For several days afterward, Ye Xiu hadn't seen Chen Nan, who knew what that research-obsessed fellow was up to; perhaps the mystery of those mosquitoes had already been solved by him. Today, Xiao Long was discharged from the hospital after recovery. Following Liu Banxian's arrangement, he was to pick up Xiao Long himself and, on the side, check if those mosquitoes had all departed.

“What have you done?” Liu Banxian knew Ye Xiu’s office well, and his tone was heavy. When he pushed the door open and found only Ye Xiu inside, he began to feel uneasy. “Where is the other doctor? What did you do to those mosquitoes?”

Ye Xiu had no interest in trying to cozy up to Banxian; he knew very little about matters of ghosts and deities. “Doctor Chen is completely engrossed in studying those mosquitoes, and I want you to take me to see that Bird King from that day.”

Hearing this, Liu Banxian could no longer keep still and stood up. “What did you say? You used those mosquitoes for research?”

“To be precise, my colleague and I both discovered that those things aren't mosquitoes, but very tiny birds.” Ye Xiu remained calm because he didn't feel anything could pose a threat to the God of Death.

Liu Banxian’s expression became complicated, a mix of fear and relief. He started to reach for Ye Xiu’s hand but stopped himself. “I see. You orchestrated all of this. I always knew someone connected to you would die there; I just didn't expect it would be Doctor Chen.”

“You mean he will die…” Ye Xiu had known that Doctor Chen wouldn't have an easy time these past few days, but hearing it confirmed by Liu Banxian, he was still reluctant to believe it.

“Let’s go to his place and see.” Liu Banxian seemed to possess a method for tracking; in his hand were some white powder-like substances, which he lightly scattered at every corner, using them as a guide.

Ye Xiu hadn't expected Chen Nan wouldn't be in his apartment building. When Ye Xiu and Liu Banxian found him, he was lying on the roof of an unfamiliar building. He was prone in a pool of blood; aside from his cheeks, not a single patch of skin on his body was intact—it was as if a bomb had exploded inside him.

“A step too late. This is the Bird King’s curse.” Liu Banxian showed no great shock at seeing someone dead; all of this had been within his calculations. “Xiao Long was supposed to suffer this, but it unexpectedly transferred to Doctor Chen. This is your doing.”

Ye Xiu was the God of Death, so there was no need for him to show off in front of Banxian. It was Ye Xiu who had suggested Chen Nan study these strange birds; therefore, his death was propelled by Ye Xiu. This was the role Ye Xiu, as the God of Death, was meant to play: advancing the demise of a target. Yet, his death was overly tragic and beyond the scope of the mundane world.

Liu Banxian felt a touch of sorrow for the deceased and shook his head. “The Bird King’s curse involves internal parasitism. The Bird King parasitized its offspring into Chen Nan’s body, and when they mature, they naturally have to burst out of that body to fly away.”

Ye Xiu paused to think. That day, Chen Nan had been bitten by something dark and pheasant-like before vanishing. Could that dark thing be the Bird King Banxian mentioned?

“These birds that fly away are formed by feeding on human viscera; they are bloodthirsty from birth. I fear many people in that village have already been victimized,” Liu Banxian said, his face etched with worry, completely unlike a charlatan known only for spreading rumors.

“They can find that village because the elm tree where the Bird King resided is there?” Ye Xiu was curious about these bizarre entities, though this curiosity didn't imply any lingering affection for the people in the village. “I want to know what the Bird King actually is.”

Liu Banxian stuck out a finger, bit it, and mixed his blood into the white sand he held. The moment the white sand scattered in the wind, Chen Nan’s corpse vanished as if it had been subjected to strong acid. He lamented, “The so-called Bird King was actually a dead pheasant. The pheasants in that village were almost hunted to extinction. Even with my Taoist skill, I don't know why mere dead pheasants could transform into vengeful beasts to harm people. All I could calculate was that elm tree—that elm tree is the nexus point of the Nine Paths Vicious Array. Perhaps most of the pheasants that became the Bird King died within that nexus point, thus generating enough resentment.”

“Nine Paths Vicious Array.” Hearing the name, Ye Xiu knew this was an array spoken of in Taoism. This Banxian knew of such things; he truly was a master. “Then when you brought everyone to that nexus point to perform rites that day, was it to dissolve the Bird King’s resentment?”

Liu Banxian looked at Ye Xiu and shook his head. “The resentment of the Nine Paths Vicious Array is concentrated beneath that village; it cannot be directly dispelled by rites. What I had Xiao Long do under the elm tree was merely to use the sand from the tree as a medicinal catalyst to force the miasma out of his body. It’s the same principle as how medicines that cure snake venom are usually found near a snake den.”

Ye Xiu suddenly understood and was filled with admiration for the old man. “So the elm tree itself, being the nexus of the vicious array, is inherently a potent remedy for dissolving resentment. But you said those vengeful birds flying out of Chen Nan’s body are going to harm the village—why is that?”

“Alas!” On this matter, the old man became melancholic again. “That village sits atop the Nine Paths Vicious Array; it is inherently a place of malefic energy. The Bird King, born in this fierce location, naturally carries the aura of the entire village. And the newly hatched vengeful birds feed on viscera to grow, so they will naturally seek the Bird King’s aura, meaning they will certainly go to the village to cause havoc.”

“Then that should be the duty of a master like you to resolve. I'm afraid I can’t help with that.” Saying this, Ye Xiu felt this entire ordeal was coming to an end. This time, it had been an intimate collaboration between the God of Death and the Banxian.

Liu Banxian saw Ye Xiu preparing to clap his hands and leave, but then he gave a strange smile. “I’m afraid it won’t be that easy, sir.”

“Eh!” Ye Xiu paused his steps. He hadn't expected a mere Banxian would address the God of Death with such a tone. “What do you take me for?”

“In our common tongue, we call you the Guide of the Departed.” Liu Banxian was utterly self-assured, finally tearing down the thin veil between him and Ye Xiu. “Once the vengeful birds destroy the village, the next targets will be you and me. Those creatures are filled with extreme resentment; I doubt even you can withstand them.”

“What, are you threatening me?” Ye Xiu hesitated slightly. Some birds could actually defeat the God of Death?

“Actually, I have been studying the Nine Paths Vicious Array for a long time. I require the assistance of a non-human anomaly to break the array.” Liu Banxian, saying this, proactively extended his hand, his eyes filled with longing. “If you can assist me in breaking the array, perhaps there are secrets concerning the God of Death hidden within this formation that you wish to know.”

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