Chapter Fifty-Six: The Hall of Yin and Yang

The female corpse before them, Lin Muyan, spoke as she lovingly stroked the object in her hand—a finely crafted short dagger that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

“Truly, a poignant and lingering bond of affection!” Having listened, Fang You’s expression softened in sympathy, yet his words swiftly shifted in tone: “If you and Cao Anman were truly bound by love, why, when both of you dwell in this burial chamber, has he not come searching for you?”

“This…!” Lin Muyan faltered, “Could it be that Master Anman, too, lies in slumber?”

“If you wish to know, there is only one way to find out,” Fang You replied. “You are bound to this burial chamber, a guardian spirit sealed to the main tomb. You likely cannot take a single step beyond these walls.”

A guardian spirit, as it was called, was bound by the Five Forms of the Earth Hexagram, intentionally confined to haunt only within the tomb’s constructed chambers, unable to leave—serving as a sentinel before the main burial chamber.

“I see…” Lin Muyan seemed to grasp Fang You’s intent.

“I am a priest of Maoshan. If you let us pass, I promise to investigate the condition of your beloved Cao Aman’s remains. Should the opportunity arise, I will do all within my power to retrieve his soul, so that you both may find release and reincarnate together as lovers in your next life. What say you?” Fang You’s words rang out, earnest and solemn—a negotiation, yet also a vow.

“Do you truly possess such power?” Lin Muyan gazed intently at the young priest before her.

“Of course. If you doubt me, I will swear an oath: should I succeed in guiding you both into reincarnation, I will never falter. If I break this vow, may the heavenly thunder strike me down!” Fang You declared with utmost seriousness.

“Such a vow—thunder from the heavens—Five Thunders’ Wrath is the greatest terror for those who practice the soul arts. At best, one’s spiritual cultivation is lost; at worst, the soul is scattered to oblivion. Since you dare swear so harsh an oath, you must not be one of those deluded by greed. Today, I shall not hinder you—but do not forget what you have sworn,” Lin Muyan said.

“It is a promise. I will not go back on my word!” Fang You raised his hands in solemn oath.

“You have remarkable courage, young man!” Daoist Fang Zhong of the Mountain Movers could not help but praise him from the side.

Suddenly, a great crashing sound echoed from the distant entrance by which Fang You’s party had entered, as if something monstrous was upon them once again.

“The Myriad Swine!” the three—Fang You, Fang Zhong, and Bai Ling—cried out in unison.

“It seems this tomb is fraught with peril. Be careful, young priest!” Lin Muyan warned as she moved ahead, crossing the black water pool to the tightly sealed chamber where Bai Ling had just shut the human swine.

“I cannot hold out for long. Quickly, find a way to escape! I entrust Master Cao to you!” With these words, Lin Muyan dissolved into spirit form and passed through the stone door. The sound of battle erupted on the other side.

Though Lin Muyan’s soul was centuries old, her kindly cultivated spirit was no match for a malignant, wrathful specter; her strength was weak, and against the overwhelming resentment of the Myriad Swine, she could only hope to delay it for a moment—she would not last long.

“Hurry, try to open the burial chamber!” Fang You shouted, drawing the twin swords of wood and copper coins from his back, preparing for whatever might come.

“Let me!” The Mountain Mover Daoist Fang Zhong pressed a Cracking Talisman to his hand, channeled his power, and shattered a section of wall. Behind the wall stood a massive iron mechanism door.

“Divining the mountain’s veins by the Eight Trigrams—if not southeast, then southwest!” Bai Ling called, raising both hands and swiftly manipulating the mechanism.

But just then, a stone-iron door crashed down before Fang You, and a monstrous creature, bristling with countless arms and heads, lumbered in.

Behind the beast, Lin Muyan lay sprawled on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

“The formation of divine soldiers—set the array! Qimen Dunjia—Zhuge’s Bean Soldier Art: sow beans, raise an army!” Fang You flung a handful of beans from his sleeve.

He had studied this arcane technique from the Qimen Dunjia texts. Though not entirely adept, in desperate moments it could serve its purpose.

“Let the spell guide the intent, and the talisman command the beans!”

In an instant, the beans on the ground sprang upright. Under Fang You’s incantation, they expanded like popcorn until they took the form of life-sized bean soldiers.

Astonished by this display of magical arts, An Wu drew his pistol to offer supporting fire.

The bean soldiers conjured blades and swords, leaping onto the Myriad Swine and stabbing at it. Though they could not inflict grave wounds, they managed to buy a little more time.

“It’s open!” Bai Ling called as the ironstone door swung wide. Yet what awaited them was a vast pit, ten yards wide and ten yards deep.

The pit teemed with countless venomous serpents. Should they leap down, they risked being dashed to death or bitten by the snakes.

Meanwhile, the monstrous Myriad Swine smashed the bean soldiers to pieces in moments, then let out a furious roar.

“Why aren’t you moving?” Fang You shouted, rushing to the hesitant Fang Zhong and Bai Ling at the entrance of the pit—the Myriad Swine closing in behind them.

He, too, was taken aback by the sight before him—a vast pit, ten yards deep and wide, writhing with myriad snakes. A single misstep would mean certain death within their bellies.

Yet the terror of the Myriad Swine drawing near was no less dreadful.

“What do we do now?” Bai Ling asked in panic.

Fang Zhong, the Mountain Mover, was at a loss.

Though An Wu continued firing at the monster, a few bullets could not harm it. Wounds inflicted earlier were already healing before their eyes.

“Use that!” In the heat of the moment, Fang You pointed to a large, flat boulder at the side. “Throw it into the pit—we’ll jump down together and land on it. We must evade the Myriad Swine first and worry about the rest later!”

The group hesitated, but with the vengeful monster at their heels, better to risk the snake pit than be torn limb from limb.

“I’ll do it!” The Mountain Mover slapped Strength Talismans to both arms, recited the spell, and his arms shimmered with power. He heaved the boulder and hurled it into the pit below.

With a crash, the stone crushed several dozen green snakes that hadn’t time to flee.

“Everyone, jump!”

With the Myriad Swine looming behind, none hesitated; one after another, they leapt into the pit, landing on the newly thrown stone.

Just before An Wu jumped, he tossed a grenade. As he soared through the air, the explosion’s shockwave flung him farther.

Fortunately, Bai Ling, quick and agile, snared him midair with a grappling hook and pulled him onto the boulder, joining the others.

Yet in the very next instant, from above, the monster—still steaming with blue smoke, its wounds rapidly regenerating—let out a thunderous roar and leapt down after them.

“Damn, the Myriad Swine has followed us!”