Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Michyrr

Countless strands of Qi arose from the ruins of the Myriad Willows Garden and the scattered graves.

These strands of Qi were very faint, yet they also carried a chill that could seep into the bones. It was different from the Qi of demon experts, and also different from the Qi of Black Frost Dragons, seeming both more sinister and foul.

The experts from the successive generations of the Zhu clan buried in this tomb were mostly upper level Star Condensation experts. Its two Divine Domain experts, one of them being Zhu Luo, only had cenotaphs, but they had still left behind a few shards of their souls. As for that sinister and foul feeling, it came from the poisons formed on the corpses and bones as they decayed.

Even the starlight seemed to dim for a moment.

These strands of Qi gradually congregated around that short, hunchbacked man, drawn into a jade bottle placed in front of him by the divine power he was releasing.

To use the most traditional of divine arts to collect the most sinister and foul of corpse poisons—such a feat could not even be found in the records stored within the Li Palace, as this sort of method was far too ancient. Only a few places might have continued to pass it down, such as a few of the sects belonging to the southern Orthodoxy faction, Holy Maiden Peak or the Longevity Sect...

And if an important member of the Tang clan were present, they might be able to recognize that the great array that was the capital’s Imperial Design shared a few aspects with it.

As time went on, this sinister Qi grew fainter and fainter, all of it being drawn into the small jade bottle.

The hunchbacked dwarf opened his eyes. As he gazed at the jade bottle, his eyes shone with greed and excitement.

He carefully brought the bottle up to his nose and sniffed. It clearly exuded no fragrance, yet he seemed to become intoxicated.

The small jade bottle was half full of some sort of clear liquid akin to water. However, it was also much more viscous, making it seem like some type of honey.

Fish dew and pine resin were both dews produced after death, as was the liquid in the bottle: the dew of the Yellow Springs.

The night deepened and the starlight regained its brilliance. The tomb outside the Myriad Willows Garden was returned to its former appearance—no one would able to tell that this place had once been excavated. Similarly, no one would know that the souls and corpse poisons of the experts of the Zhu clan had been gathered up through an inconceivable method.

The hunchbacked dwarf returned to that inn called the Willow Lodge.

He was already short, and as he was also bending his body, lowering his head, and wearing a black hat low over his head, it was simply impossible to see his face.

After leaving the sect, he had lived and traveled in the wilderness, very rarely meeting others, as he had an inferiority complex.

Over the past few days, he had learned about this way of dressing himself up, making him somewhat more content.

He had learned it from that important demon figure he had seen that night on the snowy plains.

He entered the inn through a side door and made his way to the kitchen in the back. Like a dog, he squatted by the window, looking at the sky over the courtyard wall, awaiting the morning light.

The cutting of onions and the reprimands of the chef came from the window and then were covered in fog.

He rose and entered the kitchen. He examined the labels placed on the lunchboxes and found his target. Taking out the jade bottle, he dripped a few drops onto the plate.

Today, the Willow Lodge was serving Hanqiu City’s famous jade tofu for breakfast. The drops of liquid from the jade bottle atop it looked just like honey, making the food seem even more appetizing.

The lunchboxes were very quickly brought out of the kitchen and delivered to their corresponding rooms so that the guests would be in a good mood after waking.

The hunchbacked man returned to his position squatting down outside the window. As he saw the sky brighten and thought about what was about to happen in a short while, his eyes squinted in delight.

And yet, nothing happened whatsoever.

The morning sun had already leaped over the horizon and had even risen over the short wall in front of him, yet the inn remained peaceful. He could hear the sounds of washing, chatting, and even the clinking of money in the waiter’s pocket. The only thing he could not hear was the sound of the hearts of that pair coming to a stop.

The warm rays of the morning shone upon his ugly face and his seemingly rust-covered pupils constricted into tiny grains.

He once more returned to the kitchen. Seeing the lunchbox carried by the waiter, he confirmed that the jade tofu on the plate had been completely eaten.

He very slowly tilted his head, very confused. He scooted up and sniffed the remaining liquid on the plate, confirming that there was no smell.

For some reason, the waiter bizarrely did not appear to see him.

He muttered to himself, "They didn’t die? How can this be?"

The waiter suddenly heard a voice come out of the air beside him and was given a fright, almost crying out.

The reason he did not cry was that a hand covered in black fur and scales had suddenly shot out of the air and clasped his throat.

The hunchbacked dwarf revealed himself and looked impassively upon the waiter, his eyes containing no human emotion.

The waiter had never seen something so ugly and evil. He struggled in fear, but was unable to escape.

The hunchback thought, then very carefully dripped a single drop of the liquid in the jade bottle onto the waiter’s face.

The waiter’s body instantly went rigid, ceasing to struggle. A black spot appeared on his face that rapidly spread over his entire body.

In a very brief span of time, a living human had become a lifeless, pitch-black sculpture: dead.

The hunchbacked dwarf observed the waiter’s transformation and thought to himself, there’s no problem! His face scrunched together, making him seem terribly vexed.

A slightly chilly morning wind blew in from the window, scattering the remaining fog in the kitchen and blowing the waiter’s corpse into innumerable wisps of black smoke.

In the light of the morning sun, this black smoke quickly turned transparent and impossible to see.

......

......

Nanke had already finished packing.

Chen Changsheng stood by the window. Under the morning sun, Hanqiu City finally seem to be a little livelier.

But soon after, he felt the passing of a life.

He did not know where this feeling came from and why he could suddenly feel it.

Countless living beings dwelled in this word. At every moment, lives were being born and passing away.

That he could sense it meant that the passing of this life was related to him.

He looked away from the window and towards Nanke.

Nanke just so happened to be raising her head, and their gazes met in the air. Both of them saw the wariness in each other’s minds.

Nanke’s gaze moved once more, in the end resting on the floorboards in front of her.

Through the floorboards, on the first floor, in a room on the right-hand side.

With a thought from Chen Changsheng, countless sword glows appeared in the room.

The morning light coming in from the window instantly lost its color and brilliance.

Countless sword intents swiftly and forcefully descended. In a flash, the wooden floorboards had quietly vanished, transformed into motes of dust in the morning light.

Chen Changsheng and Nanke landed on the ground.

Just as their feet touched the ground, the stone wall in front of them began to crumble away, dispersing into the surroundings as the finest powder.

The wall disappeared, revealing the scene behind it.

Chopped onions were still resting on the chopping board, and steam was still billowing out of the iron pot underneath the steaming tray.

It was obvious that this was a kitchen.

In the center of the kitchen stood a freak.