Chapter 63 — The Ghost King

Leaving aside for the moment Zhang Qingyue's start of surprise at suddenly catching sight of Bili, the whole crowd of Demonic sect adherents who had been making such a clamor a moment before fell silent the instant Bili appeared, as though they stood in considerable awe of her. Even the Wild Wolf Daoist, who looked as though he feared neither heaven nor earth, had now fallen quiet.

For a time, no one dared speak to her at all. But after a moment, someone was heard to cough softly twice, and then say slowly: "Miss Bili, I have a few words to say. I do not know whether I ought to speak them or not."

Zhang Qingyue looked over and saw that the speaker was none other than the unfamiliar young man who stood with Elder Nian and the others. At that moment Elder Nian and his companions wore expressions of astonishment as well, as though they too had not expected this young man to speak up so suddenly.

Elder Nian knit his brows and said to the young man in a low voice: "Little Zhou, what business have you to speak here?"

Bili glanced at the young man, and seemed not to know him either. She said to Elder Nian: "Who is he?"

Elder Nian hastily put on a smiling face and said: "He is a man newly taken in by our Blood Refining Hall. His surname is Zhou, his given name Cai."

Bili gave a cold snort. "Fine. Let him speak."

The young man called Little Zhou showed no sign of stage fright. He stepped forward and said calmly: "Miss Bili, everyone here knows that you are the Ghost King's only beloved daughter, and so we all hold you in respect. And when the Ghost King summoned us to come and seek the Kui Ox, we of course counted it our duty not to decline. Only—" He paused, and a faint, mild smile appeared on his face, but his words gradually grew colder: "Only now the Kui Ox cannot be found, and the adherents of the righteous path grow more numerous by the day. I hear that even two of the Canglan Sect's Seven Great Seats have come. We are even less a match for them. In such a situation, the Ghost King Sect still leaves us toiling blindly here without a word of explanation. I fear some of our fellow adherents must ask: does the Ghost King Sect mean to borrow the righteous path's hand to rid itself of us instead?"

The crowd broke into an uproar. Several men beside Bili sprang to their feet—by the look of them, they were almost certainly of the Ghost King Sect among the Demonic sect. Yet apart from those few of the Ghost King Sect, not one of the other Demonic adherents, after their first astonishment, accused the young man. Instead, every one of them turned their eyes toward Bili, wariness on their faces, and the low murmur of discussion rose on every side.

Zhang Qingyue could not help feeling some concern for Bili, and at the same time thought to himself: how could this young man surnamed Zhou speak in such a way? They are all of the Demonic sect, and there are so many factions among them—could it be that the Ghost King Sect ordinarily...

He was still turning this over when Bili's cold voice came from the midst of the gathering: "Who exactly are you, to dare stir up dissension here?"

Little Zhou smiled faintly. Facing this beautiful woman of such high station, he showed not the slightest fear, and said mildly: "I am only a nameless junior. I joined because I admired the Holy Sect. Compared with Miss Bili, I am as heaven to earth. Only, now the righteous path watches us like a tiger, eager to kill us and be done with it, and the Ghost King Sect is one of the four great factions of our sect. Here and now, it is our leader—yet it sets us in a place of peril and pays us no heed. I fear that is hard to justify."

By now even Zhang Qingyue could sense that although this Little Zhou spoke gently, every sentence was aimed at the Ghost King Sect, and the intent to sow discord could not have been plainer. He only did not know what the man's true purpose was. But judging by Elder Nian's and the others' astonished looks, it did not appear that he had been put up to it by the Blood Refining Hall faction.

By this time the other Demonic adherents in the gathering were even more agitated, their voices gradually rising. Facing the Ghost King Sect's people, hostility was slowly showing on their faces. Bili frowned slightly, stepped back, and turned to exchange a few quick, low words with those behind her.

Looking from afar, Zhang Qingyue saw only the burning torches, which did not give much light. Beside Bili stood a tall man, and behind that tall man there seemed to be a middle-aged man as well—only the place where he stood was very dim, and blocked by the tall man in front, so his face could not be clearly seen.

Bili exchanged a few words with that man, then turned back, stepped forward, and coldly swept her gaze around the assembly.

Her beautiful face was like frost, like snow; in the dim yellow light of the burning torches there was a faint, desolate, bleak beauty about her.

The voices around them swiftly died down, and every eye came to rest upon her.

"Fellow adherents—" Her voice echoed through the cave: "The Ghost King Sect is like the rest of you, all disciples of the Holy Sect. We too believe in the Holy Mother of the Dark and the Heaven-Slaying Bright King. A thing so contrary to the teachings of the sect—even if the Ghost King Sect were ten times as powerful, we would not dare do it. Rest your minds at ease."

At these words, the faces of most of the Demonic adherents present relaxed. Elder Nian let out a long breath, hurried forward, caught hold of Little Zhou, and whispered: "Have you not said enough?"

Little Zhou turned his head and smiled at Elder Nian, then suddenly said in a clear voice: "In that case, we may set our minds somewhat at ease. Only, Miss Bili, I beg you also to explain the matter of the Kui Ox. If the Kui Ox truly cannot be found, it would be well to let us leave earlier. Otherwise, even if the Ghost King Sect means us no harm, we shall all die at the hands of the righteous path!"

Bili and the others of the Ghost King Sect fixed their eyes on this Little Zhou almost at once, but Little Zhou, as though unaware of what a great trouble he had brought on himself, simply stood there smiling. Yet the several dozen Demonic adherents around him all cried out at once.

"He is right!"

"Just so—Miss Bili, give us an answer!"

"..."

Only when the voices around them had gradually quieted did Bili take her eyes from Little Zhou. She knew this was no time to quibble over trifles. "Whether he speaks or not, our Ghost King Sect owes everyone an explanation. The truth is, our coming to Flowing Waves Mountain in the Eastern Sea was for no other purpose than—"

"Rumble—"

The whole vast cave seemed suddenly to shake. Zhang Qingyue and Tian Lingsu, deep within the cave, nearly stumbled, and the Demonic adherents in the gathering were even more startled. Someone cried out at once.

"What was that?"

"Is it an earthquake?"

But soon they had their answer. From outside the cave came a howling wind, like thunder in the ears, and a deep, powerful voice pierced the long cavern and came in to them: "Villains of the Demonic sect, come out quickly and meet your deaths!"

The crowd exchanged fearful glances, but Zhang Qingyue and Tian Lingsu looked at each other with joy on their faces. The instant they heard it, they recognized the voice of Daoist Cangyan of the Dragon Peak Seat.

Zhang Qingyue was filled with admiration. From outside the cave to this place was still a very long distance, and yet not only was Daoist Cangyan's voice perfectly clear, it made the surrounding rock walls thrum faintly. Such cultivation and attainment were truly extraordinary—far beyond his own reach.

The Demonic adherents looked at one another, and before long someone cried out in alarm: "This place is so well hidden—how could those righteous-path people have found it?"