Chapter Fifty-Six: The Emergence of Linglong

"General Tianxing, you said Ziyi turned to stone. What do you mean by that?" Shangguan Wan’er asked through her tears.

"That day, after we came in, we just opened the stone coffin when a swarm of crimson corpse beetles burst out. General Ziyi told me to run while he held them off. I ran for my life and hid. After a long time, I came back to find the beetles gone, the coffin restored to its original state. But General Ziyi was standing there, utterly motionless. Gradually, he turned into a statue. As for me, I drifted between waking and sleeping, life and death unsure. Once, when I awoke, I found the corpse beetles crawling all over me, drinking my blood and eating my flesh. In the end, I became what I am now." Tianxing’s voice was heavy with sorrow.

"You’re saying this is all that’s left of Ziyi’s body?" Shangguan Wan’er walked over to the pile of ashen powder with the Phoenix Pool Sword in her hand.

"Yes, these are General Ziyi’s remains. How did they turn to powder?" Tianxing knelt, his face full of regret.

Tears streamed down Shangguan Wan’er’s face as she knelt and caressed the powder with trembling hands. "Ziyi, why did you do this? I was already poisoned; you didn’t have to sacrifice yourself. Why, why…"

Watching her grief, I felt a deep discomfort. I took off my T-shirt, tied it into a bundle. "Wan’er, don’t cry. Let’s take him with us. I promise I’ll find him a good resting place." In the modern world, this was no different from cremated ashes.

Shangguan Wan’er didn’t answer, only knelt there, weeping. Wei Qi and Xuan Li helped me gather the ashen remains.

As I was collecting Ziyi’s ashes, Tianxing stared at me. "Who are you? Why do you look so much like General Ziyi?"

I froze. Did I really resemble Ziyi so closely? I had seen the statue—it was a bit like me, but hardly identical. "You must be mistaken, friend. My name is Wang Dachuan."

Tianxing’s withered hand gripped my wrist, scrutinizing it. "With your presence, you can’t be General Ziyi. He had a dragon-shaped birthmark on his wrist, a mark from birth, carried through countless reincarnations. You, with your aura, could never be him." Though Tianxing looked desiccated as a corpse, his words were sharp; he not only distinguished between us but also put me down with a few sentences.

Of course, I didn’t take offense. Ziyi was his leader, whom he revered. I was merely a practitioner of the underworld arts, lacking any presence. Besides, Tianxing was little more than a dried corpse—I couldn’t even tell if he was human or ghost. There was no point in arguing. My duty was to help Shangguan Wan’er collect Ziyi’s ashes—a responsibility I owed her as her sworn brother.

When all was packed, Shangguan Wan’er stood, her tearful eyes seeking mine. "Brother, help me take Ziyi’s ashes. Take my body too. I must avenge him. If by any chance my soul remains, as long as the Blood Linglong exists, I will take it with me. If I cannot leave, then bury me with Ziyi."

With those words, her figure flickered and split in two—the corporeal body sank slowly to the ground, while the wavering shadow was her soul.

Her spirit seized the Phoenix Pool Sword. "General Tianxing, will you help me open the coffin?"

Tianxing’s bone-white teeth clenched. "Princess Shangguan, I have stayed here to avenge our general. I have thought of a way. See these corpse lamps? They are lit with the fat of buried corpses. Once the coffin is opened, we douse the beetles with the burning oil—they will all be incinerated."

Shangguan Wan’er nodded approvingly. "That’s a good idea, but not now. My brother, my sister-in-law are in danger. Their souls need the Blood Linglong to be gathered, so we can’t burn the inside yet. I must avenge Ziyi, but also save my sister-in-law."

Her words moved me deeply. Shangguan Wan’er truly was a good woman. Even now, she remembered Wang Ying. She deserved to be rewarded. I could not let her risk herself for vengeance. I had to do that for her. I would find the Blood Linglong for Wang Ying and her, even if only to resurrect them for a day, just so they could see the beauty of the modern world.

I grabbed her spirit. "Sister, am I not your brother?"

Tears shimmered in Shangguan Wan’er’s eyes. "You are my true brother. Two thousand years ago, I was alone, with only Ziyi to care for me. Now you do as well. So you are my brother."

"Good. As long as you accept me as your brother. This is no place for you to risk yourself. If you care about Ziyi, take his ashes and leave. I will avenge him. I will search for the Blood Linglong." I had made up my mind. Tonight’s main purpose was to find the Blood Lingzhi for Wang Ying. Why should Shangguan Wan’er risk herself? If the Blood Linglong was in that coffin, I would take it.

"No. I’ve waited two thousand years for news of Ziyi. No matter human, ghost, demon, or monster—whoever killed Ziyi, I will avenge him. If you are truly my brother, stand aside. If I die, bury me with Ziyi." With that, Shangguan Wan’er motioned to Tianxing, and they rushed toward the stone coffin. I couldn’t stop them, so I could only watch.

I glanced at Wei Qi, who whispered, "Let them go. After all, they are no longer human. We’ll stand by in case anything happens."

Xuan Li frowned. "Master, take care. I’m going to help." With that, she floated over.

Ghosts and humans are different. Tianxing lifted the bronze crowbar, Shangguan Wan’er and Xuan Li pushed together, and the heavy stone lid, nearly half a meter thick, flew off with a crash, raising a cloud of dust. Immediately, a scraping sound came from the coffin, and swarms of red beetles, each the size of an apricot, poured out—rushing toward us like flowing blood.

"Tianxing, protect my brother!" Shangguan Wan’er called, and in a flash, she soared upward. With a flick of her finger, several large corpse lamps flew through the air, smashing to the ground with a crackle—flames leapt high, and the shrill screeches of burning beetles filled the chamber.

The fire killed many of the beetles, but their numbers were overwhelming, and they began to swarm toward us.

Seeing this, Shangguan Wan’er grabbed a corpse lamp and flew to where the beetles clustered thickest. But Tianxing intercepted her, taking the lamp, and shouted, "Protect Princess Shangguan!" Then, dousing himself in the oil, he became a living torch, rolling on the ground, hurling himself into the thickest masses of beetles, burning them wherever he went.

I gripped Shangguan Wan’er’s hand, refusing to let her go.

It’s not that I felt nothing for Tianxing, but there was no other way. His body was nearly decayed; once the oil was lit, there was no saving him in this place.

Within minutes, all the corpse beetles were destroyed, but Tianxing was consumed by the flames, leaving only a little mound of blackened ash.

"General Tianxing, how are you?" Shangguan Wan’er half-knelt, her tears falling like rain. The poor Tianxing, from desiccated corpse to ashes, hadn’t even left a trace of his soul behind.

Wei Qi and Xuan Li rummaged through the coffin, pulling out a brocade box and handing it to me. "Dachuan, look—could this be it?"

I didn’t know the Blood Linglong, but the vivid red color and pungent fragrance told me this had to be it. Shangguan Wan’er tearfully confirmed it.

Looking at the three bean-sized, blood-red pearls, my heart was full of sorrow—for them, Ziyi and Tianxing had both perished.

"Brother, can you do me a favor?" Shangguan Wan’er approached, her face full of bitter grief.

"Speak." Her desolate expression stabbed at my heart. This woman had truly suffered.

"Help me take General Tianxing’s ashes. I want to bury him myself. He was Ziyi’s brother, and stayed here for two thousand years in search of the Blood Linglong. I must bury him with my own hands."

Even if she hadn’t asked, I would have done it. Without him tonight, we could never have destroyed the corpse beetles—we might have been devoured ourselves.

We gathered Ziyi and Tianxing’s ashes and returned to the surface safely. By the time we reached home, dawn had broken. Having not slept all night, Wei Qi and I were awakened soon after by Wan’er.

At her urging, we found the village chief, secured a plot, borrowed money for a good coffin, and buried Tianxing. Shangguan Wan’er wept bitterly at the burial. I knew why—seeing Tianxing reminded her of Ziyi, and Ziyi reminded her of their shared past.

After the burial, we returned home. Shangguan Wan’er knelt before me. "Brother, I beg you, let me be buried with Ziyi."

"This…" I hesitated, unwilling to agree. Now that I had the three Blood Linglong pearls, I could resurrect her for seven days or more. How could I let her be buried with a pile of ashes? Even if she were to be, not now. "Sister, let me say something, will you?"

"Anything, as long as you don’t stop me from being buried with Ziyi." She stroked Ziyi’s ashes, sobbing.

"Sister, don’t be stubborn. If you take a Blood Linglong, you can live for seven days. Why not see the modern world first, experience its wonders? Ziyi has been gone for two thousand years; a few more days won’t matter." My heart ached. I didn’t want her to leave so soon.

Shangguan Wan’er shook her head in despair. "No need, brother. Having Ziyi’s ashes with me is enough. Take this sword. When you see it, you’ll remember Ziyi—and me, too."

Seeing her gaunt and sorrowful face, I could not bear to let her suffer more. "Sister, whatever you wish, I will grant you. Just don’t be sad."

She smiled faintly. "I’m not sad. Seeing Ziyi brings me joy. His soul is gone, so mine will linger with you a while. Bury my body with his." With that, her spirit drifted from her body and entered my soul urn. Her body slumped gently to the floor.

I carried her to the bed, then hurried to find Wei Qi and tell him everything. He clicked his tongue. "Her body is beautiful—it’s a pity to bury it. Besides, I still think you’re Ziyi reborn."

"Uncle Qi, don’t joke." I glanced at my wrist—smooth and unmarked, no trace of a dragon-shaped birthmark.

"Dachuan, I have an idea. We can bury them together and still preserve Shangguan Wan’er’s body." Wei Qi suddenly became serious.

"Really? Tell me!" I was anxious for Shangguan Wan’er, but even more for Wang Ying. Once this was settled, I would feed the Blood Linglong to Wang Ying—I had to see her alive again. Even if only for seven days, it would be a priceless gift.