Chapter 474: Chapter 356 The Deepest Yearning_3
"Communication is truly poor."
Chen Yi sighed softly,
"The distance is too great, the voice is intermittent and repeated."
In Ghost City, Yin Du.
Zhou Yitang’s figure seemed to have vanished into thin air; no one could see her along the way.
With a slight lift of her gaze, the majestic Yama Hall and the imposing Heaven-Earth Altar came into view.
Green banners fluttered, the chants of the witches rose with the wind, and the endless refrain of "Soul, return to me" echoed unceasingly.
If an ordinary Qi Refinement cultivator were to witness this scene, they might only think it was an arrangement to guide the dead souls. However, in the eyes of the one-armed woman known as Tongxuan, it was full of anomalies.
Zhou Yitang continued, "A ceremonial altar has been established here, accompanied by the Four Symbols and Twenty-Eight Mansions. King Chujiang’s plans are immense."
There was no immediate response from the other side.
Presumably, he was waiting for her to elaborate further. The one-armed woman spoke again:
"This is certainly not a method to guide the souls of the deceased. Rather, it seems more like a way to elevate the souls to heaven."
The other side seemed to ponder for a while before a reply came; the one-armed woman patiently waited.
"Communication is truly poor."
A voice sounded faintly by her ear:
"The distance is too great, the voice is intermittent and repeated."
Zhou Yitang: "..."
She was about to continue speaking but hesitated for a while first.
"Communication is truly poor."
The voice by her ear echoed again:
"The distance is too great, the voice is intermittent and repeated."
After a long while, the voice finally continued:
"Wait a minute, what did you say?"
It seemed that Zhou Yitang’s words had finally been heard clearly.
Zhou Yitang understood the cause and, after a brief pause, resumed speaking:
"Yin Du is highly peculiar, and I suspect that King Chujiang might not be dead."
Her gaze stretched far into the distance, falling on the figure atop the altar draped in Yama robes.
That was clearly the face of Great Yu’s late Emperor, also the face of King Jing—but it was not the face of King Chujiang.
It must be noted that soul repossession does not change one’s appearance.
But the current whereabouts of King Chujiang were unknown. He might have already been eradicated, or perhaps merely imprisoned and detained.
Within the Secret Realm, when Chen Yi learned of this, his face displayed astonishment.
"Such a thing happened? Speak more in detail."
After his words fell, he too waited for a while.
This was an unspoken tacit understanding between them.
During their subsequent exchange, Chen Yi gradually grasped the situation within the Ghost City.
From the Heaven-Earth Altar to the witches’ chants, countless details were unraveled during the one-to-two-hour conversation.
These details were combined with Chen Yi’s own observations to deduce the truth.
The scheme of Great Yu’s late Emperor began to come to light.
Obsessed with immortality, the late Emperor was unwilling to relinquish his desire even after death. This time, due to the butterfly effect brought about by Chen Yi, it seemed he had not possessed King Chujiang but instead replaced him, becoming the Yama King.
Moreover, this time, he chose a method different from that of his past life—not only seeking his own resurrection but also aiming to reverse the flow of the Huangquan River, bringing his obedient subordinates back to life alongside him.
With so many ghost soldiers, even if all the righteous Daoist cultivators united, they would be no match, unable to drive him back to the Underworld.
Furthermore, the incense-fire wish power of this Ghost City could continuously propel him toward ascension.
As for the secret realm in this Capital City, to put it plainly, it was the paper skin disguise of Yin Du—crafted to deceive and replace the mortal Capital City on the surface.
This arrangement also aligned with the Heavenly Dao.
In Chen Yi’s own words, it was akin to exploiting a bug in the system.
With all these truths laid bare, Chen Yi felt increasingly solemn with every word he heard.
A massive obstacle lay ahead.
"How many days are left?" Chen Yi asked.
After a long while, he received a reply: "At most, ten days."
Ten days later...
The Underworld’s second lunar month and seventh day.
Chen Yi’s pupils suddenly contracted sharply...
Yin Weiyin’s birthday?!
Such a coincidence...
This definitely couldn’t be just a coincidence!
Thinking of her intricate ties to the Ghost City, Chen Yi clenched his fist tightly.
Only when Yin Tingxue softly muttered in pain did Chen Yi quickly loosen his grip slightly.
He gasped for a moment, emotions in turmoil.
His thoughts raced wildly, and then he abruptly quieted down.
After a long time, he suddenly said, "Master, teach me some Taoist skills, I will do my utmost to learn."
"Regretting now that the book’s wisdom is insufficient?" Her reply was calm.
Chen Yi’s expression showed neither sorrow nor joy as he spoke softly: "I owe you far too much. Can I owe you just one more time?"
After another long pause, a voice echoed back: "The last time."
Chen Yi wanted to say something but was at a loss for words. His eyes stung unexpectedly, and he could only let out a bitter chuckle.
Soon, the contact broke off; she appeared to have left to prepare.
Now, Chen Yi owed Zhou Yitang more and more. Though little was said about debts between husband and wife, in this lifetime, they hadn’t become husband and wife after all.
"I’ve always wanted to marry you."
He murmured in a voice only he could hear.
The courtyard was eerily quiet, with no one to disturb his thoughts. Only the faint sound of fallen leaves stirred by the breeze was audible.
After some time, he drew a deep breath, his mind returning to the Ghost City matter.
Chen Yi stood up, pacing back and forth several times before finally gazing far into the distance toward the Imperial Palace. The crimson palace walls and golden tiles gleamed magnificently. He stood resolute.
At that moment, Yin Weiyin’s Nascent Soul appeared vividly in his mind, as though it were trying to remind him.
Chen Yi felt a heaviness settle in his heart.
The image of the ghostly woman vanishing into smoke and mist resurfaced in his mind, haunting him relentlessly.
He remembered reaching out to grasp her, only to find it was already too late.
That ghostly woman seemed to be Yin Weiyin’s Nascent Soul, and the scene appeared to be some sort of omen...
It felt as though Yin Weiyin might disappear in the same tragic way.
Chen Yi’s eyes stung slightly, but no tears fell. He simply gazed toward the Imperial Palace, fixated on that fleeting moment.
Something stirred within his heart. What had once been unclear now seemed apparent to him.
When Chen Yi came back to himself, Yin Tingxue had unknowingly appeared right before him.
"Why are you..." he began.
Before the words finished leaving his lips, the young fox pulled out a brocade box from her lapel.
"Is this for Sister Weiyin?" she asked softly.
Chen Yi hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Then you must give it to her, you absolutely must,"
The girl said earnestly, each word distinct:
"You must find her."
He took the brocade box in his palm.
Even without opening it, he knew what it was.
It was a hairpin.