Betrayal

True Man Ling stopped in his tracks.

He looked at the four yellow talismans in his hand. The upper-right corners of the paper had already begun to char black—a sign that You Su had successfully lit the incense and recited the incantation.

It seemed that boy wasn't as terrifying as he had imagined. True Man Ling felt a trace of relief. He had traversed the unorthodox path for years by relying on his talent for disguise; how could he have come a cropper at the hands of a blind boy?

He was already looking forward to the moment the talisman paper burned and he activated the Bone Corroding Soul Destroying Formation. What kind of expression would that boy reveal then?

Shock? Self-reproach? Or pain? Yet no matter how intense the emotion, it could not save their lives. The boy could only watch helplessly as the Formation Technique devoured and refined him, his beloved junior sister, and Mistress—and he himself would be the one who had personally pushed them into the abyss.

He had almost forgotten: You Su was blind and couldn't see at all. But it didn't matter. True Man Ling decided to show mercy. When the time came, he would make his most important junior sister and Mistress scream even more horribly, ensuring that You Su could hear them clearly.

True Man Ling felt that he truly was a devil. How could he have completed the task his master had given him so perfectly? That mysterious Mistress—if his master hadn't wanted to play it safe, worried that she might be an unknown variable, there would have been no need for him to set up such a trap. Now it seemed that Mistress was not worth fearing at all. So what if she had hidden her strength? Once the formation was complete, even a cultivator of the Feather Transformation Realm would be reduced to a pool of blood!

What a pity about that unpolished jade of a boy. Otherwise, taking him as a disciple would have been excellent. But none of this could be blamed on him. If anyone was to blame, it was that boy's blind master, who had once dared to offend his master.

His master had lain dormant for decades, enduring countless cold looks. But none of that mattered. Very soon—very soon—his master would complete his plan. When that happened, the entire Five Continents would tremble! And he would become his master's most loyal servant, obtaining the Evil God's true power!

Just then, True Man Ling's visions of the future came to an abrupt halt as the talisman paper cooled. Instead of continuing to heat up until it ignited, the charred paper gradually grew cold, and the wind even tore it in places.

True Man Ling furrowed his brows. He could think of only one reason: You Su had not finished reciting the incantation, so the talisman paper had not been completely ignited. But why had You Su not finished? Had Mistress discovered him and interrupted him? Could it be that Mistress really was not so simple after all? That would be rather troublesome.

But You Su should have ignited the Bewitching Incense. Otherwise, the talisman paper would never have heated up in the first place. Then that was fine. Anyone without an evil spirit possessing them absolutely could not withstand the Bewitching Incense's corrosion. The situation was still under my control.

True Man Ling folded the talisman paper, thinking this.

In an instant, he sensed someone rapidly approaching. That person carried no killing intent; rather, it seemed they had fled here.

True Man Ling spread out his perception and focused his eyes. To his surprise, it was You Su, panting heavily. You Su looked as though he had witnessed something terrifying beyond measure, his face filled with horror.

You Su stumbled along, weaving and lurching. When he reached True Man Ling, he nearly collapsed to the ground.

True Man Ling's brows drew even tighter. This was the first time he had seen such panic on the normally composed boy's face.

You Su clutched his chest and gasped for breath. "True Man Ling, Mistress—Mistress came out!"

Mistress came out? A trace of puzzlement passed through True Man Ling's eyes. Why would You Su be so frightened if Mistress had come out? Could it be that the Dream Centipede had acted up again, making him see Mistress in the form of an evil spirit?

At that thought, True Man Ling cursed inwardly. An evil spirit is still an evil spirit—a beast that can't be raised into anything clever. I clearly gave no order, yet it actually sent You Su into an illusion at this crucial moment.

Seeing that You Su was nearly scared witless, True Man Ling felt that he had misjudged him. Still, he suppressed his disgust and asked with concern:

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

You Su seemed to have seen his savior. A glimmer of hope flashed through his unfocused eyes. "True Man Ling! Mistress came out! She saw me lighting the incense and reciting the incantation. She wants to eat me!"

So he had guessed correctly. The Dream Centipede had indeed made a mistake again, throwing this boy into an illusion and frightening him so badly that he had stopped the incantation.

After figuring out the cause and effect, True Man Ling felt much more at ease. He raised his head and glanced at the stars and moon, then formed several hand seals and made a quick calculation. Turning back, he said gently to You Su, "Don't be afraid. That isn't your real Mistress. When the Formation Technique purges the impure energy from your body, it inevitably causes you to experience some illusions. There is still a little time before the Hour of the Tiger passes. You need to overcome your fear and finish reciting the incantation, or who knows when the next opportunity will come!"

You Su asked in a trembling voice, "True Man Ling, are you telling the truth?"

"Of course! Don't you want to save your junior sister and Mistress?" True Man Ling widened his eyes, his tone heavy. "The incense can lower the evil spirits' senses. Once today ends, they will certainly notice something. By then, it will be difficult for you to save them even if you want to!"

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

What a damn useless fool! After putting on such a capable act earlier, I thought tormenting someone like you might at least be fun!

Watching You Su panic and lose his wits, True Man Ling really wanted to spit in his face.

"You don't need to worry. I'll stay right here. The moment anything happens, I'll come save you. I guarantee that your life will be safe!" True Man Ling walked up to You Su and made the solemn promise.

"I'm not saving them anymore... True Man Ling, just kill them! I—I'm not going back!" You Su collapsed to the ground, bracing himself with both hands against the grass.

True Man Ling let out a short sigh and shook his head. He had seen far too many useless people who were strong on the outside but weak within. When faced with a genuine crisis, such people revealed their true colors. A vicious glint flashed through his eyes. He prided himself on being a master at manipulating people's hearts, and his greatest pleasure had always been making his prey slaughter one another. But now, he had no choice but to act personally.

True Man Ling placed a hand on his Universe Bag, weighing inwardly what means he should use to eliminate the three people from this sect. He had to ensure that the three vanished without a sound. Under no circumstances could he let the people in the city discover anything amiss and affect his master's plan.

Suddenly, You Su shook his head and wailed, "No! I want to... I want to save them! I want to save them!" Then he trembled as he tried to turn over and get up, only to accidentally tumble to the ground again.

Watching You Su rally after struggling with himself, True Man Ling felt somewhat gratified. After all, prey like this was worth playing with.

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

You Su let True Man Ling support him. Just as You Su was about to stand straight, he suddenly gripped the sword hanging at his waist.

In an instant, a flash of sword light streaked past, like a meteor vanishing across the heavens in the blink of an eye.

True Man Ling first stared in disbelief at his blood-soaked chest, his clothes torn apart. Then he lifted his head and looked toward You Su, who had already assumed a sword stance.

The panic had vanished from the boy's face. Behind his hollow gaze, there seemed to be a secluded pool so deep its bottom could not be seen.