Demon Emperor

Chapter 33 The Yellow Emperor's Mirror
As dawn broke, Ruan Hu was still leading his men to guard the gates of hell.

More ghostly spirits continued to rush out, but they were all shot down; none of them escaped.

As the light of day broke through the horizon, Ruan Hu heard a sound.

The smoke that had been continuously being poured into the gates of hell was now beginning to flow backwards.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"

While mortals cannot see with their naked eyes, Ruan Hu saw countless shadows being drawn out of the gates of hell along with the smoke.

It was clearly smoke, but it made a sound like flowing water.

It was accompanied by the cries of men and women, and their pleas for mercy, like prisoners being led away.

Subsequently.

It completely transformed into a long river that flowed through the long street and was then collected back into the murals of the Heavenly Maiden Palace.

"withdraw!"

The messenger relayed Ruan Hu's order, and he began to ride back.

After the fierce battle, Ruan Hu gradually realized that it wasn't Lord Ma who knew about his plan.

Instead, it was a time for him to open the gates of hell during the Qingming Festival to deal with the other party, and Lord Ma had the same plan.

Thinking of this, Ruan Hu, who was riding on his horse, was actually somewhat relieved.

"If I hadn't run into them, those ghosts would have rushed into the human world, and who knows what other evil spells awaited me."

Ruan Hu recalled his previous experience.

A group of ghost soldiers who are merely vengeful spirits and a group of ghost soldiers who have been possessed are two completely different kinds of beings.

While riding on horseback, Ruan Hu began to take stock of his gains from the previous night.

Although he was protected among the crowd, Ruan Hu still managed to shoot and kill eight or nine vengeful ghost soldiers last night.

among them.

Three or four vengeful ghosts scattered on the spot, leaving nothing behind, but a few were partially swallowed by the Tiger God during the dispersal process, becoming its food.

Strangely, the Tiger God spat out those orbs of light, but Ruan Hu couldn't absorb them; they just swirled around him and then returned to the Tiger God's body.

The appearance of this phenomenon immediately confirmed Ruan Hu's previous guess that the number of Changhun and Changpo was also limited.

"Truly, it has three souls and seven spirits."

"I just don't know what changes will occur after all three souls and seven spirits are gathered."

"Ghost?"

Instinctively, Nguyen Ho recalled folk legends about tigers.

Ruan Hu released the Tiger God and checked the circular light within its body.

Currently, all I've accumulated are my "Changpo" (伥魄), and they're not very useful; they're mostly skills in blacksmithing, horse raising, cart repair, and fishing.

There's also a mediocre sword technique, far inferior to Ruan Hu's current Hundred Battles Sword Technique.

Ruan Hu was of no use, so there was really no gain.

But what if you encounter some powerful courier spirits later on?

Ruan Hu suddenly had a change of heart.

"Whether the soul and spirit of the courier can be replaced remains to be seen."

Unbeknownst to Ruan Hu, he rode his horse to the front of the Heavenly Maiden Palace.

Ruan Hu dismounted, and someone immediately came to hold the horse back.

A group of guards followed Ruan Hu up to the Heavenly Maiden Palace. The palace master, the palace steward, and the priest came to greet him with a group of people, but Ruan Hu ignored them and went straight into the depths of the main hall.

Passing through the gauze curtains, walking past the statues of gods.

In the deepest part, Ruan Hu looked up at the mural again.

This time, the mural has undergone some changes again.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, a magnificently dressed celestial maiden, accompanied by the gods and goddesses of the heavenly palace, descended from the clouds.

Below the clouds, hordes of little demons and spirits prostrated themselves in worship, their expressions filled with fear.

At night.

On the deserted street, a patrolling demon appeared on a corner of the wall of Xijing City.

To the left and right of the imperial city gates, the shadowy figures of guardian deities appeared, watching intently from another level, unseen and untouchable by mortals.
-
Just about to go out.

Ruan Hu saw two eunuchs carrying things into the palace and immediately stopped.

Ruan Hu waved and summoned the eunuchs in front of the palace gate.

"What is this?"

The eunuch lowered his head and didn't dare to look at Ruan Hu, and immediately replied.

"Your Majesty has forgotten that this is a bronze mirror that Your Majesty instructed us to take to the craftsmen for repair. He said that once it was repaired, it would be consecrated for three days at the Heavenly Maiden Palace, and then moved here."

This bronze mirror is no ordinary mirror; it was the medium that the sorcerer used to cast a spell on the concubines in the harem.

It was originally an ancient mirror, so it has quite a history.

On the very night the spell was cast, Ruan Hu cleaved him in two with a single sword strike, breaking the sorcerer's magic.

Later, the fairy Miaoxiang said that this ancient mirror was extraordinary and could be put to great use after being repaired. Ruan Hu then ordered the craftsmen to repair it.

After many days, the ancient mirror was finally repaired.

"Oh, I remember now."

"Cover the mirror up, don't let anyone lift the cloth off."

The eunuch quickly replied, "Yes."

After saying this, Ruan Hu left the palace to attend to his business.

Returning to his palace at night, Ruan Hu began preparing for a bath. Unlike the people of ancient times, Ruan Hu bathed every day, even more so than the delicate concubines in the harem.

After Ruan Hu had bathed and changed his clothes, he heard someone calling his name.

"His Majesty!"

"His Majesty!"

Ruan Hu's eyes immediately locked onto the mirror. He stepped forward and lifted the cloth covering the mirror, and immediately saw the mirror shimmering, reflecting the scene inside the palace.

The light was dazzling, and when Ruan Hu looked at the scene in the mirror, he saw a figure slowly condensing from the dim yellow light, standing right behind him.

Ruan Hu immediately turned his head and saw that there really was someone standing behind him.

"The Celestial Maiden of Wonderful Fragrance?"

The Celestial Maiden Miaoxiang bowed and then spoke softly.

"I have met His Majesty."

Then, she stepped forward, grabbed Ruan Hu's sleeve, and walked to the mirror.

Ruan Hu was greatly surprised.

Because neither ghosts nor spirits belong to the mortal world, and it would be very difficult for them to exist in the mortal world.

The sun's rays feel like fire, and the cold wind feels like a knife's cut.

Unless it's a special day or place, the most important thing for someone to stay in the human world for a long time is to have something to rely on and possess.

Deities rely on statues and paintings, while vengeful spirits rely on corpses or other objects.

Ruan Hu knew that this ancient mirror was an extremely special object to which one could possess, but at this moment, the Heavenly Maiden Miaoxiang revealed more than just what she had shown before. She seemed to have truly appeared in the human world and could walk and move about in the mortal realm.

You must know that if those ghost soldiers want to walk among humans, they still need to borrow human bodies.

Although Ruan Hu was surprised, he did not ask directly.

but.

Miao Xiangtiannu seemed to see the surprise and doubt in Ruan Hu's heart, and said to him.

Legend has it that the ancient Yellow Emperor cast fifteen bronze mirrors, the third of which was named the Illusionary Reality Chamber Mirror.

Ruan Hu was even more surprised than when the Heavenly Maiden Miaoxiang had pulled up his sleeve in reality before, and asked loudly.

"Is this a mirror cast by the Yellow Emperor?"

Ruan Hu thought about how he had cleaved the mirror in two with his sword earlier. If he had known the origin of the object beforehand, he certainly wouldn't have been so decisive.

Miaoxiang Tiannu: "Of course not. This is just a replica, but it should have been made in the court during the pre-Qin period."

Ruan Hu understood: "Is this mirror's power also a replica of the Yellow Emperor's Illusionary Mirror of Truth and Illusion?"

Miaoxiang Tiannu nodded: "That's right. If this mirror falls into the hands of an ordinary person, it will just be an ordinary mirror."

"But if it falls into the hands of the gods, the house reflected in the mirror will be integrated with the incense and spirit realm."

"The houses in the mirror are connected with the houses outside the mirror; illusion is reality, and reality is illusion."

"The god in the mirror walks in the mirror just as he walks in the human world."

Even the spirits and ghosts of the underworld are just like living people.

Ruan Hu looked at Miao Xiang Tian Nu, who nodded.

"The Prince Ma wanted to use this mirror and its secret techniques to use illusion to reverse reality in order to harm His Majesty."

Ruan Hu: "What is the meaning of the Heavenly Maiden Miaoxiang placing this mirror in my palace? Could it be...?"

Miaoxiang Tiannu: "The Heavenly Maiden Palace is quite far from Your Majesty's palace. From now on, I will have the deities take turns on duty in this mirror every day."

"If Your Majesty has any matters to report, you may have the deity on duty come and inform me."

"If anyone tries to harm His Majesty, the deity on duty can issue a warning or lend a helping hand."

Ruan Hu suddenly realized: "So that's how it is."

Miaoxiang Tiannu: "Besides this, this ancient mirror has another use. Although it is a replica of a sacred incense realm, I have connected it to my Wonderful Paradise and opened a back door."

This means that Ruan Hu can directly enter the spiritual realm within the mural through this mirror.

However, the entrance is narrow, allowing only one person or one spirit to enter and exit at a time.

The Celestial Maiden Miaoxiang waved her hand.

Then they saw a long corridor reflected in the mirror.

The view in the mirror is narrow, unlike the murals which offer a clear view of the whole scene, but this only makes the celestial palace seem even more mysterious and unfathomable.

Ruan Hu entered the Heavenly Palace through the back gate courtyard of the Wonderful Paradise and found that the palace had become increasingly vast.

What was originally a palace has been transformed into something resembling a city, divided into upper and lower levels.

Among them were patrolling yakshas, ​​guardian deities, and strongmen who carried loads.

The gods travel on the clouds, and the spirits and deities bow down before them.

It looks like a magnificent and imposing sight.

Compared to its previous elegance and luxury, it now exudes a more dignified and imposing aura.

These yakshas, ​​divine generals, and strongmen were mostly refined from the ghost generals and soldiers originally under Lord Ma.

Ruan Hu said, "You have taken away the Ma King's centuries-old legacy in one fell swoop."

Miaoxiang Tiannu: "It was taken by His Majesty. It all belongs to His Majesty, and we only obey His Majesty's orders."

Ruan Hu: "Unfortunately, in the end, that evil spirit escaped."

Miaoxiang Tiannu said, "Your Majesty, do not worry. That evil spirit cannot escape far. Or perhaps it has escaped because it is preparing to bring Your Majesty another foundation."

Ruan Hu understood that the other party seemed to be implying something.

(End of this chapter)