novelraw Chapter 461, Integrity
Chapter 461, Integrity
To the east of the altar, there is a black stone mountain burning with green ghost fire, called Ghost Mother Mountain.
Its shape resembles a giant, reclining corpse, with cracks all over its body, like dried-up rivers of blood crisscrossing it; gray-black resentful clouds swirl around the mountaintop all year round, and from time to time, the mournful cries of infants come from the depths of the mountain, making people tremble with fear.
The mountain surface was covered with a layer of slippery, rotting black moss. Any creature other than the demon race that touched it would experience hallucinations—either seeing their loved ones die tragically or hearing their own wails. Those with weaker minds would go mad and die on the spot.
Ghost Mother Mountain and Ghost Infant River are the core of the Nine Netherworld Ghost Realm. The area they jointly cover constitutes the forbidden zone of the Ghost Realm.
At this moment, deep within the heart of Ghost Mother Mountain, in an underground prison forged from Netherworld Cold Iron and resentful bones, hundreds of Vermilion Bird soldiers and hundreds of human cultivators stared ferociously at the few human cultivators outside the iron prison who had already changed into Ghost Clan attire.
Just now, Song Weimin attempted to ambush the leader of these people.
Unfortunately, it failed.
Song Weimin was being trampled on the ground, but he still managed to lift his head, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the human cultivator sitting not far away.
"Chu Tianye, do you think you can survive by surrendering to the Ghost Clan and becoming their slaves? Let me tell you, you will only end up as monsters that are neither human nor ghost."
"Crack~"
"Crack~"
Song Weimin was met with a beating.
Each time the Soul-Slaying Whip struck, Song Weimin's face turned paler.
Only when Song Weimin could no longer lift his head and lay limp and motionless on the ground did the human cultivator who was sitting raise his hand to signal his subordinates to stop whipping him.
Chu Tianye got up and walked to Song Weimin, squatted down, and looked at the dying Song Weimin with an expressionless face, his eyes surging with endless resentment and anger.
Do you think I wanted this?
Song Weimin was too weak to speak. He merely raised his eyelids and glanced in the direction of the iron cage, a mocking and sarcastic expression on his face.
Chu Tianye understood his unspoken words, knowing that Song Weimin was mocking him for being spineless and not as resolute as the others in prison.
This mockery undoubtedly struck Chu Tianye hard.
Chu Tianye viciously grabbed Song Weimin's chin and sneered, "Originally, I was willing to give you a chance to live because you were once a dog of the royal family. Since you don't cherish it, then next time the altar asks for people, you can go and experience the taste of soul extraction and bloodletting."
Immediately afterwards, Song Weimin was thrown into a prison cell.
The other people in the cell immediately rushed forward and caught him.
Previously, they found it strange that Song Weimin suddenly sided with Chu Tianye, but now they understand that Song Weimin sided with Chu Tianye in order to find an opportunity to assassinate him.
"Chu Tianye, don't be too smug. The human race will not let you, a traitor, get away with this."
Fang Zhuyue, the centurion of the Vermilion Bird Army, gripped the iron bars tightly with both hands, glaring fiercely at Chu Tianye.
"Crack~"
Chu Tianye's men immediately delivered a Soul-Slicing Whip to Fang Zhuyue.
Just as he was about to crack the whip again, Chu Tianye stopped him: "Alright, the blood and soul of the Vermilion Bird Army are extremely precious, don't waste them." As he spoke, he looked at the Vermilion Bird Army soldiers in the prison with a mocking expression.
"I have become a member of the Ghost Clan, why would I be afraid of humans?"
Fang Zhuyue, her breath ragged from the Soul-Slaying Whip, continued, "Aren't you afraid of humans? Aren't you afraid of our Palace Master either?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Tianye's expression changed drastically, revealing both fear and resentment.
Several of his men also showed deep apprehension on their faces.
Fang Zhuyue sensed the fear in Chu Tianye and the others, and burst into laughter: "The Palace Master will avenge us. Chu Tianye, you wait, none of you will escape."
"Crack~"
Chu Tianye snatched the Soul-Slaying Whip from his subordinate and lashed Fang Zhuyue so hard that she fell to the ground.
"Ha ha."
"Are you afraid?"
"Do you dare to kill me?"
"If you kill me, your evil master will never forgive you!"
Although Fang Zhuyue couldn't stand up, she still lay on her back and loudly mocked Chu Tianye.
Chu Tianye looked at him coldly, as if he were a dead object: "Laugh, while you still have breath in your body."
"The demons are getting impatient. You'll soon be sent to the altar. And what awaits you then?" "Your souls will be scattered to the winds."
"Tsk tsk."
Chu Tianye shook his head and left with a few of his men.
After they had walked away, a lazy voice rang out from the corner of the cell: "I say, why did you do this?"
Fang Zhuyue was helped to sit down by the wall by the other Vermilion Bird soldiers. She looked over and said, "Even if the Vermilion Bird soldiers die, they should die with dignity."
Gongshu Xingyan shook his head, looking very disapproving: "You can't show your backbone by asking to be beaten, that's stupid."
Fang Zhuyue snorted: "Then I wish you, senior, to live a long and miserable life in this ghost prison."
Gongshu Xingyan sensed the sarcasm in his words and was about to retort when Song Weimin interrupted him.
"Senior Gongshu."
When Gongshu Xingyan saw Song Weimin sit down next to him, he swallowed the words he was about to say.
Once the others in the cell had stopped paying attention to them, Song Weimin quietly slipped a foot-long black chisel into Gongshu Xingyan's hand: "Here's the ghost chisel you wanted."
A hint of surprise and excitement flashed in Gongshu Xingyan's eyes: "You actually got it?"
Instead of answering, Song Weimin asked, "Senior, do you really have a way to escape from prison?"
Gongshu Xingyan hummed in agreement.
Song Weimin's expression brightened: "I'll go tell Commander Fang right now that with the help of the Vermilion Bird Army, we can leave this hellish place sooner."
Gongshu Xingyan grabbed Song Weimin and said with a serious expression, "No one but you and me can be told about this."
Song Weimin paused, then asked, "What do you mean, senior?"
Gongshu Xingyan: "Whether you and I can escape this hellish place depends on fate. We can't care about anyone else."
Upon hearing this, Song Weimin replied without hesitation, "No."
The sound was so loud that it immediately attracted the attention of others.
Gongshu Xingyan gave Song Weimin a silent shove, then closed his eyes and remained silent.
Song Weimin remained silent for a long while. After everyone's gaze shifted away, he reached out and tugged at Gongshu Xingyan: "Senior, we are all human."
Gongshu Xingyan opened his eyes and looked helplessly at Song Weimin.
"What do you think this place is?"
"The forbidden land of ghosts—Mount Ghost Mother."
"A place that even the demon race itself cannot freely enter or leave, let alone the human race."
"Moreover, the chance of my escape plan succeeding is less than one percent. I was almost driven crazy by being locked up. Otherwise, I would not have been willing to take this risk."
Upon hearing this, the hope in Song Weimin's eyes gradually faded, and he fell silent afterward.
Not long after, Fang Zhuyue arrived.
Gongshu Xingyan looked at him warily, and just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard Fang Zhuyue speak.
“I know you want to escape.”
"Let's hurry up and think about it, before we get sent to the altar."
Upon hearing this, Gongshu Xingyan looked at him in surprise.
Song Weimin also looked over.
Fang Zhuyue smiled faintly: "I know that my soldiers and I are doomed, but you still have a chance."
"No matter what, every single one of them who can escape is one less."
"I have only one hope: if any of you manage to return to the human world alive, please go to Lingguang Palace and deliver a message for us."
"Tell our temple master about the Ghost Fire Well being connected to the Nine Netherworld Ghost Realm."
"The Vermilion Bird Bone must not fall into the hands of the Demon Clan." (End of Chapter)