Chapter 122: Nine Mountains, Part Two

The walls were pitch black. The only bright color that could be seen was a pure white bed placed in the center. Next to it stood an IV stand. Inside the thin transparent plastic tube, small bubbles were silently surging.

This place seems to give people plenty of time to reminisce about the first half of their lives, to ponder those difficult questions, and to repent for the sins they have committed.

Sounds like a good place.

But it is not so beautiful at the same time, because its name is the prison of the Alien Management Bureau, a place where no soul can hide.

Meng Chengyin is the only "guest" here recently.

He sat on the hospital bed with his head down, his arms resting on his knees, his fingers clasped together, letting the white drip flow into his body through the needle hole in his wrist.

Not far from the door, someone would hold an observation notebook and ask him in a serious manner how he felt, whether his emotions were stable, and whether he felt like vomiting.

He had sent many offenders to this room before, and even the format of the observation book was adjusted by him.

There was silence in the darkness, with the occasional chaotic sound of footsteps. In this room, spiritual power and resentful power were isolated. He could only use the most primitive method to identify who had come by by listening.

Until a steady and familiar set of footsteps came to the door, his eyes flashed, and he raised his head slightly, with scars left on his face from the formation still remaining.

"You're here."

He raised his hand to push up his glasses, without mentioning anyone by name, as if he was treating an old friend calmly.

Bai Jingze walked straight in, holding a plastic stool in his hand, and sat down casually in front of the person, looking like he was ready to have a long talk.

Meng Chengyin said calmly, "According to the rules, our conversation needs to be separated by a door."

Bai Jing stared at him coldly and replied with a hint of hostility: "I am the rule here."

Meng Chengyin smiled lightly.

Bai Jing was furious at the other party's attitude, and his usual good temper was gone. He suppressed his anger and asked, "When did it happen?"

His expression was calm. "Are you asking me when I knew my identity, when I sealed Liu Xian, or when I dealt with those who knew the truth?"

Bai Jingze was not angered, but sighed: "If you had told me earlier, I..."

"I'm telling you, will you help me keep it a secret?" Meng Chengyin curled his lips, his eyes devoid of a smile. "You and I know best what Zhu Meng's attitude is towards the Zhao family and the Three Death Sects."

He slowly stroked the needle on the back of his hand. "Bloodline isn't something that can be ignored. It's the original sin. Even if my father died at the hands of Zhao Fu, they'll just think it was because the secret hasn't been revealed. Once our background is exposed, and we carry the Zhao family's unique Heart-Embedding Curse, who can guarantee we won't be treated as aliens?"

"The reputation that the Meng family has worked so hard to build will be destroyed because of our bloodline."

"So, I will do anything, no matter how shameless, to keep this secret secret forever."

Bai Jingze breathed rapidly and said, "You've crossed the line. The fight between us Xuanmen shouldn't involve ordinary people..."

"When I saw that photo, I was actually just surprised. I never thought that a fragment from a hundred years ago would have made it to this day. At first, I didn't think much of it."

Meng Chengyin murmured, "But then I discovered that if you give Mars even a tiny bit of air, it can devour an entire mountain or forest."

After that, he saw someone reposting the photo on the forum, and jokingly said that the woman in the photo was somewhat similar to the current head of Taiqing Palace.

He blocked the post calmly, and at that moment, fear began to spread in his heart.

It turns out that any secret may be revealed inadvertently.

He found Liu Wu's brother who went to look for his relatives, released the nightmare ghost to start a good show of brothers fighting each other, but he never thought that he would be obstructed by the local patron saint Liu Xian. In desperation, he sealed Liu Niang with talismans, and made special arrangements so that Liu Xian Temple would no longer accept open fire worship.

Liu Xian, who lost his incense and was sealed, gradually died.

Sometimes, he just wanted to erase the other person's memory, but occasionally he had to do so. Once there was a first time, there would be a second time, and the already shaken bottom line would completely collapse.

He was also responsible for the nightmare incident, which was one of his crimes.

And there are many others that have not been discovered.

If the secret had not been revealed, these things would not have left any trace and would not have caused any waves in the Zhu Alliance.

But he failed, and his past will be unraveled bit by bit, becoming evidence of his guilt that he will never be able to erase in his lifetime.

The bloodline itself is innocent, but he has turned himself into a sinner.

Bai Jingze was silent for a long time. When he spoke again, his voice was tired: "What did you do to the wild dog?"

Meng Chengyin suddenly came back to his senses, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly: "You said that young man, he didn't know much, I just erased his memory."

After a while, he scoffed at himself, "Why, you don't believe me? He was just under the spell of my magic. You'll find him naturally after a while."

"Does this count as still having a conscience?" Bai Jing lowered his eyes sarcastically.

Meng Chengyin rubbed the needle hole on the back of his hand: "Maybe, after all, 'Chasing Spirits' is really rare..."

There was silence between the two for a moment.

After a moment of silence, Bai Jingze stood up and left.

After a while, he came back with a package.

Meng Chengyin smiled and said, "Want to chat more?"

Bai Jingze curled his lips and placed the package on the bed. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "These are Caiyun's things...you decide how to deal with them."

They were some familiar-looking clothes that had been taken off before the Dharma Assembly began.

There was also a peach wood sword, a few small gadgets, and a pair of imperial scissors inside.

Meng Chengyin tried several times, his eyes twitching, and he couldn't force out a polite smile.

After a while, he spoke again, his voice suddenly sounding much older: "Her things are made of the best materials. Please give them to young people in need on my behalf. Scissors will rust if they are not used for a long time."

Bai Jingze looked at him doubtfully: "Are you really willing?"

"I can't go out either. Staying here will only cause me more trouble," he said.

Bai Jingze shook his head and really picked up the package to leave. As soon as he turned around, he was stopped by the other party.

Meng Chengyin said tiredly, "Come back tomorrow morning. I want to talk to you about the Three Death Gates."

Bai Jingze turned around and said, "It's still early."

Meng Chengyin leaned back: "I want to take a nap. I suddenly feel a little tired."

Bai Jingze sighed softly. After a while, the sound of a door closing was heard and the footsteps gradually faded away.

The dark room fell into silence again, and the sound of breathing could be clearly heard.

The stopper of the IV bottle was cracked, and the cold medicine dripped onto the back of his hand. He looked up and found that the stopper was intact, but his vision was still blurry.

-

Qingcheng Temple in Shu City.

Wang Suqing stood outside a chapel door and asked the bewildered little Taoist boy beside him, "Why isn't that kid coming out yet?"

Wang Tianfu rubbed his fingers together. "Master, why did you come back so early? Master, Master, he has learned about Master Meng's affairs and is feeling sad..."

Wang Suqing swept the whisk in his arm and snorted through his nose, raising his voice and speaking solemnly: "There is no time to cry to you now. Come to the orchid garden to find me in one stick of incense. This is my order."

There was a clanging noise from the door, followed by a weak reply: "Yes, as you command."

There is a square low table and several rattan stools under the crape myrtle tree in the orchid garden.

Wang Suqing drank a few glasses of wine, calculated the time, and poured some into the empty glass next to him.

Wang Fengxu then slowly appeared, still wearing the same indigo Taoist robe, but today he had dressed it up in a hurry and carelessly, his short hair was frizzy and sticking out in a fierce manner, and his whole expression was as gloomy as a bitter gourd.

He moved to sit on the round stool, took a sip from the cup, and frowned: "Bitter."

"It's not the first time I've drunk it, so how can it be bitter?" Wang Suqing put down the cup without changing his expression. "I know you're upset, but things have come to this point, and the cause and effect are over. The living are far more important than the dead. Your nephew was worried about you and didn't eat for a day or two. He's still growing."

Wang Fengxu curled his lips and sighed: "I understand."

Wang Suqing's eyes softened again: "Sooner or later, we will experience more separations and deaths, and we cultivators are no exception."

Wang Fengxu glanced at her and muttered, "Are you trying to comfort me or something? The more you talk, the more worried I become."

"Meng Chengyin died this morning."

Wang Fengxu suddenly raised his head and opened his mouth wide.

"He was disheartened and cut off his spiritual power. By the time he was found, it was too late to save him." Wang Suqing took another sip of wine and continued calmly, "He left a letter of confession for Director Bai in prison, explaining his interactions with Zhao Fu."

"Zhao Fu? The White God of Wealth from before?! She...she is really not dead?" Wang Fengxu was stunned.

"I've always felt that someone like her wouldn't be able to reincarnate obediently. She must have transformed into a ghost and gone into hiding."

After an ordinary person dies, his soul returns to the Nine Mountains and he will naturally reincarnate.

As for evil ghosts, they are formed when the obsession of the soul is too strong and the resentment is so great that it can resist the power of natural laws.

However, people with high cultivation like Zhao Fu seem to be more likely to become evil spirits, but in fact it is not the case. Because after death, such cultivators will be bound by correspondingly stronger rules and forces. If there is no external help, the success rate of turning into a ghost is the same as that of ordinary people.

"Meng Chengyin said that three years after my senior brother killed Zhao Fu, Zhao Fu successfully transformed into a ghost and told him the truth about his life. Since then, she has been using this secret to blackmail Meng Chengyin into doing things for her. Of course, she also promised to have a way to cover up the Heart-Embedding Curse. The three sealing talismans on Meng Caiyun's body were her work."

Wang Fengxu pondered for a moment and asked, "What did she ask Sect Leader Meng to do for her? At this point, does she still want to become an immortal? No, does she really want to help everyone become immortals?!"

Wang Suqing: "She had Meng Chengyin spread the wordless spells for her, in order to stimulate more resentful energy for her cultivation. She could also nurture some resentful spirits that could not be reincarnated, and use them as stepping stones for her when she 'ascended to heaven.'"

The Punishment Department can allow evil spirits to possess the body, and can also use the summoned souls as shields. She can certainly lead some souls into the immortal gate, but she also needs to consider the consumption required to resist the damage before breaking through the immortal gate.

Wang Fengxu's face fell. "Then what makes her say she can lead everyone to immortality? Isn't this all for herself?"

Wang Suqing smiled slightly and said meaningfully, "If she was only doing this for herself, there would be no need to prepare so much. Of course, if she sacrificed 300 souls but led 30,000 souls to become immortals, do you think those 30,000 people would change their respect for her because of a mere 300 people?"

Wang Fengxu pushed it to himself, frowned for a moment, and was unable to answer.

"She's very clever. Over the years, she's secretly gained quite a few followers," Wang Suqing said, a worried look crossing her brows. "Even within the Three Death Sect, quite a few have abandoned the Four Judges and followed her. After all, the Nine Heavens Divine Dragon is elusive, and she once held true power within the sect."

Wang Fengxu thought of a key question: "She's been preparing for so long, what is she still waiting for? Did Sect Leader Meng mention anything in his last letter?"

"You're quite clever," Wang Suqing said, tilting her head. "If it were you, you'd been planning this for decades, and you claim you can find the location of the Immortal Gate. So, everything's ready. What else do you need?"

Wang Fengxu blurted out without thinking: "East wind."

Wang Suqing's face showed no sign of joking. She nodded solemnly and said, "She is preparing to borrow someone's help."

Wang Fengxu was confused now: "Who?"

"A person who truly possesses the qualifications to become an immortal."