Chapter 1182: Vice-Leader
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Water Fairy smiled and said, "This is my gear, and it is called a Waterdrop Orb. With this orb, you can prevent watery chaos. Can I swap this for all four of your lifewater drops?"
"Define what watery chaos means first," Han Sen said, not quite catching her drift.
Water Fairy gave the orb to Han Sen and then fired a water arrow at him.
Pang!
The water arrow broke into a liquidy splash, despite only being one foot away from Han Sen.
Water Fairy smiled and said, "The orb can block my attacks. It can only block water damage, mind you. And after some use, it'll take a while before it can be used again."
"But I used up one of my lifewater vials." Han Sen wanted others to believe this.
"Deal." Water Fairy was happy to swap the Waterdrop Orb for Han Sen's remaining vials of lifewater.
Han Sen played with the Waterdrop Orb. Although it only blocked water damage, and it wasn't the most useful item in the sanctuary, it was better than nothing. The lifewater was outright harmful, after all, so it was little more than a waste of space.
The other super creatures soon learned about their trade, too, and they all wanted to do the same. Unfortunately, Han Sen had no more lifewater left. After a while, Han Sen was able to obtain another two. Ghost Eye came to him shortly after, wanting to make an exchange.
Ghost Eye threw him an eyeball that was black and white. It was reminiscent of Tai Chi in some ways. Han Sen was not sure what it could do, but the eyeball was obviously gear that the creature had created. Much like the fairy, it wanted to swap the gear for Han Sen's lifewater.
"I only have two lifewater drops. Do you still want to make the trade?" Han Sen asked, while pulling his two vials out.
Ghost Eye was actually an ape. One of its eyes was a murky shade of white, and it was an unsettling creature to look upon. But it was also the most active super creature amongst them. It swallowed the lifewater and left immediately.
Han Sen looked at the eyeball-like item he had been given. He noticed it was able to do something with Yin and Yang.
If Han Sen practiced Yang, he could use the item to make it Yin. If he practiced Yin, then he could make it Yang.
Han Sen had Yin Yang Blast, which meant the item wasn't very useful for him. For people who only practiced one, it would be a precious item to have, though.
"If I work here for a long time, I should be able to amass quite the array of gear." Han Sen thought the terms of these exchanges were more than fair, considering he had no need for the lifewater he'd be giving up.
As a result, Han Sen made plans to collect more lifewater for gear. But, a few days later, he stumbled across another message. It seemed as if the person who had been leaving the messages wanted to meet Han Sen, at last. On the paper was an address and a time.
Han Sen made a mental note of it and then incinerated the parchment. The next day, Han Sen left the tree. They were going to meet in a certain grove inside the walnut forest.
Han Sen arrived early, curious to meet the message-leaving enigma.
After a while of waiting, Han Sen heard someone approach. The person wasn't quite there yet, and the forest was wreathed with vines that obscured the view quite a bit. Han Sen would be unable to see who it was until they came closer.
When the person's identity was finally revealed, Han Sen was shocked.
Despite all the possibilities he had mulled over in his mind, Han Sen was utterly flabbergasted it was that person who had been leaving him the slips of paper.
"Didn't I tell you to leave? What are you still doing here?" the man said coldly.
"You're the one leaving me slips of paper then, I assume." Han Sen looked at the man with a strange expression. He had a big head and the body of a frail baby. It was Baby Ghost.
"Who else?" Baby Ghost said.
"Then you know what this is?" Han Sen brought out a paper with the Nine-Life Cat symbol on it.
Han Sen believed he had been the one leaving the messages, but he did not believe Baby Ghost knew anything about the Nine-Life Cat or Blood Legion.
"I am a member of Blood Legion. You think I don't know what that is?" Baby Ghost looked at Han Sen with disdain.
Han Sen was shocked. Baby Ghost was a king spirit; how could he be a member of a human organization?
Although Han Sen had readied himself for this possibility, he was still taken aback to hear it out loud.
"You are a member?" Han Sen was almost unable to believe it.
For a king spirit of the Third God's Sanctuary to be a member of Blood Legion was a nigh insane thing to comprehend. Han Sen knew Blood Legion was strong, but he did not expect the organization would be strong enough to employ king spirits of the Third God's Sanctuary. Han Sen felt as if his world had been turned upside-down, and all he knew about Blood Legion had been incorrect. What exactly was Blood Legion?
Baby Ghost pulled out something and tossed it over to Han Sen.
It was a card of the Alliance. Han Sen had seen such things many times, as it was a card that usually had the Nine-Life Cat symbol on its underside.
Han Sen flipped it over, and as expected, there it was. It was a Nine-Life Cat card.
"I am the Vice-Leader of Blood Legion. My title is Ghost Baby," Baby Ghost King said.
Chapter 1183: Incorrect Judgment
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Han Sen heard what he was told, his immediate reaction was to frown. Surprises were nothing new to him at this point, but this one hit a little harder than most.
"You are the Vice-Leader of Blood Legion? In that case, you know who the leader is?" Han Sen asked.
"You aren't a member, so I'm not obliged to tell you anything. But now that you're out of that shelter, I heartily recommend you don't return," Baby Ghost said.
Han Sen thought the person who gave him the paper must have noticed or sensed he was wearing the Nine-Life Cat pendant, and that the parchment used was in reference to it. That didn't seem to be the case, though. Baby Ghost did not seem to know about Han Sen's connection with Blood Legion, and the paper Baby Ghost had been using to warn Han Sen had only been intended to flaunt the organization he was a member of.
"If you don't think I'm a member, why would you help me?" Han Sen asked.
Han Sen had just met one of the most important figures of the enigmatic Blood Legion organization. Although he could not be one-hundred percent certain he was not being told a falsehood, he wanted to ask as many questions as he could and learn more. This was a wildly rare opportunity.
Baby Ghost merely stared at Han Sen, saying, "Your image; you remind me of someone."
"Who?" Han Sen was not expecting this response.
"Han Jingzhi," Baby Ghost answered.
The composure of Han Sen's mind was given a shake, but he still managed to calmly ask, "How do you know him?"
Baby Ghost's face suggested he had just taken a brief trip down memory lane. When he returned to the situation at hand, he just told Han Sen, "You don't need to know anything about all this. Just don't go back to Immortal Shelter."
"At least tell me why. Give me one good reason why I should leave. I can't just walk away after everything, all because of your few measly words," Han Sen proclaimed.
Baby Ghost turned around and said, "If you want to go back, go back. I won't stop you. But on your head be it, should things run afoul for you."
"Wait!" Han Sen brought out the Nine-Life Cat pendant that was tucked beneath his shirt and said, "If you are the Vice-Leader of Blood Legion, surely you know what this is, don't you?"
Baby Ghost turned back around, and the stiffness of his face dropped in shock. His eyes widened as they peered at the pendant.
Baby Ghost suddenly moved.
Han Sen opened his gene locks, ready to fight. But what happened in the next second surprised even him.
Baby Ghost had dropped onto the ground so quickly that a crater was formed. In that shallow pit, he bowed before Han Sen.
Pang! Pang! Pang!
Baby Ghost bowed repeatedly, with alarming speed and sincerity. All the while, his lips murmured and mumbled incoherent speech.
Han Sen froze in his place, having not expected a reaction such as this. This was a king spirit of the Third God's Sanctuary. It had the potential to beat any human. But there it was, down on its hands and knees in respect to a small item belonging to a human organization.
"Is Blood Legion that big of a deal?" The pendant he always carried with him suddenly felt much heavier.
Baby Ghost then stood up. In a state of shock, he asked, "Who are you? Why would you possess that relic?"
Seeing Baby Ghost's face, Han Sen felt giving him the wrong answer now would swiftly lead to his death.
"Han Jingzhi gave it to me," Han Sen answered.
Baby Ghost's face changed to one that was resolute. He barked, "That's impossible! Han Jingzhi could not have possessed such a relic."
"But this did belong to him," Han Sen re-confirmed.
Baby Ghost then said, "It belongs to Blood Legion; what are you suggesting?"
Han Sen always thought Han Jingzhi might have been the leader of Blood Legion. There was definitely a strong association between the two, after all. But now, hearing Baby Ghost's reaction, that didn't seem likely.
The fact that Baby Ghost was willing to state Han Jingzhi's name so freely also suggested he wasn't the leader or anyone of renown and importance within the ranks of Blood Legion.
"Han Jingzhi is a part of Blood Legion, isn't he? Why would it be impossible for him to have it?" Han Sen asked.
Baby Ghost's expression had turned dark, as if the fancy for murder had taken over his mind. Angrily, he spat out his words, saying, "You really are talking sh*t! Han Jingzhi is not a member of Blood Legion and there is no possible way for him to possess that relic. Be honest with me, boy; lest I pry the answers out of you with profound agony and suffering."
Han Sen was shocked, hearing Han Jingzhi was not even a lowly member of the organization. If Baby Ghost really was the Vice-Leader, then it clearly meant he knew more about Blood Legion than Han Sen did. And that flipped all of Han Sen's theories thus far on their head.
But why would Han Jingzhi ask Uncle Bug to join him in a search for the relic? Why would he know about its existence, given where it was found?
"Believe it or not, this was originally Han Jingzhi's. A lot of people can verify this claim," Han Sen said, standing his ground.
Baby Ghost looked at Han Sen as if he was trying to scan his mind and discover the truth behind some lie he was being told.
Han Sen then said, "So tell me, how do you know about Han Jingzhi?"
Baby Ghost wished to say something more, but his face changed. Then, he turned to look through the dense brush of the walnut forest.
"Wait here and do not follow me back to the shelter. I will be right back." Baby Ghost then took off back towards the Sky Tree.
Han Sen knew something big must have gone down in with the Sky Tree during their absence; otherwise, Baby Ghost would not have run off in the middle of their conversation.
"Is the tree in the midst of reviving?" Han Sen also ran towards the Sky Tree.
He had waited a long time for this opportunity, so he wasn't going to miss it.
Everything seemed fine in the tree, though, as spirits and creatures were performing their labor duties like normal. Dry Bone King quickly ran over to see Han Sen, though, and promptly brought him up to the higher floors.
"Mister Immortal has finished his practice. He has summoned us to the Immortal Hall. Where have you been?" Dry Bone King asked as he pulled on Han Sen to move quicker.
Han Sen was shocked. If Immortal Emperor was becoming a reality, then that meant the tree was ready to spring back to life.
Chapter 1184: You're All Going to Die Here
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Han Sen removed the Dragon-Blood Ring from his finger. If Immortal Emperor truly was Sky King, he'd recognize Dragon King right away. Han Sen and Dry Bone King arrived at the Immortal Hall. Han Sen was eager to see what Immortal Emperor looked like.
Qing Jun and Ghost Eye were there, as well. When Baby Ghost saw Han Sen, a visible look of surprise came over his face. Han Sen waved at him cheekily and then went to sit down.
Han Sen looked over towards the primary seat of the table, which was currently empty. Immortal Emperor had yet to arrive. No one spoke during the wait, not even the oh-so talkative Ghost Eye. It just sat where it was, taking part in the eerie silence.
Qing Jun was the one who sat nearest the primary seat, and she looked at Han Sen as if she were looking at a dead man.
Han Sen didn't care very much what she may have been thinking, though. He just sat in his seat, waiting for Immortal Emperor to arrive.
Katcha!
The latch of the back door was lifted. The sudden sound was loud, and it shocked those in their seats. Han Sen turned to look in the direction of the noise.
When his eyes fell upon Immortal Emperor, he was surprised. He had often wondered what the enigmatic spirit would look like, and he had come up with numerous visions and images in his head. But this spirit subverted all his expectations: Immortal Emperor looked like a peacock.
The peacock was gold, with a number of multi-colored ornamental eyespots decorating its plumage. It was stunning.
"I thought he was a spirit. Why is he a peacock?" Han Sen mulled the appearance, as the peacock waddled its way over and took its rightful place in the primary seat.
All the king spirits and super creatures in the hall bowed before it, so Han Sen did the same. The peacock's eyes glanced over everyone in the hall but paused when they passed over Han Sen.
When it was done, the peacock screeched, prompting everyone to look at it in wonder.
It stretched its wings, and its eyes shot out a beam of golden light.
Within that gold light, a thin shadow formed. Han Sen could not make out the face of whatever or whoever it was, but its mere presence there rattled his nerves.
Han Sen saw the shadow's lips begin to move, and it looked to be speaking to Qing Jun. No one else was able to hear what was being spoken except for her, it seemed, for she nodded in answer.
When the light came to an end, Qing Jun said, "Yes, My Emperor."
The shadow nodded and faded as the light dimmed. Then, the peacock flapped its wings and flew out. After the peacock left, the king spirits and super creatures in the hall all felt great relief. It was as if they had been holding their breaths the whole time.
"Qing Jun, what did Mister Immortal tell you?" Water Fairy asked.
Qing Jun quietly said, "Mister Immortal is going to open the Holy Door. He needs a lot of Sky Fruit to make pills, so he wants us to gather as much as we can over the next month."
"A month isn't very long. There are still twenty-three of them to go; do we even have enough time?" Dry Bone King said.
"We will have to form the paths, too. It is best that we hurry. Delaying Mister Immortal would be most unwise," Qing Jun said.
Dry Bone's face changed.
"Everyone works beneath my command. I will be most cruel and unpleasant to anyone who seeks to disturb Mister Immortal's business," Qing Jun said.
"I don't want to delay anything, but I have to eat walnuts every three days. If I don't, I cannot participate in the work," Han Sen said.
Qing Jun said, "Lifewater can keep you in your current state, child. There is no need for you to exit."
"I don't have any lifewater," Han Sen then said, as cover for not wanting to consume it due to the possible consequences they could result in.
Qing Jun expected Han Sen to say this, though, so she gave everyone a bottle of the stuff. Then, she said, "Everyone is given ten drops of lifewater as a bonus. If we finish the job within the allotted month, we'll get twenty more as a reward."
Everyone was delighted to hear this. They accepted the lifewater merrily, thanking the emperor for the gracious gift. Han Sen accepted the bottle and listened to Qing Jun's work instructions.
Qing Jun took them straight over to the Sky Fruit. The spirits and creatures were supposed to create the paths that led to them, but now they had to chip in and make their own due to the rush.
Qing Jun put everyone in charge of two Sky Fruit.
"If things go according to plan, the tree will indeed see a revival in the next month," Dragon King said. Han Sen had re-equipped the ring and was consulting with him.
"Is there any way we might be able to muck up his plans?" Han Sen said.
Dragon King said, "I don't think so. The spirits and super creatures have all consumed too much lifewater. They are beyond saving, and the Sky Tree is sure to absorb them all. Unless you can cut down the Sky Tree, it is hopeless. Not even Sky King himself could make a comeback after that."
Han Sen frowned. He had yet to save Qiu Ping, and he had just learned about Baby Ghost being a Vice-Leader of Blood Legion. It would be a proper shame if the latter died. Just as Han Sen was thinking about Baby Ghost, Baby Ghost was actually approaching him.
"Didn't I tell you not to return?" Baby Ghost looked ugly—uglier than usual.
"Give it a rest, will you? You're like a broken record. I'm fine where I am, okay?" Han Sen said.
"If it wasn't for that relic you showed me, I wouldn't care about you one bit." Baby Ghost paused for a moment, before going on to say, "But for you to come back at this time, it is as good as suicide."
"Why?" Han Sen asked.
Baby Ghost then said, "Honestly? Aside from Qing Jun and me, you're all going to die here."