Chapter 115: Meeting Zuo Daoyin Again

When I said this, I clearly detected a flicker of surprise in Moro’s eyes. He seemed never to have expected me to suddenly ask him such a question.

As I wondered how he would answer, Moro smiled again and asked me in return, “Wu Dao, do you believe that the Tathagata Buddha exists in this world?”

I was momentarily stunned. I had not expected Moro to respond by turning the question back on me in exactly the same manner. Still, I did not panic. With a smile, I said, “I don’t know whether the Tathagata Buddha exists, but in our country, many people worship the Three Pure Ones. I do believe they exist. Or perhaps Yama, the King of Hell—I believe he exists as well.”

“Then there you have it.” Moro snapped his fingers at me. “Faith differs from person to person. Whatever kind of god you believe in will naturally exist within your heart.”

“Then what god do you believe in, Teacher Moro?”

Moro merely chuckled and did not answer. I did not know what had come over me. It was as though I had been possessed. I felt compelled to get to the bottom of the matter, and just as I was about to question him further, the girls nearby grew displeased. Many of them began complaining.

“What are you doing? Teacher Moro is our foreign English instructor, not a theology teacher. If you have questions like that, go ask a priest.”

Only then did I come to my senses. I extended my hand amiably and said, “Teacher Moro, welcome to our class.”

Moro readily extended his own hand and shook mine. Afterward, he returned to the lectern, while the rest of us went back to our seats and listened to the lesson.

I was distracted throughout the entire English class. When we returned to the dormitory after school, the Grand Emperor asked me, “Dao, what was wrong with you today? Why did you ask that foreigner such strange questions?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know myself. I just have the feeling that Teacher Moro is hiding some secrets.”

The Grand Emperor furrowed his brows. “Are you suspecting that he isn’t human?”

I shook my head again. “It’s not that serious.” I patted him on the shoulder. “I’ve probably just been through too much lately, and my nerves have become a little oversensitive.”

After that, I stopped thinking about Moro. After all, I barely knew him, and I had neither the time nor the inclination to speculate about him.

Since I had slept poorly the night before, I went to bed early that evening. Liu Dong and Jiang Chao had gone out to play games again, and they had dragged the Grand Emperor along with them. Their absence left me in peace, with no one to disturb me, so I could finally get a good night’s sleep.

I had no idea how long I had been asleep, nor what time it was. In a daze, I sensed someone standing beside my bed and calling my name.

I slowly opened my eyes. The next moment, I saw a figure standing before me.

I was startled and hurriedly scrambled up from the bed. Instinctively, I reached for the lamp beside me, only to discover that I could not touch the room’s switch at all.

It was only when the moonlight shining through the window illuminated him that I could make out his appearance. His clothes were torn and ragged. A black towel was wrapped around his head. His face was covered in scars, scabs, and suppurating sores. It was not only his face—much of his body was the same. Those were the marks left by terrible burns.

“Grandpa Zuo!”

I leapt from the bed. “Grandpa Zuo, it really is you! You’re still alive! That’s wonderful!”

Yes, the man standing beside my bed was the same person I had seen at the hotpot restaurant the previous night. Although his face had been burned beyond recognition, I was certain that he was none other than Zuo Daoyin.

Zuo Daoyin was still alive. The revelation filled me with astonishment and delight.

The man continued to stand before me without expression. He neither nodded nor shook his head, merely staring straight at me.

His gaze made my skin crawl. I was about to say something more when he spoke first.

“Wu Dao…”

The instant I heard him call my name, my eyes reddened. I had not been mistaken. That familiar voice could only belong to Zuo Daoyin.

“Grandpa Zuo, you’re still alive! That’s wonderful!”

When I recalled everything that had happened before, I had to admit that I still felt guilty toward Zuo Daoyin. It was much like the time I had suspected my grandfather. Both of them had devoted themselves to protecting me, yet I had suspected that they wanted to harm me. Even when Zuo Daoyin threw himself into the sea of flames, I had continued to doubt him, treating him as the villain.

It was only after the truth had finally been revealed that I had wanted to apologize to him—but by then, it was already too late.

Zuo Daoyin seemed to see the thoughts in my heart. He smiled at me. His face had already been covered in scars and sores, and after being burned so severely, his smile looked horrifying. Yet I was not afraid in the least. I was simply overwhelmed with emotion.

“Wu Dao, there isn’t much time. I came here mainly to tell you two things.”

My heart jolted. “Grandpa Zuo, what do you need to tell me?”

Zuo Daoyin fell silent for two seconds before speaking.

“The first concerns the curse of your Nine Yin destiny.”

He then asked whether, when I had entered the City of Unjust Deaths, an expert had given me guidance on how to break the curse of my Nine Yin destiny.

I was stunned. I did not understand how Zuo Daoyin knew that I had gone to the City of Unjust Deaths. Then I remembered that he was a divine diviner, and everything suddenly made sense.

I hurriedly nodded. “Yes. I met an expert named Yidi. He told me that if I wanted to break the curse of the Nine Yin destiny, I had to obtain an official divine position in the Underworld.”

Zuo Daoyin nodded. “What Yidi told you was indeed correct. Your Nine Yin destiny is extremely unusual. You can live as a human in the mortal world, yet become a god in the Underworld. Therefore, once you obtain an official position among the Underworld deities, you should naturally be able to break the curse of the Nine Yin destiny. But Wu Dao, remember this: you do not merely possess the Nine Yin destiny. You possess the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”

I sensed that there was more to his words and hurriedly asked, “Grandpa Zuo, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Zuo Daoyin fell silent for another two seconds before continuing.

“Wu Dao, remember what I’m about to tell you. The curse upon your Nine Yin Severed Meridians is far more complicated than you imagine. Perhaps many years ago, obtaining an official divine position in the Underworld would have been enough to break the curse. But the Underworld has already fallen into turmoil, and before long, a catastrophe will descend upon it. Because of that, this method may no longer be capable of breaking your curse at all.”

My heart jolted. I did not understand what catastrophe Zuo Daoyin was referring to, but judging from his grave expression, I knew he was not joking.

I hurriedly asked, “If obtaining an Underworld divine position cannot break my curse, what am I supposed to do?”

“The Curse Bone. Find the Curse Bone.”

“The Curse Bone? What is that?”

“It is said that two thousand years ago, when the Yin Son descended into reincarnation, a section of his spine was left behind in his physical body. It became known as the Son of Heaven’s Curse Bone. The Yin Son was the first person in this world to possess the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, so his body was also the first body of its kind. However, the Yin Son lived in this world for countless years and had long since broken the curse of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians. Therefore, only that section of bone left behind by his physical body can completely eradicate the Nine Yin curse within you.”

“At the same time, the appearance of the Yellow Springs Scripture is no coincidence. The Taoist nun is merely one link in the chain. When the Yellow Springs Scripture appears, the Curse Bone will appear as well. All of this was originally connected to the Yin Son, yet now it has shifted onto you. That means destiny itself is manipulating these events.”

After hearing Zuo Daoyin say this, my heart grew heavy. Obtaining an official divine position in the Underworld had already seemed impossibly difficult. Now he was suddenly telling me that even achieving that would not be enough to break the Nine Yin curse—that I had to obtain the Curse Bone instead. I was left completely bewildered.

I hurriedly asked, “Where is the Curse Bone now?”

Zuo Daoyin shook his head. “With my current abilities, I cannot calculate its whereabouts. You will have to rely on yourself.”

My heart sank. “This mortal world is so vast. Even you, Grandpa Zuo, cannot divine its location. How am I supposed to find it?”

At that moment, a trace of despair even rose within the depths of my heart.

Zuo Daoyin said, “I will do everything in my power to help you search for the Curse Bone. But the Curse Bone is no ordinary object. The Daoist sects, the Underworld, and the various demonic and heretical forces in this world are all searching for it. From now on, you may be able to find clues by investigating these different factions.”

I nodded. “Since that’s the case, I suppose that’s all we can do. The curse of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians has already become increasingly apparent within me, and I doubt I have much time left.”

Zuo Daoyin gave a low assent. “Before coming here, I performed a divination for you. If you fail to find the Curse Bone, your Nine Yin curse will erupt within a year at most. When that happens, not even the immortals will be able to save you.”

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