White Wuxiang. The source of plague. A symbol of bad luck.
This "Jue" (Jue) always wears snow-white mourning clothes, carries a spirit-calling banner, and wears a mask of tears and laughter. The mask is half crying, half smiling, making it unclear whether it is crying or laughing. Whenever he is seen, it means that someone will soon die in that place, and chaos is imminent.
Xie Lian still remembered the first time he met Bai Wuxiang. He stood atop the tower of Xianle Imperial City, his face awash in black ashes and tears, looking down blankly. In his blurry vision, only a white figure stood amid the corpses strewn outside the city walls, its long sleeves fluttering, crystal clear. Xie Lian looked down at him, and the white ghost looked up, gazing at him and waving.
That mask of laughter and tears is Xie Lian's lingering nightmare even after hundreds of years.
Later, others described Bai Wuxiang as "the man in white who brings disaster to the world." He was the nightmare of the previous generation of immortals and gods, before the emergence of Blood Rain Tanhua. If Jun Wu hadn't personally annihilated him, this nightmare would likely continue to this day.
However, Ying seemed unaware of who "Bai Wuxiang" was, staring blankly at Xie Lian. He couldn't tell if he hadn't understood or if he couldn't place the name. After a moment, he suddenly cried out, "Ah!" Xie Lian had unknowingly grabbed his shoulder, squeezing too hard. His cry brought Xie Lian back to his senses, and he quickly let go, saying, "I'm sorry."
Ying had endured all kinds of beatings before, so a mere pinch wasn't a big deal. She shook her head. Xie Lian said again, "I'm sorry."
Hua Cheng said in a deep voice: "You are too tired, take a rest first."
As soon as he finished speaking, two graceful women entered through a small door at the side of the hall, intending to take the young man away. Xie Lian didn't know what they were going to do, but Hua Cheng said, "Don't worry. We'll just take him downstairs to wash, change clothes, tend to his wounds, and make him presentable."
The young man was filthy and in a disarray, undoubtedly covered in numerous wounds. Xie Lian regained his composure and said, "Alright. Thank you." The two women then stepped forward and led the men away. Ying kept looking back, and Xie Lian said, "It's okay. I'll find you later."
After the young man was taken away, Hua Cheng turned to him and said, "Sit down and rest for now. Don't see him for now. If you want to ask him anything, I'll pry him open."
When Xie Lian heard him say "pry his mouth open," he felt the wording was a bit scary and said, "That's not necessary. If he can't say anything, forget it. Let's take our time."
Hua Cheng sat down next to him and asked, "What are you going to do with this young man?"
Xie Lian's face showed signs of fatigue. After a moment's thought, he said, "I think I should keep him by my side for now and take him with me."
Hua Cheng's expression seemed to disapprove. He said, "You might as well leave him in the Ghost Market. He won't have another mouth to feed here."
Xie Lian stared at him and said sincerely, "Sanlang, thank you very much. But..." He sighed, "I said I would take him with me. There's still a lot to do."
Ying's appearance was terrifying, she had no special abilities, and couldn't even speak clearly. The Ghost Market was indeed Hua Cheng's territory. If he was willing to protect it, no one could harm the boy, and no one would let him starve. But beyond that, the most important thing was to slowly guide the boy, sort out his mind and speech, and help him regain his senses. The Ghost Market, while bustling, was a hive of demons and demons, a mixed bag of good and bad, and it was not a good place to do that. Besides himself, Xie Lian couldn't think of anyone else willing to expend so much patience to guide the boy.
Xie Lian said slowly, "I'm already incredibly grateful for your help in finding this young man. Now that you've found him, I can't burden you with anything else."
Hua Cheng still seemed to disagree, but he didn't say much. He said calmly, "It's no trouble. You're here with me. Just tell me if you need anything. You can go wherever you want."
Speaking of "go wherever you want", Xie Lian suddenly remembered Lang Qianqiu and Shi Qingxuan who had just participated in the street brawl, and said, "His Highness Taihua is still with you, why don't I let him leave first." Honestly, if Lang Qianqiu couldn't reveal his Dharma body here, he probably wouldn't be of much help.
Hua Cheng said, "Whatever. I don't care about him."
Xie Lian was still a little curious, so he asked, "There are priests wandering around in your territory, and you don't care?" Is Hua Cheng really so fearless?
Hua Cheng smiled and said, "You don't know that. Brother, although everyone in the Three Realms calls this place a turbid hell with demons running rampant, in reality, everyone wants to come and hang out. Even those many priests in your heavens pretend to be dismissive and scornful on the surface, but they secretly disguise themselves and come here to do whatever they want. I've seen it all. If there's no trouble, I don't bother to intervene, but when there is trouble, it's just the right time. They were the ones who crossed the line first."
As he finished his last sentence, Xie Lian suddenly felt that there was something strange about the scimitar at his waist, and he couldn't help but take a look. This glimpse was immediately surprising.
It turned out that there was a silver eye carved on the handle of this scimitar.
The pattern on this eye was merely a few silver lines, yet, despite its simplicity, it was incredibly lifelike, as if it had life. He hadn't noticed it before because the eye had been closed, forming a single line. Now, it had opened, its eyeballs rolling around and blinking twice.
Hua Cheng noticed the strange look on Xie Lian's face, lowered his head and smiled, saying, "Awake?" Then he said to Xie Lian, "Brother, this is fate."
The eye rolled back towards Xie Lian. Xie Lian didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt as if the silver eye narrowed slightly.
So he bent down and said to it, "Hello."
Hearing his greeting, the eye narrowed even more, its entire eye curved into an arc, as if smiling, its large eyeball darting left and right, so lively that it seemed not a pattern carved on the handle of a knife, but a real eye growing on a person. Hua Cheng raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Brother, it likes you."
Xie Lian looked up and asked, “Really?”
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow and said, "Yeah. Seriously. If it doesn't like something, it won't even bother to look at it. It's rare for Er Ming to like someone."
Hearing this, Xie Lian calmed down a bit. He said to E Ming gently, "Thank you very much." Then he turned to Hua Cheng and said, "I like it too."
Upon hearing this, the eye blinked several times, then suddenly trembled as it hung on Huacheng's waist. Huacheng said righteously, "No."
Xie Lian asked, “What’s wrong?”
Hua Cheng said again: "No."
Er Ming trembled again, as if it was eager to be unsheathed. Xie Lian asked curiously, "Are you telling it no?"
Hua Cheng said to Xie Lian seriously, "Yes. It wants you to touch it. I said no."
Xie Lian smiled and said, "Why not?" He extended a hand. Erming's eyes suddenly widened, as if in great anticipation. Xie Lian wanted to touch the eye, but suddenly remembered, "Don't touch here. It hurts if you poke it." He lowered his hand and gently touched the scabbard twice, following the curve of the knife. Then, the eye narrowed completely, and the trembling became even more intense.
As Xie Lian touched it, he felt a strange sensation. He had a natural tendency to be attracted to animals; in the past, he'd pet furry cats and dogs, and when they felt comfortable, they'd squint their eyes and snuggle into his arms. But now, touching a cold, silver scimitar, the sensation was exactly the same as petting a dog. It was quite amusing.
After letting him touch him for a while, Hua Cheng stood up with a smile and said to E Ming, "Alright, come back after you finish your work." Then he said to Xie Lian, "Brother, rest here. I'll go take care of something small. I'll be back soon."
Only then did Xie Lian realize that E Ming had opened his eyes to warn Hua Cheng. He wondered, "Could it be that Master Feng and Qian Qiu had manifested their Dharma bodies in the Ghost Market?" He also wanted to get up and said, "I'll go take a look too."
Hua Cheng gently pushed him back and said, "Don't worry, it's not His Highness Taihua, just a few trash, Yue Chang. You don't have to go."
Since he had said so, Xie Lian couldn't insist on going with him. Hua Cheng turned and walked out of the hall. With a wave of his hand from a distance, the beaded curtain automatically parted. After he left, the curtain of pearls and jade snapped shut again, making a crisp sound.
Xie Lian sat on the black jade couch for a moment. Remembering the young man's shyness, and with his mind somewhat at peace, he decided to go and take a look. He stood up and passed through the small door the two girls had exited, revealing a flower garden. A vermilion corridor crisscrossed the flower garden, empty. Xie Lian was just wondering where to go when he saw a dark figure hurried by.
The figure behind him was none other than the masked youth who had brought Ying here earlier. Xie Lian remembered the cursed shackle on his wrist and was still quite concerned. Just as he was about to call out to him, the figure had vanished. Recalling his movements, he seemed terrified of being discovered. Xie Lian fell silent and followed him.
Rounding the corner where the man had disappeared, Xie Lian leaned against the wall and peered inward. The man was indeed moving very quickly, paying close attention to his surroundings. It seemed he was very vigilant, unwilling to be discovered. Xie Lian thought, "This man must be one of San Lang's subordinates. Why would he be so furtive when operating in San Lang's area?"
The more he acted like this, the more Xie Lian suspected he might have ill intentions. He concealed himself and followed. The masked man twisted and turned, and Xie Lian followed him, staying about three or four feet behind him, breathless and focused. They turned into a long corridor, which ended in an ornate door. As Xie Lian followed, he thought to himself, "If he turns around now, there's nowhere to hide."
Unexpectedly, just as he thought this, he saw the masked man suddenly stop and look back.
When the man paused, Xie Lian sensed something was amiss. In a moment of desperation, he raised his hand slightly, and Ruo Xie flew out, circling the wooden beams overhead several times before hoisting him high up, pinning him to the very top.
The masked man looked back but didn't see anyone, nor did he think to look up carefully, so he finally turned around and continued walking.
However, Xie Lian still didn't dare to lower himself so quickly. Maintaining his position against the ceiling, he moved forward lightly and silently. As he moved, he felt like a gecko. Fortunately, the masked figure didn't move far before stopping in front of the magnificent door. He didn't need to move any further, but waited and watched.
Beside the gate of the small building stood a graceful stone statue of a woman. Of course, from Xie Lian's vantage point, the only thing he could see clearly was her round head and the round jade plate in her hand. The masked figure stopped in front of the gate. Instead of opening it, he turned toward the statue, raised his hand, and dropped something into the jade plate. Hearing two crisp "ding-dong" sounds, Xie Lian wondered, "Dice?"
He had heard this sound so many times that he wouldn't forget it for a long time. It was the sound of dice dropping onto the jade tray. As expected, the masked man removed his hand and peeked inside. Inside the jade tray were two dice, both showing bright red sixes.
After rolling the dice, the masked figure put them away and opened the door. Surprisingly, the door wasn't locked. After he entered, he simply closed it behind him; Xie Lian didn't hear the sound of it being locked or bolted. After a moment, he floated to the ground like a scrap of paper, folding his arms and studying the door.
Logically speaking, the room wasn't large, so whatever the masked man was doing inside should have made some noise. However, after he entered and closed the door, there was no sound at all. Xie Lian pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and pushed.
Sure enough, after opening the door, the room was empty except for a table and two chairs. It looked like an ordinary, ornate little room. The furnishings inside the room were clearly visible, and there was no possibility of a hidden passage.
Xie Lian closed the door and looked thoughtfully at the stone statue of the maid beside him. After a moment, his eyes turned to the jade plate in her hand.
It seems that the secret lies in this jade plate and the two dice.
Xie Lian thought to himself, "This room is locked, but it's not a real lock, it's a magical lock. To open it, I need a key, or a passcode. I need to roll two sixes on this plate with the dice. Only after I open the door will I see my true destination."
However, if he was asked to throw two sixes on the spot, it was truly impossible. Xie Lian could only sigh at the house, lingering in front of the door for a moment before turning back. After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped and wondered, "How did I get here just now?!"
Jilefang was already quite large, and he followed the masked man around for quite some time, until he himself became dizzy. He wandered aimlessly for a while, meeting no one. Just as he was about to sit down and think for a moment, a tall figure in red came towards him.
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