Chapter 120: The Cave Mouth Is the Entrance

Needless to say, this person was none other than the innkeeper of the Nameless Inn.

Clearly, however, he had made a mistake in his assumption. We were not searching for the entrance to the Shadowless Village at all, but rather looking for the first of the corpse coffins.

"I didn't expect you to follow us so quickly. Since you have, you should take the lead!"

Zhao Shiwu gave a cold snort. Without another word, he took a single step, using some unknown movement technique, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing right before the innkeeper.

For the first time, I saw that the innkeeper’s face—no longer bothering to hide its advanced age—flashed with a chilling murderous intent, which was immediately replaced by a look of terror and apprehension.

"Move!"

Zhao Shiwu reached out his hand. The model sword, which had been nothing more than a piece of yellow paper, instantly transformed into a real longsword. A rolling tide of killing intent erupted from it, the terrifying sword energy seemingly capable of shattering the boundless ghostly aura in an instant.

I could clearly feel the countless wisps of ghostly energy being frantically shredded by this suddenly manifested blade.

The innkeeper’s body shuddered violently. Seeing the sheer horror etched onto his aged face, I knew that from that single strike alone, he realized the man standing before him was an absolutely terrifying master—one whose strength far exceeded his own. He had no choice but to bide his time.

Clutching Xiyue’s hand tightly, I felt a sense of calm within me.

"As expected of someone from the outside world; cunning and treacherous!"

The innkeeper’s voice was hoarse, filled with a sense of helplessness. Perhaps because he, too, wished to return to the Shadowless Village, he hunched his shoulders and began walking toward the cavern entrance.

The area around the cave was thick with a terrifying aura. I also noticed that the entrance was covered in countless archaic characters. Each one was unfathomable, though upon closer inspection, I managed to recognize a few. Most, however, remained a mystery to me.

It appeared that this Cave of Corpse Coffins was far from simple.

Following the two men ahead, we entered the cavern. From the moment we stepped inside, I noticed that Xiyue’s face was filled with confusion and doubt. I could see countless questions written across her brow. When she first saw those ancient characters, she seemed to be in pain, her body trembling as if the cave had plunged her into a nightmare.

I said nothing. I knew Xiyue was bound by the "Eight Locks of Heaven and Earth" memory seal, a seal I suspected had been placed by my own past self decades ago when I left Painted Brow Village.

Connecting all the dots in my mind, I realized that many events in my life had been orchestrated by an unseen hand, with countless observers watching from the sidelines. From my childhood, the "great masters of my ancestors" were likely just my own self before I lost my memories. I even began to suspect that my parents were not ordinary people, as I would never have allowed two commoners to carry out such a task for me. Since I was young, I had lived a life entangled with countless restless spirits; I had been watched by the Northern and Southern branch offices of the investigative firm, and masters from Green Dragon Mountain had likely played a significant role from the shadows.

And the many people I had met—Zhao Wen, Su Ying, Chen Chuyi, Zhao Shiwu, Xiyue... Each had been placed exactly where they were meant to be. At every stage of my life, someone was by my side.

In elementary school, Zhao Wen was there as my teacher, staying with me until middle school. When I entered high school, Su Ying appeared, the woman who would resolve my inner conflicts and become the dream of my youth; in my youthful ignorance, I believed I would be with her forever. Yet, during my university years, I lived in the shadow of that past dream, until I was twenty-four and received Su Ying’s wedding invitation. I met Chen Chuyi at Xinhua Wenxuan, entered the Ghost Road, encountered Zhao Shiwu at the Yin-Yang Inn in the underground ghost city of Chengdu, and met Xiyue in Lingquan Village. Everything felt so theatrical.

They say life has no script and everyone is their own director. But clearly, that was not the case for me. Once I realized this, I began to deeply doubt the nature of my own existence.

While I was lost in thought, we reached the depths of the Cave of Corpse Coffins. We all came to a halt; before us lay three branching paths. Even a novice Yin-Yang practitioner like me could feel a heart-stopping, malevolent aura emanating from the central tunnel—an aura so powerful it seemed to have obliterated the wandering spirits that drifted through the space.

"So that’s where the Vajra Soul I’ve been hunting went. To think it was here all along!"

Hearing Zhao Shiwu’s words, my heart gave a violent jolt.

Vajra Soul, Nine Malice, One Corpse—Zhang Keqing!

That day, the Vajra Soul had taken Zhang Keqing’s physical body with it. If it had been found, it meant Zhang Keqing was inside that central tunnel.

I immediately stepped forward to stand beside Chen Chuyi.

"Grandpa Chen, does this mean Big Sister is in there?"

Chen Chuyi did not shake his head. Instead, he gave a faint smile and whispered, "It’s not that simple. The Vajra Corpse has long since obtained the Yellow Spring Water. It has likely already washed away Zhang Keqing’s memories and completely usurped her body. Zhang Keqing was a talented young Yin-Yang practitioner at the Longevity Firm; her body is exceptional in many ways. I fear she is no longer the Zhang Keqing we once knew."

No sooner had Chen Chuyi finished speaking than we heard a voice—a voice that was very familiar, yet delivered with a tone that made one’s blood run cold.

"You finally came. I have been waiting here for you for quite some time!"

At that moment, the pale old man standing not far from us—the innkeeper of the Nameless Inn—shuddered violently. As soon as he saw the woman slowly stepping out from the central tunnel, he collapsed to the ground, his body limp.

"I... I..."

His hoarse voice was filled with fear and agitation.

I stared at the woman emerging before us. That tall, lithe figure—who else could it be but Big Sister Zhang Keqing? Yet, as Chen Chuyi had warned, she had clearly become a total stranger.