Chapter 146 — A Vicious Scheme

Mingwang nodded with a smile, a flicker passing through his eyes, and said, "Since the Daoist and I are now one family, I shall take the liberty of asking: among the Poison God's disciples, who has the best hope of inheriting the sect master's seat?"

Cang Song pondered for a long while. "Though the sect's great experts each stand in opposition, in my view it is still Qin Wujiu who in the end has the greatest chance. Young as he is, his mind runs deep, and he has received the Poison God's true transmission—he is not to be underestimated. Only, several months ago in the Dead Marsh to the west he was wounded by Mingli. They say the blood-devouring bead's demonic power is strange and matchless, seeping deep into the bone and marrow, and he has not yet recovered. That is why his several senior brothers were able to rise to the occasion; otherwise, with his ability, those good-for-nothing seniors would be far from his match."

Mingwang was startled. Though Mingli's ambush of Qin Wujiu had also taken place in the Dead Marsh, Mingli had disclosed nothing of it abroad, and he himself had known nothing; now, hearing Cangyan Daoren suddenly speak of it, he could not keep Mingli's figure from flitting across his mind, and the light in his eyes deepened.

So fierce was his gaze that even Cangyan Daoren was startled, saying in astonishment, "Sect Master, what is it?"

Mingwang came to himself, let out a breath, and smiled. "Nothing—only that I did not expect this Mingli whom I cultivated has now truly grown into a great instrument. It gladdens my heart."

Cangyan Daoren glanced at him, his expression unchanged, and said nothing more; but in his own heart there rose at once the image of Zhang Qingyue upon that peak of Canglan ten years ago, and thinking of Mingwang's expression just now, he could not help sneering inwardly.

Fox Qi Mountain, the main hall of the Mingwang Sect.

Descending from the sky, that demonic staff glimmering with green light flew silently back into the sleeve; Mingli's figure once again appeared before the entrance of the Mingwang Sect's main hall.

The few Mingwang Sect disciples guarding the gate started in fright, then hurriedly stepped aside, calling out one after another, "Vice Sect Master."

Mingli said nothing; his face expressionless, he walked straight in. Little Gray perched on his shoulder, looking this way and that as was its wont—though after a moment it drew its gaze back, for this place, too, was far too familiar to it.

Mingli walked slowly back to his own room and pushed open the stone door. Everything in the room was exactly as it had been before he left; it seemed no one had touched a thing. He stood in the room a long while, as though thinking of something, and in his face there appeared a rare trace of hesitation and fear. Little Gray leaped down from his shoulder, bounded twice or thrice onto the bed, and went off to amuse itself.

Mingli pressed his lips tightly together, then suddenly sighed, as though he had come to some resolve; turning, he went out and made his way toward the icy stone chamber deep within the mountain's belly.

Along the way he encountered many Mingwang Sect disciples, but toward this vice sect master who had vanished so long and now suddenly reappeared, every one of them without exception lowered his head and walked on; in their eyes, it seemed, the farther they kept from this man the better. Mingli, plainly, paid no attention to their manner, only walking silently on. His room was not far from the icy stone chamber, and he soon arrived before it—and thus saw the figure standing outside the chamber.

Yousi.

A thought suddenly flitted through Mingli's mind: how was it that every time he came to see Bili, Yousi seemed to be standing outside this stone chamber? It seemed she truly held deep feeling for Bili...

As he was thinking this, Yousi seemed to hear his footsteps too; she raised her head, and as though she had not expected Mingli to appear so suddenly, her body gave a slight start.

Mingli nodded silently to her, by way of greeting, then passed by her side and walked toward the door of the icy stone chamber.

Beneath the black veil, Yousi was silent.

Just as Mingli was about to reach out and push open the stone door, he suddenly stopped, turned to look at Yousi, and said, "You..."

He seldom spoke with Yousi, and now for a moment he did not know how to address her.

Yousi said coolly, "Whatever Bili calls me, you call me the same."

Mingli fell silent, as though something had been stirred in his heart again; for a moment there was a certain quiet between the two, but at last it was Mingli who spoke: "Aunt You, when I left last time, I asked the Azure Dragon Holy Envoy to carry the Great Wizard's ashes back to the southern border..."

Yousi's black veil dipped twice; she said in a low voice, "Rest assured, my brother has already delivered them. Only, for some reason, he has sent no word back to this day." At this, though Yousi's expression could not be seen, her voice still faintly betrayed a rare anxiety: "The southern border has lately been overrun by beast demons. Though my brother's cultivation is profound, but—but I do not know why he has still not returned."

Mingli frowned, was silent a moment, and said, "Rest easy as well. The Azure Dragon Holy Envoy's cultivation is formidable; those beast demons cannot harm him." He paused. "Then I will go in."

Yousi nodded silently and said no more.

"Rumble."

The heavy stone door gave out a low sound, sliding open and then shut behind him; Mingli once again stood within the icy stone chamber, gazing silently at that serene and beautiful figure.

Threads of white vapor rose lightly from the ice, drifting in wisp after wisp through the air, wandering slowly, giving one a faint sense of unreality. On the smooth floor the traces of that soul-summoning rite of old—that heart-shaking witchcraft—could still vaguely be seen; the dim, dark red color now seemed to have quietly melted into the stone itself.

Mingli's lips, for some reason, began to tremble slightly. Slowly, step by step, he walked over, treading across the fading red traces, passing through the pale white smoke, until Bili's serene countenance appeared before his eyes.

As though it had never changed—seen thus, she was still, faintly, the beautiful maiden he had first met ten years ago...

Mingli's body shook harder still. Before Bili's stone platform he bent lower, bit by bit, and within the stone chamber there rose faintly the sound of choking sobs that he strove desperately to suppress and yet could not.

Suddenly Mingli's body swayed; with his back hand he struck himself a ringing slap across the face. The loud sound of palm meeting cheek echoed at once through the stone chamber—a man's pain and remorse, it seemed, could only be vented a little in this way.

"Forgive me, Bili, forgive me..." that low voice, desperately stifling itself, said so softly, over and over.

How long passed, none could say; the stillness of the stone chamber was broken once more—the stone door had been opened. Mingwang, his hair all silver, walked slowly in and stood behind Mingli. Mingli's body, bent low beside Bili, stirred; slowly he rose, then turned and looked back.

The eyes of the two men met, and both were startled: what Mingli saw was Mingwang's head of white hair, and what Mingwang saw was the mark of five fingers slowly surfacing on Mingli's face.

"You have returned." Mingwang's voice sounded somewhat strange—flat, with a faint note of comfort, and yet another indescribable sense of oddness besides.

Mingli nodded silently. Mingwang was plainly long accustomed to Mingli's temperament and did not mind; he said, "Come with me a moment. There is an old acquaintance I think you should see—and soon there will be a great matter in our Mingwang Sect."