Chapter 26: Stirring Up Troubles

Cheng Shan decisively activated the true qi within her, channeling it into her sea of consciousness without reservation. The true essence transformed into a gentle rain, moistening the nearly withered flowers. In an instant, the visible change occurred—the petals of the flower visibly straightened, and the flower stem stood erect, displaying a revitalized appearance.

Yang Taizai was astonished to see Cheng Shan closing her eyes and meditating at this critical moment and location. Puzzled and finding it troublesome, he suddenly noticed a radiant light at the center of Cheng Shan’s eyebrows. A charming narcissus gradually took shape, vividly appearing on her fair forehead like a bright yellow flower, freezing in time.

Yang Taizai was alarmed and puzzled. He had witnessed the imprint of the soul-sealing gu before, but Cheng Shan’s facial marks were intermittent. As far as he knew, the soul-sealing gu would only leave a complete imprint if the person fully accepted it. Was this girl crazy to tie herself and Han Luo together at such a perilous moment in the Netherworld? What if they were discovered?

Yang Taizai didn’t dare wake her abruptly. Instead, he moved to Cheng Shan’s left side, signaling Hong Ying to guard on the right, preventing other ghosts from approaching, especially from seeing Cheng Shan’s face.

Cheng Shan, oblivious to Yang Taizai’s shock and the urgency of the situation, was delightedly focusing on the flourishing narcissus in her sea of consciousness. The petals were now even more radiant than before. Initially, Cheng Shan had only attempted a desperate measure, but the unexpected effect brought a sense of resurrection. Her thoughts shifted to another matter: “Can my true essence be used as Taiyin True Water?”

While Cheng Shan pondered, the soul-sealing gu flower suddenly grew several times taller, creating a massive vortex in her sea of consciousness. Caught off guard, Cheng Shan felt her true essence rapidly flowing towards the center of the vortex. Familiar with the situation now, she managed to remain composed, realizing that cooperation was the only option.

The suction force of the vortex was immense. Cheng Shan’s accumulated true essence vanished in an instant. She multitasked, intensely refining her qi while attempting to resist the soul-sealing gu, hoping to slow down the loss of true essence.

Meanwhile, changes occurred on the Demon Silence Stele. Han Luo’s name dimmed once again until it gradually disappeared. The area by the Blackwater River became lively once more, with cheers prevailing this time, as the majority had bet that Han Luo would meet his end quickly.

As Han Luo’s name faded, Yang Taizai looked at Cheng Shan and suddenly understood her actions. He and Hong Ying saw the cold sweat on Cheng Shan’s forehead, and Yang Taizai, after a moment’s thought, covered Cheng Shan’s left hand on the railing with his palm, secretly transmitting true qi. Seeing this, Hong Ying followed suit, sending her own true qi to Cheng Shan’s right hand.

In the long run, the reincarnation of the princess held significant meaning for the declining demon race. The current situation demanded their attention. Only humans perspired, and Cheng Shan was sweating profusely. Some ghosts had likely noticed this, and their eyes were fixed on her.

Cheng Shan quickly became aware of the situation and felt the two streams of true qi coming her way. “No!” She withdrew her consciousness and shook off Yang Taizai and Hong Ying’s hands, thinking it was unwise to deplete their strength. If she alarmed the ghost officers, she would be left with no allies.

As Cheng Shan opened her eyes, she saw the surging Blackwater River below. Making up her mind, she bit her teeth, stared at the deep river, took a deep breath, and leaped into the water, disappearing without a trace.

“Princess!” Yang Taizai exclaimed. Fortunately, the Demon Silence Stele produced eerie sounds due to the strong wind, as if countless ghosts were crying, making it difficult to identify individual sounds. The ghosts watching from behind were too absorbed in the spectacle to notice the cry of “Princess.” Only Hong Ying, standing nearby, turned her head in surprise, looking at Yang Taizai with confusion.

Yang Taizai, witnessing Cheng Shan diving into the water, slapped the railing in frustration. The water splashed, hindering his view, and Cheng Shan’s figure was quickly engulfed by violent waves, leaving no trace. Yang Taizai, with his cultivation, wouldn’t dare to jump into the Blackwater River, and Cheng Shan’s recklessness infuriated him.

Hong Ying moved closer, furrowing her brow, and asked in a low voice, “What did you just call her?”

“I’ve suspected she’s the reincarnation of the princess, but she…” Yang Taizai shook his head helplessly, sighing heavily. “Forget it. We’ll discuss this later. Let’s think about how to retrieve her. What if she’s swept into the Demon Abyss?”

Hong Ying, expressionless, replied, “No worries. Generally, falling into the Blackwater River results in turning into evil spirit water on the spot, without a chance of being swept into the Demon Abyss.”

“Yang  Taizai fell silent for a moment and then smiled bitterly. “I thought you quite liked her. Seeing her turn into a puddle of black water, you don’t even furrow your brow? Besides, Zidian is still on her.”

Hong Ying raised an eyebrow, remained silent for a moment, and said, “I’m just stating facts. If you’re not satisfied, do you want to go down and retrieve her?”

Both of them subtly avoided responsibility, realizing neither could count on the other. They reluctantly turned their gaze to the river below, and to their surprise, they made an unexpected discovery. The turbulent and disorderly currents seemed to be converging in the same direction, and the previously chaotic and roaring winds appeared to be forming into one. The entire Blackwater River seemed to be gradually rotating under some unknown force.

Seeing the vortex centered around the Demon Silence Stele grow larger, the river surged several meters high, rushing towards the streets. Ghosts and monsters soared into the air, staring dumbfounded as the Blackwater River, with a history of thousands of years, suddenly overflowed like a rampaging beast, filling the entire ghost city with a black torrent. Screams echoed incessantly. At the same time, thousands of red lights shot out from the river, casting a crimson hue over the entire sky of the ghost city.

Everyone believed that the red light filling the sky was a sign that the Demon Silence Stele was about to update. Only Hong Ying exclaimed in surprise, “It’s Zidian!”

The broad-robed male ghost who had greeted Yang Taizai earlier approached again and whispered, “Old Yang, what’s the background of the female cultivator you brought? Why is she stirring up trouble in the Blackwater River?”

Yang Taizai was at a loss for words; his smile was more awkward than crying. However, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that if Cheng Shan had taken the initiative to jump into the river, her actions might be reckless, but that didn’t necessarily mean she was seeking death. The Blackwater River, with a history longer than the ghost city itself, suddenly shows anomalies that might be related to Cheng Shan. Yang Taizai felt he had underestimated her. Maybe she was still alive. While Yang Taizai was feeling lucky, Hong Ying seemed to sense his emotions and said calmly, “I think we shouldn’t celebrate too early.”

Following Yang Taizai’s gaze, they saw a ghost army rapidly approaching at the end of the street, led by Ming Yan’s confidant, the ghost general Gongzi Qi. Yang Taizai glanced at the still-raging Blackwater River below and thought, “This is bad.”

As expected, Gongzi Qi waved his hand, and the ghost army immediately scattered, surrounding all the ghosts near the Blackwater River without missing one. Gongzi Qi coldly scanned the surroundings and shouted, “Who is causing trouble in the ghost city?”

The ghosts looked at each other in confusion, and some ghosts intentionally or unintentionally looked towards Yang Taizai. Yang Taizai, acting like a meek old man, also joined the others in looking around. However, in just a moment, the ghosts gathered together, distancing themselves from Yang Taizai and Hong Ying. Gongzi Qi snorted, his voice echoing ominously through the entire ghost city. “Old Yang, you’re really underestimating me. I’ve been turning a blind eye to your casual entry and exit in the Netherworld, and you dare to stir up trouble in the Blackwater River?”

Yang Taizai wore a seemingly honest smile, speaking neither fast nor slow: “General, the flooding has already happened. Don’t make baseless accusations. I, Old Yang, have no abilities. Would I dare to make trouble under the Ghost Emperor’s nose? I’ve treated the ghost city as my home for many years. It’s better for you to withdraw your troops early and let me go down to fight the flood.”

Hong Ying glanced at him faintly, showing a hint of surprise. This old man, who had been working hard to revive the demon race’s great cause for many years, had really thickened his skin.

Gongzi Qi disdainfully waved his hand, saying to the ghost generals around him, “Today’s affairs will be inquired about by Ming Yan. Don’t let these two go. Send them to the ghost prison immediately.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a few hundred ghost soldiers and ghost subordinates swiftly approached, surrounding Yang Taizai and Hong Ying. A net descended from the sky, covering them. At this moment, someone shouted, “Look!”

Everyone turned towards the source of the sound and saw faintly appearing rows of blood-red marks on the empty space of the Demon Silence Stele. The enormous vortex in the Blackwater River showed no signs of weakening. All the ghosts, including the ones facing Yang Taizai and Hong Ying, fell silent, nervously watching the Demon Silence Stele. The ghost subordinates who were about to capture Yang Taizai and Hong Ying also stopped, turning their heads to see the names revealed on the stele.

After a long time, signs of the river slowing down were observed, and the names on the Demon Silence Stele finally appeared after numerous calls: “No Match.”

The Blackwater River returned to calm, and the receding water gradually left the streets of the ghost city. The entire scene fell silent; even Gongzi Qi couldn’t help but take a cold breath. The ancient demonic emperor No Match, who had endured for a thousand years in the Demon Abyss, had finally vanished.