Chapter 282: Pingtian Crown

Chapter 282: Pingtian Crown

Yin Jiuyin stuck his arm into the bloody lake and stirred it, conjuring a boat made from the bloody water.

Qi Xuansu asked, “What should I do with my horse?”

“You can leave it aside.” Yin Jiuyin waved his sleeves. The white mist turned into a canopy that blocked out the yin energy.

Qi Xuansu patted the grade horse and asked it to wait in the mist canopy, while he followed Yin Jiuyin onto the boat. Yin Jiuyin waved his sleeves again. This time, the boat automatically moved toward the corpse island in the center of the blood lake.

Qi Xuansu felt more astounded the closer they got to the corpse island and Emperor Willow.

From a distance, he could still roughly see the entirety of the Emperor Willow. But when he reached the edge of the corpse island, he could only see the huge trunk of the Emperor Willow and the hanging vines. It did not feel as eerie as he expected, but rather more ethereal and mysterious.

As Yin Jiuyin mentioned, the yin and yang energies inside the Ghost Kingdom were reversed. The yin energy here was also too strong, so firearms could not be used. As such, the corpses in the Ghost Kingdom had not decayed for thousands of years. Thus, it was no longer possible to get rid of these corpses through normal means like burning or burying.

The only option was to use some creations that were not what one would consider “normal.”

It was not difficult to build a cesspool, but it was a hassle to clean one. More than 200 years had passed, but the Daoist Order was still cleaning up the mess left behind by the Zaoge Cult.

After the boat docked, Qi Xuansu stepped onto the corpse island. The “ground” beneath his feet was sticky and soft, like mud. From this angle, he could no longer see the trunk of the Emperor Willow in its entirety. The trunk looked more like a wall.

Yin Jiuyin walked toward the roots of the Emperor Willow, which were equally big, resembling dead pythons and dragons.

After getting closer, Qi Xuansu discovered a hole within the trunk. To be fair, the tree hole was large, but compared with the gargantuan Emperor Willow, it seemed small, like an insignificant ant’s nest.

Qi Xuansu followed Yin Jiuyin into the hole and saw a wooden staircase that spiraled upward.

Yin Jiuyin explained, “Since the Emperor Willow restrains yin energy, and there are formations set up by the Daoist Order, we can’t fly and can only walk up step by step.”

Qi Xuansu could not fly to begin with, so he naturally had no objection.

The stairs seemed endless. The steps were also not uniform because they were built according to the veins of the Emperor Willow. Some of the stairs were inside the trunk, while some parts were outside the trunk. It was certainly a difficult and treacherous climb.

Yin Jiuyin stepped forward and held the Pingtian crown with both hands. “This Pingtian crown was originally kept by Master Wan, but he probably thought it was too troublesome. After all, he is closer to what Daoists call a Martial Arts Practitioner, so he’s not interested in external objects. Moreover, he’s quite careless, so he gave it to Madam Bai for safekeeping. I just didn’t expect Madam Bai to hide it up here.”

Qi Xuansu also figured that the giant Master Wan was not one to make enchantments to safeguard this crown. He was certainly suited to be a Martial Arts Practitioner with his sheer size.

Based on Yin Jiuyin’s techniques that he revealed so far, Qi Xuansu guessed that he was the equivalent of a Diviner, proficient in creating illusions.

Yin Jiuyin handed the Pingtian crown to Qi Xuansu. “I think this thing will be useful to you, my friend.”

Qi Xuansu dared not reach out to take it. Instead, he looked at Yin Jiuyin and asked, “Since this is one of the few assets that the Ghost Kingdom has, why are you giving it to me, Master Yin?”

“That’s a great question, kid.” Yin Jiuyin said with a smile, “I will repeat what I told Madam Bai. Life is fleeting, but one must have foresight and prepare for what is to come. Although the world is at peace now, no one can guarantee what the future holds.”

Qi Xuansu suddenly remembered that Master Wan once said that there were enough corpses here to last a hundred years. He considered further. There were people in the Daoist Order who advocated for the destruction of the Ghost Kingdom. So if one day, the Ghost Kingdom ceased to exist, then Master Wan, Master Yin, and Madam Bai would inevitably have to find a way out for themselves. They could not possibly place all their hopes on the arrangements of the Daoist Order.

This was the reason Madam Bai only asked Yin Jiuyin about his plans but did not object to his idea.

Yin Jiuyin only gave an ambiguous reply. As he said, the specifics would have to wait.

In other words, Yin Jiuyin did not know what the future held, but it seemed like he was taking a gamble on Qi Xuansu. After all, no one could possibly predict what would happen a century later.

Qi Xuansu smiled bitterly. “Master Yin, I’m afraid you think too highly of me.”

Yin Jiuyin chuckled. “I’ll be frank with you, kid. You are indeed ordinary, but this piece of Xuan Jade is extraordinary. If you accidentally got it, it means that you are a lucky one, destined for great opportunities. In that case, you will have a bright future.

“If it is a gift from an elder, it means that you have an extraordinary background, so you will still have a bright future. No matter what it is, I think you’re good enough for the three of us to take a bet on. Since this is just a gamble, it’s best if it works out. But if it doesn’t, it won’t matter either. After all, this crown is destined to perish.”

Yin Jiuyin was certainly honest.

Qi Xuansu was silent for a moment before he asked, “Master Yin, what do you want me to do?”

“Just a small favor.” Yin Jiuyin’s answer was still as ambiguous as ever. “We just ask that you help us within your abilities when the time comes. That’s all.”