Chapter 87: The Container
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
Qing Wa, a boy of small stature and dark, thin appearance, was riddled with scars. Each mark on his body was evidence of an endless cycle of injuries, new wounds layering upon the old. He was the leader of a ragtag group of street children, who often scavenged for food in nearby towns. If begging yielded no results, they resorted to petty theft, though such attempts frequently ended with them receiving brutal beatings.
At this moment, Qing Wa sat nervously in the modest cottage belonging to Kuang Cheng. His dark eyes flitted cautiously towards the man seated before him.
“Qing Wa,” Kuang Cheng began, his tone calm and steady, “There is something I wish to ask you. Will you answer honestly?”
The boy hesitated, deep in thought, before finally nodding. Despite his young age, Qing Wa had long learned the ways of the world. After years of scraping by on the streets, he had developed a keen sense of discerning the good from the wicked. He could tell that Kuang Cheng was no ordinary man. For days, Kuang Cheng had been distributing porridge and even sought a physician to treat the boy’s injuries. Such acts of kindness softened Qing Wa’s usual wariness.
Seeing his nod, Kuang Cheng pointed to the beast bone pendant dangling from the boy’s neck. “This pendant—where did you get it?”
Qing Wa’s gaze flickered with a trace of panic as he clutched the pendant. “I… I found it,” he stammered. “I picked it up…”
“Where exactly?”
“At the entrance to our village.” His voice dropped to a murmur.
Kuang Cheng reached out, gently ruffling the boy’s messy hair. “You saw the young man who came to see you earlier? The one looking for his younger sister? Your pendant resembles hers. Qing Wa, I believe you are a good child. You fight because you want your brothers to have full bellies, don’t you?”
Qing Wa’s silence stretched for a long moment before he looked up, his voice halting. “That day… a lot of carriages stopped on the open field near our village.”
Kuang Cheng inhaled deeply, straightening in his chair. “And then?”
“We know big carriages like those usually belong to merchant caravans. There’s always food in them, so we decided to steal some. But after searching several, we found no food.”
The boy’s expression darkened with palpable fear, and his frail shoulders trembled as he continued. “On the fourth carriage, we pulled back the tarp… and saw a bunch of strange children…”
Ji You, who had been keeping watch by the door, turned sharply at these words. If Qing Wa had truly stumbled upon the pendant rather than stealing it, the trail would be cold. However, his mention of children piqued their interest—they had been searching for missing infants.
Kuang Cheng exchanged a glance with Ji You, then refocused on Qing Wa. “What do you mean by ‘strange children’?”
“Their skin was red, like they had been boiled. Their eyes were wide open, their teeth sharp, and black smoke came out of their nostrils. They didn’t cry or make a sound. They looked dead, but they were still breathing.”
Qing Wa’s limited education left him struggling to articulate his horrifying observations, but even his crude descriptions sent shivers down Kuang Cheng’s spine. The grotesque imagery left both men in a stunned silence.
Ji You broke the tension. “Did you take the pendant from one of those children?”
“Yes,” Qing Wa admitted, lowering his head. “The others were scared. They said those babies were cursed creatures born from the mountains. But I’m their leader. If I show fear, they’ll lose respect for me. So I took the pendant from one of them to prove I wasn’t afraid.”
Kuang Cheng’s voice was low. “And the carriages? Where did they go?”
“They only stayed by the village entrance for one night. The next morning, they were gone.”
Ji You frowned, recalling the strange black aura he had sensed earlier. He asked, “Qing Wa, when you grabbed the pendant, did you touch the children’s bodies?”
“I… I touched one by accident,” the boy admitted, his voice trembling.
Kuang Cheng fell silent, his thoughts consumed by the unsettling revelations. Ji You, however, wasted no time. He escorted Hu Wa back beyond the city walls and then took Kuang Cheng to a nearby bookstore, where they purchased a map of Central Prefecture. Maps had become commonplace ever since news of an immortal opportunity emerging from the Qiling Ruins.
The two men settled at a table in the bookstore, scrutinizing the map. When they traced the relative positions of the Qiling Mountain Range’s entrance, the Red Mountain Mine, and the Whitewater River, Ji You’s brow remained furrowed.
“White River Village is on the southern side, far from where I entered the mountains,” Ji You mused. “It’s not on the usual route into the range.”
Kuang Cheng pondered this for a long moment. “Could there be another path?”
Ji You shook his head, deep in thought. His mind pieced together fragments of memories. When he and Yuan Chen had gone to rescue Yuan Cai Wei, they had seen carriages from the Wild Goose Relay Station on the northern slopes of the central mountain. This confirmed that the infants had been transported via the northern entrance. Still, he trusted Qing Wa was not lying.
Under the sudden inquiry, it was impossible for anyone, let alone a mere child, to fabricate such a cohesive tale. From this reasoning, the strange infants seen by Qing Wa were not being sent in, but rather being transported out.
If the children entered the place as ordinary infants and came out in the condition Qing Wa described, what did that signify?
Ji You’s trip to Qiling had left him with one major suspicion: everything seemed to have ended after that demonic cultivator’s failed ascension. Yet, the matter of the infants lingered, disconnected from the main thread of events.
At first, he assumed that the infants were taken to refine pills, but Yuan Cai Wei’s alchemy furnace bore no trace of blood or carnage, and she had never encountered any infants. It wasn’t until now that he realized the infants were first sent into the mountains, only to be brought back out later.
The Ruins of Ancient Times must hold celestial fate—perhaps something older and more primordial, originating from the Primordial Remnant Race. Otherwise, that demonic cultivator, lacking any Daoist lineage, could never have possessed the power to storm the gates of immortality.
The descendants of esteemed clans who intruded upon the ruins repeatedly broke through cultivation barriers, which served as further proof. However, it became apparent later that neither celestial fate nor spiritual treasures could be taken out of the ruins. For instance, the vermilion fruit Ji You retrieved from within, even when stored inside a storage gourd, exploded into black ash upon leaving the area.
Yet, based on Qing Wa’s account, someone must have discovered a way to smuggle items out. The missing infants were very likely the containers.
As Ji You examined the map marking Clan Zheng’s location, the threads in his mind began to weave together. Before the Heavenly Script Academy reopened the Red Mountain Mine, it had been under Clan Zheng’s control. Through the accidentally breached mine tunnels, they had inadvertently unlocked the ruins and glimpsed its mysterious celestial fortune. But upon realizing it couldn’t be extracted, their unwillingness to give up drove them to countless experiments. Eventually, they discovered the use of infants.
Ji You didn’t know the exact nature of these experiments but was certain they were nothing an ordinary mind could endure. One way or another, they succeeded. Those infants were most likely sent to Clan Zheng.
Yan Shu Yi had mentioned that Clan Zheng imprisoned numerous malignant beings capable of speech, though how these were used remained unknown. The infants that served as containers carried lethal poison—Qing Wa, who stole from them, became contaminated.
Subsequently, someone removed an item not belonging to this world from the ruins. This caused the malignant beings to break free from the ruins’ constraints, leading to chaos that drew the attention of the immortal sects. When it became clear the truth couldn’t be concealed, Clan Ancestor Zheng orchestrated a grand scheme of immolation by karmic flames, creating an unprecedented catastrophe.
“Brother Ji, have you thought of something?” Kuang Cheng’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
After a brief moment of reflection, Ji You shook his head. “No, nothing at all.”
“Do you think Hu Wa’s sister might still be alive?”
“Hu Wa’s sister is likely already dead. This matter should end here…”
Kuang Cheng raised his gaze to look at Ji You. He knew Ji You well enough to be certain that this wasn’t his true nature. Even if he lacked the cultivation to intervene, Ji You would have at least cursed a few times upon hearing Qing Wa’s story. Yet, his demeanor now was unusually calm, using phrases like “end here.”
After a long hesitation, Kuang Cheng chose not to press further. He trusted his friend, the same Young Master Ji who had once spat blood at Yuyang County’s gates yet spoke with fervor about life and death. If Ji You chose not to disclose something, it meant he deemed it inappropriate for others to know.
In truth, Kuang Cheng’s instincts were correct. He was no fool, and Ji You was equally perceptive. Even if the idea of infants as containers was merely conjecture, it was too dangerous to let anyone know.
The allure of Immortality was simply too great. Observing the descendants of noble families, despite knowing the dangers, still flocking like moths to a flame, it was clear—these people would do anything for the chance at such destiny. If one Clan Zheng could arise in the Azure Clouds Dominion, surely there would be a second.
Kuang-Cheng was, at heart, a reckless idealist, often meddling in local disputes even back in Yuyang County. Should he learn of this matter, he would inevitably entangle himself in the struggles of cultivators. But he was still a mere mortal, without even the slightest cultivation to shield him.
No one must know of this matter—not even him.
Ji-You didn’t have many true friends in this world, but Kuang-Cheng was one of the few. Though sometimes rigid and overly moralistic, his integrity was admirable. Ji-You thought back to last autumn when Kuang-Cheng, despite having no ties to Clan Qiu, tirelessly sought his help and even pleaded with Clan Fang for support. If he discovered Ji-You’s suspicions, he would undoubtedly rush headlong into danger.
This was far too perilous, and Ji-You wouldn’t let him lose his life over it.
The only relief in recent months was the disappearance of the infant abduction cases in the capital. Ji-You could only hope that Clan Ancestor Zheng’s ascension attempt would fail, burying the legacy of the Ruins forever. Perhaps then, no one else would covet such relics, and the world might find some semblance of peace.
“Immortality… is it truly so desirable?” Kuang-Cheng murmured as he gazed at the somber sky.
Ji-You pondered briefly before replying, “Immortality grants longevity. To taste the power for long enough is to desire eternity.”
Kuang-Cheng continued staring at the heavens, his expression pensive. “Why don’t they cherish this mortal realm they already possess?”
“Because they can ascend to the Immortal Realm and gain boundless freedom. It’s no different than villagers dreaming of life in the city.”
Ji-You rose to his feet and stretched. “Didn’t we agree? Once we both returned safely, we’d share a meal.”
Kuang-Cheng snapped out of his reverie and looked up. “Today?”
“Why not today? Invite Miss Wei and Yuan-Chen to join us.”
Kuang-Cheng hesitated. “Miss Wei is but a passing acquaintance. For three men to invite her alone might seem improper, especially if others see us.”
Ji-You smirked. “Then ask Miss Wei to bring a female companion.”
Kuang-Cheng fiddled with the beast bone pendant from Qing-Wa, squeezing it in his palm. “I’ll check on Hu-Wa first, then speak with Miss Wei and ask her to invite a friend.”
Ji-You waved dismissively. “Forget it. I’ll have Yuan-Chen’s elder sister accompany her instead.”
“Huh?” Kuang-Cheng blinked. “Ji-Brother, you truly plan to marry two women? Then again, it’s hardly unusual here in the Azure Clouds Dominion. The daughter of the Pill Sect Master as your principal wife, and the celestial maiden who visited the other day as your concubine—it seems you’d have the best of both worlds, and even earn the Pill Sect’s favor to heal the common folk.”
Ji-You shot him a glance, silently cursing [You don’t know a damn thing.]
By rank alone, there was likely no woman in this world more exalted than Yan-Shu-Yi. Even Yuan-Cai-Wei couldn’t compare. To make her a concubine? Hah, my mortal frame wouldn’t survive the retaliation from Spirit Sword Mountain.
Besides, did Yan-Shu-Yi seem like the type to settle as someone’s concubine? She’d sooner kick me to death.
Still, it was better not to disclose Yan-Shu-Yi’s identity to Kuang-Cheng. Otherwise, the scholar might start begging him to share her gifts for the sake of the people. Kuang-Cheng likely thought marrying these two women would secure Ji-You the backing of two powerful sects—an investment needing nothing more than his mortal body.
But Ji-You had other reasons for his change of plans.
Wei-Rui was likely the granddaughter of Wei-Li. A few days ago, when Ji-You ventured beyond the city walls to find Kuang-Cheng, he encountered a group of noble youths from the capital. He overheard their conversations: one was a princess from Prince Chong’s Mansion, and another—a man Ji-You unceremoniously knocked from his horse—was the son of the Minister of Revenue.
Considering Wei-Rui’s surname, her identity was all but certain.
Kuang-Cheng now served in the Immortal Overseer Office, a staunch enemy of the pro-immortal faction. A meeting between them under such circumstances would undoubtedly end poorly. Kuang-Cheng, too timid to even ask for Wei-Rui’s name, probably hadn’t realized this yet.
Back when Minister Wei held unparalleled influence, he was the symbol of the Immortal Sect’s intrusion into Great Xia’s imperial court. Ji-You feared Kuang-Cheng’s naive courage might drive him to risk everything, including his life, to oppose them.
But now, with the Immortal Sect and noble clans locked in mutual suspicion and the pro-immortal faction’s crumbling influence, such efforts were futile. Still, first love was a powerful thing, and Ji-You had no idea how to break this news to him.