Wen Shulin attempted to mention ‘the big flat cake, broken gong and dog’ on a few occasions during their return trip to the village. However, Zhui Zi simply did not allow him to speak. He experienced all sorts of hardship in order to calculate this result yet no one was willing to listen to him. The old man was oppressed and infuriated.
Now that the issue was finally brought up by Chang Li, Wen Shulin had hastily jumped up from his seat. He was joyous but also serious as he talked about the result gained from his calculation on the Black and White Island over the past few years.
Xiang Liu had once brought along the old man and spent decades calculating in all locations of the nine heaven’s cone nails sects. Finally, they received three results of ‘the big flat cake, broken gong, and dog’.
On the Black and White Island, the old man discovered that the locations of the nine heaven’s cone nails sects were corresponding with nine of Xiang Liu’s heads. Wen Shulin rubbed his palms in excitement, “That means every mountain ridge on the Black and White Island corresponds to the location of a heaven’s cone nail. That means my calculation back in those days had been reduced countless times! The result from my calculation this time is much more specific than before.”
Although the Black and White Island was as huge as a city, compared to locations like the highland’s snow peak, Mount Hua, Star Reef, its scale was significantly smaller.
When he had just stepped onto the Black and White Island, the Wood Mountain Demons had yet to take form. The true soul was not home too. There was utterly no one there to disturb him. Wen Shulin calculated until it was an abyss of darkness. He continuously matched the new results to the items that he calculated in the nine locations back in those days.
Zhui Zi raised her eyebrows with interest, “So what did you manage to figure out?”
Wen Shulin’s wrinkled face stretched in joy. “I calculated and produced the result of the ‘big flat cake, broken gong and dog’ back then. At present beneath the big flat cake, I calculated and came up with a ‘murderous shadow’ and… and what was it again?”
Wen Shulin rolled his eyes upwards and pondered for a long while. In the end, he stretched out his hand and scratched his head shyly, “There was still one more matter other than the ‘murderous shadow’ beneath the big flat cake, but it was very hard to pronounce, I cannot remember it all at once…”
Wen Leyang gave a forced laugh to his wife softly, “This result here… is more difficult to search for than the big flat cake!”
Chang Li grew impatient from waiting for Wen Shulin to continue his recollection. “Then we shall discuss the murderous shadow first. What is it?”
Surprisingly, Wen Shulin was still filled with joy. He swayed his head as he answered naturally, “I don’t know!”
Chang Li, Zhui Zi, and Hanba Fifth Brother’s eyes widened in unison.
Wen Shulin had not realized that the three demon immortals were steaming in rage. “Let us not discuss that ‘murderous shadow’ first. Beneath the broken gong and dog, I calculated and came up with even more results.”
Chang Li’s voice was so hard it could cut through metal and jade, “Speak.”
“Beneath the broken gong, I figured out a puppet, box, and also… Lin Li!”
The ‘big flat cake, broken gong, and dog’ was already incredulous. The big flat cake was still slightly acceptable. After all there was only one ‘murderous shadow’ beneath it. Yet there were three more – ‘puppet, box, and Lin Li’ that appeared out of the blue beneath the broken gong.
The riddle made one itch all over unpleasantly. The action that made one wish to break out in curses was still Wen Shulin’s proud face.
Even good-tempered Wen Leyang could feel the veins on his forehead throbbing continuously. Hanba who had been standing quietly in a corner all along suddenly spoke softly, “Shit!” He rolled up his sleeves and was about to capture Wen Shulin. Zhui Zi’s face turned ghastly pale before Wen Shulin’s voice died away. She would have fallen off her seat if it were not for Chang Li who supported her arm with agile movements.
Zhui Zi calmed herself with great effort. She stretched out her hand and stopped Hanba who was about to hit the man. Her face was pale and cold as she spoke to Wen Shulin, “Tell me again, beneath the broken gong, what are the three things that you have calculated?”
“Puppet, box, Lin Li.” Wen Shulin realized that Zhui Zi’s entire body was enshrouded by a sharp chill. He hastily stopped smiling. He shuffled his footsteps gently, moving closer towards Wen Leyang. His old face was filled with panic and fear.
Zhui Zi inhaled a deep breath with a slight shiver. Color gradually returned to her face, yet her gaze lost its usual clarity. Her expression was profound, as if she was watching everyone while gazing into the distance. “Lin Li… in my past life, I was named Lin Li! I was the master of the snow peak’s heavenly water lineage, Lin Li!”
Gulp.
At least half of the people in the big house swallowed a gulp of saliva anxiously at the same time.
Wen Shulin cautiously spoke in a low voice, “My calculation method, all of you are aware of this beforehand. Not that I am capable of calculating anything that I want, but the few results that are simplified in the end, are all related to one another.”
Chang Li patted Zhui Zi’s shoulder with a smile, “You are named Lin Li originally? You have a considerably pleasant name.”
Hanba Fifth Brother was expressionless. He looked towards Zhui Zi too, “The broken gong, puppet, box… how are those things related to you?”
Zhui Zi had calmed down. She pondered about these few items carefully, and finally revealed a peculiar smile, “Lin Li was me. The box was hiding the reason that caused my murder. The puppet… should be the firecrackers… When the human was possessed by the firecracker he turned into a puppet. Following the firecrackers resulted in finding the heavenly water spirit that helped me to regain my memories. Then the broken gong… broken gong was precisely the Hua family people’s broken gong voice? Following the broken gong voice helped me to find the firecrackers…”
Zhui Zi was deducing in reverse. This was the only way she could explain the relationship between the broken gong, puppet, box and herself with great effort.
Even though Chang Li was exceedingly intelligent, she was also shocked by Zhui Zi’s theory!
Wen Shulin nodded strenuously on the side. “It is possible. It is possible, as long as the items are related to one another, then it will make sense…”
Everyone was feeling amused and angry. They felt that there was a baffling oppressed sensation on their chests that made them nervous. At the muffled sound of a crack, the First Grandfather slapped the tea table by his side ferociously until it smashed to bits. He jumped up and stretched out his hand as he poked at Wen Shulin’s nose, “Old man, what kind of games are you calculating there? If you did not come up with Zhui Zi’s birth name out of sheer luck, even if you were to search for another thousand years… we would never find out what was the broken gong.”
Wen Shulin’s face was filled with an embarrassed smile, “My cultivation method is as such. The broken gong could really just be a broken gong. It could also possibly be a person. Anyhow it was related to Zhui Zi in some way. Moreover… if we were to figure out it was Zhui Zi now, it may not be the final result. Perhaps Zhui Zi is still connected to the matters that happen afterward…”
The First Grandfather spat ferociously, “You have never told us before, that the broken gong can possibly just be an adjective!”
Zhui Zi breathed strenuously, she spat out the oppressed air in her chest, then she waved her hand as she chuckled, “I did not expect that, in the end the broken gong… was actually me. What was the reason Xiang Liu was looking for me?”
The more incredulous the situation, the more excited Chang Li was. She asked Wen Shulin aloud, “How about the dog, what did you figure out beneath the dog?”
The items beneath the dog were the clearest and most vivid ones!” Wen Shulin became high spirited again. His skinny chest too puffed up in pride. “The dung beetle, King Gesar, and also… Gou Mang’s spiritual seed!”
Wen Leyang did not even need to think, words had already escaped his lips, “The dog is the dog-headed eagle! The golden monkey Qian Ren!”
The only ‘dog’ that was related to these three items of dung beetle, King Gesar and Gou Mang’s spiritual seed in the entire world, was precisely the dog-headed eagle.
The First Uncle, Wen Tunhai laughed in a rather joyous manner. “Good lad! So it turns out the dog is actually the dog-headed eagle, broken gong is referring to Zhui Zi, the Heaven-Telling Sect’s cultivation method…” Wen Shulin did not wait for him to finish talking, he put on a long face and interrupted, “I had understood that calculating the small numbers and worldly affairs to apprehend the truth about heaven, is even less dependable than calculating the big numbers!”
Wen Shulin picked up a cup of tea from another tea table that belonged to an unknown person. He gulped ferociously. He even poured the tea leaves into his mouth altogether. “There is also another matter that I have never figured out all along since the past.”
No one made a sound. They waited for him to continue speaking.
“Xiang Liu made me calculate this way. What was the result he was expecting actually? Either the nine locations, or the Black and White Island’s mountain ridge condensed and formed from the nine snake’s necks. According to my earlier calculation method, there was only one result at the end. The nine heaven’s cone nails were arranged and formed into the magic formation to suppress the ancient evil creature, Xiang Liu.”
Wen Shulin paused when he was talking about this, his gaze swept past the crowd.
Other than the two silly uncles in the house, everybody else was quick-witted. They soon understood Wen Shulin’s intention. They revealed a puzzled expression without exception.
The final relationship between the nine locations and the Black and White Island was precisely the nine heaven’s cone nails, which formed into the magic formation to suppress the demon. If there were no other factors, the result that he came up with in the end, was precisely only this matter. At most there was the addition of the person who gathered the formation known as Kong Nuer.”
The true soul captured Wen Shulin back in those days, of course this matter was not its purpose.
“Until the end, when I was trapped in the water element snake’s body, my heart was filled with hatred for Xiang Liu. In addition I had already understood that the dog was referring to the dog-headed eagle, only then I was suddenly enlightened!” Wen Shulin’s expression had already turned solemn, “It was because the true soul had planted the other factor into my heart since earlier!
Chang Li raised her charming brows, “Stop trying to keep us guessing!”
Wen Shulin’s solemness immediately turned into a flattering smile, “When I was feeding on wind and sleeping in the open space at the nine locations, I went through all sorts of hardships. When I was calculating I had malignant intent against Xiang Liu all along. Without my notice, I treated this malignant intent of myself as a factor. Now that I think of it, Tian Yin’s true soul was aware that it was in my heart since earlier, so the items that I calculated would be related to enmity.”
The Heaven-Telling Sect’s cultivation method paid particular attention to the calmness of the mind or the result of calculation would be related to the calculator’s emotions anyhow.
Xiang Liu was the only monster in the world capable of understanding heaven and earth. Its knowledge was derived from ancient to current times. Even if it had never come into contact with the Heaven-Telling Sect’s cultivation method, it would only need to ponder slightly to figure out the general idea. He had planted the most prerequisite factor in Wen Shulin’s heart before.
With the malignant intent in his heart, he calculated in the nine locations, he calculated about the heaven’s cone nails. Even though he still did not know what were the items in the ‘big flat cake series’, he managed to figure out that Zhui Zi and the dog-headed eagle had the utmost hatred and evil intentions towards the magic formation collector Kong Nuer.
Wen Shulin added in the end, “For example, when I was calculating in the nine locations afterward. In the beginning, I was planning to escape in secret. As a result I came up with the Nine Peaks Mountain. When I was there, I was very safe as expected, for the only person capable of killing the true soul in the world, was precisely on the Nine Peaks Mountain!”
Zhui Zi, Chang Li and Hanba gazed into the eyes of one another. Wen Shulin’s words may not necessarily be correct, but the principle behind his words was plain and easily understandable.
Chang Li was deep in thoughts for a moment before she spoke, “Let us put aside the big flat cake first. At least from our point of view now, Xiang Liu is attempting to look for the heaven’s cone nail that is vengeful towards Kong Nuer.”
Zhui Zi crossed her arms, she raised her chin slightly, “Why is he looking for us? So we can join him to seek revenge together?” As she was saying that, she pouted her lips, which curled into a sneer, “If the true soul is still alive, then with the actual power that Xiang Liu possesses after it breaks free from entrapment, why is there a necessity for us to help it revenge?”
“My words do not have any basis. I am only measuring others after myself. All of you just listen to me tentatively, there is no need to pay too much attention to it.” There was not an ounce of expression on Hanba’s face, his voice remained as icy cold as before, “If Tian Yin was seeking revenge, it would still need to locate the enemy first before it could plan its next move.”
Hanba was uninvolved in the matter all along. He was capable of seeing the matter clearer than anybody else on the contrary, “According to my judgment, Tian Yin’s true soul ought to have discovered something on the Black and White Island. That was why it captured Wen Shulin to start calculating on behalf of it. What it was looking for, may not necessarily be comrades who shared the hatred for a common enemy, but Kong Nuer’s whereabouts.”
Wen Leyang followed Hanba’s words as he pondered for a moment. He figured out many things at once, ‘the big flat cake, broken gong, dog’ were utterly not the preciouses that they assumed were previously. That was why Xiang Liu was not afraid that the others would take possession of those things. It was at ease and bravely entrusted to the World Sect to look for those things.
Chang Li rolled her eyes and made a mischievous expression, “So… in the big flat cake, Qian Ren and Zhui Zi, the clues about Kong Nuer’s whereabouts are hidden somewhere? Moreover, are they not aware of this themselves?”
Zhui Zi was still a little unaccustomed to her new identity as the ‘broken gong’. She gave Chang Li an evil stare, then suddenly revealed a shy smile. She stretched out her hand and grabbed the demon cat’s arm, “I have learned how to cook fish on the great sea a few days ago! I’ll let you taste it in a while!”
Chang Li was suddenly elated, she nodded strenuously.
Hanba completely disregarded if the other two demon immortals were listening to him or not. He continued to speak on his own accord, “My thoughts are without basis. I have figured out a way, when we have found the big flat cake, perhaps there will be an answer.”
Chang Li and Zhui Zi nodded. They stood up and stretched themselves in unison.
Hanba did not try to entangle himself in the topic of conversation of ‘the big flat cake broken gong dog’ anymore. He turned around and waved his hand at Wen Leyang. He spoke beyond all doubt, “Come over here, and thank my daughter, Little Five!”
Wen Leyang was laughing, he had figured that something was going on with Little Five. He took a step forward and bent over to pick her up. He did not ask why but he spoke first, “Thank you Darling!”, as he was saying that he placed a carrot in her hand.
Little Five was easy to trick. She held the carrot and was already beaming in joy. It was only then Wen Leyang laughed and asked, “What good deed did you commit?”
Little Five answered in a childish voice, “I saved your best friend!”
Wen Leyang immediately looked towards Zhui Zi. He was baffled. Zhui Zi’s gaze was immediately filled with the joy of being overwhelmed by flattery and honor. Chang Li was laughing in rage caused by both of them, “Little Five did not know that your best friend is Zhui Zi!”
Hanba had since lost his patience, he revealed the answer in an icy cold tone, “Little Five saved Qin Zhui!”
Wen Leyang was surprised and joyous. He hugged Little Five tightly, “Where is he? What happened actually?”
Little Five sat in Wen Leyang’s cradle comfortably. She took a bite of the carrot and answered, “He has just consumed the Centipede Grass’ leaf. He is healing his injuries now. He will need a few more days before he can be awakened.” Following that she explained the sequence of events that led to her saving Qin Zhui.
Darling and Wen Leyang parted ways after they escaped out of Shiwan Mountain. She rushed back to the Yin’s eye of the Qinling Mountains by herself to look for Hanba. By the time she arrived at the corpse-forming land, she discovered in fear that the ugly youth, Qin Zhui, was comatose, lying halfway on a Mourning Cauldron. Judging by the situation, he was tossed into the Mourning Cauldron by the corpse figurines. He was trying to crawl his way out but fainted halfway from exhaustion.
Little Five hastily saved him. She used many ways, only then she managed to retain Qin Zhui’s life. In between that period, the ugly youth woke up once and told her about his encounter with great effort.
Four years ago he was captured by the golden monkey and escaped the Nine Peaks Mountain. It did not take long before they bumped into some enemies. Qin Zhui could recognize most of these people. They were the disciples of the descendants of the heaven’s cone nails who appeared on Goddess Peak before.
Even though the golden monkey was injured rather severely at the time, it did not pay attention to these small characters. It did not expect that there were a few master cultivators with a top cultivation base amongst the enemies. The moment they attacked, they managed to subdue the golden monkey. Qin Zhui did not even manage to look at the other party’s outlook, he was directly struck by a supernatural power.
Following that Qin Zhui was detained using a prohibition spell casted by the disciples of the descendants of the heaven’s cone nails. Qin Zhui did not know where he was imprisoned, nor had he seen the golden monkey ever since.
It was until three years ago when a masked man suddenly jumped into Qin Zhui’s prison. The man did not speak but he stretched out his hand and knocked Qin Zhui out. By the time he had awakened, he realized that he had regained his freedom. He was lying next to a small river. The prohibition spell on his body too was removed, while there was an addition of a jade tablet and a note.
There were only five words on the note, “Return to Nine Peaks Mountain”.
Qin Zhui had yet to understand what happened and there were already enemies chasing him.
There was no lack of master cultivators amongst the enemies. Qin Zhui did not return to Nine Peaks Mountain. He ran towards the Yin’s eye of the Qinling Mountains.
Wen Leyang frowned in slight surprise. Soon after, he understood the reason why Qin Zhui refused to return to the Nine Peaks Mountain. He was slightly ashamed of his past acquaintances, even more so because of his personal loyalty of Qin Zhui in his heart!
Mumu took over Little Five. She nodded towards Wen Leyang, “That is correct. When the true soul revealed itself on the wedding night, anyone who did not understand about the sequence of events, would certainly have thought that the few demon immortal seniors were fraught with grim possibilities. Even if there were still some relatives left on the Nine Peaks Mountain, those were the ordinary people whom the true soul was too arrogant to kill.”
Qin Zhui was honest and straightforward, but he had his ferocious temperament too. He refused to draw the great disaster towards the Wen family but ran towards the Yin’s eye of Qinling Mountains on his own accord. Just by depending on the corpse figurines in the Yin’s eye, he was willing to perish together with the enemies.
As expected, the corpse figurines tossed himself and the enemies into the Mourning Cauldron, but Qin Zhui did not die. He fainted on the cauldron for a full year. Only then was he discovered by Little Five who had just returned home.
Little Five too, did not understand how Qin Zhui survived in the Yin’s cauldron initially. Not long after that Hanba came rushing over. Only then they clarified the situation. What saved the ugly youth’s precious life, was precisely that jade tablet from the masked man.
Wen Leyang found out that Qin Zhui was still alive. He was feeling much steadier in his heart. He asked as if he was visibly moved by the story, “What kind of precious was the jade tablet? How did it protect Qin Zhui in the Mourning Cauldron?”
Hanba on the other hand, gave a cold sneer, “The cauldron that was left behind by Mi Xu was getting more and more worthless. First a little poisonous creature came crawling out of it, then another ugly youth now.
Chang Li did not acknowledge Hanba’s jealous words. She chuckled and spoke, “That tablet is even more famous as compared to Red Pot’s Life-Sacrificing Divine Bow, it is known as the ‘Death Conjuration’!”
The only use of this treasured weapon was that it would die once on behalf of the person who was carrying it!
After that one time, the jade tablet would lose its effect and turn into an ordinary stone.
It was said that there were a total of three pieces of ‘Death Conjuration’ back in the days. The moment it appeared under the heaven, it drew in countless violent slaughters. Two of the tablets were used by someone while the third one disappeared without a trace. Many top demon immortals could not believe that the long-cherished precious of theirs in their past lives, finally saved this young lad with a normal cultivation base and terrifying appearance.
Wen Leyang stuck out his tongue and could not help but laugh, “Who is this masked man? He really did care about Qin Zhui a lot!”
Wen Leyang was capable of figuring out the matters that took place afterward without explanation. After Hanba arrived in the Yin’s eye, he met Little Five and Qin Zhui. They returned to the Nine Peaks Mountain together. Little Five wholeheartedly wanted to give Wen Leyang a surprise. That was why the matter was not mentioned during the phone call. Yet unexpectedly when they returned to the mountain, Wen Leyang had already joined Zhui Zi to go to the Black and White Island.
Even though Qin Zhui’s life was saved by ‘Death Conjuration’, he was after all comatose on the side of the Mourning Cauldron for a year. His body was unusually, severely corroded by the Yin energy. Even his foundation establishment was destroyed. After he came to the Wen family, Chang Li and Hanba joined hands to help him to gain back his life vitality and repair his internal organs. It was only until a few days ago, he managed to swallow the spiritual grass with great effort. He cultivated his power to dissolve the grass. His life was certainly retained. As for how far his cultivation base could be restored, no one could tell…
Wen Leyang exhaled a long breath, his smile was very genuine, “As long as he is alive, all is well!”
Little Five too, followed along and nodded. Her little face was filled with mystery. She intentionally lowered her voice, “On the other hand, there is still one more very important matter. Qin Zhui did not know about the golden monkey’s whereabouts, yet he remembered where he was imprisoned – Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah!
Wen Leyang was clearly confused by that. Wen Shulin suddenly jumped up from the side; his old face was filled with astonishment, “That is correct. It is precisely the fate of Ishvara. The land of some… some Catura! Other than the ‘murderous shadow’ that is calculated out beneath the big flat cake, I also calculated the result of some Catura, some Manah!”
‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’ sounded a little vague, but it was actually referring to a place.