The cave walls gave off a chill, bone-white radiance, as if he had stepped into the belly of some great skeletal beast.
Walking down the long corridor, one found a hidden world within.
In the central cavern, a scarlet carpet unrolled. On either side stood the white-bone-masked envoy and Miaoyu, gorgeous and free in her crimson robes. Behind each of them huddled several black-robed figures, vaguely split into two factions.
The scarlet carpet ran all the way to the far end.
There, bones formed steps and flesh formed the dais, and atop the dais was cast a throne bristling with vicious bone spurs.
Upon the throne sat a skeleton. Frail, withered — it seemed a single gust of wind might scatter it to pieces.
Yet from the hollow of its mouth, a voice spoke: "Can anyone tell me where that Nether Candle has gone?"
A black-robed elder dropped to his knees with a thud: "Your subordinate is incompetent!"
The voice was hollow, devoid of emotion: "Then who will tell me who was in charge of this operation that suffered such heavy losses?"
Out of the corner of his eye, the black-robed elder glanced at the white-bone-masked envoy, only to see him standing utterly still, with no mind to speak up for him at all. He could only knock his head hard against the ground. "Your subordinate... deserves death."
Before the words faded, he suddenly raised his head, beside himself with terror: "Grand Elder! Plea—"
It was as though a chill wind had swept through.
A black robe crumpled to the floor, and beneath the robe, nothing remained but a heap of bone powder.
And so he died.
"He truly deserves death." The skeleton went on, "The White Bone Path has been passed down in hardship all the way to this day, our art riddled with gaps. The Nether Candle is a treasure of our sect, passed down in secrecy; it could lend a hand in completing the lost arts. Yet you have been so useless, and flung the chance away!"
At this, the white-bone-masked envoy spoke up: "I recall the Holy Maiden did lay down a scheme."
Miaoyu smiled seductively: "It was only because the envoy made the opening move that I could make my follow-up. But time has passed by several days now, and my people have sent no word. I wonder whether Wei Quji killed them, or some stray cat or wild dog made a meal of them."
The white-bone-masked envoy laughed: "What opening move? Why have I never heard of it?"
"Enough." From the bone throne, the skeleton spoke: "Since Wei Quji is using the Nether Candle as bait, it means he already knows it was our White Bone Path that tread on his face. But he does not understand what the Nether Candle means to us. He has killed his fill by now, and will not keep such a close eye on the candle. I want you to dig three feet down, and find out who has the Nether Candle in hand."
"Yes." All lowered their heads.
"Also, I have a great undertaking in store for the Kingdom Above the Clouds. Keep your conduct low-key." When the Grand Elder finished speaking, the skeleton scattered in an instant, bone rattling down onto the bone throne.
Miaoyu waved a hand, and the crowd in the cavern dispersed, leaving only the white-bone-masked envoy and herself.
The envoy sniffed first: "The Third Elder consumed himself to condense the Phantom Image of the Gate of Ghosts. Was that just so he could go show off his power in the Yun Kingdom?"
"Who says otherwise?" Miaoyu furrowed her delicate brows slightly: "The Grand Elder, it seems, is now none too eager to seek out the Daozi."
"Hahahaha." The white-bone-masked envoy clasped his hands behind his back and left: "While the Daozi is absent, he exercises the Saint Lord's authority. Should the Daozi appear, he would be nothing more than the Grand Elder again. Can you guess what he would choose?"
...
Every time he came to the Arts Hall, Jiang Wang found himself distracted.
The reason was simple enough — he had not yet established his Foundation. No matter how brilliantly the instructor lectured, he could only rehearse the arts in his mind. It neither slaked his thirst nor afforded him deep understanding.
Compared with the other students, Jiang Wang actually preferred the Scripture classes, listening to the old masters expound the principles of the Great Dao and the classics of the sages, which he found genuinely pleasant.
But he dared not skip the Arts Hall classes, and this particular class was taught by Xiao the Iron-Face no less.
No one could remember the Iron-Face's real name. Though his cultivation sat at only the seventh-grade Heaven-Access Realm, his mastery over the various foundational Dao arts was truly profound, practiced, and precise.
Before class began, sitting upon his prayer mat, Jiang Wang had already drifted off a little.
He was still replaying last night's Blessed Land challenge, yet no matter how he analyzed it, he could extract no further details.
For the battle had scarcely begun before an arrow ended his movements — he had not even the time to draw his sword.
He had fallen from the Green Jade Altar to the Bright Heaven Altar, ranked twenty-fifth. His monthly production of Merit dropped by another hundred, to just 1650 points. Adding the 190 points left over from deducing the Four Spirit Body-Tempering Art earlier, that made 1840 points of Merit in total.
Beyond the Great Void Illusion, he still had four hundred points of Dao Merit remaining on the Dao Merit Roll. These were all of Jiang Wang's assets, so far as cultivation was concerned.
Though Zhao Rucheng would not use the Dao Academy's Meridian-Opening Pill to open his own meridians, he had still exchanged for one, probably to hide something. He did not wish to explain, and so Jiang Wang did not ask.
By the young man's boast, he would open his meridians with an utterly supreme, incomparably perfect Meridian-Opening Pill. But unfortunately he had only one, and could not spare any for Jiang An'an.
Jiang Wang then asked him how many points of Dao Merit this "utterly supreme, incomparably perfect" pill required to exchange for.
Zhao Rucheng would not name a figure; he only patted Jiang Wang on the shoulder and told him to work hard.
In short, raising one's little sister richly was a heavy road, long and far to walk.
While Jiang Wang was thus lost in thought, Xiao the Iron-Face had already stepped onto the platform.
Jiang Wang quickly gathered his wits and put on the diligent look of one attending closely.
"Some people, mind you — just because they've made a little something of themselves, they think their tails can point to the sky. The road of cultivation is long. Young man, look far ahead." Xiao the Iron-Face coughed once. "Very well, now let us speak of the practical application of the Stone-Skin Art in combat..."
Jiang Wang's heart gave a start. He could not think why he was being singled out again. But he did not dare let it show on his face, and instead seemed all the more earnest.
Once class dismissed, no sooner had Xiao the Iron-Face left than Huang Azhan crept over from the corner.
"Unghh, that deadpan! He singles you out like that, and you can take it? Come with me tonight and bash his windows in — what do you say, in or out?"
At the sight of Huang Azhan, Jiang Wang understood at once why he was being singled out. It was roughly the business of the city gates catching fire and the moat fish bearing the blame.
Keeping close company with Huang Azhan as he did, Xiao the Iron-Face had caught the pair of them in the same net.
"If you want to go, go yourself." Jiang Wang would never play the fool beside him.
"I'm telling you, this time I've got a meticulous plan..."
"Stop!" Jiang Wang cut him off mid-ramble, and changed the subject: "We've arranged to dine with Senior Brother Li Jianqiu. Will you come along?"
"Hmph, you just don't trust me. I tell you, last time that was because I was drunk, otherwise with that Xiao..." Huang Azhan saw Jiang Wang turn and walk off, and hurried after him: "I'm in!"
Zhao Rucheng tossed in idly: "The bill is split evenly among us."
Huang Azhan pretended not to hear, and arm in arm with Ling He, launched once more into his plans of retaliation.
Ling He was easygoing by nature; he would never join in such mischief, but neither would he sneer at it.
The young Master Zhao really could do nothing with this senior brother from the previous class — his skin was absurdly thick, and could not be pierced through.
The one who organized this meal was Li Jianqiu. He had invited Jiang Wang, and told him he could bring some friends along.
The venue was the Suhuai Studio, an establishment of somewhat finer tone than the Wangyue Tower, though it dealt mainly in vegetarian fare. Jiang Wang and his boisterous crew, men who tore at great slabs of meat and drained great bowls of wine, had naturally seldom set foot there.
Entering the private room, only Li Jianqiu sat alone within.
They were all well acquainted by now, so there was little by way of ceremony, and they fell directly upon the fine dishes before them.
Du Yehu was the one who most abhorred vegetarian fare — especially those so-called wonders of technique that dressed vegetables up to taste like roast chicken or beef. His reasoning was simple: if one was to go to all that trouble, why not simply eat roast chicken and beef? Zhao Rucheng summed it up as "tone," but arguing the point with him was fruitless.
Luckily, Du Yehu was not present tonight, so no one else shared that peculiarity.
Over the meal, Huang Azhan told an anecdote.
It was said that Lin Zhengren, upon returning to Wangjiang City swelling with pride, had at his welcome banquet proclaimed to all that during the Three-City Dao Debate he had swept all before him — that Sanshan City and Fenglin City had no one worth the name. No sooner had Zhu Weiwo, newly back at the academy, heard of this than he took up his spear and left, riding a lone small boat down the Green Willow River and along the Clear River to Wangjiang City.
By now he should have crossed weapons with the man.
Jiang Wang was doubtful: "Judging by Lin Zhengren's bearing at the Three-City Dao Debate, he's not the sort to say such things, is he?"
But Li Jianqiu laughed heartily: "Senior Brother Zhu merely needed an excuse to go beat on him. It hardly matters whether he said it or not! Since the tale is out, we'll take it that he did."
He had more dealings with Zhu Weiwo, and so knew the man better.
Jiang Wang had only met him once, but felt Li Jianqiu's account fit Zhu Weiwo's character well.
"Overwhelming!" "Impressive!" "The Eldest Senior Brother is mighty!"
"Come now, he's not here, you know — no matter how hard you polish his boots, he can't hear it." Li Jianqiu waved a hand, and cut straight to the matter at hand: "Sanshan City has been plagued badly by beast calamities of late. Yesterday their city lord posted a bounty, calling upon masters far and wide to help them clear out the ferocious beasts. It is the largest operation Sanshan City has mounted in years, and I mean to form a team and go. Well, would you be willing to come along with me?"