Love & Redemption
Chapter 121: Volume 3 Heartless Xuanji - 28 Perilous String (Part 4)

Chapter 121: Volume 3 Heartless Xuanji Chapter 28 Perilous String (Part 4)

Just as Zi Hu had said, there indeed was a Sacrificial Altar on the summit of the mountain, its origin obscured by age, quite weathered, yet the carved railings and the copper tripod stood intact, and the ancient, simplistic grandeur still remained.

By that time, the sky had already darkened, and a disk-like bright moon hung in the heavens, its moonlight frost-like, silently casting over the blue stone slabs of the Sacrificial Altar, shining brightly as if it were a mirror, reminding one of countless witches and priests who had worshipped the gods and earth here.

For some unknown reason, this weathered Sacrificial Altar emanated an inscrutable holiness. Surrounded by thousands of mountains and peaks undulating in layers, all was utterly still. Looking up at the vast expanse of the sky and down at the vast land, everyone involuntarily felt a sense of reverence and dared not to whisper or laugh.

Zi Hu, too, restrained her usual irreverence, bowing her head, lost in thought. After a while, she suddenly ordered, "Go, starting from due north, sequentially light those eight long-burning lamps."

Around the Sacrificial Altar stood eight stone pillars, each over a person high, filled with a secret blend of fat for fuel and wicks as thick as a child’s arm, presumably the "long-burning lamps" she referred to.

Yu Sifeng lit a torch and began lighting the eight long-burning lamps from the north, alternating left and right. Each lamp corresponded to one of the eight directions, which are the positions of the Bagua, and not a single step could be mistaken.

Once the long-burning lamps ignited, they immediately sent up flames half a person tall, their color like turquoise, gently twisting and turning, casting a dim green shade on everyone’s faces.

Zi Hu spoke softly, "Behind the Sacrificial Altar there is a pool of clean water. Scatter this in it, and everyone go cleanse and change your clothes."

She pointed with her snout towards a huge bronze tripod in front of them. The tripod was not engraved with birds or beasts but had weird human faces carved on each of its four corners; they appeared to be crying and laughing, insomuch as they seemed both mad and wild, which sent shivers down one’s spine. Inside the tripod, it gathered an unknown number of years’ worth of ashes, gleaming white as snow. Xuanji turned to look at the three young men—it was clear she had to be the first to cleanse and change.

She grabbed a handful of ashes and went behind the Sacrificial Altar, indeed finding a small pool whose depth was unknown. However, given the severe cold atop the mountain, a thin layer of ice had formed on the pool, and the thought of bathing in it was indeed frightening.

She used her sword to break a hole through the ice, scattered the ashes in, then stripped off her clothes, closed her eyes, and, with a resolve as if facing death, plunged in.

On a cold day, bathing in freezing water was nothing short of self-torture. Clearly, all four were unaccustomed to this method of purification. After washing, each person’s face was red with cold, and they shivered continuously, barely managing to cultivate their energy for warmth.

"Is everyone alright?"

Zi Hu asked, then suddenly stretched forward a paw, speaking softly, "To do this, it is better to transform into a human form. No choice, let’s try it."

The onlookers saw her back rise up, gradually elongating, the sharp claws and dense fur quickly disappearing. Suddenly, Zi Hu on the platform stood up, her long hair cascading down, dressed in purple clothes, yet the fox ears and tail on her head could not, by any means, be retracted.

"Ah... that damned Snake Demon... The remaining poison is still not completely cleared..." She touched her ears and bitterly lamented.

Usually, when she turned into a human form, it was just a roll on the spot to shed her original body. It was the first time everyone saw her true form transform, and they couldn’t help but be somewhat shocked. Zi Hu suddenly turned her head, her face resembling that of the woman in purple by eighty percent, but her mouth displayed sharp fangs and her pupils were a ghastly green like those of a wild beast. Under the bleak moonlight, her appearance was three parts fierce and four parts terrifying.

"Give me the package," she said in a hoarse voice, stretching out her hand, which still bore the fur and was clearly a beast’s paw, with claws over three inches long.

Xuanji hurriedly handed over the package. Zi Hu had secretly bought some items in Germu, shrouded in mystery and not letting them see, even wrapping them in a package, so no one knew exactly what was inside. Seeing her unravel the package, inside were five large incense sticks, as thick as a child’s arm and half as long as a person, as well as five pitch-black candles—Xuanji had seen these before. His master mentioned that these were a type of secretly made incense candle, containing vermilion and black dog blood, along with many other unheard-of materials, used only during significant rituals. Even his master wasn’t clear about their specific purposes.

As he was lost in thought, Zi Hu pushed the large incense and candles towards him, "Light the incense and candles yourself, then bring them to me."

Xuanji found the candles rough to the touch, and upon closer inspection, he saw that she had carved characters on them—Bing You Yi Hai Geng Yin Zi Shi, exactly her birth date. He was slightly startled, then suddenly recalled what Zi Hu had said on Gao Mountain: to her, a mortal’s destiny chart was transparent, visible at a glance. It wasn’t surprising that she knew his birth date.

After each had lit their incense and candles and returned, Zi Hu placed the large incense into the bronze tripod and arranged the candles in a circle on the ground. She spoke softly, "When the incense burns out, we must return to the Sacrificial Altar. So we must act quickly. No one is to touch these candles, for if they go out, we will be repelled back from Buzhou Mountain and suffer great injuries."

It seemed that Buzhou Mountain was not a place of the human world. If they, the living, entered, there would be no trace of them left in the human world, which would inevitably cause an imbalance. Thus, these candles were meant to remain in the human world in their stead. Should they extinguish, the deities guarding Buzhou Mountain would immediately notice and expel them from the mountain.

Xuanji couldn’t help but ask, "You... didn’t you say you grew up playing in Buzhou Mountain? Why do you also need to light this?"

Zi Hu snapped, "Asking all these unnecessary questions at this time! I long left Buzhou Mountain and transformed into human form. To enter again, I must do the same as you, with no exceptions!"

Xuanji, shouted at, could only obediently shut his mouth.

Zi Hu then said, "The moon is high in the sky, and midnight has come; I must begin the worship. No one must make a sound."

With that, she rose into the air, her long hair trailing gracefully, her feet not touching the ground as she drifted towards the long-burning lamp in the north. Her robe suddenly fluttered open like a phoenix spreading its wings, and she let out a mournful, plaintive howl. The flame seemed to tremble, infected by her cry.

The four of them sat silently in a circle, each with a black candle in front with characters of their own birth dates engraved. From Zi Hu came a long, clear whistle, at times indistinguishable between singing or the howling of a wild beast. The flames of the long-burning lamps flickered wildly, shadows stretching in all directions on the ground. Clouds seemed to gather above, obscuring the moon like a wheel of ice, and chilling winds blew, mingling with inexplicable cries and howls, terrifying to behold.

Zi Hu suddenly stopped, firmly seating herself cross-legged in the center, hands forming seals, sweat dripping from her forehead. Her hands abruptly separated, one pointing to the sky, the other to the ground, she murmured, "Spiritual Chariot."

As soon as her words fell, a white light flashed suddenly around, and a silver bolt of lightning cleaved the sky above, as if splitting the heavens in two, with a thunderous roar deafening to the ears.

Her body slightly swayed, seemingly unable to endure the strain, her face suddenly turning deathly pale, yet she gritted her teeth and persevered, clasping her hands together, she chanted, "Seal of the Mysterious Cloud!"

The dark clouds atop the sky seemed to be stirred by a gigantic hand, swirling and fluctuating rapidly, almost as though they were about to tear open the entire heavens. Caught sight of such a phenomenon, everyone had already forgotten to speak, all staring agape. Zi Hu was gasping for breath and could no longer hold up, collapsing to the ground.

"Ah..." Xuanji opened her mouth but suddenly remembered she had instructed not to speak, so she quickly got up to help.

They heard a huge thunderclap overhead, and a sudden blur appeared before their eyes—as if thousands of lightning bolts had struck the small Sacrificial Altar simultaneously. She was startled and inadvertently let go of Zi Hu, forgetting to help her.

"The... the gate is open..." Zi Hu struggled to sit up, whispering, "Go... to the center of the altar... we are heading to Buzhou Mountain."

The lightning did not dissipate but crackled and stretched between heaven and earth like a gigantic cage, enclosing the Sacrificial Altar inescapably.

Seeing Yu Sifeng and the others still staring blankly, Xuanji swiftly tugged at his sleeve, "We must hurry! Linglong is waiting!"

Just as they were about to rise, they heard a harsh shout from behind, "No one is allowed to go!"

They were greatly startled and quickly turned around, only to see on the outside of the lighting cage, standing shoulder to shoulder were three figures, Chu Lei, Chu Yinghong, and Elder He Yang, with their swords hovering in midair, all drenched in sweat and panting heavily, obviously having rushed here desperately.

Xuanji stammered for a while then said, "Father... Master... why are you..."

As the entire Sacrificial Altar was enveloped in lightning, the three of them could not get close, only hovering outside with their swords. Chu Lei shouted sternly, "No one is allowed to go to Buzhou Mountain! Did you hear me? Come back to me!"

How could they not go! They had managed to come this far, and they were about to rescue Linglong and Second Senior Brother, how could they give up!

Xuanji was about to argue when suddenly, Zhong Minyan behind her said, "Please forgive this unworthy disciple, Master, but your final commands are unacceptable! We must rescue Linglong from Buzhou Mountain! Please wait here peacefully, Master, Uncle!"

How could he speak like this! Xuanji was shocked. Although Zhong Minyan was usually a carefree person, he was always obedient in front of his father, never daring to show the slightest disrespect, but today’s tone was nothing like his usual self!

Chu Lei was indeed furious, harshly saying, "Going there is akin to seeking death! Aren’t there already enough troubles?"

Zhong Minyan raised his voice, "Master, do not underestimate us! I am confident we can return safely."

Chu Lei was so angry his face turned an iron shade, speechless. Chu Yinghong quickly interjected, "Minyan, Xuanji! It’s not that we underestimate you! But that place is not of the human world, extremely dangerous, with a likely chance of no return! Xuanji, your parents have already lost Linglong, do you have the heart to make them lose you too?"

Xuanji shivered inwardly and was rendered speechless.

Zhong Minyan still argued, "Uncle, no need to persuade further! Our minds are set! We will definitely bring back Second Senior Brother and Linglong!"

Chu Lei was enraged, sweeping his sleeve with a shout, "Zhong Minyan! If you must go, go then! But once you leave, you are no longer a disciple of Shaoyang Sect! From today, you are excommunicated! This is the price of your willfulness and recklessness!"

To be excommunicated! Everyone was shocked, this was the severest punishment! Xuanji immediately cried, "Father! How can you..."

"Do not call me father! I have no such daughter!"

Xuanji was stifled, a pain gripping her heart, tears suddenly welling in her eyes.

Zhong Minyan’s face turned pale, and after a long pause, only to hear Zi Hu beside him urging, "Hurry! The gate is closing!"

He was greatly shaken, suddenly knelt on the ground, and bowed three times to Chu Lei in the air, tremblingly said, "Forgive this unworthy disciple! Even if excommunicated, I must find Linglong! I dare not ask you to take back the order Master, but as a disciple... I can’t live in peace without fulfilling my duty to my master!"

After saying this, he rose proudly, turned his face, and walked towards the center of the altar. With a flash of white light, he instantly vanished.

"Minyan!" The three in the sky could not help but cry out.

Xuanji looked at Chu Lei, then at the center of the Sacrificial Altar, and finally gritted her teeth and followed suit.

The white light flashed a few times, and Yu Sifeng and the others also entered, leaving only Zi Hu, who looked up at the three pale-faced figures in the air, said, "You cultivators are truly heartless! Whose sake do you think they are desperately fighting for?!"

With that, he too headed towards the center of the altar, and the next moment, the roaring sound of lightning and white light disappeared, leaving only the bronze tripod, pierced by five giant incense sticks and surrounded by a ring of black candles, the candlelight flickering, as if the earth-shattering events had never occurred.

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