Old Liu stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the towering archway. As he stared, a sudden chill ran down his spine. “This thing is unusual; we need to be extremely careful here.”

Ye Xiu looked up at the three dark characters—Night Crow Alley—and it seemed an unknown floral fragrance began to permeate the air. He touched his nose. “Old Liu, do you really think this Night Crow Alley and the village outside the Poison Fiend Formation are the same place? They clearly feel like two different realms; how can this be happening?”

“I’m not sure, but I feel this Nine Layers of Poison Fiend Formation is getting progressively stranger. I have a premonition: we are only now beginning to touch the true core of the formation.” As Old Liu spoke, he stepped into Night Crow Alley. Instantly, thunder roared, deafeningly loud. He turned back. “You smell that fragrance too, right?”

Ye Xiu nodded. He had never liked any kind of fragrance; perhaps it was a common trait among Reapers. His master, the High God, had always set their meeting places in the basements of abandoned buildings. Maybe the High God, like Ye Xiu, preferred the smell of decaying concrete. Yet, the High God had never spoken to Ye Xiu about the history of the Reaper lineage, only vaguely mentioning the former glory of the Reapers who once governed the world.

“The Ancient Esoteric Paths are divided into eight branches, one of which is the Path of Exotic Flowers—meaning the study and utilization of floral scents as spellcraft,” Old Liu said, twitching his nose as if he himself were the most skilled practitioner of this path. He pondered for a moment. “I have smelled this fragrance before. It belongs to a flower species whose source has been rumored about for ages but never truly discovered.”

“What’s there to study? It’s just a weird, somewhat nauseating scent, isn't it?” Ye Xiu disliked the intensity of floral scents, and he disliked the oppressive nature of this current fragrance even more.

Old Liu closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, and then spoke, “This is the scent of the Corpse Flower. Legend says that inhaling too much of it will turn a living person into a corpse. However, it’s not exactly death. To be precise, those who inhale too much Corpse Flower essence will become zombies—mindless, walking dead.”

Hearing this, Ye Xiu instantly held his breath. Logically, as a Reaper, someone who had already died once, this substance should have no effect on him.

“Welcome, esteemed travelers. Please, come into the alley to talk.” Just as Ye Xiu and Old Liu were discussing the Corpse Flower, an old woman materialized from nowhere. Her voice was ancient yet carried surprising strength. Her hair wasn’t entirely white, and her arms weren’t wrinkled like those of typical elders. The only clear indicator of her age was the cane she leaned upon.

“Who... who are you?” Old Liu was naturally unwilling to believe that a normal person could converse with him inside the Nine Layers of Poison Fiend Formation. In his view, this formation held either supreme Daoist masters or monstrous demons and ghosts. Therefore, this old woman was clearly not simple.

The old woman’s face was gentle, her movements languid. She swayed the staff in her hand. “I am the sole priestess of Night Crow Alley. I have no name.”

“A priestess? Do you know where we came from?” Ye Xiu also began to suspect the old woman. Furthermore, she claimed to be a priestess; heaven knew if she was a demon or a ghost disguised to harm him and Old Liu.

The old woman turned, presenting her bent back to the two men, and slowly stated, “You come from the world above. But in truth, it matters little, for this world and the world above are merely places where life is lived. You have your lives; we have ours.”

Old Liu could not tolerate such roundabout speech. He interrupted quickly, “Priestess, since you speak so clearly, you must know this is the Nine Layers of Poison Fiend Formation, and your world lies within it. We wish to reach the next Dao realm; please, show us the way.”

Ye Xiu shot Old Liu a look of exasperation. The man truly lacked finesse; he had revealed all their intentions after just one sentence from the old woman—hardly a good deal.

“Only by obtaining the vital essence of Lady Mo Shu can you open the gate to the next Dao realm.” The old woman assumed an air of profound mystery, slowly walking while turning the prayer beads in her hand. “All causes and effects reside within Night Crow Alley. Follow me.”

“Lady Mo Shu!” Old Liu’s mouth dropped open so wide he nearly swallowed Ye Xiu. He stammered, “What is she saying about Lady Mo Shu? Terminology like ‘Niang Niang’—that dates back to which dynasty? Do you believe her?”

“Believe it. You have no other choice anyway, so we might as well follow this old woman.” Ye Xiu’s heart also hammered. He hadn't expected the Poison Fiend Formation to conceal such rich historical roots. Shaking off the irritable Old Liu, he hurried to follow the priestess. “Priestess, may I ask, when was this Lady Mo Shu you speak of active? We are not familiar with her era.”

The aged priestess led them under the Night Crow Alley archway, down the narrow flagstone path, and into the center of the village houses. The village was utterly silent, and the houses were so new they looked untouched by human habitation.

“Lady Mo Shu was the younger sister of Lady Mo Xi. They were identical in appearance, but unfortunately, their personalities differed greatly,” the old woman sighed, as if reminiscing about distant memories, completely disregarding the astonishment of Ye Xiu and Old Liu.

“And what kind of entity is Lady Mo Xi?” Old Liu was well-versed in strange Daoist theories, but what they needed to discuss now was clearly history. He stared blankly at Ye Xiu, utterly bewildered by the mention of dynasties.

Ye Xiu recalled the texts he had read and answered with confidence, “Mo Xi was a favored consort of Jie, the last emperor of the Xia Dynasty. Originally from the You Shi tribe, the chief of You Shi presented her to Jie when Jie campaigned against their people.”

“Good heavens, you, a Reaper, actually read human history books? I’m impressed.” Old Liu clearly lacked deep cultural knowledge; his understanding of dynasties was hazy at best.

“As ancient records state, Emperor Jie doted on this consort named Mo Xi. Mo Xi enjoyed listening to the sound of tearing silk, so Jie had hundreds, even thousands, of bolts of silk torn apart for her pleasure. He indulged in extravagance and ruined the state economy by building a jade palace for Mo Xi called Yao Tai. This provoked popular resentment, and ultimately, the Xia Dynasty was overthrown by Shang Tang. Lady Mo Xi thus became the primary culprit responsible for the fall of the Xia kingdom. Alas,” Ye Xiu sighed as he recited this history. If an entire dynasty could fall because of one woman, then perhaps the dynasty itself held little intrinsic value.

“Nonsense! Lady Mo Xi was not the femme fatale that common people view her as.” The old woman’s voice was rougher now. When she turned to look at Ye Xiu, her eyes held a hint of hatred.

“Don’t anger this priestess,” Old Liu murmured, tugging at Ye Xiu’s sleeve. He didn’t understand history well and preferred to avoid trouble. “Don’t argue with her about history. Just let her take us to find whatever vital essence she mentioned.”

“Lady Mo Xi was merely a woman lost in love,” the old woman said, her voice drawn out and deeply sincere. Her eyes were half-closed, and she didn't seem keen on debating Ye Xiu further.