Xu Tianqi and the Blade Sword Double Kill struck the white shadow with all six palms, but felt only emptiness as their attacks passed straight through it. The white shadow seemed completely unharmed. It passed through the three men and lunged at Xu Jinyi. Though Xu Jinyi's face had gone pale with fright, she had survived in the Jianghu for so long that she forcibly suppressed her fear and unleashed a proper, orthodox Black Tiger Steals Heart.
Just as her pink fist struck the white shadow, it burrowed into the ground. Then, with a whoosh, it emerged before Xu Jinyi. She saw a featureless face pouncing toward her. Before she could react, a gaping bloody mouth burst from that blank face and bit down on hers. Xu Jinyi managed only one scream before fainting. On the other side, Xia Wenhui was so terrified by the sight that he cried out and fainted as well.
Only then did the others turn and rush over. Meng Yuqiong had originally been beside Xu Jinyi and had joined in the palm strikes, but the white shadow had dissolved them by fleeing underground. She now tried to leap toward Xu Tianqi and the others, but no matter how she exerted herself, she could not rise into the air. Looking back, she saw that a child had grabbed the corner of her clothes. When it saw her look back, it raised its eyeless face and smiled at her. Meng Yuqiong's body went limp, and she fainted on the spot.
After avoiding Xu Tianqi and the other three, the white shadow lunged at Mu Jin. Mu Jin performed a Lazy Donkey Roll, rolling aside. He had barely climbed back up when he found himself face-to-face with a pale-faced, hanging-browed person whose mouth streamed with fresh blood. Mu Jin's eyes widened, and he crumpled.
Shi Xuan stood leisurely in a corner. Since he had continually used the mind-gathering method of the Clear Wind Bright Moon Illuminates Spirit Observation Method to rein in his thoughts, the gust of Yin wind had merely made his head spin for a moment before he regained clarity. He then saw Xu Tianqi and the others hopping about in place, throwing moves at thin air. Seeing that they had been deceived by an Illusion Technique, Shi Xuan had intended to use the Disaster Aversion and Blessing Incantation to clear their minds and wake them. But on second thought, since the Yin Ghost merely wanted to frighten them unconscious with illusions, it would be more convenient to act after they had all fainted. If the Yin Ghost meant to take lives, he had remained on guard all along.
Shi Xuan quietly retreated into the corner. While seeming to watch the room in relaxed vigilance, he secretly observed the surroundings. As expected, he spotted the figure of a woman standing in the corridor near the rear courtyard. She wore a goose-yellow gauze skirt and a scarlet crossed-collar jacket. Her feet hovered half an inch above the ground, and she cast no shadow.
Heh, so this is what a Yin Ghost looks like. It doesn't seem like it. Perhaps because I haven't opened my Heavenly Eye, I can only see the ghost's manifested form. As Shi Xuan thought this, his other hand drew a Heavenly Eye Opening Talisman from his hidden pouch and activated it. A flash of flowing light passed by. When Shi Xuan looked again, all he saw was a blurry, transparent, vaguely humanoid shadow. He could barely make out a woman's face, though it was exceedingly indistinct. Clearly, this shadow was indeed not very powerful.
Meanwhile, Xu Tianqi and the Blade Sword Double Kill were still fighting the air. Xu Tianqi struck while anxiously searching around for something, seemingly wondering where Junior Brother Shi, the great Taoist expert he had invited, had gone. Shi Xuan thought that he might as well help knock out the Blade Sword Double Kill first. That way, he would win the wager too.
Thus, he activated a Light Body Spell talisman and carefully darted behind the Blade Sword Double Kill. Since Shi Xuan's soul thoughts could not yet activate two talismans at once, he first activated a Green Wood Manifestation Spell talisman. The power of the Five Elements rippled through the air, condensing a piece of green wood as thick as a bowl behind Jian Cong's head. At Shi Xuan's pointing finger, it smashed viciously into the back of Jian Cong's head. Jian Cong's body stiffened, then he collapsed.
When Dao Feng saw Jian Cong fall as well, he was greatly alarmed. Forgetting all about the wager, he leaped toward Xia Wenhui, intending to grab him and flee the estate first. Seeing this, Xu Tianqi also turned to run. But the instant he turned around, he saw a gaping bloody mouth blocking his path—a mouth even larger than his head. He seemed even able to feel the flow of air within it. His will was never as strong as that of the Blade Sword Double Kill, killers who had slaughtered countless people. His vision went black, and he fainted.
Shi Xuan then activated a second Green Wood Manifestation Spell talisman and successfully knocked Dao Feng unconscious. He was just about to wake Xu Tianqi from the illusion, since that fellow knew he could use Taoist arts anyway, when he turned around and saw that Xu Tianqi had already fainted.
At this moment, the transparent shadow drifted over. Though Shi Xuan had judged the other party to be weak, he still took out a Qi Induction Thunder Talisman he had made himself and held it in his hand, just in case.
The transparent shadow stopped several paces from Shi Xuan, standing sideways to him. The areas that seemed to be her hands rested before her. "Daoist Priest, there is no need for this. I will not harm anyone's life. I simply cannot bear to see others enter my home."
"Yes, this humble Taoist had also heard outside that the ghosts here did not harm lives, but merely frightened people away. That was why I did not attack you earlier. I simply do not know why you remain so attached to this place. After all, you are no longer among the living," Shi Xuan replied.
The female ghost turned her back to him and murmured, "Daoist Priest, could you remove that seeing-through spell? I am a proper young lady of a respectable family. I am not accustomed to standing naked before outsiders."
Shi Xuan was speechless. This is the Heavenly Eye Opening Technique, meant for seeing ghosts, not a seeing-through spell!! Still, since she was willing to manifest and speak with him, there was no harm in dispelling it. It was not as though he had only one talisman. If she had any schemes up her sleeve, he could simply use it again. Even so, he used an Exorcism Sensing Spell talisman on himself. If any Yin Ghost approached, he would sense it and would not have to fear a sneak attack.
After Shi Xuan regulated his qi and chanted to dispel the Heavenly Eye Opening Technique, he saw that the female ghost had returned to her previous appearance of goose-yellow gauze skirt and scarlet crossed-collar jacket. Rather than hurry to speak with her, he walked over to Jian Cong. Drawing on the acupoint-sealing experience he had learned while following Xu Tianqi and the others, he tapped Jian Cong's sleeping acupoint. With a fighter of this level, it was hard to tell when he might awaken, and sealing his acupoint would save trouble. Although Shi Xuan had better methods, such as the Soul Stabilizing Incantation and Calming Incantation, acupoint sealing was less strenuous and cheaper, was it not? Following the same pattern, he sealed the sleeping acupoints of Dao Feng, Xia Wenhui, Mu Jin, Xu Jinyi, and Meng Yuqiong as well. As for Xu Tianqi, he could wake whenever he woke.
When he returned, the female ghost had already turned around. Her features were dignified and graceful as she walked toward him with delicate poise. After offering a salute, she said, "May I ask how this Daoist Priest is addressed? Why not accompany me to the side hall for a brief rest?"
Shi Xuan smiled. "This humble Taoist is surnamed Shi. May I ask how you are addressed, lady benefactor? Let us speak here instead. After all, my friends are all here."
"I am Madam Fang. Please wait here a moment, Daoist Priest Shi. I shall brew a pot of tea." With that, she offered another salute and drifted away.
Shi Xuan paused in surprise. Had she gone too long without seeing or speaking to people, making her so courteous and polite?
He picked up a chair that had been knocked to the ground earlier and sat on it casually, secretly considering what he should ask later and how he should handle matters in the end.
Just then, Shi Xuan's keen senses detected two little heads secretly peering inside from the doorway leading in from the rear courtyard corridor. When they saw Shi Xuan look over, they immediately ducked back. After a while, perhaps seeing that Shi Xuan had no reaction, they poked their heads out again. Only then did Shi Xuan see clearly: they were two adorable children, as exquisitely carved as pink jade, about three or four years old—a boy and a girl. Their faces were merely somewhat pale. Shi Xuan understood that they were likely ghosts as well, but seeing no malice from them, he smiled kindly at them.
That smile frightened the two children into ducking back again. After waiting a moment, the boy secretly drifted in while holding the girl's hand, stopping before Shi Xuan.
"Hello, Daoist Priest Uncle. My name is Fang Delin. I'm four years old by nominal age. Um, I don't know why, but mother says I'm four every year." The boy looked at Shi Xuan as he spoke. "My name is Fang Hanling. I'm the younger sister, but I'm four too." The girl cut in, her round eyes wide open.
I may have counted as uncle-aged in my previous life, but I'm not even twenty now. Shi Xuan said amiably, "Delin, Hanling, what did you come here for?"
Hanling rushed to answer, "We're so hungry, Daoist Priest Uncle." Having said that, she looked at the unconscious people with the gaze one used for food, then turned her pitiful eyes toward Shi Xuan.
Shi Xuan had not sensed any bloody aura from the two children. It seemed they did not eat Blood Food and merely absorbed a little yang energy. However, he did not answer them, because at that moment the female ghost floated in carrying a tea tray.
"Delin, Hanling, how can you disturb a guest? Come here quickly." The female ghost set the tea tray on another chair that had fallen beside Shi Xuan, then lifted a cup of tea toward him. In truth, "lifted" was not quite accurate, as her hand never touched the cup. The two children pouted and ran behind their mother.
Though the female ghost seemed harmless, Shi Xuan did not dare relax. Within his sleeve, he activated an Object Grasping Technique talisman and raised the teacup. Since he had maintained a clear-minded state of gathered thoughts and was not deceived by low-level illusions, he could see that the teacup was woven from lotus leaves, while the tea tray was a large lotus leaf. The apparent dew in the cup formed only a thin layer, but Shi Xuan did not dare drink it.
Seeing this, Madam Fang lowered her head slightly. "Please do not blame me, Daoist Priest. Ever since I became like this, I have been unable to lift any object. I can only use the techniques I have comprehended to move things. My cultivation is insufficient, and I can only move such light objects. I have truly neglected my guest." Her tone was deeply ashamed.
Shi Xuan set down the teacup and changed the subject. "What did Delin and Hanling wish to come in and eat?"
Madam Fang hesitated, stopping and starting, until the two children behind her tugged at her clothes. Only then did she say, "Please show mercy, Daoist Priest. My two children are truly starving. But they will not harm anyone's life. They need only absorb the slightest bit of yang energy, and it will not harm the body. At most, one will feel listless for a few days."
Shi Xuan thought for a moment, then pointed without turning around at the Blade Sword Double Kill behind him to the left. "Those two were vicious men who killed beyond counting in their day. If you absorb some of their yang energy, it would count as a good deed. You may go as well."
Madam Fang was overjoyed. Holding the two children's hands, she bowed gracefully to the ground, then drifted toward the Blade Sword Double Kill.
Before you continue