Chapter 171
Chapter 171
Yan Zhengchu’s words left Ren Fengjue deep in thought.
First, the “battle in the Capital” he had spoken of had taken place fifty years ago.
Assuming Tianwen had only been in his early teens at the time, he ought to be well into his sixties or seventies by now. Yet in appearance, he looked only slightly older than Yan Zhengchu.
Had he mastered some art of preserving his youth? Or was there another reason?
Second, judging by Little Uncle Ren Yao’s age, Tianwen should have been expelled from Mount Yunhe long before Ren Yao joined the sect.
How, then, did he know anything about Ren Yao?
While Ren Fengjue kept his suspicions to himself, “Tianwen” spoke again.
He sneered. “Master has been dead for more than a decade. Who still remembers all that ancient history?”
“Give it another two or three years. Once that mediocre junior brother of mine can no longer carry on, Mount Yunhe may have to invite me back.”
“Am I right, little martial nephew?”
Yan Zhengchu was furious to hear him disparage his master and immediately shot back, “My master is in excellent health. Forget two or three years; even in twenty or thirty, there will still be no place for you.”
“You were expelled from the sect. What right do you have to return?”
“As long as I remain at Mount Yunhe, that will never happen.”
“Tianwen” remained perfectly at ease. Gazing at the gu insect in the box, he even teased it lightly as he said, “Little martial nephew, if I recall correctly, a ghost recently stole twelve Soul-Nurturing Pearls from Mount Yunhe.”
“Mount Yunhe has always claimed that catching ghosts and expelling evil is its sacred duty, yet it allowed a ghost to come and go as it pleased.”
“Wouldn’t the whole world laugh itself senseless if word got out?”
Yan Zhengchu was startled, his face shifting between pallor and fury.
Only his master had told him that a ghost had stolen the pearls. His master had also privately instructed him to descend the mountain and recover them, with no one else present at the time.
How had Tianwen learned of it?
After a moment’s thought, realization suddenly dawned on him. “I have always had doubts about the theft of the pearls. But after hearing Martial Uncle speak today, I finally understand.”
“The Soul-Nurturing Pearls were kept in the secret chamber where Master entered seclusion. Grandmaster once placed a forbidden ward before its door, and now, only Master and I know that ward. But I forgot about you, Martial Uncle.”
“So you interfered and helped that ghost steal the Soul-Nurturing Pearls, didn’t you?”
At that, “Tianwen” burst into laughter once more. “You aren’t entirely stupid. Unfortunately, you have no proof, so you cannot pin it on me.”
Yan Zhengchu grew even angrier and was about to retort when a cool voice suddenly came from beside him.
“If you’re going to fight, then fight. Why waste so many words?”
“…”
Xia Ximo, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke. She gave “Tianwen” a cold, sidelong glance. “You don’t look any more capable than that Daoist surnamed Yan.”
“Even if they invited you back to guard the gate, you might not be of any use.”
Tianwen bristled at her contemptuous gaze and boundlessly arrogant tone.
But of everyone present, she had the strangest origins and was the most difficult to deal with.
Besides…
Moments ago, she had seemed to radiate an aura of Netherworld ghost qi.
But how could a mortal possibly carry the aura of the Netherworld?
Yan Zhengchu was quite surprised to hear Xia Ximo speak on his behalf. The two of them were usually at odds. He had not expected her to stand on his side when it mattered.
His confidence rose for no apparent reason. “I think Miss Xia is right. We wouldn’t even ask you to guard the gate!”
“Tianwen’s” expression darkened. He merely stared fixedly at Xia Ximo and said no more.
He raised a hand and began calculating with his fingers. A moment later, an eerie smile appeared on his face.
She had been born in a yin year, a yin month, and a yin hour, with a body of pure yin, yet her allotted mortal lifespan had already ended.
Could it be…
“This young lady strikes me as rather peculiar. You don’t seem like a guest of the mortal realm.”
“If I am not mistaken, this body isn’t your original one, is it?”
“Tianwen” had expected his words to make her panic. Instead, he was met with a deathly stillness.
Not only did Xia Ximo remain perfectly composed, but she also mocked him in return. “What makes you think you are worthy of asking who I am?”
Ren Fengjue had been about to speak up for her, but at her answer, amusement instantly spread to the corners of his eyes.
“Tianwen” choked on her words.
Yan Zhengchu, meanwhile, looked thoughtfully at Xia Ximo.
The first time they met, he had sensed that something about her was amiss. Throughout their journey together, her extraordinary fate, her many mysteries, and the inexplicable times she had seemingly returned from the dead had defied all explanation.
But he had never seriously considered whether the problem lay with her body or the soul inside it.
After hearing Tianwen say it aloud, the fog in his mind began to clear, and a vague answer took shape.
But Yan Zhengchu quickly came to his senses and joined in the scolding. “Your own heart is corrupt, so naturally everyone looks sinister to you.”
“Miss Xia is the daughter of the General Who Protects the Nation. What gives you the right to pass judgment on her?”
“Tianwen” immediately swept him a glance and had no choice but to turn his barbs back on him.
“You’re hopelessly stupid.”
Yan Zhengchu did not waste time arguing. He put away his Jade Sword and charged forward barehanded. At first glance, it seemed he meant to capture this traitor of Mount Yunhe alive and purge the sect of its disgrace.
At present, “Tianwen” was possessing the town official Li Cheng, a body that naturally did not serve him as well as his own. Li Cheng was broad and heavy, his movements clumsy. In a contest of fists and feet, he was certainly no match for Yan Zhengchu.
Yan Zhengchu’s move appeared reckless, but he knew exactly what he was doing.
He knew that if they fought with magic, he could never defeat Tianwen. His martial uncle was full of schemes, and the arts he cultivated were heretical and wicked.
A direct clash was out of the question.
His only chance of victory was to make Tianwen lower his guard, then use the method his master had taught him at the crucial moment to break the forbidden art Tianwen specialized in.
He and Ren Fengjue had already discussed this before entering the cave…
Xia Ximo could tell at a glance that Yan Zhengchu was no match for the old Daoist. Yet as the two traded blows back and forth inside the cave, she showed no hurry to intervene.
Inside the Soul-Ferrying Lantern, Zeng Xiao’s ghost was still weeping over her younger sister’s death.
Wuyou tried to comfort her. “She used her own body to nurture the gu. She didn’t have many days left to begin with…”
Halfway through, Wuyou seemed to realize that something was wrong with those words.
Zeng Xiao cried even harder.
Wuyou could only add, “Don’t worry. That old Daoist won’t survive either…”
Only then did Zeng Xiao quiet her sobs for the moment. Softly, she said, “But that young Daoist doesn’t seem to be a match for the old one. Could it be…”
Wuyou answered with certainty, “If he cannot win, the Soul Ferryman will step in.”
Zeng Xiao nodded blankly.
Back in the fight, “Tianwen,” worn down by Yan Zhengchu’s relentless attacks, finally began chanting an incantation. He activated the Twin Gu and summoned the surrounding swarm.
Urged on by the Gu King, the Corpse Worms that had been forced back surged forward once more.
Yan Zhengchu knew he could wait no longer. He shouted, “Young Marquis!”