Chapter 118: Bull-Headed Giant Axe

Shu Bai, who had reached the sky above the courtyard, paused and descended back into it. His gaunt face and bloodshot eyes scanned the surroundings like a vigilant, night-seeing owl.

Madam Bai also used the Red Moon to survey everything. She knew Zhao Xiang'er possessed an extremely powerful acquired spirit capable of absorbing all light, making her almost imperceptible when merged with the night. However, this was not true invisibility; she would reveal herself as soon as she left the shadows.

Yet, the first person to spot Zhao Xiang'er was a young girl by the shattered Bridge of Oblivion.

The slender girl was hidden in an empty house by the bridge, her body curled in its shadows. Every day, she would cautiously peek out, gazing at the bridge.

She dared not venture too far, for if she did, her body would feel as though it were being torn apart.

She was the newly appointed Meng Po, long bound to the Bridge of Oblivion.

But now the bridge was gone, and naturally, no one passed through. Consequently, she felt profoundly insecure. Every day during her feigned slumber, she would feel her limbs detach from her body, waking her from nightmares. What terrified her most was the clear, daily perception of the city's decay.

She knew it wouldn't be long before the city would inevitably collapse, even without external influence, bringing everything to ruin. Although her illusion of eternal life had shattered a month prior, the realization that all would eventually perish still felt like a sharp knife, occasionally piercing her courage and drawing forth a bitter dread.

So, every day, she scooped a bowl of Meng Po Soup from the Yellow Springs and drank it alone.

This was the Meng Po Soup she was meant to give to every soul crossing the bridge to the underworld's far shore, after Fengdu was built and became the final destination for all spirits in the Southern Province. It was intended to help them forget everything from their past lives.

But now, she was the sole consumer of Meng Po Soup, relying on it to quell her fear. When the dread gradually resurfaced, she would scoop another bowl, drink it, and forget once more.

In this cycle, she repeated forgetting and remembering, huddled in the desolate pavilion by the Bridge of Oblivion. She gazed at everything with a foolish awe and fear, wishing only that one day, she might quietly die with the city, completely unaware.

Today, her spirit jolted. She realized someone had passed by her window, yet she couldn't see them. Tentatively, she lifted her head and suddenly noticed a shadow outside the window that was significantly darker, like an abyss that absorbed all light. Only then did she discern that beneath this "abyss-like" curtain, white skirt hems were gently fluttering.

"Who are you?" the little girl instinctively blurted out. Then, she realized she shouldn't have spoken; someone who could cross the river silently must be incredibly powerful. She ought to have pretended not to see anything.

Then, with a feigned slap in front of her, she opened her palm, glanced at it, and innocently remarked, "Oh, it was just a mosquito."

The other person seemed to disregard her act, simply extending a hand, opening it, then retracting it back into their sleeve before silently departing.

The little girl, dressed in plain clothes, stared at what had been left behind, her brow furrowed.

It was a black strip of cloth.

She had a vague recollection of the cloth strip but couldn't recall where she'd seen it. She carefully put it away, then, gathering her courage, peeked her head outside. After looking left and right, she realized the person had vanished without a trace.

In the courtyard, Madam Bai tightly clutched her fox fur, repeatedly pondering Fengdu and finding it utterly incomprehensible.

This Fengdu was bound to collapse eventually.

Yet, it hadn't collapsed, nor had its laws broken down. The inherent "other shore" nature of this confined world should not have been breached. So how had Zhao Xiang'er managed to infiltrate? Had she not left something by the Yellow Springs, Madam Bai might not have noticed her until she reached the courtyard gate.

Had she already found the key to breaching the "other shore"?

Her dark eyes and blood-red lips stilled, showing no trace of emotion. She ceased her pondering. Zhao Xiang'er's cultivation level was not significantly higher than her own, and Madam Bai was, furthermore, the mistress of this half-city. If Zhao Xiang'er dared to risk coming alone, Madam Bai would, just like that day, seize her by her long hair, subject her to endless humiliation, and then flay her alive!

She leaned back in her chair, as if this ordinary wheelchair were a throne of bones.

Madam Bai's will stirred. Using the Red Moon as a medium, she transmitted her thoughts, sending commands to every corner of this half-city.

Countless spectral figures drifted out of their homes, opening eyes tainted by the Red Moon. Like walking corpses, they floated onto the main street, surging like a vast army towards Madam Bai's courtyard.

In a certain corner, Ox-Head, with his bovine-headed skeletal body, straightened himself.

After Horse-Face's death, Ox-Head inherited his power, becoming even mightier, his skeletal frame growing noticeably thicker. He rose, wielding a pair of heavy stone axes. The horns on his head, though badly damaged, remained thick and sharp. Upon receiving Madam Bai's command, he began to charge, each heavy step leaving a foot-deep imprint in the ground.

He intended to charge directly across the Yellow Springs to kill those on the other side.

Madam Bai's plan was that since Zhao Xiang'er dared to risk coming alone, she would dispatch Ox-Head directly to the Judge's Manor to kill Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling. Ning Xiaoling was already incapable of fighting, and though Ning Changjiu had some skills, his cultivation level was low; that day, he hadn't even been able to kill the butcher in a few moves. In a prolonged fight, he would certainly be no match for Ox-Head.

Having done all this, she controlled the Red Moon to survey the realm, aiming to pinpoint Fengdu's vulnerabilities.

On the long street, an utterly dark shadow had already materialized. Beneath it, white skirt hems fluttered wildly with each step. She crossed the long street, her head concealed by nine feathers, and with a sudden thrust, her long sword unleashed a sweeping arc of rainbow light, charging directly into the spectral figures.

Like rising smoke, the mass of spectral figures was swept by a whirlwind sword strike. Countless forms were sliced apart and dispersed, dissolving into the long night as black mist.

Her white skirt billowed, sweeping through the black mist, unstained by any impurity. The girl continued her rapid advance, her long sword moving relentlessly, cutting them to shreds like a scythe harvesting wheat. Her sword strokes were swift and decisive, and in the blink of an eye, she had effortlessly cleared the entire street of spectral figures.

The figure moved without pause, seemingly gauging the direction of Madam Bai's courtyard.

Madam Bai's heart tensed. She sharply commanded the already corrupted Shu Bai before her, "Go, kill her!"

"Yes!" Shu Bai instantly complied. His body levitated and swiftly darted out of the house.

Madam Bai's expression darkened. From the sword techniques, she confirmed the assailant was Zhao Xiang'er. But what had Zhao Xiang'er done to evade the city's laws of detection?

Outside the courtyard, the sounds of close combat had already erupted.

Now, Shu Bai had inherited numerous fragmented authorities from the Underworld Monarch. With his eyes contaminated, he became ruthless and thoughtless, his strength amplified. In this half-city, his cultivation was second only to Madam Bai's.

But Madam Bai knew he wouldn't be able to hold Zhao Xiang'er back for very long.

Through the Red Moon, she could see the scene on the long street beyond the courtyard. Beneath the cover of the pitch-black great bird, brilliant sword light slashed out repeatedly, following only the simplest, incredibly swift trajectories, just as she had taught Ning Changjiu in the courtyard.

Though Shu Bai's current cultivation was not weak, he severely lacked combat experience. After just one exchange, his moves were utterly suppressed, forcing him to retreat step by step with virtually no room to counterattack.

Madam Bai silently drew a breath, as if steeling herself for a decision.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ox-Head had suddenly leaped from the Yellow Springs' bank, instantly charging to the opposite shore and gouging a deep pit in the ground. He pulled himself out of the crater and began to accelerate into a furious charge, smashing through every gate, house, and courtyard wall in his path. Like a black hurricane, he swung the massive axes in his hands, storming forward with destructive force.

As Ox-Head landed, the city's buildings began to tilt slightly westward.

Madam Bai frowned, feeling even more confused.

She knew this was due to the symmetrical nature of the "other shore." Ox-Head's realm was asserting its weight on that side, and since the city couldn't quickly find a vessel to contain that power and maintain balance, it was compelled to slowly tilt.

But this indicated that the "other shore" had not been broken. If so, how could Zhao Xiang'er disregard this rule?

The clang of weapons on the long street outside agitated her.

In her perception, this was still her world, and she, the exiled monarch, would one day reclaim her throne. Yet, at this moment, someone dared to openly defy the world's laws?

Intolerant, she raised her hand, wishing she could instantly strike with her sword and slay her.

As the thought arose, she quickly extended her other hand to restrain herself, gritting her teeth and muttering, "Bai Ling! You've truly gone mad!"

Madam Bai clutched her own wrist, acutely aware of her deteriorating mental state. While communicating with Shu Bai, she felt multiple consciousnesses clashing within her, each vying for control. This made her head ache and filled her with anger, making her wish she could simply take a bone sword and split herself into pieces.

As Ox-Head rampaged on the other side, Fengdu, to maintain balance, channeled much of the world's primordial power into Shu Bai's body.

This was a means of maintaining balance akin to drinking poison to quench thirst. One day, this world would become increasingly weakened from channeling too much power, until it was shattered by the outside sunlight and utterly destroyed.

Shu Bai received numerous gifts of power, making him more resilient against the opponent's swift and decisive attacks. Though he couldn't find any openings in their swordplay, his innate cultivation and rigorous defensive blocks prevented him from sustaining significant injuries.

Madam Bai felt a touch of surprise, wondering why Zhao Xiang'er hadn't defeated Shu Bai after so many moves. Could she be deliberately suppressing her cultivation to infiltrate this place?

She couldn't understand it for now.

In the Red Moon's view, the mad ox had already stormed into the Judge's Manor courtyard.

He swung his twin axes like a hurricane, hacking at everything within reach. His eyes were blood-red, so intense they seemed to spew molten fire. His colossal, skeletal body was like a small mountain, even stronger than before. He charged into the courtyard in one breath, smashing his twin axes heavily onto the ground, shaking it violently.

He let out a bellow, announcing his arrival.

This was the second time in his life he had charged with such unbridled exhilaration. The first was before his death, when he crashed through countless streets, shattered countless wooden doors, trampled down long thoroughfares, and overwhelmed everything, finally collapsing in this very courtyard, where his head was severed by Ning Qinshui and presented to Madam Bai.

The second time was now.

Only now, he had transformed from a four-legged gallop to an upright, human-like stride, each step heavier than a thousand pounds. He no longer felt like an animal but a warrior charging across the wilderness—brave, fearless, and immensely powerful. Those who had enslaved him in life should now tremble and beg for mercy beneath these twin great axes, then be mercilessly chopped into mincemeat!

He gripped his twin axes, his sturdy chest bared, his red eyes flickering with afterimage-like light. He roared again, thrusting his head forward. He knew the people he sought to kill were inside the house, that they had heard his roars but were too afraid to face him. But who could possibly hide?

He roared with excitement, raising his axes and bringing them down upon the house before him.