Chapter 44: The Wind And Moon Cross The Rivers And Seas (Part 6)
“Bo Yan?”
Yan Yi raised an eyebrow. The mention of this name sent a chill down Bai Chunsheng’s spine, prompting him to quickly turn and look behind him.
It was only then he noticed a fiery red jade embedded in the ceiling of the mine. As the old dragon’s life force waned, the jade began to glow brighter and brighter.
The once dark and gloomy cave gradually lit up.
Where the old dragon’s gaze fell, a robe of deep black brocade fluttered in the sudden wind that swept through the cave. The robe was adorned with a five-clawed golden dragon embroidered with dark gold thread, and the pattern on its collar featured purplish-golden bamboo leaves that Bai Chunsheng had never seen before.
In an instant, countless thoughts raced through Bai Chunsheng’s mind. What connection could this possibly have with Bo Yan?
The old dragon was gravely wounded and ancient. Yet, not only did it know his grandmother’s name, it also knew the real names of Yan Jianhang and Bo Yan, suggesting an extraordinary background.
Moments ago, the blue dragon was thrashing on the ground like an eel, but now it had completely exhausted its final bit of life force, its consciousness fading away. Its breath was faint, as though it could die any second.
In a flash of thought, Bai Chunsheng made up his mind. This dragon held too many secrets—true or false—it must not die!
“He knows too much. We can’t let him die! Yan Yi, I need to extract his soul before his breath completely fades.” As Bai Chunsheng spoke, he had already begun his work. Luckily, he had a soul wood in his storage bag, though uncarved. It would likely only preserve the old dragon’s soul for half a month.
Half a month would be enough. Within that time, he could find a suitable ghostly vessel to house the soul. Once the soul was properly nurtured, he could extract the information he needed from the dragon.
Extracting a soul was no simple task. As Bai Chunsheng performed the soul extraction technique, he had to maintain his focus. His consciousness felt stretched into countless fine threads, as if someone had invaded his mind and was toying with his thoughts.
Yan Yi understood what Bai Chunsheng was doing. After channeling some spiritual energy to assist him, he realized he couldn’t offer much more help and stepped back. He turned his attention to the black brocade robe, carefully observing it.
The sudden appearance of the robe was eerie; neither Bai Chunsheng nor Yan Yi had noticed when it materialized. Yan Yi took down the jade from the ceiling and examined it closely. He then touched the brocade robe. Though the two objects seemed unrelated, their auras were intertwined, as if they were parts of a whole.
Meanwhile, Bai Chunsheng, panting heavily, had just finished extracting the dragon’s soul. To prolong the soul’s preservation, he carefully placed two restrictive spells on the soul wood.
He glanced at the blue dragon’s corpse on the ground and murmured, “He must have known my grandmother. Being of the dragon clan and connected to Bo Yan, their relationship was undoubtedly significant. This implies there might be hidden motives behind the Water Abyss Dragon Clan joining the Ten Thousand Demon Sect.”
Yan Yi approached, handing Bai Chunsheng the jade and the robe. The jade, which had shone brilliantly, dimmed instantly, resembling an ordinary stone one might find anywhere. The robe, however, remained unchanged, resting quietly in Bai Chunsheng’s hands.
Bai Chunsheng: “….Why isn’t it glowing anymore?”
Yan Yi: “Ask the jade, not me.”
The sudden glow of the jade earlier, followed by its inexplicable dimming, was baffling.
Bai Chunsheng pondered. The jade had illuminated when the old dragon called out Bo Yan’s name. This might indicate the object was connected to Bo Yan, possibly triggered by the name itself. Now holding the stone, Bai Chunsheng whispered, “Bo Yan, Bo Yan…”
He had barely said the name twice when Yan Yi, expressionless, interrupted, “I don’t appreciate you chanting another man’s name in front of me.”
What’s wrong with him?
Bai Chunsheng’s right eyelid twitched, but he wasn’t one to back down. If Yan Yi didn’t want him to say it, he would do just that. Besides, Bo Yan wasn’t present, and antagonizing Yan Yi seemed more amusing.
Holding the stone close to his mouth, Bai Chunsheng glanced at Yan Yi, pronouncing the name with deliberate softness and charm, “Bo… Yan.”
The jade seemed to flicker in response, as if pulsing.
Bai Chunsheng thought his words had worked, feeling satisfied. It seemed “Bo Yan” truly was the key to activating this artifact. However, did it need to be uttered in such a cloying manner? He was about to try again when Yan Yi quickly covered his mouth.
Yan Yi held a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. “Shh!”
Yan Yi explained, “I just felt a jolt of foreboding—a bad omen. Don’t say his name again. As you mentioned, Bo Yan is already in the late Mahayana Stage. If he’s reached the level of harmony with the heavens, repeating his name could reveal your location to him. That would be trouble.”
“You’re still recovering from your injuries, and I’ve lost my memory with my strength yet to return. If I can’t protect you…”
Bai Chunsheng was startled by Yan Yi’s warning and immediately complied, pressing a finger to his own lips. Only then did Yan Yi release him. Bai Chunsheng quietly muttered, “I won’t say his name again, not ever.”
“What should we do now? Do you think he already knows we’re here?”
Yan Yi feigned helplessness and replied, “I don’t know.”
In truth, the only genuine thing in what he just said was the tremor in his heart; the rest was all fabricated.
Yan Yi wasn’t afraid of this Bo Yan at all. The previous incidents made him feel a sour, unconscious annoyance toward the man, finding him both obstructive and oblivious. Since Bo Yan was courting death, Yan Yi figured he might as well make it swift.
“Alright, alright, stop worrying about it. It’s useless. Just hearing the name Bo Yan makes me think he’s quite worthless. His belongings are probably no better,” Yan Yi said without the slightest guilt for deceiving Bai Chunsheng. He calmly took the stone and stuffed it into his storage bag, righteously declaring, “I’ll hold onto it for you. If Bo Yan comes looking, I’ll lead him away.”
—And then he would promptly kill that reckless fool.
Bai Chunsheng was completely in the dark.
He had been thoroughly deceived by Yan Yi. At first, he was terrified of being captured by Bo Yan and thrown into the soul prison of the Water Abyss Realm. Then, he suddenly remembered all the times he badmouthed Yan Jingqiu behind his back.
It was over.
Bai Chunsheng’s face turned deathly pale as he looked at Yan Yi. Shivering, he thought to himself, so what if I have ill intentions? It’s best if Yan Jingqiu’s mind stays muddled forever.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
