Crown Prince
Jinzhu found paper and pen and tried hard to recall the "ghost stories" from her memory.
When I was little, I always loved to sneak off to play by the lake by myself. If my mother caught me when I got home, she would beat me and then talk to me at night.
My mother said that in the place where she and my father escaped, in that most desolate Gobi Desert, slept an ancient kingdom that ruled over quicksand. Their people, like the quicksand, had no real appearance or shape; they temporarily became whatever they saw each day. Sometimes they were people, sometimes scorpions… My mother told me that it was because they had all offered their faces and bodies to the crown prince.
The crown prince hated water, and even more so, he hated what grew near water. So his people would secretly "drink" the river, then catch the creatures that lived near the water and offer them to the crown prince. Once the crown prince had eaten his fill and found what he liked, he would follow the sandy river to each person, taking them all back to their own countries.
...
“Mother said that even though our family escaped, the Crown Prince and his subjects could still find us by following the golden things and eat the naughty children.” On the paper in front of Jinzhu, the outline of some strange totem had already been drawn. “But then I thought, my hair is also golden, so why didn’t the Crown Prince chase after me and eat me? So those last few sentences must have been made up to scare me!”
This absurd ghost story caused Yun Shu, who was listening quietly, to frown deeply.
Formless and shapeless... doesn't that perfectly match the meaning of "faceless"? Moreover, the crown prince's aversion to water and life is also consistent with the drying up of rivers in the human world.
Gold...is it quicksand or...sunlight? Or perhaps...?
"My mother also said that if you suddenly see someone you don't know in the oasis, you must not make a sound or panic. 'You should slowly back away, and even if the other person notices you, don't be afraid. Just find an opportunity to strike them on the back of the neck, and they will be crushed.'"
...A tap on the back of the neck?
Why did Jinzhu's mother know so clearly?
Just as they were about to ask another question, she raised the drawing paper and showed them the winding snake shape on it.
“This is something my mother taught me to draw in the sand. I thought it was strange that this snake had bird wings, so I’ve remembered it ever since.”
Yunhua, who had been drowsy, was suddenly jolted awake by the sight of the totem. He shielded Yunshu and Jinzhu behind him, and demonic power surged from his palms, instantly shredding the painting and the table behind it into dust. He then clutched his head and swayed, seemingly unwell.
"Master?" Yun Shu quickly took his hand to comfort him and help him suppress the chaotic and restless power within him. "Have you remembered something?"
The other person gripped his hand even tighter, and his bewildered and pained eyes returned to emptiness, as if the scene just now was an illusion.
However, this was enough for Yun Shu to confirm that the object drawn by Jin Zhu must be related to what her master experienced more than ten thousand years ago.
That was the first time that immortals and demons joined forces, setting aside their grudges, solely to eradicate the evil cult.
Thinking about it this way, it's actually quite similar to the current situation. But unlike then, they now have the help of humans.
"Fox Fairy, what happened to Grandmaster?" Jinzhu, trembling with fear, gently tugged at Yun Shu and said apologetically, "Did Grandmaster dislike what I drew...?"
Yun Shu chuckled upon hearing this, putting her arms around both of them and coaxing them softly, "How could that be? Master likes you very much. We should thank you for providing us with such an important clue... Jinzhu, the Fox Fairy is going to find the Sect Leader now, could you... take Master back to his room to rest?"
Upon hearing that her master didn't dislike her and that her words had actually been a great help, the young girl was no longer afraid. She happily accepted the task and pulled Yunhua towards the inner room.
"Don't worry, Fox Fairy, I will make sure my master gets a good night's sleep!"
"You've really gone to a lot of trouble... Tomorrow when you go to the back mountain, would it be alright if the Fox Fairy came along to carry your baskets?"
"Okay! It's a deal!"
That night, after listening to Yun Shu's retelling, Yun He tapped his fingertips on the table unintentionally: "The Crown Prince of the Flowing Sand Kingdom... the Faceless Man. Although the two have different names, they seem to be similar in essence."
“Senior Sister, that cult may be hiding something deeper than we know.” Yun Shu reconstructed the totem from her memory and called Yun He to take a look. “If it weren’t for what Jin Zhu said today, we would probably still be completely clueless about its location and beliefs. Senior Sister has more experience than me, have you ever seen this strange beast?”
Yunhe took the painting and examined it carefully, but ultimately shook his head, saying he didn't know. Yunshu wasn't disappointed or surprised by this. After all, when that evil cult was destroyed, the two of them were still young, and the only thing they could remember was that their master, Yunhua, disappeared for several months and returned covered in injuries.
After a moment's hesitation, she stood up and said, "Tomorrow, I will personally go to the Western Regions. Going with that Demon Clan healer, Wu Ying, might allow us to uncover her secrets more quickly..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yun Shu slightly raised her eyes, silently stopping her. The fox spirit stroked the dark circles under her eyes, her gaze both angry and puzzled, and she actually silenced Yun He, who stared at her.
“Senior sister has been working hard lately, and she is also responsible for the important matter of balancing the demonic energy in Master’s body and protecting the sect. Now is a time of great turmoil. If senior sister is not here, I am afraid that people with impure intentions will start to have evil thoughts again… Senior sister, you must not leave the mountain at this time.”
His words were earnest, which made Yunhe shake her head helplessly. She could only reach out and rub the fox's ears, blaming herself, "It was because I was in a hurry that I forgot about these things... But if I don't go, then you, Qiuqiu, will have to go yourself. You have just recovered from a serious illness, and I really can't bear to let you go."
“Senior Sister, you are mistaken.” He smiled, linking arms with Yunhe. “The demonic poison has been cleared, and Qiuqiu’s demonic power has recovered to seventy or eighty percent. It’s just a trip to the Western Regions, how can that be considered tiring? Besides, if we go to the Western Regions, we must bring the Golden Pearl. That little girl has always been close to me, and if she goes with me on this journey, she will be more at ease… Furthermore, my tribulation is approaching. If I obtain some good opportunities there, I fear that when I return, I will truly become the ‘fox fairy’ that the people speak of. Senior Sister, please put your mind at ease and let Qiuqiu go.”
After being teased and rubbed by the little fox ball for a long time, Yunhe finally sighed and gave in. She pinched her only junior brother's ears, her fingertips overflowing with immortal power to examine the demonic power in his meridians, but she was still merciless in her words: "You... I can let you out. But you have to promise your senior sister one thing: come back unharmed, and don't make yourself look miserable again. If you get hurt again, your senior sister won't forgive you, you naughty fox."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. After spending time with Master tomorrow morning, Qiuqiu will tell Jinzhu." He nodded and then said softly, "Senior Sister, Master... is entrusted to you."
"Okay. Qiuqiu, if anything happens in the Western Regions, don't try to tough it out."
"Okay. Ballball remembers."
Dongling.
The Dongling Imperial Palace seemed to come alive overnight.
Mo Yiheng and Murong Jin's decrees were like pebbles thrown into a tranquil lake, creating ripples on the surface.
For the first time, the scouts of the Western Garrison and the demon spies broke down the generational barrier between the two races, cautiously communicating and maintaining a delicate and fragile tacit understanding, beginning to share intelligence. At either end of this communication chain were Ling Zhao, the newly promoted commander-in-chief of the special envoys against the demons, and Si Xun Yu Guanyin, who had finally separated her duties from Ye Xiuluo. One was as calm as still water, the other as radiant as a smile; each time they met across the water mirror, the atmosphere was far from harmonious, but their efficiency was astonishingly high.
At this moment, Ling Zhao was pointing at the image of the riverbed with his sword sheath, his brows furrowed: "Judging from the traces of the dried-up river, what drained it was not simply demonic energy, but rather something more like... a chilling death aura. In addition, another river not far from the Heavenly River is also showing signs of drying up. The investigation results are consistent with what the Zhenxi Army's undercover agents found, all pointing to the border."
Within the water mirror, a beautiful woman played with a wisp of demonic energy swirling around her fingertips. Upon hearing this, she paused and asked, "Commander Ling, may I have a look at the riverbed silt samples?"
In no time, the seemingly ordinary soil was presented. Ordinary people could not see the patterns, but the Jade Guanyin, holding the Soul-Capturing Technique, glanced at it through the water mirror and immediately sensed an ominous aura as black as ink, as if it wanted to devour the surrounding life.
Seeing this, Ling Zhao raised an eyebrow: "Have you made any progress, Your Excellency?"
"Commander Ling's observations are truly remarkable; I am humbled by his lack of skill." Jade Guanyin exchanged a few lazy pleasantries. Just then, the totem portrait gifted by Yunhua Immortal Mountain arrived, so she placed it beside her and admired it with the humans. "The ominous aura of this object reminds me of ancient records from the Demon Clan. It mentions that in the ancient times of the Western Regions, there was a secret religion that worshipped the 'Lord of Silence.' Although it is ancient and very few records exist, one of its doctrines has been passed down to this day. This doctrine is 'Drawing water to seize the spirit, all things return to silence.'"
"'The Silent Lord'? Could he be connected to that so-called 'Faceless Man'?"
"Who knows?" Jade Guanyin spread her hands, then pointed meaningfully at the totem. "It's just a name, nothing more than a shell. A message from the immortal mountain says that their little girl, whose ancestral home is in the Western Regions, also heard some 'ghost stories' from her mother, saying that the crown prince hated water and was drawn to gold... Isn't this 'crown prince' the same kind of person as 'Faceless' and 'Silent Lord'? According to the girl, this image should be a sacred object of their religion. I urge Commander Ling to pay close attention when he investigates in all directions..."
After each sorting out intelligence and ordering continued investigation, the two should have parted ways today. However, as she turned around, Yu Guanyin suddenly paused, staring at the mud beside Ling Zhao's hand—the Soul-Capturing Technique always allowed Yu Guanyin to see more than others.
She immediately sat back down, called out to Ling Zhao in a low voice, and said seriously, "Commander Ling, recently, among the river workers you have summoned for the water conservancy project, are there any unfamiliar faces? Or... people acting strangely?"
Ling Zhao's gaze sharpened, and he turned around abruptly: "Does Your Excellency suspect that someone has infiltrated the laborers?"
"Exactly. The souls of the dead do not lie."
If it had already infiltrated the ranks of the laborers... Ling Zhao had no time to think further. He immediately ordered someone from the Ministry of Works to be found in charge of this matter, but bowed deeply to the Jade Guanyin: "Thank you for your guidance."
Jade Guanyin was not used to his respectful manner, so she could only wave her hand and say, "It was just a small favor. Besides, we are now allies. The Demon Clan never lets its allies suffer losses, nor does it have any intention of plotting against each other."
After this matter was concluded, Ling Zhao personally led a group of people to the construction site to keep watch in case of any accidents.
A few days later, Murong Jin received a secret letter from Ling Zhao.
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