Xie Lian, enraged, drew the sword from his chest and was about to strike again, but found it hadn't drawn a single drop of blood. Instantly, his mind cleared, he swung the blade around, and with one blow, severed the white-robed youth's head. The decapitation was effortless, but as the head separated from the body, both sides quickly deflated, transforming into a flattened pouch of skin.
This body is just an empty shell!
The two times he'd seen this thing, he'd used a fake body; his true form had never appeared once. While not surprised, Xie Lian still felt a surge of hatred. He stabbed the limp head and body with his longsword, shattering the skin with sharp blade energy, yet he still wasn't satisfied. Feng Xin couldn't bear to watch any longer and stopped him, saying, "Your Highness! It's just a shell."
However, this shell bore an exact resemblance to Xie Lian's youth, making it seem as if Xie Lian were brutally butchering himself. The scene was somewhat unsettling. Xie Lian took a few deep breaths, dropped his sword, and sat down on the ground. "I know! But he actually dared to use my face!"
He was so furious that they both squatted before him. After a moment's silence, Feng Xin finally said, "Your Highness, are you feeling better? Don't take this thing's nonsense seriously. It's just a prank."
Unexpectedly, Xie Lian said, “No, he said something, but he didn’t play a trick on me. It’s just…”
Feng Xin was surprised: "He really told you how to lift the curse?!"
Xie Lian shoved his right hand into his hair and said, “He didn’t tell me how to solve the Human Face Plague. He told me…how to create it!”
Both of them were stunned: "Made?"
Xie Lian nodded, looked around, and decided not to stay at Beizipo. He decided to leave. He didn't want to see the soldiers' evasive glances, nor did he want to hear the patients' wails and complaints. So, he returned to the Crown Prince's bedroom in the palace, which Xie Lian had left vacant for many years.
After closing the door, Xie Lian managed to calm himself down. He sat down and said in a deep voice, "Those 'human faces' growing on human bodies are all the souls of the dead people of Yong'an. Some died on the battlefield, and a larger number died in the drought."
Mu Qing was not surprised and said, "No wonder the people of Yong'an are so insulated from the human face plague. Of course, their own people will not fight against their own people."
Feng Xin frowned. "Those who died in the drought weren't killed by the people in the Imperial City. Even if they have grudges, they shouldn't be directed at us, right?"
Xie Lian sighed and said, “That being said, you know that when a person dies, their soul goes through a period of chaos.”
For a period of time after a person dies, the soul is like a newborn baby, confused and half-conscious, not knowing who it is, where it is, or what it is doing. The duration of this period can be long or short, depending on the individual and the opportunity. This state is called the "chaotic period."
In this case, their relatives or loved ones can guide these souls or influence them. The folk custom of calling back the souls on the seventh day after death is based on this principle.
Xie Lian said, “He… told me that the Yong’an soldiers harbor strong resentment and aggressive intentions toward the Imperial City, and that many of their parents, wives, and children died in the drought.
"These dead souls have nowhere to rely on and are easily affected by the emotions of their loved ones. He exploits the sharp wills of these soldiers to instill hostility towards the people of the Imperial City, forcing them to inhabit the bodies of the living and compete for their nutrients.
"Because these souls of the Chaos Period have been repeatedly told one thing: if it weren't for them, you could have survived."
Feng Xin said: "What kind of crazy idea is this? Who should live and who should die?"
Xie Lian covered his forehead and said, "Lang Ying had accidentally buried his son's body in the Imperial City, and that became the trigger for his curse. I asked him to tell me the solution, but he talked for a long time and ended up telling me the whole curse technique. What does this mean?"
Knowing the spell doesn't mean you can break the curse. Feng Xin cursed, "I'm just teasing you. What the hell is this? Fuck you!"
Mu Qing said, "He's not teasing you. He has indeed told you the method."
Xie Lian and Feng Xin looked up and turned their heads, asking, "What's the solution?"
Mu Qing said: "The solution!"
His eyes lit up, as if he had discovered a secret, and he said, "The curse on Yong'an's side was effective because they harbor resentment towards Xianle. But doesn't Xianle also harbor resentment towards Yong'an?"
Xie Lian opened his eyes slightly, his breathing stagnant. Mu Qing continued, "Since he's already told you the method for the curse, then you can use the same method, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, to create a plague that only infects the people of Yong'an! Think about it, for the curse to work, it must have living people supporting it. If we can just let them get infected and become too frightened to even have a single living person left, wouldn't that just collapse on its own?"
Xie Lian had never considered this method before. He was stunned for a moment as he listened to him speak so eloquently. After a moment, he blurted out, “Absolutely not!”
Mu Qing said: "Why not? Don't forget, they were the ones who cast the curse first."
Xie Lian stood up suddenly and said, “No, that’s right. Also, you’re wrong. Yong’an’s soldiers are definitely unlikely to be infected with the Human Face Plague, just like Xianle’s soldiers. Don’t ask me why, I…”
Mu Qing said quickly, "Then it's fine even if only civilians are infected! They don't have the full range of protective equipment and manpower that the Imperial City has. Once the Human Face Disease breaks out, it will inevitably spread even faster, and they will be powerless to fight back! Threatening them to stop cursing and surrender by threatening the safety of the civilians behind them is just the same. They can't afford it any more than the Imperial City!"
Xie Lian immediately rejected this suggestion. “Even worse! Don’t you remember what we called them when they attacked innocent civilians in the Imperial City? Despicable. If we do the same thing, won’t we become the same despicable people we called ourselves? How is this any different from them?”
Mu Qing suppressed his excitement and said, "Your Highness, don't forget who it was who lured you into a gentle embrace with the threat of death. It was the 'innocent' civilian you mentioned."
After saying this, Xie Lian hesitated for a moment.
Honestly, it was impossible not to care. But in the end, he said, "Yes, there are people like that. But that's because they're often the most aggressive and enthusiastic, so you only see them. But in reality, many civilians don't understand anything at all. Just go to Beizipo more often and you'll see. Many don't even understand why they're fighting. They just go wherever there's food, just to survive. Mu Qing, what you're suggesting I do now is to save one group of innocent people by killing another. I..."
He sighed and said, "I'd better think of another way."
Mu Qing's tone was a little bad, and he said with a hint of sarcasm: "Why should I go to Beizipo to care about how the enemy people are living? Forget it. Your Highness, you are so considerate of others, but others have never considered you. Aren't you a sucker?"
Xie Lian's heart sank, and he lowered his head in silence. But the image of that leg, crammed with human faces, still twitching and wriggling even after being severed, surfaced in his mind. After a long hesitation, he finally shook his head and said, "Ultimately, I'm not thinking about others, even if it's just for ourselves. Curses are a double-edged sword, hurting both ourselves and others. To curse someone, the living must harbor resentment, and the dead cannot rest in peace. They suffered in life, and after death, they must inhabit the flesh of others, becoming monstrous creatures. You saw what was on that man's leg the other day? How much better were those lingering 'human faces' than the infected? Curses will eventually backfire, and there will be no happy end."
After being rejected repeatedly, Mu Qing was almost losing his patience and said, "If they don't get a good ending, you won't get a good ending either! You don't have a third way, and you can't find a second glass of water. Wake up, Your Highness! You don't have time."
Xie Lian felt his head getting a little hot, so he closed his eyes and said, “…Don’t say anything for now. Let me think about it.”
“…”
Mu Qing finally couldn't help himself and started to curse, "You're really... you're the one who's suffering and struggling. Now that the solution is right in front of you, you're the one who refuses to do it. You really are... you're never going to stop. This horrible look is so annoying. Your followers are really unlucky!"
Feng Xin listened to their argument for a while, unable to come up with any good ideas, so he didn't interrupt. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped them, cursing, "Are you done yet?"
Mu Qing was knocked back a few steps by his palm strike. Xie Lian asked, “Feng Xin?”
Feng Xin said, "Your Highness, please ignore me!" He then turned to Mu Qing, "What are you mad about? Tell me, what is there to be mad about? I've put up with you for a long time, but today I can't bear it anymore. I really can't stand you. You're just a deputy general, and without Your Highness's promotion, you'd be starving. Why do you always act like you're the smartest, you know the most, you're better than him? If you were really that capable, why didn't you ascend to the Celestial Realm while Your Highness did?"
Mu Qing said: "I...!"
Xie Lian pulled him back: "Forget Feng Xin, Mu Qing is also worried about the situation..."
Feng Xin interrupted, "He's not worried at all! Your Highness, I tell you, he's simply looking for an opportunity to teach you a lesson. He won't let go of any opportunity to show he's better than you, because he truly believes he's more capable than you! He's such a cold-hearted person, and I don't usually see him show much love for Xianle Country, so why is he so worried now?"
After saying that, he turned to Mu Qing and said, "Do you think I can't see that you think His Highness is a fool? I tolerate your usual sarcasm and secret eye-rolling. I also tolerate the fact that you never take your place in the Heavenly Court. You can show off if you want. It's not the first time anyway. Fine, I'll let you show off. Anyway, you can't turn the world upside down with your weight. If His Highness doesn't bother with you, I won't bother with you either. But since you've already gotten ahead of me, don't blame me for being rude! Listen carefully: I'm not surprised that you like to use those despicable means, but His Highness is His Highness. No matter what he does, you have to respect him, stop pointing fingers, and stop not knowing who you are!"
Xie Lian tried to stop Feng Xin several times while he was saying this, but perhaps because he had been holding it in for too long, he couldn't stop himself and the curses just came out all at once. Mu Qing's face paled with each word he heard. Initially, he seemed ready to attack, but after hearing the last word, he remained silent, staring at Feng Xin with a sinister look. Xie Lian angrily asked, "Are you done? Do you want me to kick both of you out?"
Feng Xin's face flushed red, and it was obvious that he was filled with passion. He stiffened his neck and said, "Kick me if you want, I don't care. A priest is nothing! If it weren't for Your Highness's order, I wouldn't even want to be one. But even if I'm kicked down and become a mortal, I will still be loyal to you, Your Highness. If you say a word, I'll be the first to rush forward. I despise ungrateful people the most! But if this person can't become a priest because of you, he may not be willing to follow you. I don't think he will have a good word to say. That's all!"
Mu Qing originally kept silent, enduring for a long time, but finally couldn't help it and cursed back: "You're taking advantage of your mother! You really know how to flatter yourself, what do you know!"
Xie Lian went crazy and shouted, “Shut up, everyone! Shut up!!”
The two of them forced themselves to keep quiet. This time, the argument was so intense that even Jielong might not be able to salvage it. Xie Lian finally managed to calm his anger and said with a headache, "...In short, a curse is absolutely not an option."
Mu Qing sneered, but still said, "Well, the decision is yours."
Feng Xin said simply, "I'll do as you say."
Mu Qing regained his calm demeanor and said, "Your Highness will definitely bear the consequences yourself."
Feng Xin scoffed but remained silent. Then, Xie Lian said, "Of course. I've already thought of it..."
At this moment, all three of them felt a violent tremor. As their bodies swayed, Xie Lian asked in astonishment, "What's wrong?"
Feng Xin was the first to react and said, "The earth is shaking!"
If the earthquake strikes, there will be casualties. Xie Lian shouted, "Help!"
Unexpectedly, just as the three were about to rush out, they saw a man hurriedly rolling out from under the bed, holding out his hand and saying, "Cousin! Cousin, don't forget me!!! Take me with you!"
Xie Lian was even more shocked when he saw this person: "Qi Rong, why are you in my palace?!"
How could he possibly understand Qi Rong's bizarre daily life, a life spent searching for everything related to Xie Lian? He didn't know how long he'd been hiding there, eavesdropping. With the situation so dire, he couldn't bother asking. Xie Lian grabbed Qi Rong and ran, throwing him out into the open. Seeing the palace in chaos, with countless servants screaming and running from the magnificent palace, he shouted, "Is anyone hurt? Is anyone trapped?"
Fortunately, the earthquake stopped soon after, and after some inquiries, it seemed there were no casualties. But before he could let go of his fear, he suddenly heard another round of screams, and several people pointed at the sky behind him. Xie Lian turned his head sharply, his pupils shrinking. He saw a tall, magnificent pagoda in the center of the palace, slowly tilting to one side.
The Sky Tower is about to collapse!
This tower, known as the "Tower of Heaven and Man," boasts a centuries-old history. It is a symbol of the Xianle Palace and the tallest structure in the entire city. Nestled in the heart of the palace and the city, it is a renowned landmark. A collapse of this tower would undoubtedly result in countless casualties, sending the palace's inhabitants and pedestrians on the streets fleeing in a frenzy. Seeing this, Xie Lian swiftly formed several magical spells with his right hand and called out in the direction of Mount Taicang, "Come!"
The tower continued to slowly fall, and when it had tilted down one-third, everyone suddenly felt another tremor.
This tremor also came from the ground, but unlike the tremors of an earthquake, this one came in fits and starts, with its own rhythm, and it grew faster and closer. When the tower tilted a little more, everyone finally realized that the tremor was actually the sound of footsteps.
A huge golden statue over five meters tall, holding a sword in one hand and a flower in the other, is shrouded in rosy light and strides towards the palace!
Someone immediately exclaimed, "Isn't this the statue of the crown prince in the Xianle Palace of Huangji Temple?"
As expected, more and more people recognized it: "Really! It's that golden statue! Look, it ran down from Taicang Mountain!"
The golden statue took several feet with each step, but did not step on anyone. Dongdong, Dongdong, it flew into the palace and supported the falling sky tower in one fell swoop, stopping its decline.
As the sun set, golden light shone. The radiant golden figure raised its hands, single-handedly holding up the towering pagoda as it threatened to fall. It was a truly miraculous spectacle, leaving countless people gaping in astonishment. Xie Lian slowly withdrew his hands and looked up at the statue. Seeing the handsome, serene golden face, a flicker of confusion crossed his mind.
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