Chapter 22 Satisfaction—Part Four
The noise came from all around them.
A sea of whispers, rustles, and giggles came from both front and back, above and below. The voices included men and women, young and old, loud and quiet. Wei WuXian could even hear a few fragmented sentences, but they came and went, making it impossible for him to make out the specific words.
That’s really too hard.
Wei WuXian pressed one hand against his temples and used the other to take out the palm-sized Evil Compass from his Qiankun Bag. The compass needle spun twice unsteadily, then accelerated. A moment later, the compass was spinning wildly!
Last time, on Dafan Mountain, it felt strange when the Compass of Evil couldn’t find its bearings. This time, the compass rotated on its own without stopping for even a second. This situation was even more extraordinary than the needle not moving at all!
The ominous premonition in Wei WuXian’s heart deepened. He shouted loudly, “Jin Ling!”
The two had walked for quite some time inside the stone castle, but they had not seen anyone. Wei WuXian had shouted several times, but had received no response. The first stone chambers were all empty, but, as they went deeper, in the middle of one of the chambers, there was a black coffin.
It was a bit strange for a coffin to appear here. However, the wood used was pitch-black, and its shape was also very skillfully crafted. Seeing this, Wei WuXian was incredibly attracted to it. He couldn’t help but pat it a few times. The wood was sturdy and the sound was crisp. He praised it, “What a nice coffin.”
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian stood on opposite sides of the coffin. After exchanging a glance, they reached out simultaneously and lifted the coffin lid.
As soon as the coffin lid was opened, the surrounding noise suddenly multiplied, flooding Wei WuXian’s ears like a tide. It was as if, before, they had been secretly watched by countless pairs of eyes—the owners of those eyes had been silently monitoring and discussing every word they said, every action they took, and suddenly became anxious when they saw the coffin was about to be opened. Wei WuXian thought of dozens of possibilities, already prepared to fend off the pungent stench, the stretching claws of monsters, the overflowing poisonous water, the rapidly dissipating poisonous smoke, or the attacks of hateful ghosts. Of course, his greatest wish was to see Jin Ling. Despite this, nothing happened. Nothing.
Oddly enough, this is an empty coffin.
Wei WuXian was a little surprised, but also a little disappointed that Jin Ling wasn’t trapped there. Lan WangJi moved a little closer. Bichen drew his own sword a few inches, its cold light shining on the bottom of the coffin. Only then did Wei WuXian realize that it wasn’t empty, but rather that the object inside was much smaller than he had expected, hidden in the deepest part of the coffin.
Inside the coffin lay a long sword .
The sword was unsheathed. Its hilt appeared to be made of gold, making it appear quite heavy. Its body was slender and its blade glistened. Resting on a layer of red cloth at the base of the coffin, the sword reflected a blood-red hue, exuding a chilling aura of destruction.
A sword was placed in the coffin, instead of a corpse. In fact, there was nothing special about these stone castles on the Xinglu Ridge, which revealed mysteries with every step they took.
The two closed the coffins and continued on their way. They found similar coffins in other rooms. Judging by the texture of the wood, they all had different ages. Furthermore, inside each coffin was a long sword. Even by the time they reached the final room, there was still no trace of Jin Ling. Wei WuXian closed the coffins, feeling a little worried.
Seeing his furrowed brows, Lan WangJi thought for a moment, placed the guqin horizontally on the coffin, and then raised his hand. A melody flowed from his fingers.
He played only a short strum, then removed his right hand from the guqin. He stared intently at the still-vibrating strings.
Suddenly, the string vibrated, and a single note sounded by itself.
Wei WuXian asked, “ Questions ?”
Inquiry is a famous piece composed by an ancestor of the GusuLan Sect. Unlike Evocation , this piece is used when the victim’s identity is unknown and a medium is unavailable. The performer uses the guqin’s notes to inquire, asking the victim questions, while the victim’s answers are transformed into melodies by Inquiry and displayed on the strings.
If the strings vibrate on their own, it means Lan Wangji has brought a spirit to the palace. After that, the two will begin asking and answering questions using the guqin language.
Guqin language was a special skill possessed only by the GusuLan Sect. Although Wei WuXian had mastered many things, there were still some things he hadn’t mastered, such as guqin language. He whispered, “HanGuang-Jun, help me ask what this place is, what it’s for, and who built it.”
Having mastered the language, Lan WangJi confidently played a few clear notes without hesitation. After a while, the strings played two notes on their own. Wei WuXian immediately asked, “What’s on it?”
Lan WangJi, “I don’t know.”
Wei WuXian, “Apa?”
Lan WangJi replied casually, “He said, ‘I don’t know’.”
“…” Wei WuXian stared at him, suddenly remembering the conversation about “who knows” a few years ago. Touching his nose, he was at a loss for words, thinking, Lan Zhan is really smart. He even learned how to silence me .
Since the first question remained unanswered, Lan WangJi played another sentence. The strings responded again, with the same two notes as before. Wei WuXian knew that this time, the answer was also “I don’t know.” He asked, “What are you asking this time?”
Lan WangJi, “How did he die.”
Wei WuXian, “If he was killed secretly while he was off guard, he would explain why he didn’t know how he died. Why don’t you just ask him if he knows who killed him?”
Lan WangJi raised his hand to play another phrase. However, his answer remained the same two notes—“I don’t know.”
It was a spirit trapped here, yet it didn’t know where it was, how it died, or who killed it. This was also the first time Wei WuXian had encountered such a dead person. With a change of heart, he spoke again, “Then let’s ask something else. Ask him if he’s a man or a woman. There’s no way he wouldn’t know this.”
Lan WangJi did as he was told. After he released his hand, another string strummed loudly. Lan WangJi translated it, “A man.”
Wei WuXian, “Finally we know something, huh? Let’s ask again, have any fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys come in here?”
He replied, “Yes.”
Wei WuXian asked again, “Then where is he now?”
The rope paused for a moment, then answered. Wei WuXian hurriedly asked, “What did he say?”
Lan WangJi’s face was serious, “It said, ‘Here.’”
Wei WuXian tercengang.
“Here” probably referred to this stone castle. But, they had already searched the entire place before, and they hadn’t seen Jin Ling. Wei WuXian said, “It can’t be a lie, right?”
Lan WangJi, “I’m here, so I can’t.”
Indeed, it couldn’t be. The person who asked was HanGuang-Jun. Under his control, the spirit that came couldn’t lie, and must have answered the truth. Wei WuXian continued his search of the room, looking for any mechanisms or secret chambers he had missed. After thinking for a moment, he played a few more phrases. However, after receiving the answer, his expression changed slightly. Seeing this, Wei WuXian asked, “What are you asking this time?”
Lan WangJi, “How old is he; where is he from.”
These two questions were attempts to find out the spirit’s identity. Wei WuXian knew he would receive an unusual answer, “How?”
Lan WangJi, “Fifteen, from Lanling.”
Wei WuXian’s expression also changed.
The soul that “ Inquire” found was Jin Ling?!
He listened intently. Amidst the noise that seemed to bombard the area, he could hear Jin Ling’s faint cries. However, they were faint and indistinct.
Lan WangJi continued asking. Wei WuXian knew he was asking for the exact location, so he stared intently at the guqin strings, waiting for Jin Ling’s answer.
This time, the answer came a little slower. After he finished listening, Lan WangJi said to Wei WuXian, “‘Stand where you are, facing southwest, and listen to the sound of the strings. After each note is played, take a step forward. When the sound stops, it will be right in front of you.’”
Without saying anything, Wei WuXian turned to the southwest. Behind him, seven guqin notes sounded, so he took seven steps forward. However, nothing appeared in front of him.
The notes continued, but the pauses between them grew longer, and he walked slower and slower. One more step, one more step, and one more step…
After the sixth move, the guqin finally fell silent. No more notes could be heard.
And, in front of him, there was only a wall.
The wall was made of gray-white bricks that were tightly put together. Wei WuXian turned around, “… He’s inside the wall?!”
Bichen drew his sword. Four streaks of blue light flashed, and a neat pound sign was carved into the wall. The two of them stepped forward to break open the bricks. After several bricks were removed, a large layer of black soil was revealed.
The stone castle seemed to be double-layered, filled with soil between the two layers of hard stone. With his bare hands, Wei WuXian dug out a large chunk of earth. In the center of the pitch-black soil was a human face, its eyes tightly shut.
That is the missing Jin Ling!
His face was covered in dust, and as soon as the dust appeared, it immediately entered Jin Ling’s mouth and nose. He immediately coughed and gasped. When Wei WuXian saw that Jin Ling was still alive, his heart finally settled. Jin Ling was truly close to death. Otherwise, the ” Inquiry ” wouldn’t have caught a living soul about to leave his body. Fortunately, he only ended up buried in the wall a short while later. If they had waited any longer, he would have suffocated to death.
The two of them rushed to dig him out of the wall. However, who would have thought, like dirt sticking to a carrot being pulled out of the ground, as soon as Jin Ling’s upper body emerged from the ground, the sword on his back caught on something else and pulled him out.
It was the pale bone of a human arm!
Lan WangJi laid Jin Ling on the ground and checked his pulse. Wei WuXian, on the other hand, took the Bichen sheath and deftly began to feel around in the dirt, following the length of the bones. Soon, a complete skeleton appeared before their eyes.
This skeleton was exactly the same as Jin Ling’s, buried in the wall in a standing position. With its ghastly pale bones and the pitch-black soil—the contrast was stark yet dazzling. Wei WuXian dug deeper, breaking off a few pieces of brick beside it. After searching it a few times, he found another skeleton nearby.
This one hadn’t completely decayed. There was still flesh on its bones, and long, messy hair clung to its skull. From its tattered, watery-red clothing, he could tell it was a woman. However, she wasn’t standing, her frame hunched over. The reason was that there was a third skeleton beside it, crouched at its feet.
Wei WuXian stopped digging further.
He took a few steps back, the sound in his ears as loud and intense as a tidal wave.
He was almost certain of it. The interior of the thick-walled stone castle was littered with human corpses.
Above, below, southeast, northwest; standing, sitting, lying, squatting…
What is this place actually?!
Translator’s Notes
Sword : Although translated as “sword,” the Chinese character for “sword” is different from the character for “sword.” The character used here means “knife.” The difference between “sword” and “knife” is that the former attacks by stabbing, while the latter attacks by slicing or cutting. However, both look like “swords” by Western standards.
Research : The literal meaning is “asking the spirit”.