Chapter 50
Chapter 50
Yan Zhengchu’s words confirmed the suspicions Ren Fengjue had been harboring.
At Hongxiu Pavilion, Simeng’s appearance and everything she had said had been far too deliberate.
It was difficult to determine the truth based on her one-sided account alone.
That was why, before leaving, he had deliberately left Axia behind to investigate Simeng on his own.
And yet, rushing to this Temple simply because he did not trust her words had still been far too reckless.
Ren Fengjue lowered his head and glanced at Xia Ximo in his arms. The feeling in his chest was impossible to describe.
He asked, “So the true culprit who killed Ruyan was Simeng?”
Yan Zhengchu said, “She must have had something to do with it…”
Before he could finish, a cold, sinister laugh suddenly spiraled around outside the carriage.
At the same time, three voices spoke in perfect unison-
“Heh. Ignorant, foolish humans.”
“For your own selfish desires, you would even betray your closest kin and dearest friends.”
“Filthy things like you should be eaten by me!”
Ren Fengjue recognized the voice as belonging to the “Three-Headed Monk” from the Illusionary Realm. His heart tightened, and he instinctively shielded the person in his arms.
The horse let out a shrill neigh. Clearly startled, it actually broke free of the harness and bolted, abandoning the carriage.
Yan Zhengchu cried out, “Aiya!” Then he shouted, “Young Marquis, the horse ran off!”
“This Evil Spirit’s cultivation is no small matter. It’s about to break through the seal!”
“Young Marquis, I left a Soul-suppressing Talisman outside the carriage. Whatever you do, don’t come out!”
After leaving him with that warning, the carriage came to an abrupt stop. But there was no telling what had happened to Yan Zhengchu.
“Daoist Yan!”
Ren Fengjue could not hear a single sound from outside, and anxiety faintly stirred in his heart.
All at once, a violent gust of wind swept in, rattling the carriage curtains and windows with a thunderous clatter.
Then, as if seized by some invisible force, the carriage began to hurtle backward wildly.
Ren Fengjue called Yan Zhengchu’s name again. One arm held Xia Ximo tightly, while the other gripped the carriage wall with all his strength.
Seeing that the entire carriage was completely out of control, he knew he could not stay inside any longer. He immediately kicked the carriage door open, scooped up the person in his arms, and prepared to rush out.
But outside the door, countless ghostly hands stretched inward at once. Yet because they feared the aura around him, none of them dared come close.
Ren Fengjue’s expression chilled. He snapped in a low voice, “Back off!”
The ghostly hands were cowed, and sure enough, they all retreated.
But just then, another wave of sinister wind rose, as if issuing a command.
Emboldened, the ghostly hands transformed into one enormous Buddha hand and pressed down toward Ren Fengjue.
In that split second, a Flying Talisman descended from the sky and scattered the ghostly hand.
It turned out Yan Zhengchu, who was standing on a treetop locked in battle with the Evil Spirit, had spared a moment to lend a hand. But the fight was currently fierce, and he could not free himself anytime soon.
Ren Fengjue seized the chance to jump down from the carriage with Xia Ximo in his arms. He had taken barely two steps when he heard the wind shrieking past his ears again.
A strange laugh rang beside him, and he could not help feeling startled.
He turned to glance up at the tree and discovered that the Evil Spirit entangled in battle with Yan Zhengchu was only a “Two-Headed Monk.”
The very next second, a “Flying Head” came rushing straight at him.
Ren Fengjue immediately spun aside to dodge it. Then, with incredible speed, he leaped back and lashed out with a kick, striking the “head” dead-on.
“You’re courting death!”
The “Flying Head” had clearly not expected that someone would actually be able to kick it. Somewhat humiliated and enraged, its sinister, hollow eyes began spewing waves of baleful yin energy.
Ren Fengjue watched as the black vapor spread like dark clouds, sweeping toward him and closing in.
He knew he could not escape it. In an instant, he made a decision. He swiftly set the person in his arms on the ground, then used his own body to block the oncoming black mist.
But suddenly, a flash of white separated from within him and forced the black mist to a stop nearly ten feet away.
Xia Ximo, lying on the ground, abruptly opened her eyes at that very moment.
She reached out and pulled the person before her into her arms. Under his stunned gaze, she held him tightly, her ten fingers hidden behind his back slowly clenching one by one.
No one noticed the flash of red light that crossed the depths of her eyes.
The Evil Spirit fled in every direction, but before it could vanish, it was annihilated in an instant, reduced to nothingness.
Ren Fengjue could feel the body in his embrace gradually regaining its warmth.
He could even hear a clear heartbeat.
The pain he had expected-the black mist piercing through his body-never came. Instead, the soft warmth in his arms made his entire body go rigid.
For a moment, he was faintly flustered.
“Miss Xia…”
Only after everything around them returned to normal did Xia Ximo slowly loosen her hold.
But when she looked at Ren Fengjue again, she paused slightly.
“Are you very hot?”
“…”
Ren Fengjue hastily shook his head, but the heat that had surged through him so suddenly left both his cheeks and ears tingling.
When he realized it, a hint of embarrassment rose in his heart.
He clearly had so much to say, yet for a moment, he did not know where to begin.
Just then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure rushing over.
“Young Marquis!”
Yan Zhengchu looked equally frantic, but the moment he saw Xia Ximo, his expression turned strange.
He looked as though he could not make sense of it no matter how hard he tried.
“This… How can this be?”
Just moments ago, he had seen Baleful Qi spreading across the sky and had thought Ren Fengjue was likely doomed.
Thinking of that little martial uncle of his who had “died young,” he felt that no matter what, he had to save the life of this sole heir of the Ren Family.
But that sudden beam of clear white light had looked far too much like his little martial uncle’s sword light…
For an instant, he had nearly believed his little martial uncle had “manifested” from beyond the grave!
Yan Zhengchu was distracted for only a moment, and nearly fell into the Evil Spirit’s trap.
Yet in the very next second, without the slightest warning, the Two-Headed Monk showed an expression of agony-and then vanished without a trace.
All of this was already enough to leave him bewildered.
Now, he was seeing Xia Ximo back from the dead.
That was far more astonishing than seeing a ghost.
Still unwilling to give up, Yan Zhengchu calculated with his fingers again and again, yet he could not work out this move at all.
This person’s fate… It was as if her name had been removed from the Book of Life and Death in the Underworld Administration.
Xia Ximo, however, acted as though nothing had happened. She slowly rose to her feet, swept a glance over Yan Zhengchu, and said blandly, “And here I thought you Daoists were useful.”
“What-what do you mean?”
Yan Zhengchu nearly thought he had misheard. His face instantly flushed crimson.
Watching from the side, Ren Fengjue could not help finding it a little amusing.
Xia Ximo looked at Yan Zhengchu coldly, giving him no face whatsoever. “You let a ghost break through the seal and escape. If that isn’t useless, what is?”
“…”
Yan Zhengchu grew even more furious, yet he could not refute her.
All he could do was try to salvage his dignity. “I did indeed underestimate it, but you can’t say I’m useless, can you?”
“Do you have any idea that just now, the two of you were trapped inside an Illusionary Realm and nearly couldn’t get out? If I hadn’t used talismans to break the barrier…”
Xia Ximo picked up right where he left off. “If you hadn’t broken the barrier, none of what came after would have happened.”
“…”
“You infuriate me!” Yan Zhengchu was practically hopping mad. “What does a little girl like you know?!”
Ren Fengjue stepped forward and blocked Xia Ximo behind him, then cupped his hands toward Yan Zhengchu in salute. “If Daoist Yan had not displayed his divine skill and subdued the Vengeful Ghost just now, the two of us would still be trapped in danger. Many thanks, Daoist Master.”
Although Yan Zhengchu knew perfectly well the Vengeful Ghost had not been subdued by him, those words did make him feel much better.
He gave a cold snort, then deliberately put on an inscrutable expression. “However, I suspect the Evil Entity that truly stole those twelve Soul-Nurturing Pearl is not the Evil Spirit in this Temple.”