Chapter 61 Tide Sacrifice for a Thousand Souls, Waves Burning Incense 3 Yao Xu stood still and...

Yao Xu stood there lost in thought for a long while before saying, "The Xi Zhe are truly a strange tribe. But one thing is very strange: they performed such a large-scale sacrificial ceremony to pray to the gods, so why have we never heard of it in the Heavenly Court?" He looked at Mi Qing and added, "Qing Qing, have you heard of it?"

Mi Qing said, "No."

Yan Chao seemed to suddenly realize something and said, "The Xi Zhe tribe disappeared around the time when the evil Taoist Jin Xin wreaked havoc on the human world. Could it be that these two events are really related?"

Feng Xi replied, "Let's keep going forward."

Passing through the purification chamber, a deeper, chilling underground aura swept over them. The four finally reached the very core entrance to the underground palace. A colossal, awe-inspiring black stone door, heavy and cold, seemed to separate life and death. The door was densely covered with countless names, layer upon layer. The writing was distorted, and through these names, an indescribable pain washed over them.

Mi Qing asked, "Are these names Xi Zheren's names?"

Yan Chao stepped forward for a closer look and said, "No. The number of names is enormous, far exceeding the population of Xi Zhe." For some reason, Yan Chao suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and a vague unease in his heart.

At the very center of the doorway are two deep recesses: one empty, as if waiting for something; the other inlaid with a dull, cracked stone eyeball, staring blankly ahead. Beside the stone door, a tall, headless stone statue stands silently, its hands cupping a dusty bronze box in front of it. On the ground before the underground palace, dozens of small, contorted, and tormented skeletons of children are carefully arranged and buried. One skeleton's finger bones are gripping a small, black stone slab with sharp edges, engraved with eerie runes, with an almost embedded force.

The four held their breath, stunned by the sight before them. Yan Chao's gaze swept over the buried skeletons, and she felt a chill run down her spine: "Wait, look at the direction their skulls are facing..." Her voice was filled with surprise and doubt.

The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the empty eye sockets of all the skeletons, no matter how their bodies were twisted, were strangely, faintly pointing towards the stone eye embedded in the center of the stone gate. This was no coincidence; it was as if some deep-seated obsession had tightly connected these dead people to that stone eye.

Yao Xu brushed away the thick dust from the box and opened the lid. Inside, on a silken surface, lay a single-eyed stone eye, warm and smooth as jade, also covered in cracks. Unlike the stone eye on the door, this jade eye emitted a faint yet warm, soft light.

Mi Qing carefully picked it up and said, "This eye has warmth, completely different from the lifeless one on the door. They seem to be a pair? Or are they related?"

Feng Xi crouched down, looking at the skeleton tightly gripping the black stone slab. He struggled to remove it. The slab was icy cold to the touch, its runes twisting and writhing, the core of which was a clear chain pattern, binding a human figure. Feng Xi sneered, "This pattern is truly malevolent. But, this stone slab seems to be a key? Or proof of resistance?"

While moving the skeleton to retrieve the stone slab, Mi Qing keenly noticed a small, almost weathered piece of cloth pressed beneath the skeleton. Embroidered on it were two small, tightly clasped hands. The edges of the cloth bore traces of burning: "Is this some kind of token? Representing sibling affection?"

Feng Xi said, "The stone eye on the door is the core that the dead point to. It is cold and lifeless, clearly a product of evil magic. The jade eye in the box is warm and powerful, of the same origin but opposite to it. Don't they seem like brothers?"

Yao Xu added, "Most of those skeletons are children, and Jin Xin also captured children back then. If the names on the door aren't from Xi Zheren, could they be the names of the children Jin Xin abducted?"

Upon hearing this, the four were startled. Yan Chao's breath caught in her throat, and she felt as if the blood in her body had frozen. She stood there stiffly, unable to utter a single word.

Feng Xi noticed something was wrong and asked, "Chao Chao, what's wrong?"

Yan Chao sighed and said, "I'm fine."

After a long pause, Mi Qing said, "If what you say is true, then there is one possibility. One of them fell into the hands of the demonic Jin Xin and was forged into a killing weapon, while the other may have escaped and even gained great power? This piece of cloth is proof of their brotherhood! And the dead pointed to the stone eye, perhaps because the stone eye represents that 'elder brother,' or perhaps they hoped to be freed?"

To verify the above speculation, Feng Xi placed the jade eye into the empty slot on the door. The moment the jade eye was inserted, a soft light, like a warm gaze, gently looked at the cold stone eye. The door seemed to tremble slightly.

Mi Qing picked up the black stone slab, her eyes resolute. She aimed the slab at the invisible binding force field around the stone eye, pressed it hard against the chain that strangled the humanoid figure, and said, "What's binding them is this rune!"

"Boom! Sizzle—!"

The stone slab shattered amidst a deafening crack and billowing black smoke. Simultaneously, from the depths of the crack in the stone eye, like a volcanic eruption, an incredibly warm and intense golden light burst forth. The golden light instantly dispelled the chill and illuminated the entire space. Within the light, there was no longer endless pain, but rather the faint yet clear voice of a child, relieved and joyful.

Even more shocking was the interplay of golden and blue light, which projected several fragmented yet clear images above the door: two ragged children exchanging amulets in a dim corner; the desperate look in one of their eyes as he was dragged away by chains; the tragic figure of another gouging out his own pupils in a thunderstorm and roaring to the sky; and finally, a figure radiating divine light and a ghostly figure fighting side by side, burying the countless skeletons of children turned into weapons of death.

Yao Xu looked at Feng Xi and said, "This is a god and a ghost... Brother, do you know who that ghost is?"

Feng Xi said, "Ning Chan, the eccentric paper-folding expert."

Ning Chan, this ghost, has only one hobby: origami, which is also his weapon. The things he folds are ever-changing, taking shape on the spot, and possess a childlike charm. However, he often transforms into the appearance of a young, middle-aged, or elderly person, riding a paper tiger or a paper crane, wandering the human world. Since becoming the Ghost King, his only notable act has been swallowing nearly a thousand water ghosts; after that, his whereabouts became unknown, and his occasional appearances caused little disturbance. It turns out he's always been here.

Yao Xu asked, "Then who is the other person?"

"I'm here."

A voice came from behind the door, and a tall, slender figure emerged. He was tall and thin, and although his soft armor couldn't conceal his withered body, his expression was resolute, with a hint of joy at impending liberation. Accompanying him was an infant, its body covered in bluish-purple bruises, its eyes pure black, yet capable of walking upright.

Mi Qing looked at the tall man and exclaimed in surprise, "General Shu? It's you!"

The man referred to as General Shu was none other than Shu Ci, the Martial God of Heaven. Undoubtedly, the man beside him was the Ghost King Ning Chan.

Shu Ci didn't speak, but coughed a few times and took out a chain from around his neck, with a fishhook hanging from it. He looked at it for a long time before saying, "From childhood to adulthood, my only wish has been to become the best fishermen with my brother. Unfortunately, we were born into the lower classes, and I was even born with double pupils..."

“To survive, I wore a fake eye every day, but I was still discovered. The clan chief wanted to sacrifice me, and my brother took advantage of the chaos to escape with me, but I got separated from him. When I found him, he had already been killed by a sorcerer, and his body was not even complete.” The more he spoke, the more his voice trembled with grief and indignation. He leaned against the door, almost unable to stand.

Ning Chan cried out in a sorrowful voice, "When I was still...in my infancy, I was...abducted by a demonic cultivator. I don't know where my home is...I don't know who my parents are. I...grew up surrounded by medicine pots. I will never forget that person! I want him to never be reincarnated!!!"

The four remained silent.

Shu Ci said, "It took us nearly a hundred years to completely eradicate the scourge left in this world. Burying their remains here will allow Xi Zhe's purifying power to relieve their pain and bring them peace, as well as purify the sea. However, although the power is great, it cannot be maintained for long. We have poured all our magic power into it, which will allow the purifying power to continue for more than a hundred years."

Yao Xu said, "Such a big matter, why didn't you, as a divine official, report it to the Emperor?"

Shu Ci gave a bitter laugh and said, "Because I didn't want to! It was the pain they inflicted on us generation after generation that caused the prayer to be blocked, and I hate this place even more! It's all their own fault! Sadly, I still ended up back here." As he spoke, he burst into tears, "I don't want to be a god! I can let go of my hatred! I just want my brother to rest in peace!"

Ning Chan also said excitedly, "I transformed into a vengeful ghost just to kill my enemies, but unfortunately I was too late. So I want to eliminate all those like me so that they will no longer suffer."

Feng Xi sighed and said, "So what do you want us to do now?"

Ning Chan said, "We have waited for you for a long time. Now... we only ask for liberation."

Mi Qing said, "Do you want us to kill you?!"

Shu Ci finally collapsed to the ground, unable to hold on any longer. She removed the chains and said, "We are now bound to this island and cannot end our lives. I only ask that you take these chains out and throw them into the sea. We and this island will disappear. But don't worry, even if we die, the purifying power will not disappear."

Mi Qing asked, "Then what about those dead fishermen?"

Ning Chan said, "Purification cannot be accomplished overnight. They... are poisoned by the sea, as are the mutated fish you encountered. Even if we... are willing, we... cannot completely... reverse it."

Shu Ci said, "The underground palace was disturbed before, and the purification was unstable. Now that the two of us have risked our lives here, we can be sure of our safety."

Yao Xu said sadly, "So you had already decided this from the very beginning."

Yan Chao's eyes welled up with tears as she asked, "Have you really thought this through?"

Ning Chan said, "This is our final request."

The four said, "Okay, we agree."

Yan Chao stepped forward and took the chain from Shu Ci's hand. Shu Ci smiled gratefully at her. Just as she was about to leave, Ning Chan stopped her and said, "Miss, I have a friend. He asked me to tell you something."

Yan Chao asked, "What are you saying?"

Ning Chan said, "Thank you. Thank you."

Yan Chao stood there, stunned, and a tear instantly fell. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she couldn't say anything, nodded, and left.

Before leaving, the four men glanced at them one last time. The two men lay down on the ground, quietly awaiting their death. The four men bowed respectfully to them and then departed.

The four of them left the underground palace and arrived at the seaside. Yan Chao threw the chain into the sea and said to herself, "Take care." She suddenly remembered the words on the gate of the underground palace, "The sea remembers everything," and her emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

Yes, the sea remembers everything.

As the returning ship sailed further and further away, the island gradually disappeared. Before it vanished completely, Shu Ci and Ning Chan suddenly saw a ray of light. They reached out their hands and grasped them tightly. They smiled simultaneously.

"Brother, let's go fishing together."

"My wish has come true. I've finally grown up."