Qian Li seemed to think Qiu Hong had compromised too quickly and stared at him for quite a while.
Qiu Hong said, “You need to release him first.”
If it had been Cheng Jingbai, Qiu Hong, Zhou Xiang, or even Lin Xiao who had attacked Qian Li, he might have hesitated and not killed them immediately before resurrection.
But it happened to be Li Bushuo, someone he had no connection with.
“Do you care so much about others’ lives?” Qian Li frowned and asked, “Especially someone who isn’t even on your side.”
Qiu Hong looked back at him, puzzled, pointing at Cheng Jingbai: “Even if I don’t care, haven’t you already threatened Cheng Jingbai? He cares, so he’ll take action. In a fight between Earth Ghosts, they could easily end up killing each other.”
The Life Meridian is only triggered in near-death states, so Earth Ghosts can only see the existence of the Life Meridian in those who are near death, even Pilgrims are the same.
Therefore, at the moment of approaching death or dying, the Life Meridian appears extremely fragile to those who can see it—one touch and it shatters.
Cheng Jingbai smiled with false pleasantness: “You make it sound like I’ll take action.”
Qiu Hong said, “As long as they’re not Earth Ghosts whose humanity has been stripped by the Divine Oracle, anyone might take action for those they care about.”
Qian Li stared at Qiu Hong and asked: “Where is Sui Qiusan?”
Many eyes turned to Qiu Hong, waiting for his answer.
Qiu Hong: “I told you, release him first.”
Qian Li withdrew his hand, letting Li Bushuo fall unconscious.
Qiu Hong lowered his hands and replied frankly: “Inside the Wandering Ghost Region.”
His answer was unexpected.
“I’m not lying to you.” Qiu Hong gently rubbed the mouth of his gourd with his fingers—a small unconscious habit that Qian Li had known since their time in Nan Que, so he paid no attention to it.
“This time, he went to the Wandering Ghost Region ahead of us. What needs to be done next can be accomplished by him alone, or rather, only he can do it.”
Qiu Hong looked at Qian Li, seemingly both provocative and roguish: “If you’re determined to kill him, why not ask the Wandering Ghost Clan you’re cooperating with if they’ve seen him?”
“Speaking of which, I’m curious—do you know what the Wandering Ghost Clan and the Calligraphy Saint plan to do next?” Cheng Jingbai looked toward Qian Li after calming himself. “Or perhaps you also want to kill all Earth Ghosts and create a world without them?”
“If it were truly possible to create a world without Earth Ghosts, I wouldn’t refuse.” Qian Li answered calmly. “What I know is that what Sui Qiusan plans to do next is create a world with only Earth Ghosts, which means he will kill everyone who isn’t an Earth Ghost.”
“You’re wrong. His desire for a world with only Earth Ghosts doesn’t necessarily mean killing everyone else.” Qiu Hong said with rare seriousness. “Killing people doesn’t necessarily mean the demise of their physical bodies; when everyone becomes an Earth Ghost, ‘humans’ as we know them will cease to exist.”
“So he’s going to expose the truth about the world.”
Qian Li found Qiu Hong’s description of Sui Qiusan difficult to understand, even laughable. Beyond the humor, he felt anger. “A man who manipulated his wife and clan members, causing her family to be destroyed and her to die in pain and regret, a man who killed all clan members in front of his son—you hold him in such high regard? Anyone who didn’t know better would think Sui Qiusan was the father of you Earth Ghosts.”
These sarcastic words made Xue Yin and others frown with displeasure, but Qiu Hong showed no anger.
“If you could remember, what you should remember most is that your father, Sui Qiusan, died many years ago.” Qiu Hong said calmly. “This is the last time I’ll tell you this. I hope that after the Divine Oracle is destroyed and you remember, you’ll understand that the father who loved you in your memories died the day he was discovered by the Divine Oracle.”
“The Sui Qiusan you hate is merely a shell consumed by the resentment of thousands of Earth Ghosts who died over centuries, driven to rebel against the Divine Oracle.”
“He is not your father, but as you said, he’s very much like the father of Earth Ghosts.”
Sui Qiusan protected Earth Ghosts, allowing them to survive in this world. Those Earth Ghosts who couldn’t remember the world’s truth, who were unwilling to join his fight against the Divine Oracle, could hide their identities under his protection and live ordinary, peaceful lives.
But no matter how many times Qiu Hong explained, Qian Li couldn’t remember until the Divine Oracle was destroyed.
*
Inner City of the Wandering Ghost Region.
From the top of a pavilion halfway up the mountain, one could see thousands of lights illuminating the city below.
Princess Chang Xi sat silently by the window. Her Star Meridian was sealed, preventing her from using her power to leave. Her daily activities were confined to the pavilion.
Sitting opposite her, Fang Hui sensed a familiar fluctuation of stellar power and looked outside with concern.
“Is it Qian Li?” Chang Xi looked out the window and asked, “I heard from your previous conversation that he’s also coming here to find his father.”
Fang Hui said, “Whenever it involves his father, he seems to become a different person.”
“Indeed, those harboring hatred find it difficult to act as if nothing happened.” Chang Xi looked back at Fang Hui and said, “I’m like that now, too.”
Fang Hui lowered his head, the light in his eyes dimming: “I’m sorry.”
Chang Xi smiled slightly, shaking her head: “For years, I kept wondering why you ignored me, whether I had done something wrong, and what I would do if I lost you.”
“Living in such anxiety was quite unbearable.”
Fang Hui couldn’t respond to these words.
Chang Xi continued: “Now I understand that I wasn’t the one who did wrong, nor am I the one who needs forgiveness. Though I’ve still lost you, it doesn’t hurt as much as I imagined.”
When Fang Hui realized it was he who had discovered the Empress’s identity as an Earth Ghost, causing her death on the way to find Chang Xi, he knew there was an unbridgeable chasm between him and Chang Xi.
With more events unfolding afterward, it became increasingly difficult for him to face Chang Xi.
“I only remembered many things after coming to the Wandering Ghost Clan.” Fang Hui said softly. “Chang Xi, if I had remembered earlier, I wouldn’t have left the imperial capital that way. I would have taken you with me.”
“No matter where you went, Father would have found you and brought you back.” Chang Xi said gently. “Whether in the past or now, you’ve always been the most important person to him.”
Fang Hui opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but remained silent.
He looked up at Chang Xi with complicated emotions.
“He would find me because I’m an indispensable tool, an existence that can fulfill his ideal world.” Fang Hui said. “Yet I mistakenly believed he was my father.”
Fang Hui now understood that the man who had protected someone as a father had never been protecting him, but Chang Xi.
Two shadows appeared outside the door. The visitors knocked to announce themselves—two white-robed Earth Ghosts wearing golden cracked masks.
Fang Hui stood up and said, “No matter how much you hate him, he will never kill you.”
Chang Xi glanced outside: “Since coming here, I’ve learned that those Earth Ghosts who have lost their humanity have become slaves to the Wandering Ghost Clan, serving them. What do you and Father plan to do next?”
Fang Hui turned to leave, laughing self-mockingly: “Next… I’m going to settle matters with my Word Meridian.”
Chang Xi’s expression froze slightly at these words. Watching Fang Hui leave and the door close again, she lowered her gaze to look at her open palm.
That night, she had been affected by the Heart Meridians of two people—Ming Li and Emperor Wen Xiu. Her emotions had been provoked and amplified, making it difficult to control herself.
After that moment of anger subsided, Chang Xi began to question herself: Do you want to kill the Calligraphy Saint?
*
The bright moonlight cast tree shadows on the mountain walls. As the night breeze passed through, it stirred the branches and leaves that seemed to bid farewell. Fang Hui, being led away by the white-robed Earth Ghosts, descending from the high pavilion, caught sight of two silhouettes standing on the distant mountain path.
Qiu Lang didn’t wear a mask in the Wandering Ghost Region. He blocked the path and looked at Wu Liangli.
Wu Liangli glared back at him angrily: “You’re breaking your promise now. I’ve already helped you bring back Zixi, so why won’t you let me leave?”
Qiu Lang said, “The paths between the Wandering Ghost Region and the outside world are closed. The Ghost Plains are now filled with killing intent everywhere. You won’t make it out alone. When everything is over and the paths reopen, I won’t stop you if you want to leave.”
Wu Liangli looked up at him, her bright eyes faintly reflecting the moonlight: “Qiu Lang, you need to understand that if you hadn’t threatened my grandmother and if you hadn’t released me from that coffin back then, I wouldn’t have helped you capture Zixi.”
Qiu Lang replied indifferently: “If there had been anyone else whose array-setting speed could match his, I wouldn’t have sought you out.”
“Since I can’t leave now, take me to see Zixi.” Wu Liangli said. “I only know you two here. You’ve become quite unlikable, and I don’t want to see you. Let me see Zixi instead.”
Qiu Lang’s eye twitched slightly at her words. He turned silently, and Wu Liangli followed behind him, walking toward Resentment Tower Mountain.
Mountain flowers swayed, releasing a faint fragrance in the cold night. Along the way, Qiu Lang asked as if casually: “How have you been all these years? I never thought you would agree to this for an old woman who’s nearly dead.”
“She’s my grandmother who took me in, taught me many things, and gave me the flower fields at home. In our early years, we earned money together and opened many shops in the south.” Wu Liangli said as they walked. “I worked hard to make money so she could live a good life. Now she finally doesn’t need to work in the fields anymore and can just lie at home counting money.”
“Before, I was always busy in the flower fields day and night, worrying about my grandmother’s medicine costs. Now I just want her to spend her final days in peace, so you’d better not harm her.”
Qiu Lang snickered: “With your abilities, you could easily accomplish many things, yet you chose to seal your Star Meridian power and live as an ordinary person. I heard that when you first opened your shop, quite a few people came to cause trouble, and you let yourself get beaten.”
“You haven’t lived in the south, so you don’t know how Earth Ghosts should hide themselves. The best way is to be an ordinary person, not exposing your Star Meridian power, not getting involved in cultivation.”
Wu Liangli said, “The Pilgrims in the south are very aggressive toward Earth Ghosts. If an Earth Ghost with awakened Star Meridian power is sent to Nan Que, death is certain. Before dying, they might even be used as substitute spirits for Nan Que disciples to practice on, teaching them how to deal with Earth Ghosts in the future.”
“Cultivators already attract more attention than ordinary people. I just want to live a peaceful life as an ordinary person, whether I grow old with time or die from illness. I just don’t want to die at the hands of Pilgrims.”
Wu Liangli looked up at Qiu Lang walking ahead and asked: “What about you? Have you forgotten how the Calligraphy Saint treated us? If he hadn’t captured us back then, the girl you loved wouldn’t have died. Why would you still cooperate with the Calligraphy Saint?”
Qiu Lang laughed coldly: “My partner isn’t the Calligraphy Saint, but Zhang Yuye.”
He paused as they reached the hillside path, turning back to look down at Wu Liangli. With the moonlight behind him, Qiu Lang’s entire face was hidden in darkness: “And who are you cooperating with?”
“Me?” Wu Liangli looked at him somewhat innocently.
Qiu Lang pointed at her: “You’ve been setting arrays all along this path. Isn’t it to find where Zixi is being held and pass that information out?”
Wu Liangli was slightly stunned at his words. The fingertips of her hands behind her back emitted star lines that flickered.
“To be honest, you agreed to capture Zixi under duress because it was just a shadow. Even if he wasn’t forcibly brought back, he would have recalled it himself.” Qiu Lang looked down at Wu Liangli from his higher position and said softly. “You might as well come with me, find where the true body is imprisoned, and then make your decision, right?”
“Eh.” Wu Liangli raised her hand to smooth her hair at the temples and smiled. “Is that what you think?”
“Is it because of that Bei Dou swordsman who helped solve your shop troubles?” Qiu Lang said with a half-smile. “You’re willing to stop me from killing Bei Dou people for that man. It seems you like him.”
Wu Liangli stepped back twice, looking up at him: “Who I like shouldn’t matter to you, should it?”
“You’re like Zixi, both deceived by those hypocrites, forgetting your past experiences and how humans treat Earth Ghosts.” Qiu Lang stared at Wu Liangli and said, “When that man learns you’re an Earth Ghost, do you think he’ll still love you?”