Chapter 168

Chapter 168

As Zeng Xiao told her younger sister what had happened to her during that year in Tu Family Village, the other three people present listened with complicated expressions.

Town official Li Cheng already felt ashamed, and with Ge Chuan and Ren Fengjue repeatedly casting glances his way, the pressure on him suddenly multiplied.

But everyone in Tu Family Village was dead now. Even if he wanted to overturn Zeng Xiao’s case and make up for his mistake, it was already too late.

Zeng Qiao was sobbing so hard that tears and snot streamed down her face.

And Xia Ximo, possessed by Zeng Qiao’s ghost, reached out to wipe her tears away, without the slightest trace of disgust on her face.

“At the time, I had only just died. My yin energy was still weak, and I couldn’t leave Tu Family Village, so I could only keep wandering through the village…”

“No one could see me. But strangely enough, that Taoist could…”

Back then, after the Taoist entered the village, he blended into the crowd, his eyes sweeping over his surroundings until they finally locked onto Zeng Xiao’s corpse.

In that instant, a sharp gleam flashed through his eyes, and Zeng Xiao’s ghost felt a surge of fear.

Sure enough, after making his way through the crowd, he walked straight toward her. Then he suddenly raised his hand and struck her with a Black Talisman.

Zeng Xiao’s soul was instantly pinned in place, unable to move.

The Taoist gave a cold smile. With another casual hand seal, he split her soul into three, then swiftly drew away one of them for some unknown purpose.

Once her Three Hun were scattered, Zeng Xiao’s consciousness fell into a brief haze of chaos.

When she regained awareness, the first thing she heard was her younger sister’s crying.

Her body had already been buried by the Tu Family in the back mountain, and her sister was kneeling in the pouring rain, erecting a grave marker for her.

The words on the marker had been carved by her own hand: Grave of My Elder Sister, Zeng Xiao.

The rain was coming down hard, but Zeng Qiao knelt there in it for a very long time, both hands clenched into fists, her body utterly still.

Zeng Xiao could sense her emotions being forced down into her chest, hatred filling her entire heart.

And yet it was at that very moment that Zeng Xiao saw the Taoist again.

Holding an umbrella, he walked up to Zeng Qiao and deliberately began with a few words meant to bewitch her.

After hearing him, Zeng Qiao immediately shuddered.

She had clearly believed him-and she had been shaken.

Zeng Xiao was terrified of the Taoist. She knew he had to be harboring ill intentions, but she could not stop him. Her sister, too, had already been blinded by hatred.

Under those circumstances, that wisp of Zeng Xiao’s soul could only rely on her obsession to stay by her sister Zeng Qiao’s side.

She watched as Zeng Qiao refined gu for the sake of revenge.

She watched as Zeng Qiao controlled the gu worms and killed everyone in Tu Family Village.

She also watched as Zeng Qiao drank human blood to feed those gu worms, only to suffer the backlash in the end and become this neither-human-nor-ghost creature she was now.

It cut Zeng Xiao to the heart.

She could do nothing-until the night before, when Zeng Qiao took her corpse and left Yunxia Town.

Her soul drifted aimlessly, yet she sensed a strange pull guiding her.

In a daze, she saw a woman with a unique bearing. The woman carried a black Lotus Lamp, and inside the lamp was a hidden wisp of soul.

Zeng Xiao’s instincts told her that only this woman and that lamp could help her.

At last, everyone present understood the whole story behind the matter.

But none of them had expected that the true instigator would be that mysterious Taoist.

Then what was his purpose in using Zeng Qiao to refine Corpse Gu and bewitching her into taking revenge?

And who was he? Did he have anything to do with Mount Yunhe?

As for the Corpse Worms at Yunjian Inn, had he secretly placed it there as well?

As Ren Fengjue considered these questions, he said to Zeng Qiao, “Where was the last place you saw that Taoist?”
Zeng Qiao replied, “Right here in this cave.”

No sooner had she spoken than a chorus of screams came from outside the cave.

Ge Chuan’s expression changed. “Something’s happened outside.”

Ren Fengjue shot Zeng Qiao a swift glance.

She immediately explained, “I didn’t control the Corpse Worms…”

Ge Chuan’s scalp prickled. Suspicious, he said, “Could it be that Daoist?”

Ren Fengjue intended to go out and see what was happening, so he said to Ge Chuan and Li Cheng, “Stay in the cave for now. I’ll go take a look.”

Ge Chuan volunteered at once. “My lord, I’ll go with you.”

“No need.”

Ren Fengjue could not help glancing at Xia Ximo. Knowing Zeng Xiao’s ghost had yet to leave her body, he said, “Magistrate Ge, keep watch here.”

Ge Chuan understood at a glance that he was more concerned about the safety of the “Young Marquise.” He immediately said, “This subordinate will not fail your trust.”

Ren Fengjue gave a nod and immediately headed out of the cave.

Outside, he saw that the constables had all collapsed to the ground. Corpse Worms crawled over their entire bodies, their flesh already gnawed away. In the blink of an eye, they had become skeletons.

Even more shocking was that the insect-repelling sachets Yan Zhengchu had prepared for them had actually stopped working.

Ren Fengjue swept his gaze over the surroundings and then saw a figure flash through the woods, fleeing rapidly down the mountain.

He tightened his grip on his sword. Without hesitation, he gave chase.

But strangely, that figure seemed to be riding the wind, running with incredible speed.

Ren Fengjue pursued with all his strength, yet there was always a small distance between them.

Just as he faintly sensed that something was wrong, the figure vanished into thin air right before his eyes, transforming into a Black Talisman that fell to the ground.

Ren Fengjue’s steps halted. Only then did he realize it had been an Illusion Trick.

Alarmed that this might be a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain, he was just about to turn back when someone behind him shouted, “Young Marquis!”

The voice sounded like Yan Zhengchu.

Ren Fengjue looked back and indeed saw Yan Zhengchu sprinting toward him.

His brows furrowed. Afraid it might be another trick, he immediately drew his longsword and pointed it at the other man.

Yan Zhengchu’s breath caught in fright. Fortunately, he managed to brake in time and stop.

“Young Marquis, what is the meaning of this?”

Ren Fengjue looked him over, but asked, “Where did you and I first meet?”

“…”

Though Yan Zhengchu did not understand, he still answered honestly, “At Prince Yu’s Mansion. Have you forgotten?”

Only then did Ren Fengjue put away his sword. “There’s no time for nonsense. We have to get back to the cave at once.”

Yan Zhengchu knew the situation was urgent as well, but then his gaze caught the Black Talisman on the ground, and his expression tightened. “It’s a Black Talisman again.”

Ren Fengjue, walking ahead, paused. “Where else have you seen a Black Talisman?”

Yan Zhengchu answered truthfully, “At Ling Family Village. The thing used to suppress Ling Ling’s ghost back then was a Black Talisman.”

“Was it the same person?”

Yan Zhengchu nodded. “Judging by the talisman-drawing technique, it should be the same person.”

Ren Fengjue understood. Without saying anything more, he quickened his pace again and hurried toward the cave.

Just as they reached the cave entrance, he thought of what the Crown Prince had once said-that in Murong Chen’s memories, the person who had undone the seal on Fu Tower’s Yin Tomb was also a Daoist.

Were the two connected as well?

He stopped once more and looked back. With a grave expression, he asked Yan Zhengchu, “Daoist Yan, tell me the truth. Is the matter of Yunxia Town’s Corpse Gu connected to Mount Yunhe in some way?”

At that, Yan Zhengchu’s expression stiffened slightly, but he still nodded and replied, “Yes.”