Chapter 150 — Frenzy

Mount Huqi, the seat of the Nether King Sect's main hall.

"Chee-chee, chee-chee!" Little Grey's familiar cry rang out in the deep, dark passage, and out of the shadows came the figure of Mingli. On his shoulder, Little Grey took a few swigs from the large wine sack, then cleverly tied its mouth shut and let it hang down. The sack had a long, thin cord on it, fastened around the monkey like a harness, so there was no fear of it falling.

Mingli walked forward without expression, heading in the direction of the ice-cold stone chamber where Bili lay. Little Grey seemed a little sleepy, lying on his shoulder and yawning. The wilds of Mount Huqi were barren, with few wild fruits to be had; since returning here, Little Grey had spent most of his time sneaking into the Nether King Sect's cellars for a bit of wine, and after several days without seeing him, he seemed to have grown a little fatter.

Mingli walked slowly, and along the way he rarely encountered ordinary disciples of the Nether King Sect. He frowned slightly. In recent days many disciples had been assembled, and several days ago the Nether King himself had led them out of the mountain. As for where they had gone, he did not know; and strangely, though this seemed a matter of great importance, he, the vice sect master, had not been told, while Yousi and Mr. Gui, who had followed the Nether King for many years, along with Daoist Cangyan, who had only just joined the sect, and many other capable figures of the Nether King Sect whom he knew, had all remained at Mount Huqi.

Where exactly was the Nether King leading this host—numerous in number, yet less than half the sect's true strength—so mysteriously? Mingli was somewhat puzzled. But Mr. Gui, Yousi, and the others had kept silent, and naturally Mingli would not ask too many questions. Moreover, what concerned him most was not where the Nether King was going or how grave the matter was; in his eyes, Bili had always come first.

And now he had soon arrived before the ice-cold stone chamber.

There was no one at the door, nor was Yousi here. The place where this mysterious woman was most often seen was the ice-cold stone chamber, but lately the atmosphere within the Nether King Sect had seemed somewhat amiss, and her visits here had grown fewer.

Mingli stood at the door a while, steadied himself, then pushed the door open and went in. The moment he entered, he saw a slender figure in white standing beside Bili. Mingli started; at first he thought it was Yousi, but then he realized that Yousi always wore black, and this was not her. Sure enough, when the woman ahead heard the stone door and turned to look, her face was not veiled in black gauze.

It was Xiaobai.

Mingli was somewhat surprised. Ever since the Great Wizard's "Soul-Summoning Invocation" had failed, he had left Mount Huqi in his grief, and since returning he had not seen Xiaobai again. Though from the glimpses of the Nether King meeting with Xiaobai in those days he had gathered that the two were old acquaintances, he had no intention of inquiring into the matter.

Now, seeing Mingli, Xiaobai's face likewise showed a flicker of surprise, and then she revealed a faint smile. "So it's you," she said.

After all, Mingli had once had some acquaintance with Xiaobai, and she had given him guidance in the matter of saving Bili, so he still felt a measure of gratitude. He nodded and said, "Hello." At this, the monkey Little Grey on his shoulder also chirped cheerfully at Xiaobai twice.

Xiaobai smiled at Little Grey, then looked at Mingli. "You've come to see Bili?" she asked.

Mingli walked slowly forward. Bili's beautiful, serene face appeared before him once more, and his voice gradually sank low. "Yes," he said.

Xiaobai watched quietly as the man sat down beside Bili, then gazed at the body lying on the ice-cold stone platform without moving. She gave a soft sigh, shook her head, and slipped noiselessly out, leaving Mingli alone in the stone chamber with Bili.

How much time passed, no one could say, before the heavy stone door opened once more and Mingli slowly emerged from the ice-cold stone chamber, looking somewhat more haggard than before. He had taken only a few steps from the chamber when he suddenly stopped. In the passage not far outside the chamber, the white figure of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox still waited patiently.

Xiaobai looked at him and sighed. "Seeing Bili like that must be very hard for you," she said. "It truly is a burden you bear."

Mingli shook his head woodenly. "I'm fine," he said.

Xiaobai walked to his side and patted his shoulder. "Don't lose heart," she said softly. "There is always hope."

Mingli's body gave a jolt; he turned to look at her, his mouth slightly open. But seeing his expression, Xiaobai had already forestalled him with a bitter smile. "Don't ask me," she said. "I don't know what to do either."

Mingli's face darkened at once. He turned away silently and was about to step forward when suddenly there was a buzz in his head, and he felt the world spin around him. In an instant his whole body turned ice-cold, and a frigid breath surged up violently through the meridians within him. Mingli was profoundly alarmed; the icy breath running riot in his body was the strange power of the Blood-Devouring Bead, with which he was all too familiar. But in the past—especially after he had cultivated the true methods of the three volumes of the Heavenly Book and his cultivation had advanced greatly—this icy breath had gradually been brought under his control and no longer stirred. He could not understand why today it should suddenly erupt like this.

Within moments, beneath Xiaobai's astonished gaze, the blood drained entirely from Mingli's face, which looked as though it had been coated in frost. Moreover, within a radius of three feet around his body, he was gradually enveloped in a bizarre dark green glow emanating from his flesh, within which there lurked a faint, ferocious taste of blood-devouring.

Xiaobai's expression changed. She reached out at once to steady Mingli, but the moment her hand touched that dark green radiance, she felt a devouring demonic force rush at her from the strange light. Frowning deeply, Xiaobai retreated three steps in succession before she evaded the force. Meanwhile Little Grey, who had been lying on Mingli's shoulder, had already sensed that something was wrong and leaped clear of him early, landing behind Xiaobai, his three eyes wide as he stared blankly at his master.

Pain spread across Mingli's face. His sleeve suddenly stirred, an icy breath flashed, and the Soul-Devouring Demon Staff slid out—yet it did not fall to the ground, but floated before him, slowly rotating, as though gazing with a strange, cold eye upon the man who had possessed it for so many years.

The flickering dark green radiance pulsed erratically, and the air was thick with an uncanny atmosphere. Xiaobai's face was pale, her brows tightly knit. But this blood-devouring demonic force was emanating from within Mingli's own body; even if she wished to help him and dispel this sudden demonic power, its root lay within Mingli himself—how could she strike at it? For a moment, Xiaobai too was at a loss.

Just as Mingli's face grew paler and paler, until he seemed scarcely able to breathe, a warm, pure-yang red light suddenly shot from his chest, at once holding back much of the yin-cold demonic force. Mingli's expression shifted; he forced himself to sit, and in an instant golden and azure light flickered across his face together. As the two great true methods of the Orthodox path within him were urged forth at once, the pure-yang fire of the "Mystic Fire Mirror" blazed ever stronger, gradually suppressing this yin-cold breath. But by the time Mingli had fully recovered, half an hour had passed.

By now Mingli was drenched all over, and when he opened his eyes, what he saw was Xiaobai's anxious gaze.