Chapter 27: The Lair of the Ghosts

  In a corner of the Lanruo Temple, a woman frantically waved her hand, but the golden flames on it not only didn't diminish, they spread upwards along her arm. The woman gritted her teeth and fiercely chopped off her entire arm, with green blood flowing from the wound. The severed arm on the ground lost its human form, transforming into a ghostly hand that twisted and burned until it was completely consumed.

  The woman watched this scene with a mixture of shock and fear, but the resentment on her face deepened even more, making her look like an evil spirit. "Little hoof, hurry up and get out of the way, can't block Yan Chixia, everyone will be finished together, didn't expect such a formidable character to come to the temple."

  Next to a young woman watching this scene, her eyes seemed to have a flame burning too. It was Nie Xiaoqian. She was also calling out in distress. She had wanted to go find Xu Xian tonight and ask him to take herself away from the Lanruo Temple, but she hadn't expected such a big commotion to break out tonight.

  "Yes, auntie." Xia Qian responded softly and turned to walk towards the direction of the fight, but didn't see the woman's gaze on her was so venomous, and the remaining left hand slowly opened, making a grasping motion towards Xia Qian.

  Xiao Qian seemed to be unaware, the woman had made up her mind to kill, just as she was about to take action, Xiao Qian suddenly turned around and smiled mischievously. The smile was like a sly little girl who found the sugar hidden by her mother, with a small sense of pride and satisfaction.

  For so many years, the woman had never seen this girl show such a smile. In her eyes, she was always weak and sorrowful, sentimental. Especially when she raised an eyebrow like Xi Shi holding her heart, it made the woman even more jealous. But she had never thought that such a weak woman could survive in this den of ghosts surrounded by evil spirits, and still maintain her innocence, was it just because she was favored by her grandmother?

  Xiao Qian's black hair was scattered all over her head, gently fluttering in the night wind. The peach wood hairpin had been removed at some point and was now being held in one hand, while the other hand grasped a black doll. The wooden pin was deeply embedded in the doll, and the woman's body was stiff with terror, her throat making a strange gurgling sound as she whispered "How... how is this possible?"

  The woman couldn't believe that a mere voodoo doll could defeat her, even if Xiaoxian was hiding her true strength. It was absolutely impossible for this little girl to be stronger than herself, with her own years of cultivation far surpassing Xiaoxian's. Yet, her numb body kept reminding her of her failure.

  Xiao Qian covered her mouth with one hand and smiled lightly, while the other hand tightly grasped the doll, using her thumb to slowly press the hairpin deeper. "Auntie, this green silk knot's flavor isn't bad, is it?"

  The woman took a closer look and found that the doll was made of hair, which undoubtedly came from herself. She suddenly remembered Xiaoxian's work as a hairdressing maid over the years. Every day, she would watch Xiaoxian reluctantly help her comb her hair, but it was actually the most enjoyable time for her. As the hairpin pierced deeper, the woman couldn't speak at all.

  The green silk curse, the recipient of the technique requires three thousand green silks, with skilled hands to tie into a puppet, can lead to death. However, the conditions for this technique are also extremely strict, the hair cannot be cut or pulled out, it must be completely naturally shed, otherwise, it is impossible to perform. This technique is so obscure that no one thought anyone would use it.

  Three years of endurance for just one possibility, today it was finally used. The hairpin pierced the doll, and the doll spontaneously combusted. The woman watched as her own body burned, yet she couldn't feel even a hint of pain. A massive terror consumed her until death.

  Xiao Qian put the hairpin back in her sleeve, and her mother's words still lingered in her ears: "Xiao Qian, you must learn to coax people or else you will be bullied by others!" Xiao Qian's face floated up a sad and gentle smile: "Mother, doesn't Xiao Qian know how to coax people?"

  In the Temple of Lanruo, in that instant of radiance, the little ghosts didn't even have time to let out a scream before they were directly transformed into cyan smoke. The big ghosts also wailed and dispersed. Xu Xian felt his head splitting with pain, and the ball of light in his soul also dimmed considerably. But precisely because of this, he still emitted a kind of extremely warm yet extremely ruthless consciousness that supported him, preventing him from fainting. Bending at the waist and gritting his teeth to hold on for a moment, he said to Yan Chixia beside him, "Let's go, let's behead the enemy leader."

  Yan Chi Xia made no attempt to conceal the look of approval in her eyes, nor did she come to support Xu Xian. She simply walked ahead with large strides, and Xu Xian followed closely behind without any hesitation.

  The pedestrians were indeed much more relaxed, with not many ghosts blocking the way, and the two of them walked extremely fast. Up ahead was just a wall, and as long as they could get past it, they would be able to reach the outer temple's chaotic grave mound, the old demon's lair.

  "Xu Gongzi, save me!" A soft cry blocked the path of the two, Yan Chixia's heart skipped a beat, another ghost that could get close to her. But hearing her cry for help, he didn't strike down with his sword, the sword light lingering around Xiao Qian's body, circling around her like a school of fish, Xiao Qian's face was even paler, her whole body trembling like a small flower in the cold wind, evoking pity.

  "Xiao Qian died at the age of 18 and was buried outside Lanruo Temple. She was forced by evil spirits to become a slave, and had no choice but to harm people. Yesterday, she saw Master Xuan's sincerity and wanted him to save her from her suffering. Although she knew her sins were deep, she hoped for his mercy." Xiao Qian finished speaking and knelt on the ground, looking at Xu Xian with an expectant face, as if the sword light beside her was nothing.

  Yan Chixia looked at Xu Xian, who nodded and then shook his head. Yan Chixia understood that Xu Xian had the intention of saving her, but left the decision to herself. She glanced at the light and agile female ghost on the ground: "Her energy is light and ethereal, not one that relies on absorbing human essence and blood to cultivate."

  Xu Xian nodded and said to Nie Xiaoqian, "Get up!" His voice was flat and even he himself was surprised. When he used the power of the sun in his soul, he seemed especially calm and indifferent, unmoved by external things.

  No time to think, the two and a ghost rushed to the outside of the temple. Along the way, listening to Xiaoxian telling all sorts of things about this old demon, although not entirely believable, but at least there's some reference. But the more Yan Chixia listened, the tighter her eyebrows furrowed. If the ghosts were wolves that ate sheep, then the old demon was a tiger that ate wolves, often directly taking away their vital energy from their bodies, and the ghosts couldn't resist.

  Xiao Qian still had some things to say, that is, the old demon had never taken anything from himself, which was also one of the reasons why he was envied and hated by many ghosts. Some people said she was favored by her grandmother, but Xiao Qian really didn't see any meaning of favoritism on that numb face, and instead, like many ghosts, she was bound here by the old demon with a corpse for decades. So now taking Xu Xian and the others to the old demon's lair doesn't make her feel uneasy at all, but she is hesitant, are these two really the old demon's opponents?

  Yan Chixia was also thinking about this, but no matter what, a man of great character would only take action once he had made up his mind. He would proceed with determination, even if it meant walking into the depths of hell and sea of flames, without any complaints or regrets.

  As for Xu Xian, the person who should have been most afraid at this time, he has entered a strange state. He, who had never used the power of the sun in his soul before, used it for the first time today, and yet his heart is as calm as water, without even half a ripple.

  Only a giant white poplar tree stood quietly at the highest point of a chaotic grave mound. There was a crow's nest on the tree, which was exactly what Xiaoxian said was the burial site.

  In the darkness, tombs are everywhere, and ghost fires are flickering. In the darkness, a green ocean is reflected, with emerald fires gathering and dispersing, countless wails of sorrow, shrill laughter, curses, and shouts of killing filling one's ears. Hearing it makes one's heart tremble with fear; if an ordinary person were to hear it, they would likely be frightened to death on the spot, and even a common cultivator would have their heart shaken.

  Swallowing the crimson mist, he marched forward with determination. Xu Xian maintained a faint golden glow and followed behind him, his face calm as if not about to face a life-or-death battle.

  Xiao Qian followed closely behind them, with countless curses flying her way. The feeling of being a traitor was never good. Even she couldn't help but tremble involuntarily. Suddenly, Xu Xian in front stopped, and Xiao Qian's mind wandered off, almost bumping into his back. A hand grasped her slender wrist, bringing a warmth that seemed to appear out of nowhere, and the light was no longer dazzling.

  Xiao Qian was pulled by a figure in the light, following behind him. Suddenly, her heart calmed down. Is this really the person she decided to spend her life with?

  Xu Xian was thinking: if she made any unusual move, he would immediately use the newly mastered Sun True Fire to kill her. Along the way, he desperately absorbed the power of the sun, and felt that the light in his Star Palace had brightened again. Normally, he would never have been so ruthless, but as he continued to absorb the power of the sun, his rationality was unprecedentedly dominant.

  "Cough, cough, cough." The weak and dry coughing sound spread throughout the entire mountain ridge. Under a white poplar tree, an old woman sat with her back hunched over, the coughing sound coming from her mouth, and the mountain ridge immediately fell silent.

  "Grandma!" Little Qian exclaimed with mixed emotions.

  Her grandmother merely glanced at her with cloudy eyes and said, "You're here."

  That voice was as calm as ever, but it almost brought tears to Xiaoxian's eyes, because for decades, this voice was really too familiar.

  Yan Chi-hsia was as cautious as if he were facing a formidable enemy, for he felt that the old woman in front of him was an extremely difficult opponent to deal with. This was her home ground, and this time it might be a life-and-death struggle. Just a thread of doubt flashed through his mind - since she was a monster, and a wood monster known for its longevity, why did she look so old and cough incessantly? But thinking again, many of the refined monsters were pretentious, perhaps this was the old monster's strategy to belittle her enemy.

  The two stepped forward, Xu Xian gripped the Qinghong Sword tightly in his hand. Yan Chixia's white flying sword shone with dazzling white light. The great battle was about to break out.

  "Would you two gentlemen like to hear an old man tell a story? When I finish, whether you want to kill me or cut me up is entirely up to you."

  Yan Chixia and Xu Xian exchanged a glance, both slightly surprised. They didn't fight, they didn't make peace, nor did they surrender, but instead wanted to tell a story. The two of them didn't stop walking until they reached within ten steps of the white poplar tree. Yan Chixia nodded and said: "You speak!" No matter what sinister plot or trickery was involved, this distance was sufficient for flying swords to kill, and after their intense battle, both were willing to catch their breath and delay time, which was equally beneficial to them.

  Yan Chi Xia's majestic aura shook the clouds, while Xu Xian's heart remained as calm as water. Standing on this chaotic mound, the surrounding ghosts and spirits quieted down, their hostility unabated. The two, however, seemed oblivious to them. They were merely accumulating strength, waiting for an opportune moment to unleash a thunderous strike that would put an end to the old demon's life.

  As for what Grandma would say, neither of them took it to heart.