Chapter 364: Ghast Hollow
The swordsages wanted the best of the best, and their process was different than when sects recruited disciples. The qualifications were stricter. What was more, the process was divided into two phases.
In the first phase, the participants fought for the mere right to join the event. That section eliminated the vast majority of disciples, limiting how many people made it to the second phase. At the moment, there were 2,793 disciples from various sects who had come from all over Emperor-Receiving Prefecture in the hopes of taking advantage of this once-a-decade opportunity.
In order to proceed to the next phase, they had to get into the top ten. Only ten people would participate in the second phase, and that was because only very special people were wanted.
The finale was like a pilgrimage that all current swordsages would participate in. As per tradition, only a few people would succeed, to maintain the solemnity of the event. These recruitment assessments happened every ten years, and in the end, five people were selected. Three of them would be official swordsages, two would be adjunct swordsages.
The official swordsages were full swordsages, who wielded a command sword and were blessed by a Grand Emperor. They were true swordsages, recognized as orthodox by all heaven and earth.
The adjunct swordsages did not receive command swords, but did receive a blessing. They would proceed to the Swordsage Palace in Sea-Sealing County, where they would be reassessed. It was a deputy position, not recognized by heaven and earth, and was subject to the oversight and assessment of the swordsage elders.
Before the second phase began, there were chances to earn bonus points. That could be done by gaining enlightenment of the battle spirit symbols and by earning a rank in climbing the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar.
***
The sky was deep blue, with scattered white clouds. The afternoon sun shone down onto the lands, filling them with brightness. Light shone from the sky above, and then reflected off the icy snow on the ground. The juxtaposition made everything seem cold. The wind blew from the north, scattering snowflakes everywhere, and chilling the crowds of people present.
The thrum of a sword echoed out from the Swordsage Court atop the pillar, a summons to the 2,793 sect disciples and rogue cultivators who had gathered in Netherflight City.
Xu Qing and the Captain were there, standing together and looking up into the dome of heaven. Xu Qing’s expression was calm, while the Captain’s was one of keen anticipation.
Xu Qing wasn’t surprised at all that the Captain qualified to participate. After all, he had long been preparing for this event. What Xu Qing was particularly interested in was the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society dao child Zhang Siyun, who was a short distance away.
“You’re keeping an eye on him?” the Captain said.
Xu Qing looked at the Captain and nodded.
The Captain chuckled. “You sense it too?”
Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed and he was about to ask the Captain some questions when the thrum of a sword once again rang out from above. Three figures appeared, descending from the top of the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar.
Two were old men, one was middle-aged.
They all wore government uniforms, and were so majestic it seemed like heaven and earth shook in response to their presence. They were somber beyond compare. The two old men each had a thousand dao lineaments in their eyes, and as for the middle-aged cultivator, he was even more terrifying. Countless projections swirled behind him, one after another, seemingly connected to the dome of heaven. And it seemed like his gaze could transform everything he looked at. As the pressure from him weighed down on the cultivators below, their expressions became that of reverence.
Then a voice reached the 2,793 cultivators, crashing like thunder.
“In the past, death was unlikely for participants in our recruitment events here in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. However, this day of selection will be different from the past. The Swordsage Court has agreed that the competition will take place in a ghast hollow.”
The most common response to his words was confusion. After all, few people knew what ghast hollows were, so only a few disciples and dao protectors from important sects reacted with knowing surprise.
Xu Qing was among those who reacted with confusion, and he turned to see if the Captain knew what was going on. The Captain’s pupils constricted in response to the words. Then he noticed Xu Qing looking at him, and he pointed down at the ground. Xu Qing thought about it for a moment.
The majestic voice paused briefly, then continued speaking. “Perhaps some of you have heard about ghast hollows. Presumably, though, most have not.”
Everyone was paying very close attention, as they knew this information could relate directly to either their success or their failure. Xu Qing’s expression was solemn.
“All of you know the history of the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar. The ghast hollow I refer to... is beneath the pillar!”
The crowd was clearly surprised. Xu Qing narrowed his eyes.
“Beneath the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar is a deep tunnel that leads to parts unknown. It is filled with countless ghasts. Take note, grues and ghasts are not the same thing.” The man looked the crowd over and then continued, “Grues are illusory. Ghasts are corporeal. Grues are vicious and sinister. Ghasts are brutal and tyrannical. [1]
“There are many ghast hollows in the Revered Ancient mainland. They are all mysterious and dangerous places. However, as long as you don’t delve too deeply into them, you can keep the danger from getting out of control. The Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar is suppressing this particular ghast hollow, and it has been for countless years.”
Xu Qing looked at the spot where the pillar entered the ground, and thought back to the stories the Captain had told about the pillar being a weapon thrown into this spot by the Ghost Emperor for a specific reason. Apparently the reason was to suppress the ghast hollow.
But why did the Ghost Emperor do that? Is there something in the ghast hollow that the Ghost Emperor wanted to suppress?
Xu Qing wasn’t sure of the answer to that question, but he had the feeling the Swordsage Court knew.
Looking just as majestic and dignified as before, the middle-aged man in the government uniform continued, “The portion of the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar that rests directly atop the ghast hollow has, over the years, been corroded by the energy of the hollow. As a result, cracks have started to spread through it.
“The damage has become particularly bad in recent years, to the point where fragments of the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar have fallen into the ghast hollow. Some have fallen to the very bottom, but others have stuck into the walls of the tunnel. Swordsages have been going in to collect the pieces and return them to the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar.
“Now it’s your turn to participate in the effort. You have three days to collect as many pieces as possible. The ten people who collect the most will advance to the second phase of the assessment.”
Everyone had serious expressions as they listened to all the details.
“Furthermore, I would like to remind everyone that ghast hollows contain deadly danger. This is your last chance to back out. Assuming you go forward you’ll be given a special teleportation jade slip. If you encounter a deadly situation, you can use it to teleport to safety. That said, there’s no guarantee the teleportation talisman will work, as unexpected situations can always arise.”
As the words left his mouth, a host of jade slips appeared which flew out to hover in front of all the participants.
There was no way that weak-hearted people would participate in an event like this to become a swordsage, so it was no surprise that not a single person backed out. They all took the teleportation jade slips. Some people had questions.
“Exalted one, what happens if two people get the same number of fragments? How do you pick between the two?”
Voice cool, the middle-aged cultivator replied, “The rank they achieved climbing the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar will be the determining factor. Finally, I need to warn you that the rules of the Swordsage Court still apply in the ghast hollow. Fighting is permitted, but no killing! And now, let the swordsage recruitment event begin!”
The Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar shone with blinding light, and then it began to tremble. After that, it shrank down slightly and then rose up, revealing the part that was normally underground.
Now, everyone could see that the portion of the pillar that was normally hidden actually had a mottled and damaged surface. It looked severely corroded. In fact, it was so badly damaged it could be considered in disastrous condition.
As the pillar rose, it revealed a gaping hole, out of which emanated vile black mist, along with inhuman howls. Those howls seemed full of mourning and grief, and at the same time, unending bitterness and madness. It was like... they were howls drifting up from the netherworld of the Yellow Springs. Everyone looked surprised, and some candidates even seemed hesitant about proceeding.
“What are you waiting for? Get in there!” The middle-aged cultivator’s voice boomed like thunder.
In response, the sect disciples and rogue cultivators gritted their teeth and shot into the gaping hole.
Red-garbed Qing Qiu was among them, and was in the first group to make it inside. Zhang Siyun and the young man with the nose ring from the small sect followed, along with chosen from numerous other sects. Xu Qing and the Captain also followed.
It only took a moment for about ninety percent of the cultivators to enter. As the remainder stood there hesitantly, an intense rumbling sound echoed out as the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar dropped back down and once again expanded to its normal size.
The tunnel was now blocked again!
The black mist vanished, and the anguished howls faded into nothing. Everything went back to normal.
***
Inside the tunnel, everything was pitch black.
Once inside, Xu Qing moved to the side to find the hard-packed dirt wall. Then, keeping his guard up, he looked around. It was a bizarre place, as not even focusing one’s cultivation base on the eyes would make everything visible. At the same time, the howling from before was gone. Now, the only thing to be heard was people breathing. The darkness and claustrophobic nature of the surroundings was enough to make anyone feel pressured. A cold aura rose from below, carrying with it the noxious aroma of rotting flesh. It was enough to cause one’s hair to stand on end.
After some time, Xu Qing’s eyes adjusted, whether it was naturally or due to his cultivation base, he wasn’t sure.
He saw a huge tunnel leading down. The dirt walls were dotted with black plants, the leaves of which had ghost faces on them. The faces all seemed to be looking at the cultivators and grinning.
Of the over 2,000 people present, only about half were near the walls. The other half were already dropping down into the tunnel.
Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. Looking around, he spotted the Captain only about nine meters away. The Captain looked back at him and then pointed down. Xu Qing nodded, and the two of them prepared to release their grips and drop down. But then...
A shrill, operatic voice echoed out everywhere.
The voice seemed soft and feminine, but at the same time, piercing. The contradictory natures of the voice blended into an unspeakable song.
“In past lives forlorn, always reborn, sever lovesickness and endlessly mourn....”
It was impossible to tell if the singer was male or female. But those who heard the song felt their scalps tingling, and the skin on their back crawling. It was like a freezing autumn rain falling on one’s face. [2]
1. These are not Lovecraft ghasts, Minecraft ghasts, D&D ghasts, or ghasts from any other media. I’m just borrowing the name. In Chinese, “grue” and “ghast” sound very similar, with the pronunciation of the first and second character being transposed (though only one of the characters is the same between the two names). What’s more, “ghast” contains the character for “ghost” in Chinese. It is not a common creature from fiction or mythology, but rather, something unique to this novel. ☜
2. It specifically likens the singing to opera. Obviously this would be Chinese opera, not Western opera. There are different varieties of Chinese opera, the most common and popular being the style from Beijing. If you’ve never heard it, here’s an example (This particular example is a bit more upbeat than I imagine the song in this chapter, but you’ll get the general idea). I have to be honest, despite how much I like Chinese culture and whatnot, I could never really get into opera. When it comes to the performance that goes along with opera, the Sichuan variety is more to my liking. But the raw singing itself is just... not my thing. That said, you will often hear opera playing on the radio in China, most commonly among older people. It’s not exactly super popular among the more modern generations. I sent a message to Madam Deathblade asking if she likes to listen to Beijing Opera. Her response: “Hell no!” ☜