The next day, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng set off on their journey.
Hua Cheng took Xie Lian's hand and said, "Brother, next time you see Jun Wu, don't say a word to him. Just turn around and run."
Xie Lian asked curiously, “Why?”
Hua Cheng said, "I knew it. Every time he comes looking for you, it's always something bad."
Xie Lian laughed and said, "How can you say that? This wasn't the mission he originally assigned me."
Hua Cheng said, "It's the same thing. Going to Tonglu Mountain or helping him manage the Heavenly Palace, which one is the better job? The Heavenly Palace is in tatters now, so it's better to disband it. Leaving this mess to you, what's the point? It's like choosing between killing yourself with a knife or a sword."
Xie Lian couldn't help but chuckle, but after a moment's laughter, he spoke seriously again, "However, I really didn't expect you to actually offer to accompany me to Tonglu Mountain. I've thought about it for a long time, and I think I have to say this, Sanlang, please don't force yourself."
He had a feeling Huacheng had offered to go with him because he knew what he was thinking. After all, Xie Lian truly felt that being locked in a furnace and slaughtered was preferable to managing the Heavenly Court and doing something he wasn't good at. Huacheng said, "Brother, I've promised you again and again that I won't force you. Don't you believe me?"
Xie Lian said, “Of course not…”
Hua Cheng nodded and said, "Then don't worry, brother. I have my own considerations. Don't feel like you owe me a favor. Even if you were completely on my side, I wouldn't mind stuffing him back before the new Ghost King is born."
In this matter, the existing ghost kings and the Upper Heaven Court share a common interest. There's only so much rice, and everyone wants to eat it. Right now, there's not enough to go around. If there's a fight, and a newcomer wants a piece of the pie, no one would be happy. And if this newcomer is a desperate, desperate person who goes crazy, no one would be able to eat it.
After hearing Hua Cheng's proposal, Jun Wu seriously considered it for a long time. If Xie Lian went alone, his chances of success would definitely be worse than his own. But if Xie Lian was accompanied by a Ghost King who had personally experienced the trials and tribulations of Copper Furnace Mountain, this combination would be even more promising than if he went alone.
Of course, Hua Cheng's trip wasn't in vain. Jun Wu agreed to his terms: before the next mountain opening, the entire Celestial Realm would march around the Ghost Market. Furthermore, the Blood Rain Explorer's heroic deeds would be publicized throughout the court, lauded for a whole year... Xie Lian imagined it would be something like, "You foolish priests! Do you know who saved you?" It was practically abusive treatment of the priests, who were already wary of Hua Cheng and had complicated feelings about him, stomping on their faces.
Hua Cheng smiled and said, "With me here, this trip will be much easier for you."
Pulling his thoughts back, Xie Lian said, “I still think we should wait until your restlessness is over and you’ve returned to your original form before we go.”
Hua Chengdao: "Don't worry about that. It will be soon."
Xie Lian was startled and said, “Ah…”
Hua Cheng said, "What's wrong? What's with that expression, brother?"
Xie Lian asked, “…So, Sanlang is growing up?”
Hua Cheng said with his hands behind his back, "Yes. I've been holding it in for a long time and I can't wait any longer."
Unexpectedly, just as he finished speaking, Xie Lian lifted him up, raised his hands high, and said with a smile, "That's a pity! You won't be able to hold me when I grow up. Hurry and hug me now, hahahahahahahahaha..."
“…”
To reach Tonglu Mountain, they couldn't use the teleportation system, so they had to walk. After dozens of days, they were finally far away from towns and people, entering the mountainous area, where there was an endless, lush, and verdant forest.
The deeper they went into the forest, the more numerous and densely packed the demons and monsters they encountered along the roadside. All of them were bizarre, furtive, and hurried. Xie Lian, holding Hua Cheng's hand, whispered as they walked, "There are so many coming."
Hua Cheng said, "This time, the gathering of tens of thousands of ghosts is indeed greater than ever before. Because the Heavenly Court didn't stop them this time, many who had not originally planned to come have come."
Moreover, there were not only solitary figures, but even groups of them. After walking for a while, Xie Lian encountered a large group of tattered demons and monsters with hideous faces. They formed an array and shouted as they walked:
"The world is the furnace, and all living things are the copper!"
"It's a life of suffering and eternal calamity!"
"The world is the furnace, and all living things are the copper!"
"It's a life of suffering and eternal calamity!"
Judging from their shouting, they weren't afraid, but rather eager to go. Hearing their slogans, Hua Cheng's face turned slightly cold. "You don't understand what this means at all, yet you're shouting it more enthusiastically than anyone else."
It seems that these many demons and monsters, who had never personally experienced it, were unaware of the cruelty involved and thought Cheng Jue too easily, full of ambition, which made those who had experienced it feel unhappy. Xie Lian asked, "Is it okay for them to come in groups like this?"
Hua Chengdao said, "These types of people usually have known each other for a long time and plan to travel the mountains together. They've agreed to spare each other's lives. But no agreement is binding. Because in the end, killing one more person means more strength, and killing one less means less life. And the easiest targets are, of course, those who are closest to you and who trust you the most."
After saying this, he frowned slightly and covered his right eye, as if his headache had returned. Xie Lian quickly took him and led him to the side of the woods. He squatted down, slightly worried, and said, "Sanlang, we're about to enter the mountains. Are you really okay?"
After calming his brows slightly, Hua Cheng said, "Don't worry, brother, it's normal. It will be fine soon."
How could Xie Lian just say he was relieved? Hua Cheng said again, "Brother, come closer. I have something to tell you."
Xie Lian, not understanding what was going on, leaned closer. Hua Cheng cupped his face in his hands, gently resting his forehead against his. Xie Lian blinked, stunned. When Hua Cheng released him, he said, "San Lang, you..."
Hua Cheng smiled and said, "Alright. This place is full of ghosts. My brother is a priest, so the smell will be very obvious in there. This can cover it up a little."
It turned out that the reason for this was to imbue Xie Lian with his aura. Xie Lian couldn't help but recall the previous "transfer of magic and energy" between the two of them. Worried that Hua Cheng would remember it and bring it up again, he hurriedly said, "Okay. Let's both disguise ourselves."
To blend in with the myriad demons, they naturally needed to disguise themselves. However, it was essentially just a cloak; many demons and monsters also liked to wear masks or cloaks, so it wasn't uncommon. The two of them simply dressed up, and Xie Lian, holding Hua Cheng's hand, slowly walked forward. After walking for a while, they heard a faint noise ahead. Unsure of what was going on, Xie Lian asked, "Is there some kind of landmark telling you we've entered Tonglu Mountain?"
Hua Chengdao: "Yes. But don't believe those things."
Xie Lian was about to ask more when he heard a growing commotion ahead. The two of them emerged from the forest. Before a steep cliff, a massive, dark mass of demons and monsters, at least three or four hundred in number, gathered. However, this was only the tip of the iceberg of this gathering of ghosts.
"Why is the road blocked? Did we take the wrong road?"
"No way... doesn't it say that any road can lead to Tonglu Mountain?"
Perhaps because they hadn't yet entered the territory of Tonglu Mountain and the fighting hadn't officially begun, the ghosts were relatively harmonious at the moment. Xie Lian casually found a nearby ghost and asked, "Excuse me, what's going on up there?"
The ghost taunted, "You don't have eyes, can't you see for yourself? There's a mountain blocking your way, so you can't get through."
“…”
Xie Lian glanced at the ghost beside him. Half its head had been chopped off; it truly was blind. But he couldn't say anything, so he simply said, "Can't you just go around it?"
At this moment, several ghosts rushed over from the side, sticking out their tongues and saying, "Damn, this mountain is weird! I ran for half an hour and still couldn't see the end! I ran for another half an hour before I got back!"
The ghosts said to Xie Lian, “No.”
Xie Lian added, “Can’t we just climb up or fly over there?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a seven-foot-tall bird fell from the sky with a whoosh and landed heavily on the ground, seemingly dead instantly. A ghost cried out, "Oh my god! The bird spirit is so exhausted that it can't even fly over!"
The ghosts said to Xie Lian again, “No!”
Xie Lian said again, “That can’t be…”
Before he could finish, the ghosts shushed him, wishing they could shut him up: "Stop asking! You crow's mouth!"
Xie Lian said, “Okay.”
Hundreds of demons and monsters were trapped before this high mountain cliff that they couldn't circumvent, climb, or fly over. A cacophony of voices rang out, one after another, creating a cacophony of noises. Some said, "I understand! This isn't just any mountain, it's a barrier."
Some said, "Everyone, after crossing this mountain, there must be Tonglu Mountain behind us. This mountain is probably the first test before entering the mountain. If you can't even pass this simplest test, forget about passing the rest. It's better to disperse!"
"etc!"
"Waiting for what?"
A voice asked in confusion: "Why do I... smell a very strange smell?"
"What's that smell? Is it the dead flesh you brought along for the journey that's gone bad?"
The voice said, "No, no. It's not dead flesh, it's living flesh! No, no, no, that's not right! ... It smells a bit like... a priest!!!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a huge uproar ensued. The ghosts shouted, "What?! Stop talking nonsense! How can there be a priest?"
"Ah wait! That... I smelled it too!"
"I don't have any?"
"If you put it that way, I think I'm a bit... Could there be a priest sneaking in?!"
"That's impossible... Which priest is so bold as to come to a place like this?"
After more than a dozen sentences, everyone was in an uproar. Xie Lian's heart was slightly in fear, but his face remained calm.
Hua Cheng had clearly covered up his scent just now, so how could it still be there? It couldn't be that someone had discovered his infiltration.
Hua Cheng held his hand and whispered, "Brother, be careful. Something is muddying the waters and taking the opportunity to create chaos."
Xie Lian said, “It’s also possible that, besides me, there really are other priests who have sneaked in.”
At this moment, the ghost who had first mentioned the human scent jumped onto a large rock and said, "Everyone! Who knows? Those death officials in heaven, seeing they couldn't stop us on the road this time, might send people to Copper Furnace Mountain to ruin our grand event. I suggest that everyone wearing masks, cloaks, or any other thick clothing take them off first. That way, anyone with auras will be discovered immediately. Everyone, please state your names one by one and don't give them a chance to sneak in!"
The ghosts cheered, and the ghost continued, "I'll go first! I'm the 'Fatal Swift Blade Demon,' a executioner's guillotine. I only use one strike to kill people and behead them!"
“…”
According to Xie Lian's experience, generally speaking, the more exaggerated and straightforward the title, the more likely it is to include words like "peerless," "Thousand Hands," "invincible," or "deadly," the easier it is to kill. Usually, a single move is enough, sometimes even three. At least hundreds of names were randomly reported, and he shook his head as he listened. Suddenly, a ghost nudged him with an elbow and said, "Hey, why don't you take off your cloak? What the hell are you?"
This wasn't meant to be disrespectful; it was just that if it wasn't a person, then calling it a "thing" didn't seem out of place. In fact, quite a few other ghosts hadn't removed their cloaks or masks. One was near Xie Lian, folding his arms and looking at them. But Xie Lian, being called out first, was the first. Seeing everyone looking at him, he simply considered himself unlucky. He slowly removed his cloak and said softly, "I'm a puppeteer."
The ghosts gathered around and said, "I see! No wonder you look so human. This is the first time I've seen a puppeteer!"
Xie Lian smiled, but remained silent. Puppet masters were a type of demonic being with very little evil energy. To create the perfect puppet, they would search for and experiment with a wide variety of materials, so it wasn't surprising if they were tainted by the aura of anything. Their preference for human skin led to a strong sense of human aura. Puppet masters dreamed of plucking hair from a priest to make wigs for their puppets, and some were so daring they would actually try. Therefore, even if they were tainted by a priest's aura, it wouldn't be surprising.
A ghost asked: "Where is your puppet doll?"
Xie Lian looked around, then bent down and picked Hua Cheng up.
The ghosts all exclaimed: "Wow, how exquisite!"
"What material? Wow, it's quite realistic."
"I feel like he'll be a formidable competitor..."
"How can it be realistic? I think it looks a bit fake. The skin is too white. And how can a child's eyelashes be so long?"
Although Hua Cheng folded his arms and wore a blank expression, many female ghosts were still moved by his appearance, their hearts already frozen. They exclaimed, "Oh my god, what a handsome doll!" "Master, are you taking orders? Can I order one just like you? The price is negotiable." Some even couldn't help but reach out and touch him. Xie Lian quickly carried Hua Cheng back and held him in his arms. The ghosts hissed, "How stingy! You cherish him so much, yet you won't even let me touch him."
Xie Lian hugged Hua Cheng tighter with his left hand, and stroked his hair with his right hand. "Of course, this is my doll. And he has a bad temper. No one except me can touch him, or he will get very angry."
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow in his arms, and the ghosts laughed, "Oh, he can raise his eyebrows, so impressive!"
At this moment, a voice suddenly said: "I don't think so."
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