Chapter 727: The Demon Slayer
Chapter 727: The Demon Slayer
"Hu Shan, the original body's father?"
Hu Ma listened to the National Preceptor's words, and his heart couldn't help but be startled. Examining the skeletal remains, he could no longer discern the features, but he could still tell that the person had been robust and awe-inspiring in life.
Even after having died countless years ago, he still sat upright, his back straight. By his side was a tattered ritual flag, half-burned as if scorched by fire.
He had died here long ago? Moreover, he seemed to have been dead for many years. So, this place...
The National Preceptor seemed to guess his question and sighed softly, "This place is called Fox Coffin Village."
"Do you know how this name came about?"
"..."
As he spoke, he gently waved his whisk, and the dilapidated ancestral hall doors were suddenly blown open by the wind, revealing a dark coffin inside, half-overturned. But inside the coffin, there didn't seem to be any remains; instead, a furry paw was sticking out.
Hu Ma recognized it; there was a fox corpse in the coffin?
The National Preceptor sighed softly, "Back then, after the Hu family obtained the Evil Suppression Bureau, they retreated to Old Yin Mountain. But the Meng family was not content; they summoned a calamity and wanted to sever the Hu family's bloodline. They believed that if the Hu family were exterminated, the Evil Suppression Bureau would fall into their hands."
"Unfortunately, they didn't consider how resilient the Hu family was."
"..."
As he spoke, the National Preceptor turned to the remains and gave a slight bow, saying, "Your father, Mr. Hu Shan, single-handedly faced the calamity and perished together with the descending calamity. He dragged his injured body here to this village and sealed the calamity within the coffin, guarding it ever since."
"The name 'Fox Coffin' originated from this."
"Your grandmother actually knew he was here all along, but she didn't dare let you come and pay respects, and she didn't dare to come herself."
"Because this calamity is immortal. It comes to life upon seeing the Hu family, and once you arrive, it will awaken and continue to haunt you until you repay your debts in the cave."
"..."
Seeing Hu Ma's tense expression, the National Preceptor stopped and smiled, saying, "Of course, it's no problem now."
"There can only be one calamity at a time. A new calamity has emerged from the cave and has been sent back. Only then can it be considered truly dead."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't dare bring you here."
"..."
'No wonder my birth father never returned to the village after facing the calamity. He died here...'
Hu Ma fell silent for a moment, then respectfully bowed to the remains.
It was as if he was fulfilling the proper respects on behalf of his original body.
After settling the matter, he still needed to collect the remains and bring them back to the Great Sheep Village for burial.
"Then, what's beneath the coffin?"
After finishing his bow, Hu Ma turned around and looked at the National Preceptor. Inside the ancestral hall, there was only one dark coffin, but behind it, a dark cave was clearly visible. With his current abilities, he could even feel the cold wind from the cave.
"This is the Twelve Ghost Shrines!"
The National Preceptor also looked at the cave, and after a long while, he nodded slightly and raised his hand, which now held a candle.
He blew on the candle, and it lit up, its flame like a bean. He walked into the ancestral hall, followed by Hu Ma, who immediately sensed that someone had been here before.
Many spider webs showed signs of being broken, and recalling the experience of his old friend Erguotou, he realized that the Yin-Yang Dual Plate had probably been taken from here.
Upon entering the cave, Hu Ma's heart raced.
He saw that the cave below resembled a grand tomb, far more expansive than it appeared from above.
Twelve ancient and desolate urns with eerie patterns lined the walls, some with cracks. In the center of these urns was a stone platform surrounded by remains.
"Who are they...?"
Looking at the remains, Hu Ma felt a rare sense of familiarity and asked subconsciously, his voice softening.
"They were the Upper Bridge Wraiths."
The National Preceptor sighed softly, "Your Hu family paid a heavy price to leave the Northern Capital safely. The Meng family didn't want you to leave, and the evil spirits that crawled out of hell, reincarnated as malevolent spirits, also refused to let you go."
"So, along the way, there were constant bloody battles, and many people died on the journey. But after your family arrived here, they were still pursued."
"Here, a fierce battle ensued, and with the help of the Twelve Ghost Shrines, those malevolent spirits were sealed."
"However, the Upper Bridge Wraiths also perished here, and from then on, the Ghost Walker Sect began to decline, only now catching a breath."
"..."
"Reincarnated malevolent spirits?"
Hu Ma understood in his heart; this was the reason for the great purge of the reincarnates he had been searching for.
But earlier, he had always thought it was the Hu family who had taken action against the reincarnates. However, it now sounded more like the reincarnates were hunting down the Hu family.
Suddenly, doubts filled his mind, and he blurted out, "Why do they want to kill the Hu family?"
"Because they're afraid."
The candlelight illuminated the National Preceptor's face, revealing an uncertain expression. Even his voice sounded extremely low, and he spoke softly, "They're afraid of your appearance."
Hu Ma exclaimed, "Me?"
Master Dongxuan gazed at him, not answering but slowly saying, "The lineage of Duke Yi, in their quest for dominance, performed the living sacrifice, causing vengeful qi to soar and ultimately attracting the Celestial Fiend. Although they ascended to the throne, the world remained in turmoil, plagued by malevolent spirits. My ancestor, Master Purity, had no choice but to perform the Capital Grand Ceremony."
"I originally wanted to ask about the origin of the Celestial Fiend to dispel the calamity, but I never expected that before I could find out, an even more sinister force would be summoned. Do you understand?"
"..."
Hu Ma also stared, his voice heavy as he said, "The Reincarnates."
"What Reincarnates are you talking about?"
Hearing this, Master Dongxuan actually laughed and said, "They are also Celestial Fiends, a group of living Celestial Fiends."
"Compared to the mindless Celestial Fiend, they are even more rampant, solely intent on seizing the essence of heaven and earth."
"When they appeared, they destroyed the Ancestral Altar and have since hidden among mortals, committing all sorts of evil deeds to steal the essence of heaven and earth."
"It was I who joined forces with the Ten Clans' ancestors to lure them into a fight with the Duke Yi royalty. In the end, both sides suffered heavy losses, but it was then that we realized the malevolent spirits would not cease, and the heavenly disasters would not end."
"Even after the Duke Yi were destroyed and the Celestial Fiend was trapped, these reincarnated malevolent spirits would continue to steal the essence of heaven and earth. They have their own origins, and all of them want to return, so they will inevitably compete for the Zi Qi of this world."
"And one day, when they leave, they will inevitably deplete the essence of this world, turning billions of lives into ashes in an instant."
"So, from that moment on, I discussed a plan with your Hu family ancestor."
"..."
At this point, he paused, his gaze turning to Hu Ma, and said softly, "A plan to eliminate the malevolent spirits!"
"The leader of those spirits is named Lao Jun Mei. They obtained his corpse and extracted his immortal life, using the Zi Qi refining method to search for a heavy-fated individual. They tried to fuse souls, attempting to uncover the secrets of reincarnation, but unfortunately, many who tried failed."
"We realized that this was because none of their fates were heavy enough."
"So, we planned to create someone with a heavy enough fate."
"During this selection process, the Hu Clan did the most ruthless thing. They severed ties with the Qingyuan Hu Clan and bet the fate of the Ten Clans on an unborn child in the womb."
"I helped the Hu Clan obtain the Evil Suppression Bureau and stripped away imperial power, ensuring that this child would become the sole master of the Evil Suppression Bureau in the future. Then, using the Heavenly Mandate Ritual, I summoned the Netherworld Eight Scenes to reduce your blessings and increase your fate."
"In the end, the immortal life entered your soul, and you didn't die. We succeeded in the first step, and all that's left is to wait."
"The Hu Clan hid here in the Old Yin Mountain to wait for you to survive and grow up."
"..."
As he spoke, he paused, ignoring Hu Ma's pale face, and sighed softly, "For many years, there was no success. You were confused and difficult to deal with, like a madman."
"Seeing your state, your mother couldn't bear it and left the village. Your father, feeling guilty, remained silent and withdrawn."
"Your grandmother, unaware of the truth, also knew that your grandfather and father had done something to you. So, she felt both pity and anger towards your father, and their relationship was strained."
"They were all watching you, unsure of what you would become."
"Even we thought it was a failure. Immortal life cannot be stolen, but we didn't expect that until one day, the Meng family couldn't hold back and wanted to harm you. By chance, you turned out to be the one they sought."
"When they saw you become a different person, your grandmother finally understood what we were doing..."
"..."
"Enough..."
As he spoke, Hu Ma was struck as if by lightning, his heart filled with indescribable anger. His eyes turned as red as blood.
"What you're saying, what you're saying..."
"..."
He clenched his teeth, wanting to scold this man, even to draw his sword and kill him.
"What I'm saying is the truth."
Master Dongxuan sighed softly, slowly retreated, and bowed to Hu Ma, "Hu Ma, my friend, you've suffered."
"I've been watching you since you woke up in the camp, not understanding the situation. I saw your fear, struggles, and confusion. I saw you hide your identity, seek survival, learn skills, and occasionally fall into dilemmas, making decisions with difficulty..."
"All of this is normal. You were influenced by the immortal life, forgetting the past, but deep down, you still remember who you are, so you can't see these things clearly."
"Even the Meng family's actions were instigated by me, leading them to find you."
"Only when the Meng family's pressure is great enough will you seek more Reincarnates to resist them and solve the problem. The more you cooperate with the Reincarnates, the more trust you'll gain from them. Your identity as a Hu Clan member will help you assist them..."
"..."
At this point, he slowly stood up, and the candle in his hand illuminated Hu Ma's face, "I know that since you saw me, you've been ready to escape to the bridge. But give up!"
"On that bridge, all are your enemies."
"From the moment of your birth, you've been stained with the blood of those malevolent spirits!"
"You are the only one who can stop this group of living Celestial Fiends."
"You are the Exorcism Lord, born to exterminate them. You are the Demon Slayer!"
(End of Chapter)
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