Volume 5 Chapter 96: Chen Xianer
Book 5: Chapter 96: Chen Xianer
Gu Hai stared at the Reincarnation King.
Then, a mirror appeared in the Reincarnation King's hand as he extended it. The mirror had the words "Mortal Soul Register."
Gu Hai took the mirror from the Reincarnation King's hand.
"I—" The Reincarnation King was about to speak, but Bing Ji's cold gaze made the Reincarnation King swallow his words.
However, when the Mortal Soul Register entered Gu Hai's hand, the words on it disappeared.
"How do I use this?" Gu Hai asked.
"Only...only I can use it, as I am the Reincarnation King appointed by Heaven. The Mortal Soul Register acknowledges only me!" the Reincarnation King replied softly.
Gu Hai stared at the Reincarnation King for a while before eventually passing the Mortal Soul Register back to the Reincarnation King.
"Find a mortal soul for me," Gu Hai said.
"Sage, please speak," the Reincarnation King said respectfully.
"She is called Chen Xianer. She should have died in the past twenty years. Help me find her," Gu Hai said with some anticipation in his eyes.
"Chen Xianer?" The Reincarnation King nodded, feeling slightly startled.
The Reincarnation King closed his eyes and activated the Mortal Soul Register in his hand.
Buzz!
The Mortal Soul Register trembled slightly. Then, multicolored lights came out from the Mortal Soul Register, like thousands of small dots.
"Did you find her?" Gu Hai asked with anticipation in his eyes.
"Uh...I found it," the Reincarnation King said, feeling slightly startled.
"Really?" Gu Hai's face lit up in joy.
"Yes. However, there are three thousand six hundred forty-two Chen Xianers who entered this world in the past twenty years. Furthermore, they are scattered all over this world. I...," the Reincarnation King said with a bitter expression.
"Three thousand six hundred forty-two? All with the same name and same family name? No matter what, find them all. Also, do not harm her. If she suffers any harm, I'll hold you accountable!" Gu Hai glared.
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll send the soldiers out immediately," the Reincarnation King said.
Gu Hai nodded.
The Reincarnation King quickly called for soldiers. Soon, many soldiers and magistrates fearfully poured into the plaza. Then, he called three thousand six hundred forty-two magistrates over, imprinted the location of a soul in each of their Mortal Soul Register copies, and had them head over with soldiers.
Gu Hai watched the entire proceedings.
After the Reincarnation King sent out all the magistrates and soldiers, the Reincarnation King tried pandering to Gu Hai. "Sage, this might take some time. How about you rest in my Reincarnation City first?"
"Your Majesty?" Bing Ji looked at Gu Hai.
"There's no need. I happen to have something to do. I will return in a few days." Gu Hai shook his head.
"Oh? That's good, that's good. Sage, just do as you please," the Reincarnation King said with a lowered head and a bow.
Gu Hai found two ghostly cloaks in Reincarnation City. When he and Bing Ji wore them, they hid the holy light.
The Reincarnation King and many magistrates extremely respectfully sent off the two, watching as the two left Reincarnation City and vanished before the souls.
When the Reincarnation King could no longer see Gu Hai, his expression immediately turned cold and sinister.
"Humph!" He let out a cold snort, throwing a resentful look in the direction that Gu Hai had gone.
"Great King, isn't Gu Hai searching for someone? Why did he leave at such a crucial moment?" one of the magistrates asked out of curiosity.
"Why did he leave? He can remain in this world for only ten days. Is he just going to wait idly and not do anything else?" the Reincarnation King retorted coldly.
"However, didn't they just arrive? What could they be doing outside?" that magistrate asked.
The Reincarnation King narrowed his eyes slightly. Before he could speak, a voice suddenly rang out at the side. "Gu Hai must have discovered the secret behind Old Mister Guan Qi's Go puzzle and left to search for treasure."
"Bodhisattva Zi Zhu?" the Reincarnation King said, his face lighting up with joy.
"Reincarnation King, you did well. Even in such a desperate situation, you did not betray me," Bodhisattva Zi Zhu said indifferently.
"Me? How could I dare to?" the Reincarnation King pandered.
"It's good that Gu Hai left. No matter what he finds, he will have to return here. When the time comes, we will exchange the person he wants for the treasure," Bodhisattva Zi Zhu said coldly.
"However, that loathsome lass's cold energy is very powerful," the Reincarnation King said worriedly.
"That is Bing Ji. While she has a cold-energy enchanted treasure, I have an enchanted treasure as well. This is good timing. Arrange for some soldiers to coordinate with me to lay a fire-attributed ritual array. Humph!" Bodhisattva Zi Zhu said coldly.
"Excellent! Excellent!" the Reincarnation King said excitedly.
Gu Hai and Bing Ji left Reincarnation City.
"Your Majesty, are we heading to where Old Mister Guan Qi indicated?" Bing Ji asked.
Gu Hai shook his head. "No matter how precious the treasure that Old Mister Guan Qi mapped out is, it cannot compare to the person I seek."
"Ah?"
"Come, we will return in secret," Gu Hai said.
"Return in secret? But we just...," Bing Ji said worriedly.
"We had a bounty placed on us. That proves that either the Grand Mohist or the person that the Grand Mohist brought came in contact with the Reincarnation King. That person might even have been right by the Reincarnation King earlier. Even though the Reincarnation King was so afraid of death, he refused to expose that person. That shows how terrified he was of that person. Given that, how truthful would he be to us?" Gu Hai said.
"Right." Bing Ji frowned as she nodded.
The two sneaked back into Reincarnation City.
They came in from another direction, walking to a remote city gate tower of Reincarnation City.
"Who is it—" the soldier on the nearby city gate tower started shouting.
Phish!
Bing Ji suddenly blew up that soldier.
"Be careful," Gu Hai said.
"Yes. This subject was not sufficiently attentive," Bing Ji said with a bitter smile.
The two climbed the city gate tower, then headed to the buildings in the city.
The two traveled within the city quietly. When they met with some soldiers, Bing Ji did not harm those that cooperated, only binding them with ropes and gagging them. She froze and killed only the stubborn soldiers.
The two questioned people and eventually found their way to the Reincarnation King.
Soon, they arrived at Reincarnation City's main palace hall.
At this moment, there were many soldiers and magistrates stationed there, tightly guarding the plaza.
Bodhisattva Zi Zhu stood next to the Reincarnation King. The Reincarnation King held the Mortal Soul Register with two hands, muttering.
Souls continuously came out of the Mortal Soul Register.
In a distant corner, Bing Ji's pupils constricted. "The Reincarnation King lied to us. He can move the mortal souls of this world over in an instant, using the Mortal Soul Register. Yet, he lied to us, saying that it would take a few days."
Bing Ji showed a sullen expression. However, Gu Hai held her back, telling her not to interrupt as he stared at the souls appearing in the plaza.
"Is that Bodhisattva Zi Zhu? How did she enter?" Bing Ji looked at Bodhisattva Zi Zhu in surprise.
However, Gu Hai did not care, keeping his eyes on the souls that came out of the Mortal Soul Register.
The Chen Xianers brought over from all over the world looked at their surroundings in confusion.
"Where am I?"
"Where is this?"
"This humble soul, Chen Xianer, salutes Reincarnation King!"
"Chen Xianer? You are called Chen Xianer as well? I'm Chen Xianer!"
There were women of all ages—old, young, children, and maidens. At this moment, they felt bewildered and frightened.
"Nobody moves! Stay where you are!" The soldiers looked at the many Chen Xianers coldly as they held up their weapons.
The Chen Xianers looked around in fear.
"No, not that one, either. No, they are all wrong." Anxiety flashed in Gu Hai's eyes.
One thousand...two thousand...three thousand...
Gu Hai showed an anxious expression. It would be bad if he could not find Chen Xianer.
"Your Majesty, is she there?" Bing Ji asked Gu Hai worriedly.
As Bing Ji looked at Gu Hai, his body suddenly stiffened, and his eyes glazed over.
Gu Hai's sudden change made Bing Ji realize something. She turned her head.
A woman wearing a fox-fur coat had emerged from the Mortal Soul Register. This beautiful woman immediately became the center of attraction the moment she appeared. All the other Chen Xianers looked plain and ordinary before her. Many soldiers goggled at her.
All the women Bing Ji had seen—including Long Wanqing, Fairy Waner, and Long Wanyu—paled in comparison. The only one that could compete with this woman in beauty was the Supreme Ascendant Dao's Grand Mohist.
This woman had a sorrowful light in her eyes that made her look very pitiful.
Chen Xianer? Is she the Chen Xianer His Majesty is searching for?
Gu Hai's tearful eyes already said everything.
When looking at the beautiful Chen Xianer, Bing Ji suddenly felt ashamed of her inferiority. She could not help feeling envious. However, she showed a bitter expression as she looked at Gu Hai.
Is she His Majesty's wife? The one that His Majesty has been keeping the position of empress for all the while? Only such beauty is worthy of His Majesty, right? Bing Ji showed a sad bitterness.
"Bing Ji, go over there and attract their attention." Gu Hai pointed somewhere.
"Yes!" Bing Ji answered.
Silently, Bing Ji went into the distance while Gu Hai sneaked around the plaza.
In the plaza, the Reincarnation King saw the beautiful Chen Xianer, and his eyes opened wide.
"Is she the one?" Bodhisattva Zi Zhu narrowed her eyes.
"No. I don't know. There are twenty more." The Reincarnation King looked at Chen Xianer, feeling somewhat enamored.
"Hurry up!" Bodhisattva Zi Zhu said.
"Oh, uh... Alright!" The Reincarnation King returned to his work, making more Chen Xianers come out of the Mortal Soul Register.
However, everyone's eyes remained fixed on the beautiful Chen Xianer, as she stood out too much.
Just then, a loud noise suddenly rang out in the distance.
Boom!
A distant palace hall exploded without warning.
"Who is it?" The faces of Bodhisattva Zi Zhu and the Reincarnation King sank as they turned their heads to look.
Just as all the souls turned to look, Gu Hai narrowed his eyes, and his figure flashed.
Whoosh!
Like a swift arrow, Gu Hai rushed towards his wife, Chen Xianer.
Right then, Chen Xianer seemed to sense something. She melancholically turned her head and suddenly saw Gu Hai, the person she yearned for all day and night, feeling sorrowful.
"Husband?" Chen Xianer's soul froze there, and her eyes misted over.
[TL Note: Wives in ancient China, especially wives of high officials and nobles, tended to greet their husbands formally and deferentially. The word used literally means "old master." It basically is a title referring to the master of the house; servants also used it.]