Turning the Tables

True Man Ling stopped his steps.

He looked at the four yellow talismans in his hand. The upper right corner of the talisman paper had already begun to turn black, a signal that You Su had successfully lit the incense and recited the incantation.

It seemed the young man wasn't as terrifying as he'd imagined. True Man Ling felt a sliver of relief. He had roamed the evil path for years, relying on his skill at disguise. How could he stumble over a blind boy?

He was already looking forward to the moment the talismans burned and he activated the Bone Corroding Soul Destroying Formation. He wondered what expression the young man would wear then.

Shock? Remorse? Or pain? But no matter how intense the emotion, it wouldn't save their lives. The young man could only watch helplessly as the formation consumed and refined himself and his dear Junior Sister and Mistress, all while he himself was the one who had personally pushed them into the abyss.

He almost forgot, You Su was blind and couldn't see anything. But it didn't matter. True Man Ling decided to show great mercy. When the time came, he would make his most beloved Junior Sister and Mistress cry out even more miserably, ensuring You Su could hear them clearly.

True Man Ling felt like a demon. How could he have completed the task assigned by the Lord so perfectly? That mysterious Mistress, if not for the Lord's caution, fearing she might be a variable, there would have been no need for him to set up this scheme. Now, it seemed this Mistress was no threat at all. Even if she had hidden her strength, so what? Once the formation was complete, even cultivators of the Feather Transformation Realm would turn into a pool of blood!

What a shame about that jade-like young man. Otherwise, taking him as a disciple would have been excellent. But he couldn't be blamed for any of this. The blame lay solely with the young man's Master, who had been blind and dared to offend the Lord in the past.

The Lord had been in hiding for decades, enduring countless cold glances. But none of that mattered. Soon, very soon, the Lord would complete his plan, and the entire Five Continents would tremble! And he would become the Lord's most loyal servant, gaining the true power of the Evil God!

Just then, True Man Ling's fantasies of the future were abruptly cut short as the talismans cooled. The charred talismans did not continue to heat up and burn; instead, they gradually cooled and were even torn by the wind.

True Man Ling frowned. He could only think of one reason: You Su had not finished reciting the incantation, causing the talismans to not be fully ignited. But why wouldn't You Su finish? Had his Mistress discovered him and interrupted? Could it be that his Mistress was indeed not as simple as he thought? That would be a bit troublesome.

But You Su should have lit the Bewitching Incense, otherwise the talismans wouldn't have heated up at all. That's good. A person not possessed by a Malevolent Spirit absolutely could not withstand the erosion of the Bewitching Incense. The situation was still under my control.

True Man Ling folded the talismans, thinking to himself.

In an instant, he sensed someone rapidly approaching. The person carried no killing intent, but rather seemed to be fleeing here.

True Man Ling expanded his senses and looked closely, only to find You Su, panting heavily. You Su looked as if he had seen something extremely terrifying, his face filled with panic.

You Su stumbled, staggering, and almost fell to the ground as he reached True Man Ling.

True Man Ling's brow furrowed even tighter. It was the first time he had seen such a flustered look on this usually calm young man.

You Su clutched his chest, gasping for air: "True Man Ling, Mistress, Mistress is out!"

Mistress is out? A flicker of confusion crossed True Man Ling's eyes. Why would he be so scared if Mistress was out? Could it be that the Dream Centipede had acted up again, making him see Mistress in her Malevolent Spirit form?

Thinking of this, True Man Ling cursed inwardly. Malevolent Spirits were indeed Malevolent Spirits. Useless beasts that couldn't be trained. He hadn't given any orders, yet at this crucial moment, You Su had fallen into a hallucination.

Seeing You Su on the verge of being scared witless, True Man Ling felt he had misjudged the situation. But he still put away his disgust and asked with concern:

"Don't be afraid. You're safe with me. What happened to your Mistress? Tell me slowly."

You Su looked as if he had found a savior. A glimmer of hope flashed in his unfocused eyes. "True Man Ling! Mistress is out! She saw me light the incense and chant the incantation, and she wants to eat me!"

It seemed his guess was correct. The Dream Centipede had indeed made a mistake, causing this boy to fall into a hallucination again, scaring him into stopping the incantation.

True Man Ling felt much more at ease after understanding the cause and effect. He looked up at the moon and stars, formed a few hand seals, and then turned to You Su, speaking gently: "Don't be afraid. That's not your real Mistress. It's the formation causing some illusions as it purges the impurities from your body. It's still a while before the Hour of the Ox passes. You need to overcome your fear and finish reciting the incantation, otherwise, the next opportunity might not come for a long time!"

You Su trembled and said, "True Man Ling, is what you're saying true?"

"Of course! Don't you want to save your Junior Sister and Mistress?" True Man Ling widened his eyes, his tone heavy. "That incense can lower the perception of Malevolent Spirits. Once today is over, they will surely become aware. By then, it will be much harder for you to save them!"

"I'm scared..." You Su stumbled back two steps.

He's such a damn waste! To think he was acting so capable before. I thought tormenting someone like him would be a little fun!

True Man Ling looked at the panicked You Su, wishing he could spit on his face.

"Don't worry. I'm right here. If there's any disturbance, I'll come to save you. Your life will be safe!" True Man Ling walked up to You Su and solemnly promised.

"I won't save them... True Man Ling, just kill them! I, I won't go back!" You Su collapsed to the ground, his hands propping him up on the grass.

True Man Ling sighed softly and shook his head. He had seen too many people who were strong on the outside but weak on the inside. When faced with real danger, they would reveal their true selves. A hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. He considered himself a master of manipulating people, and his greatest pleasure had always been making his prey turn on each other. But now, he could only act himself.

True Man Ling placed his hand on his Universe Bag, weighing in his mind what method he should use to eliminate the three people from this sect. He had to ensure these three disappeared without a trace, absolutely not allowing the people in the city to discover any clues and affect the Lord's plan.

Suddenly, You Su shook his head, his face contorted in a wail, and shouted, "No! I want... I want to save them! I want to save them!" He then trembled and tried to get up, but still accidentally fell to the ground.

True Man Ling watched You Su struggle and then pull himself together, feeling a little gratified. After all, prey like this had value for manipulation.

He bent down, placed his hands on You Su's shoulders, and intended to help him up.

You Su allowed True Man Ling to support him. Just as You Su was about to stand straight, he suddenly grabbed the sword tucked at his waist.

In an instant, the sword light flashed, like a fleeting meteor across the sky.

True Man Ling first looked at his bleeding chest with torn clothes in disbelief, then raised his head to look at You Su, who had already assumed a sword stance.

The panic had vanished from the young man's face. Behind his hollow eyes, it was like a bottomless abyss.