Chapter 12 (1/2)
Ice Fantasy Chapter 12 – The Magic of Xing Zhou
So we spent nearly half a month in Po Tian Shrine, when Xing Gui could finally stand up.
Xing Gui told me that there was a restriction among the astrologers, that was when the astrologer with stronger spiritual powers was able to suppress the weaker astrologer, and could even control or kill the weaker astrologer. This astrologer tribe’s oldest trend has started since ice age time; no one could escape this restriction, so it was a pretty sad thing for an astrologer to be in the weaker side. In other words, the moment we stepped into the boundary of Zong Tian Shrine, if the North Guardian Xing Zhou were to do it, Xing Gui wouldn’t be able to cast any spell or worse, Xing Zhou could kill Xing Gui easily. And Zong Tian shrine was situated at the highest point on the snow mountain, so the area that Xing Zhou could control was even bigger.
I asked Xing Gui, “Is Xing Zhou’s power that powerful?”
Xing Gui turned around and said. “My king, very powerful. My king, you know granny is a very good astrologer right? In the past those dreams that she gave you were so realistic that my brother couldn’t even create it. But the staff that granny used is the fallen star staff while Xing Zhou’s staff is the vertical star staff. You can see the stars above her shrine; they are changing their positions constantly, Xing Zhou is controlling the track of the stars to a certain extent. This isn’t that simple that an astrologer can reach so easily.”
I lowered my head, not saying a word.
Huang Tuo came over and carried Xing Gui up just like carrying his own daughter, he smiled at Xing Gui and said. “You just need to stay within my protection enchantment when we reach the territory of the North Guardian, don’t come out at all. I can guarantee that you won’t get killed by Xing Zhou.” His smile was so calm and firm, it made me thought of my father suddenly – that time when the Fire Tribe attacked Ren Xue Cheng, he has that expression, firm like the most solid ice jade.
“Huang Tuo, what about you? You don’t know anything about the black magic, what would happen if someone were to attack you?” Yue Shen said.
Huang Tuo chuckled. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It’s alright. I will stand beside Huang Tuo to protect him. And there’s Liao Jian, I think other than the North Guardian, no one can fight with both Liao Jian and myself.” Pian Feng added.
The next days Xing Gui would stand at the highest slopes to read the stars, I saw her raising her fallen star staff at the sky constantly, those stars would gather into a bunch of bright lights, enveloping Xing Gui in it and everytime there would definitely be a strong wind. Xing Gui’s hair and robe were flying in the wind, I could feel the faint shaking of the ground.
This was my first time seeing such a long star reading ceremony that was so full of strength. All of us were standing at the bottom of the hill, not speaking at all, on the third day when Xing Gui ended her star reading session, the starlight in the sky has condensed into a beam of light and shattered into pieces, falling all over Xing Gui’s feet, I saw Xing Gui started falling backward and her robe fluttering. Huang Tuo went up to catch hold of her before her body touched the ground. He put her in the enchantment that he had created long ago. Within the transparent light globe, I saw white blood coming out from the corner of Xing Gui’s mouth, just like how she fainted when we were at the Northern territory.
During these three days, Xing Gui managed to find a detailed route to Zong Tian Xuan Wu shrine, including where to stop, where to continue the journeys in the nights, Xing Gui has depleted her spiritual power totally; Huang Tuo created a healing enchantment and put Xing Gui in it. Then all of us took off with her. Because the moment we entered the territory of the North Guardian, Xing Gui would have to stay in Huang Tuo’s enchantment, if not she would be easily killed by Xing Zhou.
The route chosen by Xing Gui was very complex and tortuous, pa.s.sing the forests, lakes, swamps, stone forest; because of Xing Gui’s precise star reading skill, we’re always able to avoid the astrologers from the northern territory without creating any direct conflict; Xing Gui has been using her spiritual power to suppress those astrologers other than Xing Zhou, so that we wouldn’t have to use up too much of our power in fighting before we could even meet Xing Zhou.
After walking for ten days, we were all standing on the peak of the snow mountain, Zong Tian Xuan Wu shrine was standing before us. The palace was so high up, almost nearing the sky; the city wall seemed to have a thousand blades on it, extending upwards. Xing Gui told use the distribution of the shrine; it was decorated in accordance to the position of hexagram, every corner of the hexagram has a very tall tower, the top would be the best place for star reading, and Xing Zhou’s grand hall was at the centre of the hexagram; and Xing Zhou’s Zong Xing throne was sitting at the centre of the grand hall. The throne was made of basalt from Huan Xue Shen Shan, whereby Xing Zhou has given the throne unlimited spiritual power that embraced her spiritual powers and making up for each other.
We stood at the doorway of Zong Tian Gong and Xing Gui said to me. “My king, we can go in now. Xing Zhou may not know that we are here already, if Yue Shen were to a.s.sa.s.sinate her now, it should be successful.”
Yue Shen walked over, holding onto the transparent circular enchantment and said, “Xing Gui, don’ worry, I will use my a.s.sa.s.sination skill to kill the person that makes you suffer.”
Then all of a sudden we heard an ethereal voice, that voice said, “Yue Shen, you better come see me directly, if not you will be like your older sister, dying without even knowing the reason. Ka Suo, I respect you as a king, in order not to let you get lost, I will tell you the route you can take to see me. At where all of you are standing, it is Xuan Lei Star Sacrificial stand, you just need to walk straight, turn left at the second intersection and you will see me. My king, I am waiting for you…”
Then a sharp and broken laughter began to ring throughout the surrounding, it’s useless even if they were to cover their ears, that kind of laughter just entered the mind with ease, ringing back and forth in the mind, making one feeling extremely uncomfortable. And when I went back to check on Xing Gui, I knew the reason why Xing Zhou was laughing, because Xing Gui was lying unconsciously in the protection enchantment, blood was gus.h.i.+ng out from her mouth staining her robe. Blood was also flowing out of Huang Tuo’s mouth; he was kneeling on the ground on one knee, both his arms stretched behind his back like a flying s...o...b..rd. He was using all his strength to maintain the protection enchantment, which Xing Gui was in. But the enchantment has already started to shrink in size, I saw the frown on Huang Tuo’s face getting tighter, and his body started to shake.
But that laughter disappeared suddenly, just like how unpredictable it was the time when it started.
That voice said, “Ka Suo, come and see me. I am the Xing Zhou that you are looking for, the North Guardian, the greatest astrologer of Huan Xue Shen Shan. I am waiting for you at my Zong Xing throne…”
“It seemed like Xing Zhou was already aware of our actions clearly, we have underestimated Xing Zhou’s ability.” Pian Feng was looking at the towering Xuan Lei Star Sacrificial stand and said. The wind is coming from all directions from Zong Tian shrine, our hair and robes were being blown like a flag fluttering in the wind.
“Our actions are in Xing Zhou’s control, I guess we have no other choice but to listen to her.” Yue Shen said.