Free Web NovelChapter 209: Chapter 13: The Mask is Possessed Again
"Reverence and awe beget authority; the role of the tomb guardian arises naturally from the law within the heart."
"Reincarnation is merely a lamp-bearer, a guardian following behind. Spirit Possession has once seceded from the purity of evil, while Reincarnation is still half steeped in evil... half steeped in evil."
But the white fog revealed everything all too quickly.
A gray robe’s young voice triggered the white fog’s unintended ascent once again.
"He left one month earlier than scheduled, without adhering to our agreement and only brought three crows of evil with him, though it should have been him departing sooner. It wasn’t him that is the pure embodiment of evil, but I, and thus he couldn’t possibly leave this domain. What reason could he have for leaving this domain so early?"
"What could be your reason for allowing him to leave this domain? How could it leave this domain? How long has Reincarnation been on Yellow Spring Island?"
"What’s the matter, you wish to know?"
It’s unthinkable that this crowd is acting spontaneously, queuing up to the tune of flutes with laughter and cheering, preparing to jump into the sea.
This is undoubtedly a sin.
...and yet it’s not to lead people to accept death, but rather the law acts as a guide towards death, still holding onto some original desire to live...
People have such strong impulses at times, after all.
One could barely imagine that someone who is about to witness the death of a person would ever have the extreme longing, the craving for death, especially when they’ve already lost any hope or interest in whether life is real or not.
But the tomb guardian, who desired to live on, was not mistaken. This white fog can’t possibly explain the attitude of those who sought death yet were filled to the brim.
In reality, he was just speaking nonsense to people who couldn’t physically feel the same, nobody had ever heard him plead with someone not to endure hardships.
"These people, who clearly have nothing left after being abandoned by Dugu, facing a city overrun by the terror of evil, yet still cling to the struggle to survive despite the desire just to live... they don’t understand the preciousness of life. They come to the island, but instead of mourning for the many families destroyed by death, they continue their desperate efforts to live."
The tomb guardian’s expression seemed odd, as if he were opposing some other intent when he said these things; there were certain rifts.
"It’s an irony that when they floundered and struggled in the sea, their first words were not to see others again, but cries of ’save, save me,’ but this was just a silent protest from these dying people."
"Was it possible for you to imagine such an absurd scene on this island in the year 7212, where a procession of people wearing smiles that seemed forced and eyes that were actually panicked, followed the enticing sound of a flute, jumping off a cliff into the sea like ducks diving underwater? Reincarnation, blowing the flute gently, in such a desolate tableau?"
"Perhaps it was just a quiet afternoon with a gentle breeze and warm sunshine, and people laughing joyfully, enjoying the wonderful aroma of food... all of a sudden—a complete death."
"I have come to believe that this world should give people the right to chase their own deaths, not to resist them, as the heralds of an approaching apocalypse, for there is no need to destroy such a world. White fog could simply be that kind of hopeless imagination."
Great explosions of strength are, after all, a life’s final attempt at survival, an ultimate endeavor to bite through one’s own arm when facing absolute hunger, searching desperately for something to eat before resigning oneself to starvation.
"He was still trying to bite through his arm, but he was already dead, he had lost all his strength. When I found him, his own arm was still in his mouth; I saw a man starved to death, who had lived while gnawing on himself."
"Indeed, this world isn’t lacking in people, and even with so many suffering greatly... people infinitely prefer to strive to live rather than seek death. But that’s not really the case, although there are so many people going through tremendous pain."
Such strange events made Reincarnation savor the meaning, making the tomb guardian quite conspicuous.
"This world should have a place that can make people die happily during an apocalypse; Reincarnation believes that people should be given the chance to pursue death at will."
"To them, death might also be a kind of release, as these people endure great suffering to live; I’ve already seen so many people, and one of them has actually become a tool—a shield and spear for me even before his time of departure."
Said the gray-robed young man who feigned knowledge of the white fog, doubtful:
"How could one person have such polar views on life and death as this, unless the white fog itself is confused?"
It appeared that none of the people seen had any will to live.
Yet he is trapped on this island, but he may also have the chance to assume a superior role; he doesn’t necessarily have to aimlessly strive to live below such hardships.
Death could potentially sweep away all the suffering in the world; the master figure acknowledges that where there’s one death, there’s every person.
It’s no wonder they’re so fiercely oppressed.
"..."
"It is only after I was torn apart that I realize he was the true host, and I was merely an extension."
"Are you saying that you split apart from the original Spirit Possession?"
It’s all a big blur. I barely understand any of it, but this is indeed a case of double life in one body, huh.
"But I’ve never completed the law enforcement ceremony that could stop it, but if you choose to accept my commission, my memories, strength, and character will all slowly consume you. Eventually, you’ll discover that I’ve also become part of the law enforcement," he said. Next time you come to Yellow Spring Island, I definitely won’t say there is no chance of success.
Slowly, the law enforcement began to encroach, starting with the tomb guardians, the defenders of the living guides, and already the law enforcement has grown stronger than the judgers of the dead guides. But seven hundred years ago, there was a huge catastrophe that tilted the balance of life and death.
One guide of life, one guide of death
...everything turned to gray
"It’s a mutual consumption between us. The stronger the law enforcement’s power, the weaker I will become as its tomb guardian. On the other hand, my memories are not entirely clear, which I regret very much," Spirit Possession said.
But Dugu shook his head, "White Mist, you should think carefully again. Is there something or someone related to that person? It isn’t simply about what trees there might be, right?"
"You’ve got some kind of precognitive ability, don’t you? Oh... I haven’t mentioned this power to you yet," Grey Robe said, not excited.
White Mist looked somewhat lost. Even though he’d thought it through very carefully. It seemed that he wasn’t willing to associate with anyone.
Although he couldn’t quite grasp what was so significant about this face-changing artifact, which confronted the law enforcement of this class head-on, he always had a sense of it. But his eyes lacked the necessary attention to notice these nuances, much like Red Yin and Short Brother, it seemed.
Is it Short Brother and Red Yin I should be working with, the ones with the largest legs? White Mist thought.
...It’s much simpler that way, isn’t it? There’s no need to overcomplicate things...
"You won’t be able to even open your eyes because of this power, let alone know yourself. There are many reasons you’ve accumulated that you aren’t yet aware of; this artifact will summon someone connected to it to guide you away from danger, when you’re in a dangerous situation," Erleipu preached to me very logically. "Even if there is only one case, as of today, this small artifact has new powers, although they call it ’Dugu’s little artifact that can’t relieve the imminent danger’ just because it exacerbates the wound once more."
The artifact appeared to be increasingly shattered but Erleipu’s body didn’t show any changes in its original powers despite its greatly enhanced defensive capabilities.[
White Mist only noticed the changes in the artifact after Grey Robe had brought it to him directly.
The two men hadn’t spoken a word the whole way.
The hanging corpse under the bridge started to shake in unison as the wind blew as if it was affected by something.
But the grey robe did nothing but retrieve his artifact afterward, and although the surrounding purple mist became increasingly thin, there had been no particular actions from him.
The person with the face-changing artifact was still quite pleased with himself.
White Mist felt quite comfortable, although he couldn’t confidently claim that this oddity was certainly not himself.
"But he’s a very powerful person, much more powerful than any of my guys. At least you have to avoid law enforcement when the time comes. His secrets are very mysterious," he said.
"Much more powerful?"
"Perhaps it’s some kind of fate that you possess it. After all, this original master of the face-changing artifact is a very powerful person," Grey Robe said.
"Do you have anything you can tell me related to this face-changing artifact, how, where did you find it?"
"Where did you get this face-changing artifact from, I’ve seen it before," Grey Robe said, looking at the artifact with a smile, which White Mist had brought out.
"That’s just the artifact."
"Perhaps."
"An item that has a Spiritual Possession power?"
"You’ve found the very best thing for your usual necessities," he replied.
"The white mist felt a sense of déjà vu and decided never to push himself down again," said the grey robe.
"Is it really possible to have unlimited use of power, as the legends say? That’s something I can personally verify," he added, the price increasing even further.
"You can only use it once, I’ll give you some of my power, but make sure you are at your most solemn," Jing Yi said to the young man, whose expression became even darker at this point.
The grey robe seemed to be about eighty or ninety years old from his appearance, quite gloomy for a young man.
"An electric rice cooker? Some ’item’?", mused the white mist, not having thought about the extra charge.
"Naturally, since you want my help, that means you have some interest in my contacts. I will give you a portion of my power if you entrust something of yours to me," the grey robe said, offering an agreement.
Erleipu’s eyes couldn’t help but ripple inwardly when dealing with this kind of person, a resident of the black-colored district from the Well family, his words short and to the point.
But the other three people didn’t even know that the one lying in the coffin was Jing Yi, let alone that Jing Yi Well One was actually Jing Yi Well Two, and the three of them were merely proxies.
When viewed together, the high-tower aristocrats, who often had various alliances, looked connected, especially Jing Yi Well Five and Jing Yi Well Six, who needed to investigate quickly for some reason, while Jing Yi Well Four had gone mad, and Jing Yi Well Six had gone missing.
White mist had already encountered Jing Yi Well Six, Jing Yi Well Four, and Jing Yi Well Five, up until now.
She lived aboard — Chu Qing, with the physical imprint of the experience left in the file cabinet where Erleipu had taught, now journeying aimlessly into the void after mentioning Jing Yi Well Six.
"You should know that there’s a very significant risk with the person lying in the coffin, the one whose identity is not clear in your memory," he said, revealing a hint of satisfaction at the increased price.
"This cpn isn’t just some plaything that you stumbled upon, right? Don’t think that just because I have a kind of full knowledge power that you can’t stop me legally? So it’s just another new guise or is it still the same old tricks, you don’t even bother to manage your own affairs, issuing orders and distributing responsibilities," White mist challenged.
"What?’
"But I do have a few questions that must be answered. I also know some things, and ultimately, I need to know where to go to find legal help," white mist continued, growing more skeptical.
Yet, within his heart, there were a few more doubts, though there were many more than just a few.
He imagined far more Chaos than the power of the external tower.
White mist naturally didn’t know the truth — that the traveler had been eliminated as one of the black-colored district’s four-day dead before even reaching the mining cave from which he came.
Couldn’t it be that the traveler was none other than someone involved in a military exercise in the Wumianzhong area, where Liu Muguang had been erased? White mist furrowed his brows. There hadn’t even been a military exercise in Wumianzhong for over two months.
"Over two months ago."
"Have you seen them around for a long time?"
"No."
"Don’t you have any others that fell from servitude, looking quite daunting and resistant to fighting? Only those three crows with strange things by their sides?"
"You said."
"I could otherwise help you answer some questions, since I’m also in a position of legal authority. You should be able to provide me with assistance in return instead of avoiding the issue."
White mist argued further. freeweɓnøvel.com
...the traveler was dead, a pity indeed.
If only they could revive the person in the coffin, this whole set-up, this Yellow Spring Island of several hundred years, could do the job, given the black robe’s plan if they brought back the coffin.
The black law officer really wanted to find that ship in order to bring back the cofin — a task for which he felt responsible due to his allegiance to a certain power behind the traveler, who might know how to break the Reincarnation cycle.
Had White mist been abe to deduce the true circumstances, that would have been embarrassing, and honestly, Grey robe wasn’t expecting White mist to take his few words so seriously.
"But why go to so much trouble for a traveler? This is truly a very large chessboard," questioned Grey robe.
"Is it not that traveler that you always have with the three crows, the one of evil fall? You thought to explore the secrets of this ship, somehow managing to bring the coffin here to be guarded by Inoki, and then sneak back on that ship to investigate. So could the traveler themselves have been the one to stir things up?"
"Or could it be that Jiang Yimi’s condition is due to not being able to blend properly, not necessarily because the lawman is also there?"
"This area might also be a black-colored district, oh my, how I’ve come to feel such yearning and melancholy thinking back on the grand event of our meeting, and parting, please take good care of the artifact that could save your life. For now, we’ll just tentatively consider you as having explored 15% of the island’s secrets, based on the lead you provided earlier. There’s still so much mystery to this island,"
Jing Yi couldn’t see that this was always the end of a Sentence Marker, but this time, the white fog had opened up and returned to the Reincarnation disk.
"First, let’s take a step back,"
"Yin Shuang?"
Indeed, the white fog now revealed an enviable trace of softness.
"Fuck!"
"You should have opened up the Reincarnation disk, Ah Rou. Ah Rou, you’re good."
"How could I tell you my nickname, Ah Rou?"
"What is your nickname?"
"There are people wailing outside, people whom you can’t see at all. I just had a dream after entering the room. Was I actually just asleep until now?"
Indeed, the white fog had returned to the room, and there was Lin Murou, sitting with a bewildered face at the number two seat she had occupied before.
The black robe disappeared after the voice fell.
"You will find your friend; just return to that room again. There are some things you cannot avoid,"
Grey Robe had all these thoughts but eventually just shook his head and said,
"You should withdraw from the third round of the trial, the other side. It’s not that you are black, but only grey. I’m looking forward to seeing you next time. I should go. I will think of a way to find the official. "
After thinking for a while, White Fog accepted this task.
"If you just withdraw from life, according to what you all say, then all the effort of the past seven hundred years would lose its meaning. Death is only a fusion with him, but for me, it is control over life and death, especially since this is the Island, I should not be taken as a harbinger of ominous warnings,"
Someone had appeared at the pinnacle of the high tower, capable of enduring temperatures of seventy to eighty degrees. It was indeed a companion of life force at work.
If the body temperature were just slightly higher... it would be ideal, just like someone’s body temperature.
The world might just collapse if one fine-tuned even a single parameter.
If someone had ever likened the calibration of various parameters of a sophisticated machine to the rules of world space, then this would be a kind of madness that could destroy the world. If these rules were changed,
then true travelers who caused such events would somehow have to find a way to the Well family’s eternal worker to change some strong rules. At the same time, they would think of ways to weaken the entire personnel arrangement.
If White Fog was indeed a traveler, then he must establish defenses near the Well’s domain. This was a consideration he had to make.
If people of the high tower didn’t come out for too long, they would eventually turn into food for each other.
Plants on the inside would quickly wither away, although it seemed there was no special kind of light shining on the tower.
Indeed, attempts had been made to grow these blue line-like plants of a third-layer high tower species.
"If people from the high tower change the rules of life and death even once, then quite possibly they could make an event like this happen. But he is very capable of changing such rules. I don’t know what the official might want to do, but surely, life and old age, sickness and death are still happening. This world relies most on at least one unchanging rule, so the people of the tower must come out," said White Fog.
"If people do not come out of the tower, they will be seen as life-sustaining resources from the inside. If they do not come out of the tower, the people must leave the tower. You should be much more suitable than me, Chu Qing, since you are from the high tower," said Grey Robe.
"Are you not afraid that I will take advantage and leave you in a bad place if you don’t handle things well?" said White Fog, still gathering his tools.
Grey Robe suddenly regretted his offhand remark. After all, he didn’t know how many chips of his own he had inadvertently offered to this seemingly clever yet hopelessly foolish person.
"This... doesn’t sound good... "
"Do you really despise it that much?"
"Let’s just say yes."
