Chapter : 13
“We’ve already tried asking indirectly, but they’ve all unified their stories. They say their destined moment has arrived—many even abandoning their families to go cultivate.” Ling Xin let out a cold laugh. Leaning back in his chair, his fingertip supporting his chin, disdain flickered across his eyes. “Aren’t these sects afraid of lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet?”
Hearing this, Li Lingjiang curved her lips into a faint smile. “It’s all trouble of their own making. If it’s something we should intervene in, then we will. If it’s fate, then it’s not for us to alter.”
She raised a brow and blew lightly across her tea. “The human realm is a crucial link in maintaining the balance of the Six Realms. If they fall into chaos, no one will have an easy time. For now, we should first determine when this matter began, and how this group concluded that there must be a magical artifact within Bu Gui Mountain. As for the rest of the doubts, let’s set them aside for now.”
The four of them silently agreed. Compared to humans, they were all considered gods; their pride ran deeper, and their attitude toward mortals had always been one of indifference.
Li Lingjiang looked toward Yin Wu, who was idly stroking a dragon, and recalled something. She set down her cup. “Qi San, have you sensed any dead souls within Bu Gui Mountain? Yin Wu once said she had seen them.”
Qi San wore a black robe that covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of soul-stirring eyes. His voice was faint and drifting. “I haven’t sensed any yet. But since she would say so, I don’t mind trying.”
He extended his hand and formed a spell seal. Beneath the illusion, another bone finger emerged, inscribed with incantations. In an instant, an ethereal bell sound rang in everyone’s ears—chiming without wind, one note after another, as if toying with the heart. Chains gradually materialized in Qi San’s hand, six rusted bronze bells hanging from them, swaying ceaselessly. He murmured softly, “The path of ten thousand ghosts—heed my command!”
As his words fell, the bells shook violently, the rust rapidly peeling away to reveal a vivid, blood-red sheen beneath. Alongside the ringing came countless murmured sobs, sweeping in from all directions. The windows in the room did not move an inch, yet all of them could see the ghosts that were nearly filling the entire space!
Even Li Lingjiang couldn’t help but pause her breathing at the sight. This was the Soul Bell of the Ghost Realm. The six-finger summoning decree could not possibly be wrong.
Qi San immediately withdrew his spell, and everything around them returned to silence in an instant. He shot to his feet and said bluntly, “That’s impossible!”
It hadn’t been one or two—but hundreds, even thousands. As a regional overseer, how could he have been completely unaware?
Wu Zhi quietly stepped forward and pulled at him from the side, persuading gently, “Don’t get agitated. Perhaps someone under you made a mistake.”
“Impossible.” Qi San’s outer robe flared as he categorically denied it. “I conduct daily counts. How could there be an error?”
He sat down again, gripping the armrest until it creaked. “Your Excellency.”
Li Lingjiang closed her eyes. The situation had grown complicated once more. If this continued, it might even turn into an argument. With a flick of her fingers, the jade-bone fan shattered the teacup before her, which then vanished into nothing. She felt a tightening at her waist—the wound there constricting painfully—making her frown.
She rose to her feet and cast a stern gaze over them. The oppressive aura she once carried surged forth again. “My intention was only to confirm the matter. Since we now have a conclusion, I trust none of you believe this trip was in vain. Qi San, I trust you. As for the truth of it, neither you nor I know yet. The information we have aligns closely with what I’ve learned. I am somewhat fatigued. It’s late—let us rest. My residence is humble; I fear I must trouble you all to make do.”
By the time Li Lingjiang finished speaking, her face had turned noticeably pale. The stabbing pain at her waist intensified, forcing her to clutch her lower abdomen and bend over in pain. Ling Xin instinctively stepped forward to support her—but Yin Wu, appearing from nowhere, beat him to it.
Ling Xin’s hand froze midair before he withdrew it awkwardly. His gaze toward Yin Wu now carried an added layer of scrutiny.
Yin Wu met his look without fear. Her eyes turned cold, and a faint warning could be seen within them. “Your Excellency should rest. Her wound has been like this these past two days. I will take care of her—please rest assured.”
After saying this, she lowered her eyes to Li Lingjiang, whose consciousness was already beginning to blur from the pain. Drawing her closer into her embrace, she half-carried her back to the bed. With a sweep of her sleeve, she blocked the others’ view and let out a soft scoff.
Cradling Li Lingjiang’s face, she looked deeply concerned for her condition—yet said, “Your Excellency, you forgot to change my medicine. It hurts so much.”
Her expression subtly dimmed as her gaze swept over Li Lingjiang’s lower back. Almost like a quiet murmur to herself, she sighed, “It seems many people like you. If not for me, how much longer would you have kept chatting?”
