Chapter 92: Hell in the Pot (Part 1): Words on the Stone Stele

If they got trapped in the room, it would be like turtles in a jar. Tan Que was suddenly startled and hurriedly said, “Quick, let’s go!”

Her father was the village chief and sometimes mediated disputes between neighbors. He even helped minor county officials handle simple cases now and then, so government officials often gathered at their home to drink and eat meat. Some of them had even taught her to read. She feared these people the most, so the moment she heard officials were coming, she instinctively panicked. In her haste, she only thought about escaping and clearly forgot that two capable cultivators were present who could easily deal with a few mortals.

Just as she was about to leave, someone suddenly grabbed the back of her collar. She turned around and saw it was the immortal. The woman tilted her chin toward the floor. “Put all the books back.”

Tan Que looked down and saw the books she had just pulled out still scattered everywhere, practically announcing that someone had been there. She hesitated. “But…”

Outside, chains rattled as locks were undone. People were about to come in! Goosebumps rose on Tan Que’s skin, and she still wanted to run, but Shang Shan grabbed her as well and shook her head. “It’s fine. Listen to my master.”

After saying that, she bent down to pick up the books. Tan Que had no choice but to steel herself and help, hurriedly tidying everything up.

Mu Qian Tan smoothed the wrinkles on her knees and calmly stood up, snapping her fingers. The door was pushed open, and the officials who entered all paused mid-step, letting out surprised sounds of “Eh?”

Suddenly, a barrage of loud crackling noises erupted from the roof, like firecrackers going off!

Shang Shan had just returned the books to their places when she looked up at the ceiling, puzzled by the noise. Then voices shouted from outside, “It’s hailing!”

“Why did the weather suddenly change? Isn’t there a performance going on in the city?”

“No idea. Look at those hailstones—fist-sized! That’s terrifying.”

The people who had been about to enter were distracted by the sudden change in weather and stopped moving. Mu Qian Tan brushed the dust from her sleeves. Once she saw everything had been restored to normal, she led the other two back out the way they had come. Before leaving, she even remembered to reattach the lock on the window.

The three leisurely left the government office. Only after they had gone far away did Tan Que dare look back. The hail had already stopped, leaving a thick layer of ice hanging from the eaves like crystal curtains, sparkling brilliantly. “Wow, so pretty! Like dew on a caterpillar’s back!”

Mu Qian Tan said, “If you can’t make a proper comparison, then don’t make one.”

Shang Shan clutched the painting scroll, a cool sensation lingering on her tongue. As though she had only just realized it, she covered one cheek with her hand. “Why is there an ice candy in my mouth?”

Mu Qian Tan said, “You’ve been sucking on it for half the day.”

Shang Shan rolled the ice ball against her teeth in confusion. “I can’t remember!”

If the Blood Frenzy wasn’t too severe, she could remain rational and wouldn’t lose her memories. But if it spiraled out of control, then after calming down from the frenzy, she might not remember what had happened at all. Before her bloodline awakened in the later stages—prior to the Sacrifice event—this problem often occurred.

Because of this, there would be scenes where the male protagonist helped soothe the female protagonist’s Blood Frenzy, only for her to remember nothing afterward, causing him to think she had used him and discarded him, inevitably leaving him heartbroken. Or later, after they parted ways, she might suddenly remember everything and realize someone had always been helping her behind the scenes, leading to a delayed sense of gratitude and being moved, and so on.

In short, it was just a minor setup used to create ambiguous entanglements and layers of misunderstandings between the male and female protagonists.

Mu Qian Tan didn’t give her much time to think about it and bluntly said, “Your condition flared up, so I gave you something cold to calm you down.”

Shang Shan accepted the explanation readily, a bright smile spreading across her face. “So that’s what it was! Summer must be coming, I always get overheated around this time. Thank you, Master, for the ice candy!”

Interpreting Blood Frenzy as getting overheated from the summer weather—it really suited this stupid dragon’s way of thinking perfectly. It still wasn’t time to build any feelings with her yet, so Mu Qian Tan merely hummed in response and couldn’t be bothered to say more.

After chattering out her thanks, Shang Shan quickly remembered what she needed to do next—she had to find a way to ask that heavenly Xiao Xian whether Little Baldy was her lost soul. If it was, then Xiao Xian could directly fulfill her unfinished promise. If not, then they would have to think further about Little Baldy’s origins.

During breakfast that morning, the old man had mentioned some things about Xiao Xian. Combined with a few of her master’s responses, it was clear that although Xiao Xian was revered as a god, she had not actually ascended. Her true body was still in the mortal world—she simply stood very high above it.

Since she was still here, there had to be a way to find her. Shang Shan looked up. Above her stretched a clear sky filled with white clouds, no different from the outside world. The only difference was that the endless dome of heaven would eventually meet a jagged boundary when one looked into the distance.

Pot City sat within a hollowed-out red mountain, completely enclosed by stone. The entire cavity resembled a fat pot. Looking upward from below felt like standing at the bottom of a pot and gazing at the round, incomplete sky above—the pot’s opening. In a place like this, the highest point naturally made one think of the mountaintop.

So did Xiao Xian live at the summit?

The three had just left the government office and merged into the crowd. A parade float was passing through the streets, music soaring loudly as ribbons fluttered romantically through the air. Both sides of the road were packed with spectators watching the performances intently, cheering nonstop day and night. Shang Shan squeezed into the crowd and sought out obvious locals, asking how one could meet Xiao Xian if necessary.

Everyone she asked paused in surprise at first, saying it wasn’t easy, before explaining the method. Shang Shan asked several people in a row and received the same reaction and answer each time.

To see Xiao Xian, one’s body and mind had to be sufficiently devout. If one believed they met the requirements, then they could go to the Heaven-Earth Ascension Spirit Platform on Demon Ghost Mountain and climb the Longevity Chains up to the Heavenly Palace.

After figuring out where Demon Ghost Mountain was, Shang Shan withdrew from the crowd and headed toward the mountain. The answer had come surprisingly smoothly, and it didn’t even sound difficult, yet confusion still lingered on her face. Tan Que noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shang Shan said, “I was worried I might’ve misunderstood, so I asked several people. The crowd was so packed I was standing really close to them. I could tell at a glance they hadn’t slept well—their complexions were terrible, and they looked exhausted. The performers on the parade floats too, it looked like they could barely lift their arms anymore. If they’re this tired, why keep performing? Shouldn’t they go get some proper sleep first?”

Tan Que said, “That’s not strange at all. These days are all part of the Play Pot Festival. Tons of people came here for the festival, including our Monster Play Troupe. When there are crowds, there have to be performances. Otherwise it’d be boring. And they definitely earn a lot of money from this. It’s not like it’s every day. Once the festival ends and all the visitors leave, then they can rest.”

That explanation made sense, but Shang Shan mentally counted the days. Because of the East-West Inn murder case, the Monster Play Troupe had been delayed. Originally, they had planned to arrive in Pot City a few days before the festival started to acclimate themselves, but by the time they actually arrived, the festival had already been underway for two days. Including today, this was the third day.

Yet only three days into the festival, everyone already looked this exhausted. How were they supposed to endure the rest of it?

Now that they knew where they were going, Tan Que skipped toward the mountains like a cheerful bird. “Let’s hurry into the mountains! We can play in the water too. Lingdang Princess hates staying in the city, so this’ll finally cheer her up!”

Shang Shan stopped overthinking things and glanced back at her master. Seeing her still following behind at an unhurried pace, calm and aloof as always, Shang Shan couldn’t resist waving to her. “This way!”

Then she saw the woman raise those eyes that practically said, “I know already. Honestly.”

The instant their gazes met, Shang Shan unconsciously nudged the ice ball in her mouth with her tongue. A flash of red swept through her mind, and within that sea of red was a striking patch of white. Her steps slowed, and she came to a stop, feeling as though she had forgotten something. A familiar hunger also stirred in her stomach. But before she could think further, a shout came from ahead. “Big Sis Shan, hurry up!”

“Oh, coming!”

She ran up the mountain together with Tan Que. The farther they got from the city, the fewer people there were, until the music and cheers had completely faded into the distance. Fallen leaves covered the ground, grasses curled and swayed, and nameless little flowers dotted the yellow dirt path. The deeper they went, the steeper the slope became, and the trees gradually thickened until the sounds of the city vanished entirely.

They brushed through leaves, splashed in streams, and laughed all the way until they reached the mountainside. Tree branches veiled the path ahead, but after a few more steps and past the shadows of the trees, they saw a platform jutting out from the cliffside. A red wall topped with black tiles blocked their view. After circling around the wall and looking back, they saw incense smoke curling upward while tree shadows swayed gently in the wind. It turned out to be a temple.

The two entered the temple. No one was inside. There was an offering table laid with fruit and snacks. Several paintings hung on the walls—some were the same as the ones at Pot City’s gates, while others depicted unfamiliar faces. One of them was the male Demon-Exorcising Little Immortal they had seen on the street yesterday. Opposite him hung the portrait of a pale-faced black-haired woman, who was presumably the Demon-Exorcising Little Immortal named Dingxiang, the one who had once dared to drive away Snow Lady.

Shang Shan stood beneath the portrait, carefully studying the woman’s face. She reread the heroic deeds written on the scroll, trying to find something inconsistent.

She absolutely refused to believe her master would truly burn those children to death!

Tan Que wandered around the temple once but found nothing interesting. She was tempted by the food offerings on the table, but since the ice ball in her mouth still hadn’t melted, she went outside first.

In front of the temple was a circular area paved with square stone bricks and surrounded by old poplar trees. At the very center stood a stone stele roughly one zhang tall, dark and heavy-looking. Its surface was densely covered in tiny characters, and from its top extended a taut black chain that shot straight into the sky, disappearing into the clouds without end.

The moment she saw the stele, Tan Que shouted from afar, “Big Sis Shan, come look at this!”

Shang Shan responded and walked out of the temple to the stele. Tan Que was staring at a bouquet of white chrysanthemums placed before it. The delicate petals had already dried and curled at the edges, so they clearly weren’t fresh.

“There are flowers here.”

Shang Shan crouched down for a closer look. “Who would leave flowers here?”

Tan Que shook her head. “No clue.”

She lifted her head to look upward, but the tiny worm-like characters on the stele made her dizzy almost immediately. Shang Shan stood up to steady her and also began reading the inscription, picking out only the characters she recognized from top to bottom. She roughly pieced together that it told the story of the former Pot God and the current Pot God—the Porcelain Pot Three Venerables and the Five-Eyed Xiao Xian. The details were even more thorough than what the old man had described.

After recovering from her dizziness, Tan Que came back to life, holding Lingdang in one arm while leaning against Shang Shan’s shoulder with the other. She pointed at the top row of words. “What’s that line say?”

The words were large and bright, painted in gold so they stood out at a glance. Shang Shan looked up and slowly read aloud, “The devout ascend to the Heavenly Palace; the rebellious descend to Hell.”

Beside it was an explanation. Those who held utmost reverence for the Pot God could climb the Longevity Chain connected to the stele and ascend to the Heavenly Palace, gaining the title of Little Immortal, obtaining Spiritual Power, and serving at the Pot God’s side. But those whose faith was insincere yet still insisted on ascending—as well as those born demonic or evil—would all fall into Hell, where they would suffer eternal torment beneath blazing flames and never find rest.

Tan Que shuddered at the last part. “Scary! I didn’t understand the rest, though.”

Shang Shan said, “It means that if you trust the Pot God, you can climb up and ascend to heaven in a single step. But if you don’t trust the Pot God—or if you’re a demon—you’ll be sent to Hell instead. No wonder this place is called the Heaven-Earth Ascension Spirit Platform.”

Tan Que said, “My dad always says: do only as much work as the food you can eat. I don’t believe anyone can ascend to heaven in a single step.”

After thinking for a moment, Shang Shan pulled the slender vial containing Little Baldy from her robes and stuffed it into Tan Que’s arms. “Hold this for me.”

Tan Que blinked blankly. “What are you gonna do?”

Shang Shan rolled up her sleeves. “I want to try climbing up there. If I accidentally break it later, that’d be bad.”

Tan Que yelped, “Don’t do it! You’re definitely not devout enough. What if you fall into Hell?”

“My master says there are no gods in this world. If there aren’t even any gods, where would Hell come from?” Shang Shan climbed onto the stele.

Tan Que muttered, “True enough.”

By the time Mu Qian Tan arrived at a leisurely pace, the stupid dragon had already climbed several zhang upward. The chain swayed slightly as the girl clung to it like a tiny black dot, gripping it tightly with both hands while squeezing it between her legs and inching upward bit by bit. At first she climbed smoothly, but it wasn’t long before she encountered resistance, and her pace slowed more and more. Even from below, it was obvious her body was trembling.

Tan Que looked up nervously, tears forming in her eyes from the glaring sunlight, yet she didn’t dare look away. Suddenly, a red glow appeared at the bottom of her vision. She abruptly lowered her head and discovered a circular formation floating beneath her feet. She immediately recalled the inscription on the stele—those lacking sincerity would descend to Hell! Could this really be the entrance to Hell?

She cried out and was just about to yell for Shang Shan to come down when white feathers flashed past the girl, and the chain suddenly became empty. Tan Que let out a startled “Eh?” Before confusion could fully rise in her heart, a piercing bird cry split the sky. A giant white bird blotted out the sunlight overhead. After circling once with its wings spread wide, it slowly descended and hovered above the stele.

White Pupil’s claws gripped Shang Shan’s leg, leaving the girl dangling upside down while her long hair and clothes hung downward. Shang Shan waved her arms lifelessly. “Master, why didn’t you tell her to hold onto me properly?”

Mu Qian Tan replied indifferently, “You should be grateful you didn’t fall to your death.”

Tan Que looked at the crane, then at the woman, realizing this was probably the immortal’s spirit pet or something similar. Seeing that the red formation on the ground had already dissipated and that Shang Shan was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief.

The Lingdang Princess in her arms suddenly stirred. Tan Que looked down and saw the pink-and-white frog staring fixedly at the crane in midair with wide eyes. Its cheeks were flushed so red they looked ready to drip blood, and it stretched out its tiny claws, scratching desperately at the air.

Although Lingdang couldn’t speak, Tan Que spent every day with her and had long since learned to interpret her old friend’s intentions through her actions. To her astonishment, she realized that Lingdang had fallen in love!

Indeed, that crane was elegant and ethereal, graceful and full of immortal charm. And indeed, Lingdang Princess was also lovely and adorable, beloved by everyone. But, but—

Tan Que wiped away tears in her heart. But as the ancient saying went, a frog and a swan could never be together!

She didn’t want to shatter Lingdang’s first romantic dream, so she hurriedly came up with another excuse instead. “No, you two are both girls. The mortal world won’t accept it!”

Lingdang continued pawing stubbornly at the air with both little claws, seemingly unwilling to give up. Heart aching unbearably, Tan Que covered her eyes with her arm. “Princess, don’t look anymore. Our family background can’t compare to the immortal’s. We’re not a good match in status or upbringing—it’ll never work! It’s all my fault for being useless and making you suffer!”

Mu Qian Tan had no idea what she was muttering about beside her. Just then, she heard a set of light footsteps approaching. With a flick of her fingertip, White Pupil transformed into a streak of white light and shot into the back of her neck. Shang Shan fell to the ground with a loud splat, while a woman in yellow robes approached from beside the temple.

Shang Shan rubbed her aching buttocks with repeated cries of pain as she climbed to her feet. She saw Tan Que’s anguished expression and Lingdang’s dazed state and was just about to ask what was wrong when she also sensed someone approaching and turned to look.

The woman had refined and gentle features, though her face looked gaunt. She carried a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in her arms. Under their gazes, she walked up to the stone stele, picked up the old bouquet that had already been placed there, replaced it with the fresh one, and then stood there silently for a long time.

So she was the one who had brought the flowers. But why would she offer flowers here?

After standing quietly for a moment, the woman turned to leave. Only then did she seem to notice the people behind her, startling slightly before bowing. “Greetings to you all.”

As she bent down, the pendant hanging from her neck slipped out—a half-moon-shaped green jade pendant. Mu Qian Tan looked at the jade pendant and nodded. “Mm.”

Shang Shan climbed to her feet. “Why did you come here to offer flowers?”

She had only ever seen people leave flowers at graves, but this stone stele and temple weren’t anyone’s tomb. Hearing this, the woman carefully sized up the group before cautiously asking, “Are you all outsiders?”

Shang Shan replied, “Yes. We originally came here to have fun, but now we’re looking for Xiao Xian.”

The woman looked slightly surprised. “Why are you seeking her?”

Shang Shan said, “It seems she lost something. We picked it up and want to ask whether it belongs to her.”

Apparently she had never heard such an answer before. The woman stared blankly for a moment before saying, “I see… I came to offer flowers in memory of my twin sister.”

Shang Shan looked back at the stone stele and confirmed, “Here?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, here.”

She gazed at the inscription and reached out to stroke several characters lower down. Only then did Shang Shan realize that this entire section was filled with names!

With sorrow in her voice, the woman said, “She was one of the hundred cultivators who followed Xiao Xian to the heavens back then and overthrew the Three Venerables. She was also my pride.”