Chapter 25: The Red Armillary Sash

Hua Sheng was just about to reach out when Mieying slapped his hand away with a sharp crack.

"Don't you dare touch it with your filthy hands!" Mieying stepped closer and said, "Keep them up!"

Hua Sheng immediately obeyed, raising his hands high in a gesture of surrender. A blush crept across Mieying’s face as she unfolded the Hun-Tian Sash.

"Just wearing it... is enough."

The long, slender crimson sash unfurled from her fair palms. Its ends did not drop to the ground; instead, the entire sash seemed to possess a life of its own, dancing gracefully in the air, untethered by gravity. Moreover, it seemed to be an extension of her own body, moving in perfect harmony with her every gesture.

As she moved closer to fasten it, Mieying had to wrap her arms around him, pressing her face against his chest. Hua Sheng suddenly noticed the air near him was filled with a strange, faint fragrance that made his heart race. Just as he wondered if it was her natural scent, her hair brushed against his cheek, carrying that same aroma. For a moment, he felt dizzy and nearly lost his footing.

"Hey! Stop fidgeting!"

Mieying wrapped the red silk around his waist twice and tied it off. The remaining half-foot of fabric dangled at his side. Once it was secured, she glared at him with wide, solemn eyes. "Three rules, listen closely! First, this sash is my personal item. You are not allowed to touch it. If I catch you touching it, watch out—I’ll break those dirty, greedy hands of yours!"

Hua Sheng nodded repeatedly.

"Second, you are not to tell anyone. If I find out that a soul knows of this, I will sew your stinking mouth shut!"

"Understood, understood. But since you’ve given the sash to me, doesn't that mean you aren't wearing that... that undergarment..."

"Shut up! That is the third rule! If you dare to think such thoughts or harbor the slightest impure intent, I will crush your—"

Hua Sheng quickly waved his hands. "Fine, fine! Crush my skull, will you?"

"That’s more like it! You must remember: this sash is the rope by which I lead you, and the whip that strikes your body. You have no say in the matter!"

Only then did Mieying look somewhat satisfied. She added, "Though the Hun-Tian Sash can pass through magical barriers, I suspect the Liuli Crystal Lock Array is more than just a simple barrier. Be extremely careful; find the Immortal Lord Daoling and leave immediately. Do not wander about, and if you see anything strange, do not touch it, lest you invite disaster."

"Understood. Thank you for your trouble, Lady Mie." Hua Sheng thought to himself that Mieying, or Xiao Qi, was a truly thoughtful girl.

"Go! Hurry!" With a flick of her hand, she performed a spell, and in a blink, her form shifted to perfectly match Hua Sheng’s. Without looking back, she flew upward.

Once she was gone, Hua Sheng cast an invisibility spell, moving as silently as possible. He crept along the wall, recalling the location of the Liuli Crystal Lock Array as described by the ox-faced jailer. Thoughts of Immortal Lord Daoling’s plight churned in his mind like a turbulent sea. He had once been so simple-minded, believing that saving the world was the only thing that mattered. In a moment of hot-headedness, he had stubbornly dragged Taishang Xiaojun to seek the Daoist Ancestor’s help.

Though the world was now safe, it had come at the cost of the Immortal Lord. Looking back, Weiyu hadn't been wrong either. Was everything he had done truly the right choice? Had he, by winning the Qiankun Guard battle, actually pushed all of humanity toward destruction?

If only the future weren't so elusive. The only thing Hua Sheng could feel directly now was the price he kept paying for his "righteous actions." He had lost more than just Weiyu; the guilt weighed upon his soul as he realized that Weiyu’s death and the Immortal Lord’s imprisonment were all linked to his choices.

Perhaps the cost was far greater than this. He wondered if it would have been better to just let the world burn and let Weiyu do as she pleased. But no, he hadn't known she was Ming You at the time. Even if he could go back, he couldn't have ignored the world’s suffering.

The real choice had been when he faced Weiyu with the Ruyi Jingu Bang. If he had turned his weapon against the Heaven-Covering and Earth-Carrying Array instead, what would have happened? The Daoist Academy would have suffered casualties, but Weiyu would have lived. Her arts were second to none; she would have stood by his side. Would that have been the correct ending? No, that wouldn't have been the end. Disaster would have broken out, and he would have been forced to fight the Immortal Lord. Could they have won? And how could he have faced Taishang Xiaojun, who had begged the Ancestor for his sake, only to be betrayed?

It was a path of no return, a slaughter that would have claimed countless lives. If he had chosen that, the Immortals would have attacked, and Master Qingmiao would have been among them. More blood would have been shed. Perhaps Mieying wouldn't even exist now.

But the dead are gone, and the past is like smoke. Yet, he remained. It was a past that allowed for no assumptions, one he dared not dwell on. As Master Ruokong had said, he was bearing the cause and effect of this world.

Suddenly, Hua Sheng realized he had encountered no obstacles and had unknowingly reached the forest of pillars reaching to the heavens. The Hun-Tian Sash really could neutralize the external array!

He looked up. The deep blue Liuli Crystal Lock Array stood just ahead. He ascended on a cloud, seeing that unlike the irregular shapes of the other cells, this one was perfectly smooth, without a single seam. It looked transparent, yet nothing but flickering fluorescence was visible inside. He glanced at the sash at his waist and muttered, "I hope this can break the Liuli Crystal Lock. Time to gamble."

He reached out and touched the array. A bone-chilling cold struck his hand, yet there was no resistance. It felt like stepping from a warm room into the dead of winter. Overjoyed, he stepped inside.

Two steps in, he shivered. It wasn't just winter; it was a sub-zero ice cellar. The space was far larger than it appeared from the outside—an endless expanse. The ceiling resembled a dark blue sky, and the floor was a smooth, reflective mirror. Were it not for the lack of waves, he would have thought he was in the middle of the ocean. Aside from a faint, humming vibration, there was absolute silence.

In the far distance, a blue speck of light glowed. He guessed it was the core. He tried to cast a cloud-riding spell, but without water vapor in this airless void, it failed. He was stuck. He looked at the sash at his waist and had an idea.

"By the mandate of the law! Hun-Tian Sash! Take me there!"

The sash seemed to understand. With a tug at his waist, his body lifted into the air and streaked toward the blue light. He traveled at incredible speeds, reaching the destination in moments.

The light was a deep blue cube, floating and rotating slowly. This was the core. The temperature dropped further, likely to minus fifty degrees. As he approached, the cold became catastrophic. Every step drew the heat from his body. He tried to shield himself with magic, but the further he went, the weaker his efforts became. His eyes felt as if they were freezing in their sockets. If not for his robes and the iron-link protection, his blood would have turned to ice.

As he drew near, he saw a figure floating inside the cube: a young boy in purple robes, sitting cross-legged. His hands and feet were shackled, and his eyes were covered by a black cloth.

Hua Sheng knew this was the one they were looking for. His heart tightened, and his nose stung. He struggled forward, the temperature plummeting below minus one hundred degrees. His hair turned to ice, and his fingers turned purple, frozen stiff.

"Is that you, Hua Sheng?" a child’s voice echoed from within the blue cube.