Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 494 Qutang Pass of Regret

"Thank you, sister." Fa Xiu thanked her repeatedly, straightened her head, and said proudly, "How about it? Isn't my 'beheading to save life' method amazing?"

"Impressive," Su Xiaoxiao laughed. "But it's best to use this trick sparingly, otherwise, if someone throws their head into the river next time, where will you fish it out?"

"Hehe, that's true. I'll use it less often in the future." Fa Xiu, always one to take advice, smiled and took a reed from her sleeve, tossed it into the river, and it transformed back into a small boat.
"Sisters, let's move on to the next level."

“Okay.” The three women nodded and flew down from Chu Yang Terrace with Fa Xiu, landing on the small boat.

"Impressive, impressive." Fish Dragon appeared at the right time and offered his praise. "You guys are the first wave to get through this stage standing up."

"Would people who came before always go along with him?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.

“Those who don’t obey him are all thrown into the river to feed the turtles,” Yulong said calmly. “But do you think it’s okay to just obey him? No, because he will later use a golden scale to weigh your conscience. Anyone who has lied must use gold of equal weight to redeem their heart. If you don’t have money, you can only leave your heart with him and wait until you have money to redeem it.”

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" the little monk said speechlessly. "You even advised us to go along with him before."

"Sorry, sorry." The fish-dragon arched its fins and said apologetically, "I just heard about it from the old turtle in Wuxia Gorge."

"Please be more reliable next time," everyone said helplessly.

"Yes, yes, definitely next time," Yu Long readily agreed.

"What's the next challenge?" everyone asked.

"The next pass is Qutang Gorge, which the Ghost King renamed Qutang Regret Pass. The one guarding it is even more important—the famous Zhuge Liang. Are you afraid?" Yu Long said, puffing out his beard and glaring.

"Prime Minister Zhuge is unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, and loves the people like his own children. What is there to be afraid of?" Fa Xiu asked, puzzled.

"Hey, how come you have such a blockhead, monk?" Yu Long shook his head and said, "You've already passed two trials, and you still don't understand that the guardians aren't the real people, but the vengeful spirits formed from their obsessions."

"The dark side of your heart?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.

"That's right. Just like everything has two sides, yin and yang, people are no exception. This is their yin side. Otherwise, who would Tao Zhugong be? How could he have behaved so badly?"

After a pause, it sighed in a weary tone, "You have no idea how dark a person's heart can be."

“I believe Prime Minister Zhuge wouldn’t do that,” Chen Lingzhi said firmly. “He is such an upright and honorable man.”

"Ah, right, right, right." Yu Long certainly wouldn't argue with Chen Lingzhi, but he reminded her, "We can't really say what this level will be like, but it's definitely the hardest..."

~~
As the small boat traveled upstream for sixty or seventy miles, the water became turbulent and surging, roaring and rushing, making one's heart pound.

All that could be seen were towering mountains on both sides of the river, standing like a giant sluice gate on the river.

"The Qutang Gorge is just ahead. Once you pass through the Qutang Gorge, you'll be in Qutang Gorge. Good luck to you." After saying this, Yulong made his escape.

The group boarded a boat and arrived at the Kuimen Gate. There they saw a huge "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops" carved on the mountain wall. The characters were vigorous and powerful, and the magnificent text shone through the ages. It was a true reflection of the life of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang!

The small boat pierced through the churning fog and slowly entered the Kui Gate, only to find that beyond the gate lay not a canyon, but a floating battlefield of clouds. Beneath their feet lay brick-paved ground, eight colossal bronze pillars supporting a dome, each pillar engraved with a celestial map. At the center, atop the White Emperor City, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, wearing a turban and a crane-feather cloak, sat playing the zither, but the music was low and melancholic, sounding utterly dejected…

"This is the Eight Trigrams Formation, which Zhuge Liang was most proud of throughout his life." Chen Lingzhi was an expert in formations and saw through its secrets at a glance. "Its eight gates are repeated, according to the principles of the Eight Trigrams Formation: Rest, Life, Injury, and Blockage. Its changes are endless every day and every hour, comparable to 100,000 elite troops. Back then, Lu Xun's army was almost trapped and killed in the formation."

"Is this meant to make us break the formation?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.

A Yao remained silent, but instead unleashed her Ziwei Sword, shooting towards Baidi City, preparing to unleash another 'one sword to break all laws' attack. However, the purple light vanished without a trace, disappearing from everyone's sight.

She hurriedly tried to return on her sword, but was horrified to discover that she had lost contact with the Ziwei Sword, which she used for cultivating both body and soul.

“The Eight Trigrams Formation isn’t some illusionary magic; it’s a genuine military formation. Your Ziwei Sword can’t break it.” Chen Lingzhi said calmly, “I know you’re in a hurry, but don’t worry. Once we’re out of the formation, we should be able to contact your sword.”

"..." Knowing that she was in an area she was not good at, Ayao obediently remained silent.

"Do you know how? I know absolutely nothing about it," Su Xiaoxiao asked Chen Lingzhi.

“Me too,” Fa Xiu whispered.

"I only have a superficial understanding, but I'll give it a try," Chen Lingzhi said modestly.

After saying this, she looked at the sky and then at her feet, and then led the crowd into the formation.

They hadn't gone more than a few steps when the ground suddenly trembled. Chen Lingzhi quickly warned everyone, "Be careful! It's noon, the Rest Gate is in the Gen position!"

Before she finished speaking, the floor tiles in the Qian position suddenly cracked open, and a series of Zhuge crossbows shot out a sky full of arrows, the arrowheads still carrying flames—just like the scene during the fire attack at Bowangpo back then.

"The Gen position is in the northeast, follow me closely!" Chen Lingzhi led his men through the midst of swords and arrows, the situation was fraught with danger, but they always managed to arrive safely at the Xiu Gate.

Then, on the gate, a passage from the "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops" appeared—

"I was originally a commoner, tilling the fields in Nanyang, merely seeking to preserve my life in this chaotic world, not aspiring to fame or fortune among the lords. The late Emperor, disregarding my humble origins, condescended to visit me thrice in my thatched hut, consulting me on the affairs of the time. Deeply moved, I pledged myself to his service."

Upon seeing this text, famous scenes such as "cultivating the land in Nanyang", "thrice visiting the thatched cottage", and "presenting the memorial at Longzhong" immediately came to mind.

However, before one could savor the details, the words before him began to change. Each stroke was stained with dark red blood, and between the lines, one could vaguely sense the struggle of the dead, making it look extremely terrifying.

Upon closer inspection, the originally straight strokes had come to life, reforming into some crooked and erratic characters that required careful deciphering to understand.

"You were born a commoner? No! I am a descendant of a prominent family from Langya! Hidden within the fields lie lofty ambitions; within my thatched hut, I have long plotted to overthrow the dynasty! Back in Nanyang, my farming was merely a smokescreen, yet I often compared myself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, having Cui Zhouping of Boling and Xu Yuanzhi of Yingchuan spread my fame throughout the marketplace—my so-called 'not seeking fame' was in reality a ploy to gain renown, waiting for the right price! My three visits to the thatched hut were merely an act of self-aggrandizement, shameful indeed!"

Everyone was stunned by the 'mad words' on the door.

“This is no ordinary Eight Trigrams Formation, but a ‘heart formation’ condensed from the lifelong obsession of Marquis Wu. Each gate contains his judgment of himself,” Chen Lingzhi said softly.

(End of this chapter)