The Radiant Spirit Gate's master was deathly pale, his face utterly bloodless. The gruesome deaths of his elders were still vivid in his mind, and he dared not disobey Ming He.
Prostrate on the ground, he shuffled forward on his knees in humiliation, raised his head, and forced out a fawning smile.
"My lord, whatever you need, just give the word. This humble one will certainly..."
Before he could finish, a boot stamped down on his head. With a heavy thud, his skull slammed against the floor.
Ming He pressed down with his boot, gradually increasing the force. A playful look crept onto his face, his tone vicious. "Did I give you permission to speak?"
"M-my... lord..." The Radiant Spirit Gate's master had his entire face pinned to the floor. Blood seeped from his mouth and nose, his voice muffled. "Spare... spare my life..."
"I ask. You answer."
Ming He applied a little more pressure. Listening to the faint creaking of the man's skull, his smile broadened.
He leafed through a leather-bound booklet of local legends and said unhurriedly, "This Urban Legend recorded here, the Heavenly Water Goddess-where did she last appear?"
"In... in Blackwater County... thirty miles... north of the city..." The Radiant Spirit Gate's master struggled to force out the words, his body shaking violently with terror. "That... that was thirty years ago... everyone who saw her... died..."
"Died?" Ming He raised an eyebrow and eased his foot slightly. "How?"
"I... I don't know... there are only rumors that anyone who saw the goddess's stone statue would... would gouge out their own eyes and slit their wrists after returning home, then... then kowtow to empty space until they bled to death..."
"Oh? Interesting." The interest in Ming He's eyes deepened, and he eased the pressure slightly. "How can