Chapter 118: The Corpse Coffin Cave (Part I)

At that moment, I could barely hear my own heartbeat, for the instant I heard that sound, I had fallen into a state of utter panic. When I turned my head at the sound of it, I held my breath, not daring to let out a single gasp.

"Xiaodong!"

The familiar voice rang out behind me once more.

"Move!"

Just as I hesitated, a voice that made me shiver erupted from behind me. It was Chen Chuyi. Without a moment's thought, I broke free from the cold embrace I had been held in.

*Sizzle!*

*Agh!*

There was the sound of corpse energy dissolving, followed immediately by a shriek. The screams of ghosts always make one’s skin crawl. I threw myself toward Xiyue, who was standing not far off, and in that split second, I saw Chen Chuyi drive his sword through the head of the figure I had been holding—a figure that had looked exactly like Xiyue.

I immediately turned my gaze toward the inn, but there was no sign of the innkeeper anywhere.

"We must go! Let's leave this place first. We have to reach the Corpse Coffin Cave before nightfall!"

I didn't ask questions. At that moment, I only wanted to get away. The appearance of Xiyue and Chen Chuyi brought a sense of relief to my heart.

"Xiaodong, what exactly did you see?" Xiyue asked.

Before I could answer, Chen Chuyi spoke for me. "Miss Xiyue, don't press him. I believe even he cannot explain it clearly himself. Besides, this whole situation has far exceeded our expectations."

Xiyue nodded, then whispered softly, "Let's go. We must rendezvous with Zhao Shiwu."

The three of us darted into the nearby mountains. In Huamei Village, there is almost no natural light; it is impossible for the sun to shine here as it does in the modern world.

Once we were deep within the dense forest, Chen Chuyi suddenly pulled me to a stop and asked quietly, "Can you recall where the innkeeper came from?"

I gave a bitter, helpless smile and shook my head.

Although I had remembered quite a bit while inside that shack, my memory of the innkeeper was limited to the fact that he was not a native of Huamei Village, but hailed from Wuying Village. As for who he was or where he had awakened, I had not the slightest recollection.

"It seems we must find the Corpse Coffin. First, we need to restore your memories of those years. Only then can we enter Wuying Village and eventually escape Huamei Village."

I didn't fully understand Chen Chuyi's words, so I looked at him with an inquiring gaze.

Chen Chuyi grinned and explained, "We won't hide it from you any longer. In truth, you were the Master of the Canglong Pavilion on Canglong Mountain. Years ago, you discovered a mysterious place called the Sea of Spiritual Moon. Because one could only enter the Sea of Spiritual Moon in soul form, you left a sliver of your spirit in the forbidden grounds of Canglong Mountain, while you, as the Pavilion Master, entered the Sea of Spiritual Moon in that ethereal state. Ever since then, the balance of Yin and Yang, which the Canglong Pavilion had worked so hard to stabilize, began to fall into chaos."

Seeing the shock on my and Xiyue's faces, Chen Chuyi sighed bitterly. "For so many years, all of us on Canglong Mountain have tried our best to restore your body and soul, and most importantly, your memories. But nothing has worked."

"This... Elder Chen, are you sure you're not joking?"

I found it hard to believe, yet hearing him say this stirred a strange feeling within me, as if I were beginning to see myself in a new light. I couldn't help but think of Tu, of Nie Xiaoke who had transformed into a spirit weapon, and of the Tomb of the Ancient Buddha. If all of this were tied to the Canglong Pavilion, then things were far more complicated than they appeared.

"Heh, I know you won't believe this right now. But as your memories slowly return, you will understand. The Pavilion Master once possessed a set of artifacts he had refined himself, known as the Nine Funerary Sky Coffins."

"The Nine Funerary Sky Coffins!"

I don't know why, but when I heard these four words, my heart trembled violently. It was as if a voice within me was calling out. The sensation was almost unbearable, yet it was precisely because I could feel this eerie summons that I began to wonder: could I truly be the Pavilion Master of the Canglong Pavilion?

I couldn't help but doubt it.

"Within the Canglong Pavilion, there is no other way left. The only path is to find the Nine Funerary Sky Coffins. Because your spirit vanished into the Sea of Spiritual Moon, we hope to use the coffins to restore your memory. After all, these nine coffins are the witnesses to your life’s work. Only in this way can we truly understand what lies within the Sea of Spiritual Moon."

The more I listened, the more chaotic my mind became. It meant I was nothing more than a vessel created by a mere sliver of the Canglong Pavilion Master's soul.

At that thought, I remembered the other "me" in the nameless inn—the one who had willingly endured sixty years of torment just to protect me and relay information. Perhaps, in the near future, I would be nothing more than a container for someone else's memories.

As this thought crossed my mind, Xiyue suddenly gripped my hand tightly. "Xiaodong, don't overthink it. No matter what happens, I will stay by your side."

I nodded, a wave of warmth flowing through me.

At least I still had Xiyue.

Chen Chuyi stood beside a large boulder and said softly, "Everything will be clear once you enter the first Corpse Coffin. There are nine of them, scattered across China, used to anchor the ley lines of the ancient Nine Provinces. However, the ley lines are stable now, and since the Pavilion Master's body has long since perished and his soul is weak, the nine coffins have lost their luster. Still, they can help you recover some of your memories."

As he spoke, Chen Chuyi formed a hand seal and slammed it down onto the stone beneath our feet. Suddenly, a door appeared before us.

In the dim environment, the door glowed a deep, vermilion red—it looked like the special passage used by ghost messengers to return to the Underworld after their duties were done.

"Quick, step up! We're leaving!"

Xiyue and I snapped out of our daze. She grabbed my hand and we leaped onto the stone, following Chen Chuyi as he stepped through the vermilion gate.