Chapter 212 — Return

Something seemed to flicker in the Hades Lord's eyes. "Since my return, I have not yet seen him. Where is he?"

Yousi said in a low voice, "He has been at Bili's side all along."

The Hades Lord, about to stride forward, paused. After a moment he said, "I will go myself. There is no need for you to follow."

Yousi gave assent and watched the Hades Lord walk into the distance until that figure vanished. Then she turned back—and suddenly started, for the mysterious shadow at her side had vanished without her knowing when. Beneath the black veil, Yousi's two slender brows slowly knit, and a complex expression flickered in her eyes.

Outside the ice-cold stone chamber deep within the mountain caverns, all was utterly unlike the bustle beyond. Here there was no clamor, only the same stillness as of old—though in some eyes, what this place held was perhaps, more than anything, loneliness.

The Hades Lord stood a long time before the door of the ice-cold stone chamber. Facing that stone door, for some reason he never reached out to open it. The heavy stone door stretched before him, yet his gaze seemed already to have pierced through this block of stone that looked so indestructible.

Beyond the stone door, in that place of piercing cold, was his daughter still lying in peace?

Could a man as resolute as he also have a moment of weakness, unwilling to face his own daughter?

How long passed, none could say; time slipped quietly by. The Hades Lord stirred, slowly reached out, and worked the mechanism. With a low rumbling, the stone door slowly opened before him.

A gust of cold air rushed at his face from beyond the door, and faint wisps of white vapor drifted through the stone chamber. The Hades Lord stepped inside, and the stone door closed again behind him.

Nothing had changed.

That figure lying in peace—and even the man who, in his memory, had always sat at her side.

Ming Li did not turn to look, not even once. He was still gazing at Bili. And the Hades Lord said nothing either; silently he walked to the other side of the ice-cold stone platform and gazed at his daughter.

Bili still wore that expression of peace touched with a faint, contented smile, lying quietly. Between the hands crossed before her, that wondrous treasure of the demon cult, the Hehuan Bell, rested quietly in her palm.

A pale golden radiance seemed to refract from the body of the Hehuan Bell, casting rays of uneven length. In the silent stone chamber, for some inexplicable reason, there was always a kind of illusion—as though somewhere a clear bell tone echoed low, yet strain the ear as one might, its source could never be found; only that pale glow, ever flickering upon the bell's body, was like gentle eyes watching over the two men in the stone chamber.

"Has she been well, all these days I have been gone?" the Hades Lord said mildly, his gaze fixed upon his daughter from the moment he entered the chamber.

Ming Li slowly raised his head and looked toward the Hades Lord, and the Hades Lord, too, withdrew his gaze from Bili and looked at Ming Li.

The eyes of the two men met in midair, as though with silent thunder and lightning.

Between them, in Bili's hands, the light upon the Hehuan Bell flowed gently.

"She has been well," Ming Li said mildly, rising to his feet.

The Hades Lord nodded and said, "With you here, I am much at ease."

He paused, then said, "On this journey to the southern border, did you find any word of strange arts for recalling the soul?"

A flicker of gloom passed over Ming Li's face, and he shook his head. Ming Wang was silent; he lowered his gaze to Bi Li and sighed softly. In truth, the chief purpose of Ming Li's journey to the Southern Frontier this time had naturally been to track the Beast Sovereign and, under Ming Wang's secret orders, to seize the strange beast Taotie that attended him—yet at this moment, in their conversation, the two seemed long since to have forgotten the matter entirely.

In the stone chamber, silence fell once more.

At last Ming Wang's expression turned grave, and he said mildly, "There are still some matters I would speak of with you, but this is no place for it. Let us go out."

Ming Li nodded and said no more. He cast one last glance at Bi Li, and for some reason a trace of guilt flitted through his eyes; then he turned and walked out. Ming Wang followed behind him, and as they passed through the stone door, the heavy slab descended slowly, sealing the stillness in once again. In the vast chamber of cold ice, only the faint glow of the Hehuan Bell remained, drifting and turning in the emptiness.

The two men walked shoulder to shoulder through the broad corridor. Along the way, disciples of the Demonic Sect whom they met fell back to either side, bowing their heads in salute; their footsteps echoed softly, gently reverberating.

After several turns, the two came to the quarters where Ming Li lodged. Ming Wang glanced at Ming Li, as though sensing something. Ming Li's brow furrowed slightly, but he did not look at Ming Wang; after a brief hesitation, he reached out and opened the door.

The two walked in.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak. Squeak, squeak."

"Roar."

Amid the familiar cries of the little gray monkey, there came a few strange roars as well. Taotie, once the strange beast that followed at the Beast Sovereign's side, now lay upon the floor of Ming Li's room; yet it seemed utterly listless and dispirited, sprawled there lazily, its bell-sized eyes closed, motionless upon the ground.

The little gray monkey, by contrast, was as lively as ever, hopping to and fro around Taotie, patting him here and swatting him there, now tugging at his tail, now slapping his head; bolder still, it would occasionally thrust its hand up to Taotie's vast bloody maw and pry his jaws apart, peering inside with no small curiosity.

From the look of Little Gray, it seemed to want to rouse Taotie to his feet for a game together, though plainly this had no effect on Taotie at all.

When Ming Wang and Ming Li entered, Taotie paid them no heed, still lying lazily upon the ground. The little gray monkey gave a joyful cry and bounded up onto Ming Li in a few quick leaps, settling upon its master's shoulder.

Ming Li stroked Little Gray's head and said mildly to Ming Wang, "This is the one."

Ming Wang did not speak, only fixed his eyes upon Taotie where he lay upon the ground. At the corner of his mouth there slowly surfaced a faint smile—though within that smile lurked a touch of something unfathomable.