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Most Evil Cultivators were highly vigilant. After all, righteous cultivators would kill them on sight; their ability to hide far surpassed their strength in battle. Though Shen Niangzi had not detected any other cultivators approaching, still—

She had to end this quickly. She could not linger any longer.

It was time to bring out some of her trump cards. With a casual stretch of her hand in midair, a rattle drum appeared from nowhere. It stood half a person tall, wrapped from top to bottom in an ominous aura. The instant it appeared, the three of them heard ghosts wailing and wolves howling in their ears.

Looking closely, the two pellets dangling from the drum were actually two human heads, their features lifelike. One wept, the other smiled, a sight chilling enough to make one's hair stand on end.

"Junior Brother, don't look! That's the Sorrow-and-Joy Evil Drum!"

"What?"

Xia Ying tightened her grip on her sword. "It's my first time seeing it too. I heard this drum specifically attacks a cultivator's emotions. It can awaken the most unresolved, most sorrowful, most hateful memories in any cultivator's heart. Once struck, a cultivator won't have even half a chance to fight back!"

"Boom—" A muffled drumbeat suddenly rang out. Even with spiritual power sealing their ears, they could still hear it with perfect clarity.

Who could live their entire life with smooth sailing and fair winds? Even Xia Ying had painful memories she did not wish to recall, much less Wen Xu, who had spent practically every day before his youth struggling to survive.

"It's that powerful?"

Bian Chunchou could not help exclaiming, only to discover—

"Senior Sister? Wen Xu-Xu? What's wrong with you two?"

Bian Chunchou turned in terror to either side, then... his hands went numb. No way. Was