Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Mystery Deepens

"Do not let them escape!" Erlang Shen bellowed.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom erupted from the corridor ahead as a massive stone gate slid down from above. Seeing the exit about to be sealed, Hua Sheng acted on instinct, hurling his Ruyi Jingu Bang forward. A flash of golden light streaked through the air like a steel needle.

The golden needle struck perfectly, wedging itself into the gap at the base of the descending gate. Beneath the immense weight of the stone, a gap exactly a finger’s width remained.

Hua Sheng shouted at the top of his lungs: "Ruyi Jingu Bang! Grow, grow, grow!"

The needle-thin staff instantly expanded, forcing the thousand-pound gate upward with brute strength. Seeing the path cleared, Mie Ying and Taishang Xiaojun sped through without hesitation, one after the other. Hua Sheng followed closely, snapping his staff back into his hand the moment he cleared the threshold.

The stone gate slammed down behind them with a deafening crash.

Once inside the corridor, the trio found themselves confronted by a bull-headed jailer and dozens of guards with the faces of horses, oxen, and sheep, all brandishing weapons and glaring with hostility.

The bull-headed jailer roared, "You little troublemakers! My eyes must have been blinded to let you slip in! There’s no running now. Surrender your weapons and I’ll spare your lives—come with me to face the General!"

Seeing the jailer blocking the path, Taishang Xiaojun asked Hua Sheng, "Shall we divide the labor? You take the ones on the left, and I’ll handle the ones on the right."

"Fine, fine! Let’s just fight!" Worried that Erlang Shen was closing in from behind, Hua Sheng didn't wait for a plan and charged forward, staff swinging.

But as he turned, he froze. The bull-headed jailer and his guards had already been tossed aside, scattered in disarray across the corridor. Far ahead, only the elegant, flowing white hair of Mie Ying could be seen.

Hua Sheng hadn't even seen her strike.

From deep within the corridor, Mie Ying’s voice drifted back: "You talk far too much!"

Taishang Xiaojun could only stick out his tongue in response before hurrying after her with Hua Sheng.

The three passed through the corridor and arrived at the entrance of the Tian Prison of Burning Wrath. Taishang Xiaojun stepped forward and slid open the small peephole cover. "By the order of the law!" he commanded, and Hua Sheng and Mie Ying immediately transformed into two insects, buzzing out through the tiny opening.

No sooner had they left than the sound of Erlang Shen and his Hound of Heaven’s pursuit echoed behind them.

Taishang Xiaojun turned back, cupping his hands in a salute. "General, please forgive the intrusion; it was never my intention to cause trouble. I hope for your magnanimity and understanding! And please, send my regards to Master Yuding!"

Erlang Shen’s voice thundered back: "You bunch of scoundrels!"

With that, Taishang Xiaojun transformed into a small insect and escaped as well.

The three dared not linger outside the gate and immediately took to the clouds, flying at full speed. After traveling through the wilderness for some time and confirming that Erlang Shen and his hound were not in pursuit, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing no further need for weapons, Hua Sheng retracted the Ruyi Jingu Bang into his iron-banded chain. Meanwhile, the white-haired Mie Ying rotated her Purple Flame Snake-Spear Fire-Tip Lance; the weapon shrank rapidly until it was the size of a chopstick. She then gathered her long white hair into a bun and pinned it in place with the shrunken lance, using it as a hairpin.

Hua Sheng watched in silent wonder. With the elegant pin in place, the white-haired Mie Ying’s appearance softened, giving her the ethereal grace of a celestial maiden.

***

Hua Sheng wondered how Mie Ying’s Seventh Sister and Fourth Sister could share the same body and face, yet feel like two completely different people. And considering the Fourth Sister could hold her own against Erlang Shen with her lance, it was no wonder the Seventh Sister called her the strongest among them.

As he pondered this, the white-haired Mie Ying shot him a sharp, warning glance, forcing him to look away.

Nearby, Taishang Xiaojun caught his breath and grumbled, "I came as a guest, yet I ended up crashing the place! I even lugged around a huge bag of gifts—if I’d known I’d be chased like this, I could have saved the money spent on dog treats."

Hua Sheng offered a quick consolation: "Calm down, Xiaojun! They saw us to the door, didn't they? Besides, it’s better that Erlang Shen thinks of us as nothing more than troublemakers. 'Great families breed spoiled sons'—he won't take us too seriously."

"Where did you hear 'great families breed spoiled sons'? It’s 'doting mothers breed spoiled sons'."

"It's about the same! You should just act like a spoiled brat; it’s no big deal to cause a little chaos."

"It’s my family’s reputation at stake, of course you don't care!"

Hua Sheng hurried to soothe him: "The Daoist Ancestor’s virtue is immeasurable; this small loss is just a drop in the ocean!"

Taishang Xiaojun shook his head helplessly. "Enough of that. But tell me, how did it end up being you who went to find Star Lord Daoling?"

"I was forced into it by Mie Ying at the last minute. Right, Fourth Sister?" Hua Sheng asked, turning to the white-haired figure.

The white-haired Mie Ying simply accelerated, flying ahead of them, clearly uninterested in their conversation.

Hua Sheng decided not to press his luck, but his attempt to bring up Star Lord Daoling was interrupted by Taishang Xiaojun’s sudden curiosity. He left Hua Sheng behind to catch up with Mie Ying. "Tell me, Sister, it’s rare to see you. I heard you participated in the Tianmu Trial because you had a grudge against Tianjizi..."

"Do not mention his name in my presence!" The previously calm Mie Ying’s expression changed instantly.

Taishang Xiaojun grinned cheekily. "I only meant to say that we happen to have a grudge against him too. This little brother here actually fought him right in front of the masters, getting Tianjizi grounded for a month. Doesn't that make you feel better?"

The white-haired Mie Ying ignored him.

Taishang Xiaojun flew back, looking dejected, and stuck his tongue out at Hua Sheng. "I think I understand the nature of that grudge," he whispered.

"Understand what?" Hua Sheng asked.

Taishang Xiaojun glanced at the white-haired Mie Ying and leaned into Hua Sheng’s ear. "An ex."

"What! You don't mean..." Hua Sheng gasped.

The white-haired Mie Ying turned her head. "Taishang Xiaojun, stop your meddling and spewing nonsense!"

"Then tell me, why is it?"

The white-haired Mie Ying frowned, spun around, and suddenly her white hair transformed into golden curls. She was back in the form of the Seventh Sister.

Mie Ying the Seventh rubbed her back and glared at the two men. "You troublemakers! I’ve been in pain ever since Erlang Shen bumped into me, and just as I was about to take a nap, you went and upset my Fourth Sister!"

Xiaojun defended himself: "We were only discussing Tianjizi, why did she get so angry?"

"Don't mention Tianjizi in front of the Fourth Sister; there is bad blood between them. If he hadn't been the first to reveal that number 999 was her designation during the God-Mind Calculation game, causing her to be eliminated, the winner of that game might have been very different."

"What kind of grudge?"

"Don't ask me. I don't want to offend the Fourth Sister. She’ll tell you when she’s ready." The Seventh Sister remained tight-lipped.

***

Hua Sheng suddenly asked, "I remember that before Tianjizi eliminated the Fourth Sister, he eliminated number 13. Who was that?"

"Bangzi."

Taishang Xiaojun asked, "What Bangzi?"

"The Fifth Sister. Hua Sheng has seen her—the one with pink hair. She doesn't know any spells; she just carries a doll around."

Recalling the Fifth Sister, who seemed no different from an ordinary mortal when they encountered Leizhenzi, Hua Sheng pressed further: "That’s strange! If she was so incompetent, why would Tianjizi’s 'Ultimate Fortune' eliminate her first? Logically, if the Fourth Sister is the strongest, she should have been the first one named."

Mie Ying shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe... maybe because my Fifth Sister looks cute? Does Tianjizi like the cute type? So he didn't eliminate her, thinking he wouldn't have the heart to strike if she actually appeared?"

Hua Sheng and Taishang Xiaojun were stunned, their mouths hanging open wide enough to swallow a whole bun.

Mie Ying said impatiently, "That’s all in the past, I was just guessing! Who knows?"

Seeing that he wouldn't get any more gossip, Taishang Xiaojun turned back to Hua Sheng. "We’ve gotten off track. Did you ever find Star Lord Daoling?"

Hua Sheng glanced at Mie Ying. Seeing her pretend not to hear, he omitted the part about her lending him the Huntian Silk and made up an excuse, claiming that she had taught him a secret spell to get inside.

Taishang Xiaojun looked skeptical but didn't push the issue. "So, once you were inside, did you see the Star Lord?"

"I did!" Hua Sheng recounted everything that happened in the Liuli Crystal Lock Formation.

"Don't joke! How could that purple-gold thread be from your own clothes?"

When Hua Sheng explained that the thread came from his own Daoist robes, Taishang Xiaojun nearly fell from the sky.

Hua Sheng answered nervously, "Star Lord Daoling truly said so."

"Could it be that I was the one who mixed up the threads?" Taishang Xiaojun pondered, then shook his head. "No, no! I couldn't have. I’m certain the thread I gave you was the one from the girl named Jian."

Hua Sheng nodded. "And I am certain that the thread I took wasn't swapped."

Taishang Xiaojun sighed. "This is impossible. Are we supposed to tell the Klin Magic School that the thread was yours? And even if we do, we’ve caused trouble for the Daoist Academy and still failed to recover the lost Year Star Silk. Wouldn't that be pointless?"

Although the source of the purple-gold thread was now known, the mystery only deepened.

The thread came from the robe Hua Sheng had worn that morning, and he had only just returned to the academy that day. Moreover, the group from the Klin Magic School had arrived at the academy long before Hua Sheng, leaving them no opportunity to take a thread from his clothes.

Before Hua Sheng arrived, the Klin Magic School had already clashed with many disciples of the Daoist Academy. If they wanted to frame someone, they could have done so with anyone. Why target Hua Sheng?

Hua Sheng had no dealings with the Klin Magic School and did not even know this girl named Jian. If they wanted to frame the academy, there was no need to target him specifically.

Taishang Xiaojun said, "Based on my deduction, the most likely scenario is that all the clues are correct, and Star Lord Daoling was not mistaken."

Hua Sheng replied, "If all of this is true, it sounds like I’m in a situation where I’ll never be able to clear my name."