Chapter 100: The North Sea Eye

The group seemed to be swearing an oath, standing in a relatively orderly fashion. Gui Shan, standing on the high platform, kept shouting, stirring up the atmosphere and the blood of everyone below. After a while, Gui Shan waved his hand, and the voices below ceased. Looking down at the crowd, Gui Shan called out, "Do you believe the life you have now is the one you want?"

"No!" the people below shouted in unison. Gui Shan continued, "Are you all willing to submit to others?"

"We are not willing! We are not willing!" the crowd roared back.

Seeing this, I couldn't help but smile. These people claimed they wouldn't submit, yet weren't they just submitting to Gui Shan all the same? In my opinion, this group was exactly like a pyramid scheme—they had all been brainwashed!

Gui Shan nodded and signaled for silence. The crowd fell deathly quiet. Gui Shan paced the platform, a look of determination on his face. Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, he declared, "We are currently nothing more than cannon fodder under Gui Tian. We are not dogs; we are men, we are warriors! Warriors should take control of their own destinies rather than handing that power over to others. Today, I am leading a rebellion. If you are as filled with fighting spirit as I am and despise your current life, then follow my lead, follow the path of destiny, and destroy Gui Tian. We shall establish our own faction. I promise you a bright future; no matter where you go, you will be masters!"

As Gui Shan finished, Master scoffed lightly and looked at the two Ghost Sect members behind him. Upon seeing this scene, both men were so shocked they were speechless.

Soon, the vision shifted from the brainwashing to the interior of the Ghost Sect. Both sides were locked in a fierce, inseparable battle; the ground was nearly covered in corpses and blood. Then, the fighting ceased. It appeared that Gui Shan had obtained some kind of treasure, and he led his people directly out of the Ghost Sect. Both sides had suffered heavy losses. Afterward, the scene shifted to a dark conference room. I saw Gui Shan sitting in a place devoid of sunlight, looking at the high-ranking members seated on both sides—among whom I recognized the two men behind me. Leaning on the armrests of his chair, Gui Shan spoke: "Everyone, the mission is accomplished. Thank you all for your hard work this time."

The group nodded. The first Ghost Sect member on the right side spoke up: "Sect Leader, what is the next move? What about the North Sea Eye?"

Hearing the words "North Sea Eye," Master immediately furrowed his brows and listened intently. Gui Shan pondered for a moment before saying, "The thing inside the North Sea Eye is someone I cannot afford to provoke. Since we have defected to him, we should not think about anything else. I will deliver this spirit bead to him personally."

With that, Gui Shan picked up a crystal-clear spirit bead and examined it. I could clearly see a small piece of gold inside the bead. The people below were stunned, and one person asked suspiciously, "Sect Leader, is this the thing we were looking for?"

Gui Shan nodded without speaking. Another person asked, "How does the Sect Leader intend to hand it over to that being in the Sea Eye? Rumors are spreading outside; if the news leaks, other factions might come knocking."

Gui Shan understood his concern. After thinking, he said, "Each of you will take an elite team to various parts of the country."

"To various parts of the country?" the people below asked, confused.

Gui Shan nodded and said darkly, "Go and stir up some trouble—the bigger, the better. Attract the attention of those righteous factions. However, you must not expose yourselves; just manipulate things from the shadows."

The crowd finally understood Gui Shan's intentions. They nodded, stood up in unison, bowed to Gui Shan, and said, "The Sect Leader is wise."

Gui Shan waved his hand, and the group departed. Then, the vision flashed back to the hotel. Master stood with his hands behind his back, deep in thought, his brow furrowed. The two Ghost Sect members were trembling with fear. Master’s gaze slowly turned toward them as he said, "I told you I have many ways to find out the truth. Since you didn't cherish the opportunity, you only have yourselves to blame."

With a wave of Master's hand, the Underworld Gate manifested. The two Ghost Sect members fell to their knees, begging for mercy, but Master ignored them. The Underworld Gate dragged them in, along with their screams. After retracting the gate, Master sat down and fell into deep contemplation once again.

"The North Sea Eye... what kind of secrets are hidden there that would make Gui Shan go to such lengths?" Master murmured softly.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Li Xin. Before long, Li Xin answered, "Hello, Senior!"

Master grunted and said, "Li Xin, help me check the location of the Beijing Sea Eye immediately."

Li Xin agreed. I heard the sound of a chair being pulled back, followed by rapid typing. A minute later, Li Xin said, "Senior, there is only one Sea Eye in Beijing, but it has been abandoned for a long time."

"Where is it?" Master asked urgently.

Li Xin placed his phone on the table and switched to speakerphone. "At the intersection of Dongzhimen Inner Street and Yonghegong Street, there is a small bridge called Beixin. There is a well by the bridge, and beneath the well is an eye that leads directly to the East Sea."

Master listened intently and repeated what Li Xin said. Suddenly startled, he asked, "Are you talking about the Dragon-Locking Well at Beixin Bridge?"

Li Xin nodded and confirmed it. Master frowned and said, "The Dragon-Locking Well... could it be that Gui Shan is in league with the entity inside?"

"That can't be, Senior. Although strange things happened at the Dragon-Locking Well in the past, that was so many years ago. Wait! Senior, are you saying the Ghost Sect members are related to the Dragon-Locking Well?"

Li Xin sounded startled by the end of his sentence. Master nodded and said, "I saw it through my spiritual arts. Gui Shan turned against Gui Tian seemingly because he found a backer even greater than Gui Tian, and he even mentioned the North Sea Eye. This matter is more complex than I imagined. It will be difficult to handle."

After Master finished, Li Xin fell silent. A while later, Master said, "Thank you for this."

"It's nothing, Senior. Don't be so polite with me," Li Xin replied immediately.

Master said "very well" and hung up. I stood beside him and asked, "Master, what about Cao Wen?"

Master sighed and said, "There is no way to start right now. We must first go to the Dragon-Locking Well and see. I hope that fellow Cao Wen is alright."

I nodded. We hailed a taxi and headed out, going straight to the Beixin Bridge. After getting out and paying the fare, Master led me directly to the Dragon-Locking Well. Upon arrival, I saw a well of modest size on the ground with a large, rusted iron chain hanging by the side. I looked at Master in confusion and pointed at the chain, asking, "Master, why is there an iron chain by the well? Was it used for drawing water in the past?"

Master shook his head, crouched down with a frown, and gently touched the chain. A layer of yellow rust scraped off onto his fingers. He rubbed the rust between his fingertips and said, "This chain is for locking a dragon."

"Locking a dragon?" I repeated, startled. Master nodded and explained, "The origins of this Dragon-Locking Well are obscure, and there are many different stories, but one is quite widely circulated. It is said that during the early Youzhou era, an old dragon lived in the capital for a long time. When the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di, was building Beijing, he disturbed this dragon, causing floods to ravage the city. Zhu Di ordered Yao Guangxiao to capture the dragon. The dragon, knowing that Yao Guangxiao was powerful and full of tricks, hid within Beixin Bridge. However, it couldn't escape Yao Guangxiao’s watchful eye. He found the dragon and locked it inside this well. The dragon begged Yao Guangxiao to release him, but Yao ignored him, saying, 'Wait until the bridge becomes old.' But Yao Guangxiao had played a trick on the dragon; he named the bridge 'Beixin Bridge,' which implies that the bridge will never grow old, and the dragon will never be released."

Listening to Master sounded like he was telling a folktale. The fact that he was talking about dragons—a species that hadn't even been confirmed—left me feeling dazed and bewildered. I looked curiously at the iron chain and asked, "And in the end? Did the old dragon ever get out?"