A sharp pain shot through Wang Cang Hai’s chest.
He coughed up blood.
Bracing his hands against the ground, he forced himself up—his legs trembling beneath him.
His voice was steady.
Calm.
As if he were completely in control.
“Does anyone here know where the Ghost Seal is?”
One of the Zhang family members turned to look at him.
“Wan Bao, you are truly loyal to the clan leader. In that case, we may as well speak openly with you.”
“If you can help us find the Ghost Seal and reopen the Bronze Gate, it would be a great achievement.”
The Zhang clan members began to talk amongst themselves.
They told Wang Cang Hai that for generations, their clan had passed down legends about eternal life hidden within the Bronze Gate—
But no one had actually seen it with their own eyes.
Thirty years ago, their clan leader, Zhang Qiling, discovered the strange phenomenon beneath Qingze Lake.
He led an elite group of Zhang clan members here to dig.
But the excavation was brutal.
The path to the Bronze Gate was blocked by monstrous creatures—Jin Po, Mi Luo Tu, Serpent-Birch—
They lost many lives before finally reaching the Ren Mian Niao.
In that disastrous attempt, only Zhang Qiling and Deputy Clan Leader Zhang Pei Shan survived.
The rest of the team was slaughtered.
Desperate, the Zhang clan scoured the world for a way to defeat the Ren Mian Niao.
In an ancient text, they discovered records of the Golden Crow Demon-Slaying Formation.
In an old tomb inscription, they found clues that the key to the Bronze Gate—the Ghost Seal—was hidden in the Eastern Sea.
Because nearly all of the Eastern Sea’s merchant fleets were controlled by Wan San, Zhang Qiling deliberately sought him out.
He pretended to do business—just to gain access to Wan San’s ships and use them to search for the Ghost Seal.
But in an unexpected turn of events—
Zhang Qiling accidentally discovered a secret—
Wan San had murdered his own wife.
Instead of exposing him, Zhang Qiling and Wan San somehow became sworn brothers.
The two of them ventured to the Eastern Sea together.
But shortly after—
They both vanished.
—
There is far more to this story than they’re telling me, Wang Cang Hai thought.
—
Inside the Bronze Gate
—
Qilin barely had time to regain his balance.
The moment he steadied himself, he immediately shoved Zhang Hai Xing away with all his strength.
Zhang Hai Xing staggered back, clutching the hole in his chest where Wang Cang Hai had stabbed him.
Still breathing, still standing, he let out a hoarse, mocking laugh.
“Hah… I didn’t think Wan Bao would be so dangerous,” he sneered.
“I almost couldn’t shake him off.”
Qilin ignored him.
Turning sharply, he pushed against the Bronze Gate—
But it was no use.
It wouldn’t budge.
The gate was sealed completely.
—
Behind him, Zhang Hai Xing’s voice suddenly dropped to a low murmur.
And then, he spoke.
“Qilin.”
“Is that you?”
“Is your name Qilin?”
“Are you ninety-seven years old?”
—
Qilin froze.
His heart nearly stopped.
Slowly, he turned back around.
His eyes locked onto Zhang Hai Xing’s face—
Filled with shock and suspicion.
“…How do you know that?” Qilin demanded.
Zhang Hai Xing let out a bitter smile.
“First, answer me this,” he said.
“Why did you leave Wang Bai Mountain?”
“This is not where you’re supposed to be.”
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