Chapter 40: The Secret of Immortality

Watching the ranks of the underworld soldiers slog tirelessly westward along the riverbank, Lu Xin’s expression grew grave. He decided not to follow any further. Their goal had always been to escape the city, and now that they were well beyond Xuanzhou, there was no need to risk themselves again. Besides, they had forced themselves to cover hundreds of miles within half an hour—even with the fox’s Wind Taming Spell, their bodies would soon be sapped of all strength.

Yue Buhui, hearing this, squinted into the distance, his expression tinged with hesitation. A part of him longed to know the entrance to the netherworld; after all, it concerned a vast secret of heaven and earth.

The Underworld, the Six Realms of Reincarnation.

In a sense, if the existence of the netherworld could be confirmed, then the immortal realm and the celestial court would surely exist as well. Since ancient times, the Daoist understanding of the Three Realms would thus be validated.

Lu Xin naturally understood Yue Buhui’s feelings, so he merely offered a suggestion, making no decision. As for the scholar, he’d not seen those two Miao sisters since the start of their journey. Now, utterly disheartened, he lay upon the ground to rest, for once silent.

Just as the three stood wavering, a strange laugh rang out from the nearby woods. Moments later, a pair of glowing red eyes flickered in and out of view among the trees.

“Who’s there?”

Yue Buhui reacted swiftly, nose twitching as he caught a heavy scent of demon-qi. The scholar scrambled to his feet and hid behind Lu Xin.

“It’s a demon. Be careful.”

“Hehehehe… Who would’ve thought, in a place like this, I’d stumble upon three tender little boys. If I devour you, my cultivation will soar—not by ten, but by decades!”

“What? Xin, you’re a virgin too? And that dead fox—never known a woman either? Hahahaha… Here I was, thinking I was the most pitiful one. Looks like the three of us are all in the same boat.”

“Damn it, you idiot! Is this really the time for that?!” Lu Xin cursed, seeing the scholar’s lewd grin. Judging by the voice, their foe was plainly intent on murder, while the fool behind him could only think about who was or wasn’t a virgin. Yue Buhui, for his part, usually had a sharp tongue for the scholar’s jests, but now he stared grimly into the woods, saying nothing.

“Fox demon, you have some cultivation—let’s start with you!”

The voice in the woods shifted from distant to near. Yue Buhui’s expression changed sharply as he instantly assumed his true form. At that very moment, a yellowish-brown blur shot from the shadows, rocketing toward the fox like a cannonball.

Under the moonlight, two shadows—one white, one yellow—clashed and whirled, filling the air with snarls and howls. Their movements were so swift that even an expert like Lu Xin could not follow a single strike. In barely a dozen breaths, Yue Buhui began to falter, forced back by the yellow shadow to the riverbank.

“Fox demon, you were born with a celestial body—a rare blessing from the heavens. Yet after two cycles of sixty years, this is all the power you have? You shame the name of our kind.”

“Hah! You little weasel, how dare you boast!”

Driven to the edge of the river, Yue Buhui’s fury erupted. His form suddenly swelled in size, becoming colossal beneath the moon’s pale light. He was no longer a fox, but a veritable giant.

The yellow shadow was blasted away by this surge of power, tumbling midair before landing steadily on the ground. At last, Lu Xin and Tu Chengli could see their foe clearly.

He was a stunted figure, no taller than four feet, clothed like a man but covered in yellow fur, a thick tail cocked jauntily behind him.

“Is that a weasel spirit?” Tu Chengli whispered. “Xin, if the fox’s right, that thing’s a yellow weasel demon—bad news, and especially fond of eating people. Should we find somewhere to hide?”

“Hide? Where? It’s a weasel—they can sniff us out better than any dog.”

Lu Xin snorted and charged down the riverbank, sword in hand. Yue Buhui was powerful, but from the fight, it was clear the weasel demon held the upper hand. If they didn’t end this quickly, all three might die.

“Hmph. Mere mortal, you dare challenge me? Courting death!”

Lu Xin had barely taken a step before the weasel demon whirled around, revealing an ugly, sharp-faced countenance. Tiny eyes glowed red, yellow whiskers bristled, and twin rows of interlocking fangs gleamed from its mouth.

Distracted, the demon gave Yue Buhui an opening. The giant fox leapt down, stamping him into the mud. Lu Xin halted, peering ahead as a thick, yellow, noxious smoke billowed up from under the fox’s paw, filling the riverbank with a stench so foul it choked the air.

“Stay back! That thing’s fart is poisonous!”

Yue Buhui howled at the sky and leapt aside. In mere seconds, his once pure white fur was already turning yellow. Lu Xin retreated, but in the next instant, a streak of yellow light shot from the mudpit, closing in with blinding speed. He barely managed to raise his sword in defense.

Clang!

With a piercing metallic ring, Lu Xin was sent flying a dozen yards. The yellow light reeled back as well, standing in place and staring at its bloodied palm.

“What sword is this? It cut even my iron claws! Boy, throw me that sword and I might spare your life!”

The weasel demon was astonished not to have slain Lu Xin in a single blow. Now, all its attention was fixed on the sword. Lu Xin ignored the offer, rising and falling into a ready stance. The demon sneered, preparing to attack, but in the next moment, its expression changed. A second later, it dissolved into a wisp of yellow smoke, darting into the woods.

“Sister, the demon’s gone. Should we give chase?”

“No. Following the underworld soldiers is more important.”

Out of the darkness, two young women emerged—it was the long-absent Miao sisters. Lu Xin looked and saw they had crossed the river’s surface to reach this bank. Bathed in moonlight, they were radiant and mysterious, with bright eyes, white teeth, and a faint purple glow swirling about them.

“Walking on water—they’re no ordinary people!”

Lu Xin flexed his arm, sheathing his sword with a grave look. The scholar, seeing the sisters, instantly straightened his clothes and, grinning, hurried over.

“Thank you, ladies, for saving my life. You have my deepest gratitude.”

“Gratitude, my foot! Stop pretending. Useless scholar, I heard every word you said about hiding. Want a safe place? I’ll dig your grave myself.”

Yue Buhui had returned to human form, and at once began berating Tu Chengli. The scholar ignored him, his eyes glued to the sisters.

“So you’re a demon too? And a white fox—how adorable!”

The younger sister rushed over, circling the fox with unrestrained curiosity. Yue Buhui, irritated by her scrutiny, snapped for her to go away. The scholar, unwilling to lose out, gave a wild cry and lunged at him.

“You shameless dead fox! A pretty girl comes to see you and you insult her? I’ll bite you, I’ll bite you—woof!”

“Get lost!”

...

Lu Xin was long used to the scholar and the fox’s daily antics. Unable to stop them, he simply chose to ignore it. He now approached the older of the Miao sisters.

“I am Lu Xin. Thank you for your timely help.”

“No need for thanks, young master. My sister and I were just passing by—we didn’t even intervene. I am Yang Xiu, this is my sister Yang Qin. We come from Wu Prefecture.”

Yang Xiu’s manner was open and cheerful, her smile unforced and her words direct. Lu Xin found himself liking her at once.

“Wu Prefecture? Is that the legendary Miao Territory?”

“Close enough. We are indeed Miao people. I saw you three trailing the underworld soldiers from Xuanzhou—are you seeking the secret of immortality?”

“Immortality?”

Yang Xiu’s abrupt question caught Lu Xin off guard. He’d followed the soldiers first to escape the city, and second out of curiosity for the netherworld’s entrance. As for immortality, he had no idea what she meant. Seeing his confusion, Yang Xiu’s eyes shifted slightly.

“Xuanzhou was built on the ancient road to the underworld, chosen by a magician long ago. Every sixty years, a troop of underworld soldiers passes through. No one knows their origin or destination. But each time, one living person travels among them. Legend says he is a pre-Qin onmyoji who consumed the Resurrection Herb. His lifespan—by now—must exceed two thousand years.”

“Two... two thousand years?”

Lu Xin drew a sharp breath, shaken by Yang Xiu’s words. Wu Youzi had once told him that an onmyoji who reached the divine realm could live three hundred years—a rarity indeed. Such masters were leaders of great sects, wielding powers to move mountains and seas. But a man who’d lived for two millennia? Unthinkable.

Two thousand years—enough to span from the Han dynasty to the twenty-first century. Such a lifespan could only be called immortal.

“So you really aren’t after the Resurrection Herb. Young master Lu, the road ahead is perilous. Since our paths diverge, you’d best stay here.”

With that, Yang Xiu called to her sister and moved on. Lu Xin, his mind awhirl, could not shake the image of the black-robed man walking among the underworld soldiers. Faced with the secret of immortality, all his fear vanished into thin air.

“Fox, scholar, enough fooling around. We’re going after them too. A pre-Qin onmyoji... I want to see for myself—does a master of such cultivation follow the underworld soldiers into the netherworld?”