Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Here they come," the child's voice reached my ears.
I was taken aback and turned to look at the child, noticing the heavy expression on their face. I quietly asked who had arrived.
The child gestured for me to look ahead. When I turned my attention back, I saw two Daoists—one dressed in white and the other in black.
Who are they?
At that moment, the Ghost Gate Sect Master, who had been lounging casually in the main seat, stood up, his playful demeanor replaced with seriousness as he approached the two Daoists.
The people present reacted with surprise upon seeing these newcomers; it seemed their arrival was unexpected.
"Yin Hall Master, do you know why the leader invited these people?" a man closest to me whispered.
I shook my head. The man widened his eyes in disbelief at my ignorance and said, "You really don’t know? But from what I see, their arrival means our Ghost Gate Cult is facing something significant."
Upon hearing this, I felt a sense of urgency and pressed him further, "What significant matter? Do you know who these people are?"
At my question, the man looked at me with a condescending gaze and replied, "Of course I know, Yin Hall Master. Have you hurt your brain during your training? They are Yin Officials from both Heaven and the Underworld."
"What?" I exclaimed in shock.
The man's face turned pale as he glanced around nervously. "Yin Hall Master, please don’t speak so loudly. If the leader hears you, we could be punished. You know he doesn’t like others meddling in his affairs, especially not major ones. Just look at everyone’s expressions; clearly, no one knows their identities. I only found out by chance."
I nodded in understanding, and he fell silent. The Feast of Demons began.
The atmosphere at the banquet split into two distinct groups: one comprised of the Ghost Gate Cult and the other made up of those dressed in black and white.
Soon after, the coveted Heart Soup was brought to the table.
As expected, when the Heart Soup appeared, everyone’s eyes were glued to it. Just as the child had said, this dish was not for everyone; aside from the Ghost Gate Sect Master and some guests who were aware of its significance, very few Hall Masters had access to it. Naturally, both Captain Wu and I were among those fortunate enough to receive this highly envied delicacy.
"Disgusting," Captain Wu muttered under his breath.
I took a deep breath; the Heart Soup from the Ghost Gate Cult indeed had a nauseating quality. The soup was greasy, and if one didn't know better, they might think it was made from oil dredged up from a sewer.
"Well, when the time is right, let's have the child draw them into the illusion," I said.
"Ah, what do we need this for?" Captain Wu asked in surprise.
"Don't you remember? Only this can make women speak to us, and besides, we have many things we need from that woman," I explained to Captain Wu.
Upon hearing this, Captain Wu nodded. My gaze shifted to the Ghost Gate Sect Master and those people from both the black and white factions.
They seemed to be discussing something, looking as if they were negotiating something important. Although we were quite far from the Ghost Gate Sect Master, we still couldn't hear what they were saying.
I felt a bit anxious and quietly called to the child. The child leaned closer to me. "Brother Wang Niu, what's wrong?"
I gave the child a look and asked, "Can you hear what they're saying?"
Following my gaze, the child understood what I meant. "Brother Wang Niu, I can't. The Ghost Gate Sect Master has set up a barrier. If I forcefully use my energy, it will be sensed by others. Besides, my identity can't resist those sitting there—the Celestial Official and the Yin Official."
I acknowledged with a grunt and didn’t press the child further. The child returned to their original position.
I turned my attention back to the banquet. The people from the Ghost Gate Cult were quite dull; no one was speaking at the gathering, and it felt very oppressive as everyone just ate what was on the table.
When dawn broke, the banquet finally came to an end. Before leaving, I took a special glance at the Ghost Gate Sect Master and those individuals; they seemed to still be discussing matters, which made my heart grow heavier with an increasingly strong sense of foreboding.
"Brother Wang Niu, let's leave; these things can take time," the child suggested.
I nodded in agreement. As we exited the Open Platform, we happened to encounter that woman.
It seemed she had been waiting for us. Upon seeing us emerge, her face lit up with joy. "You’re out! What about the Heart Soup? Did you bring any with you?"
As she spoke, she scrutinized both me and Captain Wu. I glanced around; people were streaming out of the Open Platform everywhere. This wasn’t a place for conversation, so I gave her a subtle signal.
The woman nodded happily and led us to a very safe place.
Unable to contain her excitement any longer, she said, "Hurry up and take it out; I can't wait any longer."
Captain Wu and I exchanged glances, feeling helpless. Was the allure of Heart Soup really this great?
I instructed the child to bring out two servings of Heart Soup. When the woman saw there were two portions, her eyes lit up, and her face couldn't hide her joy, leaving both Captain Wu and me speechless.
The woman took the Heart Soup from the child's hands and happily began to eat.
Watching her, a wave of nausea washed over me.
"Wow, this Heart Soup is really delicious! I've been at Ghost Gate Cult for so long, and this is my first time eating Heart Soup," she said contentedly after finishing.
I wasn't particularly interested in Heart Soup, so I urged her to get to the point. What did she mean by what she said yesterday?
With a sly smile, the woman glanced around before saying, "You must be eager to know. Actually, the leader of Ghost Gate Cult isn't fixed; anyone with the ability can take on the role. The current Ghost Gate Sect Master hasn't even touched the blood of the previous leader."
Upon hearing this, I furrowed my brow. Could it be...
The woman smiled at me knowingly and said, "You probably don't know a secret about Ghost Gate Cult."
Her words immediately captured both Captain Wu's and my attention. We focused intently on her as she glanced at us before shifting her gaze elsewhere. "Look over there; that's Listening Pavilion. It's a forbidden area within Ghost Gate Cult, accessible only to the leader because there's a divine beast inside."
"What happened?" I pressed urgently when she paused.
The woman looked at us meaningfully, her strange gaze making both Captain Wu and me feel uneasy.
The child suddenly turned sullen and scolded the woman, "What do you mean? We've fulfilled your requests; what more do you want?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a swirl of black mist appeared in his hand, faintly crackling with lightning.
The woman's face immediately turned pale, and she trembled slightly as she said, "I wouldn't dare! How could I possibly make demands of the two Hall Masters? I was just joking earlier. This divine beast is a symbol for every sect leader. Whenever a new sect leader is born in the Listening Pavilion, a divine beast is also born; it serves as their guardian spirit. If the guardian spirit dies, the current sect leader will face calamity. Without the divine beast, a Black Darkborn Flower will appear in the Listening Pavilion. This flower is used to select the next sect leader. Whoever can break the Dark Bloom will become the leader of the Ghost Gate Cult."
After she spoke, she looked at us.
I secretly formed a plan in my mind; now was not the time to go to the Listening Pavilion. The pressing matter was to rescue those people trapped in the basement. I did not continue on her topic.
After all, we couldn't decipher her intentions. She certainly wasn't sharing such significant matters with us just for those two bowls of Heart Soup; there had to be something else she wasn't telling us.
I observed her closely and vaguely felt that she was using us for something.
I changed the subject and asked, "Do you know about the people locked in the basement?"
The woman paused for a moment, seemingly confused by my question, then replied, "Yes, those people are ultimately going to be handed over to me for processing."
My eyes lit up as I asked her how she planned to handle them.
She smiled, a twisted expression appearing on her face as she said, "Naturally, they will be used as fertilizer for the Ghost Flower."
"Fertilizer Ghost Flower?" My eyes widened in shock.
The woman nodded and said, "Yes, would you two Hall Masters like to take a look? It's just behind here."
Seeing that there was nothing else to discuss, Captain Wu and I nodded at her. The woman's smile grew even brighter as she led us toward the back.
Comment 0 Comment Count