Chapter 370: The Usurper

Entering Taoyuan tourist attraction through the back gate and following the mountain-ringed observation walkway, one can see the Taoyuan Canyon stretching over a hundred kilometers.

In the deep winter midnight, all is silent. Beneath the lead-gray sky, the canyon lies desolate and bleak. Snowflakes, like pure white butterflies of eerie beauty, quietly settle among the pines and cypresses in the biting wind.

Seemingly unafraid of the snowstorm, Gou Meng gracefully walks along the winding walkway. Her delicate silhouette amidst the snow-covered mountains exudes an air of confidence, as if the countless flowers and trees of the mountain pale in comparison to her singular brilliance.

She continues along the winding path for about ten minutes.

At a turn in the trail, two towering peaks suddenly come into view, piercing the sky. The wide canyon narrows abruptly near the two mountains.

In the hazy light of the snowstorm, the outlines of the two mountains resemble two figures, intimately leaning against each other.

Legend has it that these two peaks are the earthly projections of the celestial stars of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl1.

Couples who visit this site and are fortunate enough to witness the spectacular “Magpie Bridge” spanning between the peaks will receive blessings from the mountain deity, ensuring lifelong happiness and eternal love.

However…

The above legend is entirely fabricated. Any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental, and the final interpretation rights belong to Gou Meng.

Thus, there is no projection of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl here, nor will couples receive blessings from the mountain deity. In fact, the two peaks leaning against each other were originally a single mountain.

It was split apart by Gou Meng herself with a single strike, as it obstructed the true Taoyuan’s sunlight, disrupted its Feng Shui, and, in line with the progressive philosophy of “to get rich, build roads first,” needed to be divided.

The spectacle of the Magpie Bridge truly exists, but whether it can be seen, and in what form, depends entirely on Gou Meng’s mood and the monthly sales commission of the tourist attraction.

To be honest, even Gou Meng herself didn’t expect that the casually fabricated legend would transform the haunting-ridden canyon into a romantic tourist destination for couples seeking blessings for their love.

Indeed, Taoyuan Canyon was once a place of great misfortune in ancient times.

Its steep cliffs, with jagged rocks resembling canine teeth, and narrow passages barely wide enough for a single person, were accompanied by terrifying tales.

Since ancient times, local county records have often documented sightings of ghostly soldiers passing through this area. Even now, stories of refugees encountering spirits during wartime continue to circulate among the locals.

While the scenery of this eerie place is undeniably stunning, praying to a “forcibly separated” mountain for blessings of love seems futile. A curse might be more fitting.

But…

Nowadays, many young people are hopelessly romantic. As soon as love is involved, their hormones surge uncontrollably.

Thanks to the generous support of our patrons over the years.

Next spring, we’ll definitely put on a grand show for you. We’ll have magpies flying in formations that spell out “love,” “affection,” “early blessings for children,” and “mother and child safety.”

As Gou Meng silently muses, she lightly taps the ground with her toes, soaring into the air. She takes a few steps in mid-air and transforms into a magpie with exceptionally exquisite plumage, flying towards the crevice between the two peaks.

Deep within Taoyuan, in a massive cavern, stands a grand hall.

The hall’s design lacks the traditional flying eaves and intricate brackets. Its materials are neither gold nor jade, yet its scale is monumental. Constructed from enormous stone blocks with simple carvings of ancient murals, it exudes an overwhelming and natural grandeur.

Standing within, the dim light and vast, shadowy space evoke a sense of reverence, even an oppressive fear.

The hall radiates an aura of ancient determination, born from the devout belief in deities, a resolve far beyond what modern people can comprehend.

Walking deeper into the hall, the terrain rises sharply. Atop a thousand stone steps, a colossal circular platform is surrounded by 108 bronze pillars. These pillars bear immense reliefs resembling scroll paintings, silently narrating the story of Taoyuan’s ancestors who journeyed thousands of miles to find their deity.

At the center of the platform lies a pool of water. From its depths rise two massive trees, piercing through the earth. Their thick trunks are tightly entwined, appearing as one.

They resemble the legendary divine tree Fusang.

The “Records of the Ten Continents” describe Fusang as: “Trees born from the same root, leaning on each other, hence named Fusang.”

These trees seem to be dead.

Their withered branches are covered in countless cracks, devoid of leaves, with only decayed vines hanging into the pool. Even the wind around them carries a lifeless gray-black hue.

Yet, they are undeniably “alive.”

On the thick, withered branches, vines of decayed flesh-like color pulse rhythmically, as if breathing.

The branches resemble disordered limbs-hands, feet, or torsos-twisting grotesquely and forming a humanoid outline.

At the chest of this humanoid figure grows a grotesque tree tumor. Every so often, it pulsates faintly, like a heartbeat, emitting a dazzling glow akin to molten lava from its cracks.

Silence.

Though the surrounding rock walls are filled with magpie nests, and tens of thousands of birds gather here, not a single sound can be heard.

They all tilt their fluffy heads, staring with their beady eyes at the graceful figure on the massive platform.

Gou Meng stands before the pool, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes closed. At her feet lies an array of precious alchemical materials.

As she softly chants a few indistinct incantations, a green flame rises around her. The alchemical materials at her feet are drawn into the flame, emitting faint sounds as they rapidly become transparent, glowing with pure brilliance.

Then, Gou Meng suddenly opens her eyes. Her peacock-glass-like pupils flash with electric light. Her hair and skirt are swept up by the sudden psychic energy fluctuation, fluttering wildly.

A massive phantom rises behind her, resembling countless vines weaving together to form the silhouette of a giant tree.

The mythical giant tree, towering and vast, blooms with vibrant peach blossoms. It seems to stand in a distant realm, where humans, beasts, and hauntings kneel and pray beneath it, as insignificant as ants.

In an instant, one hundred and eight streaks of radiant light shot out from the phantom, darting toward the one hundred and eight bronze pillars surrounding the area.

The bronze pillars trembled, emitting a resonant, solemn hum akin to the toll of a great bell, sending ripples of emerald green waves through the air.

“Dong-!”

On the mountain wall, all the magpies began to cry out, as if offering their praises to their queen.

Finally, those melodious cries transformed into human speech, one voice after another.

Old men, children, men, women-all were shouting the same words:

“In the first month of spring, its deity is Gou Mang. The remaining spring months are the same. The holy deity succeeds to the heavenly position, with the virtue of wood ruling the world, bringing merit to the people.”

Amidst the chorus of voices, Gou Meng focused all her energy, multitasking as she simultaneously inscribed intricate incantations onto the one hundred and eight bronze pillars.

Each time she completed an incantation, the corresponding bronze pillar would tremble violently, sending ripples that spread toward the giant tree at the center of the platform. The humanoid silhouette within the tree convulsed violently with each wave.

At that moment, a sudden blaze erupted from the mountain wall. Thousands of magpies took flight, their feathers igniting into flames, transforming into “Fire Crows.” With piercing, eerie cries, they surged toward Gou Meng’s back.

But in the blink of an eye-

A murderous intent, potent enough to slay a deity, descended from the heavens!

A figure emerged amidst the swarm of Fire Crows, thrusting a blade toward Gou Meng’s back.

The weapon was a rusted, battered fruit knife, as if scavenged from a garbage heap. Its edge was dull, seemingly incapable of harm, yet it radiated an astonishing psychic energy fluctuation.

As the blade neared within a hand’s breadth of Gou Meng’s back, a dazzling green light burst forth from her body.

The clash of metal against metal rang out, sharp and jarring, making one’s teeth ache. The fruit knife was deflected.

Realizing that the attack had nearly breached her defenses, Gou Meng’s heart skipped a beat. She abruptly halted the ritual to reinforce the barrier and spun around, only to see a figure surrounded by a swarm of crows and engulfed in flames.

Seeing her turn, the person snarled, “Usurper, do you still remember me?”

Gou Meng furrowed her brows tightly, tilting her head. “Damn it, who the hell are you?”

“Crow Slave.”

“Who?”

“Crow Slave,” the figure repeated, visibly exasperated.

After a long, awkward half-minute of silence, Gou Meng shrugged. “Sorry, I really don’t remember. I’ve offended so many people-what makes you think you’re special?”

Crow Slave fell silent, the flames around him flaring violently. Gripping the fruit knife tightly, he lunged forward, aiming the blade at Gou Meng’s chest.

In the next moment, a blazing inferno engulfed the entire cavern, like a miniature sun had erupted within. The scene dissolved into a blinding, radiant light.

Amidst the brilliance, Gou Meng heard the self-proclaimed Crow Slave shout, “What are you all waiting for? Don’t forget your promises!”

As his voice fell, two powerful psychic energy fluctuations surged from opposite directions, hurtling toward Gou Meng.

In an instant, the collision of psychic energies erupted into hundreds of explosive booms per second. The bronze pillars, the grand hall, and even the entire cavern quaked violently.

“Pfft-!”

Amidst the chaos, the muffled sound of flesh being torn apart echoed.

As if sensing something, countless magpies cried out in terror, flapping their wings as they flew toward Gou Meng, only to be intercepted by Fire Crows emerging from the flock. The two sides clashed in a brutal melee.

Under the blinding light, black feathers drifted down like snowflakes from the sky.

When the light finally dimmed, the platform littered with magpie corpses no longer bore any trace of Gou Meng. All that remained was a figure cloaked in flames, a scar-faced, hunched man, and another man fiddling with a desiccated corpse, his face twisted in frustration.

“Damn it, she got away!” the scar-faced man cursed under his breath.

The flame-cloaked figure glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and said calmly, “No matter. Once my master returns, she won’t be able to stir up any more trouble.”

As he spoke, he kicked aside a barely-breathing magpie at his feet and walked toward the giant tree at the center of the platform. Dropping to one knee before it, he bowed his head and murmured, “Your Excellency Fuyang, I have returned.”

The bed had been ruined, leaving Lu Yibei no choice but to fall asleep on the sofa.

As her consciousness sank deeper and deeper, like submerging into water, she opened her eyes moments later to see a familiar silhouette at the edge of the rooftop. The figure, though familiar, seemed tinged with a sense of weariness and solitude.

Despite his refined and scholarly features, he looked like a lonely old man.

“Ancestors, I’m here! Long time no see!” Lu Yibei called out to Qing Ji.

Qing Ji glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, tilting his chin slightly upward with a cold snort.

“Hmph-!”

“Uh…” Lu Yibei froze for a moment, then stepped forward, placing a hand on Qing Ji’s shoulder. “Ancestors, don’t be mad! I’ve just been dealing with some trouble lately and didn’t have time to check in on you.”

“Hmph-!”

Qing Ji snorted again, shaking off Lu Yibei’s hand and turning his face away.

Out of sight, out of mind-he decided it was best not to look at her at all.

“This…” Lu Yibei opened her mouth, then moved to stand in front of Qing Ji. “Ancestors, ancestors, I didn’t come empty-handed this time. I brought you a gift.”

As the saying goes, gifts soften hearts.

Hearing that Lu Yibei had brought him a gift, Qing Ji’s eyes lit up with excitement, like a child. “Oh? What gift? Quickly, show me!”

“Hold on a moment! Let me figure out how to bring it out.”

As she spoke, Lu Yibei released the destructive energy she had been suppressing with her psychic energy. In an instant, it was as if a primordial beast had been unleashed after eons of slumber. A surge of overwhelming power erupted from within her, tearing at every inch of her flesh.

Gritting her teeth against the excruciating pain, she focused her energy, wrapping the force in psychic energy and carefully guiding it out of her body.

The next moment, she exploded.

“Boom-!”

Qing Ji slowly raised a hand to wipe the blood splatter off his face, momentarily at a loss for words.

Wasn’t she supposed to bring me a gift?

Why did she start causing chaos instead?

Did this brat really prepare a self-destruction performance as a gift?

Just as Qing Ji was grumbling inwardly, Lu Yibei’s figure reappeared on the rooftop, mumbling as she walked over, “Ancestors, don’t be anxious. This gift is a bit hard to take out. Please give me a little more time.”

As soon as she finished speaking, with a muffled thud, her upper body vanished without a trace.

Qing Ji, “???”

Though this girl hadn’t visited recently, which made me a bit angry, if she wants to atone in this way, then…

“Boom-!”

Just as Qing Ji was thinking this, Lu Yibei exploded again right beside him.

Just as Hydrangea had said, conquering that power containing the power of the Hundred-Armed Giant was absolutely a difficult task. Any small mistake in attempting to control it would result in a disastrous outcome.

As time went on, after her body had been blown into R-rated shapes hundreds of times, Lu Yibei finally managed to deliver that power into the palm of her left hand.

Feeling the terrifying power in her palm that could escape her control at any moment, she hurried over to stand beside the already-numb Qing Ji, exclaiming excitedly, “Ancestors, hurry, hurry! I’ve got the gift out!”

“Oh…” Qing Ji replied weakly, reaching out a hand toward her.

Seeing this, Lu Yibei immediately grabbed Qing Ji’s hand. Instantly, Qing Ji looked at Lu Yibei in terror.

He opened his mouth to say something, but in the next moment, his body convulsed violently, as if electrocuted. The flesh beneath his skin writhed, as if something was about to burst out from within.

Then, together with Lu Yibei-

They exploded.

Unlike the pain of being stabbed to death by a sword when sparring with Lu Yibei, the pain this time was a new, excruciatingly refreshing experience for Qing Ji: viscera torn apart, flesh turned to powder, as if even the soul was about to disintegrate.

Ten minutes later.

On the ruined, dilapidated rooftop.

Lu Yibei, clutching her ears with both hands, knelt on the ground. Qing Ji, with the Pure Lotus Sword in hand, stood behind her, face dark and gloomy.

“One month without seeing you, and you’ve made such progress, huh? Tormenting people, tormenting even your own Ancestors? Tell me, what is this behavior? Still calling it a gift? Hmph!”

“Ancestors, I’m not, I actually wanted to…”

“Not what? Still trying to argue?” Qing Ji cut her off sternly. “A young lady, never learning anything good, can’t do anything right, but first place in mischief! Give me your hand!”

As he spoke, Qing Ji raised the sword in his hand like a ruler and gave Lu Yibei’s palm two hard whacks.

“That’s for being naughty!”

Smack-smack-smack-!

With several light cracks, Lu Yibei shrunk her hand back in pain.

“Hiding? There are still two more!”

Lu Yibei, “…”

She had wanted to give Qing Ji a “surprise,” so they could study the Hundred-Armed Giant’s power together.

But as it turns out, when a joke goes too far, your Ancestors are still your Ancestors…

Smack-smack-!

After hitting Lu Yibei’s palm twice more, Qing Ji seemed to have vented his anger. He put away the sword, glanced sideways at the pitiful Lu Yibei, and sighed, “Alright, get up…”

Girls, being a bit “lively” isn’t such a bad thing after all.

At least it saves you from being bullied outside.

Thinking this, Qing Ji softened his tone. “Tell me, what was that power just now?”

Hearing this, Lu Yibei quickly got up and scooted to Qing Ji’s side. “Ancestors, let me tell you, here’s what happened…”

In the next ten-odd minutes, Lu Yibei carefully left out any mention of Jiang Li, and gave a thorough analysis of the harm brought by the Dream Come True Journey. She painted herself as a chivalrous heroine, recounting her perilous journey to eliminate evil for the people.

Half-truths and half-lies have always been the most deceptive.

When Qing Ji heard that Lu Yibei had finally defeated the Big Boss and saved countless innocents and hauntings, his eyes lit up, and he clapped in praise, “Well done! Truly worthy of being my granddaughter-in-law!”

“Don’t worry. As for resolving this power, we’ll figure it out together. I’m good at this sort of thing!”

“Good at it?” Lu Yibei tilted her head.

Qing Ji smiled a little. “People of our Old Lu Family have all had times when we were gravely injured, barely human. In my youth, even my son Yuebo went through it.”

“Oh? Great-grandfather went through it too? Sounds like he also has some heroic stories?”

As Lu Yibei spoke, she straightened up and looked at Qing Ji with curiosity.

She sat properly, ready to listen to a story.

“Hmph! Heroic stories? More like shameful stories!” Qing Ji snorted coldly, gritting his teeth. “He did some wicked thing and I had to beat him for it. If I didn’t, I’d be letting down our forefathers!”

Lu Yibei, “…”

She was terribly curious what wicked thing her great-grandfather had done to be beaten so badly by Qing Ji, but she dared not ask more about it.

“Enough!” Qing Ji waved his hand. “Let’s put aside that unfilial son for now. You bring out that power again for me to see. This time I’ll study it closely.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Lu Yibei responded, gathering her focus and channeling that terrifying power within her body to her palm. After a bout of intense pain, a bead-sized, dazzling, chaotic, silver-grey energy mass, radiating violent psychic energy fluctuation, slowly condensed in her palm.

Staring at the energy mass, Qing Ji and Lu Yibei leaned in for a closer look.

“Ancestors, see anything?”

“No, make it bigger. This is too small.”

“Okay.” Lu Yibei nodded, channeling even more power into her palm.

Then, a cold gleam blossomed from her palm, intensifying rapidly, radiating blinding light.

And then-

With a thunderous “boom!”, two headless corpses collapsed together onto the rooftop…

Footnote:

1. Cowherd and the Weaver Girl(牛郎和织女): China’s most famous star-crossed lovers: Separated by the Milky Way, they reunite just once a year when magpies form a bridge on the Qixi Festival.