bestfiction Chapter 322 Strange Phenomena
Chapter 322 Strange Phenomena
The aftermath of the Crown Prince's birthday banquet had not yet subsided, and the imperial city was under heavy guard as if facing a formidable enemy. The bronze lanterns outside the Jiaofang Palace burned day and night, and the clanging of armor from the Imperial Guards echoed through the corridors. Xiao Chengjun moved his study, where he handled state affairs, to a side hall of the Jiaofang Palace. When reviewing memorials, he would often glance towards the sleeping quarters to confirm that Qi Cheng was soundly asleep.
Three days later, late at night, Yu Zan, on night duty, suddenly stumbled into the study: "Your Majesty! His Highness the Crown Prince... His Highness has a high fever and is delirious, asking for... for a glowing stone!" Xiao Chengjun's vermilion edict fell to the ground with a "thud," the ink staining the document into a hideous blotch. Rushing into the bedchamber, he saw Qi Cheng curled up in the brocade quilt, his face flushed red, his hands flailing wildly in the air, muttering, "Bright... stone... not... black..."
Su Mingyue knelt by the bed, tears dripping onto her son's burning hot hand. She forced herself to remain calm: "The imperial physician said his pulse is disordered, as if he is possessed by an evil spirit. But when ordinary exorcism talismans are brought near, Qi'er cries incessantly..." Before she could finish speaking, Qi Cheng suddenly convulsed violently, and fine bluish-black lines appeared on his neck, spreading like a spider web towards his heart.
Xiao Chengjun abruptly ripped open his son's clothes, his pupils shrinking sharply—the pale golden dragon-shaped birthmark on Qi Cheng's chest, which had appeared during the Miao Rebellion, now glowed an eerie blood-red. When the Imperial Advisor rushed in, wielding a peach wood sword, he saw Qi Cheng's eyes roll back, and he screamed in a hoarse, adult voice, "Xiao Chengjun! Hand over the *Tai Su Gui Lu*!"
"It's a blood curse!" The Imperial Advisor affixed a cinnabar talisman to Qi Cheng's brow, but the talisman instantly ignited with a ghostly blue flame. "Someone used forbidden magic to attach a soul to the Crown Prince, attempting to force His Majesty to submit!" Xiao Chengjun's killing intent surged, and his Xuan Tie sword roared as it was drawn: "Order the secret guards to thoroughly investigate all birthday gifts presented at the banquet! If any suspicious activity is detected, kill without mercy!"
The search continued until dawn, finally uncovering a hidden bronze compass among the mechanical dolls presented by the Western Regions delegation. The back of the compass was covered with Sanskrit incantations, and dark red bloodstains remained in the central groove. A'lie, holding the compass, reported, "Your Majesty, this compass is extremely similar to the magical artifact used by the Netherworld Pavilion to summon evil spirits!"
Meanwhile, Qi Cheng's condition grew increasingly critical. He would sometimes fall into a coma, and sometimes regain consciousness but with a blank stare, speaking in an unfamiliar voice about the hidden layout of the Nanzhao palace. Su Mingyue held her son's small hand, tears streaming down her face: "Qi'er, don't be afraid, Mother is here..." Before she could finish speaking, Qi Cheng suddenly grabbed her neck with astonishing strength: "Meddling woman! If you dare to obstruct me again, I'll kill you first!"
Xiao Chengjun swung his sword, severing an invisible curse and shielding Su Mingyue behind him. Seeing his son tormented by the evil spirit, his heart ached, but he forced himself to remain calm and ordered, "Summon Xie Wuhen to the palace! Immediately!"
When Xie Wuhen arrived, Qi Cheng was hovering in mid-air, his body bound by jet-black chains. Xie Wuhen recognized the runes on the chains and his expression changed drastically: "These are 'Soul-Locking Chains,' which must be broken with an extremely yang substance! But forcibly breaking them might damage the Crown Prince's soul!" Xiao Chengjun didn't hesitate to cut his wrist, dripping blood onto the Xuan Tie sword: "Use my blood!"
The moment the sword pierced the chains, Qi Cheng let out a piercing scream. Xiao Chengjun gritted his teeth and endured, blood flowing down the blade and forming a winding river of blood on the ground. Su Mingyue suddenly remembered the bamboo slips of the "Complete Treatise on Agriculture" that Qi Cheng had clutched so tightly at the birthday banquet, and tremblingly took them out. A miracle occurred—the bamboo slips emitted a soft white light, slowly dispelling the darkness.
With a deafening crash, the chains shattered. As Qi Cheng plummeted, Xiao Chengjun leaped to catch him. The child was soaked to the bone and had fallen into a deep sleep, but the blood-red birthmark on his chest was gradually returning to its golden hue. The Imperial Advisor slumped to the ground, letting out a long sigh: "Your Majesty, the evil spirit within His Highness the Crown Prince has been removed, but... someone is secretly manipulating all of this, and possesses profound knowledge of royal secrets."
Following this incident, Xiao Chengjun swiftly implemented drastic measures. The entire Western Regions delegation was imprisoned, and officials connected to the Netherworld Pavilion were eradicated. He personally oversaw the investigation, poring over royal archives in an attempt to find clues to the "Tai Su Gui Lu" (Records of the Supreme Being). Meanwhile, Su Mingyue stayed by Qi Cheng's bedside day and night, teaching him to identify various amulets and even concealing a short dagger for self-defense in his tiger-head boots.
Two weeks later, one morning, Qi Cheng finally woke up completely. He blinked his big eyes, looked at his parents' tired faces, and suddenly hugged Xiao Chengjun's neck: "Father, I had a very long dream. I dreamt that a dark shadow was trying to steal my star." Xiao Chengjun's heart trembled—the so-called "star" was the luminous pearl he hung above Qi Cheng's bed, which was said to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune.
Su Mingyue held her son's small hand: "Qi'er, if you encounter anything strange again, you must tell your father and mother." Qi nodded earnestly, then pulled a cloth bag from under his pillow: "Qi'er has hidden a treasure! When that bad uncle approached at the birthday banquet, this stone suddenly became hot!"
The cloth bag was opened, revealing a milky-white stone the size of an egg, currently emitting a faint glow. Xiao Chengjun and Su Mingyue exchanged a glance, recognizing it as the legendary "Soul-Purifying Stone," specifically designed to ward off evil spirits. Even more astonishing was the inscription on the bottom of the stone: "Southwest Secret Realm, Key to Breaking the Stalemate."
The clues once again pointed to Miao territory. Xiao Chengjun decided to investigate personally, but Su Mingyue stopped him: "Your Majesty, this is too dangerous. Why not let me take Qicheng with me, and investigate secretly under the guise of a traveler? Women in Miao territory have a high status; if I bring a child, it will be less likely to arouse suspicion." Xiao Chengjun was about to refuse, but then he saw Qicheng clutching his clothes, saying in a childish voice, "Don't worry, Daddy, Qi'er will protect Mother! Qi'er has the Star Stone!"
In the end, Xiao Chengjun agreed to Su Mingyue's plan. Before leaving, he handed the Xuan Tie Sword to his wife: "If there is any danger, send a signal immediately. I will come under the stars and moon." Su Mingyue hung the sword at her waist, picked up Qicheng, and boarded the carriage. The wheels rolled, raising clouds of dust, and the mother and son stepped into unknown dangers.
Deep within the palace, Xiao Chengjun unfolded the urgent report sent by the Secret Service, his brow furrowed. News had arrived from the northern frontier that the Northern Di Kingdom was secretly training an "Undying Army," whose soldiers all bore markings similar to those on Qi Cheng when he was cursed. Even more alarming was the fact that a high-ranking official in the court was in close contact with the Northern Di, using the *Tai Su Gui Lu* (a secret code) as the code for every letter.
The flickering candlelight cast Xiao Chengjun's shadow on the wall, making him look like a taut battle spirit.
While Xiao Chengjun was searching for clues to the "Tai Su Gui Lu" in the palace all night, a beam of azure light suddenly shot into the sky from a secluded valley a thousand miles away. Xiao Jingchuan, who was drying medicinal herbs in his garden, suddenly looked up, and the jade pendant in his sleeve, connected to the royal bloodline, emitted a dazzling red light—a warning that a member of the royal family was facing a life-or-death crisis.
"Liuli! Quickly open the space!" Xiao Jingchuan grabbed the black iron bow from the corner of the wall, and the Cloud Piercing Arrow in the quiver hummed. Gu Liuli was already sitting cross-legged on the bluestone, surrounded by a pale golden aura of spiritual energy. She took a deep breath, and her fingertips drew ancient runes in the air. The air in front of her distorted like a mirror, revealing a void rift leading to the palace.
"Wait!" A clear meow rang out, and the snow-white Nine-Tails leaped out, bathed in moonlight. Its nine tails moved without wind, each tip burning with a ghostly blue flame. "Those remnants of the Netherworld Pavilion used ancient forbidden techniques. Your reckless intrusion is no different from suicide!" The Nine-Tails flicked its tail, and a stream of light entered Xiao Jingchuan's brow. "Receive my memories; this is the key to breaking the 'Soul-Locking Chains.'"
Xiao Jingchuan felt a flood of information rush into his mind; ancient witchcraft and lost exorcism formations flashed before his eyes. When he opened his eyes, mysterious runes swirled in his pupils: "So that's how it is! Liuli, activate spatial teleportation; we're heading straight for the Miao Jiang altar! The Netherworld Pavilion's lair is there!"
Meanwhile, Su Mingyue and Qicheng had ventured deep into the heart of the Miao region. Disguised as itinerant healers, the mother and son noticed that the villagers had vacant eyes and spiderweb-like blue lines on their necks when they passed a village. Suddenly, Qicheng tugged at his mother's sleeve, his little hand tightly gripping the Soul-Cleansing Stone: "Mother, the stone is so hot!"
Before the words were finished, the surrounding bamboo forest suddenly rustled without any wind. Dozens of men in black robes emerged from the shadows, the leader wearing a bronze mask, his voice as grating as sandpaper: "Hand over the Soul-Cleansing Stone, and we'll spare your lives." Su Mingyue protected her son as she retreated, the Xuan Tie sword at her waist unsheathed with a dragon's roar. Just then, a long howl from the Nine-Tails echoed through the void, a streak of azure light tore through the night, and Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli arrived in a flash.
"The descendants of the Xiao family have indeed arrived." The bronze-masked man raised his hand, and the ground suddenly cracked open, with countless chains bursting forth from the earth. "Back then, your ancestors sealed the 'Tai Su Gui Lu' (a book on the mysterious and treacherous nature of the Southern Zhao dynasty). Today, I will make the Southern Zhao royal family pay for their blood debt in blood!" The chains coiled towards Qi Cheng like serpents, but emitted a hissing sound the moment they touched the Soul Purification Stone.
Gu Liuli's hands flew, and the power of space transformed into a barrier to block the attack. The Nine-Tails leaped onto her shoulder, its nine tails transforming into nine blades of light: "Be careful! He is the high priest who stole the 'Tai Su Gui Lu' back then!" Xiao Jingchuan drew his bow and nocked an arrow, the arrow wrapped with the power of thunder and fire, aiming straight for the opponent's vital point.
In the heat of battle, Qi Cheng suddenly raised the Soul-Purifying Stone. The stone erupted with dazzling light, illuminating the face beneath the black-robed man's mask—it was none other than the Minister of Rites, who should have been dead! "Didn't expect that, did you?" the Minister sneered, black mist rising around him. "As long as I gather all nine Soul-Purifying Stones, I can open the ancient evil array and make the entire Nanzhao Kingdom pay with its life!"
Xiao Jingchuan's pupils contracted sharply, and the same scene flashed through the Nine-Tails' memories. He shouted, "Liuli, use spatial power to disrupt his formation! I'll break the seal!" Gu Liuli formed hand seals, and space began to distort. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Jingchuan shot out nine cloud-piercing arrows, which were respectively driven into the nine array eyes of the altar.
Just as the formation was about to collapse, the Attendant suddenly grabbed Qi Cheng and pressed a dagger against his throat: "Stop! Otherwise, I'll kill this child right now!" Su Mingyue's Xuan Tie sword clattered to the ground, her face deathly pale. At the critical moment, the Nine-Tails suddenly transformed into a stream of light and entered Qi Cheng's body.
Qi Cheng's eyes gleamed with golden light, and his childish voice turned authoritative: "Evil spirit, retreat at once!" The Soul Purification Stone unleashed a world-destroying power, and the Attendant screamed as he was swallowed by the light. The altar collapsed with a crash, and countless bamboo slips recording the "Tai Su Gui Lu" rose from the ground, only to turn to ashes the moment they came into contact with the Soul Purification Stone's light.
As the dust settled, the Nine-Tails reappeared, its nine tails much dimmer. "It's finally over... Years ago, I made a pact with the Xiao clan ancestor to protect the Nanzhao dragon vein. Now, I've fulfilled my mission." It looked at Qi Cheng, its eyes filled with satisfaction. "This child possesses the bloodline of an ancient divine beast; he will surely achieve great things."
Xiao Jingchuan stepped forward and took out a jade talisman: "This is a spatial key. If there is any further crisis, you can summon us at any time." He handed the jade talisman to Su Mingyue, "Take good care of the little prince. The future of Nanzhao depends on him."
On the way back, Qi Cheng leaned on his mother's shoulder, yawning sleepily. "Mother, that cat said that Qi'er will protect many, many people in the future... Qi'er will grow up obediently." Su Mingyue gazed at her son's sleeping face, tears blurring her vision. In the distance, the rising sun bathed the land of Nanzhao in a golden glow of hope.
In the palace, Xiao Chengjun looked at his wife and children who had returned safely and embraced them tightly. He knew that although the crisis had temporarily subsided, the enemy lurking in the shadows would not give up so easily.