Returning the Jade

The next morning.

The sky hadn't fully brightened, and a faint mist drifted through the distant, continuous mountain range.

Between the peaks, the new sun was slowly rising, its pale orange glow instantly filling the streets and alleys of Chuyun City.

Today would be a good day.

You Su sniffed the air and felt the same.

But the weather didn't always follow one's mood. You Su felt that today should be a gloomy, overcast day, which would better match his current state of mind. It was a pity that the legendary beings capable of controlling the weather were at least in the Heaven Awakening Realm, which was too far beyond his reach.

He hadn't slept all night. He couldn't sleep, and he didn't dare to.

He had a feeling that it wasn't a dream; he had truly eaten that piece of rotten flesh. Although he hadn't felt anything unusual so far, he had indeed eaten it.

After eating the rotten flesh yesterday, he shouldn't have retaliated like that. It could have exposed his dream of regaining his sight, but reason didn't always prevail. He wanted to save them, but they insisted on causing trouble. That piece of flesh was like a latent illness that had never flared up, capable of derailing his plans at any moment.

But the thought of his Junior Sister and Mistress struggling helplessly in a trance, the thought of his Junior Sister repeatedly switching between human and monstrous forms, twisted his heart with pain, making it impossible for him to feel angry.

Unlike the preoccupied You Su, True Man Ling had already been watching You Su's arrival from afar at their usual meeting spot.

He saw that the person approaching was dressed plainly but possessed a face so beautiful it defied jealousy, with eyebrows like swords and lips and teeth like jade, as if a divine being had descended to cleanse the mortal world.

Even True Man Ling, who had seen countless people, was momentarily taken aback. The strength this young man had displayed yesterday was only top-tier among his peers, but his appearance was truly exceptional.

True Man Ling did not hide his aura. As You Su approached, he respectfully said, "True Man, you've been waiting."

"Have you made a decision?" True Man Ling raised an eyebrow.

You Su paused for a moment, then took out the Evil Warding Token, which held a faint ink-like color, and handed it to True Man Ling, saying with conviction:

"I have made a decision."

True Man Ling took the Evil Warding Token, a look of approval flashing in his eyes. "To return from the wrong path is priceless. I cannot promise you that the exorcism will be successful, but I will do my best to protect you. If you wish, you can follow me into the Divine Mountain after it's done."

You Su was surprised by this and his face lit up with joy. He quickly bowed and thanked him, "Thank you, True Man!"

"Don't thank me just yet. Those are things for later. The immediate priority is to slay this Malevolent Spirit." True Man Ling clasped his hands behind his back and turned to walk away, "Follow me."

You Su followed at a moderate pace. The two arrived at an old locust tree. True Man Ling waved his hand over a brocade pouch at his waist, and a set of sandalwood tables and chairs suddenly appeared. True Man Ling sat down first and gestured, "Sit."

You Su sat down properly, but he clearly remembered that this old locust tree was in a secluded area with very few visitors. How could there be tables and chairs for people to rest under it? This was clearly something True Man Ling had conjured.

You Su was even more astonished. He immediately recognized it as an extremely precious storage magical artifact, a Universe Bag. This Universe Bag had the ability to open up a small space to store inanimate objects. When his Master left, he had used this very item to "loot" the sect.

You Su had asked his Master for it before. His Master had proudly said that this treasure was a specialty of Tian Qi Divine Mountain in the Southern Yang Continent, forged using materials from beyond the heavens. It was extremely rare and seldom circulated. He probably wouldn't pass it on to You Su until he died, telling You Su to try and live longer than him if he wanted it.

True Man Ling savored You Su's shocked expression. This was a display of his power that he had deliberately shown, aiming to completely subdue the young man.

Seeing the desired effect, True Man Ling produced a pot of clear tea and poured a cup for You Su.

You Su accepted the fragrant tea and took a gentle sip.

The aroma of the tea was rich, and the taste was cool and refreshing. As he savored it, there was a faint floral scent at the end.

"Excellent tea."

True Man Ling looked at You Su with satisfaction. You Su's proactive act of drinking the tea indicated that he had gained the young man's trust, which was undoubtedly a good sign for their cooperation.

"The white magnolias of the Northern Ao Continent are pure and elegant. The people of the Northern Continent themselves don't drink the floral tea made from them, but other continents use it as a fine beverage to beat the summer heat."

True Man Ling also took a small sip himself. Then, his lips moved, and an invisible barrier instantly enveloped the two of them.

"Alright, tell me about you and the Malevolent Spirit. No one outside of us can hear." True Man Ling was very confident in the soundproof barrier he had created.

As if to confirm True Man Ling's confidence, a few birds flew through the treetops. You Su was surprised to find that although the birds were clearly flying overhead, he couldn't hear the sound of them rustling the leaves. He then began his story.

The sky was clear and vast today, with gentle breezes and clean air. Beside the blue bricks and green tiles, under the swaying tree shadows, a young man and an old immortal sat opposite each other, presenting a beautiful scene of a teacher imparting knowledge and a master and disciple sharing a deep bond. Little did they know that what they were discussing was the most evil and yin energy in the world.

"So, you mean..." True Man Ling sat up straight, his eyes gleaming with sharp light. "You suspect that your Junior Sister and Mistress have both been possessed by the Malevolent Spirit?"

You Su nodded. "Precisely."

"Based on your description and the sensing from the Evil Warding Token, it is indeed possible that both of them have been possessed. Do you remember what your Junior Sister and Mistress looked like after they transformed into evil forms?"

"I... I can't remember clearly. The more I try to recall, the less I can remember, as if something is preventing me from remembering them... But I remember their eyes!"

"That's quite normal. The evil painters at the Evil Warding Department also often can't recall the Malevolent Spirits they've seen. This is one of the characteristics of Malevolent Spirits: they always hide themselves in an unknown mist." True Man Ling put down his teacup and sat up straight, asking sternly, "What kind of eyes were they?"

"Pure white. Looking into them felt like... seeing the dark side of the world."

"That's likely the source of its confusion. Unfortunately, there are many types of such Malevolent Spirits. I can only make a definitive judgment after seeing it myself. Fortunately, none of these types are too powerful. Do your Junior Sister and Mistress have any regular habits or routines?"

"My Junior Sister and Mistress usually don't like to talk to people or go out. They prefer to stay in their rooms. They only come out when I've prepared meals for them."

"It's hardest to detect when people like them, who don't have much interaction with the outside world, are invaded by Malevolent Spirits. Are you sure you didn't notice anything unusual about your Junior Sister and Mistress before yesterday?"

"Certain."

"Then it seems it's not too late. They were only recently corrupted." True Man Ling nodded. "And now, the target of the corruption is you."

Suddenly, True Man Ling leaned forward, his voice chilling, "You just said your Mistress also comes out to eat?"

You Su seemed startled and leaned back slightly, trembling, "Of course, do people not eat?"

True Man Ling retracted his imposing aura, stroking his white beard, lost in thought.

"Do you know your Master's cultivation level?"

"Water Condensing Lower Realm."

"And your Mistress?"

"Mistress... she's probably a mortal."

"A mortal?" True Man Ling's face was filled with disbelief. "Although your Mandarin Sword Sect is unknown, your Master is, after all, the sect leader. His Dao companion shouldn't be someone without any cultivation."

"Perhaps not, but... I'm blind." You Su's expression was filled with self-reproach and confusion. "True Man Ling, is my Mistress's cultivation very important?"

True Man Ling narrowed his eyes and stared at You Su. "Of course, it's important. Firstly, Malevolent Spirits rarely possess mortals because mortals' bodies don't contain pure Mystic Qi. Most mortals willingly become followers of evil gods, offering their flesh and blood in exchange for cheap power."

"Secondly, the cultivation level of the possessed also influences, to a certain extent, the strength of the possessed. Therefore, your Mistress's cultivation is crucial!"

"But I really don't know." You Su lowered his head.

"It's alright." True Man Ling comforted him. "Even if your Mistress has hidden her cultivation, it shouldn't be higher than your Master's. I'm confident."

"True Man, why did it specifically target us?" You Su clenched his fists, his eyes filled with confusion and unwillingness.

"It" naturally referred to the Malevolent Spirit.

"Fate is unpredictable. Malevolent Spirits are like dark clouds hanging over everyone's head. And the only one who can save them is you."