Chapter 117: Shadow Beneath the Long Bridge

The long bone sword soared into the sky, like a silver fish plunging into the deep sea, quickly disappearing behind the red moon.

Moonlight descended, bathing the city.

Yet, the sword still did not descend.

Ning Changjiu picked up the injured Ning Xiaoling and carried her back into the room. He took out the pre-prepared medicine to treat her wounds. Zhao Xiang'er stood by, observing the bloodstains on her tattered robe, left by the sword qi. "You did very well," she praised, "better than I expected."

Ning Xiaoling wiped the blood from her forehead, looked at Zhao Xiang'er, and smiled. "Thanks to Senior Brother," she said.

Zhao Xiang'er stood to the side, cradling her umbrella, watching Ning Changjiu bandage the wounds. "When your Senior Brother and I returned that day, we intentionally avoided you to prevent Madam Bai from becoming suspicious," she said. "But I still don't understand how Ning Changjiu managed to make you comprehend all of this with just a few words."

Ning Xiaoling recalled the events of the day. She had been cultivating in her room when her realm, long stagnant, suddenly broke through, advancing two minor stages at once to reach the Upper Immortal Ascension. Overjoyed, she had immediately wanted to tell her Senior Brother.

Soon after, her Senior Brother and Zhao Xiang'er returned. As soon as they arrived, they began bargaining in the courtyard, which escalated into a fierce fight. Initially, she paid little mind, but then she suddenly sensed her Senior Brother's intense fear. Deeply worried, she thought, 'Surely Sister Xiang'er wouldn't try to kill him in a fit of rage?' And with her realm having advanced so much today, she felt she finally had the authority to protect him.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, she stepped outside. Yet, the moment she drew near, her Senior Brother's profound fear vanished.

Her Senior Brother interrupted what she was about to say, then told her that she should only spar with Sister Xiang'er once she reached the Upper Immortal Ascension realm.

At that moment, she sensed her Senior Brother's subtle and complex emotions, and she herself had just reached the Upper Immortal Ascension. She vaguely realized that he must have known about her peculiar breakthrough—perhaps it was even part of his plan—but for some reason, he couldn't explicitly state it.

Once inside the room, her Senior Brother continued to give her verbal and psychological hints. By then, she had largely understood, and she replied with a few veiled comments of her own.

Realizing this, a chill ran down Ning Xiaoling's spine. They had, in fact, been living under Madam Bai's constant surveillance for the entire month.

No wonder Sister Xiang'er mentioned she arrived at the Underworld's edge just as Madam Bai came pushing a wheelchair... Such a coincidence seemed impossible. Sister Xiang'er must have realized then that they were being spied upon and secretly informed her Senior Brother.

Her Senior Brother had also realized that Madam Bai's first sword would truly target the weakest person—her. So, after Yama and White Impermanence were killed, she had become the vessel maintaining the city's balance, inexplicably advancing two minor realms. These two realms were the crucial factor in her survival against that sword strike!

These advancements in cultivation should have gone to her Senior Brother. Not only did he refuse them, but he also endured two hundred punches from Sister Xiang'er, all for the sake of their elaborate act...

As these thoughts churned, Ning Xiaoling's cheeks flushed. She felt as though she had been living in vain for the past month, taking far too long to understand.

"Hmm?" Zhao Xiang'er murmured softly, prompting her for a reply.

Ning Xiaoling jolted slightly, snapping back to attention. She gazed at Zhao Xiang'er's exquisite face, which even she found quite alluring, and thought, 'I was able to deduce all this mainly because of my telepathic connection with Senior Brother. I certainly can't tell Sister Xiang'er a secret like that, can I?'

Ning Changjiu had already interjected to save her. "Of course," he said, "it's because our Xiaoling is so smart and perceptive."

Zhao Xiang'er, not entirely convinced, asked, "Are you two hiding something from me?"

Ning Xiaoling shook her head firmly. "No way," she replied. "Sister Xiang'er is so clever, how could I possibly hide anything from you?"

Zhao Xiang'er scoffed. "Don't talk like your Senior Brother!"

Ning Xiaoling obediently fell silent.

Zhao Xiang'er picked up the bone sword. Despite its inherent hardness, its very rigidity made it brittle; after it struck the ground, countless cracks appeared on its surface. She examined it for a moment, feeling a wave of nausea at the thought that it might be a part of Madam Bai's self-mutilation. After confirming there was no residual spiritual energy, she asked, "When do you think the second sword will strike?"

Ning Changjiu had already considered this. "The second sword won't fall anytime soon," he said. "Madam Bai knows that a strike now won't kill anyone, and acting impulsively would only exhaust her remaining options. When she does strike, it will be when we least expect it or are completely unprepared."

Zhao Xiang'er agreed with his assessment. "But we still can't let our guard down," she cautioned. "The city's condition is deteriorating rapidly. If it truly becomes a ghost town in a few more days, then all of this will have been for naught."

Ning Changjiu nodded. "Indeed, we cannot delay any further," he agreed.

Zhao Xiang'er remarked, "With this sword strike failing, Madam Bai is practically at her wits' end."

Ning Changjiu replied, "But we are still constrained, like someone hesitant to hit a rat for fear of breaking the porcelain."

Our hesitation stems from the fear that killing Madam Bai would abruptly disrupt the city's delicate balance.

Zhao Xiang'er gazed at him, seemingly waiting for him to elaborate.

Ning Changjiu took a deep breath. "We proceed as planned," he stated.

Zhao Xiang'er bit her lower lip, letting out a soft "hmm" through her delicate nose, a clear sign of her reluctance.

The following day, a small bird intricately formed from white bones flew over the courtyard and perched on the eaves of their house.

The little bone bird chirped, then left behind a written message.

The letter, written in blood, was a formal challenge.

After receiving the challenge, Ning Changjiu looked up at the red moon in the sky and nodded, signaling his acceptance.

On the other side of the Underworld, Madam Bai, cloaked in fox fur, slowly pushed her wheelchair beneath the eaves. She extended a slender hand, and the small bone bird, having completed its journey, landed on her palm. She toyed with the bird for a moment, then clenched her hand, crushing it to powder.

She rubbed her palm with her fingers, and bone dust silently drifted away.

With her other hand, she gently tapped the armrest of her chair, releasing the force that had been weighing on Shubai. The stone on the scrawny boy's chest was lifted, and his body instantly relaxed. He remained sprawled on the ground, however, and instead of rising, he asked, "That first sword strike failed... You can't win. You can't possibly cut off your own arm to sharpen a sword, can you?"

Madam Bai leisurely toyed with the bone sword in her hand, appearing unfazed by her previous failure. "I still have two more swords," she said, "what's the hurry?"

"Two?" Shubai frowned in confusion.

Madam Bai did not answer, merely smiling. "What do you think of a life like mine?" she asked.

Shubai voiced his true thoughts: "Unpardonable. No afterlife."

Madam Bai closed her eyes, shaking with laughter. "I am merely a demon who was fortunate enough to survive in this world," she said. "What I seek is the supreme path, the same as those so-called immortals. What essential difference is there? An afterlife? That is merely self-consolation for those who fail in this current existence. If the Great Dao cannot be attained in this life, it can never be attained, not even in eternity."

As she spoke, her smile slowly faded. "Had they not interfered," she continued, "the Mythical Kingdom would now be complete. You would be the Hall Master, and I would have engineered nine identical Halls of Yama. By then, this place would be the Valhalla for all spirits, not just in Nanzhou, but throughout the entire world... They are the truly unforgivable ones, the ones who caused the deaths of everyone in this city!"

Shubai softly stated, "Your myth is flawed. Even without their interference, it would eventually collapse."

Madam Bai fell silent, her thoughts culminating in a sigh as light as smoke.

This was the core of the problem.

"But how could that be?" Madam Bai still couldn't fathom it. "Without that calamity that swept across the world, who could possibly kill such a great god?"

Shubai said, "My master once told me, when recounting tales, that in this world, only a greater deity can kill a god."

Madam Bai's expression was serene, yet tinged with a hint of madness. She chuckled softly. "Yes, everyone dies. If I, too, die in this city, you may boil and consume my bones. Perhaps then, you might journey even further than I ever did."

Shubai had no interest in the myth of boiling bones for immortality. He couldn't quite define his feelings for her, but when she uttered those words, he shook his head with conviction. "They are good people," he asserted, "with the well-being of all living things at heart. They won't come to kill you now."

"Good people?" Madam Bai scoffed. "Just as a long illness wears out a dutiful child, they will eventually grow to resent this place, and all the living people in it. They will wish for everyone to die immediately so they can stand on the highest moral ground, legitimately kill me, and destroy everything... My end will come when Zhao Xiang'er becomes desperate enough to kill me, even if it means the city's destruction."

Shubai quietly observed her incomparably beautiful face, offering no reply. A moment later, Madam Bai laughed again. "But where would Zhao Xiang'er get the nerve?" she mused. "Outwardly, she's colder than anyone, yet she wants to play both a god of slaughter and a saint, caught in an impossible dilemma. She wouldn't dare—nor could she—abandon this city entirely."

Shubai watched her erratic expressions and realized—she had become somewhat deranged.

After the day's distribution of raw rice was complete, Black Impermanence sat alone on the street corner, picked up his erhu, and played a melody.

He gazed towards the Bridge of Helplessness, his bow trembling rapidly against the strings, producing notes imbued with an unspeakable sorrow.

The red moon in the sky silently listened to his mournful tune. When the last note faded, Madam Bai, on the far side of the red moon, closed her eyes.

Suddenly, Shubai, still on the ground, felt a strange power surge into his body.

Madam Bai abruptly yanked him up, her fingers gripping his head, twisting it violently away.

The sudden action caught Shubai completely off guard. Powerless to resist, he was forced to turn his head and gaze towards the red moon.

A month prior, when Madam Bai bestowed power upon him, she had embedded two crescent moons from her shoulders into his eyes. These crescent moons, akin to acquired divine artifacts, granted him authority and strength, yet also carried a hidden peril.

Like innate spirits, they could be corrupted if they shared the same origin and nature.

Now, he was forced to stare wide-eyed at the red moon. Its light poured into his gaze, like vibrant colors flowing into empty pupils, swiftly imbuing the two crescent moons with an indelible hue.

Blood streamed from the corners of his eyes.

"W-why?"

Before his mind could be fully corrupted, his heart twisted in agony, and he asked, trembling.

Madam Bai held his head, lifting him, her voice, though sweet and melodious, like a demon's whisper. "My bones are planted within your body; you are my own flesh and blood," she purred. "Yet, you dared to entertain feelings for me? How could you? You are truly a naughty child, and naughty children must be punished. So... I shall punish you by making you my third sword. Help me pierce their hearts, and then you shall be my good child."

"No... don't," Shubai shook his head with immense difficulty, desperate to turn and flee. Yet, the bones of his spine stood rigidly straight within him, holding him rooted in place like a tree.

A moment later, Shubai became completely still. When he finally looked up, his face was devoid of all expression, and the crescent moons in his eyes had transformed into a foul-smelling crimson.

Madam Bai stared at him. "Kneel!" she commanded.

Upon hearing the command, Shubai knelt without hesitation.

Madam Bai took him by the shoulders, lifted him from the ground, and cradled him as if he were a true sword. She gazed up at the moon, her expression one of utter rapture. "This is a good child," she murmured. "Tonight, I shall tell you the story of a fairy who flew to the moon."

As she spoke, she picked up Shubai and gently tossed him into the air. The red moon, imbued with a strange power, pulled Shubai upwards, drawing him into the sky.

Madam Bai was rapturously absorbed in her creation when, suddenly, her expression shifted once more.

She acutely sensed that someone had covertly crossed to this side of the Underworld.

Who could possibly evade the red moon's surveillance?

She suddenly recalled the first day, when the girl entered the city; she had used the red moon to illuminate the entire city, yet failed to find any trace of her.

She enveloped herself within that massive black bird!

"Zhao Xiang'er?!" The more Madam Bai pondered, the more unsettling it became. Zhao Xiang'er's cultivation realm was currently even higher than her own. If she were to cross the Underworld to this side, the city should immediately become unbalanced. Yet, why was there no disturbance whatsoever within the city?

Unwilling to dwell on it, she stretched out her hand towards Shubai, who was slowly ascending, and sharply commanded, "Come back!"