Head

Wang Xiu and Song Yu, though cultivators, didn't want to accept the prostration of such an elder.

They quickly dodged and stepped forward to help her up.

"Elder, please get up and speak."

"The temple no longer handles mortal affairs. Your prostration will not grant your wish!"

Despite their words, the old woman refused to get up.

"Elder, I have some money here. Take it to save your life. We are merely disciples of the temple, so please don't make things difficult for us," Song Yu said softly, finding her appearance truly pitiful.

"Please save my daughter's life!"

The old woman ignored Song Yu's words, repeating only this one sentence.

Wang Xiu, unwilling to drag this out, said, "Song Yu, don't be foolish. If this continues and the commotion grows, how will we face the Temple Master!"

With that, Wang Xiu silently chanted a spell, formed a hand seal, and performed a footwork incantation, emitting a gust of wind to blow the old woman down the mountain.

Seeing this, Song Yu shoved the money into the old woman's hands and retreated to the side.

The wind from Wang Xiu's spell struck the old woman, making her clothes flap loudly, but she remained motionless.

It turned out that a chilling aura emanated from the bundle she held, blocking Wang Xiu's wind.

"This is bad. This old woman has some skill. She's probably in some serious trouble!"

"Song Yu, hurry and cast a spell to get rid of her! Don't bring trouble upon yourself!"

Wang Xiu shouted, his Magical Power surging again as he urged Song Yu to join him in a combined effort.

Song Yu's heart tightened. His Magical Power merged with Wang Xiu's, and two gusts of wind were generated, blowing at the old woman again.

The old woman, unable to open her eyes against the wind, staggered back a few steps but was still not blown away.

However, the bundle she held slipped from her grasp, falling to the ground and scattering as it rolled.

Seeing what fell out of the bundle, Song Yu and Wang Xiu were greatly alarmed and quickly retreated.

Hidden within the bundle was a human head!

The head belonged to a girl of about eight or nine years old, enveloped in dense Yin energy.

The girl's closed eyes suddenly snapped open and flew towards Song Yu and Wang Xiu.

Before they even reached them, the chilling energy made their hearts turn cold. Their Magical Power was utterly unable to resist it.

"Yinyin, stop!"

The old woman shouted loudly, but the girl's head completely ignored her and charged forward.

"Whoosh!"

A stream of Azure Wood Life and Death Gas flew out from the Taoist Temple, transforming into a cage that enveloped the girl's head, causing it to float in mid-air, unable to move.

Seeing the head trapped, Song Yu and Wang Xiu knew Chen Ming had intervened.

"Thank you, Temple Master!"

Cold sweat broke out on their backs.

Chen Ming materialized before the Taoist Temple and, with a wave of his hand, lifted the head trapped by the Azure Wood Life and Death Gas.

Feeling the chilling energy emanating from the head, he sensed the nascent signs of Spiritual Power.

Seeing Chen Ming subdue the head as soon as he appeared, the old woman prostrated herself again, crying, "Please, True Master, spare Yinyin! My daughter only wanted to protect me and did not intend to harm anyone!"

"She... she has always had a bitter fate, which led her to this state. Please, True Master, show mercy!"

Chen Ming's Magical Power shifted, and the Azure Wood Life and Death Gas that formed the net condensed into a single point, landing on the forehead of the head.

The girl's opened eyes slowly closed, and the chilling energy she emitted receded.

With another flick of his finger, the bundle on the ground flew up and re-wrapped the head.

"Take it and go!"

Chen Ming sent the bundle containing the head forward, and it landed in the old woman's embrace.

The old woman clutched the head tightly, tears streaming down her face, "Please, True Master, save my daughter!"

"I am from a town at the foot of the mountain. My poor daughter, Yinyin, was only nine years old! That day, for reasons unknown, people from the Gao Family came looking for her, wanting to take Yinyin away.

Though my family isn't wealthy, we can still raise our children. Why would we let her go!

It's hateful. The Gao Family are bullies, and they have immense influence in the city. They threw down a few taels of silver and forcibly took Yinyin away. Our family had nowhere to turn to plead our case.

Day after day, we stood expectantly before the Gao Family's gate, hoping only to catch a glimpse of Yinyin."

"Who would have thought..."

The old woman choked back sobs as she spoke.

"Who would have thought that after waiting for more than half a month, Yinyin's body was thrown out!"

"Her body was terribly mangled, as if gnawed by wild beasts."

"We are all honest folk, but how could we endure this!"

"That day, my master was going to fight the Gao Family to the death, but the Gao Family kept vicious dogs as guards. My master was beaten to death!"

"I was left as a widow, my hair turned white overnight!"

"I hate it, why is the world so unfair! I can't even find a place to bury them!"

"I could only set a large fire and throw them into the flames, burning them to ash."

"But I couldn't bear it, my daughter, I hate it in my heart! So I gritted my teeth and cut off Yinyin's head, keeping it with me day and night!"

"Fortunately, the heavens are merciful. I don't know why, but Yinyin's head is still alive!"

"Since the world won't give me justice, I'll find it myself!"

"I took Yinyin's head and, relying on the cold air it emitted, killed all one hundred and thirty-seven members of the Gao Family overnight."

"However, after destroying the Gao Family, Yinyin's head grew colder and colder. She's slowly forgetting me, not knowing who I am!"

"I don't know what's happening, but I know I'm about to die. It doesn't matter if I die, my great revenge has been avenged. But if Yinyin completely forgets me, her head will probably die too."

"I heard that the Spirit Tree on Cuiping Mountain is efficacious, so I came to make a plea, only asking that Yinyin can live on!"

"She shouldn't have died, she committed no sins in her life!"

"Everything I've said is true. If there's half a lie, may I never be reincarnated after death!"

"Please, immortal master, save Yinyin!"

After the old woman finished speaking, she bowed deeply to Chen Ming and fell silent.

The Taoist Temple was instantly filled with silence, the atmosphere oppressive.

Chen Ming slowly said, "Good! Very good!"

"I never expected that after occupying Ling Yangzi's territory, all his schemes would fall upon me!"

Everything the old woman said was true, but there were too many peculiar aspects to it.

The young girl's death, her soul bound by Yin-cold energy within her head, had turned her into a half-ghost, half-demon Yin-cold fiend. She had clearly been refined by a secret technique.

Furthermore, the old woman's arrival at Cuiping Mountain was specifically for the Spirit Tree in the temple.

If there were no calculations or guidance behind this, it would be far too coincidental!

"But pity is also real. If your daughter is left unattended like this, after you die, her soul will also slowly dissipate!"

Although Chen Ming was unwilling to get involved, he had now been drawn into the scheme and couldn't simply ignore it.

Moreover, several auras were already approaching Cuiping Mountain.

Since that was the case, he would see who was behind all this!

The Spirit Devouring Jar and the Red Spirit Worm hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.

Chen Ming was already frustrated by his slow cultivation. If someone insisted on delivering food to his doorstep, why would he refuse!