THE TWO SHIPS soared through the cloud cover and descended in tandem. As the black clouds thinned, the earth loomed below. They could now easily make out the details of Bat Island. It wasn't large, and they spotted buildings hidden here and there among its forests. A demon tower stood tall at its center, with lofty eaves and a dazzling golden roof.
In the cultivation realm, such towers were often built to suppress demons; soul-subduing copper bells would hang from their eaves and the bricks would be painted with talismans and sigils. However, this tower in the middle of Bat Island was not so. It had seven floors, with human heads hanging where copper bells should have been. Those heads were rotted to the bone, swaying eerily in the island's coppery wind.
Jiang Yexue and Murong Chuyi both modulated the flow of their spiritual energy to set the pleasure boat and the walnut ship down directly in front of this central tower. When they had all disembarked, the boats and oars shrank to their original size and were stowed in qiankun pouches.
The tower and its surroundings were dark and silent before them. Upon taking a closer look, they discovered thousands of bats clustered densely under the roof tiles. Because it was midday, these bats were sound asleep.
"Human sacrifice tower…" Jiang Yexue murmured.
"What's a human sacrifice tower?" Gu Mang asked. "I've only ever heard of demon-suppressing towers."
"It's a similar concept," Jiang Yexue explained. "People build towers to suppress demons, while demons build towers to trap people. This is a bat demon island, so of course the master of the island is a bat monster rather than a cultivator. This tower was built to imprison live humans in preparation for some future use."
"What kind of future use?"
Jiang Yexue paled. "Hard to say," he said softly. "Some monsters eat people, so they store them as food. Some monsters drink blood, so they…"
Jiang Yexue was still speaking when Murong Chuyi strode ahead of the group. Without a moment's hesitation, he flung a paper talisman onto the great doors of the human sacrifice tower. The doors, scarred with the traces of spells, rumbled open.
With a wave of his horsetail whisk, Murong Chuyi brushed away the miasma that rushed out of the tower. Then he turned, dark-brown eyes glancing coldly behind him. "Jiang Yexue, are you here to perform a rescue or give a lecture?" He then strode into the tower without a backward glance. Within seconds, the darkness had swallowed his pure white silhouette. Jiang Yexue and the others hastened to follow.
The great hall on the first floor of the human sacrifice tower was dark and empty aside from eight strange and imposing stone pillars. They looked to be carved with complex designs, but upon closer examination, it became clear that they were in fact constructed from many individual bones. Thousands upon thousands of bats hung upside down from their surface.
These bats were nothing like common bats one might see in the wild. Each was as tall as a person, and their wings weren't dark gray but a translucent white. Under these layers of white membranes, many of their bodies were visibly humanoid. Some had transformed greatly, while others retained their bestial features. The former were indistinguishable from regular humans but for their membranous wings, while the latter had only grown human legs, remaining otherwise batlike. These bat monsters seemingly in the process of metamorphosis blanketed the entire tower above them; they numbered several thousand, if not a full ten thousand.
Afraid to wake them, Gu Mang asked softly, "Are they asleep?"
Mo Xi shook his head. "They're cultivating in seclusion. There are ancient records about these monsters; they're fire bats."
Gu Mang had always been pragmatic. He swept a glance over the fire bats hanging from the seven floors of the tower like braised ducks and asked Mo Xi a second question. "Are they hard to fight?"
Mo Xi didn't answer directly. "Fire bats come from a half-demon, half-immortal tribe on Jiuhua Mountain known as the feathered tribe."
"They're actual immortals?" Gu Mang sized up these furry monsters with their prominent breastbones. They must be hard to fight! he marveled. Then, These guys really don't look how I imagined immortals would at all. Muttering to himself, he shot a glance at Murong Chuyi, who stood at the head of their party. In his opinion, immortals at least had to look like this man: graceful in gait and elegant in demeanor, as if their robes and ribbons would flutter even in the absence of a breeze. These half-rat, half-human creatures didn't compare in the least.
Fortunately, Mo Xi had more to say, promptly saving Gu Mang's impression of immortals: "Fire bats can't be considered half-immortal. Like I said, they're the offspring of the feathered tribe. The feathered tribe are half-immortal and half-demon; some of them with stronger demonic traits degenerate and become depraved enough to couple with beasts. The monsters resulting from this union are the fire bats you see."
Gu Mang diligently attempted the math on his fingers. "So they're… half-immortal, half-demon, half-beast?"
"They hardly inherit any immortal blood," said Mo Xi. "It would be simpler to say they're half-beast and half-demon."
Gu Mang brought the conversation back to its start. "So—are they easy to fight?"
"They're strong in terms of spiritual energy, but they're quite dullwitted, so not very difficult. But this is the gathering place of all fire bat demons. If possible, it'd be better not to engage. Don't go bothering them." He turned back to Jiang Yexue. "Qingxu, can you tell if Yue Chenqing left any tracks here?"
"Let me try to see," said Jiang Yexue. He produced a paper talisman from his qiankun pouch and gently blew on it. The talisman transformed into a spiritual sparrow that danced into the air on swift wings. "Seek out Chenqing's breath."
After receiving its order, the sparrow fluttered toward the top of the tower. Just as it reached the third level, it let out a screech. Its wings burst into formless flames, and it vanished in a wisp of gray smoke.
Eight large scarlet words materialized in midair:
Ye of foreign clan, offer sacrifice of blood.
Jiang Yexue frowned. "It looks like anything that wishes to ascend the tower—whether it's us or our spiritual butterflies or beasts—must first offer fresh blood." He turned to look at a pool of blood in the center of the demon tower and sank into contemplation. "Do we drip blood into it?"
"Let's try it and see," said Mo Xi.
The four approached the blood pool. Mo Xi unfastened the dagger hidden in his sleeve and sliced open his palm, then passed the dagger to Jiang Yexue. After everyone let a few drops of fresh blood fall into the pool, the scarlet within began to surge.
Blood splashed, and a hair-raising snarl emanated from the pool. A blazing red beast burst from the depths.
"What the hell?!" Gu Mang exclaimed.
Through the blood misting his vision, he saw that the beast had the body of a man but the face of a boar. Tusks protruded from his snout, which was covered in fiery scarlet fur, and his eyes glowed red as the setting sun. He swung a massive hatchet, flinging off blood from the pool, then sneezed violently.
The creature immediately launched into a stream of profanity. "The fucking fuck's going on these days? People keep tryna trespass. You so fucking tired of being alive, you're here to be snacks for Her Highness the Bat Queen?"
Jiang Yexue's eyes widened. "It's a shangao…"
This was a monster well-known throughout the Nine Provinces. Gu Mang, however, had lost his memories; he hadn't the slightest clue. The fact that the others clearly understood what was going on made him anxious, yet he was also embarrassed to ask. "What's a shangao?" he whispered to Mo Xi.
"An ancient evil beast," Mo Xi answered. "It's red as fire, looks like a pig, and has no interests beyond cursing people out."
This pig's interests are quite similar to yours, Gu Mang thought. If the two of you start squabbling, I don't know who will win.
Breathing noisily, the shangao stared through his piggy eyes at each of them in turn, then immediately cursed them out as expected. "Lamelegs, Deadface, Blue-Eyed Monster, and Missy—you four bastards have trespassed into Bat Tower and woken me up. You stupid assholes have got some nerve!"
Gu Mang assigned each of these insults the second he heard them. Silently, he ticked them off on his fingers: Lamelegs would be Jiang Yexue, Blue-Eyed Monster is me. Princess and Little Dragon Lady both look like their faces are frozen like that, but Princess is pretty tall and built, so Missy would probably be Murong Chuyi, who's half a head shorter than Mo Xi. So Mo Xi is Deadface for sure.
"What are you doing here? You'd better 'fess up quick!"
The creature was an ancient spiritual beast, so Jiang Yexue made obeisance and said, "My younger brother came to the Dream Butterfly Islands a few days back, but there's been no sign of him since. The only information we have led us to this Bat Island. This is why we've trespassed in your hallowed territory."
"Your brother?" The shangao squinted at him. "Ha ha, you're a big cripple, so is your brother a little cripple?"
Jiang Yexue had a good leash on his temper; his face betrayed nothing. "This one's younger brother is healthy and whole."
"Oh, a non-crippled brat then… I did see one a couple days back. Does he wear white robes with gold trim and chirp and chatter when he talks? Looks like a slacker with a pig's brain?"
Murong Chuyi's and Jiang Yexue's expressions shifted slightly. Although the shangao was crude, his description matched Yue Chenqing to a tee. Jiang Yexue bowed again. "Xiansheng, may I ask where this youth is now?"
It was impressive that Jiang Yexue could call this pig xiansheng without blushing. But the shangao didn't buy it. "Damn cripple, flattery won't get you anywhere," he snorted. "You still haven't answered the question I asked. I'll ask you again: Is your brother a chattering slacker with a pig's brain?"
Jiang Yexue paused, unwilling to endorse the shangao's unfavorable description of his brother. As he hesitated, he heard Murong Chuyi's icy voice. "Correct. Stupid and long-winded, white clothes with gold trim. That's him. Do you know where he is?"
"Heh, little brat, at least you admit it frankly." The shangao's beady little eyes turned toward Murong Chuyi. "Although—you're a grown man, yet you're more like a fairy with that tiny waist and pretty face. That womanish look really makes you so ugly."
"I asked you where that youth is now." Murong Chuyi did not like to wait; he was already running out of patience, clipping each word as he interrogated the pig.
The shangao froze for a second, perhaps caught by Murong Chuyi's electrifying gaze and imposing manner. "If I answered just because you asked, wouldn't that be a huge embarrassment for me?"
Murong Chuyi narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"
"Of course everything must go by Master Shangao's rules!"
Murong Chuyi's dark brows drew together in rage. "What rules."
The shangao snuffled. "That's a long story! First, I'll ask you all a question—do you know the original purpose of this tower?"
"It's a human sacrifice tower, used to imprison live humans for future use." Jiang Yexue replied.
"The cripple is right, but our Dream Butterfly Islands have plenty of spiritual energy, and the monsters have gradually learned to cultivate through inedia. The Bat Queen sincerely wants to ascend as an immortal and has hardly killed any living creature in the past hundred years. She has no need to capture humans to consume. This tower was gradually abandoned and now has become a haven for bat spirits cultivating in seclusion."
"In that case, there's no use in keeping my brother on the island," Jiang Yexue said gently. "Is it possible to beg magnanimity from your esteemed ruler and let my brother return with us?"
"Heh, keep dreaming, Lamelegs. The Bat Queen doesn't kidnap cultivators, but your pig-brained brother threw himself into our hands and violated Her Majesty's taboo. Let him go? Tsk tsk, you think it's so easy?"
"What taboo did he violate?" Jiang Yexue asked.
The shangao snickered. "Same thing. You ask, but do I have to answer? Everything according to Daddy's rules."
Murong Chuyi was at the end of his rope. Furious, he snapped his horsetail whisk. He didn't yet intend to strike, but his eyes sparked with rage. Brows drawn low, he snapped, "We've already asked for your rules, so why haven't you explained them?"
The shangao sneered, his tusks protruding, "Missy looks so delicate, but his temper's worse than mine—how spicy! Fine, Daddy will tell you." He paused dramatically. "Daddy guards this tower for the Bat Queen and doesn't usually hurt anyone. When you cultivators drop in to ask things, I can choose to be good and answer three questions—but if you receive the answer to a question, all must pay a similar price. So, you must think it through. Only three questions may be asked, but the cost of an answer can be as low as one hair or as high as your three ethereal and seven corporeal souls… How about it? You sure you want to do this?"
Murong Chuyi didn't even blink. "Question one. Where is Yue Chenqing right now?"
"Oh, that was quick, asking right off the bat." The shangao raised one finger. "Your first question isn't worth much, and Daddy doesn't swindle people. How about this? We can make a trade, and I'll tell you his whereabouts."
"What do you want to trade?"
The shangao licked his thick and greasy lips. "Daddy likes to dine on human suffering. The more painful the past, the better it tastes." He glanced maliciously at the four. "If you're willing to stand right here and let me take some painful secrets to nourish myself with, then I'll answer your first question."
Since this matter involved the others, Murong Chuyi turned to look at them instead of immediately accepting.
The shangao could answer three of their questions. Mo Xi thought they absolutely shouldn't give him everything he wanted on the first one— otherwise, what would they have to barter with for the second and third? But before he could say so, Gu Mang spoke up. "Pig-xiong, aren't you being a bit unfair?"
The shangao widened his eyes. "How so?"
"Look," Gu Mang said, "we've only asked you one question, but you want to take painful memories from each of us. You're acting really greedy."
The shangao disagreed. "How's Daddy being greedy?!"
"You just said you're making a trade with us. One thing should be offered in exchange for another, so for each question we ask, you should only get to absorb one person's memories. Isn't that right?"
The shangao was quiet.
"So for each question you answer, you can choose the memories from one person, not all four of us," Gu Mang continued. "You're an ancient deity—shouldn't you be more generous and stick to your word?"
"You—!" The shangao choked on his anger, his piggish face flushing red and purple. This was his honor at risk. Although he wanted to expel these foreigners as quick as possible, he could sense that the four individuals present were all victims of suffering. Their anguish was sure to taste mellow and rich, a delicacy beyond compare. Why should one let go of ducks that had waddled into one's mouth?
The shangao roared, "All right, all right! One question for one taste of suffering! But it's not for you to volunteer yourselves—Daddy will pick among you!"
Gu Mang mimicked his tone and echoed cheerfully, "All right, all right, if you want to pick, then step right up. Come now, do you want Lamelegs, Deadface, Missy, or Blue Eyes?"
The shangao sized them all up with care, his piggy nose sniffing out the bitterness in the depths of their souls. The more he scented the greedier he became. Gu Mang was born a slave and was short two souls. Mo Xi's father had died early, his mother had betrayed him, and he'd been stabbed by someone he loved dearly. Murong Chuyi was abandoned by both parents in his youth and became an orphan. As for Jiang Yexue, no words were necessary: he led a life of eternal loneliness. The shangao swallowed hungrily. He wanted to go back on his words and gobble down all their memories at once.
But just as trees needed bark, people needed to maintain face; even the shangao had his self-respect. These humans smelled exceptionally delicious, but he hadn't lost all self-control. He cleared his throat and made a decision: "It'll be you. Yes, you. The damn cripple, you come up."
Jiang Yexue smiled lightly. "Why's that? Is it that Xiansheng thinks I've endured the most suffering?"
"You're maimed, you're the one. Are you unwilling?"
"What wouldn't I do to save Chenqing?" Jiang Yexue said. "But Xiansheng wants to eat secrets; naturally, these are things I don't want anyone else to know. I can provide painful memories for you to absorb, but you must not let them out. Xiansheng, will you accept this?"
"When memories enter my mouth, they become my food," said the shangao. "Why would I ever spit them out? Don't worry, don't worry— Daddy absolutely won't let them out."
Jiang Yexue was amiable but far from stupid. "Words are empty. Will Xiansheng swear a demonic oath?"
The shangao was once a pig after all. He was extremely greedy. He was merely in a hurry to swallow the suffering of others, and had no interest in broadcasting the secrets he absorbed. Without hesitation, the shangao raised two fingers to swear a demonic oath. "Can we get on with it now? Damn cripple, such a pain in the ass!"
Jiang Yexue smiled warmly. "Then I invite you to collect your dues."
Gu Mang and Mo Xi had no objections, so the shangao, standing in the middle of the blood pool, raised his head and opened his mouth. It emitted a whistling hiss. Wind whipped up around them, and dense wisps of black smoke soared out from Jiang Yexue's chest.
Everything rushed into the shangao's stomach.
When the gale subsided, the shangao opened his eyes wide. He licked his lips, far from sated.
"Oh, not bad, very tasty. You're just a damn cripple—I can't believe your painful memories actually involve—"
Jiang Yexue cut the shangao off with a smile. "Xiansheng, did you forget your promise?"
The shangao fell silent. But for some reason, once he finished chewing on Jiang Yexue's suffering, he peered over at Murong Chuyi, his shiny little eyes dancing with malice.
Murong Chuyi swept his sleeves back. "You've received our payment. Now speak—where is Yue Chenqing?"