The guards at the courtyard gate suddenly greeted in unison, “Greetings, Left Envoy.” Right after, Wang Ding’s voice followed: “These two are the Lord’s master and Martial Aunt, you must serve them well.” Zi Yunshu, the Demon Saint, and Wang Ding appeared at the entrance.
Wang Ding came to the door of Bao Gu’s room, bowed toward the half-open door, and said, “Lord, the Demon Saint and Fairy Yunshu said it’s convenient to stay here with you.”
Bao Gu nodded lightly to show she understood, and told Wang Ding, “Go on with your work.”
Jade Shura and Yu Mi saw Zi Yunshu and the Demon Saint coming and hurried over to greet them.
Jade Shura’s eyes especially lit up as she called out, “Why are you two here?”
Zi Yunshu asked in surprise, “Why are you here?”
Jade Shura was stunned for a moment and asked, “What? You don’t know?”
Zi Yunshu asked strangely, “Know what?”
Jade Shura said, “The Mirage Dragon Pearl.”
Zi Yunshu looked odd and said, “The Mirage Dragon Pearl from Mirage Dragon City? Wasn’t that thing lost?”
Hearing this, Jade Shura realized Bao Gu hadn’t told Zi Yunshu about the Mirage Dragon Pearl.
Since the pearl belonged to Bao Gu, and she hadn’t mentioned it, Jade Shura didn’t want to say more.
She just laughed and said, “It’s nothing.”
Zi Yunshu glanced sideways at Jade Shura and asked, “Nothing? Or do you have news about the Mirage Dragon Pearl?” She frowned, looking conflicted, and said, “There are more urgent matters right now, I’m afraid we don’t have time to look for the Mirage Dragon Pearl.”
Jade Shura asked, “What could be more urgent?”
Zi Yunshu asked in surprise, “You don’t know?”
Bao Gu heard the conversation outside and sighed inwardly.
Resigned, she changed out of her comfortable nightgown, got dressed, and came out of the room.
She said, “Holy Aunt, Little Martial Aunt, make another copy of the jade slip and have Jade Shura take it back to Soul Chasing Pavillion.”
Zi Yunshu called out, “Bao Gu, even if you don’t care about the jade used for the slips, making them is exhausting, okay? You think these are cheap cabbages you can just give away?”
Bao Gu said, “This concerns life and death.
Or does Little Martial Aunt not trust Pavilion Master Qu?” If it were another cultivation sect, they’d have to be wary of being stabbed in the back.
But she trusted Soul Chasing Pavillion far more than the Yue Kingdom.
For allies she could trust, she’d help however she could—it wasn’t helping others, but helping herself.
If even Kan Gang and Xuantian Sect couldn’t handle the Bie, then to avoid destruction, they’d have to unite with trustworthy forces and prepare early.
Zi Yunshu snorted, wrinkling her nose, “We can lend Jade Shura a copy to take with her.”
Jade Shura looked confused and asked, “What are you talking about?”
Bao Gu explained the situation with the Bie in detail to Jade Shura.
After hearing it, Jade Shura was so shocked she was dazed.
She cried, “Is this for real? The Bie will really create corpse ghosts and corpse monsters to wreak havoc in the cultivation world? How do we deal with the Bie?”
The Demon Saint said, “The Bie is still chained and sealed in the Archaic Mountains.
Until she breaks free, she can only act within the mountains.
For now, we just need to worry about her turning the dead there into corpse monsters and ghosts, and using them to cause trouble.
All we can handle right now are the corpse monsters and ghosts.
As for the Bie herself…” She shook her head.
“I don’t know if anyone alive can deal with her.
Tell your master to prepare early.”
Jade Shura looked at Bao Gu and said, “Right now, the biggest power in Xuanyue Ancient City is Kan Gang.
The whole city is basically under their control.
Kan Gang should have plans, right?”
Bao Gu nodded, “Of course.”
Jade Shura knew that even with Kan Gang guarding Xuanyue Ancient City, Soul Chasing Pavillion still needed ways to deal with corpse monsters and ghosts.
Learning these things would only benefit her and the Pavillion.
If trouble really came, it would be a way to save their lives.
After all, this was a technique passed down from upper-realm demon immortals—its power was beyond question.
Bao Gu and the others were basically giving Soul Chasing Pavillion a powerful technique for free, one specialized in dealing with corpse creatures—a huge favor.
Jade Shura gratefully cupped her fists and said, “This is important.
I’ll take the jade slip and hurry back to Soul Chasing Pavillion to prepare.” Some things were more urgent than others; her master’s carriage was nothing compared to the Bie disaster.
She told Bao Gu, “Bao Gu, if getting my master’s carriage back is too much trouble, just forget it.
Worst case, I’ll go to the punishment hall and take a beating.”
Bao Gu said, “I know what I’m doing.” The fight between Kan Gang and the Earth Ghost Dragon God wasn’t really about the Soul Chasing Pavillion’s carriage, but about the Mirage Dragon Pearl and power struggles.
If the pearl belonged to Qianlong Abyss, she’d give it to the Earth Ghost Dragon God.
But after it was lost, it became ownerless, so whoever got it kept it.
Besides, the pearl was from Mirage Dragon City, which Kan Gang had conquered, so it didn’t belong to Qianlong Abyss.
If Qianlong Abyss wanted to snatch it just because they were strong, Bao Gu would never hand it over.
If she did, it would set a precedent, and more powers would think Kan Gang was easy to bully.
She had too many treasures worth fighting over; compared to those, the Mirage Dragon Pearl was nothing.
Zi Yunshu said to Bao Gu, “Bao Gu, you look tired.
Get some rest.
Jade Shura, come with me to copy the jade slips.”
Bao Gu said, “Little Martial Aunt, wait a moment.
Jade Shura brought you a big gift.”
Zi Yunshu looked at Bao Gu in surprise, then at Jade Shura, “A big gift for me out of nowhere? For real?”
Bao Gu took out the Mirage Dragon Pearl and handed it to Zi Yunshu, “This is the Mirage Dragon Pearl from Mirage Dragon City.
Jade Shura snatched it.”
Zi Yunshu took the pearl, scanned it with her divine sense, and gasped, “This…” She stared at Jade Shura in shock, “When did you get so generous? You actually gave me a treasure you snatched?”
Jade Shura gave a bitter smile, “I’d have kept it if I could, but I can’t hold onto it.
I lost my master’s carriage trying to get this, got chased all over, and ended up hiding with Bao Gu.”
Zi Yunshu asked, “What happened?”
Bao Gu said, “You two chat, I’ll go back to my room with Senior Sister.” With that, she pulled the thoughtful Yu Mi back inside.
After Zi Yunshu got the full story from Jade Shura, she took her to copy the jade slips.
Jade Shura picked up a jade slip and opened it, only to find it full of strange symbols she didn’t recognize.
She was dumbfounded.
Her best skills were killing and escaping; as for talismans, she was a total amateur, only able to draw some simple, commonly used low-level ones.
She had no clue about advanced talismans.
The higher the level, the harder the talisman was to draw.
If your skill wasn’t enough, even if you copied the lines exactly, the talisman would be just a shell with no power.
Jade Shura had no idea how to start copying these talismans—she couldn’t even understand them.
She couldn’t draw advanced talismans, let alone these obviously ancient ones she’d never seen before.
She focused on the symbols, which seemed alive, layered with endless changes, and connected to a vast power of heaven and earth.
The more she looked, the dizzier she got, as if she’d fallen into a maze.
If these were normal cultivation world talismans, she could at least figure out some patterns, but these were completely irregular to her.
If she couldn’t feel their power and profound meaning, she’d have cursed them as nonsense.
Feeling guilty, Jade Shura glanced at the Demon Saint, who was calmly and skillfully carving talismans, then at her own slip.
She quietly put it back and picked another, hoping for something easier.
She unrolled the second slip and found it was a ballista blueprint.
Jade Shura was happy at first, thinking she could just copy the structure, but after a closer look, she cursed, “What a scam!” The blueprint required not just mechanical drawings, but also formation diagrams and talismans carved into the ballista and bolts.
Compared to the talismans from before, this was beginner level!
Jade Shura held a carving knife in one hand and a jade slip in the other, blank slips spread out before her, completely lost.
Zi Yunshu looked up at Jade Shura and asked, “Why are you spacing out?”
Jade Shura tossed the ballista blueprint aside, grabbed the previous “beginner” slip, and muttered, “Whatever!” She started copying the talisman stroke by stroke, and after half an hour, finally finished one.
She handed it to Zi Yunshu, “Does this look okay? Is it passable?”
Zi Yunshu craned her neck to look at Jade Shura’s talisman, stared at her in surprise, then slid the slip over to the Demon Saint, “A-Sheng, can you tell what Jade Shura drew?”
The Demon Saint studied it for a while, then looked at Jade Shura and asked, “Are you sure you weren’t just drawing lines? Or a tangled mess?” She’d never seen anyone draw a talisman like this.
She instinctively checked Jade Shura’s cultivation—Nascent Soul stage, peak! A Nascent Soul cultivator drawing talismans like this? The Demon Saint almost wanted to ask how Jade Shura even reached Nascent Soul.
Not a single stroke was right.
It wasn’t just wrong—it was a total mess! Even if it was wrong, there should be some hint of Dao in the lines, but Jade Shura’s talisman had none at all.
The Demon Saint didn’t even want to say it was worse than a three-year-old’s doodle.
Jade Shura knew her talisman was wrong and felt awkward under the Demon Saint’s gaze, blushing as she said, “Please teach me.”
The Demon Saint looked at Jade Shura’s talisman, not knowing where to start.
After thinking, she asked, “What talismans do you usually draw?”
Jade Shura said, “Swift Step, Invisibility, Concealment, Qi Gathering, Return to Origin, Clear Mind…” She rattled off over thirty types, suddenly feeling like she actually knew quite a few.
Zi Yunshu asked, “Anything else?”
Jade Shura said, “That’s it! Honestly, I’m not very good with talismans.”
Zi Yunshu said, “Good thing you’re not Bao Gu or Yu Mi.”
Jade Shura was puzzled, “Why?”
Zi Yunshu said, “Otherwise, I’d have to claw you to death and then slap you.
Nascent Soul peak, and you only know beginner talismans that even Qi Refining cultivators can draw!”
Jade Shura said weakly, “I can fight.”
Zi Yunshu rolled her eyes at her, “Who in the cultivation world can’t fight? Even my A-Sheng can!”
Jade Shura shrank her neck and fell silent.
The Demon Saint quietly went back to copying jade slips, afraid Jade Shura would ask for more advice.
Seeing that Zi Yunshu and the Demon Saint were ignoring her, Jade Shura pulled the slip in front of the Demon Saint back and tried again to draw the talisman she’d messed up before.
The Demon Saint watched Jade Shura draw, noticing from her grip, wrist movement, and posture that she had learned the basics, and her foundation was solid.
But from the lines she carved, it was clear her understanding was lacking—her strokes had no spirit.
The power in the lines dissipated instantly, and the patterns were all wrong.
Compared to the original, they looked similar but were worlds apart.
The Demon Saint wanted to help, but this wasn’t just a matter of technique—it was about comprehension and skill.
Jade Shura was barely at the beginner level, and as for Dao, she probably hadn’t even touched the threshold.
Otherwise, her talismans wouldn’t be so bad.
With nothing to teach, the Demon Saint just focused on her own work.
By dawn, the Demon Saint had finished copying a set of jade slips, and Zi Yunshu was three slips away from finishing hers.
The Demon Saint looked up and saw Jade Shura’s slip was full of the same talisman, all a tangled mess.
She watched Jade Shura quietly put the slip away and pull out another blank one to keep practicing.
The Demon Saint sighed, took a slip from her storage ring, and handed it to Jade Shura, “Try copying the symbols on this one first.”
Jade Shura took it and asked, “Is this also for dealing with corpse monsters and ghosts?”
The Demon Saint shook her head, “These are Dao patterns.
Practice these first.
When you can make the Dao patterns hold their spirit and flow like living things, then try full talismans.” The only way to teach Jade Shura was to have her start from the basics.
Giving her ancient demon talismans was just too much.
As she finished speaking, Bao Gu and Yu Mi appeared at the door.
Bao Gu seemed in a good mood, her gloom from yesterday gone, a hint of charm between her brows, her whole being radiant.
Yu Mi was also glowing, her eyes bright and lively—it was obvious they’d had a good night.
She smiled, “You’re up?” She and Zi Yunshu had worked all night, with Jade Shura keeping them company, drawing a night’s worth of tangled lines.
Jade Shura scanned the slip the Demon Saint gave her with her divine sense and said, “Thank you, Holy Aunt.” Seeing Bao Gu and Yu Mi come in, she quickly hid the slip in her storage treasure.
She mischievously pushed the slip she’d messed up all night toward Yu Mi, “Yu Mi, try drawing this.”
Yu Mi saw Jade Shura’s sly look and knew it was nothing good, so she just smiled and didn’t take the bait.
Jade Shura said righteously, “These talismans are for dealing with corpse monsters and ghosts.
If you learn them, it’ll help you.
If you ever run into them, you’ll know what to do.”
The Demon Saint glanced at Jade Shura and said, “Jade Shura’s right.
All Xuantian Sect disciples have to learn this set.
Yu Mi, Bao Gu, you two should take a look and study them.”
Bao Gu sat at the round table and checked the copied talismans, finding progress slow.
She took out a carving knife and a blank slip, picked one at random, and started copying.
Formations and talismans are connected, and Jade Shura knew Bao Gu’s skill with formations was top-notch, so she had no interest in competing.
Yu Mi sat next to Bao Gu, looked at the slip Jade Shura handed her for a while, but didn’t try to copy it.
Jade Shura moved over and asked, “Can you understand it?”
Yu Mi said, “It’s hard! These are ancient upper-realm demon symbols, profound and subtle.
I can’t read them.”
Jade Shura patted her chest, “Good thing you can’t either.
I stared at them all night and I’m still dizzy.” She glanced guiltily at the Demon Saint, then went back to her seat and pulled out the slip the Demon Saint had given her.
She knew her own level with talismans, and understood the Demon Saint’s intention, so she obediently studied the Dao patterns on the slip, which flowed with spirit like living things.
When she first learned to draw talismans, she started with the simplest, drawing each one a thousand times until she got it right and it had power.
The Demon Saint’s slip broke the talisman down into Dao patterns, or symbol lines, for her to practice first.
It was like learning to write by practicing strokes.
She knew the Demon Saint was a master of formations, and must be just as skilled with talismans.
Even this beginner slip was unique, maybe even better than the common ones in the cultivation world.
Getting the Demon Saint’s guidance was her luck.
Besides, her poor skills had embarrassed not just herself, but her master too—she didn’t dare slack off.
Jade Shura realized this trip was worth it! In cultivation, you had to rely on your own effort.
No matter how much your master helped, if you didn’t work hard, you’d get nowhere.
Bao Gu didn’t understand ancient demon talismans, which were quite different from the common ones, but talismans, formations, and the Dao were all connected.
By studying the Dao patterns in the talismans, she started to grasp some of the principles.
As she carved and studied, she felt these ancient demon talismans were closer to the Dao than modern ones.
Cultivators always talked about slaying demons to uphold the Dao, calling demons evil, but from these talismans, it was clear demons also cultivated the Dao, maybe even more so than humans.
All things have spirit, and humans always considered themselves closest to the Dao, but these talismans showed that demons were just as close.
The ancient demon talismans were upper-realm legacies, and the Xuantian library had many such books.
Comparing them, Bao Gu didn’t think the demon talismans were any weaker.
She wondered, are demons really evil, unfit for the world or the Dao? If so, wouldn’t the Dao have destroyed them long ago? Holy Aunt, Master, and Ling’er were all demons—were they evil? They were kinder and more virtuous than many cultivators! Sometimes, the so-called “upholding the Dao” was just an excuse to eliminate outsiders.
Bao Gu thought of the fire toad that caused the drought in Qing Shan County, and the demons and evil cultivators in the Two Realms Mountain, and realized you couldn’t judge by race—demons and humans both had good and bad.
Realizing she was distracted, Bao Gu snapped back to attention as her divine sense caught Wang Ding hurrying into the courtyard.
She looked up at him.
Wang Ding saw the group around the table and quickly came to the door, bowing.
Bao Gu asked, “What is it?”
Wang Ding said, “The Yue Kingdom Empress has stationed heavy troops on the main streets outside the branch hall.
Also, news just came that all the cultivation sects have joined forces to pressure the Empress to hand you over.
Millions of troops are massed at the border, threatening to attack if you’re not handed over by noon.
The Empress sent a message: ‘As long as Yue Kingdom stands, you stand.'”
Bao Gu frowned, “The cultivation world is forcing Yue Kingdom to hand me over—what’s their reason?”
Wang Ding said, “They’re saying the disaster in the Archaic Mountains was your doing, just like when you used a feng shui formation to wipe out 100,000 troops of Wangxian Sect at Two Realms Mountain four years ago.
They say you knew you couldn’t hold the Archaic Mountains, so you used your feng shui skills to turn it into a dead zone, killing all cultivators who entered.
You spent four days in the mountains, supposedly altering the formation, and as soon as you left, everything inside died and the great feng shui formation became a death trap.
They say you knew you’d caused too much trouble and released the Bie to take the blame.” If he didn’t know how serious the Bie disaster was, Wang Ding might have believed it—after all, the Lord had done things like this before.
He paused, “Lord, if this rumor sticks, the Archaic Mountain disaster will be blamed on you, and you’ll…”
Bao Gu asked, “And I’ll what? Speak plainly.”
Wang Ding nervously spat out four words: “The whole world as your enemy.
If Yue Kingdom protects you, it won’t survive either.”
