A Pawn's Passage

Looking across the entirety of Fenglin, there were three major prosperous regions—Xiujing, Heian Capital, and Ise Province. Xiujing and Heian Capital were still in decent condition, but Ise Province had been utterly ravaged. To restore Ise Province to its former state would take at least a decade.

Anno District, being the core of Ise Province, was in slightly better shape. It was not like Taki District or Watarai District, where one could go hundreds of kilometers without seeing a soul.

However, Anno District was also controlled by the Sonno-joi faction. In order to avoid drawing attention, Qi Xuansu chose to travel along a desolate mountain path. Though Anno District had suffered less impact, it did not mean it was unscathed. Yin energy still roiled between the forests, and resentment lingered heavily. Few dared to venture into these woods alone.

Qi Xuansu was bold and skilled, and with the Little Yin accompanying him, he felt confident that no ghosts or demons could threaten him. Yet once he entered a barren mountain, something felt off. The forest here was dense, and the mist thick. Even as a Heavenly-Being Martial Arts Practitioner with vigorous blood qi, he found himself trapped in a maze. No matter where he went, he kept circling back to the same spot.

That was extremely unusual.

In such cases, there were typically two solutions. One was brute force, by cleaving through whatever stood in the way. The other was finesse, since this maze was essentially a terrain-based illusion that could be undone with the right methods.

Qi Xuansu did not want to cause a commotion and attract trouble, so he opted for the finesse approach by breaking through this illusion.

After all, he had learned how to break formations back at the Wanxiang Daoist Palace.

Qi Xuansu pulled out the compass Madam Qi had given him and recited the incantation he had learned in childhood.

“Mountains shape the earth, stars rule the skies,

Star-born omens, where fortune lies.

When true stars rise, true forms appear,

Their branches bring loss or gain near.”

But after only two lines, Qi Xuansu realized it was useless. The compass needle spun wildly, indicating that the yin energy here was so intense it could locally reverse the balance of yin and yang.

Little Yin, on the other hand, was quite pleased. “This place is nice! It feels a lot like the outskirts of the Ghost Kingdom. It’s so much more comfortable.”

Qi Xuansu could not help but smile wryly. He had tried to avoid trouble but stumbled into something worse. Had he known, he would have taken the more crowded route instead.

But now, with no path in sight, he had no choice but to charge ahead into the unknown.

Qi Xuansu stowed the compass and let out a roar. His blood qi surged like a blazing windstorm, shaking the trees around him and burning away the yin energy in his path. He moved continuously with his fists, snapping every tree in sight at the waist level.

Since this maze was a type of illusion, it warped one’s perception and made people believe they walked in a straight line when, in fact, they were following a curved path that looped them right back to where they started.

Generally speaking, illusions relied on their surroundings to reach their full effect. A ghostly maze depended on the uniformity of an environment. What made it hard for ordinary people to escape was their inability to disrupt that uniformity. Even if they had axes, they could not chop down more than a few trees in a day.

Qi Xuansu, however, was different. Chopping down trees was as easy as slicing vegetables for him. From above, one could see the forest falling rapidly in a domino effect. Once the enclosed terrain was broken and the yin energy scattered, the illusion collapsed with it.

When Qi Xuansu took out his compass again, it was functioning normally. The mountain path reappeared before him, though it was pitch-dark and stretched endlessly ahead.

Little Yin took the lead, climbing the mountain slope without hesitation, so Qi Xuansu had no choice but to follow.

The two continued on for dozens more kilometers. By now, Qi Xuansu could faintly sense a wisp of yin energy wafting in the wind, the soil underfoot, and even the trees and plants. However, he still could not pinpoint the source.

Meanwhile, the compass in his hand became erratic again, its needle frequently spinning out of control. Qi Xuansu knew this meant they had entered an area of extremely concentrated yin energy, so he heightened his vigilance and caution.

Another few kilometers in, a dense forest appeared out of nowhere. Though it was early spring, the forest was lush and overgrown, far more so than even a typical summer grove. The foliage was a dark green, nearing black, so much so that it became unsettling to the eye. Enormous canopies blocked out all light, and faint mist drifted through the woods, rendering the area as dark as night. Faint ghostly shapes flickered in the shadows, sending chills through people’s hearts.

Yin energy and most flora were generally incompatible, aside from some yin trees like pagoda or willow. If yin energy could transform ordinary vegetation from yang to yin, it meant the yin energy was exceptionally concentrated, so much so that it reversed nature. Such a place likely bred something truly ferocious.

Just then, the sky darkened abruptly, and a fine drizzle began to fall. In moments, the raindrops increased and became a continuous, steady rain. Though not heavy, it thickened the mountain’s chill and yin energy considerably.

This rain was strange. In the five elements, earth was neutral, wood and fire were yang, while water and metal were yin. Rainfall naturally boosted the already thick yin energy.

Seeing Qi Xuansu hesitate, Little Yin tugged his sleeve and said, “You’ve even been inside cave realms. Why are you afraid of meeting ghosts?”

Qi Xuansu thought it over. Ise Province was a bustling land and the territory of Ise-jingu. There was no way great demons or ghost kings would be allowed to lurk right under its nose, unless they were supported by Ise-jingu.

So the two of them pressed forward.

Inside the forest, the dense canopies blocked the rainfall completely, but what greeted them instead was a wave of miasma born from rotting leaves. Qi Xuansu threw a punch, and with a pop, like uncorking a wine gourd, the miasma visibly dispersed in all directions.

A Martial Arts Practitioner’s methods were crude and straightforward, but incredibly effective.

But this forest trail led to a dead end. At the far end stood a crumbling stone stele, clearly ancient, as half of it had sunk into the ground. Red threads were strung between the surrounding trees, forming a web-like lattice, with bells and talismans dangling from them. The stele itself was plastered in dense layers of talisman paper, as if it had been dressed in a paper robe.

It was obviously some kind of seal.

Naturally, Qi Xuansu had no intention of peeling off the talismans out of curiosity and unleashing a world-shaking demon. His first instinct was to leave immediately without ever looking back.

He had no desire to play the hero. After all, even if there was some monster sealed here, it would be better to wait until Daoist authorities took over Ise Province and deployed a full exorcism force.

But when Qi Xuansu reached out to pull Little Yin away, he found her rooted to the spot. Even with his brute strength, the little girl would not budge an inch.

“What’s wrong?” Qi Xuansu suddenly had a bad feeling.

Little Yin stared unblinking at the stele. “There’s something good inside.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Something good...? Like what?”

Little Yin licked her lips. “Something tasty!”

A chill ran down Qi Xuansu’s spine.

This little girl only looked cute. In truth, she was a terrifying Yin Being, one strictly regulated by the Daoist Order. According to Fenglin standards, she was likely already at the Ghost King level, or close to it.

Qi Xuansu had actually forgotten that and let this little creature out of the Ghost Kingdom. If she stirred up trouble in Ise Province, that would be a real disaster.

Also, along the way, Little Yin had always taken the lead. In other words, she had guided their path. Qi Xuansu had not thought much of it then, but looking back now, arriving at this place probably wasn’t a coincidence.

That ghostly maze earlier was likely a deliberately laid formation meant to prevent people from accidentally stumbling in and breaking the seal. But he had mistaken it for demonic interference and forcibly broke the formation.

He assumed it was demonic interference because the dense yin energy had led him to that conclusion. His initial logic was not wrong. Since this was under Ise-jingu’s jurisdiction, how could a powerful demon or ghost king be lurking here? Even if this seal really contained such a creature, its influence should be confined to this grove. If it could affect the whole mountain, it would not be an effective seal.

That meant the source of this strong yin energy was highly suspicious. He had forgotten that Little Yin herself was the fourth Yin Being of the Ghost Kingdom and was perfectly capable of generating her own yin energy.

A rough theory took shape in Qi Xuansu’s mind. Little Yin had discovered the seal on this mountain and sensed something “tasty” inside, so she lured him here by subtly creating more yin energy along the way and making him believe there was a haunting. That led to him breaking the formation, which led them straight to this stele.

Qi Xuansu could not help but glance at Little Yin. He fancied himself a seasoned veteran, yet he had been utterly played by this little girl who hardly left home. In the end, he could only blame his own carelessness.

Noticing Qi Xuansu’s gaze, Little Yin kept her eyes fixed on the stone stele and said in a tone of childlike innocence, “Big Brother, why are you staring at me like that? I’m not tasty. If you eat me, you’ll get a stomachache!”

Qi Xuansu forced a smile. “I’m not your big brother. You’re my ancestor.”

Little Yin replied, “Then let’s each say our part—I’ll call you Big Brother, and you call me Ancestor. Big Brother, your ancestor wants to eat something delicious. Can you help me pull down those annoying red strings? Just consider it an act of filial piety.”

Qi Xuansu was so furious, he laughed. “Did Master Yin teach you that too?”

Little Yin tugged on Qi Xuansu’s sleeve. “You’re thinking of tattling to Grandpa, aren’t you? I promise I won’t do it again. Just this once...please? Big Brother, won’t you help me pull off those red strings? Pretty please?”

Qi Xuansu yanked back his sleeve and softened his tone. “Why don’t we eat this next time? Let me finish my business first, and then you can eat however you like.”

Little Yin pouted in displeasure. “You’re lying! You’re clearly thinking of sending me back to the Ghost Kingdom and never letting me out again.”

Qi Xuansu was startled. “You can read minds?”

Little Yin finally turned to look at Qi Xuansu, wearing an innocent expression. “I heard your voice. You’re standing so close, and your thoughts are so loud, so it’s like you’re shouting right in my ear. I couldn’t not hear it even if I wanted to.”

Qi Xuansu quickly composed himself and guarded his spiritual mind, no longer daring to let Little Yin peek into his thoughts unchecked.