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墨書 Inktalez
Because of her identity, Mao Shiba's words made me furrow my brows even deeper. My gaze shifted to Mu Yan, wondering what her identity could be.
Not just me, even Zhou Zhen seemed a bit confused by Mao Shiba's sudden remark, casting a strange look at Mu Yan as he scrutinized her from head to toe.
Being stared at like this made Mu Yan uncomfortable, even though I knew that both Mao Shiba and Zhou Zhen were on my side. After all, they practiced Mausoleum Taoism, which added to her unease.
I noticed her expression growing colder, her eyes warily fixed on Zhou Zhen and Mao Shiba.
Sensing her change in demeanor, I quickly reassured her, "Mu Yan, don't be afraid. They won't harm you."
Zhou Zhen chimed in, "I mean you no harm; I'm just curious about your identity."
Mao Shiba looked at Mu Yan and smiled, "Don't worry. Although you're a ghost and I'm human—people and ghosts are on different paths—that's just nonsense. Besides, even if you are a ghost, you're so beautiful that I wouldn't hurt you."
I couldn't help but shoot Mao Shiba a glare. Aside from when he faced the Mysterious Ghost King, he never seemed serious at any other time.
Noticing my look, Mao Shiba grinned, "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"
Jealous? I scoffed inwardly. I was more curious about what other identities Mu Yan might have.
At that moment, Zhou Zhen spoke up again, "Alright, eighteen, stop joking around. Just tell us what you know."
It was evident that although Mao Shiba was young, he understood far more than Zhou Zhen.
However, he seemed to hold a great deal of respect for Zhou Zhen. With a smile fading from his face, he nodded and said, "Actually, I'm not very clear about it either. I only came across some references to the Demon Emperor Cauldron in ancient texts from my family. Whether those are factual remains to be investigated; I can't say for sure."
The Taoist Nine Meridians consisted of nine distinct families, each having passed down their traditions for generations. From feudal times to the present, many ancient texts were preserved within these families.
Mao Shiba's family, being part of the Nine Veins, naturally retained a wealth of ancient knowledge, so it was normal for him to be aware of such information.
Zhou Zhen and I quietly awaited Mao Shiba's next words. Even Mu Yan appeared curious about her own alternative identity, seemingly unaware of it herself.
After organizing his thoughts, Mao Shiba explained that he mentioned Mu Yan's other identity based on a small note he found beneath the introduction regarding the Demon Emperor Cauldron.
This was another function of the Demon Emperor Cauldron: it utilized individuals born during Yin Time as Furnaces and combined them with descendants possessing their own bloodlines. The offspring produced through this union would essentially inherit the bloodline of the Demon Emperor.
Such descendants would undoubtedly be powerful and were most likely to reach the level of a Demon Emperor.
Mao Shiba's words left both Zhou Zhen and me in shock, our gazes instantly filled with disbelief as we turned to Mu Yan.
If what Mao Shiba just said was true, then it meant Mu Yan possessed the bloodline of a Demon Emperor.
And I was that so-called Furnace.
In my astonishment, I quietly asked Mu Yan, "Do you really have the bloodline of a Demon Emperor?"
"I... I don't know," she replied, looking at me with a complex expression before shaking her head. I could tell she might truly be unaware.
"And there is one more possibility."
At that moment, Mao Shiba's voice rang out again. His tone grew serious as he looked at me with a stern expression.
I frowned slightly, sensing an ominous premonition rising within me. I was certain that what Mao Shiba was about to say would not be good news.
Sure enough, Mao Shiba continued, "The final outcome, as the Yin Qi from the Demon King's Cauldron grows stronger, is that you may very well end up exploding from the energy within you, dying a terrible death."
"And because of the excessive Yin Qi in your body, you won't even be able to reincarnate after death." After Mao Shiba finished speaking, I stood frozen in place, staring at him in shock.
Exploding to death—I could almost imagine that tragic scene.
As if that wasn't enough, even if I died, I wouldn't be able to reincarnate.
"What would happen then?" I asked Mao Shiba. "Would I become a ghost?"
Mao Shiba shook his head and said, "You might be thinking too highly of ghosts."
I was at a loss for words. If I couldn't live and couldn't reincarnate after death, then what else could I become besides a ghost?
Mao Shiba calmly replied, "You definitely won't become a ghost; at most, you'll end up as a rather powerful ghost king puppet."
"Puppet."
The word made me frown slightly, unsure of what Mao Shiba meant by it.
Zhou Zhen also furrowed his brow and asked, "Eighteen, what exactly does that mean?"
Mao Shiba looked at me, took a breath, and continued, "A puppet is someone without any autonomy. However, since you are likely carrying the energy of a Demon Emperor, and combined with her who possesses the bloodline of a Demon Emperor, there are benefits to this situation. So even if you die, at the very least, you can reach the level of a Ghost King."
As he said this, Mao Shiba cast a glance at Mu Yan.
I was momentarily speechless, my face turning pale.
After his detailed explanation, I finally understood and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
So even if I die, I have to thank that faceless Demon Emperor.
The level of a Ghost King—it's something I couldn't even dare to imagine.
A glimmer of excitement flashed in Mao Shiba's eyes as he couldn't help but praise, "A Demon Emperor is indeed a Demon Emperor; it's killing two birds with one stone. Not only might there be an additional descendant of a Demon Emperor, but also a powerful puppet. Truly remarkable."
Mao Shiba remained unperturbed while my heart sank to the depths.
Feeling somewhat powerless, I asked, "Isn't there any way out of this?"
"No, at least not for me," he replied bluntly, leaving my face ashen. He didn't give me even a glimmer of hope.
Seeing my reaction, he added, "You don't need to feel this way. What I meant was that I have no way, but that doesn't mean others don't."
Zhou Zhen chimed in, "Yeah, Xiaolin. I'm sure there are other ways to break this Demon King's Cauldron."
Other ways...
Are there really?
I nodded weakly, thinking they were just trying to comfort me and didn't take it to heart.
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Mu Yan grasped the corner of my clothing and softly uttered those words.
I turned to look at her, and at that moment, her gaze was filled with regret as she looked at me.
She had been silently standing by my side, absorbing everything Mao Shiba had just said, even though she didn't know whether it was true or not.
Whether she truly possessed the bloodline of a Demon Emperor or not, she still felt a deep sense of remorse, along with concern and worry for me.
I could easily see this from the expression in her eyes.
I shook my head; I couldn't blame her since she had no idea about her own identity.
However, I felt a bit puzzled and asked, "By the way, what about your family?"
Earlier, I had asked Mu Yan how she died. Her death was simple yet bizarre; I sensed it must be related to the Demon Emperor that Mao Shiba mentioned.
But I had never inquired whether Mu Yan had any relatives while she was alive, and she had never brought it up.
"Family..."
Upon hearing my question, Mu Yan was about to respond but suddenly furrowed her brows tightly as if she were trying hard to remember. After a long pause, she weakly shook her head and said, "I... I don't have any family."
No family.
At those words, it wasn't just me who felt the weight of her statement.
Even Mu Yan felt a bit strange after saying those words. How could a person possibly have no relatives?
"Don't get caught up in that question. The most important thing right now is to solve your problem," Mao Shiba said at that moment.
"How do we solve it?" I asked casually, almost devoid of hope.
Mao Shiba looked at me intently, not rushing to answer, as if deep in thought.
Then he said, "First, I'll teach you a mantra. You must recite it ten times in your heart during the four Zheng Times each day—ten times upon waking and ten times before sleeping. Whenever you feel something is off around you, recite it silently as well. This will temporarily suppress the Eight Character Death Curse on you."
"Eighteen, you can't break the Eight Character Death Curse either," Zhou Zhen frowned and asked.
Mao Shiba nodded, "To break the Eight Character Death Curse, you must find the one who cast it. Only then can we locate the tool they used to perform the spell and destroy it to lift the curse; otherwise, I can't help you."
"The one who cast the curse..."
Zhou Zhen furrowed his brow and said, "Everything started with the Cloud Ghost General. Perhaps finding him will lead us to the one who cast the curse."
"Uncle Zhou, are you suggesting that the Cloud Ghost General is connected to the one who cast the curse?" I quickly asked.
"I don't know; it's just a guess," Zhou Zhen shook his head.
Mao Shiba pondered for a moment and said, "Hmm, you have a point. Let's give it a try."
"Try? How do we try?" I asked with a frown.
Mao Shiba replied, "I'll first pass on four lines of the mantra to you. Make sure to remember them."
He spoke clearly, "Radiant Essence of Enlightenment, Azure Blossom opens Great Ming; Right Path is untainted, Hordes of Demons are bound. This is the Eighteen-Character Divine Incantation. Reciting this mantra will generate righteous energy in your heart, which can resist the moldy aura on you; however, you must remember the timing I mentioned."
Upon hearing this, I quickly nodded and began to silently recite the four lines he had just spoken twice in my mind.
These four lines were not too long or overly obscure, making them easy to memorize.
After repeating them in my mind twice, I couldn't help but look at Mao Shiba with a hint of surprise.
To be honest, although these four lines seemed simple, after reciting them a few times, I suddenly felt a sense of clarity. Previously, I had felt particularly oppressed in my heart.
Now it was as if the clouds had parted and the fog had lifted. I realized that the earlier feeling of oppression was likely due to the accumulation of moldy energy.
"How's that? The effect seems quite significant, right?" Mao Shiba said proudly as he noticed my astonished gaze.
I nodded; I couldn't deny it.
Seeing me nod, Mao Shiba became even more pleased with himself.
At that moment, Zhou Zhen asked, "Eighteen, when are you planning to find that Cloud Ghost General?"
"We shouldn't delay; let's go now," Mao Shiba said seriously as he put away his hand.
"Right now?" I glanced at the time and realized it was already past one in the morning.
Mao Shiba nodded. "Yes, right now."
"Then how do we find him?" I asked.
"Simple," Mao Shiba replied calmly.
After saying that, he reached into his pocket and took out a yellow talisman, then motioned for me to open the door.
When I opened the door, I saw Mao Shiba quickly folding the talisman with both hands. In an instant, he shaped it into a Crane, then began to chant a spell. He formed hand seals, bringing his middle finger and thumb together, continuously gesturing above the folded Crane.
He then brought it to his mouth and blew on it, shouting, "Swift!"
Immediately after, he flicked his fingers, and the Crane slowly floated into the air before darting out of the door in the blink of an eye.
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