Ji Yuan thought he was being overly suspicious, scaring himself for no reason. As a high-level devil cultivator, his reputation was built on countless souls that had been tormented and died in his hands. Yet today, for the first time, he found himself fearing the possibility of being haunted!
Meanwhile, ‘Wang Hanling’ erratic behavior and speech pattern slowly recalled Liu Qingyin of a certain someone. That person had once transformed into a blood serpent, wrapping his body tightly around her and even teasing her in an indecent manner.
She moved closer to Wang Weizhi and, in a sweet, clear voice, whispered in his ear, “Fellow Daoist Wang, there’s something I must tell you—this clansman of yours has already been possessed by Ji Yuan!”
Wang Weizhi’s gaze shifted slightly, casting Liu Qingyin a scrutinizing glance. The woman before him had delicate features, a slender figure, and an aura that was cool, yet inexplicably sweet. One look, and he could tell she would not be easy to conquer.
But he, Wang Weizhi, always loved challenges, especially the impossible ones. Failure was a taste he had never known.
With his thoughts racing, a faint smile appeared on his lips. “Oh? I hadn’t noticed anything unusual. I’d appreciate some guidance from the esteemed Great Sword Immortal Liu.”
Liu Qingyin replied softly, “There’s no need for such formality, Fellow Daoist. Just call me by my name. I’ve dealt with the blood devil Ji Yuan before and know him somewhat. Earlier, in the illusion realm, I even saw his true form. Your clansman must have long since met his end. My condolences.”
“Is that so?” He feigned sorrow. “I’m fine, no need to console me. Rest assured; if the situation requires, I won’t hesitate to cut down our enemy, even if he’s wearing the skin of my fellow.”
Seeing Wang Weizhi quickly persuaded, Liu Qingyin couldn’t help but feel a bit more favorable toward him, especially when she looked at his charming, handsome face. “Fellow Daoist Wang truly lives up to your reputation,” she gave him a sweet smile. “I’ve heard of you for some time, but seeing you today, I can confirm your fame is well-deserved.”
Wang Weizhi intended to play along with her for a while, but somehow, his eyes drifted downward unconsciously, and he caught sight of Lin Jiu’s pale face rising and falling slightly with the quicksand. The earlier scene on the luxurious bed suddenly came to his mind——
Her eyes carried a smile, her lips slightly curved, her breath warm and fragrant.
“Boy, what is it you want to do, hmm? Why don’t you tell me?”
His brows suddenly knitted tightly, as if a rough ball of cotton had been stuffed into his chest, making him feel suffocated without the means to expel it.
“Wang Weizhi…” Liu Qingyin called him tentatively, “Is it alright if I address you this way? Wang Weizhi?”
He froze for a moment, then gently shook his head and smiled at her. “As you wish. If you like, you can even call me by my given name.”1
Liu Qingyin’s cheeks turned slightly red. “That wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?”
Although she said this, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes sparkled brilliantly as she gazed at Wang Weizhi. She expected him to say, “Why not?” and then reveal his given name to her. But after waiting and waiting, she noticed his gaze growing unfocused once again.
Following his line of sight, she saw Lin Jiu’s headless body.
“You and Lin Qiu…?” she asked.
Wang Weizhi regained his composure and smiled, “Barely acquainted.”
“Oh,” Liu Qingyin pressed her lips together. “Apologies. This internal matter of our Wanjiangui Sect must look laughable to you.”
Wang Weizhi raised an eyebrow slightly. “If you don’t mind that I’m an outsider, Fairy Qingyin, you might as well tell me about it.”
Liu Qingyin’s face turned even redder, pretending not to hear his overly familiar address.
After hesitating for a moment, she said, “That person… her intentions are impure. She not only used every means to force our master to marry her but also possessed some kind of unknown devil skills. Although Eldest Senior Brother’s action seemed to be harsh, he was for the greater good. The details are not something I can elaborate on, but in short, that woman was not innocent. Her death today is simply her own doing.”
“Hmm,” Wang Weizhi responded lightly, lifting his gaze toward the sandfall, suddenly shifting the subject. “I wonder who else this secret realm is waiting for.”
Liu Qingyin was also taken aback. “You’re right. There are only three of us left here. Why hasn’t the entrance to the fourth level opened yet?”
…
The culprit preventing the fourth level from opening was currently squatting on the ground, staring blankly at the bloodstains all over.
Just as Qin Yunxi’s sword was about to strike, Lin Jiu decisively withdrew spiritual energy from the Karma Lotus and injected it into the True Illusion Mirror—a gift Huang Chuan had given her when she resonated with him on the beach level. Though it could only be used once, it was enough.
She entered a strange state where it felt as if a thick water membrane separated her from the real world. Everything she saw became hazy and shadowed with a grayish blur. Even sounds reached her ears differently, distorted, as though she were underwater listening to people speak on the shore.
She saw her ‘body’ still standing where it was, its head cleanly cut by Qin Yunxi’s sword. Although she knew it was just an illusion created by the mirror, watching ‘her’ head separated from its body still made her feel cold all over, causing her to shiver uncontrollably for a while.
For a brief moment, she even doubted whether the mirror had worked at all. Had she actually died? Was she now a wandering ghost, floating nearby and watching these people?
In the next instant, a memory surfaced in her mind—a scene where the black crow leaped off her shoulder, its small black eyes burning with both ice and fire. Its feathers fluffed up as it angrily collided with the edge of Qin Yunxi’s sword, its body cut in two and fell miserably.
It did not even struggle in its death throes. Instead, it firmly dragged its two broken body halves, flew towards her head, and supported it with its wings.
Recalling that scene, Lin Jiu felt an invisible hand clutch her heart tightly. She wanted to cry but couldn’t, her heart filled with a bittersweet ache.
Just moments earlier, she had been lamenting her helplessness, thinking herself friendless and without allies. But now she realized… she hadn’t been alone; she had just been blind to it.
Through the murky gray mist between illusion and reality, she stared blankly at the dead black crow. She heard Ji Yuan ranting arrogantly at her ‘corpse,’ heard Liu Qingyin speaking ill of her in an innocent tone, and heard Wang Weizhi calling Liu Qingyin ‘Fairy Qingyin’ with a hint of probing, which Liu Qingyin tacitly accepted.
After Qin Yunxi had left, Liu Qingyin returned to her old ways, using her natural beauty to gradually lower the men’s guard, even making them willingly offer up the secrets they held.
Lin Jiu smirked faintly to herself. Through the water membrane, she placed her hand on the crow’s body, thinking, ‘Two lifetimes as a human, and I never expected my first life-and-death companion to be a bird. Brother Crow, I will avenge you and wish you a peaceful next life, free from suffering. If fate brings us together again, I will repay your sacrifice with all my heart!’
Then, a single crystalline tear slid down from her eye.
An incense stick’s worth of time passed quickly, and Lin Jiu’s figure gradually emerged from the void, standing alone on the sandy platform with her crimson sword in hand. The illusion of her corpse on the ground also faded away, leaving only the crow’s blood, vivid and glaring, staining the ground.
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Translator’s Note:
Tuesday’s late chapter >_<
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- Weizhi is likely his courtesy name, not his given name. About given name and courtesy name: Traditionally, a man was bestowed a courtesy name when coming of age. After an individual received his courtesy name, using his given name was considered disrespectful among peers, making courtesy names essential for formal communication and writing. Therefore, calling an adult by a given name is a sign of closeness.