Chapter 538: The Current Situation
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"Finally... I've returned..."
Tantai Guihu looked up towards the Tantai Mansion and was overwhelmed with emotions.
Although it was no longer on the original piece of land it once stood on, the mansion was still the same old one. Within moments, his mind was filled with memories of his childhood.
"Daoist, is this the Tantai Mansion?"
Beside him stood a daoist and a monk.
The daoist appeared well-groomed and his long beard swayed in the wind. Draped in a daoist robe, his energetic outlook made him seem like a deity.
On the contrary, the monk standing next to him was skinny and had a sorrowful look on his face. He was wearing black monk robes.
The daoist was Sanmu while the Monk was Kuhai. Both of them were top exorcists in the trade and were recruited by Tantai Guijing to enter the Netherworld.
It was not the most accurate to say that Tantai Guijing had recruited them. They themselves had also sensed the seemingly approaching doomsday and had taken the initiative to help Tantai Guihu.
"We've long heard that the Tantai Family was the most prominent among the exorcists... Never would I have thought that I would see the actual mansion of the family... in the Netherworld..."
Master Kuhai gazed at the mansion and remained emotionless.
Hearing this, Tantai Guihu felt a tinge of regret but did not respond.
It was almost an impossible task for living humans to enter the Netherworld and there had been no cases of humans leaving the Netherworld alive in history. Therefore, the exorcists who dared to enter the Netherworld had already resigned to their fate.
"Clang!"
At this moment, the door of the Tantai Mansion opened. Tantai Guijing and a group of elders walked out to invite them.
"It's Daoist Sanmu and Master Kuhai!"
It seemed that Tantai Guijing recognised these two exorcists. As soon as he noticed Tantai Guihu, he grunted.
"Brother!"
Tantai Guihu walked up and called out softly. He was wearing his mask and therefore, not many of them could recognise him.
"Hehe... My greetings to you, family head!"
Daoist Sanmu paid his respects. "20 years had gone by just like this. It is our fate to be able to meet here today..."
The Netherworld was too huge. Even though the 3 of them had attempted to enter the Netherworld from the location where the Tantai Mansion once stood and had made use of Tantai Guihu's bloodline to search for the mansion, they were lucky to complete the treacherous journey to the actual mansion.
"Amituofo!"
Master Kuhai maintained his sorrowful look even when greeting others. "The both of us have come here because Deity Yigua had made a prediction... If the bloodline of the Tantai Family were to disappear from the real world, the entire world will be destroyed!"
"Deity Yigua? That quack?"
Tantai Guijing scoffed as though he had a grudge against this person. "Why don't he predict his own life? Hasn't he died yet? How's he doing?"
"After making that prediction, he had died of exhaustion!"
Daoist Sanmu calmly reported.
"Dead?"
Tantai Guijing seemed stunned. "Our generation is slowly dying off... Did the both of you make the trip here just because of this prediction?"
"A few hundred years ago, the entire realm changed and was being cursed. We must put an end to this!"
Master Kuhai spoke with a monotonous tone.
With their seniority, they already understood most of what had happened to the realm and were extremely close to finding out the truth.
"Even so... Why did you let him come back?"
Tantai Guijing glared at Tantai Guihu. "If we allow the Tantai bloodline to remain out there and if we survive through this time, wouldn't the prediction be false?"
"It will be good if everything is so simple!"
Tantai Guihu sighed and stretched his right hand out before rolling up his sleeves.
On his arm, a dark palm print could be clearly seen.
"I have an ominous feeling... This curse will not let any member of the Tantai Family go! Furthermore, by staying in the overworld, we will be scrutinised, just like what I experienced... I've been attacked once in the overworld. Even with Master Kuhai and Daoist Sanmu's help, I only barely escaped! On the other hand, after entering the Netherworld, I feel less watched..."
He concluded with a deep voice. "Therefore... We might stand a chance if we directly go against the curse. If we try to escape, we would undoubtedly die!"
"Is the Tantai Family bloodline... really going to end here?"
Tantai Guijing shut his eyes and the entire mansion was filled with desolation.
This cycle was very different from the previous few! It was targeted at every single descendant of the Tantai Family!
Tantai Guijing could vaguely sense that ever since their ancestor had made the mistake resulting in the curse, the entire world seemed to have entered a different phase!
Regardless of the future of the world, the Tantai Family would not be fated to be part of it.
As the both of them were at their wit's end, none of them had recalled that there was still the existence of the mutant-like Fang Yuan.
To Fang Yuan, in his current state, other than the Curse of the Door, any curse which could traverse space could do nothing against him. He was untouchable.
However, since Fang Yuan promised to return, he would deliver his promise and return.
After all, he knew that he was not totally helpless against the final curse.
"Right, since the three of you have come from the overworld, have any of you gotten news of Tantai Mieming?"
Tantai Juexin walked up and looked towards his uncle, who was around the same age as him.
"Tantai Mieming?"
With this, Tantai Guihi was stunned before nodding his head. "I've seen him! He is indeed a talent! Unfortunately... He had already died under the curse."
"Died?"
Tantai Guijing and Tantai Juexin exchanged looks and shook their heads. "It's impossible!"
"I've asked Deity Yigua about this. He was facing a huge calamity... At that time, he was trapped in a time loop for many years..."
Tantai Guihu felt a little confused. As he spoke, his expression slowly changed. "Wait a minute... could it be... the family's Soul Lantern?"
"Hehe... He is such an important member of the family! How could we not make a Soul Lantern for him?"
One of the elders interrupted. "His Soul Lantern is still burning brilliantly and shows no sign of being extinguished. It seems that this evil boy is still alive in the world!"
Every single one of them in the Tantai Family had the right to feel a grudge for Fang Yuan.
After all, to them, they had 'created' Fang Yuan!
However, at their weakest moment where did needed all the help they could get, Fang Yuan had betrayed them. He had betrayed his own family!
If the Tantai Family hated Tantai Guihu with a score of 10, then they would hate Fang Yuan with a score of 100! Or even more! Nothing could ever make them forget the grudge.
"If this is true, then Fang Yuan is still alive!"
Tantai Guihu was jubilant. "Considering his personality, he will surely take the initiative to enter the Netherworld. We have hope!"
"Has that brat become that powerful?"
Hearing Tantai Guihu, Tantai Guijing's eyes glistened.
On the other hand, the other elders were raging. "D*mn it... Fang Yuan! He doesn't even want his own surname! This person is guilty of betraying his family! The next time we see him, we shall take him under control and use him to shield against the Door!"
Although they could not stop scolding him, all of the elders started to sound more energetic.
After all, they had entered the Netherworld 20 years ago and the ones with weaker willpower had already died or committed suicide. The remaining once would do anything they could do to survive.
Only Tantai Juexin felt conflicted among all of them.
By now, it seemed like the fate of the entire family was in Fang Yuan's hands!
"Alright, please come in!"
Tantai Guijing was all smiles as he invited both Daoist Sanmu and Master Kuhai into the mansion. He also seemed to have forgiven Tantai Guihu.
After all, the members of the Tantai Family had to stand united if they wanted to survive. They could not afford to have any more internal conflicts.
"Prepare some meat and drinks and serve the guests!"
As soon as they entered the main hall, Tantai Guijing hobbled around with his crutches and members of the Tantai Family started to serve trays of food and drinks.
"There is still food... in the Netherworld?"
Tantai Guihu, Daoist Sanmu and Master Kuhai had a tough journey before they arrived here and their rations were almost depleted by now.
Seeing the food on the trays, they could not hold back any longer and started to feast.
"Although the Netherworld is a restricted place to living humans and is filled with ghosts and curses, we are fortunate enough to have the protection of this mansion. It is able to protect us just enough for us to survive... This meat is from the White Bone Bird. Only a small amount of meat is edible from a single bird. As for the water, the water from the rivers in the Netherworld is not potable. This water is purified from a poisonous spring nearby and is also extremely scarce..."
Tantai Guijing smiled as he introduced the food and drinks that were served.
As for Tantai Guihu, he felt a little uncomfortable to eat as he noticed the many pairs of eyes glaring at him.
Years ago, they had sacrificed many members of the Tantai Family in the process of testing if the food and drinks were edible.
"Initially... We have stored these reserves for almost half a year already as we prepare to tide through the disaster seasons of the Netherworld... But now, it seems like there is no need for it any more."
Tantai Juexin commented.
The Netherworld had harsh environmental conditions and normal humans would find it hard to even survive. Occasionally, they would even be black hurricanes which would destroy almost everything in its path.
Facing such situations, even the Tantai Family could do nothing else but stock up on food supplies and rely on their hardy mansion to forcefully tide through it.
"Sigh..."
Tantai Guihu let out a long sigh.
After knowing all the hardships his family had gone through all these years, he felt bad. "After spending 20 over years here, have you found traces of the 'Door'?"
As soon as he mentioned the Door, every single member of the Tantai Family started to appear solemn.
"We've found it..."
Tantai Guihu's voice became hoarse. "But... It's not appropriate to say that we've found it. This is because we were not the ones to find it. Instead, it had taken the initiative to find us!"
"Oh? Where is it?"
Tantai Guihu was shaken.
"Within the deep parts of this valley..."
Tantai Guijing started to seem uneasy as he struggled to smile. "In fact... In the past 20 years, we've benefited from it! If not for the fact that it had deterred the ghosts, the Tantai Mansion would have been overwhelmed by ghost swarms!"
"This is impossible..."
Tantai Guihu was in shock.
How could the Green Bronze Door help them if it had cursed the family all this while? This was a joke!