Chapter 146 — A Vicious Scheme

Daoist Cangyan's face was indifferent, but his eyes suddenly grew complicated. He sighed and said, "I have. But only to gaze at it from afar, a few glances at most. And you?"

Mingli rose slowly to his feet; the corner of his mouth twitched, and he said, "I have too. The mountains and waters there have not changed from ten years ago. Only the people have changed."

Daoist Cangyan gave a faint smile, though within it was unspeakable bitterness, and said in a low voice, "Yes! Only people change..."

Mingli turned and walked out. Just as he passed through the door, he heard behind him Daoist Cangyan, still seated in his place, softly and faintly murmuring: "Qingyun... Qingyun... heh, Qingyun..."

The next moment he left that stone chamber and did not look back again.

On the bridge above the blood pool, amid the thick stench of blood, the Ghost King and Mr. Ghost, having walked back here, looked side by side into the bloody water. The Yellow Bird and the Kui Ox still lay there in the blood, listless as before, while overhead the Coiling Dragon Cauldron turned slowly, from time to time casting forth red radiance.

The Ghost King said mildly, "These two spirit beasts are about done, are they not?"

Mr. Ghost nodded beside him and said, "Yes. The essence and spiritual power of both the Yellow Bird and the Kui Ox have been suppressed by the Coiling Dragon Cauldron; they are fully subdued now. It seems the inscription on the cauldron concerning the 'Four Spirits Blood Array' is indeed genuine."

The Ghost King nodded and said, "The Coiling Dragon Cauldron is an ancient relic of uncommon spiritual power. Even two such spirit creatures as these have been subdued by it. Once we subdue the other two spirit beasts, the great work can be accomplished."

Mr. Ghost hesitated a moment, then said, "Sect Master, regarding that stratagem of Daoist Cangyan's—do you think the man can be trusted?"

A strange light flashed in the Ghost King's eyes. He smiled slightly and said, "Cangsong is long since no longer the Cangsong of ten years ago. Though the world is vast, today only our Holy Cult can shelter him. And as for his stratagem, it amounts to no more than the deaths of a few more ordinary disciples—nothing of consequence."

Mr. Ghost's black veil stirred lightly. He suddenly said, "In that case, I have another thought—one that might let you, Sect Master, deal with the Enchanting Soul Sect as well while you are about the Ten Thousand Poison Sect."

The Ghost King was startled, delight on his face, and said, "What? Such a thing is possible? Pray instruct me, sir."

Mr. Ghost inclined himself slightly and said, "I would not presume. My meaning is this: since you do not mind the deaths of a few more ordinary disciples, then let us carry the matter through to the end. After luring the beasts and demons into a bloody clash with the Ten Thousand Poison Sect, you, Sect Master, send a letter in the name of the Ghost King Sect to Lady Sanmiao of the Enchanting Soul Sect, saying that as fellow disciples of the Holy Cult we truly cannot stand by and watch them die; that the beasts and demons run wild, killing all they see without regard for right or wrong; and that if this continues, our Holy Cult too shall be imperiled. Better, then, that the three factions join forces and make a fight of it, that we might stand some chance of victory."

The Ghost King frowned and said, "Pleasant words enough—but Lady Sanmiao is a cunning sort. I fear she will not believe it."

Mr. Ghost said calmly, "Words alone, with no deeds to back them, and of course she will not believe."

The Ghost King started and said, "You mean..."

Mr. Ghost said, "If more than half the disciples of the Ghost King Sect were slain in battle, corpses strewn across the fields—would she still not believe?"

The Ghost King was dumbstruck and for a long time could not speak. At length he frowned and said, "Your meaning, sir, is that we are to abandon more than half the disciples of the Ghost King Sect?"

Mr. Ghost's face was hidden behind his black veil, so his expression could not be seen. His voice was flat, as though when speaking of all these lives he felt not the slightest ripple of emotion: "Sect Master, if you would accomplish a great work, why should you care about the lives of these people?"

The Ghost King could not help but struggle inwardly; the lust for power and that faint trace of unwillingness in his heart warred back and forth, and the smell of blood in the air seemed to grow heavier.

Mr. Ghost stood silently to one side, waiting patiently. After a long while the keen light in the Ghost King's eyes gradually brightened, and a faint flush seemed to suffuse his face, as though the bloody air had seeped into him. He drew a deep breath, then of a sudden gave a long cry, and said decisively, "What you say is entirely right, sir. But how do we know Lady Sanmiao will not drop a stone down the well and turn to devour us instead?"

Mr. Ghost gave a cold chuckle and said, "Of course Lady Sanmiao is the sort to drop a stone down the well. Among the three great factions of the Demonic Cult, which one truly would draw a blade for a fellow disciple of the Holy Cult?"

The Ghost King was taken aback, then his eyes lit up and he blurted out, "Ah! You mean... a wondrous plan, a wondrous plan!" In his admiration he could not refrain from clapping his hands in applause and said, "Sir, you are truly a genius such as appears but once in an age, to have devised such an exquisite scheme."

Mr. Ghost said coolly, "We use these half of the Ghost King Sect's disciples as bait. You, Sect Master, lead them in person to fight the beasts and demons; when they are all but slain, the Enchanting Soul Sect will be certain that we, the Ten Thousand Poison Sect, and the beasts and demons have all been crippled. Then Lady Sanmiao will surely come with a great host to wipe out the survivors. At that moment you, Sect Master, with your divine powers, can naturally find a chance beforehand to slip away swiftly, and leave the rest to the beasts and demons. From the way those beasts and demons have swept all before them these days, I fear the Enchanting Soul Sect will find it very hard to avoid total annihilation."

The Ghost King nodded again and again, unable to contain his delight. Yet in this moment of excitement he could still keep a measure of calm, and suddenly turned and said, "But sir, this way our Ghost King Sect can indeed unify the Holy Cult—yet the Holy Cult will already be gravely weakened. If the beasts and demons should once more..."

Mr. Ghost shook his head and said, "Has Sect Master forgotten that our Holy Cult still has the Holy Hall in the wild northwest? Once we unify the Holy Cult, we need only take the remaining core of the Ghost King Sect to the wilds, and there consolidate the Cult's power. However rampant the beasts and demons, for a time they will still ravage the Central Plains and cannot pursue us into the wilds. And afterward, will it not be time for those righteous men of the Central Plains to be put to use?"

The Ghost King was at last wholly at ease; he let out a long breath and sighed, "Sir, you are truly a good teacher and friend bestowed on me by Heaven!"

Mr. Ghost smiled and said, "After that, those so-called righteous ones and the beasts and demons will fight, and whoever wins, both sides will surely have bitter suffering to endure. However rampant the beasts and demons, I observe that the righteous of the world gather at Qingyun. Surely Sect Master still remembers the might of Qingyun's 'Immortal-Slaying Sword Array' of ten years ago?"

The Ghost King nodded and said, "Indeed. Fearsome beyond words!"