Chapter 267
Chapter 267
Lady Yang had no answer. Her lips moved as she tried to explain, but no words came.
She was not innocent. Had she not made that one wrong choice, this tragedy would never have happened.
The ghost soldiers around them broke into shrill, mocking laughter again.
The skeletal general suddenly raised a hand and ordered coldly, “Kill this woman. Don’t delay my wife and me in returning to the Yang World.”
The two Faceless Ghosts answered respectfully at once. “Yes. We will see to it immediately.”
They flashed before Lady Yang and were about to execute her when two Yellow Talismans flew toward them, striking one ghost each. Golden light flashed and sent them flying back for the moment.
Yan Zhengchu was the first to leap out, shouting, “A pack of remnants of the fallen dynasty, still dreaming of returning to the Yang World! Have you forgotten whose realm this is now?”
Then Xia Ximo, Ren Fengjue, and Yu Lang entered the burial chamber together.
The skeletal general’s gaze swept over them and finally rested on Ren Fengjue. “I didn’t come looking for you, yet you’ve walked right into my trap.”
Ren Fengjue replied, “General Lei, the dead cannot return to life, and the past cannot be reclaimed. This dynasty is now Great Qi. The Northern Border already has a new General Who Guards the North.”
The skeletal general seemed surprised. “A youngster like you actually knows of me?”
“Of course.”
Ren Fengjue continued, “Your deeds are recorded in the histories. Not a single one of your achievements was in vain.”
The skeletal general laughed coldly. “What use is that? The mountains and rivers remain, but the realm has changed hands. How many of today’s people still know the name Lei Kun?”
Ren Fengjue answered, “All things under heaven have their appointed course. Why cling so stubbornly to this life?”
At that, the skeletal general laughed, the sound full of scorn.
“Who knows whether I’ll be an ox or a horse in my next life? I refuse to submit to heaven’s will. I will defy heaven and change my fate!”
Yu Lang could not help muttering a curse. “Is he mad?”
Yan Zhengchu said as well, “He was probably corrupt at heart even in life. Otherwise, why would he have believed in such an evil art?”
Yu Lang could not resist another question. “How exactly did he come back to life?”
It was an excellent question. Yan Zhengchu deliberately laughed too. “As Miss Xia just said, returning from death comes at a terrible price. You could never guess the price of this Rebirth Art.”
Sure enough, both skeletons glared viciously at him.
Unafraid, Yan Zhengchu continued his analysis. “It is said that those who use this art must endure being devoured by insects. And they must be sealed inside a stone coffin while still alive.”
The moment Yu Lang heard “devoured by insects,” his body began to feel uneasy.
What followed made his breath catch. “You mean… buried alive?”
Yan Zhengchu nodded. “It works on the same principle as cultivating Corpse Gu. The person becomes a vessel. A hundred insects fight and devour one another until only one survives. That survivor then becomes the vessel for the soul, allowing it to evade pursuit by the Underworld Administration.”
“As for… why so many people had to be killed, it was for sacrifices, wasn’t it? And you chose pregnant women, taking two lives in each death. Truly vicious.”
At those words, the Vengeful Spirits in the chamber seemed stirred and began circling in the air.
The skeletal wife involuntarily staggered.
The skeletal general hastily supported his beloved wife, then waved his hand and roared, “Kill him!”
The ghosts immediately howled, their combined force shaking the surroundings.
Yan Zhengchu said quietly, “These ghost soldiers and generals have incomplete souls, so they’re relatively easy to deal with. But those two Faceless Ghosts are extremely cunning. We must be careful with them!”
Xia Ximo spoke. “Leave the Faceless Ghosts to me.”
Yan Zhengchu had been waiting for exactly that. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “Gladly, gladly.”
The two Faceless Ghosts were, in truth, somewhat wary of Xia Ximo.
But they could not defy the skeletal general’s order. Steeling themselves, they advanced and began fighting her.
By comparison, Daoist Yan had a much easier time.
For all their intimidating numbers, the ghost soldiers and generals could scarcely withstand a blow. A few talismans were enough to restrain them.
Seeing that these intruders truly had ability, the skeletal general immediately told his wife, “My dear, I’ll deal with that Daoist. Don’t wait for me. Devour her soul as soon as you can!”
With that, he drew his heavy saber and slashed toward Yan Zhengchu.
Watching her husband’s back, the skeletal wife initially hesitated.
But remembering the suffering she had endured and how hard-won this opportunity was, how could she let it slip away?
She went before Zhao Wan, gripped her chin, and forced her mouth open.
Then a centipede wreathed in black vapor crawled out of the skeletal wife’s body, down her arm, and onto Zhao Wan.
Just as it was about to enter Zhao Wan’s mouth, Lady Yang, who had been lying on the ground, somehow found the strength to stand. Raising a piece of rubble, she hurled it at the skeletal wife.
Then she seized the centipede with her bare hand, flung it hard onto the ground, and stamped on it with all her strength.
Though the blow did not kill the soul worm, it utterly enraged the skeletal wife.
Her face grew more hideous. With a furious shriek, she thrust both sharp, bony hands straight into Lady Yang’s chest.
Blood gushed out.
Lady Yang fell backward, one hand still clutching her daughter’s sleeve.
This time, Zhao Wan’s hand stirred involuntarily. The next moment, her eyes opened.
She stared in disbelief at her mother lying in a pool of blood.
Elsewhere, Xia Ximo was locked in combat with the Faceless Ghosts and could spare no attention.
Yan Zhengchu, Ren Fengjue, and Yu Lang were not only surrounded by ghosts but also contending with a skeletal general skilled in saber fighting. None could break away.
Newly struck by the pain of losing her mother, Zhao Wan had no room for fear. She rose, drew the leather whip she carried at her waist, and lashed at the skeletal wife.
She was Prince Wu’s daughter, after all. Pampered though she had been since childhood, she possessed some genuine martial skill.
She cracked the whip again and again across the skeletal wife’s body, preventing her from getting close.
Seeing his wife’s plight, the skeletal general gave an order, and the ghost cavalry closed in on Zhao Wan.
Just then, Lady Du’s ghost suddenly appeared and barred their way.
Now knowing that the skeletal couple were the true culprits behind her murder, Lady Du brimmed with resentment and became ferocious beyond measure.
The mansion’s other wronged souls, who had shared her fate, also had their awareness awakened by hatred. They attacked the skeletal wife.
Reduced to a bare skeleton, how could she withstand such an onslaught?
She cried out, “Husband, save me!”
The next instant, her bones shattered inch by inch and soon became powder. Even the centipede carrying her soul lay stiff and dead on the ground.
By the time the skeletal general heard her cry, it was too late. He could only watch as the soul of the woman he loved was utterly destroyed.