Chapter 108: The Cause of the Goddess Luo's Death

“Mu Jin, you rest tomorrow. I will take charge of the Qingping Town Demon-Slaying Sword!” Hua Yuyan declared.

“No, Palace Mistress, this sword is too fierce. You are the last hope of our Lingying Palace; you must not risk your life!” Hua Mu Jin immediately objected. Yet Hua Yuyan looked at her with burning intensity and said, “Mu Jin, the wild immortals must never cross the pass. Tomorrow, Shanhaiguan must not fall!”

“Palace Mistress, rest assured. I, Hua Mu Jin, will stand firm at Shanhaiguan tomorrow. With the night so deep now, you should hurry into the pass. Inside, among the many Daoist sects, you will surely find a place to shelter. Also, Young Master Lin is a good man. I hope you two find happiness. If fate permits, the Lingying Palace will rise again.”

As Hua Mu Jin spoke, Hua Yuyan glanced at me with a bitter smile, saying, “Mu Jin, Shanhaiguan is the fortress between the inner and outer realms. If it falls, and those thirty thousand wild immortals break through tomorrow, it will be a massacre. What meaning is there for me, Hua Yuyan, to survive by sneaking in?”

Before Hua Mu Jin could respond, Hua Yuyan continued, “Mu Jin, you need not persuade me further. Holding Shanhaiguan is the duty of our Lingying Palace and my responsibility as its mistress. Lin Yi and the Old Mountain Spirit are unrelated to this matter; you should escort them inside.”

“Miss Yuyan, I will not leave. You care for the people within the pass, and I, Lin Yi, am no coward who fears death. Please, do not bring this up again,” I said.

Hua Yuyan turned back and said, “But inside the pass, your wife awaits you. Tomorrow’s battle will be life or death!”

I had not expected her to mention this, and Hua Mu Jin was also surprised, unsure of what to make of it, her face full of confusion.

“If my wife knew what I am doing, she would support my decision,” I said. To stay and defend Shanhaiguan, even if Wei Yang were here, I believe she would do the same. Wei Yang admires a true hero, not a coward who clings to life.

At that moment, Hua Mu Jin spoke, “Young Master Lin, isn’t your wife the mistress of Lingying Palace?”

I did not know how to answer. Hua Yuyan quickly intervened, “Mu Jin, my supposed betrothal was only a jest by Protector Lily; it should not be taken seriously. Now, at the critical moment of Shanhaiguan’s fate, such matters are irrelevant.”

“How could Protector Lily joke like that? Palace Mistress, if he wrongs you, I will never forgive him!” Hua Mu Jin said.

“Mu Jin, do not mention this again,” Hua Yuyan seemed angry. Seeing this, Hua Mu Jin relented, though her gaze toward me lost its warmth.

Then Hua Yuyan asked, “Mu Jin, with Shanhaiguan in such peril, has no Daoist sect from the Central Plains come to aid?”

Hua Mu Jin smiled bitterly. “Those Daoist sects in the Central Plains protect their own strength and safety. My master sent envoys many times to persuade them, but none agreed to help.”

“Without your lips, the teeth feel the cold. Don’t they understand?” Hua Yuyan lamented indignantly.

“There was one sect that promised aid, but even until my master fell, they never arrived, and still no word from them,” Hua Mu Jin said.

“Which sect?” Hua Yuyan asked.

“The Maoshan Sect. Their sect leader promised help and even came to Shanhaiguan to see the situation. He said he would immediately rally the Maoshan disciples and persuade others to come assist. But he never returned — perhaps frightened by the wild immortals,” Hua Mu Jin replied.

I immediately interrupted, “You said the Maoshan Sect leader came to Shanhaiguan?”

Hua Mu Jin nodded, “Yes, why?”

“Isn’t the Maoshan Sect leader one-armed?” I asked.

“That’s right, just one arm. Do you know him?” Hua Mu Jin looked puzzled.

“More than knowing him — even if he turned to dust, I would recognize Ma Zhenlei,” I thought. Ma Zhenlei’s visit to Shanhaiguan was not out of courtesy. He is cunning and ruthless; perhaps he tampered with things here. Thinking this, I asked quickly, “When the Maoshan leader came, did anything strange happen?”

Hua Mu Jin recalled, “Yes, one night he went alone near the sword platform and reached out to touch the Qingping Sword, but the sword’s power repelled him. I happened to see him then. When I asked, he said he just wanted to see the legendary Qingping Sword.”

“So perhaps Ma Zhenlei came to steal the Qingping Sword,” I mused. Suddenly, I asked, “When did Protector Luo die?”

“Yesterday,” Hua Mu Jin answered.

“When did Ma Zhenlei arrive?” I continued.

“The evening before yesterday.”

“Was there anything unusual when your master died?” I pressed.

Hua Mu Jin nodded immediately. “My master wielded the Qingping Sword and was powerful. Even the combined forces of Protector Huang Shulang of the Huang family and Protector Bai Ciwei of the Bai family could not defeat her. A few days ago, she repelled them repeatedly, nearly killing Protector Bai. But yesterday, she mysteriously retreated and though she held Shanhaiguan, she died less than an hour after returning.”

“I understand now! Ma Zhenlei must have secretly poisoned your master!” I exclaimed.

“What... but isn’t he a Daoist?” Hua Mu Jin looked incredulous.

“Daoist? Do you know how he became Maoshan Sect leader? He secretly mastered forbidden Maoshan arts and killed the original leader with them to seize the position,” I said. Then I asked, “Mu Jin, where is your master’s body? May I see it?”

Hua Mu Jin nodded and led us to the mortuary room. I saw the corpse was already mottled, with a bright red blood blister on the right palm.

“What is this?” I asked.

Hua Mu Jin shook her head, unsure. The Old Mountain Spirit and Hua Yuyan came over; Hua Yuyan did not know either, but the Old Mountain Spirit recognized it at once. “This is Gu poison,” he said.

“Gu poison? What kind of Gu?” I was surprised. Ma Zhenlei also practiced Gu arts?

The Old Mountain Spirit sighed. “I don’t know the exact type, but these symptoms are definitely caused by Gu poison and Gu insects, a deadly art done invisibly. Protector Luo was skilled, so the one who did this must be a master. Mu Jin, besides Ma Zhenlei, who else has been to Shanhaiguan?”

“No one else. The Daoist sects know the wild immortals threaten us; no one dares come. But with Ma Zhenlei came another man, seemingly a lowly Daoist with weak magic, who knows tea ceremony well. He always served Ma Zhenlei tea and also brewed tea for my master.”

After Hua Mu Jin finished, the Old Mountain Spirit said directly: “The one who killed your master must be that unassuming Daoist. But he is no ordinary Daoist — he is a grand master of Gu arts. To kill Protector Luo so stealthily, I believe only Luo Jinhong could do such a thing.”

“Luo Jinhong? Who is he to dare harm my master at Shanhaiguan?” Hua Mu Jin’s anger flared, ready to seek vengeance.

“Luo Jinhong, King of Southern Gu, is extremely dangerous. To be honest, he ruined the reputation of our Mountain God Temple in the past, bringing disgrace and downfall. Many temple elders and generals died by his Gu arts...” The Old Mountain Spirit’s usually calm face darkened with fury.

Previously, Hua Yuyan was confident in Protector Luo and the Qingping Sword, believing Shanhaiguan could not fall and Protector Luo would not die. This was not blind faith; truly, Protector Luo and the sword were beyond the wild immortals’ power. If not for the Gu arts, Shanhaiguan would remain impregnable.

Now, with the truth revealed, Hua Yuyan felt renewed confidence. After all, Protector Luo’s death was not by the wild immortals’ strength. She said, “Then tomorrow, I will wield the Qingping Sword and slay the wild immortals in one decisive strike. Afterwards, we will enter the pass and avenge Luo Jinhong!”

The next day,

The wild immortal army once again drew near.

After Hu Santai had conquered Changbai Mountain, he should have come to Shanhaiguan to join the five Protector Elders and assault the pass together.

But this time, Hu Santai did not appear. Only four Protector Elders came: Huang Shulang of the Huang family, Bai Ciwei of the Bai family, Liu Qingmang of the Liu family, and Hui Haozi of the Hui family. Hu Santai’s absence suggested another hidden scheme.

Hua Mu Jin was severely injured and could no longer wield the Qingping Demon-Slaying Sword. As the mistress of Lingying Palace, Hua Yuyan was naturally the most qualified to take it up.

When the wild immortals arrived, she donned white armor, approached the sword platform, and drew the Qingping Demon-Slaying Sword.

The sword shimmered with a faint, dark radiance. The moment it was drawn, an invisible aura swept out, forcing the wild immortal army to recoil several paces.

On the sword platform were two carved lines:

“Eight Trigram Immortal Robe flies with purple qi;
Three-edged treasure sword is called Qingping.”