My Lady Always Lacks Ambition

Chapter 1295 - 1217: Little Ancestor, I Think You’re in Big Trouble

On New Year’s Eve of the thirty-second year of Kangwu, the fireworks did not ignite, but the funeral bell of the Emperor resounded, leaving the people dining in silence, exchanging glances, with fear etched on their faces.

The Saint has passed away.

Immediately, Shengjing was under martial law, all city gates heavily guarded, strictly forbidding entry or exit, while twenty miles from the gates, thirty thousand troops stood poised and ready.

Within Shengjing City, the Five Cities Military Department patrolled suspicious persons, while the Emperor’s Dragon Guard and the Dark Department thoroughly investigated foreign spies, countless carrier pigeons shot down from the night sky.

With the Emperor’s passing, transitions of power often lead to turmoil. Da Feng is undoubtedly a great nation, yet if during such transitions, foreign threats arise to bite off a piece, numerous conflicts would ensue.

These past years have been difficult for Da Feng, especially the last two, as disasters and turmoil, like giant boulders, have made progress exceedingly difficult.

Despite Da Feng’s lockdown, Qin Liuxi was unstoppable, receiving a transmission from Master Taicheng, she hurried to the ghost town he spoke of, located in the northernmost part of Shanxi, a town with over a thousand people. It was called a ghost town because the residents were all invaded by Yin Evil, resembling the walking dead.

The Stone Beasts here were harder to deal with than those encountered before. They stood within the Stone Cave, deliberately arranged into a grand formation, with the central axis of the formation being the Array Eye.

This formation was the Twelve Heavenly Traps and Earthly Sins, also a killing array.

The so-called Heavenly Net and Earthly Evil resembled a full encirclement, gathering Yin and refining evil. Anyone within the formation would be invaded by Yin Evil, and over time would become corpse ghosts, basically the walking dead.

This killing array is not only insidious. Forcefully breaking it would cause the Yin Evil within one’s body to instantly retaliate, extracting the soul and devouring the spirit, effectively turning them into unaware corpse ghosts.

With the soul gone, only an empty shell remains. Even if a new soul enters, it’s no longer the original person.

This is the terrifying aspect of the Heaven and Earth Evil Formation: breaking the array kills people.

Master Taicheng dared not bear this cause and effect lightly, nor could he break the array, and thus could only communicate with Qin Liuxi.

Qin Liuxi stood in the Void, gazing at the massive killing array below, her eyes icy.

The killing array’s Yin Evil aura was thick as ink, cold and eerie. The people within the array walked around like lost souls, foolishly.

"There’s one more thing." Master Taicheng’s face grew solemn, "The Stone Beasts here have newly inscribed spells, they don’t seem long inscribed, rather recently. I’ve entered the town and found the food is not very decomposed, and the chief’s home had a calendar showing the date of a fortnight ago."

Qin Liuxi glanced over, "So you’re saying, this array has been laid in the last fortnight?"

"That’s my guess," Master Taicheng said gravely, "It doesn’t resemble the ones we’ve destroyed recently; rather, it seems deliberately planned, with preparation. The Twelve Heavenly Traps and Earthly Sins killing array, I’ve only heard my master speak of it; no one among us could lay it, naturally due to my own cultivation level."

Qin Liuxi pressed her tongue against her palate, pondering lightly, "With preparation?"

She glanced thoughtfully at her left index finger, then turned to Master Taicheng, "Master, could you divine for me?"

Master Taicheng raised a brow, as if hearing something amusing, "You’re joking, my cultivation is inferior to yours; how can I divine for you?"

"Then could you try reading my features?"

Master Taicheng seemed puzzled, aren’t we discussing the killing array, why read features now?

He looked at Qin Liuxi, "Seriously read?"

Qin Liuxi nodded, "Don’t force yourself, if it’s too difficult, give up."

Master Taicheng quieted his mind, performing incantations, channeling Spiritual Power into his eyes, and gazed at Qin Liuxi’s face.

Yet as expected, he saw nothing.

She was like distant mountains, her face obscured by thick hazy fog, completely concealing her Life Chart.

Recalling Qin Liuxi’s earnestness, Master Taicheng switched spells, gradually clearing the fog, finally revealing her face, focusing on her facial features. Upon seeing a little detail, he felt sharp pain in his eyes, like his Divine Soul was being heavily hammered.

Master Taicheng instinctively withdrew, retreating a step, rested his eyes, then opened them again.

"How is it?"

Master Taicheng frowned, "I foresee misfortune befalling you, bloodshed ahead."

Qin Liuxi chuckled.

Master Taicheng dryly added, "Perhaps I misread, just glanced, couldn’t inspect thoroughly."

"No problem, let’s go check those Stone Beasts in the Stone Cave."

Master Taicheng watched her leave on those words, somewhat puzzled, slightly bewildered.

He led Qin Liuxi before the two Stone Beasts in the Stone Cave, ferocious White Tigers, quite ancient yet just as Master Taicheng said, the talisman on the White Tigers’ bodies was very new, but those talismans?

Qin Liuxi touched the talisman one by one, "These aren’t entirely evil charms."

Master Taicheng was startled, approached, inspecting the talisman, "How could this be?"

Qin Liuxi stepped back, surveyed the positions of the Stone Cave and the two Stone Beasts, then observed the formation, "This is the Netherworld Ghost Summoning Spell, but mixed with evil spells, using Yin Evil as incense, people as offerings, summoning evil ghosts."

"Isn’t this the Heaven and Earth Evil Formation?"

"It is," Qin Liuxi narrowed her eyes, "So those within the array are offerings."

"What kind of evil ghost is summoned, is there someone more wicked?" Master Taicheng frowned.

Qin Liuxi turned, facing the Stone Cave, "This seems designed for me, a trap to draw me in."

"Huh?"

She placed her hand on the Stone Cave, a thread of sinister Yin Evil emanated from the cave, swift and aggressive. Instantly, she activated Telekinesis, suppressing the aura back.

A rumbling sound.

The Stone Cave shook.

Master Taicheng startled, "There’s something inside."

Qin Liuxi turned to look at the massive array, the cloying Yin Evil aura surged, along with townsfolk who lost their true nature.

"Master, guard here a bit. If something emerges, don’t call me, just deal with it!" Qin Liuxi said before darting towards the town’s central axis.

Master Taicheng, "I..."

What do I, she’s gone.

No, what exactly is inside, dear ancestor, can you explain before running?

Another muffled crash.

The Stone Cave trembled, as if something inside was about to burst forth, rocks cascaded down, snow collapsed.

Master Taicheng swiftly flew aside, avoiding the avalanche, nearly buried.

He vigilantly focused on the Stone Cave, brow furrowed in concern. Could this be where it ends today?