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墨書 Inktalez
Uncorrupted Bones curled its lips into a strange smile, opening its arms and lunging toward us. Zhengyang and I were taken aback by the sight. I thought to myself, "Damn it, this thing is way more powerful than the Flying Corpse!" Just one Flying Corpse had already overwhelmed us, reducing us to nothing... If we added another Uncorrupted Bones, it would surely be a dead end.
As Uncorrupted Bones approached, its hands were like iron claws, fierce and imposing, akin to an eagle seizing a rabbit. It grabbed the Flying Corpse, its five claws digging in like nails, causing the Flying Corpse's face to turn ashen. Damn it, this creature's complexion was pale with a tinge of black—heavy with malice!
The Flying Corpse couldn't care less about Zhengyang and me; it soared into the air, attacking Uncorrupted Bones. With a simple gesture, Uncorrupted Bones deflected the attack, leaving us utterly astonished. As it prepared to strike again, its movements were bizarre; it suddenly clawed at its own face and then kicked its own backside with force. The Flying Corpse, seemingly undeterred, lunged forward... But unexpectedly, Uncorrupted Bones rolled over and leaped into the air, delivering a series of rapid kicks. In a swift motion, it clamped down on the Flying Corpse, tearing it apart as easily as ripping paper.
What the hell!
Was I seeing things?
Uncorrupted Bones had actually destroyed the Flying Corpse! This was completely beyond my expectations!
After discarding the remnants of the Flying Corpse, Uncorrupted Bones pulled half of a centipede from its coffin and began devouring it voraciously. It then glanced at me with one eye raised, sizing me up in a way that sent chills down my spine.
"Flattery without reason is either deceit or theft!" Zhengyang shouted. I trembled in fear and dared not speak; after all, this was an entity that defied existence itself—one could not be too cautious!
"Hehehe... two young people, not bad... but you seem to lack manners!"
"Humans and ghosts are on different paths; there's no need for such empty formalities. What do you want?"
"No, I just want to tell a story... perhaps you might find it interesting!" Uncorrupted Bones tossed aside the half-eaten centipede and squatted down, bursting into loud sobs. The wailing was not just for show; it was incredibly mournful, gathering all the grievances of spirits into one heart-wrenching cry.
I couldn't believe it—the atmosphere had shifted too abruptly. I struggled to adapt; such a formidable being as Uncorrupted Bones was now crying like a woman!
"Stop crying! As the supreme being of the ghost realm, aren't you ashamed..." Its tears made me feel oddly sentimental. "Just tell me what’s on your mind!"
"Am I really that useless?" Uncorrupted Bones seemed taken aback by my response. It clearly hadn't expected such a reaction from me. Its gaze bore into me intensely. I felt uneasy under its stare and gasped in shock. Oh no, was this thing about to explode in anger? I quickly shook my head: "No way! Not at all!"
"That's good to hear! I'm just being foolish!"
"I last emerged from the Tomb when Khotan fell. At that time, every member of the Wei Chi Clan vowed to return to Khotan, to rebuild the Khotan Kingdom, and to continue the greatness of the Wei Chi surname."
Khotan had endured through the Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms, and the Wei and Jin Dynasties, all the way to the early Song Dynasty, maintaining a significant influence over surrounding civilizations. After battling against Karahan, whose main forces consisted of heavily armored cavalry and mounted archers, Khotan was nearly annihilated. With the aid of the Gaochang Kingdom, they suffered severe losses in every battle.
"Five years later, I walked out of the Tomb and, in just one night, left them with over five thousand Tombs." Kara launched an attack on Khotan out of revenge. After a fierce decisive battle, the king of Khotan and his followers were defeated and perished. Ultimately, Khotan was destroyed by the Karahan Dynasty.
"Is that why you were sealed in the Bronze Coffin?"
"Ha! That's right... They never expected I would still be alive; this Bronze Coffin couldn't hold me at all!"
"What about the Flying Corpse?"
"I don't know him; he only appeared after I entered the Bronze Coffin! He seems to have been placed in the Hall of Offerings by some Karahan king to suppress me as a sorcerer! Haha, who would have thought he couldn't withstand my Killing Intent and ended up worse off than I did!"
"Sigh! The fall of Khotan is one thing, but what I can't let go of is a villain. I must kill him with my own hands!" His eyes burned with intense Killing Intent. I glanced at Zhengyang; he remained silent, seemingly encouraging me to continue listening. This revelation stirred long-buried doubts within me, prompting me to ask.
"Aren't you Master Zhu Shixing?"
"Cough! I am Zhu Shixing; that's impossible. That old fellow wasn't buried in the Western Regions at all. At eighty years old, he predicted that the Western Regions would be ungoverned and quietly went there." The implication was clear: this was merely a symbolic tomb for Zhu Shixing. This information was crucial.
This Tomb wasn't even Zhu Shixing's; when that Taoist arranged it back then, he likely did so to leverage the prestige of a high monk to ensure effective protection for the burial site so it wouldn't be destroyed and ruin his formation!
"I'm just a guard! Back then, I escorted Princess Xijun to Wusun, and that journey left me forever in foreign lands."
"Princess Xijun was only sixteen at that time; the scene of her departure from Chang'an moved me deeply!" Suddenly, Uncorrupted Bones' eyes brightened as if a spark of spirit flickered through his murky gaze. "The banners blocked out the sun along the way, drums and music resounding—it was quite spectacular. The capital Chang'an grew ever more distant in Lady's tearful eyes..."
Liu Xijun was Liu Jian's daughter from Jiangdu Wang of the Western Han Dynasty. In the sixth year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of Han conferred upon her the title of princess and married her off to King Kunmo Lethal Majesty of Wusun, establishing a brotherly alliance with Wusun to jointly resist the Xiongnu.
According to the "Book of Han: Western Regions," when Princess Xijun got married, Emperor Wu of Han bestowed upon her a luxurious carriage and ceremonial attire, along with hundreds of officials and attendants. Upon her arrival in Wusun, Hunting Pride conferred upon her the title of Right Consort, and craftsmen were sent to construct a palace for her. The Han Dynasty sent envoys every year to visit her. When Kunmo Lethal Majesty passed away, Princess Xijun was unable to bear the grief and requested to return home. Emperor Wu of Han urged her to adopt local customs to facilitate the alliance with Wusun against the Xiongnu. Thus, she had no choice but to marry Cen Zou. A year later, she gave birth to a daughter named Princess Shaofu, but due to postpartum complications and her sorrow, she soon passed away.
"Alas! I accompanied the princess for many years, and she died of depression, leaving behind Princess Shaofu!" Uncorrupted Bones seemed lost in memories. "Sixteen years later, Princess Shaofu married the Western Ruler of Khotan and gave birth to a daughter named Wan'er!" Could it be Wei Chi Wan'er? The name that had haunted me for days emerged from the mouth of a ghost.
"Do you know Wei Chi Wan'er?"
At that moment, I didn't care whether Uncorrupted Bones was a ghost; I reached out and tightly grasped it. This action startled Zhengyang so much that he nearly jumped up—after all, it was a Drought Demon-level ghost!
"The Wei Chi clan is known as a resilient race, having fought for over a hundred years in the hostile Western Regions; this alone is a miracle."
The Wei Chi Wan'er clan descended from the Saka people. Their ancestors had high noses and deep-set eyes. Admiring the great Han culture, they had intermarried with Han people for centuries. By the time of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, their appearance had become indistinguishable from ordinary Han people.
Whenever Uncorrupted Bones mentioned this princess, its eyes sparkled: "Our princess is a remarkable figure; though young, she possesses great ambition and is a heroine among women. She dedicated twenty years to restoring Khotan's western kingdom."
The name Wei Chi Wan'er never appeared in any historical texts. However, ancient scrolls unearthed at the Yotkan site contained stories about Wei Chi Wan'er.
"The princess had a pitiful life; she lost her father at a young age, which forged her strong character. Unfortunately, I was too old at that time to protect her throughout her life." Uncorrupted Bones' eyes grew moist as it choked out the story.
Since receiving news of the engagement, I had searched diligently for information about Wei Chi Wan'er and held many doubts about various accounts. After listening to Uncorrupted Bones' explanation, I finally understood the general outline of Wei Chi Wan'er's life.
Back then, after the Western Ruler of Khotan was overthrown by Woodcutter, he was seduced by the Beautiful Serpent Woman, who caused Princess Shaofu's death and plotted to kill Wan'er. At that time, Wan'er was only ten years old when a Taoist priest arrived. Upon seeing Wan'er, he took a special liking to her and said, "Let me rid you of the serpent demon and avenge your mother; how about you become my disciple?" Naturally, when this news reached the Beautiful Serpent Woman, she became furious. She locked Princess Wan'er in a box with plans to burn her alive. The next day, the Taoist entered the palace and exposed the Beautiful Serpent's true form before imprisoning her in an oven.
"That night, Wan'er indeed went missing. I was the only surviving attendant from the mainland; with the princess gone, I was extremely anxious. Five years later, the Western Ruler of Khotan died at Master’s hands, and the Taoist returned Wan'er to us. At that time, I was fortunate enough to see the princess again and asked her about those five lost years."
It turned out that the Taoist had taken her to a large cave filled with monkeys amidst dense forests. He gave Wan'er a golden elixir and a two-foot-long precious sword with an exceptionally sharp blade—hair placed on its edge would snap with just a breath. Wan'er learned climbing from two monkeys and gradually felt as light as wind. A year later, she could shoot accurately like an ape. Then she hunted tigers and leopards, bringing back their severed heads. After three years of training, she could fly and learned to hunt eagles without missing a single shot. The blade gradually wore down to just five inches long when the Taoist declared: "You are ready!"
The following year, he took Wan'er into town and pointed out someone on the street while recounting their crimes. He instructed Wan'er to behead him without his knowledge; in an instant, she accomplished it. A few years later, she could even kill nobles amidst crowds as if entering an unguarded realm.
From then on, she focused on restoring her country. She learned from King Goujian of Yue, enduring hardships and wearing her hair up, dressed in men's clothing. At that time, Khotan was plagued by constant rebellions, and Master was in a difficult situation. Due to Wan Er donning armor and leading from the front with exceptional martial skills, the army she commanded quickly stood out.
However, several years later, for reasons unknown, Wei Chi Wan Er completely vanished, and no one ever saw her again. Historical records of her were entirely erased, leaving no trace of her whereabouts.
“She is waiting for someone, waiting for an opportunity!”
“Is it that Taoist?”
“I don’t know; the princess hasn’t shared any of this with me…” Uncorrupted Bones seemed reluctant to discuss more about Wei Chi Wan Er and pressed his hand down to signal a stop. I found the story too incredible and instead became curious about Uncorrupted Bones.
“Hey! Why are you occupying Zhu Shixing's tomb?”
“Alas! I was quite comfortable lying in the Poplar Coffin; this place is very dry. I don’t know which year a Taoist came and dragged me out of my grave, stuffing me into a wooden coffin. The killing intent beneath it grows day by day! I couldn’t get out at all, and by the time I could, I ended up like this!”
“What?”
“The princess has a connection with you; that’s why I won’t harm you. Not only will I not harm you, but even your companions were saved by me!” I was left bewildered, thinking, “What the hell! Could it be that Big Mouth Lee and the others were captured by Uncorrupted Bones?” But I asked instead, “My companions? Alright… what exactly do you want me to do?”
“Young man, please remain calm; my request is very simple…”
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