Chapter 11

Chapter 11

“Qiao Moyu, what exactly was that Water Man just now? And what’s this ‘Breathing Earth’ you mentioned?”

Having finished dressing, Jiang Haoyan sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, fiddling with a corner of the sheet. His cheeks were still flushed bright red, making him look like a bashful young bride.

I tucked the yellow Command Flag back into my bag, my expression grave.

“If I’m not mistaken, that was a Wangliang.”

In the lore of mountain and water spirits-the Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang-the Chi are mountain monsters, the Mei are spirits skilled at illusions and deception, and the Wangliang refers specifically to water monsters. They are born within rivers and marshes; legends even say the most powerful Wangliang hail from the Ruoshui.

The entrance to the Ghost City lies beneath the Yangtze River. Given the river’s long history, it isn’t surprising that a few Wangliang would be born there. What is strange, however, is that such a rare spirit, having been born near the Ghost City, should have been brought under its jurisdiction long ago. How would it dare commit such a grave crime as soul-stripping?

“As for the Breathing Earth, it’s a legendary soil that can grow and expand infinitely. Legend has it that Great Yu used Breathing Earth to quell the Great Flood. Earth counters water; any water monster that encounters Breathing Earth is as good as dead.”

“However, that substance is mostly stuff of legend; no one has ever actually seen it. The magical artifacts used within the Xuanmen to suppress water monsters are crafted from Kunlun Yellow Earth. After careful refinement, we also refer to it as Breathing Earth.”

This material was too rare for most people to keep on hand. My master had left a portion for me, but I hadn’t expected to encounter a Wangliang on this trip, so I hadn’t brought it with me.

The Breathing Earth was stored in an unremarkable face cream jar, hidden in my dormitory locker. I had Jiang Haoyan send someone to retrieve it and send it via expedited shipping. Using SF Express, it would arrive in two days.

“It thinks I have Breathing Earth on me, so it won’t dare move against us for now. Tonight, we’ll head to the Ghost City to scout it out.”

The entrance to the Ghost City was near the Yangtze River.

It was an ordinary stretch of road with a flight of steps leading down along the riverbank. After dark, I went to a nearby fast-food restaurant to buy a bowl of rice, then took two porcelain bowls and placed them by the river.

I filled each bowl halfway with rice, lit three sticks of incense, and lowered my head to chant an incantation. Once the ritual was finished, I waited quietly for the incense to burn down, then mixed the ashes into the rice and ate it.

This was sacrificial rice meant for ghosts. After a living person ate it, they would temporarily be imbued with yin energy, allowing them to pass through the entrance to the Underworld smoothly.

Jiang Haoyan frowned as he ate.

“This tastes terrible.”

After finishing the meal, I packed up the bowls and led Jiang Haoyan down the steps one by one.

As we reached the water’s edge, a massive cloud of thick fog suddenly appeared, enveloping us both. When I opened my eyes again, we had arrived in a completely different place.