Chapter 39: The Underworld Army Borrows the Way

The inn was three stories high. Standing on the third floor, Lu Xin could see every movement of the pedestrians below with perfect clarity.

But tonight, those passing beneath the inn were not people, but a vast procession of Underworld Soldiers.

The line stretched so far that its end was out of sight. Each soldier was clad in ancient, weighty armor. In their hands they held halberds or spears, all weapons cast from bronze. Their bodies were wholly encased, save for their heads—bare skulls, their eye sockets burning with unnatural fire.

Since ancient times in China, there have been legends of Underworld Soldiers borrowing the mortal road, of a hundred ghosts parading by night. Before Lu Xin crossed into this world, he had seen such scenes in mobile games—mere animations, figments of the imagination. Yet now, what played out before his very eyes was chillingly real.

The Underworld Soldiers marched swiftly, without a word, without the faintest breath. Apart from the heavy thud of their footsteps, they left behind almost no trace of their passage. The procession seemed endless, its origin and destination unfathomable.

The scholar, always the most timid, could barely look a few moments before nearly crying out, only to be stopped by Moonless Night.

“Are you courting death? The Underworld Soldiers are on their way back to the realm of shadows. If a living soul encounters them and remains still, all may be well. But if they notice you, they’ll drag your spirit away to the underworld with them.”

Moonless Night’s voice was as thin as a mosquito’s hum, nearly inaudible unless right at one’s ear. Even as a fox spirit who had cultivated for a hundred years, he was clearly unsettled by this unfathomable sight, a hint of fear in his own demeanor.

One squad after another of Underworld Soldiers filed past the street, as if without end. Lu Xin stood frozen for a long while before he finally regained his senses.

“Don’t the Underworld Soldiers always take deserted wild roads, far from human habitation, when they return to the underworld? This is Xuanzhou City—so many common folk, the very air suffused with yang energy. Why would they choose to pass through the heart of the city? Fox, what’s going on here?”

“You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask! I only know that every sixty years, the Underworld Soldiers appear in Xuanzhou. Perhaps this inn was built atop an ancient path they already used, or perhaps something in the city has drawn them. In any case, let’s keep our voices down and breathe as little as possible.”

The three of them crouched behind the railing in the corridor, stealing glances below. Though anxious, they were also electrified with excitement. Such a sight was a once-in-a-century occurrence; most people could live ten lifetimes and never witness it. Lu Xin had entirely forgotten why he’d ventured out in the dead of night, all his attention fixed on the mysterious Underworld Soldiers.

After about three minutes, the seemingly endless procession finally revealed its rear. Suddenly, the scholar grew agitated, pointing into the distance, eager to speak. Moonless Night tried to cover his mouth, but the scholar batted him away.

“I’m not shouting! You two idiots, can’t you see? In the last row—there’s a person among the Underworld Soldiers!”

Following the scholar’s gesture, they saw—some sixty meters away—in the last squad, a figure in a black robe had mingled among the ranks. Each squad was composed of five Underworld Soldiers, precisely arrayed. But now, in the last row, where five skeletons should have marched together, the one in the middle was gone, replaced by a long-haired, black-robed figure.

It was the night of the full moon; the light was bright and the view clear. Lu Xin could not tell what the figure was—man, ghost, or demon—but one thing was certain: it was not one of the Underworld Soldiers.

The sight was profoundly unsettling.

The Underworld Soldiers march for the underworld—who could blend into their ranks without detection? The very thought made the three draw a sharp breath. If that was a living person, such a feat could only be described as earth-shattering.

“My god, my neck has gone stiff! You two, quickly, help me loosen it!”

Perhaps from holding his posture too long, the scholar’s neck was askew. After Lu Xin helped him straighten it, the scholar immediately clamored to return to their room and sleep. Lu Xin, too, felt the situation was growing ever stranger and best not to linger. They were just about to leave when Moonless Night stood up.

“Don’t be hasty. There are more people behind the Underworld Soldiers.”

“People? Fox, are you blind? What fool would follow a horde of ghosts—Mother of mercy, there really are people!”

In this tense atmosphere, the scholar’s startled outbursts were almost more frightening than ghosts. But Moonless Night’s eyes had not deceived him. Behind the Underworld Soldiers, there were indeed more figures—a sizable contingent, in fact. Judging by their positions, several different factions appeared to be shadowing the procession.

It was too far to make out their faces, but one thing was clear: they were all practitioners of the arcane arts.

The Underworld Soldiers passed the inn and melted into the night as if they had never been. Finally, the followers at the rear—the onmyoji—became visible.

Nearest to the Underworld Soldiers were three men in yellow robes, each with his hair bound in a scholar’s crown. One of them had previously met Lu Xin: it was Huang Yuyi of the Supreme Celestial Sect, though at this moment he was clearly accompanied by his elders. Two middle-aged men walked before him, golden light radiating from their bodies, each riding a flying sword—one red, one purple—hovering in the air.

It was the first time Lu Xin had ever seen anyone flying on a sword and he was stunned. In modern society such scenes existed only in novels and films.

Behind the Supreme Celestial Sect’s party were a man and woman, both onmyoji, both garbed in red, riding clouds of fire side by side, also traveling through the air. To their left was a tall, swift horse, galloping silently, bearing a rider encased entirely in silver armor, not a scrap of flesh exposed. He held in his hand a massive Azure Dragon blade, its weight unknown.

Following the rider and horse were five more onmyoji—three men and two women—each wearing a differently colored robe and holding a glowing seal. Though on foot, their magical power made them swift as the wind.

No one else followed. In a flash, this company of onmyoji vanished after the Underworld Soldiers into the night. Lu Xin took a deep breath, turned to Moonless Night and Tu Chengli, and the three exchanged looks of shock and burning curiosity.

“Mother of mercy, Xin, what did I just see? They were flying! Are they immortals?”

“Immortals, my foot! They’re probably all at the Returning Microcosm stage, just using talismans and enchanted tools to fly temporarily. Still, even if there aren’t any true Immortal Masters here, this force is powerful enough.”

Though Moonless Night grumbled, his tone was graver than ever before. Having witnessed the clash between Monk Huijing and Zhou Dian, Lu Xin well understood the terrifying might of a Returning Microcosm adept.

“The Underworld Soldiers are just passing through—they’ll leave the city. They’re headed west. If the guards at the west gate see them, they’ll never dare bar their way. Let’s follow those people and use the opportunity to leave Xuanzhou.”

After a brief hesitation, Lu Xin decided to take the risk. The passage of the Underworld Soldiers was a once-in-a-lifetime chance; no one would dare stop a host from the underworld at the city gates.

“Xin—Xin, think carefully! Those are soldiers of the underworld, all ghosts! If they turn back and devour us, the three of us wouldn’t even make a decent snack.”

“What are you afraid of? If the sky falls, the tall will hold it up. Fox, your Gale Charm will come in handy now.”

“Very well. I want to see where this passage—seen only once every sixty years—finally ends.”

Moonless Night’s eyes lit up, and he sprang to his feet. Forming seals with both hands, he blew at the feet of Lu Xin and Tu Chengli. Instantly, Lu Xin felt himself become weightless, floating down from the inn like a falling leaf. The scholar, too afraid to jump, was given a swift kick by Moonless Night. Even without any martial prowess, he landed safely on the street.

“You two lunatics, if you want to go, go! I don’t want to die!”

The scholar’s face was deathly pale, his voice on the edge of tears. Lu Xin shot him a glance, too exasperated to reply, and prepared to set off west. Suddenly, footsteps sounded above.

The noise came from the rooftop. Looking up, they saw two graceful figures swiftly crossing the eaves. Lu Xin instantly recognized them: the long-absent sisters from Miaojiang.

The original plan for this midnight outing had been to obtain the token from these very sisters; they had never expected to encounter them here.

“It seems those two knew in advance the Underworld Soldiers would appear in Xuanzhou, and so came out early to wait. If that’s the case, these sisters are far from ordinary.”

Watching as the sisters melted into the moonlit distance, Lu Xin’s expression grew increasingly grave.

“Xin, let’s go! Why are you standing there? If we don’t hurry, we’ll lose them!”

With a sudden shout, the scholar took off down the street, not waiting for the others. Moonless Night cursed him roundly but did not hesitate, leaping over ten meters in a single bound. Watching the antics of his two companions, Lu Xin could only shake his head with a bitter smile and followed, using his own agility to keep up.

Moonless Night’s Gale Charm was a spell unique to the fox clan, allowing one to ride the wind and move with the lightness of a swallow. Not only was it swift on level ground, but even among wild mountains and valleys one could fly like an arrow. The three made rapid progress and soon reached the north gate. At this hour, the gates were wide open and not a soul was in sight—not an onmyoji, not even an ordinary night watchman.

Overjoyed, they slipped out and continued west. After about half an hour, they finally picked up the Underworld Soldiers’ trail along a great riverbank, now more than a hundred miles from Xuanzhou.

“Fox, these Underworld Soldiers have traveled west all this way, always through places thick with yin energy. And as the night grows later, the yin grows denser still. How long can we keep this up? Now that we’re out of Xuanzhou, let’s not follow them any farther.”