Chapter 12: Demon Sparrow Calls the City

At the moment Zhao Xianger leaped into the well, a small blue-and-white palanquin, its white curtains fluttering, precisely passed through the imperial city's arched gate.

The young Emperor had long been waiting in front of the main hall. The imperial city, once shrouded in gloom, gradually stirred to life with the arrival of the palanquin.

Ning Changjiu said, "It must be an immortal master from beyond this world. Shall we go see?"

Ning Xiaoling's eyes were bright with admiration and reverence, but upon hearing Ning Changjiu's words, she subconsciously shook her head. "It's not a three-headed, six-armed demon. What's there to see?"

With that, Ning Xiaoling sat up from the lakeside, clapped her hands, and walked in the opposite direction from the city gate.

Ning Changjiu watched her slender, petite figure, his eyes narrowing slightly.

North of the imperial city, at the heart of the Undying Forest, the main gate of the Witch Lord's Hall slowly opened. Disciples in sacrificial robes, holding folded parchments, continuously entered and exited the hall, resembling an early morning court session.

Everything that had recently occurred in the imperial city was recorded in their hands.

The aging Witch Lord sat cross-legged on a jade lotus throne. The ancient book he never parted with lay open on his lap, and before him were three stacks of folded parchments, each held by a wooden clip.

The Witch Lord extended an index finger with an exceptionally long nail and flicked it upwards. The parchments floated into the air, their slips unfolding and spreading out before him. The Witch Lord's gaze slowly swept over them, his brows gradually furrowing.

"During the Hour of the Rat, Zhao Shisong was assassinated but intercepted by a young Taoist priest and survived. Tang Yu's whereabouts are unknown."

"The entire household of the Young General's Manor has fallen ill. One servant committed suicide by jumping into the lake during the Hour of the Ox after experiencing nightmares."

"His Majesty has not left the palace again. Today, there was a dispute in the imperial court regarding whether to activate the Vermilion Bird Grand Array to protect the city."

"Consort Song has been well-behaved, attending to His Majesty's assigned duties without any impropriety."

"During the Hour of the Dragon, Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling accompanied Zhao Shisong on a tour of the imperial city at three-quarters past the hour. A strange bird followed them in the sky, but nothing unusual occurred."

"All assassins who entered the city during the Hour of the Rabbit are in position. However, the State Preceptor's Manor has a barrier array, preventing any scrying."

The Witch Lord's gaze quickly skimmed through them, stopping on the last slip:

"During the Hour of the Snake, a blue-and-white palanquin entered the city. It should be an immortal master from beyond this world."

The Witch Lord frowned, muttering to himself, "They arrived so quickly?"

"A blue-and-white palanquin? Could it be someone from the Yu Jian Celestial Sect?" The Witch Lord's expression suddenly tensed.

People knew very little about those immortal sects from beyond this world. Only at his level of cultivation did one begin to uncover some of their secrets.

Almost all immortal sects were meticulously supported by major dynasties. To compete for the right to patronize certain immortal sects, numerous wars had even broken out between nations.

Those capable of entering an immortal sect for cultivation were almost all exceptional talents, one in ten thousand, capable of cultivating innate spirits.

Most immortal sects, however, adopted a detached attitude towards the human world, intervening only when a nation faced genuine peril.

But the Yu Jian Celestial Sect... it wasn't even an immortal sect within the territory of the Zhao Kingdom.

When the Bloodfeather Monarch breached the imperial city back then, and no immortals descended from the mountains to stop him, the Witch Lord understood that the immortals had long abandoned the Zhao Kingdom.

Yet today, someone from a distant immortal sect has finally appeared. Could this imperial city's turmoil be far more complex than he had imagined?

As the Witch Lord pondered, he stroked the edge of the ancient scroll with his finger, his expression complex. He glanced at the young man kneeling beside him and said:

"Qiu Li, do you know the cultivation level of that immortal master?"

The young man named Qiu Li respectfully replied, "We only know it is a woman. The blue-and-white palanquin seems to possess a divine barrier, and the Eye of Confusion cannot discern her cultivation level."

The Witch Lord nodded and asked again, "How are the preparations for those people coming along?"

Qiu Li answered, "We just await Zhao Xianger's departure from the State Preceptor's Manor, then she will be killed without mercy."

The Witch Lord nodded. "This time, there must be no more mishaps. I will handle the rest."

Qiu Li knelt on the ground, hesitating for a moment before asking the doubt in his heart: "Master, is there any other way out of the State Preceptor's Manor?"

The Witch Lord closed his eyes in thought. He tilted his head back, looking at the beam of light filtering through the hall's roof, and shook his head. "Impossible."

Inside the State Preceptor's Manor, the well water rippled wildly, then quickly settled, as if a common woman had plaintively cast herself in, leaving no further disturbance.

After Zhao Xianger plunged into the water, layers of water seemed to ripple outward, carrying a sharp sensation. They cut through her thin red hair tie, tore small pieces from her skirt sleeves and hem, and even left faint blood marks on her porcelain-white face.

Her black dress fanned out in the water, then suddenly plunged downwards. Zhao Xianger ignored the water curtains, which resembled arrays yet were not. Her body plummeted swiftly, breaking through layers of obstruction as she dove forcefully downwards.

Soon after, her hand touched a cold stone wall. The girl coughed lightly, and a mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, carried away by the current, blooming into an unseen flower in the darkness.

After touching the stone wall, she pushed off sharply with her body, swimming towards the deeper darkness.

She had gone down a well as a child, but those memories were now vague; she only recalled swimming and swimming until she reached an extremely vast underground palace. Now, the water here was noticeably gloomier than before, with a disturbing coldness and viscosity upon contact with her skin.

Deep within the ancient well, the surroundings suddenly opened up. Turbulent dark currents rushed through a stone passage, like a great sword lying across her path. On the opposite bank of the current, a faint, yellowish glow shimmered.

Zhao Xianger used her umbrella as a sword, striking it down in mid-air. Amidst the sudden splash of water, her figure plunged sharply, cutting horizontally through the current. On the opposite side of the water flow was a man-made stone wall, from which a tunnel emanated light. On either side of the entrance stood two colossal golden armored statues, each wielding a massive axe.

Zhao Xianger pushed off the wall for leverage, leaping onto the tunnel. The moment she set foot, the two golden armored statues seemed to come alive, bringing their massive axes crashing down.

Zhao Xianger remained unfazed, passing directly through. Her body precisely evaded the two colossal axes, and as the axe heads descended, the two golden armored statues struck each other. The sound of statues shattering echoed behind her. The two great axes then connected in mid-air, transforming into a rolling, flying blade that swiftly rushed from the tunnel towards the girl's back.

Zhao Xianger seemed remarkably familiar with the mechanisms here. As the axe rolled like a whirlwind, she immediately leaped up, pressing her body against the top of the tunnel. The colossal axe rolled past beneath her, just three feet from her face. The wind from the axe was piercing but did not harm her.

She landed, knowing that the axe, though seemingly deadly, was merely intended to awaken the entity deep within the underground palace.

Rootless, source-less flames floated on either side of the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel was a vast underground palace, resembling a monster arena, spreading outwards in tiered, circular levels.

In the very center of the underground palace was a massive, pitch-black circular brazier. Six iron chains connected to it: four to the four tunnels leading into the palace, one directly to the dome of the palace, and one buried deep underground.

With Zhao Xianger's arrival, something in the almost pitch-black center of the brazier seemed to open its eyes.

A faint, crimson flame ignited.

Immediately, the hollow circular copper brazier was illuminated by the surging flames. The brazier was so colossal it almost filled half the underground palace, so as soon as the fire blazed, it cast a crimson glow upon Zhao Xianger's face.

The cluster of flames was indistinct in its layers, shifting from deep scarlet to faint crimson. It struggled and morphed into various shapes, yet within its fiery glow seemed to lie a pair of eyes. Those eyes gazed at the girl, her dress still damp, holding both absolute heat and chilling cold.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the center of the flame appeared to be torn open, revealing a vast, sword-like gash.

The water marks on Zhao Xianger's dress instantly evaporated. Even with the immortal's seal, merely standing there made her feel an immense pressure.

Just like over ten years ago, when she first stumbled in here by mistake, she was immediately overwhelmed by the aura, collapsing to the ground, unable to move. It was a full day later that her mother appeared and took her away.

Now, she was no longer that little girl, yet the pressure felt even more real.

"Long time no see," Zhao Xianger said with a faint smile.

The flames gradually quieted, and an extremely ancient voice, slow as an old donkey grinding grain, resounded:

"It's you."

It gazed silently at Zhao Xianger and asked, "Where is that woman?"

Zhao Xianger replied with equal calm, "My mother has passed away."

The flames instantly surged, filling the four walls of the brazier, as if poised to break through at any moment.

"What? Dead? Little girl, don't try to fool me. How could she die? Who could possibly kill her?"

Over ten years ago, it witnessed this little girl stumble into the forbidden area, then become paralyzed by its oppressive aura. It had relished the thought of the delicate girl dying in agony before it—a rare pleasure in centuries. But the girl was tougher than it imagined, enduring for a full day and night.

The next day, a woman suddenly appeared. While taking the girl away, she casually pointed a finger at it.

Consequently, another massive gash appeared in the already fragmented center of its divine soul, one that had been impossible to heal for decades, bringing it constant agony.

The terror of its soul being torn apart was still vivid, no less intense than when the immortal had suppressed it all those years ago.

How could a woman like that die?

"You are her daughter?" it asked.

Zhao Xianger nodded. "I grew up with my mother since childhood."

The flames let out a sigh, whether of mockery or regret. "But you are too weak. Even if you cultivate your entire life, you will never reach that level."

Zhao Xianger did not reply, but she frowned, clearly disagreeing with its opinion.

The voice scoffed faintly, "I know you think you are still young, but you must understand that on the path of cultivation, age often holds little significance."

Cultivation is not like commerce; unless one has extraordinary serendipity, the peak most people can reach in a lifetime is often determined at birth. Many even touch that peak in their teens, mistakenly believing themselves to be peerless talents, only to unfortunately make no further progress for the rest of their lives.

Zhao Xianger said, "Since senior's cultivation reaches the heavens, perhaps you can guess why I have come today?"

The ancient voice chuckled, scoffing at itself, "It can't be that you've come to entertain an old relic like me, can it?"

Zhao Xianger stated directly, "I want to release you."

A deathly silence fell upon the underground palace, followed by an explosion of laughter, like a mountain roar and a tsunami. A hurricane surged from the brazier, whipping the girl's black hair backwards, and her black dress fluttered violently as if filled with wind.

She pursed her thin lips, her hands clasped behind her back. Like a boat struggling against the current on a stormy lake, she painstakingly took step after step forward.

After a long while, the storm gradually subsided, and the dimly lit underground palace returned to peace. Yet the girl's body, taut as a bowstring, did not relax. Her gaze was fixed forward, showing no intention of retreating.

The voice, authoritative yet with a hint of strangeness, asked, "Do you know who I am?"

Zhao Xianger said, "Five hundred years ago, a spirit fox devoured the Heaven-Forging Pearl that had fallen into the human realm from the Hidden Kingdom. It escaped to the karst mountains, vanished into the earth fire, and remained hidden for over a decade. Afterwards, it grew eight tails, its fur ignited into flames capable of incinerating all things, breaking through the Purple Court Realm directly into the Five Paths, dominating for a time. However, it coincided with a great calamity of heaven and earth, and was ultimately suppressed in the Western Kingdom by the great general of the Hidden Kingdom of 'Original Sovereign.' A hundred years ago, you miraculously escaped to Nanzhou, only to be pursued and hunted by an immortal, your physical body shattered. The imperial city was built, four national guardian artifacts were established, and you were sealed at the bottom of this underground palace."

As the girl recounted its history, the cluster of flames gradually quieted. Between shattering and re-forming, the flames subtly coalesced into the shape of an eight-tailed celestial fox. Its pair of narrow eyes watched Zhao Xianger, and in their depths, a ghostly fire seemed to burn, as if from hell.

After the girl finished speaking, the centuries-old fire fox slowly opened its mouth. "I understand less and less. Are you truly ignorant of your own limitations, or do you have some other reliance?"

The girl did not answer directly, instead asking, "Do you know who I am?"

The old fox narrowed its eyes. "Who are you?"

The girl smiled sweetly. "My name is Zhao Xianger."

Autumn winds blew, and ripples suddenly spread across Qifeng Lake.

Ning Xiaoling looked up, shielding her forehead with her hand. "Oh, is it raining again?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Autumn rain is unpredictable... Let's head back early, be careful not to catch a cold."

Ning Xiaoling nodded.

Ning Changjiu raised his sleeve to shield her head, and the little girl leaned closer to him.

On the city wall's tower, a small vermilion bird overlooked the ancient city. As it preened its wings, its eyes darted around, observing its surroundings. Upon seeing the young boy and girl in Taoist robes by the lake, it surprisingly spoke aloud to itself:

"Ugh, so annoying, so annoying, why are they all so tough? If this immortal lord, in his current state, really stirs up trouble, I'm afraid I'll be plucked bare."

"And today, another woman has arrived, one who doesn't know her own limits. If she truly is from that Celestial Sect..."

As it spoke, the vermilion bird shivered, remembering its own miserable fate.

"Anyway, His Highness's mission was just to cause trouble... I can just stir up some minor chaos and then leave, right?"

"If I had known back then that this wretched place hid such a monster, they could have knocked their heads raw, and I still wouldn't have come here to cause trouble."

The vermilion bird hopped restlessly on the tower's ridge, growing increasingly agitated.

Suddenly, a bell chimed behind it, and a new rain began to fall.

At that sound, the vermilion bird stiffened completely, as if it had heard a death knell.

"Never mind, I'm dead either way... if I can escape this time, I'll be completely free."

It blinked in despair, flapping its tiny wings, and leaped from the tower as if throwing itself from a building.

"Your Highness... you must keep your promise. Imperial City, this immortal lord is back!"

As the vermilion bird flapped its wings, its body grew larger and larger. It suddenly turned back from the rampart, crashing into the tower. Amidst a tremendous roar, the tower shattered. The now colossal vermilion strange bird spread its immensely long wings, and as spiritual energy surged, a crack tore across the city wall.

The turmoil in the imperial city began.

Soon, almost everyone in the imperial palace saw the blood-red colossal bird perched high on the city wall. Some elders recalled that historical event and screamed in terror.

"The Bloodfeather Monarch! It truly is the Bloodfeather Monarch! Has the palace's grand array been activated?"

"It's too late..."

"Quickly, go summon the Witch Lord!"