Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Secret Treasure Within the Demon-Suppressing Tower
"Qing Shen Pavilion has been quite unstable lately," A Ying said with a slight frown, her voice tinged with worry. Ya Feiyu and Ye Chi nodded in agreement. They wondered what had happened within the sect recently. These mortals were no longer required to take on missions, and were even forced to stay within this area, forbidden from leaving. Seeing the Qing Shen Pavilion disciples coming and going, rumors began to circulate. Some said someone had died in the sect, others that something Qing Shen Pavilion had done had been discovered, but ultimately none of these claims were confirmed; rumors were just rumors.
"I have a feeling something big is about to happen." A-Ying sighed, her eyes filled with melancholy. She hung her head listlessly. Lately, all sorts of things had happened, and she hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep in a long time. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, which made people feel helpless and heartbroken. "Many elders have chosen to resign, Elder Yun's whereabouts are still unknown, and many disciples have also chosen to go out for training. Now the manpower in the sect has decreased sharply, and everyone is in chaos, but no one knows what happened... Sigh."
Ya Feiyu slowly raised his hand, somewhat helplessly rubbing the back of A Ying's head, and said, "Are you going to leave here?"
Aying was taken aback upon hearing this and said, "I...don't know either."
For Aying, Qing Shen Ge was practically her second home. She had made many friends here and laughed and joked with the disciples countless times. It was a bit of a stretch to ask her to leave because of the chaos in Qing Shen Ge, but her wildly keen intuition sounded an alarm in her heart, urging her to leave, as far away as possible, as quickly as possible.
She pursed her lips hesitantly, her long eyelashes drooping, and said, "I might...we'll see."
Ya Feiyu also smiled faintly. To A Ying, Ya Feiyu's every smile and frown was like a ray of light falling on her, a great pillar and comfort when she felt tired. She suddenly felt that the inexplicable heaviness on her body had disappeared a lot, and she couldn't help but smile.
Still busy lately, Aying didn't have time to say much to them before having to leave due to numerous matters. After they left, Ya Feiyu's faint smile faded. He held a slightly yellowed piece of paper in his hand—a message from Lin Shanshan. She had realized that the recent chaos at Qing Shen Pavilion was caused by the two of them and had decided to agree to cooperate with him. He removed the white blindfold, lowering his eyelashes, his expression somewhat nonchalant. He propped his head up with one hand and lightly tapped the table with the other, producing a rhythmic sound.
Ye Chi lifted the tent flap and saw Ya Feiyu's appearance as soon as he entered. He smiled slightly, leaned over and hugged Ya Feiyu's slender waist, resting his head on Ya Feiyu's neck, and said, "Master, I have already investigated, and there is only one place left that I have not yet investigated. The Qing Shen Music Score is very likely to be there."
Ya Feiyu raised an eyebrow and gave him a nonchalant glance: "Where?"
"Demon-Suppressing Tower".
The Demon-Suppressing Tower of Qing Shen Pavilion is the most iconic building in the entire sect. It is located at the entrance of the mountain gate. The barrier formed by the spiritual power of countless elders and successive sect leaders protects the entire tower so tightly that almost no wind can get in. Ordinary disciples are not allowed to step into the Demon-Suppressing Tower unless they obtain permission from an elder or sect leader.
Therefore, this is the last location they found after checking each one over the past few days.
As its name suggests, the Demon Suppression Tower is the place where Qing Shen Pavilion suppresses demonic beasts. Most of the beasts inside are ancient ferocious beasts that once plagued the human world. Now, they are either severely weakened or have shattered souls. In order to prevent them from awakening again and harming the world, the original master of Qing Shen Pavilion set up such a facility to protect the people of the human world for thousands of years.
However, it is precisely because of the Demon-Suppressing Tower's unique secrecy that it also contains many secret treasures passed down from the Qing Shen Pavilion. There are often rumors in the cultivation world that whoever can open the Demon-Suppressing Tower of the Qing Shen Pavilion can become the number one person in the world. Although this is true, no one with malicious intentions has ever been able to open it successfully, and it remains just a rumor.
Most people wouldn't be so curious about the secret treasures stored by others, especially since the Demon Suppression Tower is one of the most difficult to enter. But Ya Feiyu insisted on going to this dangerous place; he was never one to follow the rules.
And Ye Chi was his best support.
Thinking this, a hint of warmth seemed to appear in his eyes. He looked up at Ye Chi and said, "Let's start the operation tonight. You've told Lin Shanshan everything about the mission, right?"
"Yes, Master, not a single word was missed."
Ya Feiyu gently raised her hand and brushed it across the paper, the resulting breeze extinguishing the faint, flickering candlelight.
"We need to prepare properly, because something big is going to happen tonight."
He smiled and spoke with remarkable ease.
...
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
After Lin Jiu's death, most of the disciples guarding the furnace could not sleep peacefully in the small hut where someone had died. As soon as they closed their eyes, Lin Jiu's face would appear in their minds, and they would think of the possible gruesome scene of his death. In addition to fear, they felt nauseous and lingering fear. After all, who could be sure that the next one to die would not be themselves, and that they would definitely survive?
The disciple on duty tonight happens to be quite superstitious. His grandparents used to be in the profession of exorcising demons and monsters, so his parents taught him from a young age to respect these spirits that transcend the world. During his growth, they also intentionally or unintentionally avoided contact with them. For this disciple, this is an absolute taboo that cannot be touched. It is best not to mention it if possible, lest it attract unclean things.
In the past, guarding the furnace was an easy and simple job that everyone coveted. He had tried to get it many times, but most of the time it was never his turn. When it was finally his turn, it happened after the accident, when no one else wanted to be on duty.
He was on the verge of tears, utterly devastated by being forced into this situation. He was on the verge of bursting into tears for the elders to see, but he was powerless to do anything about it. The Qing Shen Pavilion was currently in a state of inexplicable chaos and severely lacked manpower. He was one of the few remaining laborers in the sect who hadn't yet fled, and it would be a waste not to squeeze every last drop of value out of him.
So, despite his deep reluctance, he still came.
The little wooden house that once seemed so peaceful now looked like a ghost town, like the haunted houses in folk tales where several people had died. The disciple had brought a lot of so-called exorcism talismans with him. He didn't really know if they would work, but he was doing it for peace of mind, so he wouldn't be afraid to even close his eyes for a moment later.
He looked at the somewhat dilapidated front door and the windows creaking in the night wind, swallowed hard, and mentally prepared himself several times before finally mustering the courage to step inside. The room was dimly lit; the moonlight avoided the window and didn't shine in. The only usable light was a small, unlit candle on the wooden table. He exhaled, forcing himself to calm down, then took a few steps forward, retrieved a match, and, due to nervousness, tried several times without success. Just as he was about to collapse, the match finally obliged and ignited a small, weak flame.
Seeing this, he was overjoyed and quickly lit a candle. The dim room finally gained some warmth, though not bright enough to illuminate even a small area around the wooden table. But for the anxious man, it was a great comfort. He breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced around. The wooden hut was incredibly dilapidated; many windows had been blown open by the night wind, and the white, semi-transparent curtains fluttering in the breeze created an unsettling atmosphere. The disciple's heart, which had just settled, jumped again.
He was on the night shift, which had the fewest tasks. He only needed to patrol and take roll call before bed, confirming the furnaces were still there and the fence was undamaged before going to his cabin to sleep. He mentally estimated the time; it was almost curfew, which meant that after his patrol and roll call, he could finally go to sleep…
He pinched his arm, forcing himself to calm down, even though his heart was still pounding uncontrollably. He insisted on deceiving himself that he was completely calm. He grabbed the attendance book and took hurried, erratic steps, as if something was chasing him. He was also too guilty to look back or linger, afraid of seeing something unsavory.
He ran to the backyard, but the moon was now obscured by clouds, its bright light gone. The disciple nervously pushed open the door to the backyard, but his steps suddenly halted. To his surprise, the fenced-off area was now deserted!
His face turned pale instantly. Compared to seeing a ghost, the prevailing thought in his mind at this moment was that all the cauldrons had escaped, not one of them was left!
If, as he suspected, all the furnaces had escaped, then he would be labeled with a serious dereliction of duty. With such a big name attached to him, not only would he not be able to continue working at Qing Shen Pavilion, but he would definitely be kicked out!
A profound panic gripped his heart, yet he still retained a sliver of rationality. He took a deep breath and began to survey his surroundings—something struck him as odd: the fences showed no signs of damage or tampering, and the only legitimate entrance required a special key. These mortals couldn't possibly possess such a thing, so—
How did they leave here?
As he was pondering, a chill suddenly swept across his back, accompanied by a sinister laugh.
His pupils contracted sharply, but he couldn't control his body and mechanically turned around.
He met the gaze of a pair of dark eyes as deep as an abyss.
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