MOF Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Array within Array, Setting up Array, Leading Array Master

Xie Yiling said, “Nangong…”

Xie Yiling’s gaze towards her was somewhat complicated, “How do you know that everything happening in this world is fake? You can’t even leave the painting.”

He raised his hand and pointed at the array on the ground, “Although this array prevents us from getting close to you, it also prevents you from leaving the area covered by the array. If your brother truly has your best interests at heart, why would he trap you in this corner?”

The spiritual energy of the talisman chains on her body was too strong. Bai Cheng, being just a ghost, felt unbearable burning pain at the points of contact. Her face was full of pain as she defended Bai Zhe, “Brother doesn’t have enough magic power, this is the only way.”

Worried that Bai Cheng wouldn’t be able to hold on and would dissipate completely if imprisoned any longer, Xie Yiling raised his hand and retracted the talisman chains. Upon gaining freedom, Bai Cheng immediately wanted to retreat and distance herself from the two of them. Unfortunately, she had exhausted too much energy, and the moment she moved, she limply began to fall to the ground. But halfway down, Nangong Ci bound her again with a spiritual spell, forcing her to straighten up once more.

Seeing that she couldn’t move, Xie Yiling walked over and examined the array around the tomb, asking, “Who set up this array?”

Bai Cheng said, “Why should I tell you?”

Nangong Ci didn’t waste words with her, manipulating the spiritual spell to move her forward a bit. Then he raised his sword, the tip only a finger’s distance from her throat.

Bai Cheng’s expression showed fear. She wanted to lean back to avoid Azurefall, but she was trapped by the spiritual spell and couldn’t move.

Xie Yiling asked again, “Did your brother set up the array?”

Bai Cheng bit her lip hard, shook her head, and said, “No.”

Xie Yiling was skeptical, “Are you telling the truth? If not your brother, then who?”

Bai Cheng glared at him, “In my current state, is there any need for me to lie?”

Xie Yiling thought that was true. Besides, Southern Return Heavenly Pavilion wasn’t without spiritual spells to make people speak the truth. The more troublesome thing now was the array on the ground.

He carefully recalled it, and after confirming that he had never seen it before, he asked Nangong Ci, “Do you recognize this array?”

Nangong Ci examined it closely, then shook his head, “It’s probably not a technique recorded in books. However, it can be confirmed that this array is strange and doesn’t belong to the Immortal Sect.”

Xie Yiling wanted to get closer to the array, but Nangong Ci stopped him.

“Don’t worry, I’m just taking a look,” Xie Yiling said, then looked at Bai Cheng, who was secretly struggling against the spiritual spell, “Miss Bai, you’re probably not human.”

Bai Cheng’s eyes flickered subtly, “Young master, I’m already dead, of course I’m not human.”

“I mean, your true form.” Xie Yiling picked up a piece of white jade stone from the ground and looked at it, tossed it into the air, and then caught it casually.

Bai Cheng stubbornly said, “What do you mean?”

“You’d better tell us,” Xie Yiling advised kindly, “Even if you don’t, we have ways to find out. However, I think it might be better to have the choice in your own hands.”

Bai Cheng lowered her head, her black hair obscuring half her face. The contrast between the black and white colors was too obvious, creating a strange sense of disharmony. After a moment of silence, she smiled and asked, “How did you know?”

“Forgot to mention,” Xie Yiling played with the jade stone in his fingers, his tone somewhat proud, “We are disciples of Southern Return Heavenly Pavilion.”

“Southern Return?” Bai Cheng was slightly stunned, “So you’re from Southern Return Heavenly Pavilion. No wonder you could see it. I’m indeed not human, but a jade stone spirit from this mountain.”

Xie Yiling said in surprise, “A jade stone spirit?”

“What?” Bai Cheng raised her pale eyebrows, “Could it be that the Immortal Lord of a prestigious sect looks down on us wild mountain spirits?”

Xie Yiling didn’t accept the unwarranted accusation, denying, “That’s not true. Miss Bai, we’re here to ask about something.”

“Is this your attitude when asking questions?” Bai Cheng struggled twice, but could only shrug her shoulders helplessly.

Xie Yiling said to Nangong Ci, “Master, release her.”

Nangong Ci raised his hand and released the spiritual spell on Bai Cheng.

Bai Cheng relaxed, managing to support herself and not fall, “Ask away.”

Xie Yiling stared at her face, “We want to know about this painting. Did Bai Zhe manipulate the owner of Spring Viewing Pavilion, did any guests enter the painting, and what did you do to them after they came in?”

Bai Cheng’s expression showed a strange hint of shyness, “I just had them buy some candied fruit, is that not allowed?”

“You and your brother look very alike,” Nangong Ci suddenly said, “Are you twins?”

“Yes,” Bai Cheng touched her face and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“In that case, Bai Zhe is also a jade stone spirit. Then how did you…” Xie Yiling paused, changing his wording, “…become a ghost?”

As soon as he asked this, wind suddenly picked up nearby. The sparse weeds were broken off, making a few soft cracking sounds. Bai Cheng’s face darkened, and ghostly energy burst out of her body in an instant.

Xie Yiling took two steps back, asking Nangong Ci in a low voice, “Did I touch her taboo?”

Nangong Ci stood in front of him, Azurefall emitting a very imposing light. However, before Bai Cheng could make a move, the array under her feet suddenly shook, causing the ground to tremble violently.

The entire Upside-down Spring Mountain began to shake. The ground under Xie Yiling’s feet cracked like a spider web. He retreated a few steps, and before he could fall, Nangong Ci caught him from behind.

“The painting is collapsing,” Nangong Ci said calmly. He flung Azurefall out, intending to ride the sword and leave this place.

Xie Yiling leaned on his shoulder to maintain balance, “If it collapses, we should be able to get out.”

Bai Cheng was already surrounded by a raging storm. She was trapped in the array, suffering terribly. The magic power she had painstakingly cultivated during this time was now flowing away bit by bit.

A sense of panic welled up in her heart. It was happening again! Every time this array was activated, she would lose almost all of her magic power.

“Save me.”

Bai Zhe suddenly called out to Xie Yiling.

Xie Yiling’s heart was slightly complicated. If Bai Cheng was telling the truth and hadn’t harmed anyone, he might have really tried to save her. But right now, both he and Nangong Ci were being forced back by the array and could barely protect themselves, let alone save a ghost.

Nangong Ci tried his best to control the sword with his spiritual power, but as he flew into the air, he was struck by a force erupted from the array. The sword body tilted and swayed, falling rapidly.

In the last second before leaving the painting, Xie Yiling saw flames rising around Bai Cheng. Her snow-white face quickly lost moisture, like tree bark that had been separated from the roots and died long ago. Only her heterochromatic eyes were fixed on him.

The dizziness in front of him disappeared, and Xie Yiling entered another darker world from a dim one.

He called out around him, “Nangong Ci?”

“I’m here,” Nangong Ci’s voice sounded behind him. In the darkness, he accurately took Xie Yiling’s hand.

They didn’t know where they were. Xie Yiling looked up and saw a light in the distance, realizing that they were on the street near Spring Viewing Pavilion.

Nangong Ci squeezed his hand and said, “Let’s go, back to the tavern.”

Xie Yiling said as he walked, “That Bai Zhe has an accomplice, a mysterious woman. I fought with them before, and she’s quite strong. Especially Bai Zhe, his weapon is quite special, it’s a brush.”

Nangong Ci frowned, “A brush?”

“Yes,” Xie Yiling asked him, “What did you think of?”

“I remember there used to be a brush that could be used as a weapon, called Yin-Yang Ink,” Nangong Ci recounted, “It was originally a product of the Underworld for recording events, but later it was replaced and discarded, and spread among demons.”

“That should be it,” Xie Yiling said with certainty, recalling the scene of Bai Zhe using Yin-Yang Ink.

When they arrived at Spring Viewing Pavilion, a flash of inspiration struck Xie Yiling, “That’s not right, why is it still dark?”

He finally remembered what had been bothering him all along.

It was the sky, and the time.

Xie Yiling said, “Nangong Ci, it’s the sky! There’s something wrong with the sky!” Just as he said this, the sky above them suddenly moved.

That’s right, the sky moved right in front of them. Overlapping wrinkles appeared on the smooth sky, and through the cracked gaps, a pair of huge heterochromatic eyes were watching them.

Was it Bai Cheng?

No, Xie Yiling looked at those eyes. They were narrower and colder than Bai Cheng’s. They were Bai Zhe’s eyes.

Xie Yiling channeled his spiritual energy into his palm, and along with Azurefall, they rushed into the sky. Red and white light intertwined, illuminating most of Wei City.

The eyes behind the black curtain blinked very slowly, closing when the two rays of light shot over.

The light disappeared, like a drop in the ocean, without a ripple.

Was it an illusion? Xie Yiling and Nangong Ci looked at each other, turned around, and quickly went inside Spring Viewing Pavilion.

The waiter came to meet them, but before he could speak, Xie Yiling, striding forward, bumped him to the side with considerable force.

He then smiled at Nangong Ci, who was slightly behind, and was bumped away again.

“You two guests are really in a hurry,” the waiter said, smiling at their backs.

Back in his room, Xie Yiling checked it over. There was nothing unusual. He quickly went to Gu Huanzhi’s room, which was also empty.

Nangong Ci said, “Third floor.”

The two returned to Fan Qiujin’s bedroom, and found that the barrier left by Nangong Ci at the door was still there. Even after entering the room, Fan Qiujin was still lying on the bed.

Xie Yiling looked around and said, “A Si and Junior Brother Gu are gone.”

Nangong Ci asked him, “What do you think this place is?”

Xie Yiling’s eyes turned cold, and he said, “A painting within a painting.”

“Hahahaha!”

Fan Qiujin on the bed suddenly laughed loudly. In the quiet atmosphere, the laughter was particularly jarring.

Xie Yiling walked over, grabbed him, and looked at him, “The spiritual spell isFailed.”

Fan Qiujin didn’t even look at him. After laughing, he suddenly stood up and knelt directly in front of the painting, “This lowly one actually allowed these vulgar people to disturb the Lady’s peace. This lowly one deserves to die, deserves to die! I hope the Rain Flower Goddess is magnanimous and doesn’t blame this lowly one! This lowly one will tomorrow, no, every day! Every day I will offer the best candied fruit to the Lady!”

“Candied fruit?” Xie Yiling remembered something and said, “He’s offering to Bai Cheng?”

Before Nangong Ci could answer, he heard Fan Qiujin laughing wildly again, “I’m rich! I’m rich! Thank you Rain Flower Goddess! May the Rain Flower Goddess be blessed with peace!”

Xie Yiling’s expression became serious, and a sense of “I knew it” arose in his heart, like a person hanging on a broken tree on a cliff, finally waiting for the moment when the branch broke.

“They really are ubiquitous.” This sentence naturally referred to Wen Liangchen and others.

Xie Yiling stepped forward and grabbed Fan Qiujin’s collar, questioning, “Who is the Rain Flower Goddess you speak of?”

Fan Qiujin sat on the ground, constantly patting the ground with both hands, playing like a child, showing a foolish appearance. “You want to get rich too? Hahaha, if you want to get rich, hurry up and worship the Rain Flower Goddess. If you worship the Goddess, you’ll have endless wealth and glory!”