Great Demon - Chapter 55 Part 2

After retrieving the Turbid Mirror, Zhuyou descended to the Mortal Realm. Her silver hair instantly turned jet black, and the devilish markings on her body vanished without a trace.

As she entered the bustling streets, she concealed her presence, clutching the Turbid Mirror to her chest as she navigated through the crowd of mortals.

The surroundings were noisy, yet no one could see her.

Her magic enveloped her, not a trace of devilish aura leaking out. Even if the Heavenly Emperor were present, he might not have detected a devil in this place.

Children in the marketplace were running around, nearly colliding with a horse-drawn cart loaded with goods. The cart driver, startled, cursed under his breath, then suddenly felt a wave of heat, as if a warm breeze had swept over him.

But it was only early spring, and the chill had yet to fade. Where did this heat come from?

The man shivered, attributing it to exhaustion, unaware that a devil had just passed by.

Zhuyou walked unhurriedly back to the inn, her skirt trailing the ground yet not gathering a speck of dust. As she stepped inside, the waiter wiping tables and the innkeeper fiddling with the abacus both paused, puzzled by the sudden warmth in the air.

The waiter finished cleaning the tables, slung the cloth over his shoulder, and hurried to the backyard when someone called for help. Together, they carried a bucket of warm water upstairs.

Zhuyou watched as the wooden bucket passed through her body. She raised an eyebrow and tapped the bucket lightly. Instantly, the warm water began to boil, bubbles rising to the surface.

The waiter nearly dropped the bucket, but when he looked again, the boiling had stopped.

The water wasn’t boiling anymore, but it was still scalding hot, as if a fire burned beneath it.

Upstairs, Zhuyou turned a corner. With a flick of her finger, the door to the central room swung open with a loud bang.

The waiter, carrying the bucket with another person, was startled again. He peered inside but saw no one opening the door.

He wondered if the door latch needed replacing when the door suddenly closed on its own.

With a thud, the latch clicked into place.

The waiter felt a chill. Was he seeing ghosts in broad daylight?

Inside the room, Hanzhu, who had been leaning by the window, rushed over anxiously when she saw Zhuyou return. Seeing her mistress unharmed, she sighed in relief. “Mistress, you’re finally back.”

After the door closed, Zhuyou’s jet-black hair turned silver again, and the devilish markings reappeared on her body. She took out the Turbid Mirror and examined it closely.

The Turbid Mirror, an ancient artifact, was indeed rough and worn. If given to a mortal, they would likely discard it as trash. The mirror’s surface was murky, reflecting nothing. It resembled the Heaven-Observing Mirror but was far uglier.

Hanzhu stared at it, wide-eyed. “Is this really…”

“The Turbid Mirror,” Zhuyou confirmed, stroking the surface. She could feel the immense spiritual power within, though she hadn’t yet probed it with her consciousness. The mirror seemed to resist her, as if it might backlash at any moment.

Hanzhu had seen few divine artifacts, let alone a heavenly treasure like this. She swallowed hard, her eyes wide with disbelief. After a long pause, she asked, “How does it work? Can it really help us find the remaining hun soul of the Devil Lord?”

“I don’t know,” Zhuyou replied, frowning as she rubbed the mirror. “I’ve only heard that passing through this mirror can take one back thousands of years. If that’s true, we should be able to retrieve the Devil Lord’s hun soul. But I’m not sure if we can bring it back safely.”

“But if that soul has already reincarnated, wouldn’t taking it from the mirror cause the current reincarnated soul to…” Hanzhu trailed off, stunned.

Zhuyou smirked. “The world can’t hold two identical souls. If I retrieve it from the mirror, the reincarnated soul will naturally… perish.”

Hanzhu held her breath, shocked as she looked at the silver-haired, black-robed devil. She had always known her mistress feared nothing, not even the Devil Lord. But she hadn’t expected Zhuyou to be willing to let a soul perish just to control it.

Zhuyou had never used the Turbid Mirror before and had no idea how to operate it. She sat on a drum stool, deep in thought, then tilted her head slightly. “Summon Luo Qing. Let him try the mirror.” She paused, then added, “Bring Jing Kexin as well.”

Hanzhu quickly nodded, realizing this wasn’t a test of the mirror but a test of poison.

Moments later, Luo Qing and Jing Kexin arrived, both looking grave.

“I’ve retrieved the Turbid Mirror,” Zhuyou said casually.

Luo Qing and Jing Kexin’s expressions shifted slightly. In the blink of an eye, she had stolen a heavenly treasure.

Since the conflict a century ago, Jing Kexin had held Zhuyou in high regard. Now, as she stood before her, there was no trace of impropriety in her eyes, only respect and fear.

Luo Qing remained silent, staring at the Turbid Mirror as if trying to bore a hole through it.

Jing Kexin averted her gaze, not uttering a single word of doubt.

“I invited you both here today to test the Turbid Mirror,” Zhuyou stated frankly. Her delicate features made her look innocent, as if she weren’t leading them into a trap.

“How does the mirror work?” Luo Qing asked.

“I don’t know,” Zhuyou admitted candidly. “That’s why I asked you both to come.”

Jing Kexin’s eyes lit up. “Please, let me try,” she said, her voice steady, no longer the coquettish tone she once used.

Zhuyou nodded slightly, gesturing for her to proceed.

Luo Qing took a step back, his brow furrowed.

Zhuyou didn’t retreat. She tapped the table with her finger, unsure what would happen if one passed through the mirror. If someone entered and couldn’t return, it would be a great loss.

After volunteering, Jing Kexin rubbed her palms together, took a deep breath, and placed her hand on the Turbid Mirror. Slowly, she channeled her spiritual energy into it, cautious not to trigger any hidden restrictions.

The moment her energy entered, her eyes widened, and she frowned.

Zhuyou watched silently as more and more spiritual energy poured from Jing Kexin’s palm.

The Turbid Mirror was like a bottomless pit, impossible to fully probe.

Jing Kexin suddenly withdrew her hand. As her fingers lifted, strands of white spiritual energy flowed back into her palm like fish.

“How was it?” Zhuyou asked.

“It’s pitch black inside, endless and impossible to see anything,” Jing Kexin replied, her brow furrowed. She looked serious, clenching her fingers as she tried a different approach to test the mirror.

Zhuyou didn’t stop her, watching as Jing Kexin extended her fingers into the Turbid Mirror.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t her physical body but her soul that entered.

Her soul’s fingers slipped into the mirror, and gradually, her entire hand disappeared, as if severed at the wrist.

Luo Qing stared intently, his body tense, holding his breath.

The soul fully entered the mirror. With her soul gone, Jing Kexin’s body stood motionless, lifeless yet not collapsing.

Zhuyou counted the time, thinking that if Jing Kexin didn’t return within two hours, she might be lost forever.

Hanzhu, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. “Mistress, why can’t we see anything?”

Zhuyou didn’t touch the mirror, keeping her hands neatly on her knees. She stared at it calmly. “Perhaps only those who enter can see.”

“What if she can’t come back?” Luo Qing asked.

“Then there’s nothing I can do,” Zhuyou replied, turning to him with a frank yet helpless gaze. Jing Kexin had chosen to jump into this pit herself. It had nothing to do with her.

Luo Qing showed no anger, only pursed his lips, his brow still furrowed. He glanced at the lifeless body standing nearby, his heart in his throat. If Jing Kexin were lost like this, it would be a great injustice, as no one outside knew what she was experiencing inside.

“Mistress?” Hanzhu called anxiously.

Zhuyou closed her eyes, resting. She murmured a single word, “Wait.”

They waited for two hours.

Zhuyou’s slender fingers twitched slightly. She opened her eyes, showing no regret, only a hint of disappointment. “She’s probably not coming back.”

Luo Qing’s eyes widened. “Her soul…”

Zhuyou glanced at him, then reached for the ancient Turbid Mirror on the table. She hovered her pale palm over it, channeling her spiritual energy inside.

Her energy, unlike the faint white strands of others, was like a celestial river—azure and shimmering with light.

The energy flared, forcing Luo Qing to squint, his eyes burning, while Hanzhu turned away.

Zhuyou clicked her tongue, then forcefully dragged Jing Kexin’s soul out of the mirror.

The lifeless body jolted. Jing Kexin’s pupils dilated as she regained consciousness. She slowly pulled her hand away from the mirror, her fingers trembling as if trying to warm them.

“Thank you for saving me, Your Grace,” Jing Kexin said quickly..

Zhuyou lowered her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. “What did you see inside?”

Jing Kexin, still shaken, replied, “I returned to the time when I was still a mortal. The spring flowers were in full bloom, and I—”

Zhuyou rubbed her temples. “If I wanted to hear a story, I wouldn’t need you to tell it.”

The mention of “storytelling” made her expression shift slightly, and even Hanzhu pursed her lips.

Since parting with Changying, Zhuyou had descended to the Mortal Realm. At first, every time she heard a story, she thought of the expressionless girl. She could hardly listen, often leaving coins and walking away.

Jing Kexin, unaware of her thoughts, hesitated before continuing, “No matter how far back I went, I could only see the year of my birth. I couldn’t go further.”

Zhuyou’s expression darkened. She waved her hand. “Enough. Let’s stop here for today. You may leave. I’ll think of another way.”

Jing Kexin quickly agreed, trembling as she turned to leave. If not for Zhuyou’s intervention, she might never have returned.

Luo Qing followed, his cultivation higher than Jing Kexin’s but still unwilling to risk entering the mirror.

In the room, Zhuyou pondered, coming to a conclusion—

To return a thousand years, she would need to find someone who had existed since that time.

Suddenly, the window rattled, as if struck by wind or someone knocking.

Hanzhu walked over cautiously, opening the window to find a paper boat hanging outside.

The boat was colorful, the kind mortals burned for the dead.

She leaned down to sniff, detecting a faint, eerie aura—reminiscent of the ghost from Shangxi City known as “Wu Buzhi.”

“What is it?” Zhuyou asked.

Hanzhu hurriedly brought the paper boat over, troubled. “Wu Buzhi has sent a message.”

The message looked ominous, clearly from the underworld.

Zhuyou examined it before reaching out, pulling the ghostly aura from it.

The black aura formed a line of text in the air—

Heavenly Realm’s grace descends upon the human world. At the edge of the sea, beneath the dark light, the Cold Eye shall appear.