Epidemic Ghost Emerges to Slay Azure Robes, Entangled Karma Hard to Untangle!

The underground Black Market.

"So expensive!"

Inside the tent, Li Yiyi's eyes widened:

"Twelve thousand souls, in one day??"

The manager smiled and nodded.

"Given the special circumstances of the Double Ninth Festival, offering a reward to hire a grandmaster as a protector usually involves this price."

Li Yiyi and Luo Cheng looked at each other in bewilderment.

This price was somewhat beyond their expectations.

In normal cities, hiring a Grandmaster for protection is sufficient; in cheaper places, perhaps three thousand pseudo-souls would suffice in a week.

Luo Cheng couldn't help but ask:

"Has something happened to Chongyang?"

Strange gazes fell upon the two of them, making them feel extremely uncomfortable.

It seems like... I asked a really stupid question?

So what exactly happened to the Double Ninth Festival?

Silence.

The person in charge still smiled and said:

"So, are you two still going to offer a bounty?"

"Twelve thousand souls..." Li Yiyi's face was full of struggle, but when she thought of the Nine Fiends hexagram, she took a deep breath:

"Twelve thousand it is, I want it..."

"I only want five thousand souls."

A cheerful voice rang out, and Li Yiyi and her companion turned to look.

He was a man covered in tattoos, with a full beard, and a seemingly innocent smile.

Two furnaces of fire, representing physical body and Qi and Blood, appeared behind his head.

"Real?"

Li Yiyi's eyes lit up. Although five thousand was still above the standard price, it was more than half the price!

"Ten days!"

She readily agreed:

"Fifty thousand false souls?"

"Good."

The man readily nodded:

"Please wait outside for a moment, I'll sign here."

Li Yiyi nodded.

Feeling extremely uncomfortable under the strange looks from those around them, the two immediately darted away.

After the two left.

The manager's smile remained unchanged.

"Are they slaughtering sheep again?"

The man with squinting eyes:

"I didn't use the bounty, so I'm not breaking the rules... Damn it, I'm really short on cash lately."

He was annoyed at being at the front:

"All my money was with my third brother, and what happened? He died in the most dangerous area of the Public Security Bureau!"

"That damn Zhang bastard!"

The man cursed viciously for a moment, then suddenly shivered and looked around suspiciously.

I didn't find anything, but I felt itchy all over, and had a very uncomfortable feeling.

The man shook his head and muttered curses:

"I'm not saying anything more. I'm taking these two fat sheep to eat first, and I'll give you a red envelope later!"

After the sheep is slaughtered, everyone gets a share, so others won't interfere when you're doing business.

The man called out to everyone again, and once the feeling of being constantly on edge subsided considerably,

Only then did he step out of the tent.

"Two people."

The man smiled gently, his tattoos slightly distorted.

"Now, I will be following you two the whole time."

The blazing fire seemed to warn those with ill intentions—and even more so, it was a declaration.

He declared these two fat sheep to be his prey.

The man's smile grew even wider. He stood professionally beside the two men, his hands folded in front of him, then suddenly became expressionless.

Li Yiyi and Luo Cheng exchanged a glance, secretly praising – "Professional!"

"Young Brother Zhang is over there."

The three of them quickly walked forward. Li Yiyi glanced curiously at the little girl setting up the stall, clicking her tongue in amazement. She must be at most seven or eight years old, right?

So young, setting up a stall in the underground Black Market?

As she was reflecting on this, she noticed the little girl looking at them curiously and asked:

"Junior Disciple Brother, who are these people?"

Ha?

Junior Disciple Brother?

Li Yiyi and Luo Cheng exchanged glances, then heard Young Brother Zhang laugh:

"It's quite a coincidence that we met on the road. Did you two hire bodyguards?"

Zhang Fusheng glanced indifferently at the burly man covered in tattoos.

After Minor Accomplishment the Taiyi Chapter, although one may not be able to know everything that is said, one can still sense such close-range insults.

He wasn't petty, but this burly man, clearly from the Myriad Gods Cult, was obviously not clean.

A man who rarely smiles:

"Zhou Tian Er".

Lin Dongxi frowned. Having spent some time in the Black Market, he knew what kind of person this was. He was about to offer a warning when...

But then he saw Zhou Tian Er give him a cold stare.

Lin Dongxi laughed.

Forget it, if someone is trying to commit suicide, why should I stop them?

She was very clear that her reminder at that moment wasn't about saving the couple.

"If it weren't for Young Brother Zhang, we don't know how much more trouble we would have had to go through to find the Black Market."

Li Yiyi thanked him sincerely, but Zhang Fusheng simply waved his hand and smiled:

"It's nothing to worry about. I see you two are new to the Double Ninth Festival. I wonder what brings you here? The Double Ninth Festival is far from peaceful these days."

Li Yiyi was taken aback, and asked curiously:

"Has something happened?"

"Yes, a storm is brewing, undercurrents are surging, and the city is currently rife with cultists," Zhang Fusheng said gently.

"It's fate that we met by chance. If either of you encounter any trouble or need anything, please feel free to give me a call."

He exchanged phone numbers with Li Yiyi and Luo Cheng, and they chatted happily. Zhou Tian Er nearby, was getting impatient—it was not a good time to slaughter sheep on the Black Market.

We have to get out.

"What are they doing over there?" Luo Cheng suddenly pointed to the crowd not far away and asked curiously.

Lin Dongxi glanced around and said:

"It's a mysterious old man who gambles on chess there. He says that whoever can beat him in chess will receive great benefits—someone did win a few days ago and ended up with a miraculous medicine, so there are always a lot of people there."

After pausing for a moment, Lin Dongxi added:

"The main thing is that the cost of gambling with that old man isn't high, just a few hundred souls."

"Gambling on chess?"

Luo Cheng became somewhat interested and wanted to take a look, so the group chatted and laughed as they walked towards the chess stall.

Lin Dongxi simply packed up his stall and left as well.

With a grandmaster bodyguard present, the crowd automatically parted, so there was no need to squeeze in; I reached the front in just a few steps.

"Three hundred souls per bundle, three hundred souls per bundle!"

The bald old man selling chess pieces is calling out:

"Three hundred souls per round, three hundred souls per round!"

Li Yiyi was in high spirits:

"What's the prize if we win?"

The bald old man shook his head.

"The prize is not fixed; it will be whatever the winner needs most at that moment."

Li Yiyi raised an eyebrow:

"Boast."

The old man chuckled and said:

"If you don't believe me, young lady, you can ask all the people who come to watch my chess game every day. The last winner had congenital internal organ obstruction and heavy shackles. He won the miraculous medicine that can unlock the Great Secrets of the Five Viscera."

"The winner is already old and nearing the end; what he wins is an elixir of immortality—if you, young lady, can win even one round, and the prize doesn't satisfy you, you may take my head!"

Zhang Fusheng became somewhat interested, and a hint of brilliance quietly appeared in the depths of his eyes.

Visually perceive cause and effect.

He frowned.

This chessboard is rather strange—the sheer number of causes and effects interwoven upon it is frightening, with one particularly thick line of cause and effect piercing straight into the sky.

Even just looking at it gives off a strange sense of oppression.

A rare treasure.

It might even be Supreme Treasure.

And it looked somewhat familiar; I felt like I'd seen it somewhere before.

Five Villages Temple?

He became somewhat interested, but wasn't in a hurry to gamble on chess—he only knew how to play Gomoku.

"Shall I give it a try?"

Li Yiyi spent three hundred fake souls, and after finishing a game of chess, she lost miserably.

"I'll try!" Luo Cheng also took a shot, fighting the old man to a standstill, but he too nearly lost in the end, slapping his forehead in frustration.

Lin Dongxi couldn't resist trying it too, but Zhang Fusheng grabbed him.

When Li Yiyi and Luo Cheng each lost a game

On the chessboard, a causal link was added to each of them, directly connecting them.

And it continued relentlessly, seemingly drawing something from the two of them.

There are some problems with this game and the chessboard.

Zhang Fusheng squatted in front of the dark red chessboard and calmly said:

"Shall I give it a try?"

"Alright, alright," the bald old man smiled. "Benefit, three hundred false souls."

Zhang Fusheng glanced at him and gestured, and Lin Dongxi understood, paying three hundred fake souls.

"Your Excellency, please."

The old man gestured for him to enter.

Zhang Fusheng gazed at the chessboard, pondered for a moment, then had an idea and casually placed a piece.

An old man and his son.

When Zhang Fusheng fell, the old man followed suit.

His moves were completely haphazard and reckless, drawing boos from the onlookers, yet the game remained fiercely contested!

It was as if the old man was deliberately controlling the game, or as if the old man's skill level fluctuated with the skill level of the gambler.

The two terrible chess players were locked in a fierce battle, their boos almost continuous.

Outside the crowd, several men carrying compasses walked over, squeezed into the crowd, and tried to forcibly take the old man from the chess stall away.

But their expressions changed drastically when they saw Zhang Fusheng playing chess.

They all quietly retreated.

"Young man."

The old man at the chess stall picked up a black piece and finally placed it:

You lost.

As he finished speaking, he looked up with a smile, only to be surprised to see the young man raise his left hand slightly, his index finger and thumb twisting as if he were twisting something invisible and transparent.

"Young Brother Zhang, your chess skills are terrible!" Li Yiyi laughed. "Even worse than Luo Cheng's! Move aside, move aside, I'll play two more rounds!"

"No rush, no rush, I'm just killing them one at a time, aren't I?"

Zhang Fusheng fidgeted with something, a broad smile on his face:

"Boss, want to play another round?"

The bald old man stared intently at the young man before him, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead, and forced a smile:

"The rule at the chess stall is that each person can only play one game per day."

Zhang Fusheng twirled something between his two fingers and said calmly:

"The goods, pay up."

"Oh!"

Lin Dongxi reluctantly gave away another three hundred pseudo-souls.

Zhang Fusheng pinched his fingers together forcefully, his fingertips turning white, as if something had been crushed.

When playing chess, the chessboard is trying to establish some kind of connection with oneself.

After losing the game, a strong, twisted thread of cause and effect emerges.

He tried to nail it into his own body—but Zhang Fusheng grabbed him and crushed it to pieces.

No one noticed except the old man.

"Come on, I'll go first."

He picked up a white stone and placed it on the Heavenly Origin.

Another round of boos followed.

A player who places their first move on the Heavenly Origin either has far superior skill and is mocking the opponent, or is a complete novice at the game.

The old man at the chess stall remained silent for a moment before making his move.

The two men took turns placing pieces, but this time, the old man won very quickly:

"Guest, you've lost again."

This time, Zhang Fusheng didn't mince words; he stared coldly at the old man.

"We were evenly matched just now, how come it's over so quickly this time? Let's play another round."

"Guest."

The old man's forehead was covered in even more sweat, but he only heard the young man say:

"The goods, pay up."

Three hundred more false souls.

Zhou Tian Er, who was watching from the sidelines, licked his lips. This was another big fat sheep.

"Go down slowly."

Zhang Fusheng glanced at the old man and said truthfully, "Place the needle down."

The old man placed his piece with trembling hands.

This round of battle became even more brutal. Zhang Fusheng's comprehension is now quite remarkable; after just two or three games, his skills have improved by leaps and bounds.

But they still lost.

He reached out again, as if he had grasped something, and suddenly rubbed his fingertips together.

"One more round."

"The goods, pay up."

Another three hundred souls were sent over, and Zhou Tian Er's gaze burned even brighter. The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances—this young man was truly wealthy and powerful!

Zhang Fusheng gazed at the old man and spoke calmly:

"The second game doesn't count, so this is the real third game. There's a saying that things don't happen more than three times, so I should be able to win this game."

"What do you think, sir?"

The old man's legs were a little weak, but he forced a smile:

"If you win, I might not be able to afford the prize."

"Let's play chess first."

Another move.

In this game, Zhang Fusheng's skill improved by leaps and bounds, and his game became quite impressive, silencing the boos.

As time went by, the game became increasingly intense, with both sides having to think long and hard before making each move.

The fighting reached its most intense moment.

Zhang Fusheng hesitated, pondering for a long time before finally putting the needle down. He was truly thinking very seriously, and just then...

First District, outside the Cui Family Manor.

It was already dusk, and Cui Qingyi waited quietly for the faithful disciple to be brought in. She stood by the window gazing at the sunset, and suddenly frowned.

Outside the manor, a thick black fog was faintly visible.

"Interesting."

Cui Qingyi murmured to herself, and as soon as she finished speaking, two enormous Dharma images rose up from the manor, and numerous Cave Heaven appeared in the void, suspended above the manor!

The two members of the Cui family's First Branch and Second Branch, both at the Innate Great Realm, simultaneously became alert and took action. Their Cave Heaven rotated, and their immense power descended, shattering the dense black mist!

Looking through the window glass,

Cui Qingyi saw one black-robed figure after another, with the leader sitting atop a fleshy monster.

One by one, the black-robed figures were crushed under the overwhelming might of heaven, yet from the broken bones, one after another, Ghastly Skeleton rose again.

The skeletons were shattered into dust time and time again, only to reunite again and again.

The playful expression on Cui Qingyi's face disappeared.

She glanced sideways and spoke to the servant:

Something's not right. Let's leave together.

Cui Qingyi's voice abruptly stopped as she saw that the high-ranking attendant who had been standing beside her was now covered in sweat and extremely Upper Heaven.

It's like contracting a serious illness.

She looked around and saw that all the servants and members of the Cui family seemed to be suffering from a serious illness, coughing up blood and slumped over.

She remained expressionless.

Cui Qingyi turned around, only to suddenly see black mist surging in from all directions. Startled, she instinctively glanced at the sky outside the window.

The two originally dazzling innate Dharma images had dimmed at some point, but the Dharma images formed by the intertwining of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and spirit were actually... coughing?

Indeed, the illusory Dharma form was coughing violently.

The First Branch and Second Branch of the Cui family had been swallowed up by the black mist at some unknown time.

Epidemic! Epidemic!

The ever-calm Cui Qingyi narrowed her eyes, her first thought being of the God of Plague, but she quickly dismissed it, and a name surfaced in her mind.

Plague Demon.

Zhang Fusheng.

"This is unexpected," Cui Qingyi murmured. She had prepared for everything, from the innate hunting to the attack of Celestial Person.

"Activate the formation!"

She coughed violently as she activated the array personally carved by her ancestor, while simultaneously consuming miraculous herbs to suppress the serious illness within her body!

The array emitted a dazzling light, repelling the encroaching black mist and briefly purifying the entire manor!

The skeletons were torn apart and reassembled time and time again. Cui Qingyi stood by the window, gazing at the black-robed figure at the head of the group, who remained motionless.

Zhang Fusheng.

It must be Zhang Fusheng.

"Did they overturn the table?" Cui Qingyi murmured, holding up the array diagram in one hand while simultaneously sending messages to the Western Sect and the Ancient Sage Faction, asking them to come to their aid.

Outside the manor, the Ghastly Skeleton crashed against the brilliant light of the array like a tidal wave, shattering time and again in a dazzling display, only to coalesce again and again.

Such a relentless pursuit is like moths drawn to a flame.

But the black fog outside the manor was gathering ever larger!

The only creature still clad in black robes stood silently. Cui Qingyi met its gaze and whispered:

"With the Celestial Person Array Diagram as protection, it's as if a true Celestial Person has arrived. It can't be broken in a short time. Attacking me is a good method, but there's a prerequisite."

"You must succeed."

"What should you do now? Should you call upon that Buddha? Is there truly a Buddha behind you?"

Cui Qingyi remained calm, having already regarded the World Honored One as her hypothetical enemy. If Merciful Divine Arrow were to strike her, she would have a way to revive herself.

The man in black robes remained motionless outside the manor.

It seems there's no other way.

Cui Qingyi covered her mouth and coughed lightly. She took out a miraculous medicine from the treasure box, swallowed it, and continued to suppress the rampant illness within her body.

Five minutes.

She whispered to the figure outside the manor:

"Within five minutes, representatives from both major sects will arrive. Then, who will be the target of the hunt?"

The words had barely left his mouth.

The man in black robes outside the manor finally raised his head.

A wisp of will briefly descended upon it, briefly taking over this body— Zhang Fusheng.

He was engrossed in playing chess, taking a moment from his busy schedule to focus his energy.

"Um?"

Zhang Fusheng gazed at the light enveloping the manor, marveling, "What is this?"

He then saw, amidst the dazzling lights within the manor, the woman gazing at him with her head held high.

Is this Cui Qingyi?

Um.

Zhang Fusheng didn't have time to think further; he was in a hurry to play chess.

The Taiyi Chapter Karma Parallel.

As soon as he uttered the words, the black mist behind him churned and, before it could dissipate, it appeared out of thin air within the manor in an instant!

Caught off guard, the billowing black mist engulfed the two Innate Great Realm, briefly obscuring the array diagram and dimming its brilliant light!

Cui Qingyi was taken aback. What kind of method was this?

The Celestial Person Array Diagram has been broken just like that?

No, there's still a chance.

She remained calm. Although the array diagram was tainted by the black mist and became somewhat dim, it was still effective if it was only protecting herself. It could still block the killing methods of the Celestial Person Realm!

She turned and left.

Behind them, a surging black mist stretched out, and booming sounds echoed from the sky. It was two Innate Great Realm trying to break free from the black mist!

Cui Qingyi strode out of the building and onto the lush green grass, where she suddenly stopped.

A man in black robes was standing there.

A breeze blew, lifting the black robe and revealing the blood-red bones beneath.

The man in black robes glanced at her, and the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees withered and died rapidly, everything seemingly tinged with a light gray.

"Zhang Fusheng?"

Cui Qingyi raises the formation diagram aloft with one hand:

"It's useless. You can't break the array, and you can't kill me. However, you are very powerful."

She said quietly:

"There are never eternal enemies in the world. You and I can cooperate."

"The God of Plague has his eye on you, and people from the capital are about to arrive. I can help you get rid of the God of Plague, and even... kill Him."

Cui Qingyi said earnestly:

"I am absolutely certain."

He hadn't finished speaking.

The black-robed figure in front of them extended a bony hand, as if to reach forward.

Karma Parallel.

A sudden pain shot through my chest.

Cui Qingyi lowered her head; the man in black robes was clearly reaching out his hand in front of her.

But that hand bypassed the array, piercing in from behind and exiting from the chest, clutching a vibrant, beating heart.

The man in the black robe stood silently.

The ear-piercing sound of bones colliding and rubbing together rang out.

"It's not impossible for an ant to outwit a giant, it's just somewhat laughable."

Cui Qingyi coughed up a mouthful of blood, her life force rapidly fading, yet she remained calm.

"What a bizarre method. We'll meet again."

"Do you really think you can kill me? We might meet again someday."

She is smiling.

I never take risks myself.

The chip in his mind was still functioning, transmitting the memories of this cloned body back to him.

Far away, in an underground fortress, a woman removes her special helmet, severing her mental link with her clone.

Zhang Fusheng

The real Cui Qingyi murmured to herself:

"Is this the limit of your all-out effort? I admit I underestimated you, but this is the end."

Before he could finish speaking...

She suddenly felt a daze and saw a thread of starlight, and a hand descending along the thread of starlight.

At the same time, a calm sound also followed.

"What a thick line of cause and effect! What is it?"

The hand traced back along the cause and effect, and to Cui Qingyi's astonishment, it pierced her chest.

My heart was crushed again.

Life was fading, and her hands trembled weakly as she grasped.

What happened?

Cui Qingyi was puzzled and wanted to shout for help, but her throat was blocked by the sweet and metallic taste of blood.

Is this what it feels like to die?

Am I... going to die?

I'm going to die here?

How could I possibly die here!

A sob escaped Cui Qingyi's throat; her grand plan had already been laid out!

Thousands of clones of myself have been sent to various parts of the Mother Star. Born with the ability to do a thousand things at once, each clone can stir up trouble in thousands of places at the same time!

But why?

Why was Zhang Fusheng able to find his original form?

My mind is foggy, foggy.

What kind of tactic is this?

She couldn't understand.

She was bewildered and struggled desperately, but she couldn't utter a word.

Everything went dark.

At the same time.

The underground Black Market.

Zhang Fusheng didn't pay much attention to the dramatic changes at the Cui family manor.

While the chess stall owner was pondering, the thought of going to the manor returned. Just then, the chess stall owner finished thinking and placed a black piece.

Why are there two Cui Qingyi?

A thought flashed through Zhang Fusheng's mind: he killed one person at the Cui family manor, and then, following the cause and effect, killed another. Never mind.

He doesn't care.

Staring at the chessboard, Zhang Fusheng pondered for a moment, then calmly placed his piece and smiled:

"I won."

The old man at the chess stall gradually turned pale.