Chapter 334
Chapter 334
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Translator: Ace
Chapter:
Chapter Title: Yang Bi's Intervention
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Young Lord Wei Yue supervised the execution of the Red-Haired Ghost before returning to his own Yuan Chen Palace. At that moment, a Yin Messenger arrived, bowed, and said:
"Young Lord, the Master asks you to come over. He says someone has come to visit."
Young Lord Wei Yue rose to his feet and headed to Immortal Capital's Yuan Chen Hall.
The Yuan Chen Hall oversaw the management of Immortal Capital and consisted of twelve grand halls, divided according to each person's birth year, month, and day into the twelve Yuan Chen branches: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, delineating twelve major districts.
Each hall's Yin Officials managed one district to facilitate governance.
Last night's jailbreak by Chen Shi had been the disturbance in the Dragon District.
Currently ruling Immortal Capital's Yuan Chen Hall was Young Lord Wei Yue's father, Assistant Judge Wei Ling, who acted in place of the Yama King.
However, Wei Ling had long been stripped of real power. The Yin Officials, Judges, and Yin Commanders across the twelve Yuan Chen halls were already ghost gods of the Yan Clan.
Only the Yin Messengers—ox-headed and horse-faced demons along with yakshas—handled the heavy labor.
Young Lord Wei Yue arrived at the Yuan Chen Hall, where he noted several unfamiliar faces among the guards out front. Upon entering the hall, he saw someone already waiting there, accompanied by his father, Assistant Judge Wei Ling.
Wei Ling rose with a smile upon seeing him arrive.
"Wei Yue is here. You all chat first."
With that, he walked out of the Yuan Chen Hall.
The visitor was a youth who appeared seventeen or eighteen, with a remarkably refined look. He smiled.
"Brother Wei, I've finally waited for you."
Young Lord Wei Yue eyed the arrival, reluctance stirring in his heart, but he stepped forward and paid his respects.
"Yang Bi, why have you come to the underworld?"
The youth Yang Bi smiled.
"I've come specifically to notify you: no need to pursue Chen Shi and his mother. Sound the gong at once and call off the hunt."
Young Lord Wei Yue's face darkened. He sneered.
"Young Lake Yang, this is an underworld matter. It's not for you to meddle in!"
The youth Yang Bi, courtesy name Shao Hu, hailed from the Yang Clan among the Thirteen Great Houses. He had risen to prominence in the Yang Clan in recent years. The ancestors of the other twelve houses regarded him with great favor and high esteem, sending him to the Upper Realm for cultivation.
After emerging from the Upper Realm, Yang Bi carried the decree of the Thirteen Great Houses' ancestors, granting him substantial authority. He was tasked with integrating and coordinating the houses' forces for their grand scheme.
His performance over the past two years had been stellar, winning over many from the elder generation across the Thirteen Great Houses. Though young, he was deeply respected.
Yang Bi smiled.
"Brother Wei, I'm acting on the orders of the Thirteen Great Houses' ancestors. Are you defying them?"
Young Lord Wei Yue snorted, deeply displeased.
"It's not that I intend to defy the orders. I've already commanded the Yin Messengers to unleash the Calamity Beast. With its speed, who could possibly catch it?"
Yang Bi frowned slightly, glanced at him, and shook his head.
"Brother Wei, you're far too headstrong."
Wei Yue let out a hum.
Yang Bi continued.
"Imprisoning Chen Shi's mother and son was the Yama King's doing. The Yan Clan's wisest course wasn't to keep holding Chen Shi's mother captive but to treat her kindly. When Chen Shi arrived at Immortal Capital, extend courtesy, and tell him: 'This is Lord Qingtian's decree; I had no choice but to obey.'
"Yet over these years, the Yan Clan has treated your mother with utmost care, never once neglecting her.
"Today, when you come seeking her, the Yan Clan sends her off with respect.
"In this way, there would be no jailbreak by Chen Shi.
"Brother Wei, your personal grudge runs too deep..."
Wei Yue could no longer contain himself. He slammed the table and bellowed.
"Yang Shao Hu, you overstep! Personal grudge? Chen Shi and his mother ran rampant in the underworld, committing countless evils and plotting rebellion—that's why the Yama King suppressed them! What they did was outright treason! Swap in a Lord Qingtian, and suddenly it's not treason? I uphold the law without bias. Where's the personal grudge?"
Yang Bi waited until he finished before replying.
"Brother Wei, the Yan Clan's aim isn't to bicker endlessly with Chen Shi but to keep sight of the greater picture. Thus, you have only one goal: become the new Yama King and seize full control of Yama Hall."
He rose and walked toward the exit.
"Your Yan Clan's progress is far too slow, so the Upper Realm sent me to step in. I was merely observing the matter of Chen Shi and his mother at first, but you've gone too far. Now I must correct it personally!"
Wei Yue stood as well and sneered.
"The Yang Clan has some nerve, sticking its nose into Yan Clan affairs! Who gave you the authority to come to the underworld and undermine my prestige? Truth be told, Yang Shao Hu, I too visited the Upper Realm back then. I received guidance from the successive ancestors and even met those of the Thirteen Great Houses! You have no such power to interfere in Yan Clan matters!"
Disappointment crossed Yang Bi's face. He shook his head.
"This concerns the Thirteen Great Houses and the very survival of West Ox New Continent! It's not merely your personal affair, nor just the Yan Clan's! Why else would the Upper Realm dispatch me?"
Wei Yue stepped up beside him and sneered.
"Pray tell, what have I done wrong?"
Yang Bi replied.
"First off, Immortal Capital has been infiltrated by Despair Slope. A Despair Slope expert has been monitoring you—your every move is an open book to them. This time, you laid an ambush to assassinate the three Judges under Yama, but they detected it. They drew in Chen Shi and the Stele Carver to shatter your plans and foil you."
Wei Yue's expression shifted dramatically.
"You're saying a Despair Slope expert used the Sky Listeners to lure Chen Shi and the Stele Carver away from the Yan Clan's encirclement? This wasn't mere happenstance?"
"Of course not." Yang Bi gazed into the distance. "The Thirteen Great Houses have operated in the underworld for so long—Despair Slope must have noticed and sent agents to probe. Your failure to seize Yama Hall all these years? I'd wager they played no small part. These past days, I held back from your feud with Chen Shi precisely to flush this one out. And now, I've pinpointed his hiding spot."
Wei Yue followed his gaze and saw ghost gods converging from every direction toward a single Yuan Chen Palace.
That Yuan Chen Palace was wrapped in chains and sealed layer upon layer, isolated from the other palaces.
"You're saying that Despair Slope interloper is hiding in Chen Shi's Yuan Chen Palace?" Wei Yue blurted out.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a little yaksha burst from Chen Shi's Yuan Chen Palace—one hand gripping a bucket, the other a staff, a small bundle slung over its shoulder. It kicked over a ghost god and bolted for escape.
Wei Yue stared in stunned silence.
The horde of ghost gods gave chase. Along the way, Sky Listeners swooped in repeatedly to obstruct them, allowing the little yaksha to slip free from the encirclement!
Wei Yue flew into a rage and shot into the air.
"I'll kill him!"
Yang Bi's voice rang out.
"I let him go on purpose."
Wei Yue froze midair, then whirled on him in fury.
"Why release him? He's thwarted my grand designs time and again. This time, he even roped in Chen Shi and the Stele Carver to sabotage everything! Otherwise, I'd already be Yama King!"
Yang Bi replied calmly.
"The Heavenly Change is still unfolding. The Thirteen Great Houses and Despair Slope haven't fully broken yet. What's the point in killing one Despair Slope expert? It would only endanger us. We strike against Despair Slope only when the Heavenly Change peaks."
Wei Yue asked.
"How did you uncover the Despair Slope agent hiding in Chen Shi's Yuan Chen Palace?"
Yang Bi explained.
"I was sent to Immortal Capital to investigate why the Yan Clan still hasn't taken Yama Hall. I spotted Sky Listeners moving about, so I surmised Despair Slope had gotten wind of your moves.
"The Sky Listeners had to make contact with Despair Slope to relay intelligence, so rather than seek you out directly, I observed them closely. I noticed many lingering near Chen Shi's Yuan Chen Palace.
"But Chen Shi wasn't there those days. Thus, the Despair Slope agent had to be inside."
Wei Yue murmured.
"Chen Shi's Yuan Chen Palace houses only a little yaksha for cleaning... So that little yaksha was the Despair Slope agent... Yang Shao Hu, I wasn't convinced of you before, but today I am!"
He offered Yang Bi a deep bow to the ground.
"I'm utterly convinced, in heart and word. Command me as you will from here on!"
Yang Bi smiled.
"Then I'll give you an order for real."
Wei Yue grew solemn.
"Shao Hu, speak!"
Yang Bi said.
"You're a living Yin Commander with formidable cultivation. Return to the yang world at once and pursue the Calamity Beast from there. Intercept it before it seizes Chen Shi!"
Wei Yue's face flickered with indecision.
"If I fail to capture Chen Shi, it'll tarnish my name. When I inherit the Yama King's throne, this will be my eternal shame... Fine, I'll do it! But even if I stop the Calamity Beast, Chen Shi won't simply let bygones be bygones!"
Yang Bi smiled.
"I'll go meet Chen Shi."
Wei Yue launched into the air at once, transforming into a gust of yin wind that vanished without a trace.
Yang Bi watched him head back to the yang world, shook his head, and murmured.
"Brother Wei, you're truly unfit to be Yama King. Your one saving grace is obedience—which is why I held back from forcing the Yan Clan to replace its leader."
He boarded a colorful cloud palanquin drawn by azure birds. Their wings beat, lifting it aloft.
As the palanquin set off, the ghost god guards stationed at Yuan Chen Hall mobilized en masse to escort it.
These ghost god guards served two purposes: ensuring his safety, and—if Young Lord Wei Yue proved disobedient—slaying him outright in Yuan Chen Hall to install a new Yan Clan figurehead over Immortal Capital's affairs.
Yang Bi acted with the Upper Realm's vast authority; he could strike first and report later.
"Time to pay Chen Shi a visit."
Inside the colorful cloud palanquin, Yang Bi gazed at the scenery outside: dismal yin clouds and thick demonic vapors. He murmured.
"Born a hero among men, dead a hero among ghosts. That kid scholar stirred up quite the storm in the underworld back then... Is this Innate Dao Embryo mere embellishment? Would the kid scholar without it still be so formidable?"
In the yang world, Chen Shi and Blackie Pot raced onward. Unbeknownst to them, the moon had vanished, replaced by the sun hanging high amid dawn glow brighter than fire—vivid crimson light bathing the icefield, turning frost to red blossoms adorning every branch.
After a full night of flight, they had reached the edge of the Northern Frontier Icefield. Chen Shi had learned from the ferryman's family's failure and made no stops along the way.
The ferryman and his kin had been nabbed by the pursuing Yin Messengers because they halted at night to rest. That let the Calamity Beast overtake them; they tumbled into the underworld unawares and were captured.
Any pause risked the Calamity Beast catching up.
The Calamity Beast raced through the underworld while they fled in the yang world. The geographies didn't align—one li in yang equated to hundreds or even thousands in the underworld!
So long as their pace held, the Calamity Beast couldn't catch them.
But running through the night was grueling, especially for Blackie Pot after a night of brutal combat—it was spent beyond moving.
"Blackie Pot, get into my little temple. Eat something and rest first!"
Chen Shi said.
Blackie Pot knew it couldn't last. A beam of light shone from Chen Shi's little temple, drawing it inside.
Chen Shi produced some exotic beast meat, but Blackie Pot managed only half before collapsing into sleep.
Still immature, it had battled Immortal Capital's horde of demon gods through the night—utterly exhausted.
Chen Shi circulated the Firmament Emperor Scripture while running, his speed undiminished.
Nine Heavens unfurled behind his head, spinning ceaselessly. Heaven and earth righteous qi transformed into supremely pure primal energy, endlessly refining into him. He gulped down dry rations and shoveled handfuls of snow for stamina.
His primal soul entered the second little temple behind his head. His mother gazed at him, her voice soft.
"Tired?"
She refrained from showing excessive worry, lest she burden her son.
"Not at all."
Chen Shi smiled.
"Mom, just a few more days, and we'll be home. Everything there is just as we left it—untouched."
Mother and son chatted a while before Chen Shi's primal soul returned to the first little temple. There lay Lady Shiji upon the Divine Shrine, twitching now and then.
The Yin Messengers' lantern light had scorched her fiercely. Lady Shiji was originally a stone sprite turned immortal cultivator—long steeped in spiritual qi until it awakened her intellect, leading her to demonic immortality. Minor success brought demon-subduers down upon her.
Later sealed as a deity, she walked the divine path, but her primal soul remained the same.
Extraordinary might could forge a divine body, no matter how robust, but it couldn't elevate the primal soul.
She had devoured nearly half the power of the Fire and Earth Judges; true form restoration was near. Yet her primal soul remained her weakness.
Chen Shi propped her up to sit upon the Divine Shrine—that way, as he circulated the Firmament Emperor Scripture, he could also mend her primal soul wounds.
But Lady Shiji twitched and toppled over again, convulsions resuming.
"Look after her a bit."
Chen Shi said to the white-clad immortal maiden on another Divine Shrine.
The white-clad immortal maiden nodded vigorously.
Chen Shi's primal soul placed Blackie Pot upon his own Divine Shrine, regulating its qi and blood. He plucked spirit herbs to smear over Blackie Pot's wounds, tending the injuries from last night.
Abruptly, Blackie Pot's eyes snapped open. It jolted awake from slumber, ears pricking up as if hearing something.
Tense beyond measure, its black fur bristled all over.
Chen Shi's heart lurched. He blurted.
"Another big Black Pot closing in?"
Blackie Pot nodded emphatically, leaped from the Divine Shrine, dashed out of the little temple, and bounded into the outside world.
Chen Shi's primal soul settled into the Divine Shrine, pushing his cultivation to the limit. He activated the second new talisman, thunder light flashing beneath Blackie Pot's feet as they shot into the sky!
Riding wind and thunder, his speed was several times greater. Thunderbolts streaked across the sky in succession—Chen Shi had already carried Blackie Pot over a hundred li!
"Blackie Pot, keep watch all around. Don't let it mess with my mind!"
Chen Shi shouted.
Man and dog streaked through the thunder light, hurtling toward their home village. But wielding wind and thunder drained him immensely; he couldn't sustain it long.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. Yin winds howled, dismal clouds breeding ghostly sorrow. Chen Shi's heart jolted. He felt unaffected, but Blackie Pot beside him barked frantically, signaling otherwise.
"I'm done for. Can't tell real from illusion anymore."
Chen Shi hung rigid in midair, afraid to budge. He couldn't discern up from down, left from right—underworld from yang world, or what lurked nearby.
Rash movement meant likely death.
Blackie Pot strained against the terrifying consciousness, to no avail—it couldn't match it!
In the bleak sky, two enormous eyes slowly materialized, fixing on Chen Shi and Blackie Pot.
The Calamity Beast's colossal form gradually filled their vision. Astride its back, hundreds of Yin Messengers—each hundreds of zhang tall—yanked desperately at chains to restrain it.
Just as the Calamity Beast lunged, a distant voice boomed.
"Calamity Beast, halt!"
Chen Shi turned toward the sound, gaze going slack. Young Lord Wei Yue was hurtling straight at them, interposing himself between Chen Shi and the Calamity Beast!
"I must be under the Calamity Beast's influence!"
Chen Shi thought.
"How could Wei Yue possibly save me?"
The thought had barely formed when the immense Calamity Beast raised a foreclaw and swatted Wei Yue away.
Wei Yue spewed blood, tumbling end over end through the air, mind blank.
"Why did the Calamity Beast strike me?"
Chen Shi witnessed it and thought.
"Yep, definitely under the Calamity Beast's sway!"
The behemoth surged forward undeterred—even hundreds of Yin Messengers couldn't hold it. Titanic demonic qi crashed over them, pinning Chen Shi and Blackie Pot immobile.
Suddenly, from Chen Shi's little temple, his mother's soul drifted down, positioning itself before Chen Shi and Blackie Pot. She gently raised a hand.
"Calamity Beast, you've found your son. I've found mine too."
She said softly.
The Calamity Beast lowered its head, its massive cranium brushing her palm ever so lightly.