Volume Two: The Dragon Soars to the Ninth Heaven Chapter Two: The Mysterious Wound

Yaoguang did not return to the villa until noon the next day. She did not feel sleepy, and lay on the Luohan couch in the main hall, staring at the spirit pearl in her hand, lost in thought. The little white dragon was, after all, a member of the dragon clan. Dragons all endured their tribulations in the deep sea’s Dragon Abyss, within the Dragon Tombs—so how had this one ended up on land, and how had it been abducted by the Ghost Sect? By what means had the Ghost Sect managed to capture the little white dragon? Surely, taking the little white dragon was not only for its pearl; there must be another purpose, otherwise the little white dragon would not still be alive. This spirit pearl itself was proof that the little white dragon survived—the spirit pearl was a dragon’s life pearl, rarely carried, and usually kept in the Purple Dragon Abyss of the Dragon Palace. What, then, was the Ghost Sect plotting? Yaoguang could not fathom it.

“What are you thinking about, little girl?” A deep voice startled Yaoguang from her reverie. She looked up to see the Grand Elder of the Mang family.

“Grand Elder, please look at this.” Yaoguang handed him the spirit pearl.

“Isn’t this a spirit pearl of the East Sea Dragon Clan? How did it end up with you?” the Grand Elder asked in puzzlement.

“The Dragon King of the East Sea entrusted someone to deliver it to the Lord of the Underworld.” Yaoguang explained everything she had learned at the Lord of the Underworld’s domain, then voiced her own doubts before asking, “Grand Elder, you are a Serpent Immortal with ties to the Dragon Clan. What is your perspective on this matter?”

The Grand Elder took the spirit pearl, infused it with his spiritual sense, and immediately understood. “This little white dragon is no ordinary white dragon. He was enlightened by the Sea God and is a celestial of the upper realm; once he ascends, he can enter either the Heavenly or Mortal Realm. He is suffused with spiritual energy. His scales are priceless; his blood prolongs life; his spirit pearl grants immortality and can add a hundred years of cultivation to an immortal. For the Ghost Sect, capturing this little white dragon is far more valuable than obtaining a millennium-old lingzhi. No matter what cultivation methods the Ghost Sect pursues, possessing the little white dragon is a shortcut in all things. Moreover, they can use the spirit pearl to threaten and control the little white dragon, forcing him to do things beyond the Ghost Sect’s ability. So yes, the little white dragon is very useful. As for how he was captured, I suspect this tribulation was a Wind and Thunder Tribulation, which must be endured above the sea’s surface. The little white dragon’s power must have waned during the tribulation, and the Ghost Sect took advantage of him. The only formation capable of subduing a dragon is the Nine-Curved Dragon Entrapment Formation.”

“The Nine-Curved Dragon Entrapment Formation? Wasn’t that originally invented by the Ghost Sect to subdue the malevolent Yinglong? Their ancestors created it to capture those who harmed people. Now, their descendants use it to capture dragons—if their ancestors knew, they’d probably crawl out of their tombs in fury.” Yaoguang let out a cold laugh.

“The Ghost Sect was founded on the principle of using human cultivation to capture evil spirits and exorcise the world’s demons. Who would have thought their descendants would turn the sect into a den of heresy? Pity old Ghostbeard—if he were alive, he’d die of anger all over again.” The Grand Elder sighed at the memory of the sect’s founder.

“What happened to Senior Ghostbeard? Why did he disappear?” Yaoguang asked.

“I don’t know either,” the Grand Elder replied with a sigh.

Yaoguang looked at him, speechless.

“Miss, Mr. Xie is here to see you.” Yitian’s voice came from outside the door.

Yaoguang took the spirit pearl from the Grand Elder, in a flash appeared at the door, and followed Yitian downstairs to the living room.

“Phoenix, something’s happened. Unidentified white bones were found at Tianqing Temple behind the mountain—the flesh was eaten clean by some unknown creature. Tianyou has already gone.” Xuanchen announced anxiously as she came down the stairs.

“Let’s take a look.” Without hesitation, Yaoguang followed Xuanchen to Tianqing Temple. Xuanchen drove at breakneck speed. Tianqing Temple was only three kilometers away, on Qingchi Mountain behind Yaoguang’s residential district. The temple had stood for over a century, always at peace; who would target it now? Lost in thought, Yaoguang realized the car had already stopped at the temple gate. The Sword of Heaven division had cordoned off the area. Since it was not a festival day, few worshippers were present and had already been evacuated. Yaoguang and Xuanchen went in.

“Phoenix, Captain Xie, you’re finally here.” Huo Mingkun came to greet them.

“What’s the situation?” As Yaoguang pulled on medical gloves, she approached the coroner.

“The deceased was found in the woods not far from the temple’s back door. According to other monks, he got up in the morning, saw the back door open, went to check, and after a few steps saw the white bones at the edge of the woods, so they called the police,” Huo Mingkun summarized.

“The deceased is male, about 1.8 meters tall. Judging from the pubic symphysis, he was between thirty and thirty-five years old. Weight is unascertainable. All soft tissue, including internal organs, was devoured by an unknown creature. After checking with the temple’s abbot, only one monk named Qingming is missing. Whether the deceased is Qingming will require DNA testing. The time of death needs further examination.” The coroner finished, and Yaoguang nodded, then approached the bones, lifted the white cloth, and examined them. Almost all the soft tissue had been gnawed away, only scraps clinging to the bones; there were obvious bite marks, the internal organs missing, and even the face had been eaten. There were traces of blood and residual nerves. Yaoguang probed for a soul—none, only the faintest trace of spiritual sense, too weak to be of use. She took out the spirit pearl and brought it near the bones—no reaction. With a sigh, she reflected on the strangeness of the death, but had no immediate clues.

Chu Tianyou and the others found nothing of value after their investigation and everyone returned to the police station.

In the briefing room, they listed all the information they had gathered.

“The coroner estimates the time of death was between 11 a.m. and noon yesterday. DNA confirms the deceased was indeed Monk Qingming. Last night, he was on night duty; everyone else was in their rooms, and their alibis hold. The deceased’s night duty was usually in the main hall, but he died in the woods behind the temple. Surveillance shows that at 11 p.m., he walked out of the back door alone and never returned, until his remains were discovered this morning. His social circle was simple. The abbot said he came to the temple at age ten and had not left the mountain for over twenty years. He was an orphan with no relatives or friends in the city. His only contacts were other monks and occasional worshippers, but as a reclusive monk he rarely received visitors. He was modest and gentle, never known to quarrel; there’s no motive for revenge or jealousy. Theft is unlikely—he didn’t handle temple offerings.” After this summary, Chu Tianyou was just as baffled.

“I’ll report on the autopsy findings,” said the coroner. “No toxins detected in the bones, no signs of blunt force trauma to the skull, no sharp or blunt weapon injuries to the skeleton. However, the bones are covered in bite marks, some very deep. There are clear marks of an unknown creature biting through the neck. It appears the creature bit through the neck before devouring the body. Judging by the marks, the animal had sharp teeth and a powerful bite—carnivorous, akin to a wolf or large dog. But the residue on the remains does not match wolf or large dog saliva. For now, I cannot identify the creature.”

“Sharp teeth, powerful bite, carnivore, wolf or large dog-like? That could be a critical lead,” Xuanchen commented.

“Report! Unidentified white bones found by the stream behind Jin Guang Temple on West Mountain!” a police officer rushed in.

Yaoguang and the others exchanged glances and immediately drove to Jin Guang Temple. The temple sat atop West Mountain, remote but popular with worshippers. When they arrived, monks were already chanting prayers. The abbot, Master Wuwei, quickly came to greet Yaoguang. “Amitabha, Phoenix Divine One.”

“Master, no need for formalities. Please tell me what you know.” Yaoguang gestured for him to rise.

“Divine One, these bones likely belonged to our novice monk Kongjing. Years ago, when he was out gathering herbs, he broke his leg, and there are steel pins in the right shin. These bones have the same pins. Kongjing left the temple a week ago to gather herbs and never returned. Normally, he’s back in four or five days, but this time it’s been over a week. I grew uneasy and sent people to search, and they found these bones by the stream, beside his gathering basket. I reported it at once. Amitabha, what a sin. Kongjing was quiet, rarely left the temple, and has no family. I found him as a child on the mountain and raised him. Why would anyone bear such deep hatred toward this child?” The abbot sighed heavily.

“Master, my condolences. I will find the killer and bring Kongjing peace.” Yaoguang patted his shoulder reassuringly, then approached the bones.

“Same as with Qingming—gnawed by an unknown creature, no signs of blunt force trauma, no sharp or blunt weapon injuries, and nearly identical bite marks. Preliminary judgment: bitten through the neck and then devoured. Likely the same species or even the same animal. I’ll confirm with the autopsy report,” the coroner said, then left with a nod from Yaoguang.

Yaoguang circled the bones with the spirit pearl—still no reaction. Probing with her spiritual sense, she found no soul, only a faint residue. A carnivore, devouring both flesh and spirit—what was the perpetrator after?

“Phoenix, unidentified bones found at Nanshan Jade Maiden Temple and at Jinghui Nunnery on the northern slope,” Huo Mingkun reported with a terrified look.

“What is the meaning of this?” Yaoguang’s rage surged. Instantly, the grass and trees around her stirred in windless tumult, a surge of spiritual energy enveloped her, and the air itself seemed to freeze. Her eyes glinted crystalline blue, and Huo Mingkun shuddered in terror.

“Once I catch this murderer, I’ll let them taste what it means to have their soul flayed!” Yaoguang declared in fury. “Cultivators seek purity and peace—why harm them, why?”

Soul flaying—Xuanchen and Tianyou were both shocked at these words. It was a punishment where spiritual power was shaped into blades that shredded the criminal’s three souls and seven spirits, leaving only fragmented wisps to be tormented forever on Iron-Encircled Mountain by the carrion vultures of Yin Mountain. The criminal’s body would be reduced to powder and scattered. Such a punishment was reserved for the worst evildoers in the Celestial Realm and was notorious even in the heavens.

“Ayao, calm yourself.” As Yaoguang’s anger peaked, a figure appeared behind her, embracing her tightly. Xuanchen and the others saw it was a male Immortal and were stunned.

“How did you manifest physically?” Yaoguang was startled to recognize him, and her killing intent vanished. “You can’t withstand sunlight in this form.” She produced a pale gold cloak and quickly wrapped him in it, wincing when she saw his hands instantly burned by sunlight. She pressed a pill into his mouth. “You’re covered with Moonshadow Silk. I’m sorry you’re hurt again. This Moonshadow Pill will let you withstand sunlight for an hour. Go wait in the car—I’ll join you soon.”

“No need to worry. Let me see the bones.” The Immortal stepped to the bones, frowned, then turned to Yaoguang. “Bring all the skeletons back. I’ll call Grandmother Huang and Sister Hu. They might know what creature is responsible.” With that, he vanished.

“Grandmother Huang and Sister Hu? Could it be…” Yaoguang immediately understood. “Xuanchen, Tianyou, go to the Jade Maiden Temple and Jinghui Nunnery. Examine the scenes and bring the remains back. I’ll wait for you at the police station. Huo Mingkun, come with me.” With that, Yaoguang and Huo Mingkun hurried off.

Returning to the police station, Yaoguang went straight to the forensics lab. The Immortal had already brought Grandmother Huang and Sister Hu. The Grand Elder of the Mang family was also there.

“Girl, you want to know about the bite marks, don’t you?” Grandmother Huang smiled.

“Yes,” Yaoguang nodded.

“All right, give me a moment.” Grandmother Huang and Sister Hu each took a pork leg bone, turned their backs, and gnawed at them. Shortly after, they handed the bones to Yaoguang, who passed them to the coroner. “Bite mark analysis.”

Without comment, the coroner went to work. He was quick, and soon the scan was complete, just as the other two sets of bones were brought in. Yaoguang watched as he busied himself.

Huo Mingkun shuddered at the sight of the bite marks—how could such a gentle and beautiful fox immortal or a kind and amiable yellow immortal leave such terrifying marks?

“Phoenix, the bite mark analysis is in. The marks on the bones are nearly identical to those on the pork bone.” The coroner pointed at the computer screen.

“These are my bite marks,” Sister Hu confirmed.

“Um, Phoenix, could you ask Aunt Hu for a saliva sample?” the coroner asked timidly, glancing at the fox immortal.

“Oh, officer, you’ve seen us before—no need to be so formal. Here, just call me sister from now on.” The enchanting fox immortal spat into a glass dish. “Run your tests. Solve the case quickly, or our Yaoguang will lose her temper.” She swished her big fluffy tail and sat down.

Yaoguang glanced at the fox and the other immortals. With a wave, three plump apples appeared in their hands. The three immortals happily munched away, exclaiming, “Phoenix Mountain apples are delicious!”

Yaoguang smiled at their satisfaction. “If you like them, once this case is solved, I’ll take you to Ling Mountain and you can eat your fill.”

“Wonderful! Can we take some back?” the fox immortal’s eyes sparkled.

“As much as you want,” Yaoguang laughed.

“Perfect!” the fox immortal cried joyfully.

“Are the apples really that good?” Huo Mingkun asked.

“It’s not the apples—it’s Phoenix Mountain’s apples. But you can’t eat them. They’re celestial fruit, at least a hundred years old. If you ate one, your meridians would burst,” the fox immortal rolled her eyes at him.

“What kind of place is Phoenix Mountain? It sounds magical,” Huo Mingkun asked curiously.

“It’s your Phoenix master’s domain—a paradise. You can’t enter now, and whether you ever will depends on fate. Even we can’t come and go as we please,” the fox immortal said, tossing away her apple core.

“Phoenix, results are in—saliva on all four victims belonged to the same creature, and it’s almost identical to Sister Hu’s,” the coroner reported.

“Foxes…” Yaoguang looked at the fox immortal. “So, the four victims were eaten by a fox. Sister Hu, can you tell what kind it was?”

“Of course.” The fox immortal hopped off her seat, tail swishing, and sniffed the bones carefully. “Girl, it’s a white fox, and from Qingqiu.”

“Qingqiu white fox?” Yaoguang was startled. “But Qingqiu white foxes are royalty and rarely leave Qingqiu. They’re gentle by nature, not man-eaters, let alone so cruel.”

“She must have been coerced,” Sister Hu surmised. “I’m from Qingqiu myself. We’d never attack humans unless forced. Qingqiu foxes are the Empress Nuwa’s emissaries—how could they commit such a heinous act? Unless she lost her fox pearl…” Sister Hu said seriously.

“First the little white dragon from the East Sea, now a Qingqiu white fox. What is happening?” Yaoguang was at a loss.

“Immortals, please help Sister Hu track this white fox. I’m counting on you,” Yaoguang requested.

“No problem. Little brother, I’ll come find you later!” Sister Hu winked at Huo Mingkun, then vanished with the other immortals.

“Huo Mingkun, bring me all the victims’ files and mark the four crime scenes on the map. Call Xuanchen and Tianyou for a meeting.” Yaoguang walked to the small conference room.

Huo Mingkun moved quickly. Soon, the map was marked: Tianqing Temple to the east, Jin Guang Temple to the west, Jade Maiden Temple to the south, and Jinghui Nunnery to the north. They corresponded to Azure Dragon of the East, White Tiger of the West, Vermilion Bird of the South, and Black Tortoise of the North. “This can’t be a coincidence,” Yaoguang’s eyes lit up as she examined the victims’ profiles. “Their birthdates correspond to the water signs of the four cardinal beasts—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, in spring, autumn, summer, and winter. The Qingqiu white fox, famed for water, devoured their flesh and spirits, solidifying her own soul. This is the Curse of Pure Water. Plus the little white dragon, lord of the waters, who can subdue the Ghost King’s fire. I think I know what the culprit is after now.” She traced the map: with the four beasts in place, only the central Yellow Emperor was missing, and the center point was Feilong Temple. “Xuanchen, assign people to monitor Feilong Temple. Tianyou, wait at the station for my orders. I’m going to Qingqiu.”

With that, Yaoguang rushed out.

If her suspicions were correct, the culprit was trying to forge a Ghost King—using the Qingqiu white fox as the vessel, the little white dragon as the power source, and the four water-fated victims to resist the Ghost King’s evil fire at rebirth. It was the Five Directions Ghost-King Formation. If the Ghost King emerged, disaster would follow.

On the way, Yaoguang received a message from Sister Hu: traces of the Qingqiu fox had been found at Feilong Temple. Afraid of alarming the target, Sister Hu had only secretly observed, suppressing her aura and awaiting Yaoguang’s next move.

As expected. Yaoguang smiled coldly to herself.