Chapter 29: The Western Sea (Catching a Bug)

The Reincarnation Hall is located at the western extreme, where the three realms converge, and is a place where daylight can be seen. When Cheng Shan came out of the teleportation crossing in the Thorough Virtue Palace, she was half asleep, sliding off Yang Taizai’s back to find herself on a grassy plain with the sound of waves in the distance.

Opening her eyes in the distant, fresh sunlight, Cheng Shan sat up, looked around, and couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful scenery. It was an open, low-lying hillside with colorful clouds on the horizon, green grass covering the ground like a carpet, and streams and wildflowers visible from time to time. Not far away, on a relatively high mountain, a few official mansions were surrounded by red-tiled, white-walled enclosures, and the golden tiles on the roofs shone brightly. This must be the reincarnation hall.

The underworld, shrouded in perpetual darkness, led to a lack of adornment throughout the Ghost City, creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere. Transitioning to this place, anyone would be amazed by the lush and colorful scenery.

“A long time ago, this place used to be jointly governed by the three realms, but it gradually fell under the control of the Underworld Emperor.” Yang Taizai calmly led the way, providing Cheng Shan with some information about the Reincarnation Hall. “After Xi Yi took over, his actions became domineering and arbitrary. The Reincarnation Hall started to expel officials from the mortal realm and the Three Holy Realms. Now, most of the personnel inside are Underworld officials, so there are fewer people on duty during the day, and the formal operation begins at night.”

Cheng Shan heard the continuous sound of water and asked curiously, “Is there a river nearby?” As they walked up a hill, they suddenly had a wide view. Cheng Shan was amazed, and her eyes widened. Before her was a vast and boundless blue sea, with snow waves fluttering and a gentle sea breeze.

“This is the Western Sea, where the sun sets,” Yang Taizai said.

Cheng Shan, still in awe, suppressed her desire to appreciate the scenery and turned to ask, “Are we waiting for Ouyang Jun here? Has he already arrived?”

Yang Taizai pondered for a moment and said, “I have an acquaintance inside; I’ll go in and inquire. You two wait here.” With that, he soared into the air, turning into a white shadow, disappearing in an instant.

Hong Ying remained silent, and Cheng Shan felt a bit awkward. Suddenly, she heard Han Luo’s voice in her mind: “Is everything okay?”

Cheng Shan replied, “Everything’s fine. I’ve already seen the Reincarnation Hall.”

“Mm.” Han Luo asked a question and fell silent.

Cheng Shan suddenly became excited and repeatedly called out in her mind, “Master, Master!”

Han Luo asked, “What’s the matter?”

Cheng Shan smiled and said, “I actually pushed Ming Yan back with one palm! Next time I have a chance, I’ll take revenge for you.”

Han Luo snorted with dissatisfaction, “No need for revenge. After all, without you, he wouldn’t have succeeded.”

“Well, how do I know if you’re just paper-tigerish, all talk and no action?” Cheng Shan muttered to herself, unsure if Han Luo received her message. After a while, Cheng Shan called out in her mind again, “Master, Master!”

Han Luo’s tone was impatient: “What’s wrong again?”

Cheng Shan joyfully exclaimed, “I saw the real sea; it’s so beautiful!”

“…” Han Luo fell silent for a moment and said, “Do you remember why you came here?”

Cheng Shan couldn’t help but frown, feeling embarrassed about not even daring to look at the sea. However, after a short quiet moment, she quickly called out, “Master! Master!”

“If you keep being noisy, I’ll…” Han Luo’s temper flared up, about to explode, but halfway through, she realized she probably couldn’t do much to her.

Cheng Shan instinctively shrank back, but then she thought, This person is already a prisoner under the Ghost Emperor; what could she fear? She giggled and said, “I’m afraid you’ll be lonely in there all by yourself.”

“Who told you it’s lonely here?” Han Luo said. “This place is crowded with accumulated resentment and malevolence from tens of thousands of years, not to mention nearly a thousand old demons who haven’t died yet. There is no noisier place under heaven than here.”

Cheng Shan was surprised and said sympathetically, “Then I’ll keep you company and talk to you, so you can hear some pleasant sounds.”

Han Luo: “…”

Han Luo clearly wasn’t in the mood for that. After a while of silence, Cheng Shan also fell silent because she forgot what she wanted to say. Lost in thought and staring at the sky, Yang Taizai suddenly swooped back and said, “I inquired with the ghost messengers inside; Ouyang Jun has not been here.”

Cheng Shan breathed a sigh of relief, grateful she didn’t miss him. She then asked, “What’s next? If we openly plunder here, will the people inside just stand by?”

Yang Taizai said, “Ouyang Jun is not an ordinary ghost messenger. Mediating souls is his business; meddling in it is his interference. If we can solve it outside the cycle court, as long as it’s not too noisy, the people inside should not interfere. Let’s choose a favorable location.”

Hong Ying, hearing this, raised her hand and pointed to a mountain hollow ahead, saying, “There.”

It turns out she had already observed her surroundings and selected a location.

Cheng Shan followed the two and walked towards the small mountain. It was only halfway when she remembered that she had wanted Han Luo to figure out a way to hide the mark on her forehead. But thinking about how lively it was inside the Demon Abyss, she decided to bother her less. She held back and didn’t speak. Inadvertently looking up, she saw Yang Taizai wearing a moon-white leisure scarf on his head, which looked fairly clean. She approached him with a smile and said, “Old Yang, let me borrow that thing on your head to cover up.”

Yang Taizai thought that if she flaunts the mark of a spirit-sense bug like this, the trouble will eventually be his. He smiled bitterly and took it off, handing it to Cheng Shan. Cheng Shan’s face was small, and Yang Taizai’s scarf landed on her head, covering her forehead like a child wearing an adult’s crown.

Cheng Shan focused on how to wear the scarf conveniently. Inadvertently, she bumped into Hong Ying’s back on the way. Cheng Shanhuan raised her head and saw that the two in front had stopped. Suddenly, a white-clothed man floated down, frowning as he looked at the three people. His expression was unpleasant but seemed unsurprising.

“Ouyang Jun…” Cheng Shan immediately wilted. Their plan to ambush backfired when confronted directly.

“Coming for me?” Ouyang Jun asked in a deep voice. “Trespassing forbidden grounds, you have quite the courage.”

Cheng Shan circled around Yang Taizai, took a step forward, and said, “Return my father’s soul, and I won’t trouble you.”

Ouyang Jun shook his head and sighed, “Stubborn and unyielding!”

Cheng Shan retorted, “You’re a dog taking a mouse!”

While they were talking, Hong Ying suddenly rushed forward, aiming directly at Ouyang Jun’s right hand. Ouyang Jun’s sword behind him was unsheathed, resonating crisply, but it seemed suppressed by Hong Ying’s aura and couldn’t come out. At the same time, Yang Taizai attacked from the left. Ouyang Jun, who had been reprimanding Cheng Shan, was suddenly caught in a pincer attack, struggling.

Cheng Shan calmly stepped back, picked up Zidian, and aimed at a jade flute hanging from Ouyang Jun’s waist. She didn’t know if it was the soul-calming flute mentioned by Yang Taizai, but even if it wasn’t, causing some chaos wouldn’t hurt. Cheng Shan made up her mind, guided her true energy through Zidian, and hit the flute, knocking it down.

Ouyang Jun finally got angry and shouted, “Presumptuous!” The immortal sword unsheathed, and the person and the sword were in perfect harmony, instantly enhancing his momentum.

Hong Ying retreated with the sword, revealing her true form, a spear. Yang Taizai felt the pressure, and Cheng Shan saw the situation turning unfavorable. In a hurry, she ran to pick up the jade flute but was swept by Ouyang Jun’s palm wind. The leisure scarf on her head flew away.

Cheng Shan felt a sudden chill on her head, but she ignored it and grabbed the flute. Ouyang Jun stared at Cheng Shan’s forehead and sneered, “It seems I have to help His Majesty the Ghost Emperor clean up the stray fish and shrimp.”

Cheng Shan couldn’t help but shiver. With no choice, she held the jade flute and turned to run. Without any guidance, she created a whirlwind under her feet, instantly rushing to the seaside. The Western Sea was calm at this time, reflecting the fiery red glow in the sky like flames.

Cheng Shan looked back at Ouyang Jun, and without hesitation, she plunged into the sea. Although she was confident in her water skills, she could still hear Yang Taizai’s anxious shouts from outside. Cheng Shan was puzzled for a moment, wondering why they kept shouting for her to come up when they should continue fighting.

Cheng Shan surfaced again, about to tell him that she was not in danger in the water, when suddenly a wave of heat hit her face. Cheng Shan looked up and saw a fiery red fireball flying towards them from the eastern horizon. In the blink of an eye, Cheng Shan felt the seawater rapidly heating up.

Staring at the approaching fireball, Cheng Shan’s mind went blank for a moment. Suddenly, she remembered Yang Taizai’s words: “The western sea, where the sun sets.”

The sea in the distance had already started to boil, and the sound of boiling waves was like thunder, echoing one after another. Cheng Shan was stunned, sweating profusely. “It’s over; I’m going to be cooked.”