Chapter Ninety-Eight: An Audience with the Sect Leader

Thud, thud, thud.

The sound of striking did not cease. Zhou Yi strode after Sophia, heading toward the mountain gate. As soon as they entered, they saw the woman in green, her hands bound, hanging from a tree. Something was stuffed in her mouth; she kept swinging her body, banging against a stone slab affixed to the trunk. It seemed she hoped the noise would draw someone’s attention.

Hearing footsteps, the woman in green glanced toward the gate. When she saw Zhou Yi and the others in their strange attire, her eyes widened in alarm. Yet with her mouth blocked, she could not speak; she only stared at them, wary and vigilant.

The Fat Man rubbed his hands together, moving closer. He grinned at Zhou Yi. "Boss, should I interrogate her, see what she knows?"

Sophia shot him a cold glance, and he immediately wilted. "Forget I said anything."

Zhou Yi stepped up to the woman in green and waved to Cheng Zhi, who hurried over to untie the ropes. She was freed and lowered to the ground. Before Zhou Yi could act, Sophia had already pulled whatever was stuffed from her mouth. The woman looked at the four of them, still on guard.

"Who are you to dare trespass on Mount Qingcheng? You truly do not know your place!"

Zhou Yi regarded her; obviously, she had no idea what had happened outside. He sighed softly. "Last night, the people of Mount Qingcheng followed the Black-robed Imperial Preceptor to hunt and kill the demonfolk. I assume you know about this?"

The woman in green nodded, an uneasy premonition in her eyes. With her hands still tied, she hopped closer to Zhou Yi, who continued, "The Black-robed Imperial Preceptor is Lady Shu, the favored concubine of the Liang Emperor. She used forbidden arts to control all the demonfolk—the living dead tribe—slaughtered most of the cultivators of Mount Qingcheng, as well as the imperial soldiers.

"The sect leader of Mount Qingcheng used his heart’s blood to consecrate his sword, activating the Demon Subduing Array, sealing everyone inside. He then killed all the living dead and the Black-robed Preceptor. When we arrived, he had only a breath left. He gave us a message, then faded into starry dust."

Zhou Yi’s voice grew heavier at the end. There was no one left who understood the secrets of the hexagram star. This woman, defiant as she was, seemed of low rank and could not know much, but as a survivor of the Mount Qingcheng lineage, she deserved the truth.

The woman in green was stunned, then shook her head repeatedly. "Impossible! How could it be? The Black-robed Preceptor is a woman? Lady Shu? My master would never activate the Demon Subduing Array unless there was no other choice, sacrificing all his disciples—you’re lying!"

She shouted the last word, then collapsed, crying, toward the valley, tears streaming like rain.

Zhou Yi sighed and motioned to Cheng Zhi, who stepped forward and cut the ropes from her hands and feet.

The woman in green rose and, with a few agile leaps, vanished. The Fat Man blinked. "She just ran off? What do we do now, search ourselves?"

Sophia glanced around. Pavilions and towers were everywhere—the architecture showed that Mount Qingcheng’s sect had flourished for many years and held great influence in Liang. If they searched every room, the four of them might need half a month. Staying that long was too dangerous. If the emperor sent people to investigate, or disciples of the Black-robed Preceptor came seeking vengeance, it would be like offering themselves up.

"It’s strange," Sophia mused, "that all of Mount Qingcheng’s members left. Not even a servant or novice stayed behind? Searching like this will take too long."

Zhou Yi understood Sophia’s point. The woman in green was on the verge of collapse; there was nothing left in the valley for her to see. Just then, her figure reappeared, leaping back, a paper crane in hand. She hurried up to Zhou Yi, scrutinized him, and with a twist of her hand, produced a green twig from her palm.

"Have you met my master?"

Zhou Yi nodded.

"Do you carry any token left by him?"

Zhou Yi paused, then took out the wordless jade pendant and held it up.

The woman in green drew near, Sophia moving behind Zhou Yi with a guarded look. She examined the jade pendant, exhaled deeply, then stepped back, dropped to one knee, and clasped her hands in salute.

"Ye Qing greets the fifty-second sect leader of Mount Qingcheng, ready to obey your commands."

Her gesture and address left Zhou Yi bewildered. He glanced at Sophia, uncertain how to respond. How had a simple visit turned into a greeting for the sect leader?

Sophia shook her head at him, clearly as lost as he was. Zhou Yi pressed his lips together; perhaps their sect had some secret method of passing down messages.

"Ye Qing, rise and speak," Zhou Yi said.

Ye Qing stood, hands at her sides, her former disdain gone, replaced by respect. "I merely passed through, witnessed the last battle between the old sect leader and the Black-robed Preceptor, and felt moved. I wanted to see if anyone remained, but leaving quickly is best. Since the Black-robed Preceptor was sent by the emperor, true or not, there’s no way to know. The court must have long intended to wipe out Mount Qingcheng. I have no wish to inherit your sect; I only feel a connection to the Demon Subduing Array."

Ye Qing raised her head, puzzled, looking at Zhou Yi. "The Demon Subduing Array is unique to Mount Qingcheng. It eradicates demons and all filth—the most powerful formation. Of course, its use sacrifices the one who wields it. Since the founding of our sect, only two people have ever activated it. How could you be connected to it?"

Zhou Yi sighed; it was impossible to explain. He unzipped his shirt, exposing the hexagram star on his chest.

"This mark appeared on me, along with many runes. I don’t know their meaning.

"When I saw the old sect leader use the Demon Subduing Array, the runes matched those that appeared when I received the mark. I wanted to ask him what they meant, but now…"

He couldn’t continue—not because the elder’s death grieved him, but because the path he’d just found had vanished before his eyes.

Ye Qing, holding the paper crane, bowed to Zhou Yi. "Since my master chose you to inherit Mount Qingcheng and foresaw what would follow, this is his arrangement. Please, sect leader, follow me."

Zhou Yi glanced at the paper crane. That must be the message Ye Qing referred to. If the old master knew all the fates, why didn’t he make other preparations? Or was it that the secrets of heaven could not be revealed?

He couldn’t fathom it, but followed Ye Qing toward the rear of the main hall. Each hall was filled with exquisite objects; the Fat Man couldn’t bear to blink. Cheng Zhi poked him quietly—his mouth was practically watering, and everyone knew what he was thinking.

The Fat Man blinked, resisting the urge to grab everything, and hurried after the group.

At the final room, Ye Qing pushed open the door. It was the most unremarkable of all, like a thatched hut, looking more like a woodshed than a chamber.

Zhou Yi followed without hesitation. Inside, there was only a meditation cushion. On the main wall hung a portrait of an elder, bearing a resemblance to the old sect leader. To the left, an inner room held a bed and a cabinet; only the room to the right was locked. Ye Qing approached, waved her hand, and the lock clicked open.

Behind the door was a wooden wall, covered with blocks of all sizes—no actual room.

Ye Qing looked at Zhou Yi. "Sect leader, only you may enter here. Within lies Mount Qingcheng’s centuries of legacy. You must solve the mechanism on the door to gain entry."

She glanced at Sophia and the others, signaling them to leave. This was not for their eyes.

Sophia said nothing and followed Ye Qing out. The Fat Man looked at Zhou Yi, shook his head, and left with Cheng Zhi. The door closed, leaving Zhou Yi alone.

He approached the wooden wall, examining it closely. It was made up of many blocks of various sizes, with a single gap on the far left, perfectly matching the jade pendant.

Realization dawned—it was a wooden puzzle mechanism. To solve it, he had to find the overlapping position.

Zhou Yi wasted no time, moving each block, the empty space shifting from left to top to right, but nothing changed on the back.

Thinking it over, he moved the gap to the center, aligning it with his own height. At last, with a soft click, a deeper slot appeared behind.

Zhou Yi’s eyes lit up.