Chapter 76: The Inscription Monument

After leaving Rimuli, the group, led by Yin Buqi and following his inquiries along the way, traveled for two days.

On the morning of the third day, they arrived at the foot of Wuchang Mountain.

Jiang Niannian exclaimed, “I never expected Buqi’s sense of direction and memory to be so good! Even such small details from back then, he still remembers now.”

Yin Buqi’s eyes seemed shrouded in a layer of gray.

Lowering his gaze, he replied, “When I was young and alone in the Bamboo Courtyard, I missed my mother so much that I would recall every detail of our time together over and over… My memory is indeed good—so good that some things, once seen, can never be forgotten.”

Jiang Niannian froze momentarily, fearing he was dwelling on painful memories.

Instinctively, she wanted to comfort him, but before she could, he leaned close and whispered into her ear, “For instance, I can’t forget that mole near the base of Niannian’s thigh…”

Jiang Niannian’s mouth twitched in response.

She clearly didn’t feel like entertaining him.

Wuchang Mountain lay shrouded in mist, emanating a faint spiritual glow that made it hard to see clearly.

“Are you all from out of town?”

As the group prepared to ascend the mountain, a man carrying a hoe approached and asked.

Yin Ci replied, “Indeed.”

“Planning to head up the mountain?”

Jiang Ziyou nodded.

“You can’t go up this mountain,” the man said, shaking his head.

He continued, “A hundred years ago, a sage of great virtue and powerful magic lived on this mountain. From time to time, he would descend with his young disciple to slay demons and exorcise evil.”

“But later, for some unknown reason, neither of them was seen for a long time. According to the elder at the stone-carving workshop, the disciple died, and the sage departed, never to return. Since then, the mountain has been sealed.”

Yin Buqi raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? How was it sealed?”

The man explained, “It seems some kind of barrier was cast over the mountain. It appears to be there, but it’s actually not. Unwitting climbers who step onto the mountain path will plunge into an abyss.”

“There’s no abyss. I haven’t fallen,” a voice interrupted.

Everyone turned to see Jiang Ziyou already standing on the mountain path, looking back at them.

“…”

The man continued, “If you go a few steps further, the mountain will emit a heavy tolling sound, the earth will tremble, and the noise will be deafening enough to kill, making people bleed from their seven orifices.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Ziyou took a few more steps.

“Still alive.”

The man: “……” This guy is truly fearless.

Yin Ci frowned.

“Are you just trying to scare us?”

Coalball in his arms bared its teeth: “Awwooo!”

The man became agitated.

“How could I lie? These stories have been passed down for generations. I’ve even seen people bleed from their orifices and die. Why would I deceive you?”

Jiang Niannian soothed him with a few words before asking, “Was the sage always dressed in white, with a cold and emotionless demeanor?”

“Seems so, but I’m not sure. The older generation who met the master and disciple is mostly gone. Only the elder at the stone-carving workshop might have known.”

“Can we meet this elder?”

The man shook his head.

“He had a stroke and passed away a few days ago.”

“Alright then…” Jiang NianNian sighed, glancing sideways to see Jiang Ziyou curiously wandering further up the mountain path.

Not long after, the mist suddenly dissipated, revealing the true face of Wuchang Mountain.

The mountain, sealed for a century, was unfamiliar to the younger generation.

When the man saw its original appearance, his eyes widened in shock.

The trees were all withered.

Looking up, their thin, sprawling branches reached toward the pale blue sky, resembling cracks extending across porcelain.

The seemingly endless stone steps were intricately carved with mystical patterns, which, upon closer inspection, were revealed to be formations within formations.

No wonder the barrier was so strong.

The formations not only reinforced the barrier but also restricted the use of artifacts, forcing visitors to walk on foot.

The man’s eyes grew even wider.

“What… what’s going on?!”

Yin Buqi’s red eyes glanced at the bracelet faintly glowing in Jiang Ziyou’s hand.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he said nothing.

Bidding farewell to the man, the group began ascending the stone steps.

Although it was May, snow had already fallen on the mountain.

The steps leading to the gate were thickly covered with undisturbed snow.

Yin Buqi asked, “Niannian, are you cold?”

“I’m alright.”

Yin Buqi said nothing more, but the hand holding hers transmitted a steady warmth.

He subtly adjusted his body temperature with spiritual energy to keep her warm.

Yin Ci, carrying Coalball in his arms, didn’t feel cold at all.

Coalball acted like a small furnace.

It took the group most of the day to reach the mountain’s summit.

There, they found a decaying temple.

The words “Xiandu Temple” on its plaque were so faded that only a faint trace of their original form remained.

The desolate temple was in ruins.

Withered branches jutted out starkly, unable to block the cold mountain winds that swept through unchecked.

Adjacent to the temple stood a courtyard. Its bare yet tangled branches formed a dense canopy overhead.

The group pushed open the creaking gate, stepping over the shadows of branches scattered across the ground, and stopped in the courtyard.

They were all stunned.

The courtyard was empty—utterly barren except for a single gravestone.

Jiang Ziyou suddenly felt a chill run through him, dropping to the snowy ground in disbelief.

Staring wide-eyed, he muttered, “How could this be…”

The gravestone stood silently and alone, recounting a person’s life:

– After practicing Guiyuan Formation for twenty years, he slaughtered  3280 demon beasts.

– Quelling the rebellion in the South Sea.

– He invented the unique Wanji Sword Technique.

***

– Gravely wounding the Demon Lord during the war between immortals and demons, attaining the Mahayana Stage, and becoming known as the True Monarch Qinghe.

The gravestone listed over a hundred accomplishments, each benefiting the common people.

Yet the inscription at the base read: My disciple Jiang Ziyou.

The word “disciple” and the name “Jiang Ziyou” were clearly carved over erased original text.