Chapter 189 — Blood

The corner of Yun Yifeng's eye seemed to twitch slightly. "The formation here in the Mystic Fire Altar was laid out by our founder according to the records handed down in the 'Jade Register of Burning Incense,' and at the very end of that register, another of our founders left a line of commentary—a desperate measure devised for precisely the predicament we face now, with the Mystic Fire Mirror lost and the Mystic Fire Formation unable to start. It may prove workable."

Both Shangguan Lue and Li Xun behind him were taken aback, then greatly delighted. The "Jade Register of Burning Incense" was the supreme treasure of the Burning Dawn Valley, ever kept and studied only by the valley master himself. If Yun Yifeng spoke so, then surely some truly brilliant founder had indeed left behind a wondrous and extraordinary method.

Shangguan Lue said joyfully, "Senior Brother, what wondrous method did that founder describe?"

Yun Yifeng saw the excitement in both their faces, yet not the slightest joy showed on his own; on the contrary, his somberness only deepened. After a moment of silence, he said slowly, "At the end of the 'Jade Register of Burning Incense,' that founder wrote: The Mystic Fire Formation is born of the heaven-and-earth baleful aura; the Crimson Flame Beast is savage and violent, and the spirit borne by the carved formation diagrams is likewise a ferocious deity of the eight directions. Cross-referencing this with the ancient texts of the southern frontier, it follows that if it be sacrificed with the blood of the living, then the baleful aura will flourish and the deities will return to their places, the fierce beast will appear and the fire formation will be complete."

Shangguan Lue and Li Xun turned pale and stared at each other, for a time unable to utter a word.

It was a good while before Shangguan Lue barely recovered from his shock and doubt. He said hoarsely, "This—was this truly written by one of our own founders?"

Yun Yifeng snorted. "Shangguan, my junior brother, do you suspect me of borrowing the founder's name to commit such an evil deed?"

Shangguan Lue's expression changed again, and he hastily said, "I would not dare. It is only—only that this matter of a living blood sacrifice is plainly a dark-arts heresy. How—how could it appear in our sect's jade register?"

Yun Yifeng cut him off outright and said coldly, "You are right. This founder did write those words, but no one has ever attempted this method."

Shangguan Lue looked at the gaze Yun Yifeng turned upon him, and suddenly felt a chill run through his whole body. He could not help but take a step back, and from the corner of his eye he caught sight of Li Xun standing behind him—only to find that Li Xun's face too was ashen, indescribably grim.

"Senior Brother, could you—" Shangguan Lue seemed never to have spoken with such difficulty, "could you be planning to use this method?"

Yun Yifeng's brows lifted, majestic in his anger, and he sneered, "If not this method, then what? We have labored and built for several hundred years; the great work was in sight, and then so many mishaps arose—and now even the most important formation is destroyed. Would you have me watch countless years of heart's blood drain away to nothing?"

Shangguan Lue still seemed hesitant, and argued, "Senior Brother, the great work is of course paramount, but this method is truly too—"

Yun Yifeng coldly cut him off. "Shangguan, my junior brother, you cling so stubbornly—can it be that some remnant of the righteous path still lingers in your heart? All these many years, for the sake of this great work, the things you have done have hardly been those of the righteous path, have they?"

Shangguan Lue was instantly silenced.

Yun Yifeng's gaze was sharp, as though it would pierce into a man's very heart, and fixed upon Shangguan Lue, he said, "And another thing, Shangguan, my junior brother: in those days this Mystic Fire Altar was a place of great importance to our sect, and it was you who stood guard over it. Yet it was at your hands, was it not, that today's disastrous state came about? Do you understand that?"

Shangguan Lue's whole body shook violently, and he jerked his head up, only to meet Yun Yifeng's gaze, cold as ice, fixed on him like a blade. Shangguan Lue's face was agitated and his body trembled slightly, as though he had words to speak; yet somehow, beneath Yun Yifeng's gaze, he at last slowly shrank back. After a long while, his face fallen, he said in a low voice, "I understand."

Yun Yifeng nodded. "Since that is so, this matter shall still be handled under your direction. In addition—Xun'er," he turned his head toward Li Xun.

Li Xun's expression was strange at that moment; suddenly hearing his master's call, his whole body gave a start, and he hastily said, "Your disciple is here."

Yun Yifeng glanced at him. "You will follow your Uncle-Master Shangguan and learn well from him. In passing, lend him a hand as well."

Li Xun's face went white, and his voice, for some reason, suddenly grew hoarse; yet he still said in a low voice, "Yes."

Yun Yifeng cast one last look at the stone-carved images on the floor, frowned, turned, and without another backward glance walked out. Amid the creak of the heavy door, he left behind only Shangguan Lue and Li Xun, standing face to face in wooden silence.

For a long time not a word was spoken, and then the two of them too walked slowly out.

The Mystic Fire Altar sank once more into silence.

In midair, faint sounds arose, and two figures drifted lightly down from the top. Xiao Hui gave two chirps of "zhi zhi," hopped twice on the ground, and then ran off to one side to play. In the first few days it had seemed rather interested in those stone carvings on the floor, but after several days of the same thing, the monkey lost interest as well.

After Ming Li and Jin Pingyue landed on the ground and steadied themselves, for a time neither of them spoke. The air around them was still faintly cold, as if that strange aura which had risen from Yun Yifeng's body a moment ago had not yet dispersed.

After a long while, Jin Pingyue suddenly said, "That 'him' they were just talking about—what sort of person do you think he is?"

Ming Li glanced at her, and instead of answering asked, "What do you think?"

Jin Pingyue smiled faintly and said, "I am nine parts certain that they meant the Beast Lord. Only, from what they said just now, I cannot be sure whether they know where that Beast Lord is."

Ming Li nodded silently and said, "There is one other thing. The Eight Fiends Mystic Fire Formation is right here in this Mystic Fire Altar, and from the sound of them they mean to use this formation against the Beast Lord as well. Could it be that they expect the Beast Lord will surely come to this Mystic Fire Altar—or is this formation somehow movable?"

Jin Pingyue's slender brows knitted slightly. Plainly there were many points in this she could not work out either, and for a moment she sank into thought.

Ming Li's gaze drifted slowly and came to rest on the stone carvings of the snarling evil gods upon the ground. He looked at them for a long while, then suddenly gave a cold laugh and said, "So this is what they call the righteous path—offering the blood of the living to evil gods. Heh. Even among the demon cult, I have never seen the like..."

Before he had finished speaking, Jin Pingyue's clear laughter suddenly sounded at his side, and within it lurked faintly a strange note—something like a cold laugh, something like mockery, and something, too, like a thread of fear hidden deep and dim. "And how," she said, "do you know that such things do not happen among our Holy Cult as well?"

Ming Li's body gave a start, and he turned to look at her. Jin Pingyue stood there smiling, but she had already turned her head away and would not meet his eyes. Ming Li's brows drew together, and he said coldly, "What do you mean by..."