Young Master Bai — Chapter 32
Chapter 32: The Vast World Is Full of Wonders
Bai Chen was very attentive to repairing relations with the Hidden Wisdom Sect, and early in the morning he selected a Ba snake gallbladder that could cure a hundred poisons along with over a hundred medicinal herbs for injuries, and handed them to Chenzui to deliver. These were treasures of the Great Snow Mountain accumulated over many years. Bai Chen expected that traveling among mortals would inevitably require such things, and sure enough, they came in handy.
Chenzui shivered as he went to the inn where the Hidden Wisdom Sect stayed, while Bai Chen himself was not idle. Although Li Wuming for some reason had insisted on him returning to his original form and holding him tightly to sleep all night, waking up in his beloved's arms was undeniably a good feeling. So he didn’t mind his Dao companion’s occasional eccentricities. After simply tidying his ruffled fur, he took Li Wuming along to the Jiangdu port.
The Ghost Tactician stayed here precisely to prevent the Unknown Truth Sect from obtaining the Divine Wordless Book. Now, the Hidden Wisdom Sect still refused the Unknown Truth Sect’s envoys yet received Bai Chen and Li Wuming. The Divine Wordless Book falling into the hands of the Great Snow Mountain was also beneficial to the Demon Sect, and if the two sides quarreled, it would be an excellent opportunity for the Demon Sect to reap the rewards. This mysterious old ghost, having stirred the waters, decided to withdraw. At dawn he prepared to set sail back to the Ghost Realm.
Living people needed ships and provisions to cross the sea, but ghosts only needed to light a lotus lamp, and when the souls of the dead boarded the wick and it touched seawater, they would be drawn by Ghost God Fusang’s yin energy into the Ghost Realm. These ghost lamps could float on the sea for hundreds of years without sinking. If a living person happened to see them, their soul would also be drawn away, never to return to their body. Thus, the Jiangdu fishermen have long had the custom of "looking to the stars and moon, but not at lamps at night" when going to sea.
Since the yao have no reincarnation after death, Bai Chen was quite interested in ghosts. Hearing that the Ghost Tactician was leaving today, he guessed he would not take a ship back in the flesh. Curious about this mysterious fierce ghost, he came to the dock to watch.
The Ghost Tactician was heading to the Gates of Hell where souls pass to the afterlife, and indeed chose to abandon his body and travel as a soul alone. Black smoke gradually seeped out from the seven orifices of the dead scholar’s body, and with each bit it left the flesh, the body rotted further. When the black smoke in the air formed a strange beast with a crane’s body and deer antlers, the corpse collapsed with a foul stench, its face already too decayed to be recognizable.
The strange beast within the black smoke was the Ghost Tactician’s true body. Its form was like a crane draped in blood-red feathers, its wings resembling dark iron streaked with colorful patterns, its antlers round like suspended rings atop its head, and its feet curved like hooks carved from golden clay. Even Bai Chen had never encountered such a bizarre creature. The ghost seemed not to have revealed his true form in a long time. In the air, he silently spread his wings and instructed the waiting Lu Ren Yi: “Bury this body. When I return, I’ll find a new skin.”
Humans most feared seeing the corpse of their own kind — at funerals they even avoided looking — but Lu Ren Yi expressionlessly burned the body clean in a single blaze, acting with the ruthlessness typical of a demonic cultivator.
Bai Chen truly had never seen such a beast. Realizing it carried only ghostly yin energy and no living yao qi, he mused, “I’ve scoured human histories and never found a strategist matching you. I wondered about your origins. I didn’t expect you to be a tomb guardian beast — no wonder you can communicate between the yin and yang and tame the dead.”
Li Wuming was very wary of this unheard-of creature. When the Ghost Tactician revealed his true form, his right hand rested on the Supreme Emperor Sword, though he maintained his usual relaxed demeanor and merely asked, “Why have I never heard of such a beast?”
“Before cultivators arose, humans practiced witchcraft and sorcery. At that time, ghosts and monsters liked to eat corpses, so nobles fashioned strange-colored wooden carvings after prehistoric yao beasts to stand by their tombs, to drive away ghosts and communicate with the gods.”
Since witchcraft mostly required human sacrifices, it became forbidden once cultivators replaced it. Only the Great Snow Mountain retained detailed records. Although Bai Chen recognized the Ghost Tactician’s true form, he did not know which clan’s tomb it came from, nor how it had become a ghost. So he only gave a profound smile to avoid saying too much.
“Nine-tailed White Fox, you have good eyes. The human tomb-guarding custom was lost three thousand years ago, and only you could recognize me at a glance.”
The Ghost Tactician was indeed surprised to have his true form exposed for the first time. Bai Chen looked at him calmly and said, “Since you represent the Demon Sect and have befriended our Great Snow Mountain, you should give a name to be addressed by.”
The tomb guardian beast’s grotesque colors were unsettling, and the Ghost Tactician himself disliked them. Yet no matter how he altered them, within a few days they would revert, so whenever forced to bear this ugly form he simply avoided water, out of sight, out of mind. Fortunately, in the Ghost Realm, Ghost God Xisang had lately taken an interest in studying ancient lacquerware and painted with great skill. The Ghost Tactician would often fly to him to have the paint renewed, and then ask Ghost God Fusang to inscribe characters upon his horns. Over time they became familiar. For the sake of keeping his splendid colors forever, he also took pains to look after the Ghost Realm.
These matters he would never share with the yao. At this moment he just softly chuckled, “In ancient times, the Fang Xiang clan drove away ghosts. You may call me Fang Xiang.”
Having swallowed the corpse’s vocal cords, he still spoke with the gentle, cultured voice of a scholar, which was rather eerie paired with his beastly form. Bai Chen thought it was fortunate he hadn’t brought the ghost-fearing Chenzui here, and directly stated his purpose to Fang Xiang:
“It’s said that tomb guardian beasts communicate between the dead and the living. Naturally you can move freely in the underworld. Would you help me find someone’s soul?”
To have the ghosts work, one must offer a sacrifice. Bai Chen knew the rules and, as he finished speaking, produced a piece of millennium-old yao bone.
It happened to be a bird’s wing bone, which Fang Xiang was very interested in. He immediately asked, “Who?”
“Lu Wen of the Hidden Wisdom Sect, who died five hundred years ago in a desolate mountain.”
Bai Chen had doubts about that death and now seized the opportunity to investigate. But Fang Xiang had been in a tomb for three thousand years and returned to the human world less than a century ago. After thinking, he only shook his head. “I’ve never heard of that name. Either he was an obscure nobody or has long since reincarnated. However, speaking of a ghost connected to Young Master Bai, I do know one.”
“You mean the corpse king of the Gates of Hell who offers me sacrifices every year?” Bai Chen immediately thought of the rumors he’d heard upon waking.
The fact that this rumor had spread even to the Great Snow Mountain was clearly no coincidence. Although transformed into a bird, Fang Xiang’s tone was unchanged from before. “Five hundred years of incense and offerings — if not out of love, then out of guilt. I wonder which it is?”
Bai Chen had never interacted with the deceased, but hearing this, he also found the corpse king suspicious and hurriedly asked, “Can you tell me where the Gates of Hell are?”
Unfortunately, a single yao bone wasn’t enough for Fang Xiang to reveal that secret. He only smiled mysteriously, “The Gates of Hell are the entrance to the Well of Rebirth for souls. But the three ghost gods are fierce ghosts abandoned by Heaven’s Way, never to reincarnate. Naturally they dwell in a different realm.”
That attitude clearly meant he wouldn’t say more. Bai Chen frowned and tried another approach. “The Great Snow Mountain and the Demon Sect both suffer under the threat of the Heaven’s Way Alliance. As the saying goes, ‘If the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold.’ Even if we can’t be the closest of friends, we won’t become enemies.”
This offer satisfied Fang Xiang somewhat, though not completely. But he did not explicitly refuse. Instead, he said to Lu Ren Yi, waiting nearby, “Since the Demon Sect has little business lately, stay and help the Great Snow Mountain investigate your father’s whereabouts. Consider it doing our friend a favor.”
At this, Bai Chen knew Lu Ren Yi had already reported his true identity to the Demon Sect. Anyway, keeping a descendant of the Nine-colored Deer around was no harm, so he agreed readily. “With such hospitality from the Demon Sect, I shall pay a visit in person.”
“You two, I must deliver the soul of Lu Ren Wang to the Well of Rebirth today. Other matters can wait.”
After several rounds of bargaining, the two sides reached a preliminary understanding. Fang Xiang followed the guiding ghost lamps and took flight. Watching the dead bird fly away, Li Wuming helplessly said to Bai Chen, “Not a word unless there’s something to gain. That big-horned crane is even more cunning than your fox clan.”
“Humans fear death most. If the Gates of Hell were easy to reach, they’d have been smashed by cultivators long ago. Fang Xiang will eventually come to claim Lu Ren Yi’s offering. We’ll just wait.”
Bai Chen had long known the Ghost Tactician wasn’t easy to deal with, so he wasn’t anxious. Li Wuming leaned close to his ear and sighed softly, “True. I can rest easy knowing you have the power to protect yourself.”
After sending off the Ghost Tactician, it was time to set off on the Hidden Wisdom Sect’s side as well. Bai Chen let Lu Ren Yi return to the inn to pack, and he and Li Wuming also went back.
But as soon as they entered, they saw a fiery red little ball crying and hiding under the quilt. When he saw Bai Chen, he reluctantly raised his head and cried out, full of grievance, “Ancestor, that Bu Tiange is too cruel!”
“What did he do to you?”
This display of having been badly bullied made Bai Chen’s expression change. He thought he must have misjudged the man and instinctively reached for Chenzui’s yao core.
The arrival of the Ancestor finally gave Chenzui some backbone. His tail firmly covered his back, unwilling to move, and he bitterly accused Bu Tiange of his violence. “He… he actually shaved my fur! Such a big patch! All bald!”
This answer made Bai Chen freeze for a moment. He touched the fox’s belly and, seeing the yao core safely inside, finally smiled. “What does it look like? Let me see.”
Fox demons love to look beautiful, and Chenzui naturally refused to show his ruined fur. But Li Wuming, familiar with the situation, lifted the red fox’s tail and took a look, then couldn’t help laughing. “Trying to scheme against the headmaster of the Hidden Wisdom Sect and got seen through, didn’t you? The fur is shaved so neatly, and even has a character cut into it. The swordsmanship of the Hidden Wisdom Sect really is extraordinary.”
As Bai Chen had guessed, the red fox clan was timid and afraid of people. When Chenzui entered the Hidden Wisdom Sect’s territory, he trembled and curled up in the snow, not even daring to look at the headmaster. Bu Tiange didn’t want to hear the yao’s excuses but also couldn’t kick out such a pitiful creature, so he was forced to listen to Chenzui’s nervous apologies.
But Bu Tiange was not a predictable man. Cold and aloof toward beauties, yet he had his way with little foxes. Though he couldn’t cut it down with one sword, he still vented his anger by using his sword to leave a large character — ‘annoyance’ — on the back of the six-tailed red fox.
Such a response was even more peculiar than Li Wuming’s. Bai Chen confirmed that the fox wasn’t hurt and chuckled softly. “This little headmaster is warning us not to plot against him.”
Chenzui, hoping for sympathy, only got this response and looked even more aggrieved. “Ancestor, he bullied me and you’re laughing!”
The six-tailed red fox had been respected as a young master by the yao since birth, never suffering such humiliation. He wished he could bite that arrogant man. But the sensation of the sword blade sliding through his fur was truly terrifying. Even recalling it now made his legs weak, so he could only hide under the quilt, licking his damaged fur.
Losing some fur to appease the Hidden Wisdom Sect was a worthwhile trade. Bu Tiange had been merciful, and Bai Chen didn’t say more. He just stroked the little fox who had sacrificed for the clan and chuckled. “Alright, it’s just some fur. It’ll grow back in a few months. You can go out in human form for now.”
The Ancestor’s comfort finally calmed Chenzui a bit. But thinking of having to live with this fur for months, he became deeply resentful, bit the quilt, and swore viciously, “When I’ve achieved my cultivation, I’ll shave that bastard’s head and draw a turtle on it!”
~ Chapter End ~
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