Chapter 493: The Seven Star Sword


    When the shadow reached the intersection, I was still hesitating whether to follow it or not.


    Suddenly, I heard some noisesing from Zhu Fengchuns house. I turned and saw the candle had been relitin the room. Moreover, there was another shadow.


    Whats going on? Whyare theretwoshadows?


    Soon after, I noticed that the shadow in the room was fake. There was no wisp of Yin energy around it. It seemed thatZhu Fengchun had deliberately impersonated the shadow.


    I was curious, soI went there andstraight offkicked the door open. At first nce, I spotted Zhu Fengchun pretending to be a ghost.


    I turned the light on and red at him.


    Just as I hadthought, the man hadfakedhis death.He should have been frightened since I hadexposedhim, buthe acted as though he had already knownI would gothere.


    He smiled, but his eyeswere seriousas helookedat me. Ifeverything went ording to the n, your two friendsmust bedead by now. Hahaha


    What do you mean? As IlookedatZhu Fengchuns face, I was deeplyworried about Li Mazi and Chief Liu.


    But the shadow had just left, so it couldnt catch up with the other two so quickly. I turned and yelled at Zhu Fengchun, Who are you trying toscare?


    Haha, yesterday, while you were digging up LiTianshengs coffin, I tookthe souls of the twoothervictims there. They saw what you did, Zhu Fengchunughed and continued,Do you think your friends can survive tonight if they guard the two graves?


    I waspletelydumbfounded. It turned out he had deliberatelyshownus that scenest night. He wanted to make us dig the three gravesso thatthe souls of the victims would think that we were trying to harm them!


    They were ghosts that had been killed before their time. With this grudge, their resentful energy would help them be evil souls soon. Li Mazi and the otherswerein grave danger!


    IhurriedtocallLi Mazi, butZhu Fengchun tried to stop me.


    Damnyou!I punched him right in the face as Iclenchedmyteeth.


    The situation was now clear. Zhu Fengchun had joined hands with that spirit. He had made a scene to trick me intogoing tohis house, giving the spirit a chance to run away.


    I had no idea where thespirit hadescapedto.


    Anyway, calling Li Mazi and Chief Liu was more urgent. Zhu Fengchun seemed to be unafraid of pain. He clung onto meto prevent me from makingthe call.


    I didnt know how many times I had punched him already, but my handached, andhis facelooked like that of a pig. Still, he didnt let go of me. He stuck onto me like a sticker. In the end, I had no choice but hit his nape to knock himout.


    I then called Li Mazi. The line wentthrough right away.


    How is it going? asked Li Mazi.


    Li Mazi, listen up.Cancel the n for tonight, right now! You and Chief Liu should return to the Police Bureau and wait for me there, I replied with a stern voice.


    Hold on, Li Mazi lowered his voice as if he were afraid that people could hear him. LittleBrother Zhang, I think somethings wrong with Chief Liu. Just a moment ago, he resolutely asked me to go to the Bronze Bird Terrace. I asked him why, but he didnt answer. Do you think he


    Li Mazis voice shivered. It seemedhe had realizedsomething.


    Are you sure?


    Li Mazi almost cried, Im sure!


    TheBronze Bird Terrace was the ce Wang Zhuangzhuangthe second victimhad visited to take some photos before hewaskilled.


    Chief Liu was certainly possessed by Wang Zhuangzhuangs ghost. If it wanted to guide Chief Liu and Li Mazi to the Bronze Bird Terrace, there should be some clue in that ce.


    I gulped my saliva, making my tone firm and calm. In that case, youshould follow him. You have topretend that you know nothing. Ill alsoheadto theBronze Bird Terrace.


    All right, hurry up!


    After talking, Li Mazi hung up.


    I took a look at the fainted Zhu Fengchun, then searchedfor the BronzeBird Terrace using the map applicationon myphone. The Bronze Bird Terrace site was on the North side of the Zhang River,less thanfivekilometers away from Wang Zhuangzhuangs grave. I, on the other end, was close to twenty kilometers away from there.


    As they were driving, despite the rough road, it would take them fifteen minutes at most to get there. Ihad no way tocatch up withthem.


    I found some candles and joss sticks in Zhu Fengchuns drawerand hadan idea.


    I opened the door and all the windows. Then, I lit up a candle on the floor and burned some joss sticks. I bit my finger till it bled and used my blood to draw a simple Eight Diagrams sketcharound the candle. I thenused a strip of red cloth with my bloodsmearedon it to tie my legs. After preparing everything, I closed my eyes and readaspell to beckonaspirit.


    It was a spell grandpa had taught me. I could use my blood as anofferingand usean ancient divination skillto control the wandering wild ghosts nearby for a short time. I could make them guide me to the ce I wanted to go.


    InWater Margin,Dai Zongthe Magic Travelercould travel five hundred miles away usingthis magic technique.


    However, this spellwas dangerous. If the caster didnt have a strong cultivation base, the wandering ghosts he invited could wound him or even kill him. Thatwaswhy I had never used it before. But asthe situation was urgent,I decided to use it despite my hesitation.


    As soon as I read the spell, the air began to circte around me. Instantly, the ce where I was standing became a vacuum. Acoldwind rushed in from the outside, swirling around me.


    Everything had happened inthe blink of an eye. Before I could react, my legs felt quitelight asthey began to run without my control.


    While running, I opened my eyeswide, looking at the sceneryin front of me quicklymovingpast me. I stopped worrying when I had finally adapted to the situation. I was curious at the moment. What kind of spirit did Iinvite?


    I really wanted to know, so I lowered my head a little bit to see.I was riding on a red shadow, which was moving at atremendous speed.


    The red shadow seemed to havesensedme looking at him. He turned and looked back at me.


    It was a face full of maggots with a nose turned up high. His eyes were uneven in size. The bigger one was shimmering with green light, bulging like a ball. Although both eyes looked human, they were oozing blood.


    The spirit eyed me, smilingat me. I triednot tovomit,grittingmy teeth andnoddingat him. Then, I closed my eyes, not daring to look at him a second time. After around five minutes, I felt that my body was slowly sinking. Then, both of my feetfirmlnded on the ground.


    When I opened my eyes, the spirit I had invited was gone, and the blood on the fabric stripe I had used to tie my legs had beensucked dry.


    He seemed to be a nice spirit that had only enjoyed the blood and joss sticks I had offered. He meant no harm to me.


    I didnt have time to care much about that spirit. I turned andcheckedthe ce. Soon, I saw a majestic structure in front of me. The terrace was animposing construction that facedthe famous Zhang River.


    Rumors said that Cao Cao had collected beauties in the country and kept them in the Bronze Bird Terrace. Moreover, he liked to gather with groups of literati to drink and make poems there. There was a famous verse that said: IftheEast wind didnt favor General Zhou, theBronze Bird Terrace would have kept the Qiao sisters locked.


    Although the Bronze Bird Terrace in front of me had been rebuilt byter generations and the water of the Zhang River was frozen, I could stillfeelCao Caos extravagancefrom thoseyears.


    I looked around and saw nocars. It seemed thatChief Liu and Li Mazi would get therein a few minutes. I stood up andattemptedto run across the frozen Zhang River to reach the Bronze Bird Terrace.


    However, right when I was about to step on the Bronze Bird Terrace, I heard a sigefrom thetop.


    Thedeepvoice lingered in thecoldnight. Although it was just a sigh, I could feel the endless grief it carried.


    Before I could move, the voiceechoedagain from the top of the terrace. HowcouldI, Cao Cao, be a traitor? Without my help, how couldthere bekings? How couldthere beemperors? Why does no one understand me?!


    The sigh grew until it became ayell.


    Iwas shocked.It turned out that the person up there wasnt a living person. He was the most controversial, historical figure in the era of the Three Kingdoms: Cao CaotheEmperor Wu of Wei!


    As I recalled that all ofthe victimswere murdered next tothe Bronze Bird Terrace, I finally understood. The spirit I had to deal with this time was Cao Cao.


    No wonder the spirit looked so dark. In history, Cao Cao was famous for his dark skin color.


    I remembered that the spirit had a sword,andhe fled whenever hesaw a mirror. With those details,I could confirm that this was indeed Cao Cao!


    The sword in his hand was the Seven Star Sword. In the legend, the Seven Star Swordwas forgedfrom the mysterious iron leftbehind byGan Jiang and Mo Ye, two legendary swordsmiths. It was a precious sword that could cut iron asif it was mud.


    Cao Cao hadtriedto assassinate Dong Zhuo with this sword. However, when he reached Dong Zhuos bed, Dong Zhuo saw Cao Cao drawing the swordthroughthe mirror by his bed. Cao Caohad a sudden idea andsaidthat he wanted to offer Dong Zhuo the sword. Then, hehurried to flee the scene.


    That moment of fright had haunted Cao Cao for the rest of his life. Thatwaswhy hisspirit was afraid of mirrors. And, as for why hewould only kill people while they wereasleep, Ithought it wasrted to the poems where CaoCaokilledpeople in his dreams.


    In the legend,after Cao Cao had be the Chancellor, in order to prevent assassination attempts on his person, he had deliberately liedand said thathis sleep wasnt too good. When someone came near him, he would kill that person. He had purposely killed a eunuch that hadgone totuck his nket. From then on, no assassin was sent to murder Cao Cao at night.


    After Iorganized my thoughts, I felt much at ease.


    Cao Cao wasnt agoodperson, but he wasno viin, either. I thought his spirit wouldnt just goon a rampageand kill peoplefor noreason.Thedeceased must have done something bad.


    Cao Cao was the type of man who would defeat the entire worldrather thanlettingthe world take him down. That was why he had chased after us all the way to the Police Bureau.


    He wassomeonewho couldkidnapthe emperor and controlhisvassals, keeping thenation under his control for half of his life. Whycouldthe righteous aura of the Police Bureau stop him?


    After I had cleared up my thoughts, I decided to go there and meet Cao Cao to ask him about hisobsession. Then, I would try my best to help him solve it.


    Cao Cao had always been a hero in my heart. I didnt want to seehis soul destroyed.