Volume One: The Emperor’s Sword Chapter 41: A Night’s Conversation

The ghastly face pressed against the hall’s window was fierce and terrifying, struggling desperately to break free. Yet, curiously, no matter how violently it twisted and writhed, it could not even pierce the thin layer of paper covering the window.

Yun Que felt intrigued and was about to step closer for a better look when hurried footsteps echoed behind him.

He turned around to see Ma Yong and Niu Butcai rushing towards him. Recognizing familiar faces, Yun Que promptly clasped his hands in greeting and addressed them as senior brothers.

Back in Yanmen Town, they had given him a storage pouch and a sword talisman, and even after learning he was merely a sword servant, they never asked for their gifts back. Their character was commendable.

Seeing Yun Que outside the grand hall, Ma Yong and Niu Butcai were a bit surprised.

“Junior Yun? What are you doing here so late?” Ma Yong glanced toward the hall as he spoke, his expression changing as he clearly caught sight of the sinister face.

“A powerful demon has appeared on Misty Mountain,” Yun Que explained. “I intended to inform Senior Sister, but she wasn’t at home.” He turned to them, continuing, “By the way, senior brothers, there seems to be something on the hall’s window—”

“There’s nothing!” Niu Butcai quickly grabbed Yun Que, preventing him from turning around. “It’s too dark, little brother, you must be tired and mistaken. There’s no way our Northern Courtyard would be haunted, right? Haha.”

Yun Que looked helplessly at this distracted senior brother, thinking, I never even mentioned ghosts, and you’re already confessing.

Since they clearly wished to keep something hidden, Yun Que decided not to expose them, preferring to spare their dignity.

“Have you two seen Senior Sister?” Yun Que remained facing them, not turning around.

“No, she might be out,” Ma Yong replied dryly, unable to conceal his anxiety.

“Senior Sister is quite busy these days,” Niu Butcai laughed, “With you new disciples joining, she has to purchase weapons and pills—she’s been laboring hard.”

“If such minor errands require her personal attention, Senior Sister is truly good to us. In the future, we could handle such tasks for her,” Yun Que said sincerely.

“Junior Yun is right, absolutely right,” Ma Yong agreed.

“Shouldn’t you get some rest, little brother? It’s late,” Niu Butcai urged.

“I’m not tired. Where are you two headed—into the hall?” Yun Que asked.

“Well… we’re on duty tonight, guarding the hall!” Ma Yong replied.

“That’s right! Senior Sister placed some precious materials inside, and we’re here to watch over them,” Niu Butcai added.

“I see. Since I can’t sleep, perhaps I’ll keep you company and help guard the hall. We could chat together through the night,” Yun Que suggested earnestly.

Through the night…

Ma Yong and Niu Butcai exchanged glances, their expressions collapsing instantly.

Chatting through the night was not the issue; the real concern was inadvertently revealing Senior Sister’s secrets.

Unaware of what lay behind him, Yun Que could not see the ghastly face on the window growing ever more menacing. Ma Yong and Niu Butcai, however, saw it clearly.

Just then, muffled groans from within the hall signaled Xue Ziyi was injured and in distress.

Yun Que listened intently and asked, “Did you hear that? I think I just heard Senior Sister’s voice.”

Ma Yong and Niu Butcai could no longer bother with pretense. They rushed to open the hall door and charged inside, with Yun Que following at a measured pace.

Since Ma Yong and Niu Butcai dared to enter, it meant the hall was not overly dangerous—if danger existed, at least it was manageable.

Once inside, Yun Que witnessed a strange and unsettling scene.

A layer of black mist swirled silently across the floor like flowing water. Xue Ziyi sat cross-legged in the hall’s center, her hands weaving intricate incantations. Eight faint halos flickered uncertainly in the hall’s eight directions, like candle flames dancing in the wind.

As the eight halos pulsed, the black mist was alternately pressed back beneath the floor or allowed to rise and hover.

The two sides were locked in a standoff!

The ghostly face vanished from the window as soon as the door opened, coalescing into a face of black mist that lunged toward the entrance, snarling.

Ma Yong and Niu Butcai anticipated this; they quickly shut the doors behind them, paying no mind to Yun Que’s entrance.

With a creak, the doors closed.

The ghostly face slammed against the door, imprinting a demonic visage upon the wood—truly dreadful.

Yun Que watched with fascination.

He sensed a faint, unique aura in the hall, emanating from Senior Sister’s direction.

A formation!

He deduced a formation had been established within the hall, and Senior Sister was activating it—thus the ghostly face could not escape.

“Senior Sister, we’re here!” Ma Yong called out, stopping outside the eight halos’ circle.

Niu Butcai frantically signaled Yun Que not to move, urging him to remain where he stood.

At that moment, Xue Ziyi’s face was pale. She opened her eyes and, seeing Yun Que at the doorway, frowned slightly.

“Let us begin. Tonight will be troublesome, I fear.”

With that, Xue Ziyi pressed her hands together in a flurry of incantations, causing the eight halos to shine brighter.

Ma Yong and Niu Butcai responded in unison, each choosing a halo’s position, sitting cross-legged and channeling the formation’s incantations.

They assisted Xue Ziyi in controlling the array and sealing the ghostly face.

Yun Que immediately understood their intent. Standing at the door, he silently observed the operation of the formation.

With their help, the eight halos gradually stabilized.

The ghostly face within the hall grew increasingly furious.

Sometimes it transformed into a black gale, crashing wildly against the formation’s boundaries; other times, it became a giant face, baring its fangs at Xue Ziyi and the others—ferocious and bizarre.

Bound by the formation, the ghostly face could not harm those who cast the array. It could only howl in silence, raging and snapping, uttering curses none could hear.

Just as the three had begun to relax, one of the halos suddenly extinguished without warning.

The black mist on the floor grew restless, threatening to erupt in violence.

Even worse, the remaining seven halos began to dim as well.

“This is bad! The soul stone is nearly depleted!” Ma Yong cried, his dark face drained of all color.

“The soul stone is the foundation of the array. Once it’s gone, the formation will collapse! What do we do, Senior Sister?” Niu Butcai’s hands froze mid-incantation, his expression panicked.

“We can’t hold out until dawn…” Xue Ziyi glanced at the night outside the window, exhaling with difficulty. “We must exchange for a new soul stone, or the Northern Courtyard is doomed. Hurry to the Sword Palace treasury.”

“No!”

“If we leave, the array will break even faster!”

Ma Yong and Niu Butcai turned to Yun Que at the door.

“Since Junior Yun has already seen, he’s the best candidate,” Ma Yong said.

“For the safety of the Northern Courtyard, little brother, you must keep this secret,” Niu Butcai pleaded bitterly.

“It’s but a small favor, and I am duty bound. Rest assured, I won’t speak of this to others—after all, the Northern Courtyard is my home, too.”

Yun Que’s promise eased their worries.

Xue Ziyi, with effort, produced an item and tossed it to Yun Que. “Take my sword stone to the treasury as collateral. Exchange it for a soul stone. I’ll find a way to redeem it later.”

Yun Que caught it—a white bar of stone, palm-length and two fingers wide, riddled with dozens of holes. Within each hole, upon closer inspection, nestled a miniature flying sword—thirty-six in all.

Such a small sword stone could contain so many blades; it was truly worthy of the name Hidden Sword Stone.

The moment Yun Que held it, he recognized the item as extraordinary.

It was likely a supreme-grade magical artifact, far above ordinary treasures.

Such artifacts were exceedingly rare, each possessing unique powers and immense value—not something common items could compare to.

That Xue Ziyi was willing to part with a supreme-grade artifact showed just how expensive a soul stone was—so costly that even the Northern Courtyard’s Senior Sister could not produce enough spirit stones to exchange for one at a moment’s notice.

Without delay, Yun Que set off for the Sword Palace treasury, carrying the sword stone.