Nobility Beyond Words

"If I find out who interfered with the Blood Baleful Intent and caused my injury..." Shen Cheng gritted his teeth. Before he could finish, a voice rang out. "You demonic Daoist, do you too know what it is to burn with indignation?"

"Who?" Hearing this, Shen Cheng looked over warily.

In the torchlight, a somewhat familiar figure walked in through the half-closed door.

Boss Zhang had not shut the door tightly when he came. This underground place was secret, and few ever came here, so Shen Cheng had not paid attention to whether the door was closed. Now that someone had entered, his eyes narrowed at once, and killing intent flashed through them.

He did not know how much of the scene just now this person had seen. But no matter how much he had seen, or who he was, anyone who knew his secret had to die!

Only, he was badly injured now, so he would have to employ some trickery.

"Who are you? Why have you trespassed into my abode?" By the torchlight, Shen Cheng saw that the intruder was merely a youth. He quietly sighed in relief, then frowned and spoke coldly.

Shen Cheng's looks were ordinary, but his bearing was exceptional. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a pair of bright eyes that easily inspired trust at first glance.

That was also why Shen Cheng had so many admirers among the worshippers at Mount Tong Temple. He had an excellent appearance. Otherwise, he could never have risen from a collateral branch that specialized in dirty work to stand on equal footing with the temple master, much less connect with True Person Cao, who had ties to the imperial court.

Now, as Shen Cheng frowned, he looked the very image of righteousness. If an ordinary person saw him, even after witnessing him restrain more than a dozen Blood Corpses, they would likely be uncertain and suspect they had mistaken a good man for a villain.

But the visitor was Su Ziji.

Su Ziji had come for revenge. Though he did not know how many Daoists of Mount Tong Temple had been involved in what happened to him, one glance at the familiar face among the dozen or so motionless people—Boss Zhang—told him that he had not come to the wrong place.

What was more, his soul had now acquired the nature of a Primordial Spirit, and his spiritual senses surpassed those of an ordinary soul by several times over. The stench of blood in this basement was suffocating. Ordinary people might only smell the fragrance used to conceal it, but the instant he entered, he could not help holding his breath.

Even though he had not come in the flesh and did not need to breathe, the smell inside was truly vile.

To Su Ziji, the other man's hypocritical performance was laughable in the extreme.

Yet Su Ziji's cold smile and silence only made Shen Cheng feel all the more certain that this visitor could be deceived. "I am a Daoist of Mount Tong Temple, registered with official credentials. You call me a demonic Daoist—have you been misled by someone?"

"Do not look at my present state and assume I am harming people. These people have been possessed by demons. What I am doing is to save them!"

"If you do not believe me, come closer and see for yourself."

Shen Cheng appeared to be explaining the full sequence of events, looking utterly innocent. In truth, his hand was slowly forming a spell, ready to subdue the youth the moment he came near.

Su Ziji glanced at this posturing Daoist and could not help letting out a scornful laugh. "Demonic Daoist, even now you still want to deceive me? Look carefully at who I am."

Shen Cheng was startled by those words and could not help examining the youth again.

At first, he had not paid much attention, because though the youth was good-looking, he carried none of the aura of an alchemist. At a glance, he was merely an ordinary mortal. Even if his steps were light and he knew martial arts, to a Daoist like Shen Cheng, even a martial arts master could not escape sorcery.

But now, as he looked again, he was shocked to discover that the youth's physiognomy was wrong!

Though a person's features could change with the course of their life, the process was gradual, measured in years. This youth's face had seemed to bear only the fortune of minor success, at most reaching the rank of Cultivated Talent, serving one term as a county magistrate, and possessing a little land, house, and money. Yet now, a cluster of azure qi was taking shape around him. Though faint and nearly invisible, it spoke of nobility beyond words!

This was the qi of kings and marquises. How could this youth possess such a destiny?

Not to mention, the outline of his features seemed somewhat familiar.

"You are..." Shen Cheng stared hard at the youth before him, then finally spoke a name he could scarcely believe. "Su Ziji?"

Looking closely, Su Ziji's face had not actually changed much from before. Yet that slight change seemed to have transformed him into a completely different person, which was why Shen Cheng had failed to recognize him at once.

"Indeed!" Su Ziji stood more than a dozen steps away from the motionless puppets, looking down at the Daoist seated on the ground. His voice was icy. "You demonic Daoist, you ordered Boss Zhang and Wild Daoist to frame and plot against me. Did you ever think this day would come?"

He sneered again. "Since you know my name, do not claim this matter has nothing to do with you. Let me ask you: what grudge or enmity did I have with you, that you went to such painstaking lengths to harm me?"

This was also why Su Ziji had not acted immediately despite knowing his time was short. He had never understood it. He and his father had both been ordinary people, with neither an estate worth coveting nor much fame or rank. They were merely a Cultivated Talent's household, living peacefully in Linhua County. Though their ancestral grave and residence were somewhat better than those of their neighbors, they could only fetch a few dozen taels more if sold. Why had they become so memorable to an officially registered Daoist of a temple?

Though Boss Zhang was merely a gang leader, he was still a figure in Linhua County, with plenty of street thugs under his command. Simply collecting protection fees was enough for him to live in splendor, yet he had obeyed the orders of this Mount Tong Temple Daoist and expended no small effort just to lure Su Ziji into a trap.

Taken all together, it simply made no sense unless there was some hidden truth behind it.

Since Su Ziji had come to his door, he naturally wanted to uncover everything completely. He had a premonition that, though the Daoist before him was very likely the man who had bribed and ordered Boss Zhang, there had to be someone behind him. If he did not uncover that person, then even after dealing with this one, there would be others—impossible to guard against.

Shen Cheng had been startled at first, but now he had recovered and burst out laughing. "Boy, do not even think of prying the truth out of me. Even if you learn more, all you will gain is the chance to die an enlightened ghost. What use is that? If you must blame someone, blame yourself for not being born into a better family!"

The moment those words fell, his incantation was complete. He pointed, and with a "kekeke" from midair, grotesque ghost faces appeared from nowhere—some resentful, some cursing, some despairing. They stretched out their hands to press down on Su Ziji. If they succeeded, it would be like a massive boulder crushing him.

This was the Nightmare Suppression Technique.

Su Ziji's pupils contracted, and a surge of fury abruptly rose in his heart. He shouted, "You dare use such a spell? Are you not afraid of sin and retribution?"

"Hmph. I act in the service of public duty. The official establishment will bear all the sins."

"Die!"

Seeing that the Nightmare Suppression Technique had succeeded, Shen Cheng shouted and drew his sword, about to step forward and stab him—Nightmare Suppression could only suppress; it could not kill at once. Killing him with a sword would be faster!

But just as Shen Cheng took a step, there was a boom. The Nightmare Suppression suddenly shattered apart. The ghost faces screamed and recoiled; those too slow to retreat were immediately reduced to ashes.

Shen Cheng froze, horror filling his heart. Was Su Ziji not merely a scholar?

Though he had killed two men before—according to Shen Cheng's investigation—the men he killed had only been ordinary street thugs. Even if he had killed them, it was not impossible.

But now, Su Ziji could actually withstand Nightmare Suppression. Yet this boy carried not the slightest trace of a cultivator's aura, nor was this a backlash from the fortune of a noble person. It was truly strange!

A link that had seemed absolutely certain was casually dispelled by Su Ziji, dealing Shen Cheng no small blow. His face darkened. With a grip of his hand, the little flag fell into his palm. He waved it and shouted sharply, "Form ranks, execute!"

The next moment, the eighteen motionless Blood Corpses moved again and formed into an array.

This was Shen Cheng's trump card.

With the little flag, he could not only control these Blood Corpses, but establish a faint connection between himself and them. Though they were not his incarnations, the Blood Corpses could still obey Shen Cheng's thoughts.

At his command, the Blood Corpses swiftly locked onto their target and surrounded Su Ziji. Their resentment had been twisted, as though Su Ziji before them was the mortal enemy who had harmed them, and they would not rest until one side was dead.