Chapter 649: The Lone Wild Goose Carrying a Candle?
The Light Goose struggled slightly in Luo Si’s hands. The power of the seal had already been greatly consumed, causing the Light Goose to occasionally leak the aura of a treasure.
That aura felt familiar to Ning Zhuo. He immediately recalled a treasure ruler he had seen earlier on the battlefield of White Paper Immortal City.
That treasure ruler had clearly been thrown by the Lord of White Paper Immortal City. It possessed extraordinary power and had been unstoppable on the battlefield.
However, afterward, the Buddhist Doctor Meng Yaoyin had taken Ning Zhuo and directly entered the winding path, heading to the Netherworld. He had not participated in the subsequent defensive battle.
Thus, he did not know that the city lord’s paper clone had left the city with the treasure ruler in pursuit of the enemy, transforming it into a Light Goose to strike Luo Si’s forces—only to ultimately lose the treasure.
Therefore, when Ning Zhuo saw the Light Goose, he felt unfamiliar with it, though its aura seemed familiar.
He looked at Luo Si. “Could this be…”
Before he could finish speaking, Luo Si nodded and told Ning Zhuo that the Light Goose was the transformation of the treasure ruler. He had captured and sealed it before the battle formation and had kept it with him ever since.
Ning Zhuo’s eyes immediately gleamed as he stared fixedly at the Light Goose.
His mind was stirred, because the form of the goose made him involuntarily think of a crucial piece of information—
That prophetic poem!
The ghost tide surges, White Paper stands in peril;
A lone wild goose carrying a candle pierces the heavenly veil.
A guest star shall shine north of the Literary Pivot;
When ten thousand lamps blaze, the calamity collapses of itself.
Back then, the city lord’s paper clone had directly told Ning Zhuo this poem, believing that he was the savior of White Paper Immortal City in the coming catastrophe.
Ning Zhuo had also always believed this.
“This prophetic poem was divined by the Funeral Music Ghost Performer.”
“It was a prediction made to resolve the calamity of White Paper Immortal City.”
“Don’t forget—Lord of Wangchuan Prefecture was struck by heavenly punishment from the living world. So the fortune of the living world likely secretly aided the Funeral Music Ghost Performer.”
“This prophetic poem she composed was very likely prepared for me!”
“This might be the correct method for me to defeat Lord of Wangchuan Prefecture and shatter his hundred-year sinister scheme!”
Although Ning Zhuo’s literary cultivation was not as refined as that of Confucian cultivators like Wen Ruanyu, his foundation was still very solid.
In Fire Persimmon Immortal City, he had spent years immersed in the library tower, reading extensively.
Thus he knew that the “lone wild goose” often referred to a goose separated from its flock. The image frequently appeared in poetry, where poets used its mournful cry and solitary flight to express loneliness, wandering, or frustration in official careers.
This Light Goose perfectly matched the words “lone wild goose” in the prophetic poem.
After making that natural association, Ning Zhuo said to Luo Si, “Loosen the seal a little.”
Luo Si: ?
A mere guess was far too shallow to justify such a command.
But the key point was that when Ning Zhuo saw the Light Goose, a feeling had naturally arisen in his heart—he felt that he could control it!
It was a strange yet natural sensation, like a person’s confidence in controlling their own limbs.
Luo Si’s expression grew solemn. After thinking for a moment, he still decided to follow Ning Zhuo’s instructions.
Although he did not understand and felt it was somewhat risky, he had only recently joined their side. It was necessary for him to show obedience to orders. Besides, he also thought of the Gray Bone Elder.
Luo Si carefully exerted his strength and slightly loosened part of the seal. With its restraints reduced, the Light Goose immediately became lively.
It began to struggle.
The remaining seal was rapidly consumed by its power!
Luo Si’s face quickly flushed red as he forcibly urged his mana to assist the seal and suppress the Light Goose.
The Light Goose struggled more and more violently, to the point that Luo Si could barely hold it steady. His entire upper body swayed with the effort.
The entire Qingjiao Army had participated in the defense of White Paper Immortal City. They had personally witnessed the divine power of the Tai Su Dispersing Form Ruler.
Just now, from the conversation between Luo Si and Ning Zhuo, they had learned the identity of the Light Goose. Seeing it struggle now, they instinctively took large steps backward.
But Ning Zhuo was astonishingly bold. He stepped forward and extended his hand toward the Light Goose.
“Xiao Ma!” Qing Chi cried out in alarm, deeply concerned.
Ning Zhuo knew that if he did not stop her, Qing Chi’s personality would make her rush over and hug him.
So he turned and gave her a smile. “Don’t worry. I am favored by destiny—the savior of White Paper Immortal City.”
Qing Chi became lost in Ning Zhuo’s confident smile, her expression wavering. “But…”
Her shoulder was pressed down by Qing Yan.
Ning Zhuo turned back, staring at the Light Goose as he slowly extended his hand, steadily closing the distance between them.
Sensing Ning Zhuo’s aura, the Light Goose immediately reacted. Miraculously, it stopped struggling. It raised its head and looked back at him.
This strange scene caused everyone present to gasp in unison.
Luo Si’s pupils trembled slightly, and his expectations for Ning Zhuo rose further.
Ning Zhuo slowly extended his hand. As the distance closed, the Light Goose became increasingly quiet, completely losing its previous agitation.
Luo Si’s expression, however, grew even more serious.
Though his confidence in Ning Zhuo had grown, as the commanding general he had to consider all possibilities.
He feared the goose’s calmness might only be an illusion while it secretly gathered power, so he quietly accumulated strength as well, preparing for any sudden danger.
Ning Zhuo’s hand drew closer and closer to the Light Goose.
There was no doubt—this was a risk.
Ning Zhuo felt his mouth grow dry.
He had personally witnessed how the Tai Su Dispersing Form Ruler had instantly disintegrated the Funeral Music Ghost Performer. This treasure ruler was extremely terrifying—Golden Core cultivators could scarcely withstand even a single strike.
And Ning Zhuo himself was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Yet no matter how uneasy he felt inside, his outward demeanor remained calm and composed.
“The Mechanical Ring is also completely quiet. That means I’m not in danger!”
Ning Zhuo continued extending his hand.
The Light Goose raised its head and gently rubbed against his palm, letting out a bright honking cry.
The sound was clear and powerful, stirring waves of white light that spread outward like rippling sound waves.
The light swept across Ning Zhuo—but he remained completely unharmed.
Not only him—even the nearby cultivators were unaffected.
Joy surged through Ning Zhuo’s heart. Though he did not know the reason, the smile on his face became even more confident.
“Just as I expected!”
Jiao Ma’s father’s lips trembled with excitement.
He shouted inwardly, “The treasure has recognized its master! Such a powerful treasure actually chose Jiao Ma on its own! In name, doesn’t that make it part of the Jiao Family now? Wonderful! This is absolutely wonderful!”
Qing Chi also clenched her fists in excitement. “Xiao Ma, you’re amazing!”
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
Qing Yan frowned. “But what exactly is going on?”
He did not know about the prophetic poem.
Ning Zhuo thought to himself, I have no idea either.
Just as he was hesitating whether to reveal the poem so everyone could brainstorm together, Luo Si had already reached his own conclusion.
“So that’s how it is.”
Ning Zhuo was secretly startled, but the curve of his lips widened. Taking on the posture of testing him, he looked at Luo Si.
“Let’s hear it.”
Luo Si immediately seized the opportunity to perform.
“The Mysterious Scholar created White Paper Immortal City. The current city lord’s paper clone is his inherited treasure. This treasure ruler was probably also left behind by him.”
“Young Master, since you are the savior of White Paper Immortal City—the one chosen by the living world’s fortune—Mysterious Scholar likely foresaw this calamity long ago and arranged many preparations to resolve it.”
Qing Chi could not help clicking her tongue. “I know about the Mysterious Scholar. He’s been dead for so long. Could he really predict events so far in advance with such precision?”
Luo Si glanced at her and inwardly confirmed again that the ghost girl was a bit simple-minded. Didn’t she see that no one else asked such questions?
His explanation was not only meant to answer Ning Zhuo but also to publicly construct a narrative that would inspire imagination, stabilizing morale and boosting the army’s spirit.
Thus even if anyone doubted the theory, they should keep it to themselves.
Qing Yan coughed and loudly declared, “That’s right! Lord Luo Si’s speculation must be the truth!”
As Qing Chi’s father and a seasoned Golden Core cultivator, he immediately spoke up to patch over his daughter’s mistake.
Meanwhile, Jiao Ma’s father trembled not only in his lips but throughout his entire body.
His imagination ran wild again.
“My son Jiao Ma is the great savior! The Mysterious Scholar’s treasure willingly chose him.”
“If that’s the case, then White Paper Immortal City itself—also left by the Mysterious Scholar—should belong to him as well!”
“My Jiao Ma should control White Paper Immortal City. At the very least, he surely has the qualification!”
“If one day Jiao Ma becomes the Lord of White Paper Immortal City, then our Jiao Family would…”
The thought made his scalp tingle.
We’ve struck it rich. Truly struck it rich!
Hearing the conversation among the leaders, the entire Qingjiao Army erupted into noisy discussion.
Just as Luo Si intended, their morale stabilized and soared higher and higher. The military strength they could provide rose along with it.
Ning Zhuo’s eyes flickered.
Luo Si’s explanation filled in the missing pieces of information, allowing him to finally understand the real reason.
“I was once granted the position of Deputy City Lord of White Paper Immortal City.”
“Although in the city it was mostly an honorary position without real authority, it was still genuine.”
“Now it seems that as an inherited treasure, the Tai Su Dispersing Form Ruler can also fall under my control because of that title.”
Ning Zhuo then thought of the city lord’s paper clone.
“That is probably also an inherited treasure of the Mysterious Scholar—only the city lord obtained it.”
Having figured out the reason, Ning Zhuo turned to face the Qingjiao Army and shouted loudly:
“That’s right!”
“I am the savior of White Paper Immortal City—no, of the entire Yin-Tide Black Damp Swamp!”
“I am the Child of the Living World’s Fortune chosen by heaven itself, and the greatest human calamity for Lord of Wangchuan Prefecture!”
“What if he is the ruler of the Underworld?”
“He has acted in defiance of heaven and reason, bringing ruin to countless lives. His hundred-year scheme serves only his own selfish desires!”
“Such an evil being is destined to suffer crushing defeat!”
“And we—the righteous army—are certain to win!”
Ning Zhuo seized the moment to raise morale.
The entire army erupted in cheers.
At this moment, Ning Zhuo’s prestige within the Qingjiao Army skyrocketed.
Everyone was overwhelmed with excitement, sharing a common realization—
This would surely become a legendary battle, one that would be widely told for at least a hundred years. And they were not merely witnesses—they were participants.
What an honor!
Luo Si let out a breath of turbid air, his confidence greatly strengthened.
If he had to reinforce the seal, the cost would have been enormous. Having just slain Master Hanyan, his condition was not ideal. Avoiding that effort gave him greater confidence for the decisive battle ahead.
The Light Goose completely broke free from the seal and began circling and dancing around Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo tried extending his spiritual sense and easily controlled it.
“Go.”
He pointed toward the churning mass of turbid miasma ahead.
The Light Goose obediently flapped its wings and plunged into the enormous cloud of turbid qi.
Wherever it passed, the rolling turbid qi separated apart.
However, even after being analyzed and separated, it remained turbid qi.
After flying a circle, the Light Goose returned to Ning Zhuo.
The turbid qi had only been thinned slightly before rapidly thickening again, returning to its previous state.
The soaring hopes of the crowd collapsed. Disappointed sighs echoed everywhere.
With his back to the Qingjiao Army, Ning Zhuo now felt immense pressure.
His brows knitted tightly as he stared at the Light Goose.
He saw that its form had dimmed considerably. The once solid and lifelike body had become thin and translucent, revealing the faint shape of the treasure ruler inside.
“According to Luo Si, the Light Goose form was a spell condensed by the city lord’s clone using mana.”
“No matter how much mana he used at once, it must still be limited.”
“After flying one round just now, the remaining power probably allows only one more activation.”
Ning Zhuo quickly realized the situation and sighed inwardly.
“My cultivation is still too weak.”
He was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
With the aid of military strength and the Divine Spirit Art of the Five Viscera Temple, plus his strong physical and soul foundation, he could temporarily leverage Nascent Soul–level combat power.
That was already extraordinary and rare—but it was still limited by his cultivation level.
There was no helping it.
If blame was to be placed, it was because Ning Zhuo was still too young and had not cultivated for long enough.
It was also because the Three Sect Supreme Techniques were too outstanding—cultivating three dantians simultaneously greatly slowed his progress.
Sweat formed on Ning Zhuo’s forehead.
Only one chance remained. He had to seize it!
Fortunately, he was not without clues.
He thought once more of the prophetic poem:
The ghost tide surges, White Paper stands in peril;
A lone wild goose carrying a candle pierces the heavenly veil…
“The lone wild goose—I understand that. It’s the Light Goose.”
“And this heavenly veil… isn’t it the giant mass of turbid miasma before me?”
“The lone wild goose carrying a candle can pierce the heavenly veil…”
“Carrying a candle?”
“Where is this candle supposed to come from?”
“I don’t have any candle.”
“Wait!”
“…Actually, I might.”
At that moment, a flash of inspiration erupted within Ning Zhuo’s Sea of Consciousness. His heart suddenly began pounding rapidly.
He himself did not possess such a candle—but the Funeral Music Ghost Performer had once used one: the Returning Silence Winding Path Candle.
During the earlier defense of White Paper Immortal City, the Funeral Music Ghost Performer had opened the south gate and used the Returning Silence Winding Path Candle to pierce space, forming a winding path that transported many powerful forces into the city.
For a time, this had placed enormous pressure on the defenders and brought White Paper Immortal City to the brink of disaster.
Tie Guzheng, Ning Zhuo, the Qingjiao Army, Wen Ruanyu, and others had fought with all their strength to stabilize the situation. In the end, the true body of the Lord of White Paper Immortal City personally intervened, releasing the Tai Su Dispersing Form Ruler to scatter the invading enemies.
The Returning Silence Winding Path Candle, burned down to less than half its length, had been separated—the candle body, wick, and flame all parted, and the flame extinguished.
In the next moment, before everyone’s eyes, Ning Zhuo reached into his Storage Bag and took out the half-burned wickless candle body.
The candle body of the Returning Silence Winding Path Candle was square, resembling a miniature coffin. Its full length had originally been about nine inches, but now only four inches remained.
The lid and body of the coffin fit perfectly together.
On all four sides of the candle body were engraved images of a hundred ghosts carrying a coffin.