Chapter 1086: The Residence

Chapter 1086: The Residence

After receiving Qi Xuansu’s orders, Spirit Guard Ding Chou and Spirit Guard Jia Yin were both stunned by his audacity, yet they still chose to obey.

Both Spirit Guards understood the gravity of the situation. If Qi Xuansu was wrong, the blame would fall on him. At worst, they shared secondary responsibility, or perhaps even none. But if Qi Xuansu was right and they refused to act, allowing a traitor to slip their grasp and plunge Poluo into chaos, their fates would be far worse.

A first-rank Spirit Guard was important, but not irreplaceable. Strictly speaking, it was the Spirit Guards who needed the Daoist Order, not the other way around.

The two first-rank Spirit Guards arrived at Chen Shuhua’s residence in Thanglong Prefecture. It was somewhat remote, not at all close to the royal palace.

Publicly, Chen Shuhua claimed she lived far away because she was not on good terms with the Yu King. But now, it was clear that her true purpose was so she could conduct illicit activities. Living too near the palace or in a crowded district risked exposure.

Spirit Guard Ding Chou and Spirit Guard Jia Yin ordered their subordinates to seal off the entire residence before the two of them entered.

The estate was completely empty at this moment. Chen Shuhua had either dismissed all her attendants in advance or had silenced them permanently.

Either way, it meant that Chen Shuhua had anticipated their arrival. She was prepared.

Qi Xuansu understood clearly that the only advantage he held was timing. If Chen Shuhua had even accounted for that, the outcome of this operation would have been uncertain.

Through their visors, Spirit Guards Ding Chou and Jia Yin exchanged a silent look that conveyed their heavy hearts.

Soon, they reached Chen Shuhua’s study.

Everything was neatly arranged, as if the owner had just stepped out and might return at any moment.

Spirit Guard Jia Yin scanned the room, his gaze locking onto a bookshelf. Without searching for hidden mechanisms, he simply drew his massive axe and split the shelf cleanly in half.

What appeared was a door that had been laid flat on the ground. Below it, a rough-hewn stone stairway extended downward into an abyss, clearly carved in haste and never finished.

Spirit Guard Jia Yin said in a low voice, “It looks like our Chief Deputy has been hiding her depths all along. Others saw her as Mansion Master Wang’s Puppet. But now, it’s clear that she’s using him as her shield.”

Spirit Guard Ding Chou said, “Who says Mansion Master Wang isn’t involved? I don’t believe he could have been completely unaware. At the very least, he must have deliberately allowed it.”

Hearing this, Spirit Guard Jia Yin could not refute.

Spirit Guard Ding Chou drew out her massive shield, which was nearly a wall in itself, and led the way.

Meanwhile, Spirit Guard Jia Yin brandished a long spear and followed from behind.

The length of the secret passage exceeded both their expectations. Clearly, spatial compression techniques had been used, as its true length no longer corresponded to mortal reality. Within it were countless traps and restrictions, preventing them from simply flying through the passage. They could only walk step by step, disarming and clearing traps along the way.

It was destined to be a long and time-consuming journey to the other end of the tunnel.

Clearly, Chen Shuhua intended to delay them for as long as possible.

When they finally reached the end of the passage, a massive formation barred their way.

Formations depended on their key nodes. In the Wuxing Mountain battle, the Spirit Guards and the Black Robes had repeatedly contested those nodes. Ultimately, the Spirit Guards prevailed, uprooting most nodes and rendering the grand formation useless, hence allowing Madam Qi to exile The Inn’s Owner.

Here, the nodes were not hidden at all. They stood openly on the ground, like rows of tombstones, arranged in a deliberate pattern.

Spirit Guard Jia Yin muttered, “Is this really the Thanglong Prefecture I thought I knew? A giant tomb outside the city hid two Immortal-level vessels, another city was dug beneath the city, and now, a grand formation? Ding Chou, you’re stationed in Thanglong Prefecture year-round. Didn’t you notice anything?”

Spirit Guard Ding Chou studied the activated formation and replied, “It’s not surprising. If Second Deputy Qi’s deduction is correct and Chief Deputy Chen conspired with the Yu King, then it is definitely possible that she is able to achieve this with the royal family’s full support and her shielding the truth. But to me, this place doesn’t look newly built. It looks like it already existed but was modified and expanded into what we see now.”

The two Spirit Guards did not rush into the formation. Instead, Spirit Guard Jia Yin crouched down and examined it closely. “If I’m not mistaken, this resembles an Ancient Wuist formation. It fits perfectly with their collusion with the Ancient Immortal Wu Luo.”

Spirit Guard Ding Chou said, “Ancient Wuism was known for bloodshed and cruelty, always using living beings as sacrifices. Among the Ancient Immortals, Wu Luo particularly liked blood sacrifices the most, so she has the heaviest karmic fire. This formation is no exception. These stones are coagulated from blood.”

With that, Spirit Guard Ding Chou drew a large bow, pulled it taut, and shot an arrow toward the far side of the formation.

The arrow streaked across the formation, but before it could pass through, it dissolved into nothingness.

The next moment, silhouettes began to appear above each blood-stone.

The figures were all different. Some were dressed as Daoist priests, some as pirates, Buddhist monks, Confucian scholars, and shamans. There were people from the Central Plains, Nanyang locals, and even Westerners.

The only thing they had in common was that they were all dead.

Their bodies were translucent and blood-red, but they did not have a mind of their own, like puppets.

No one knew how much effort or how many years Chen Shuhua had spent gathering so many people and assembling such a gory formation.

Spirit Guard Jia Yin even recognized a few familiar faces. “Isn’t that Captain Yuan Bao? He used to be a major force at sea. At his peak, he commanded over 100 ships. But the Heavenly Court wiped them out a few years ago. I didn’t expect him to end up like this. Even in death, he gets no peace.

“That one’s a senior manager from the West Shakya Company. I met him at the Shangyuan Festival celebrations once. He vanished years ago, rumored to have wandered into an unknown pocket realm and gotten trapped. The West Shakya Company made quite a fuss about it, but eventually, the matter faded away. I never thought he’d end up as one of Chief Deputy Chen’s collectables.

“I know that Daoist priest. They said he passed away in meditation. Had someone dug him out of his grave? It looks like our Chief Deputy truly hid far more than she showed.”

Suddenly, Spirit Guard Ding Chou asked, “Jia Yin, what’s Chief Deputy Chen’s actual cultivation?”

Spirit Guard Jia Yin replied, “It’s always been publicly stated as the Zaohua stage. But now, I’m not so sure...”

“Something like this can hardly be outsourced. If she did all this alone and kept it perfectly hidden, she must be a Pseudo-Immortal at the very least.” Spirit Guard Ding Chou’s expression turned grim.

Spirit Guard Jia Yin nodded. “I’ve had that suspicion too. But how could she possibly fool Great Sage Lan?”

Spirit Guard Ding Chou sighed. “Most likely an external artifact that can suppress her true cultivation. Great Sage Lan has been lethargic for years, unwilling to manage internal affairs. He barely meets her a few times a year, so tricking him wouldn’t be difficult. Besides, a Pseudo-Immortal is merely the peak of the Zaohua stage. Historically, people didn’t even distinguish between them.”

Spirit Guard Jia Yin’s voice grew solemn. “A Pseudo-Immortal...no wonder Second Deputy Qi insisted the two of us come together.”

“If it’s only a Pseudo-Immortal, then things are still under control.” Spirit Guard Ding Chou remained hopeful.

Spirit Guard Jia Yin stood up and asked, “Shall we break through by force?”

Spirit Guard Ding Chou nodded. “It seems that’s our only option.”

The two Spirit Guards said no more. They drew their weapons and charged into the formation together.

Even a Zaohua-stage Heavenly Being might not pass through this grand formation unharmed. However, with the two working together, this formation was not a great obstacle.

Very quickly, all the blood-shadows within the formation were slaughtered, and the blood-stones hosting them shattered one after another.

These blood-shadows had never been a match for a first-rank Spirit Guard in life, so there was no reason they would surpass the Spirit Guards in death.

When the two Spirit Guards passed through the formation, they finally saw the underground altar.

Chen Shuhua stood at the very top of the altar, dressed in a Sage’s hechang and clasping a blood-red stone in her hand.

“Spirit Guard Jia Yin, Spirit Guard Ding Chou, how dare you break into my home?”

Unlike her usual gentleness, Chen Shuhua now radiated a sinister gloom, like a venomous snake coiled in a dark burrow, putting the two Spirit Guards on full alert.

After a moment, Spirit Guard Ding Chou spoke. “Chief Deputy Chen, we are merely following orders. Please come with us to assist in an investigation.”

“An order? From the Daoist Mansion?” Chen Shuhua scoffed. “Or from Qi Xuansu?”

Spirit Guard Jia Yin replied, “Second Deputy Qi has already reported to the Golden Tower Council. So this is the Golden Tower Council’s directive. Chief Deputy Chen, we urge you to turn back before it’s too late.”

“Turn back?” Chen Shuhua let out a mocking laugh. “Do the two of you take me for a child? With all that has happened, each deed alone is enough to have me dismissed and executed. What more if you add them together? Will the Daoist Order ever spare me? No one can protect me now. No amount of past merit can offset these sins.”

The two Spirit Guards tightened their grips on their weapons.

Chen Shuhua showed not even a trace of fear. “Qi Xuansu thinks too highly of himself. He thought I failed to recognize Shangguan Ya’s background and that I didn’t know the Eight Tribes were involved. He thought I would misjudge the timing, giving him plenty of time to act. But for me, the timing is perfect. He’s the one who won’t be able to save himself.”

Spirit Guard Jia Yin’s tone deepened. “In that case, don’t blame us for what comes next.”