"I must also thank Your Lordship," Jiang Siyu said, failing to notice Yuwen Junan's strange expression as he continued, "for killing the uncle, which allowed my subordinates and clansmen to finally break free!"
Oh? If I understood correctly, Yuwen Junan thought to himself, Jiang Siyu's words meant that *he* was the one who had killed that old bastard, and it was only because of that that these people had transformed from frozen statues into living humans?
That meant Jiang Siyu and that old bastard were not on the same side after all?
And the old bastard claiming to be his maternal grandfather was also a lie?
The tension in Yuwen Junan's chest suddenly released, and he offered a dry laugh. "He tried to ambush me first, and An'er only fought back to protect himself!"
"Regardless," Jiang Siyu said with bitter hatred, "that uncle deserved to die!"
Right! Yuwen Junan thought. That old man turned you into a statue for sixteen years, of course you'd want him dead!
Subconsciously, Yuwen Junan used his body to block the characters on the ground. For some reason, he always felt there was something strange about them.
Yet Jiang Siyu paid no attention to what was behind Yuwen Junan, staring intently at the Phantom Wall instead. The words that left his mouth revealed yet another earth-shattering secret: "Because after the uncle learned that Jiang Xuexin had been punished by the heavens and cast into the Underworld, he colluded with Yuwen Su and told a monstrous lie to the people of South Chu."
Thinking of the Departed Soul Nightmare on the White Lotus Lamp, Yuwen Junan blurted out, "Could it be that on the surface they used white lotuses to guide souls and deceived the people into praying for blessings, while secretly engaging in the trade of stealing souls to feed the Ba Serpent?"
"Yes," Jiang Siyu's pale face became distorted. "They used the souls stolen by the Departed Soul Nightmare to feed the Ba Serpent in exchange for Jiang Xuexin's rebirth!"
Rebirth?
Hearing these two words, Yuwen Junan stealthily glanced back down at the bloody characters on the ground: *I use my blood to sacrifice to the fierce beast, I use my soul in exchange for rebirth!*
This rebirth probably wasn't that kind of rebirth, right?
The sensation of being grabbed by tentacles seemed to return. Forcing himself not to think about it, Yuwen Junan changed the subject. "Since the Ba Serpent is inherently vicious and uncontrollable, why not just kill it to prevent future trouble?"
Jiang Siyu looked with a complex expression as the wandering souls, tortured beyond recognition by the Departed Soul Nightmare, drifted in single file toward the cyan snake head, only to be greedily devoured by the half-squinting Ba Serpent. In a hollow voice, he said,
"The ancestors of our Wu Tribe are descendants of the divine beast Phoenix, and originally possessed the supernatural ability to command all beasts. But ten thousand years ago, the bloodline of the Wu Tribe was sealed by a divine dragon. Only Wu Tribe descendants who awaken their bloodline can obtain the ancestral abilities. And the only way to awaken the bloodline is known exclusively to the Ba Serpent."
Inside the Phantom Wall, black vapor billowed. Countless White Lotus Lamps tumbled down from the precipice, extinguishing one by one the moment they fell. Black water churned, the lotus lamps sank, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.
That Ba Serpent was coiled on the opposite bank of the pool, leisurely and contentedly devouring human souls.
Following Jiang Siyu's lead, Yuwen Junan tentatively asked, "So Uncle kept it to preserve the chance for the Wu Tribe's bloodline to awaken?"
Jiang Siyu's heartstrings trembled violently. Terrified that the secret he had kept for many years had been discovered, he forced himself to remain calm and steered the conversation elsewhere.
"For the past sixteen years, the human souls devoured by the Ba Serpent have already exceeded one million. From the look of it, the Beast Trapping Array is about to lose its suppression over it!"
Acting as if he hadn't noticed the flash of guilt in Jiang Siyu's eyes, Yuwen Junan asked, "Does Uncle have any other way to suppress it?"
"It's not that there's no way," Jiang Siyu mused. "Ideally, we should do as your Empress Mother did and keep it in a continued slumber."
He pointed toward the Ba Serpent's yellowish-gold eyes and said,
"Your Lordship, look. Though it is devouring human souls, its gaze is hazy and its eyes lack inner light; it is clearly still dreaming. If we let it sleep on continuously, not only can we prevent it from wreaking havoc on the mortal world, but we can also safeguard the secret of the Wu Tribe's bloodline awakening."
"Uncle means," Yuwen Junan almost forgot about the bloody characters on the ground, his brow arching slightly as he said in a tone of gentle persuasion, "to continue supplying human souls to the Ba Serpent so it stays asleep?"
"No, Your Lordship,"
Jiang Siyu said with righteous severity, "Feeding a fierce beast with human souls violates the Dao of Heaven. My meaning is that we let the Ba Serpent fall into a permanent slumber, and then withdraw the offering of human souls. That way, we will neither provoke it nor fail to ensure the safety of the common people."
"So Uncle has had this planned for a long time," Yuwen Junan said, joy showing on his face. "Does Uncle have a way to make it sleep?"
"I do not," Jiang Siyu said proudly, "but Yue'er does!"
"Uncle means Eldest Sister?" Yuwen Junan almost lost his composure. A flash of dark light crossed his eyes, but when he raised his gaze again, it was a picture of pure innocence.
"Yes," Jiang Siyu instructed patiently. "Our Wu Tribe has a secret technique called *The Cage*, passed down to daughters and not sons. If Yue'er performs this secret art, putting the Ba Serpent to sleep for a hundred years will not be difficult."
If this so-called *Cage* was of any use, why would his Empress Mother have exhausted all her strength to set up the Beast Trapping Array, stirring her fetal Qi and dying in childbirth? He absolutely could not let Eldest Sister get dragged into this.
Yuwen Junan thought for a moment. "When Empress Mother passed away, Eldest Sister was still very young. How could she have learned the secret art of *The Cage*?"
Instead of answering, Jiang Siyu asked a question in return, "By Yue'er's side, is there a nanny named Linglong?"
Yuwen Junan lowered his gaze. Understanding dawned on Jiang Siyu, who said, "Your Lordship need not worry. With Linglong around, Yue'er must have already mastered the secret art of *The Cage*!"
"Huh?" Jiang Siyu suddenly frowned. "Why have outsiders entered the bottom of the cliff?"
Yuwen Junan completely cast the bloody characters to the back of his mind. He peered closely at the Phantom Wall and saw that the wooden-faced guard accompanying Pei Hengyu was climbing up along the crimson chains, tracing the pitch-black body of the snake.
An Ming stopped right behind the vital spot of the Ba Serpent, drew the longsword from his waist, and hacked fiercely at the vital spot, which was as thick as an elephant's leg.
"He... what does he want to do?" Jiang Siyu lurched forward, stepping past Yuwen Junan, practically pressing himself against the Phantom Wall.
"Uncle needn't worry," Yuwen Junan said dismissively. "That man's martial arts don't look very high, and the weapon in his hand is just an ordinary blade. He can't possibly harm the Ba Serpent."
"Your subordinate knows he cannot harm the Ba Serpent," Jiang Siyu said, so anxious he forgot his deference. "The scales and armor of the Ba Serpent are as hard as rock and indestructible. What mortal has the ability to harm it? But such harassment will anger it."
The dark glint in Yuwen Junan's eyes flashed and vanished, leaving his face completely serene. He stood behind Jiang Siyu and watched with cold detachment.
Inside the Phantom Wall, sparks flew in all directions as the sword blade snapped inch by inch. An Ming stood dazedly atop the snake's body, while the Ba Serpent beneath his feet remained completely oblivious to this painless and tickling attack, still swaying its massive head and drowsily devouring human souls.
"Good, good," Jiang Siyu let out a long breath and hurriedly ordered, "Jiang Shen, Jiang Hai, go quickly! Before the Ba Serpent wakes up, drag that idiot back!"
Two youths with identical appearances stepped out from among the Wu Tribe disciples. They hurried forward, cupped their fists, and said, "Understood, Patriarch!"
"Be careful," Jiang Siyu said, his expression tense as he instructed, "Make sure you don't startle the Ba Serpent!"