Outside. Shen Hui's expression gradually turned cold as he glanced at the Old Taoist beside him.
The Old Taoist's face was just as dark, his aura drawn in tight. He said in a low voice,
"Those two are likely villains from the Qishan Sect."
"The Qishan Sect?" Shen Hui repeated under his breath, his tone uncertain.
The Old Taoist slowly nodded, his voice icy. "The Qishan Sect's lair is in Longzhou. Its followers are scattered across several counties. They look numerous and powerful, but they're nothing more than a rabble."
He paused, his tone scornful. "Most of its disciples don't follow the righteous path. They specialize in harvesting yin to nurture baleful intent, and in evil arts that drive ghosts to harm people. Their usual trick is to secretly send ghosts to cause trouble, making the people's homes restless. Then they show up pretending to be masters and offer to exorcise the evil, lining their pockets in the process. The more vicious ones simply use ghosts to kill and seize people's property, stopping at nothing."
Shen Hui furrowed his brow and asked tentatively,
"I wonder how skilled the two inside are?"
The Old Taoist glanced at the thatched hut and sneered. "We've been standing by the wall for so long, yet they haven't noticed us at all. Their cultivation must be shallow. They haven't reached Foundation Establishment."
A glint flashed in Shen Hui's eyes.
He immediately clasped his hands and said solemnly to the Old Taoist, "Master, these two have wreaked havoc in the countryside and committed heinous crimes. May I deal with these two scourges myself?"
The main thing was, his disciple wanted to earn a little spending money.
The Old Taoist looked at him and pondered for a moment before finally warning him,
"Though their cultivation isn't high, the people of the Qishan Sect rely on mostly sinister, unorthodox methods. You must not underestimate them."
"I understand."
Shen Hui's voice was firm, his gaze clear. "I came down the mountain to temper myself and advance my cultivation. Now that I can rid the people of Qu County of this scourge, the trip will have been worthwhile."
Seeing his resolute expression, the Old Taoist fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded.
"You're now at Mid Qi Refining, and you've learned the basics of all five-element spells. In terms of ability, you're already no worse than your senior brothers and sisters. If you insist on going, then go."
Shen Hui felt his heart instantly relax.
Good. No one was going to steal the kill.
He strode forward at once, his fingers forming seals in a blur as incantations spilled from his mouth like a string of beads.
In the blink of an eye, a Fire Ghost over ten feet tall appeared out of thin air.
Shen Hui pointed, and the Fire Ghost, as though answering a command, roared and charged headlong toward the thatched hut!
"Rumble—"
The thunderous crash shook the woods.
The dilapidated thatched hut was instantly swallowed by flames, sparks flying in every direction.
Two disheveled figures scrambled out through the window, rolling across the ground before barely managing to get to their feet.
"Who's there?!"
The man in the lead grabbed Scholar Li by the collar and shouted furiously, his eyes darting around in alarm and anger.
Shen Hui stood before the blaze, his expression cool.
He didn't answer. He simply raised a hand and sent a streak of fire shooting forth.
The crimson blaze tore through the gloom of the woods, hurtling straight toward the Evil Cultivator at lightning speed.
The Evil Cultivator was startled.
He cursed, hurriedly flung the half-dead Scholar Li to the ground, then pulled out a pitch-black skull and hurled it into the air.
The skull swelled in the wind, growing as large as a millstone in an instant. A faint, eerie light swirled within its hollow eye sockets.
It opened its mouth and spewed a stream of foul-smelling green liquid, straight at the streak of fire.
"Ssshh—"
Water and fire collided with a grating hiss.
The skull barely managed to block the fire, but a deep, charred gash was left across it.
The Evil Cultivator turned pale with shock, his heart aching even as fear gripped him.
But before he could react, Shen Hui had already formed a seal with two fingers, sending a sharp streak of white light ripping through the air.
With a soft "crack," Scholar Li's head was severed from his body. Blood gushed from his neck.
"You've got some nerve!"
Both shocked and enraged, the Evil Cultivator hurriedly activated the skull.
Two balls of ghostly green fire wobbled out of its eye sockets and drifted lazily toward Shen Hui.
Shen Hui's expression didn't change. His fingers shifted seal, and he thrust up his left hand.
Earth surged into a wall!
A heavy earthen wall erupted from the ground, blocking both flames.
Without waiting for the Evil Cultivator to make another move, Shen Hui swept his sleeve. The wall crashed apart, surging forward in a storm of dirt and debris.
Dust filled the air, blinding anyone caught in it.
The Evil Cultivator hurriedly summoned a bone talisman to shield himself, but several streaks of fire suddenly burst from the dust, their angles viciously precise as they shot toward his vital points.
The Evil Cultivator was instantly terrified out of his wits. He twisted with all his might to evade them, but he was still too slow.
A streak of fire grazed his left arm, burning the flesh black in an instant.
His severed arm flew into the air, smoke rising from the stump.
But he was a ruthless man. Gritting his teeth, he pulled a bone spike about an inch long from his robes and hurled it fiercely into the air.
"Whoosh—"
The bone spike transformed into a ghastly white streak, shrieking through the air as it shot straight at Shen Hui's face.
Shen Hui saw the bone spike's pallid glow and heard its mournful whine. At a glance, he could tell it was another artifact refined through evil arts.
But he neither dodged nor retreated. He simply joined the index and middle fingers of his right hand and pointed in midair, as fast as lightning.
"Chink!"
A beam of Sharp Gold Qi struck the bone spike dead on.
With a soft "crack," the spike melted like ice and snow, breaking apart inch by inch before scattering as a cloud of white powder.
The Evil Cultivator's face turned ashen.
Though blood gushed from his severed arm like a spring, he still forced himself to stand his ground. With his one remaining arm, he formed a strange seal and muttered an incantation.
The skull that had rolled to the ground earlier began to glow with a faint black light once more, pouring out billowing green smoke.
Shen Hui gave him no further chance. A streak of fire flashed through the air, and the Evil Cultivator's remaining arm fell with it, blood spraying three feet.
"Argh—!"
The Evil Cultivator screamed and dropped to his knees with a thud.
Shen Hui withdrew his spell and looked at him sprawled on the ground in wretched disarray. He asked calmly,
"Speak. Do you have any accomplices?"
The Evil Cultivator trembled all over with pain. At the question, he raised his head, eyes brimming with venom.
A hideous grin tugged at his lips. With a gurgle in his throat, he spat a mouthful of thick blood straight at Shen Hui's face.
Shen Hui didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow. He merely flicked his sleeve.
A gentle breeze rose from within it, catching the blood exactly and blowing it right back where it came from.
The Evil Cultivator was left with his own blood splattered all over his face. Though thoroughly humiliated, he still gritted his teeth and rasped out a laugh.
"Accomplices? Hahaha... everyone in the Qishan Sect, from top to bottom, is my accomplice!"
Shen Hui watched him quietly, his expression unchanged. He didn't get angry or press him further. He simply nodded.
"I see," he said.
The Evil Cultivator roared with laughter, looking completely mad. "Even if I die, the sect has experts who'll avenge me. How many of us can you kill?"
Shen Hui remained calm and replied evenly,
"If I can kill one, I'll kill one."
As he spoke, a burst of scarlet flame surged out, swallowing the Evil Cultivator whole in an instant.
A brief scream came from within the fire, then silence fell.
The flames burned for only a few breaths before going out on their own.
Only a pile of pale ashes remained on the ground. The night wind blew, and scattered them to the four winds.