The infant clawed open the chest and abdomen of the Copper Coin Priest, digging out his flesh and blood, and then climbed into Peng Sheng’s body, becoming a tattoo on his skin.
"Continue observing Zhou Xuan."
Peng Sheng opened his mouth, and an extremely ancient voice emerged. The Copper Coin Priest kowtowed, then left the pit.
After he walked away.
The four tattoos on Peng Sheng’s body began to wriggle.
The tattoos depicted an infant, a woman, an elder, and a Netherworld Stone.
The infant, the woman, and the elder each extended a hand from Peng Sheng’s body, collectively lifting the tattoo of the Netherworld Stone upward.
The Netherworld Stone tattoo emitted a ghostly bluish glow, allowing the trio to communicate.
The woman spoke first: "Wuxiang Prison, what is it you seek from us?"
The infant was named "Wuxiang Prison,"
He snarled sharply: "My memories have shifted. Someone has tampered with them extensively. Daluo Tian, meditate and see if there are discrepancies in your memories."
The elder was named "Daluo Tian."
Daluo Tian closed his eyes and meditated. After a brief moment, he opened his eyes and said coldly: "The memories of our first descent have changed. I distinctly recall that the Nuo God shattered our bodies with a ’storyteller’ mask. But now, the memory shows a young Nuodai accepting the descent of the Peach Blossom Ancestor Tree, using the Dream Law to shatter us instead."
"Are there other changes in the memories?"
"That young Nuodai accepted the Ancestor Tree’s descent and used the Dream Law to shatter us, but his physical body was also torn apart by the power of the Ancestor Tree. His aura entirely scattered into the Yunluo Forbidden Land."
The Yunluo Forbidden Land is, after all, Peng Town three hundred years ago.
"That wasn’t the young Nuodai; that was Zhou Xuan, who is now the Nuo God. He shares the same appearance, physique, and incense as Zhou Xuan."
Wuxiang Prison spent all his time inside the Copper Coin Priest’s body, observing the Human Skin Temple. Zhou Xuan’s every move was already under his watch.
Now, even if he were to misjudge himself, he wouldn’t misjudge Zhou Xuan.
"Zhou Xuan altered the history of Peng Town, but it was merely a minor change. It’s not a big deal."
The woman spoke again.
Her true name was Wansese Realm.
Wansese Realm said: "According to the altered history, the storyteller mask was replaced with Zhou Xuan. Zhou Xuan from three hundred years ago died, leaving nothing more than the young Nuo God’s aura in the Forbidden Land."
"It can’t be that simple." Daluo Tian’s aged face contorted slightly, and he shook his head, saying: "Jing Country has many Laws; even the Heavenly God is merely a user of these Laws. The Laws cannot be changed.
What’s done cannot be undone, deemed as fate.
History cannot be altered. If someone forcibly changes it, the individual who alters history will be cleansed by the ’Xiang and Fire,’ wiped away in this realm.
Moreover, this cleansing will return history to its original state. However, such cleansing is never absolute.
The cleansed history and the original history will always have slight discrepancies.
Now, you deduce from memory that history simply swapped the ’storyteller’ mask with the young Nuo God.
But what you don’t know is how history had transformed before the ’Xiang and Fire’ cleansing took place."
The baby-like Wuxiang Prison suddenly realized something and urgently said: "Daluo Tian, Zhou Xuan appeared three hundred years ago. If, according to your logic, he was cleansed, why is the current Zhou Xuan still alive?"
"The Nuo God’s Law of Destiny—substitution." Wansese Realm’s face changed drastically. "It’s the Nuo God and Zhou Xuan working together to alter the history of Jing Country. The Nuo God then used the Law of Destiny to ensure Zhou Xuan’s survival. Since the Nuo God acted, this means..."
"It means they aim to trace our Prajnaparamita Buddha Country’s origins within history." Upon deducing this possibility, Daluo Tian quickly turned to Wuxiang Prison and asked: "What is Zhou Xuan doing now?"
"He’s in the shop, hasn’t gone outside."
Daluo Tian didn’t quite believe it. Nuo God and Zhou Xuan altered history, so there must be a reason for doing so. Next, they’d undoubtedly take measures against Prajnaparamita Buddha Country.
With great matters looming, Zhou Xuan was idling away in the shop?
"We can’t let Zhou Xuan live anymore." Daluo Tian said. "Forcibly altering history, even for the Nuo God, would result in an even deeper slumber. Killing Zhou Xuan alone won’t wake him."
"It’s not so easy to kill the current Zhou Xuan." Wuxiang Prison sighed heavily, saying: "This young Nuo God has grown powerful wings."
When Zhou Xuan had first entered Mingjiang Prefecture, Wuxiang Prison had been full of disdain, only waiting for Zhou Xuan to survive the third incense stick.
Now, all he felt was anxiety.
Once Zhou Xuan entered Mingjiang Prefecture, he was like a dragonfish entering the sea; his influence grew stronger with each passing day, and his tactics became ever more sophisticated.
"The Bone Elder and City God of Mingjiang Prefecture, though not controlled by Zhou Xuan, highly respect his opinions and are all willing to act as his protector.
In East Market Street, there are the You Shen watching over Zhou Xuan, too.
The Ancient Clan we sent out can merely avoid detection upon entering East Market Street, let alone succeed at killing him."
Daluo Tian frowned deeply and said: "The Ancient Clan can’t kill him, and we mustn’t emerge en masse either, or the Forbidden Land will be compromised."
"The Nuo God has already entered a deeper sleep. Why worry about the Forbidden Land being exposed? We should descend into the bodies of those Ancient Clan Priests, head to Mingjiang Prefecture, and kill Zhou Xuan.".
Wansese Realm, the most volatile of the three, interjected.
"Absolute nonsense!" Daluo Tian rebuked Wansese Realm sharply: "At our current strength, though we may triumph over the Tangkou of Mingjiang Prefecture, it would be a pyrrhic victory. Killing Zhou Xuan is intended to prevent the exposure of Prajnaparamita Buddha Country, but after such a costly win, the Forbidden Land would still be compromised,