Chapter 125: The Golden Coffin in a Sea of Blood

"Wait!"

Heikui reached into his black sleeve and pulled out two poisoned needles. Just as he prepared to strike, he was suddenly called out by someone. The two black-robed figures, Heikui and Dongling, turned their heads in unison, fixing fierce, murderous gazes upon Er Pang.

Dongling paused, staring at Er Pang as he walked over and asked, "What did you say?"

Er Pang took a deep breath, meeting the gaze of the black-robed Dongling, and replied, "No, you cannot dispose of them!"

"Do you know them?" Dongling asked, staring intently at Er Pang.

"I do not!" Er Pang denied it flatly.

Dongling let out a cold laugh. "If that is the case, you must know them—perhaps your relationship with them is far from ordinary. Since you know them, they must not be left alive. Lin Wu, do not forget what our deal is. If you wish to gain something, you must learn to let go. They are exactly what you must sacrifice!"

Er Pang stared back at Dongling and said, "Venerable Dongling, if you kill them, our deal terminates immediately!"

"If you say that, then they deserve to die even more!" Enraged, Dongling lunged forward, grabbed Er Pang by the collar, and roared an order: "Heikui, do it now! Kill them!"

"Kill them, and you will get nothing!" Er Pang said, his expression unchanging.

"You..."

Dongling was rendered speechless, truly unable to deal with Er Pang, and shoved him aside. However, once he let go, he immediately commanded Heikui, "Go! Kill those two!"

Heikui nodded and strode away.

Suddenly, Er Pang lunged forward with explosive speed, grabbed Dongling by the throat, and slammed him against the nearby rock face. In the blink of an eye, a cold dagger was pressed against the center of Dongling’s brow. Er Pang’s eyes were filled with a terrifying, killing intent as he growled, "If you dare touch him, I will kill you!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Dongling roared, stunned by Er Pang’s unexpected actions.

"What makes you think I wouldn't?"

As Er Pang spoke, he pressed the dagger deeper into Dongling’s brow—the vital point. With the slightest force, the blade would pierce his skull. The other black-robed figure, Heikui, seeing this, dared not move and stopped in his tracks.

The standoff lasted for several minutes. Er Pang showed no sign of fear, but cold sweat began to bead on Dongling’s forehead. Finally, he relented: "Fine, Lin Wu. We shall make an exception this time. I will spare them."

"My thanks, Venerable Dongling."

Er Pang spoke, then looked back down the path they had come. He watched me searching for clues on the mountain trail, a trace of sorrow flickering in his eyes.

Several minutes passed. Only after Hua Yuyan and I failed to find any leads and departed the area did Er Pang release Dongling.

Dongling clutched his throat, trembling with fury, yet he dared not retaliate. To them, Lin Wu was far too important—he was the one their master required.

The Abyss of Darkness.

A malevolent aura raged everywhere. The canyon was barren, and even the rocks seemed to drip with fresh blood; the air was thick with a pungent, metallic stench.

Er Pang followed the two black-robed figures into the Abyss of Darkness, walking deep into the canyon until they reached its end. There, a cliff overlooked a sea of blood.

The blood sea churned, wreathed in crimson clouds and red mist, the source of the overwhelming stench. In the middle of the sea, eight bronze chains as thick as water barrels stretched in eight directions, binding a massive golden coffin. Despite the surrounding deathly gloom, the coffin emitted a golden radiance, creating a stark contrast.

More strangely, four ancient swords were thrust diagonally into the four corners of the coffin. They were exquisite and distinct in form; even here, amidst the blood, they remained untainted, each glowing with its own light—gold, cyan, red, and purple. These four types of sword energy intersected, forming a cage that tightened the bronze chains and suspended the golden coffin over the abyss.

Upon arrival, the two black-robed figures bowed to the coffin. Dongling cupped his hands and said, "Master, the one you requested has been brought."

The golden coffin shuddered violently. The four swords trembled, erupting in brilliant gold, cyan, red, and purple light. The bronze chains groaned, tightening further.

"You have come!"

A low, deathly voice, like a muffled thunderclap, emanated from the coffin. The sound caused the blood sea to churn, sending waves crashing against the cliffside and washing over them with a foul, fishy wind.

Er Pang walked to the edge of the cliff. Ignoring the stench, he looked at the golden coffin and said, "That is right. I have come."

"Well? Lin Wu, did I not tell you the truth? Is the gift I gave you useful?" the voice from the coffin asked.

"But it is not enough!" Er Pang gritted his teeth.

A strange, eerie laugh echoed from the coffin. "Of course it is not enough. If it were, would you have come back to me?"

Er Pang glanced at the blood sea and asked, "Tell me, what do you want?"

"Lin Wu, I want nothing. Look at me—trapped here, what could I possibly want? All I can do is help you as much as I can!" The voice sounded righteous and noble.

"Are you truly so kind?" Er Pang asked without hesitation. Dongling immediately stepped forward: "You brat, show some respect! How dare you speak like that?"

"Dongling, be silent! Do not be so rude to Brother Lin Wu!" the voice from the coffin commanded.

"Master, I have something to report!" Dongling said, shooting a hateful glare at Er Pang.

"Speak."

As Er Pang turned to glare back, Dongling scoffed and continued, "Master, we were followed on our way here."

"If you were followed, why did you not remove the tail?" the voice asked.

"Master, I intended to, but this one would not allow it. He even held a dagger to my throat!" Dongling let out an evil laugh. "Master, this man is not to be trusted. I can find you a much better candidate. Lin Wu should be thrown into the blood sea to be cleansed!"

"Is that so?"

The figure in the coffin seemed suspicious. He looked at Er Pang, then addressed Dongling: "Venerable Dongling, come here. I have an order for you."

Dongling glanced at Er Pang with a look that suggested he was a dead man walking. He stepped boldly to the edge of the blood sea, waiting for the command to push Er Pang in and satisfy his grudge.

However, at that moment, a blood-red hand shot out from the sea, grabbed Dongling by the legs, and dragged him under. Dongling struggled and thrashed, but he didn't even have time to scream for help. Moments later, only a skeleton remained.

"Lin Wu, surely you believe in my sincerity now?"

Er Pang understood—this was both sincerity and a warning.

"Fine. Let us begin."

Er Pang drew his dagger and carved a slit into the center of his own brow. Blood trickled down as he gritted his teeth.

A wisp of crimson energy began to coalesce above the golden coffin. The process was agonizing; the four ancient swords glowed with blinding light, and the bronze chains tightened, the sword energy repeatedly scattering the red mist. The blood sea began to surge with monstrous waves, the chains clashing against the rocks with a cacophony of sparks.

After a grueling struggle against the sword energy, the crimson wisp finally solidified. It darted forward and burrowed into the wound on Er Pang’s forehead.

Instantly, Er Pang’s eyes snapped open, glowing a deep, blood-red. The wound on his brow gradually healed.

Outside the Old Jieling Village.

The night was heavy. Unable to find any trace of Er Pang or the black-robed men, Hua Yuyan and I returned in frustration. I had hoped to find clues at Er Pang’s home, but it was empty, offering nothing.

Returning to the Old Grave Slope, the site of my struggle with Er Pang, I looked at the withered bushes nearby, my anxiety deepening. Even the Little Yama had warned that although the Ferryman Lin Yuan had restored what I had lost, the world remained full of variables.

"Let's go," I said. "Back to the Mountain God Temple."

Before leaving, I snapped off a branch of the shrubbery. Perhaps Grandfather would know what it was.