Beneath the eaves stretching a hundred miles long and wide enough for several horses to race side by side, a gray-white shadow flashed and paused, sticking silently between cliff crevices. The cold tide had already reached a depth of forty miles. If considered as seawater, this shadow was now at a depth of several dozen feet underwater.
At this depth, though not as severe as the recent battleground, the mist had transformed into hailstones the size of eggs, falling with a soft clattering against the rock walls. The sounds, high and low, blended harmoniously, creating a surprisingly pleasant melody.
The gray-white shadow—or rather, the one disguised as the “Moon Demon”—confirmed that the formidable enemy behind him had not continued the pursuit. He took a deep breath, letting the piercing cold spread through his body. Instead of freezing his flesh and blood, it seemed to slightly heal his heavy wounds. This body seemed able to draw strength from the icy mist.
Thanks to being a puppet crafted from the “Moon Demon’s” body, a creation naturally adapted to the Nether Realm, it required no effort to resist the cold tide. Otherwise, escaping wouldn’t have been so easy.
The “Moon Demon” sighed and caught a whiff of the unique scent of a “Scent Transmission Talisman” mingling with the chill. He reached out with slender, sharp fingers to touch his severely deformed face, shaking his head in dismay.
“Why rush me back in such haste?”
Though his tone carried heavy complaints, his voice was now perfectly human, a far cry from the previous ear-piercing screech.
Silence surrounded him.
Despite the lack of response, the “Moon Demon” continued, “Coming back is one thing, but I had to run into that lunatic Liu! This ‘Moon Demon Puppet’ is a treasure bestowed by the Bodhisattva, and now it’s damaged. Now she’ll be displeased!” (G: Bodhisattva, as in a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings.)
At last, someone replied, a voice emerging from within the cliff wall: “The Bodhisattva has always been generous to those on duty. You needn’t worry.”
With that, a bald head emerged from the mountain wall. The figure looked like a monk, with a skinny, hideous face covered in tiny, bleeding cuts, making him appear quite frightening.
Then, the monk crawled out from the cliff wall. There wasn’t a speck of dirt on him, but every inch of exposed skin was covered in similar fine wounds, and his robes were soaked through with blood.
The “Moon Demon” was startled by his appearance. “How did you end up like this? How much force did you use in that last strike?”
The monk remained unbothered, his face expressionless. “Not much force. It’s just harder to enter when the cold tide is present.”
The “Moon Demon” clicked his tongue, examining the monk’s face. “Weren’t you quite attached to this disciple of yours? This time, he may not recover!”
The monk ignored the remark and asked directly, “How did you encounter Liu Guan?”
The “Moon Demon” snorted, “You mentioned a few days ago that an order came from that esteemed lord, so I stopped what I was doing and rushed back. Just as I arrived here, the ‘Nether Cold Tide’ was in hot pursuit. I wanted to probe its source, but didn’t expect that lunatic Liu was lurking within it. Wasn’t he driven out by Lady Huang Quan, abandoned by—uh, that immortal? Rumor had it his cultivation fell drastically, and he was killed by his enemies…”
It seemed the “Moon Demon” wanted to speak the immortal’s name, but under the monk’s cold gaze, he swallowed the words.
Yet, the monk did not let him off easily and said in a grave tone, “If you don’t break your habit of speaking recklessly, don’t expect to maintain the Bodhisattva’s favor.”
The “Moon Demon” chuckled, his face—resembling a human’s—rich with expression.
The monk, unperturbed by his attitude, continued calmly, “We are all people of the sect, having pledged our faith to the Bodhisattva. We must hold a reverent heart toward the Bodhisattva, and show respect to the various immortals who stand on equal footing. At the very least, we should harbor a sense of fear.
“There may not be anyone omniscient or omnipotent, but the immortals’ abilities are real. When you weren’t a believer, disrespecting them had no consequence. But now that you are one of us, that behavior could easily draw their attention and create trouble.
“A bit of caution never hurts. There are only six immortals in existence; a little mindfulness can spare you a lot of hassle. Although you’re new to the sect, if you wish to rise within it and gain the Bodhisattva’s favor, eventually restoring your path to longevity, then you must heed this warning. This isn’t the first time I’ve told you.”
Of everything he’d said, only “path to Immortality” seemed to impact the “Moon Demon,” who quickly straightened up and earnestly agreed. How long his resolve would last, however, was anyone’s guess.
Understanding his character, the monk let the matter rest and turned back to the issue at hand. “Did Liu Guan notice anything unusual?”
“Most likely not. He believes this two-realm passage formed naturally, and that he caused the Nether Cold Tide to erupt, leading to the instability in the passage’s structure.”
“I saw it.”
The monk indicated he was aware. “Liu Guan has been imprisoned in the Blood Demon Restricted Realm for over a century, growing increasingly deranged. But back in the day, he was a top-tier talent. Using Lady Huang Quan’s name to provoke him might drive him to further madness, or perhaps it could bring him clarity.”
At this, the “Moon Demon” was puzzled. “You’re really bold. Aren’t you afraid that hearing her name would drive him mad enough to tear us to pieces?”
The monk’s expression did not change. “Even if Liu Guan lacks the Heaven Demon’s blessing due to betrayal, with his cultivation, killing our half-crippled selves would be effortless. But without taking some risks, how else could I help you escape from his ‘Shadow Void’?”
“Besides, I was ready to abandon this avatar to divert his attention. Who would have guessed that, despite the long absence of Lady Huang Quan, Liu Guan still fears her as much as ever. That was quite the surprise.”
The “Moon Demon” scrutinized him for a long time. Of course, this wasn’t out of gratitude but disbelief. He knew the monk’s temperament; having evaded explanations earlier, he wouldn’t reveal anything further now. But this did remind him of something else:
“What about your ‘Kundali V!dyaraja Dharma’…” (G: Kundali V!dyaraja is a wrathful deity and dharmapala, or protector of the Dharma, in East Asian Esoteric Buddhism.)
The monk smiled slightly—his first smile since appearing.
At that moment, a rumbling sound echoed above as the thick layer of hail that had accumulated on the “eaves” was swept off by a gust of wind. It fell in a vast, white curtain, merging with the advancing cold tide below, vanishing in an instant and becoming part of the boundless cold tide.
Observing the astonishing scene, the monk seemed entranced, remaining silent for a long while. Just as the “Moon Demon” found it strange and was about to ask, the monk suddenly spoke:
“Do you still remember the Bodhisattva’s decree?”
“Of course,” the “Moon Demon” replied, startled. He quickly assumed a respectful posture and, word by word, said, “Within the next thirty years, both the Broken Boundary Mountain and the Sky Rift Valley must remain in the gaze of the entire world, without a moment’s lapse!”
The monk reached out his hand to catch a piece of hail that had just fallen. As it melted from his body heat, the icy water seeped into the cracks on his palm, yet he didn’t even frown. He simply spoke slowly:
“To achieve this, you and I have dragged our injured bodies here, wasting away for years, and finally devised and implemented this plan. But who knew that it wouldn’t go smoothly from the start… Do you still recall the command from that great one?”
“I remember that too.”
Recalling those four words, the “Moon Demon” couldn’t help but feel a bit peculiar. However, the monk seemed unconcerned and nodded slightly. “There’s no need for us to speculate on the relationship between the Bodhisattva and that great one. Since we’ve joined the sect, the Bodhisattva’s command must take precedence. But the Bodhisattva also instructed us to show respect to that great one—as if his orders were the Bodhisattva’s own. This puts us in a difficult position.”
The “Moon Demon” nodded repeatedly in agreement, but then, as if understanding something, clapped his hands heavily.
“Indeed! The maniac Liu unexpectedly appeared and pushed us into a chaotic state, but it’s actually a good thing—we’ve indeed made a move, and it has worked well. The Yin Prison cold tide has surged into this realm, which won’t settle for at least one or two years. Countless eyes across the land are watching this place. The Bodhisattva’s decree… we’ve fulfilled it!”
He looked at the monk’s face, seeing no response, and continued:
“Furthermore, we did stop as per the command from that great one. It’s just that Liu’s madness stirred up the Yin Prison cold tide, escalating the situation beyond control—completely unrelated to us. That great one never demanded that we restore everything to its original state! So, we’ve followed the instructions from both sides. As for the outcome, it can’t be forced, can it?”
The monk glanced at him and shook his head.
The “Moon Demon,” familiar with his companion’s character, laughed. “Even if what I said is wrong, what’s your plan?”
The monk seemed to be collecting his thoughts. After a while, he raised his hand and pointed at the “eaves” where the hail had just fallen:
“Look at that hail—it may have accumulated greatly, but with a gust of wind, it all poured down in an instant, attracting attention for only a moment before it merged into the cold tide and disappeared without a trace. This cold tide before us is the same. Though it’s a significant matter, precisely because it’s too strong and conspicuous, it attracts interference from all sides, making it unsustainable. Ultimately, that’s an issue.”
Here, he deliberately glossed over the command from “that great one.” Understanding his intent, the “Moon Demon” chuckled and asked, “So, senior brother, your intention is…?”
The monk’s expression returned to his usual calm demeanor. “We’ve received the Bodhisattva’s decree and that great one’s command, and both tasks must be done well. Unless we receive further decrees from them, we will remain inactive for now…”
At this point, he added, “Of course, my use of the ‘Army of Enlightened King Technique’ today was indeed careless—it might expose my identity. I’ll report this to the Bodhisattva as an offense. However, before the Bodhisattva punishes me, if that Liu arrives by following the clues, we must engage him carefully and not reveal any secrets.”
The “Moon Demon” narrowed his eerie green eyes and nodded with a grin. “I understand, senior brother… Oh, by the way, you still haven’t explained why you called me here.”
Since he willingly changed the subject, he clearly understood the plan. The monk offered no further explanation, merely pointing in another direction.
“There lies the demonic beast’s lair.”
“The demonic beast? Which demonic beast?”
The “Moon Demon” looked puzzled, perhaps exaggeratedly so, but genuinely surprised. “I remember its lair was still hundreds of miles away—we verified it before!”
“Even a cunning hare has three burrows, let alone this creature.”
The monk led his companion toward that direction, both of them moving through the cold tide. “The cave we previously found was likely just a temporary residence. It was only when you released its old foe and their battle began that I realized the direction was wrong. However, that great one’s recent command prevented me from acting. I only set out yesterday and found this place today, though an unexpected incident occurred.”
As he spoke, they arrived before the demonic beast’s lair. The monk looked at the imprint of an incense talisman on the cliff wall, shook his head, and with a wave of his sleeve, destroyed the markings, dissipating the summoning fragrance.
“I had a bit of a selfish thought, hoping you could help, but I unexpectedly miscalculated and lost a clone here. To recover, it’ll take three to five years.”
Hearing the monk mention “selfish thoughts” and the loss of a clone, the “Moon Demon” was greatly astonished. “How… Hmm, the scent of a living being?”