Chapter 253 — The Offering
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 4 of 5
That said, he rose and looked up into the distance. Upon the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron the red shadow was now more than half substantial and on the verge of manifesting fully—its whole body red as fresh blood, though its head was still shrouded in a mass of blood-essence, indistinct. Ming Li frowned; unwilling to tarry here any longer, he turned to leave—when of a sudden something stirred in his heart, and his steps faltered once more.
In that instant, a thought had abruptly risen in his mind—like an irresistible temptation.
He turned his body and looked again at the corpse of the already-dead Ghost Master. Upon that black figure the black veil still covered the face. Ming Li stared at the veil for a moment, and suddenly felt a powerful urge to lift it and see just what sort of face lay beneath.
But after a moment, he at last abandoned the thought, turned, and left.
When Ming Li left the blood-pool cavern, Xiao Hui, perched on his shoulder, was still whimpering softly. Ming Li said nothing. Though he felt some reluctance over the four spirit beasts in the blood pool, the place behind him now was truly the most dangerous deathtrap in all the world. Even with his present cultivation, Ming Li knew in his heart that against that terrifying, dreadful, mysterious power, he had not the slightest chance of victory.
The stone walls and the ground all around were still trembling. Though he knew Bi Li had the Ghost King himself to guard her and that nothing should go amiss, Ming Li still felt a measure of anxiety. This was a calamity such as had never been seen before, and plainly the strange formation the Ghost King had laid out was showing every sign of slipping beyond control. Ghost Gentleman, at the very least, was the best proof of that.
No matter what—even if the Ghost King opposed it—he should take Bi Li and leave this place first.
Mount Foxqi was far too dangerous now.
With this settled in his mind, Ming Li quickened his pace and swept back the way he had come. In an instant he reached the fork where two passage entrances met. He was just about to dart into the cave mouth he had entered by when his body suddenly froze. He had caught sight of a red light flashing deep within what should have been a pitch-black cave passage—and that red light was speeding toward him.
Something stirred in Ming Li's heart. Without quite knowing why, as if by pure instinct, he twisted his body and slipped into the other passage. He hid himself in a dark corner with his back against the wall, held his breath, and quietly gathered Xiao Hui from his shoulder into his arms, covering its mouth with his hand.
Xiao Hui had long since become attuned to such things. As though it understood something, it fell silent at once and lay motionless in Ming Li's arms.
The passage sank into stillness, but that silence did not last long. After a moment, a sudden rushing howl came from that other passage, mingled with heavy gasping breaths. Somehow, it sounded more like a wild beast than a man.
"Pa!"
A tall figure shot out of the passage and landed on the ground. Seen from behind, that silhouette was unmistakably the Ghost King's—and yet the man before him now was utterly different from the usual Ghost King. His clothes had somehow become tattered, and his limbs and torso seemed, strangely, a size larger than before.
Low, crackling pops kept sounding from the Ghost King's body. What they were, no one could say, but an extremely familiar smell drifted plainly from him.
The thick stench of blood!
From his dark corner, Ming Li watched that figure coldly.
The Ghost King did not linger long where he stood. After landing, he glanced briefly around, then strode off toward the red glow at the far end of the platform. He walked fast, urgently, as though something he desperately craved awaited him ahead—so urgently that he did not even closely examine the strange bloodstains on the ground around him.