuan! What is she doing here?"
Ji Zichen thought to himself, "Yuxuan is the princess of the Doomed Holy City; perhaps she knows about the Revival Technique."
"Come with me, Bifan!" Ji Zichen urged.
Yuxuan leaped through the woods, taking an obscure path into the valley. She stopped in front of a row of statues that were set against a wall, seemingly for reverence or commemoration.
These statues were of past Arbitrators from the Hall of Malevolence, seven in total. Yuxuan stood before the central statue.
Each statue was cloaked in a cape; some held horns, spears, and various weapons. The statue directly in front of Yuxuan wielded a large axe. She carefully examined the eyes of the central statue.
Pressing down on the right eye, she heard a click. The statue before her retracted, revealing a dark passageway.
Yuxuan's expression was serious as she gazed into the shadowy tunnel. "Tonight, I will uncover what this Evil God truly is. I cannot allow Uncle Emperor to let such a thing come back to life."
Ji Zichen and Shen Bifan had approached Yuxuan from behind. Ji Zichen asked, "What are you mumbling about?"
Yuxuan turned around in surprise. "What are you doing here? How did you end up in this place?"
Ji Zichen looked at Yuxuan, who wore a face of astonishment, and said, "I saw you in a hurry and came to see what you were up to."
Yuxuan's expression turned anxious as she replied, "You need to go back! Don't follow me!"
Ji Zichen's eyes widened. "If you want me to leave, then tell me—do you know anything about the Revival Technique?"
Yuxuan's face turned pale. "How do you know about the Revival Technique?"
Seeing her sudden change in color, Ji Zichen felt a surge of hope. "So you do know something!"
Yuxuan hesitated, stammering, "I've heard of it, but I don't really know how it works."
Upon hearing her response and observing her expression, Ji Zichen felt a twinge of disappointment. He glanced at the passage behind Yuxuan and said, "You might not know, but someone here must."
He took a couple of steps forward, but Yuxuan stood firm in his way. "Step aside; I need to get in."
Yuxuan fixed her gaze on Ji Zichen and suddenly thought of something. "You’re asking about the Revival Technique because you want to bring that girl back to life, aren’t you?"
Ji Zichen didn’t answer but returned her look with an expression that suggested he already knew the answer.
Seeing through his intentions, Yuxuan sighed. "I'm begging you, please go back. Bringing the dead back to life will only bring disaster."
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