Catching a Turtle in a Jar

Late at night, the silence was terrifying.

The dark servant had gone to Judge Ghost Lantern to fetch a brush, while White Lotus and Black Obsidian waited not far from the Elder Court.

By rights, with the dark servant’s cultivation at the initial stage of the Concealed Realm, he should have been able to come and go in the span of a single breath. Yet, strangely, he took a quarter of an hour.

He hadn’t anticipated that almost as soon as he entered Ghost Lantern’s room, he was discovered—he hadn’t even begun searching for the brush.

By the window, a spark flickered, faintly illuminating Ghost Lantern’s expressionless face. Letting the smoke curl around him, Ghost Lantern spoke softly, “I wonder what business brings you sneaking into my room at this hour. Is something urgent?” His voice suddenly grew deeper. “Or perhaps, you need something?”

The two stood in silent confrontation. Red light glimmered in the servant’s eyes; he was prepared for a fight, but was surprised when Ghost Lantern gently clapped his hands, and the room brightened. Setting the smoke aside, Ghost Lantern moved to the table, poured a cup of tea, and laughed lightly, “Look how anxious you are. Tell me, what is it?”

“I need a brush,” the dark servant blurted out, startled by his inability to control his own voice.

Ghost Lantern truly laughed then. “You must have spent so many years in the underworld, you’ve forgotten I’m most adept at manipulating all sorts of weeds. Brewing a concoction to make you speak the truth isn’t much trouble.”

“Now, the next question: you—or rather, you all—what are you planning?” Ghost Lantern asked with curiosity.

The servant’s face darkened. “To bring the master back.”

“Back?” Ghost Lantern repeated, pondering for a long time before saying, “Drink this tea and I’ll give you the brush.”

Without hesitation, the servant gulped down the tea. Ghost Lantern handed him the brush as promised and sighed, “Truly a reckless brute with no appreciation for tea.” He glanced out the window. “It’s getting late; if you don’t leave now, you’ll miss your chance. Remember, you owe me a favor…”

In a flash, the servant was gone. Ghost Lantern could more or less guess their intentions, though he did not know whether this would be fortunate or unfortunate for Yan Luo. Still, only the one who tied the knot can untie it…

They, mere bystanders, could not interfere.

“Why did it take you so long? Did you get the brush?” White Lotus frowned.

The servant handed over the brush, which White Lotus grabbed at once. Turning to Black Obsidian, he said, “Let’s go. No matter what you see, remember not to make a sound.”

Black Obsidian nodded and followed White Lotus, vanishing by the wall. Whatever method White Lotus used, the path was deserted, unobstructed, and led straight to their destination.

Even the creatures guarding the forbidden ground of the Elder Court had fallen into a deep sleep. It was as if everything had been arranged in advance, but Black Obsidian had no time to ponder; time was far too tight.

White Lotus brought him to the pavilion housing the Book of Life and Death, handing him the brush and a luminous pearl. He spoke in a low voice, “You don’t have much time. I’ll keep watch outside and delay them as long as I can. Just remember: the faster, the better!”

Black Obsidian replied, “Understood.”

The door opened and closed quietly. Black Obsidian couldn’t help but cough a few times; it seemed no one had been here in ages.

He was puzzled—the room contained only walls, not even a door, empty and barren, hardly the sort of place to store anything. Suddenly, he thought he heard something.

“Come closer… come closer…”

At first he thought it was an illusion, but as the voice grew louder, he realized it came from beneath him. He crouched to listen more closely, and with a crack, the ground beneath his feet broke apart, and he tumbled down without warning.

Covering his mouth, Black Obsidian made no sound, eyes tightly shut as wind howled past his ears. At last, he stopped.

He tried opening his eyes and discovered he had landed steadily on a path suspended in midair. The surroundings were brightly lit, and all around were red columns, each at least two meters in diameter, stretching up and down without end.

Golden light shimmered, with golden characters flowing continuously across the columns.

He was puzzled; it seemed as if he had walked this path many times before. If his memory served, at the end of this road lay the Book of Life and Death…

He hurried ahead, and sure enough, a massive book stood before him. He’d worried he might not know how to use it, but now realized he’d been overthinking.

Gripping the brush, his movements felt as though he’d performed them countless times, deftly locating the slave record of Lord Yan. Beside Yan’s entry, to his astonishment, was the name Lady Meng.

Without hesitation, Black Obsidian swiftly wrote two strokes, and the characters representing their slave records floated in the air, gradually dissipating.

Outside, a flash of golden light appeared from the direction of the Elder Court. A patrolman immediately shouted, “Something’s wrong! Something’s happened in the pavilion!”

“Hurry! Gather the others! Quickly!”

“Help! Something’s happened in the pavilion!”

Black Obsidian knew nothing of what transpired outside, intent only on escaping as quickly as possible. He had a sense of foreboding, and it was swiftly confirmed. As he opened the pavilion door and stepped out, he turned to see a dense crowd behind him.

Their weapons were all pointed at him, and seeing White Lotus already captured, even a fool would know what had happened.

White Lotus gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I couldn’t buy you enough time.”

Black Obsidian sighed, “It’s not your fault. I was too slow.”

White Lotus’s eyes flashed, his body trembling slightly, head bowed in “shame,” yet the smile of satisfaction lingered at his lips.

In the private prison of the Elder Court, where offenders were kept, White Lotus and Black Obsidian were locked in separate rooms.

White Lotus waited silently. Soon, the door opened and an attendant entered, accompanied by the Elder Court’s ruling Grand Elder, who wore an ingratiating smile. “Thank you, Your Highness, thank you!”

White Lotus snorted coldly. “We both got what we wanted. If he so much as loses a single hair, you know the consequences.”

The Grand Elder hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, thank you for giving us this opportunity. If you hadn’t planned ahead and brought the thief here, who knows what might have happened to the Book of Life and Death!”

White Lotus spoke in a low voice, “You’d best not play any tricks behind my back!”

“No, no, Your Highness is too cautious.” Now that I have them, how could I let him return alive? Before he succeeds in reincarnation, it’s best to finish him off. Otherwise, if he regains his memories, the entire Elder Court might not escape unscathed. Hmph! You forced my hand—don’t blame me! Besides, accidents during interrogation are all too common, aren’t they?

If His Highness truly holds me accountable, it won’t fall on my head, the Grand Elder calculated silently, his smile growing ever brighter.

Meanwhile, in the cell, Black Obsidian lay on his back on the wooden board, thoughts drifting to that cold, icy face…

Why did he find himself missing that poker face?