Chapter 14 - Bewitching Heart
"Brother Luo He, you've arrived just in time."
Stepping into the place agreed upon with Shen Huai, an indescribable sense of oppression assailed his heart. The rustling of wind and grass, the calls of birds and frogs all around, instantly vanished without a trace; replacing them was Shen Huai's effeminate voice.
Looking in the direction the voice came from, Luo He saw Shen Huai actually manifest directly from the embrace of a black fire skeleton. As his figure appeared, bewitchingly beautiful Flowers of the Other Shore began to continuously grow on the surrounding ground.
On that other shore, there was a river. A flute-playing child with horned braids sat on the bank, playing a distant and drawn-out folk song; on its yin flute, countless ghost spirits were entwined.
That young girl, while playing, smiled at Luo He.
"This place, ah, is the Crossing of No Return mind-scape that I refined. You can also understand it as... a ghostly domain."
The external manifestation of a mind-scape cannot be achieved by anyone less than a great cultivator.
The Shen Huai before him... or rather, that soul within Shen Huai's body, was indeed a major realm higher in strength than him.
Thinking of this, Luo He, on the contrary, lowered his guard somewhat; the few spirit talismans hidden in his sleeve were also silently put away by him.
"Truly a clever little junior."
Seeing Luo He like this, she smiled with satisfaction, sat on the skeleton's leg bone, and looked at Luo He with a smile.
"It is indeed as you think. If I wanted to kill you or kill that Luo Hongyu, it wouldn't inherently be a difficult matter; it's just that I have many concerns and cannot act directly."
"Calm young people like you are truly rare; I am very pleased to see it. If you had recklessly tried to probe my depths, I would have had no choice but to reluctantly kill you."
He jumped down from the skeleton, walked straight in front of Luo He, and sized up Luo He with his arms crossed.
"Originally, I didn't intend to let you know too much. But meeting at the Water Lord Festival today, perhaps it's also fate... So, I actually don't mind clearing up some doubts for you."
As for this pack of ghost lies, Luo He naturally wouldn't believe it.
She merely wanted to reveal some irrelevant information to Luo He, to make Luo He trust her more, and be better used by her.
But at least for now, Luo He still needed to continue listening to her words.
"Well then... let's start with what interests you most: who I, or rather, who Shen Huai really is."
Shen Huai smiled faintly. Afterwards, his face suddenly lost all expression, and the vitality of his entire person seemed to be drained in an instant, falling straight to the ground like a puppet.
A mass of black mist emerged from Shen Huai's body, slowly coalescing into the silhouette of a woman.
Luo He couldn't see her figure clearly, nor her face clearly; only her pair of eyes, like bright moons adorning the night, were something Luo He could see clearly.
This point, perhaps, was also very similar to Luo He.
"My name is Huoxin. I was once a remnant soul lingering between heaven and earth with an unfulfilled obsession. After undergoing some trials and experiences, I became a ghost cultivator."
Huoxin's voice at this moment was no longer Shen Huai's clear and bright vocal tone, but a bizarre speech that Luo He couldn't quite describe or understand.
Was this the legendary ghost talk?
"And this so-called Ghost Sword Young Master Shen Huai is merely one of the fleshly rafts I molded for myself after my cultivation reached great accomplishment. His body's structure is also not that of an ordinary cultivator... Mm, you can understand it as one of my magical tools."
One of...
Luo He keenly caught this key word.
Ghost Sword Young Master had been famous for several decades, yet it was all just one of the identities this ghost cultivator Huoxin before him had in the mortal world.
Then, in the various sects and factions, how many multiple identities did she have, and what kind of responsibilities did she bear?
Seemingly sensing what Luo He was thinking, Huoxin's indistinct facial silhouette seemed to outline a slight smile. She extended a slender finger and traced it across Luo He's mask.
"The little fellow thinks quite a lot. What do these sect matters have to do with you?"
"Look at yourself. Although you're a living person, this appearance where only your eyes can be seen... how is living like that any different from me, this ghost?"
"You only need to be clear: I am neither of the Righteous Path, nor of the Demonic Gates. I only abide by the precepts of ghost cultivators, and then act as my heart desires, that's all."
"Ah, speaking of which, you might be very concerned... about why I want to deal with Luo Hongyu, right?"
Huoxin truly lived up to her name. Clearly, before meeting Luo He, she had already anticipated the issues Luo He would care about and his reactions; indeed, a character who seemed as if she could see through people's hearts.
Luo He nodded his head without any evasion.
"Actually, it's not any complicated reason. In my early years, I owed the Old Demonic Lord—that is, the master of that Demonic Seed I gave you—a favor."
"Not long ago, the Old Demonic Lord's descendant found me and asked me to help make Luo Hongyu fall into a trap... Alas, a ghost cultivator's oath is witnessed by the Heavenly Dao; one cannot go back on it. I could only agree."
"Otherwise, I have not the slightest interest in these conflicts between the righteous and evil."
Huoxin said this while waving her hand. That flute-playing young girl who was previously standing to one side came closer; wisps of ghostly qi drifted out from the yin flute and condensed into Huoxin's body.
She let out a rather comfortable, light hum. Afterwards, she leaned back and lazily continued to speak:
"Ever since the Old Demonic Lord was slain by the assembled immortals, the Demonic Gates have been in decline to this day. Yet, as fate would have it, a Righteous Path prodigy like Luo Hongyu, rarely seen in a thousand years, emerged. If they don't act soon, I'm afraid the Demonic Gates will be struck from the Six Paths."
"Those demonic leaders conferred; if that Luo Hongyu advances to the Nascent Soul stage, they feared she couldn't be killed. They had to strike before then... So, I am here."
At this moment, Huoxin's entire body was wreathed in mist.
The mist formed by ghostly qi seemed like living things. Some drifted to Luo He's ear, gently blew a breath onto his earlobe, and emitted a misty laughter like fresh rain.
"Alright, that's all I'll say... Are you satisfied with my answers?"
Huoxin exhaled a wisp of smoky qi and said to Luo He with a smile.
Originally, the process of making Luo Hongyu ingest the Demonic Seed was much more complicated in her imagination. But Luo He's existence was truly an unexpected delight, saving her a lot of trouble.
"I sensed that the Demonic Seed has already been absorbed into the body. Well done, little fellow. I greatly admire your calmness and decisiveness... Here, take this."
Huoxin tossed Luo He a book filled with twisted script. Opening it, the soul-chilling cold qi was even somewhat scorching to the hand.
"I promised you that day that I would help you break free from your restraints; naturally, I won't go back on my word... The method is also very simple: that is to become a ghost cultivator, just like me."
"This book is an introduction to the ghost language. Studying the ghost language will be greatly beneficial to your soul. You learn it first; afterwards, when the time is right, I will help you transcend your physical body and transform into a ghost cultivator."
Huoxin's tone did not seem false; or rather, it was true.
Huoxin, who had lived in the mortal world for so many years, knew very well that the most perfect lie is one mixed with truth.
This ghost language book was real, and studying the ghost language indeed had many benefits. After he tried it out for himself, he would know her words were not false.
But even if he learned the ghost language, he wouldn't live to see the day he transformed into a ghost cultivator. Luo Hongyu would meet with misfortune before then, and he would be buried along with her.
For someone who could be used until death, why bother expending more effort and resources?
Her current actions, such as revealing her identity, were merely to temporarily stabilize Luo He for now, to prevent him from harboring suspicions and causing any unexpected problems.
"I've said all I should say. Little fellow, we... shall meet again if fate allows."
The melodious ghost flute sounded again; the ghost ship moored beside the Crossing of No Return slowly began to move.
She sat on the Black Flame Skeleton, with an inscrutable smile; that body named Shen Huai, and her Crossing of No Return mind-scape, sailed towards the vast, dim night.
Huoxin departed. Where Luo He was now was merely an ordinary, cold, and desolate small alley.
The deity parade in the distant streets had long since ended. The Water Lord's divine statue could not be seen; only the sounds of revelers laughing and playing unrestrainedly could be faintly heard.
Luo He was still mulling over what Huoxin had said earlier.
After knowing this information, what to do next... became clear. He had to wait a while longer and make some more preparations.
A stream of demonic qi emanated from around Luo He's body. This was the aura produced as he silently recited the Remnant Moon heart method and refined the Black Lotus; he could not conceal it.
He had agreed with Su Huanhuan and learned this heart method from her.
But relying solely on the favor from the Black Copper Gate incident back then was not enough, so Luo He had also agreed that he still owed Su Huanhuan a price.
As for whether he would have the chance to repay this price, he didn't know.
Suddenly, a sound of gongs and drums, which shouldn't have appeared here, rang out.
Various musical sounds, solemn and dignified yet not lacking in festivity, flowed slowly like river water to Luo He's side. This music, he had heard it before... It was the music played by that deity-welcoming procession carrying the Water Lord's divine statue.
Luo He turned his head to look. Sure enough, that procession, which should have been surrounded by a crowd, was for some reason walking towards him and finally stopped in front of him.
From the front of the procession walked a female official with a beautiful face, dressed in ancient and refined attire. She walked before Luo He and performed a salutation to him.
"Is the one before me Luo He, Young Master Luo?"
"......"
Luo He couldn't see through her cultivation level, nor could he sense her aura.
"It seems it is."
The female official smiled, then turned and made an inviting gesture.
"I wonder if Young Master Luo has some leisure time at this moment?"
"Her Ladyship the Sovereign Emperor requests your presence."
Luo He looked up. He saw that on the divine sedan chair, carried by eight burly men wearing divine attendant masks, the face of the divine statue looking down from above seemed to reveal a hint of a smile.