Chapter Fifty-Three: Alive, We Must See the Person; Dead, We Must Find the Body

Although I still didn’t fully understand what kind of position the Underworld’s Lord of the Halls held, at least I now knew a way to break the Nine Yin Severed Veins curse—if nothing else, I had gained a sliver of hope. Elder Di Yi had told me that I was one with the Nine Yin Severed Veins. Because of this, I could exist as a human in the world of the living, or as a deity in the world of the dead—this was the unique aspect of the Nine Yin Severed Veins. Moreover, the Infernal Sovereign Seal was now sealed within my veins, naturally suppressing the curse.

“Three years. The Infernal Sovereign Seal can suppress the curse for three years. If you can become the Lord of the Halls in the Underworld within these three years, you’ll break the curse. If you fail to achieve this divine office within three years, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

I nodded, saying nothing more. Just as I was about to leave, I asked, since he feared the Yellow Springs Tome and the Infernal Sovereign Seal being exposed, why did I feel that the Lord of the City of Unjust Death already seemed to know about the existence of the Infernal Sovereign Seal? If they already knew, how could this secret ever be kept?

Elder Di Yi reassured me, telling me to return to the living world in peace, and that he would handle the rest.

I gave a noncommittal response, then added, “Since the Lord of Unjust Death City is so eager to obtain the Infernal Sovereign Seal, is it hiding some other secret besides being the first Book of Life and Death?”

Elder Di Yi didn’t hide it. He nodded, admitting there was indeed a great secret hidden within the Infernal Sovereign Seal, but he could not tell me yet. If I wished to discover its true purpose, I would have to wait until the time was right.

Fine! I was too tired to ask further. With my paltry skills, knowing too much would probably do more harm than good.

At last, I had wanted to ask Elder Di Yi to help save Wang Feiyang and Lu Li. Who could have expected that he would suddenly conjure a strange gust of wind and blow me right out of the tower?

Outside, the Ghost-Faced Marquis and that red-eyed monkey still stood motionless. When they saw me emerge, the monkey bounded excitedly back and forth along the Ghost-Faced Marquis’s shoulder.

The Ghost-Faced Marquis gently stroked the monkey’s head, and it instantly quieted down.

“Did you obtain the Infernal Sovereign Seal?” the Ghost-Faced Marquis asked, regarding me with a calm expression.

“I did.” I casually produced the fake Infernal Sovereign Seal, which looked like a worthless piece of scrap iron.

“I mean the one sealed in your Nine Yin Severed Veins.”

My heart immediately sank. Suddenly, it all became clear: the Ghost-Faced Marquis was the right-hand man of the Lord of Unjust Death City. He had no reason to oppose his master. Perhaps the Lord had long known the seal was hidden within the Black Tower, but only someone with the Nine Yin Severed Veins could enter and meet Elder Di Yi. From the very moment we entered the city, the Ghost-Faced Marquis and the Yin-Yang Scholar had staged this entire performance for us—one playing the villain, the other the hero—all to use me to enter the tower and secure the Infernal Sovereign Seal, before snatching it from me.

Realizing this, a cold sweat broke out on my back. I instinctively backed away toward the Black Tower, then, summoning my nerve, turned and bolted straight for the tower’s entrance, shouting as I ran, “Elder Di Yi, save me! The Ghost-Faced Marquis is trying to steal my seal—please come out and stop him!”

There was no reply from Elder Di Yi inside. Instead, the monkey on the Marquis’s shoulder sprang forward at blinding speed, intercepting me. The Marquis’s voice rang out: “No need to shout. Elder Di Yi cannot leave the tower!”

My heart sank. I eyed the Ghost-Faced Marquis warily and said, “If you want the seal, come and take it. But I’d rather perish with it than let you succeed.”

To my surprise, he didn’t attack. He just studied me up and down for a long moment, then quietly remarked, “Now you look like a real man.”

I frowned, unable to fathom his meaning, and all the more curious about the face concealed beneath his ghastly mask. Why did he always hide behind it? Was he concealing something, or fleeing from someone?

The Ghost-Faced Marquis called to the monkey, which let out two sharp cries and leapt back to his shoulder. The Marquis then said to me, “Come. I’ll send you out of the City of Unjust Death right now.”

Before I could reply, he swept his sleeve, and an overwhelming chill swept over me. I felt myself lifted and carried weightlessly through the air—an indescribable sensation, wholly unlike flying in a plane.

When I felt my feet touch solid ground again, I was astonished to find myself outside the city, before the River of Atonement. This was the very place we had entered through the gate hidden in the reservoir. Even now, lost souls continually emerged from the river, their faces numb as they trudged toward the city’s gate.

The Ghost-Faced Marquis pointed to the river. “Jump in now and return the way you came. Take that worthless seal and save your grandfather.”

For some reason, when he mentioned my grandfather, his voice trembled ever so slightly.

Instinctively, I asked, “Who are you, really? Why would you risk betraying the Lord of Unjust Death City to help me?”

He gave no answer, only urging me repeatedly to leave.

Though part of me longed to return to the world of the living, I knew I couldn’t yet. Wang Feiyang and Lu Li were still in the hands of the Yin-Yang Scholar.

I refused the Marquis’s offer. “Thank you for your help, but I can’t go back yet. I have to save my brothers.”

The Marquis’s voice grew tinged with anger. “Those two are likely already lost. Staying won’t change anything.”

I stood firm. “If alive, I must see them; if dead, their bodies!”

The monkey on his shoulder was clearly aggravated by my stubbornness and tried to lunge at me, but the Marquis restrained it. After a moment’s silence, he answered, “Even if your brothers aren’t dead, they’re now in the Lord’s hands. You can’t save them.”

“You’re throwing yourself to the wolves. If you’re caught, not only will you lose the seal, but all three of you will die. Your grandfather’s death will be certain, too.”

He was right—I knew that if I recklessly sought out the Lord, this would be the outcome. But Wang Feiyang and Lu Li were my closest friends. They had come to the City of Unjust Death for my sake alone. How could I abandon them out of fear for my own life?

As I hesitated, struggling over what to do, the monkey on the Marquis’s shoulder finally lost patience. It shot toward me like lightning, faster than I could react, and struck me square on the forehead, sending me flying into the River of Atonement.

As I tumbled through the air, I caught a glimpse of the eyes behind the Marquis’s mask. They seemed hauntingly familiar—and I thought I saw tears glimmering there.

“Wu Dao, you must succeed in saving your grandfather. As for your two brothers, if they still live, I promise I’ll return them safely to the living world.”

With those words, the Ghost-Faced Marquis turned and strode back toward the city.

A split second before I plunged into the river, I shouted with all my might, “Ghost-Faced Marquis, who are you? How do you know my name?”

There was no reply. Just as I braced for the splash, I suddenly felt a pair of hands yank me forcefully from the river.

Almost simultaneously, the Ghost-Faced Marquis seemed to sense something and looked urgently toward the city gate.

From atop the gate, a domineering and sinister voice rang out like thunder, striking fear into every heart: “Ghost-Faced Marquis, after all my trust in you, how cold and disappointing to see you betray me!”