“That bastard’s power comes from yin energy. He must have gone to absorb the yin energy of the nuns at the Emei Sect.”
“Th-then isn’t the Emei Sect in danger?”
“We need to move quickly, before anything happens to them.”
“Understood. I will gather our Daoists at once—”
Jeok Wigang shook his head.
“That would take too long. We can’t afford to waste even an hour. I’ll take only two of the people I brought with me.”
“Two, you say?”
Baek Un could already guess who he meant.
Among the people Jeok Wigang had brought, there were exactly two whom Baek Un sensed were stronger than himself.
“Then I’ll be going. The merchant company will have to impose upon your hospitality for a while.”
“Impose? What are you saying? After everything Qingcheng owes you, you could remain here for the rest of your life.”
“Ha ha. I appreciate the sentiment. Then I’ll be off.”
“The Way gives rise to nonaction. May fortune accompany you.”
Jeok Wigang flashed Baek Un a grin and vanished in an instant.
KWA-KWA-KWAAANG—
He had merely kicked off the ground, yet the tremendous force reshaped the surrounding terrain.
Startled, Baek Un stared in the direction Jeok Wigang had disappeared and repeatedly recited a Daoist invocation.
“The Way gives rise to nonaction. The Way gives rise to nonaction. Perfected Lord of Supreme Purity, please protect the peace of the martial world.”
*****
Red maple leaves gleamed as though they were aflame.
This was Mount Emei.
Following the clear peal of a distant bell through the mountain gate, one was greeted by ancient trees lining both sides of the path.
Below the gate, nuns in white robes diligently swept the stone steps.
It was an utterly peaceful scene.
Swish— swish—
With only the sound of brooms filling the air, one nun stopped sweeping and stared at something.
“Myeong Hye! Stop daydreaming and keep sweeping. We’re busy today.”
“Senior Sister So Hye, there’s something over there.”
“What could possibly be there? Honestly.”
Holding her broom, So Hye hurried over with quick little steps and looked in the direction Myeong Hye was pointing.
“Huh? What is that? It wasn’t there yesterday.”
“What do you think it is?”
“A wild animal must have torn up the ground during the night and died after something went wrong. Amitabha. May you be reborn in the Pure Land.”
Convinced it was an animal carcass, So Hye pressed her palms together and prayed for its peaceful rebirth.
Myeong Hye, however, sensed that something was wrong and approached it.
“Don’t go.”
“If it’s an animal carcass, we should at least bury it. It doesn’t look good to have a dead animal lying beside the road to the mountain gate.”
“That’s true. Wait, I’m coming too!”
So Hye followed Myeong Hye farther in.
After walking for a while, Myeong Hye abruptly stopped.
“What is it? Why did you stop?”
“Th-that....”
“Hm?”
“Th-there isn’t just one or two.”
“What are you talking about?”
Tilting her head, So Hye moved beside Myeong Hye.
“Wh-what is this?”
A shriek of horror burst from her lips.
It was so loud that the nearby nuns rushed over in alarm.
“What happened?”
“Are you all right?”
But So Hye did not hear them.
“What happened here...? There are animal carcasses everywhere!”
Everyone’s gaze followed So Hye’s trembling finger.
Dozens of deer lay there, their bodies black with decay. Here and there, mountain birds had fallen from the sky with their wings rotted away.
There were also dead squirrels and the carcasses of countless other animals, all decomposing and releasing a vile stench.
“H-hurry and report this to the Abbess! Quickly!”
“Yes!”
*****
The Emei Sect was thrown into chaos.
Countless animal carcasses had been discovered all over Mount Emei.
The sect’s senior nuns convened an emergency meeting, their expressions grave.
“They say every one of the animals died after having its life force drained away.”
“Their condition supposedly resembles victims of the Star-Absorbing Great Art.”
“The Star-Absorbing Great Art? Are you saying someone who practices that accursed demonic art is here on Mount Emei?”
“We do not know. It is merely a possibility.”
“Recently, the number of sick disciples in the sect has suddenly increased. Could that also be connected?”
“Hmm. If it is, then someone may be deliberately targeting the Emei Sect.”
“That is possible. We may already be under attack without even realizing it.”
“We must search every inch of Mount Emei and uncover the cause immediately.”
“There is clearly a serious problem on the mountain. Please grant us permission to form an investigation team.”
The Abbess of the Emei Sect nodded.
“Permission granted. Assemble an investigation team immediately and uncover the full truth behind this matter.”
“Yes!”
*****
The carcasses remained where they had been found.
The investigation began in earnest.
Experienced senior nuns of the Emei Sect carefully examined the dead animals.
“Hmm. There are no signs that their breathing was obstructed.”
“There are no cuts either.”
“Look at the skin. The surface has completely dried out. That happens when life force has been drained away.”
“So it really was the Star-Absorbing Great Art?”
“I do not understand. Why would someone come all the way here to use the Star-Absorbing Great Art...?”
“Would anyone who learned such an art be ordinary? It must be a practitioner of demonic arts.”
“But why would they do this to animals instead of people?”
“They were probably practicing.”
“Martial Aunt! If they practiced something so wicked here... does that mean they came specifically to target our Emei Sect?”
“I do not know. We will have to investigate further before drawing conclusions.”
“Senior Martial Aunt! Look over there. The mist is yellow.”
“It appears the corpse poison rising from the decaying bodies has mixed with the fog.... Wait. Corpse poison?”
The senior nun quickly turned to one of the disciples following behind her.
“You said the symptoms among those who fell ill at the parent sect resembled poisoning, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes.”
“Could they have inhaled this fog and been poisoned by corpse poison?”
“It is not impossible.”
“How do we detoxify corpse poison?”
“Hmm. We will probably need to summon an expert in poisons to determine that.”
“An expert in poisons?”
“We should request assistance from the Tang Family.”
Another senior nun immediately objected.
“Senior Sister! What are you saying? You intend to admit a man into grounds forbidden to men?”
“Is that truly important right now? Mount Emei is in danger!”
“Even so, we cannot break the taboo! We may request aid from the Tang Family, but we must refuse anyone who is not a woman!”
“Enough of this nonsense. The person I intend to summon is the Myriad Poison King. Only someone of his caliber could determine what is happening here.”
“No! I cannot accept it! A man entering this sacred place would be an act of blasphemy!”
“Do you intend to let Mount Emei die?”
“When did I ever say we should let Mount Emei die? I said men must not be permitted inside. You know as well as I do that this is a sacred mountain sustained by the pure hearts of women. The moment a man sets foot here, that purity will be shattered. Shattering that purity is what would truly kill Mount Emei!”
“This mountain will not collapse merely because a few men enter! Do you think so little of Mount Emei?”
“It may happen! Mount Emei has possessed powerful yin energy for generations. If the yang energy of men enters, the harmony may be disrupted and its power could become unstable.”
“You fool! Look at these dead animals. They are not all female. There are males among them as well! Male animals are no different from men, so how do you explain this?”
“Animals do not harbor lustful thoughts! Human lust is a corrupt energy. How could such corrupt yang energy possibly benefit Mount Emei?”
“Not every man harbors lustful thoughts! Even Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, whom we worship, is technically male!”
“That is a false image created by men! The Bodhisattva possesses no physical form! Moreover, the Bodhisattva’s yin and yang belong to the Dharma, while the yin and yang of men belong to desire! Allowing men inside would therefore defile Mount Emei.”
Her refusal to yield even slightly was exasperating.
“Then let us report everything to the Abbess and follow her decision.”
“Very well.”
*****
At the foot of Mount Emei, a pale man sat with an exhausted expression.
“Damn it. No matter how much energy I replenish, the pain won’t go away.”
He shuddered.
“I never want to meet that monster again.”
No matter how much he thought about it, he could not devise any way to defeat that monster.
And that monster would undoubtedly find this place soon.
Tormented by the fear that Jeok Wigang might appear at any moment, the Necromantic Divine Demon wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
He looked around regretfully.
“I really liked this place. Its yin energy is exceptionally strong....”
There was nothing he could do about it.
He would have to find another base.
But he would not simply leave.
In place of that damned monster, he would turn Mount Emei into hell before departing.
The Necromantic Divine Demon traveled throughout Mount Emei, setting up a formation.
Once the formation was complete, Mount Emei’s yin energy would reach its peak, destroying the mountain’s balance.
Once that balance collapsed, Mount Emei would become a mountain of the dead, filled with nothing but death.
“Ke ke ke. This is the last one. Soon, this will no longer be a sacred mountain. It will become a mountain overflowing with death.”
After completing the final formation, he took out a black crystal and placed it on top.
HUMMMMM—
The crystal rose into the air and began spinning.
The characters engraved into the ground lit up. Threads of faint lightning connected them to the crystal, then gradually intensified.
CRACKLE—
HUMMMMM—
As the lightning grew stronger, the characters shone more brightly.
“Kha ha ha ha! Beginning with Mount Emei, I will bring death upon all of Sichuan!”
He was reveling in triumph when—
“Damn. I’m a little late.”
Huh?
A familiar voice reached his ears.
Already?
Refusing to believe it, he turned his head.
Jeok Wigang stood there.
“H-how?”
“Undo what you just did.”
At Jeok Wigang’s words, the Necromantic Divine Demon scowled.
“Do you truly think I would?”
“No? Then I’ll make you.”
“Ke ke ke. You damned bastard! You will never dismantle this formation.”
“Aren’t you being a little too confident?”
“This is a cursed formation that no one but me can undo. Ke ke ke. And I have absolutely no intention of dismantling it for you. Not ever.”
A line of blood ran from the Necromantic Divine Demon’s mouth.
He had taken his own life.
“E-eternal glory... to the Lord of Heaven....”
The Necromantic Divine Demon slowly crumpled.
CLACK—
He felt someone catch him and looked up.
It was Jeok Wigang.
“Ke ke ke. You’re too late. I severed every blood vessel and qi vessel in my body. Watch carefully.... The one responsible for bringing death not only to Mount Emei, but to all of Sichuan... will be you....”
Jeok Wigang responded,
“Who gave you permission to kill yourself? If anyone kills you, it’ll be me.”
The irritation in Jeok Wigang’s voice delighted the Necromantic Divine Demon.
Even as he died, he laughed and mocked him.
“Ke ke ke. Too late.... No matter what you do... you cannot stop me from dying.”
“It’s not too late. I told you to restore everything first if you want to die. Do that, and I’ll kill you painlessly.”
What is this lunatic talking about?
I’m already dying.
His consciousness was fading.
It would all be over soon.
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