The next morning.
The sky had yet to brighten fully, and wisps of mist drifted over the distant mountains stretching into the horizon.
Between the peaks, the newborn sun slowly rose. In moments, its pale-orange radiance spread across every street and alley of Chuyun City.
Today would be a fine day.
You Su breathed in the air and felt the same.
But the weather did not follow people's moods. You Su thought today ought to have been a gloomy, overcast day—that would have suited his current state of mind much better. Unfortunately, those legendary mighty figures capable of controlling the weather were at least in the Heaven Awakening Realm, a height far beyond his reach.
He had not slept at all the previous night. He could not sleep, and he dared not sleep.
He had a feeling that it had not been a dream. He had truly eaten that piece of rotten flesh. Though he still felt nothing amiss, he really had eaten it.
After eating the rotten flesh yesterday, he should not have carried out such an act of revenge. It could very well have exposed the fact that his sight had returned in his dreams. But reason did not always hold the upper hand. He wanted to save them, yet they kept making trouble. That piece of meat was like a hidden illness that had never flared up, liable to derail his plans halfway at any moment.
Yet whenever he thought of his junior sister and Mistress struggling helplessly in the maze, or of his junior sister shifting back and forth between human and monstrous forms, his heart felt as though it were being twisted. He simply could not bring himself to be angry.
Unlike the troubled You Su, True Man Ling had already been watching from the old spot, waiting from afar for You Su's arrival.
The newcomer wore plain clothes, yet possessed a face so beautiful it could make Heaven jealous and men resentful. His long brows were like swords, his teeth white and lips vermilion, as though he were a divine son descended to cleanse the mortal world of its dust.
Even True Man Ling, who had met countless people, was momentarily stunned. The strength this youth had displayed yesterday placed him among the upper ranks of his peers, but his looks were truly top-tier.
True Man Ling made no attempt to conceal his aura. When You Su approached him, he respectfully said, "True Man, sorry for the wait."
"Have you made your decision?" True Man Ling raised his eyelids slightly.
You Su paused for a moment, then took out the Evil Warding Token containing a faint ink-colored hue and handed it to True Man Ling. He said firmly,
"I have made my decision."
True Man Ling accepted the Evil Warding Token, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. "To turn back from a misguided path is worth more than a thousand ounces of gold. I dare not promise you that expelling the evil will certainly succeed, but I will do everything I can to keep you safe. Once it is done, if you are willing, you may accompany me into Tian Qi Divine Mountain."
You Su was astonished by his words, delight appearing on his face. He hurriedly clasped his hands and bowed. "Thank you, True Man!"
"There is no need to thank me yet. Those are matters for later. The urgent task is to cut down this evil creature." True Man Ling clasped his hands behind his back and turned away. "Follow me."
You Su followed at an unhurried pace. The two arrived beneath an old locust tree, where True Man Ling brushed a hand over the brocade pouch at his waist. A set of sandalwood tables and chairs appeared out of thin air. True Man Ling took a seat first, then raised a hand in invitation.
"Sit."
You Su sat upright, but he clearly remembered that hardly anyone ever came near this old locust tree. How could there be tables and chairs beneath it for people to escape the summer heat? Clearly, True Man Ling had conjured them.
You Su was even more astonished. He naturally recognized this as the extremely precious storage Magic Treasure, the Universe Bag. The Universe Bag could open up a small world to store inanimate objects. When his master had left back then, he had used this very item to "loot the sect clean."
You Su had once asked his master for one. His master had smugly told him that this treasure was a specialty of Tian Qi Divine Mountain in the Southern Yang Continent, forged from objects from beyond the heavens. Extremely few existed, and they rarely circulated. It would probably only be passed on to You Su after his master passed away. If You Su wanted it, he should try to live longer than his master.
True Man Ling greatly enjoyed You Su's stunned expression. He had deliberately revealed this skill precisely to make the youth submit to him completely.
Having achieved 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 light sip.
The tea's fragrance overflowed as he smelled it. It was cool and refreshing on his tongue, and at the very end, he tasted a faint floral aroma.
"Excellent tea."
True Man Ling watched You Su with satisfaction. The fact that You Su had taken the initiative to drink the tea showed that he had earned the youth's trust, which was undoubtedly a good thing for their cooperation.
"The white magnolias of Northern Ao Continent are pure and flawless. The flower tea brewed from them is not drunk by the people of the northern continent themselves, but it is a fine tea that people from other continents use to escape the summer heat."
True Man Ling took a shallow sip himself. Then his lips moved, and an invisible barrier instantly enveloped the two of them.
"All right. Tell me about you and the evil creature. No one outside you and me can hear." True Man Ling was very confident in the soundproofing formation he had laid down.
As if to prove True Man Ling's confidence, several birds flew through the branches overhead. You Su was surprised to find that although they had swept right above his head, he could not hear even the rustling of leaves beneath their wings. He then began his account.
Under a cloudless sky, with the breeze gentle and the air clear, beside green-tiled roofs and beneath swaying tree shadows, a youth and an immortal elder sat facing one another. It was an idyllic scene of a teacher imparting knowledge and disciples sharing deep affection. Little did anyone know that what they discussed was the most evil and most sinister thing in the world.
"So what you mean is..." True Man Ling sat upright, his eyes gleaming. "You suspect that both your junior sister and Mistress have been possessed by evil creatures?"
You Su nodded. "That is correct."
"Based on your description and the Evil Warding Token's reaction, it is indeed possible that both of them have been possessed. Do you remember what your junior sister and Mistress looked like after turning evil?"
"I remember... I can't remember clearly. The harder I try to recall it, the more I can't. It feels as though something is preventing me from remembering them... But I remember their eyes!"
"That is normal. Even the evil illustrators of the Evil Warding Department often cannot recall the evil creatures they have seen. It is one of the creatures' traits: they always hide themselves beneath the mist of the unknown." True Man Ling set down his teacup and sat upright, asking solemnly, "What kind of eyes?"
"Pure white. Looking at them was like... seeing the dark side of the world."
"That was probably the source of its bewildering power. Unfortunately, there are many kinds of evil creatures like that. I can only make a judgment after seeing it with my own eyes. Fortunately, none of those types are especially formidable. Did your junior sister and Mistress have any habitual routines in their daily lives?"
"My junior sister and Mistress usually disliked speaking with people and going outside. They only liked staying in their own rooms. They would come out only after I had prepared the meals."
"For people who have little contact with the outside world, it is hardest to discover when they have been invaded by evil creatures. Are you certain that before yesterday, you had not noticed anything unusual about your junior sister or Mistress?"
"I'm certain."
"Then it seems it is not too late. They were only corrupted recently." True Man Ling nodded. "And now, the corruption has turned to you."
Suddenly, True Man Ling leaned forward, his voice turning ominous. "You said just now that your Mistress would also come out to eat?"
You Su seemed startled. He leaned back slightly and said tremulously,
"Of course. Who doesn't eat?"
True Man Ling withdrew his aura and stroked his grizzled beard, seemingly lost in thought.
"Do you know what cultivation level your master had?"
"Water Condensing Lower Realm."
"And your Mistress?"
"Mistress should be a mortal."
"A mortal?" True Man Ling wore an expression of utter disbelief. "Though your Mandarin Sword Sect may be obscure, your master is at least the sect master. His Dao Companion shouldn't be someone without any cultivation."
"Perhaps she isn't. But... I'm blind." Guilt colored You Su's expression, and then he asked in confusion, "True Man Ling, is my Mistress's cultivation level important?"
True Man Ling narrowed his eyes at You Su. "Of course it is important. First, evil creatures rarely possess mortals, because mortal bodies contain no pure Mystic Qi. More often, mortals willingly become believers of an Evil God, offering up their own flesh and blood in exchange for cheap power."
"Second, the cultivation level of someone possessed by an evil creature also affects, to a certain extent, how strong they become after possession. Therefore, your Mistress's cultivation level is crucial!"
"But I truly don't know." You Su lowered his head.
"It does not matter." True Man Ling comforted him. "Even if your Mistress has concealed her cultivation, it should not be higher than your master's. I am confident."
"True Man, why did it have to target us?" You Su clenched both fists, his eyes filled with confusion and unwillingness.
"It" naturally referred to the evil creature.
"Fate is fickle. Evil creatures are clouds of gloom hanging over every person's head. And the only one who can save them is you."
Before you continue