Chapter 541: Catch an Enemy to Torture

The rain had passed but the sky had not cleared. Thick fog, like an avalanche, fell from the heavens, casting swathes of darkness over the city. The desolate, ruined city was shrouded in a deep, oppressive silence.

On the rooftop.

Lu Yibei froze when she heard Qing Ji’s girlish voice utter the words “Huá Sāng.” Her body stiffened, rooted to the spot.

Damn, Huá Sāng!?

The girl in the story just now was Huá Sāng? The one I know?

I’m dumbfounded–how did the Ancestors get tangled up with Huá Sāng?

After a brief moment of astonishment, Lu Yibei steadied herself, pricked up her ears to listen, hoping Qing Ji might reveal some key information, but he fell silent.

As if he’d fallen asleep.

Lu Yibei, “……”

In the silence, she suddenly recalled the crushing pressure that appeared on the little girl at the end of the story, and linked it to the pressure she herself had felt recently, as if her bones were being ground to dust. She paused, lost in thought.

Besides that bizarre pressure, the black shadows she saw during the haunting transformation in the abandoned shop at Yujiatang–their terrifying appearance–also resembled the villagers in the story who died from acute Nocturnal Syndrome after being consumed by the darkness.

And then, the damage suffered at the airport’s edge while OB, the strange sounds, seeing Li Xuan’s gloomy face, and now, Qing Ji’s voice “switching channels” to Huá Sāng–such a bizarre phenomenon…

Lu Yibei spent a few minutes reviewing all the details of these events in her mind, and the more she thought, the more terrified she became.

When she’d previously analyzed the cause of her recent abnormalities, she’d suspected it might be related to Huá Sāng. Now, with all these details and clues combined, plus the timing of her first physical anomaly–which happened after contact with Huá Sāng–it all added up.

She felt there was at least a ninety percent chance these abnormalities were connected to Huá Sāng!

“So, these recent physical anomalies might not be caused by Spirit Pattern going out of control, but by this inexplicable connection with Huá Sāng? Maybe I’ve wrongly blamed my little brother?”

I knew it! How could my little brother possibly have such guts?

“But I still need the Ling Seal to suppress the Spirit Pattern. After all, the little brother has mutated–what if he rebels someday?” Lu Yibei muttered to herself, nodding.

Aside from the ninety percent chance it’s related to Huá Sāng, isn’t there still about a 0.7 percent chance it’s due to Spirit Pattern losing control?

To guard against that 0.7 percent accident, she’d have to beat up the little brother first, lock him up, and then find a sturdy man to keep a close watch on him.

It’s not about whether the little brother dares or not–it’s about being prepared.

Realizing her Spirit Pattern was most likely not out of control, Lu Yibei felt a wave of relief, but soon new doubts arose in her heart.

“……”

Come to think of it, how did I end up with such a special connection to Huá Sāng?

We’ve only just met, barely thirty chapters if this were a novel–not even enough for a full plot arc. There’s no way we could have formed some weird “bond.” If anyone, it should be with Meow Meow-chan, or maybe the pesky little sister–that would make sense.

But why is it Huá Sāng? Could it be…

Lost in thought, Lu Yibei frowned, looked at the unconscious Qing Ji, and narrowed her eyes.

Could it be related to the Ancestors, or to the Pure Lotus Sword?

Thinking about it, Huá Sāng is a disciple of the Great Pure Palace, sent to Hua City by the Dark Emperor for support. She must be highly valued in the Great Pure Palace–maybe not as much as Fu Xinyi, the once-in-a-century genius, but at least more than Li Xuan, who’s teetering on the edge of expulsion.

She might even be a so-called “true disciple”–someone like that could easily come into contact with fragments of the Pure Lotus Sword.

But who knows if she formed some special connection after touching the fragments, or if she’s carrying them on her person?

Hmm, whichever it is, now that the Ancestors have ended up like this, it’s probably because she touched the Pure Lotus Sword and logged into the Ancestors remotely… Uh, something about that sounds weird? Never mind, it’s not a big deal!

If I don’t resolve this connection soon, it’s bound to cause real trouble.

At this rate, if it keeps developing, it might go from remote login into Qing Ji to Huá Sāng logging into Lu Yibei, and Lu Yibei logging into Huá Sāng. Just thinking about it feels way too weird! Lu Yibei thought.

She could at least guarantee she wouldn’t do anything strange with Huá Sāng’s body–at most, she’d pull off a scam or two, get revenge on a few people she couldn’t normally retaliate against, or use her status as a Great Pure Palace disciple to buy things on credit–just little stuff like that.

“But if Huá Sāng takes control of my body, won’t all my secrets be exposed?” Lu Yibei muttered to herself.

Just by observing how Li Xuan and Fu Xinyi act, it’s clear that disciples of the Great Pure Palace are overflowing with a sense of justice. If they find out there’s a haunting mixed into The Midnight Watchers Society’s team, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“……”

Given that Huá Sāng can get close to the [Dark Emperor], she might just draw the Society’s strongest force here in one move.

By then, even if I run to Taoyuan for refuge…

No, faced with this level of risk, that pesky little sister would definitely tie me up herself and hand me over to the [Dark Emperor]. If it were me, I’d do the same. That’s our friendship.

The more Lu Yibei thought about it, the colder she felt down her back, and the more she realized she didn’t have much time left.

“Damn it, what am I supposed to do? To solve this, I have to finish reforging the Pure Lotus Sword. But to get the fragments of the Pure Lotus Sword, I can’t rush things.”

“Even if Huá Sāng can get to the fragments, or maybe she’s carrying them with her, I probably can’t get my hands on them anytime soon, right?”

“I can’t just snatch them, can I? If I try to snatch them, not only might I attract the [Dark Emperor], but with her terrifying defense that can take a high-tier alchemy bullet to the face… If I ambush her, after a whole combo, I might be the one lying on the ground…”

Muttering to herself, a bold idea suddenly popped into Lu Yibei’s mind.

How about… I try to charm her?

——–

Meanwhile, in front of the Yanzhi Restaurant.

“Unfilial! Truly unfilial!” Upon hearing that the white-robed man who saved Huá Sāng actually had her form a marriage bond with his son and made a series of beautiful promises, Qing Ji slammed the table in anger. “Isn’t this taking advantage of someone in need?”

Huá Sāng shook her head with a wry smile. “He didn’t force me. He just said that if I was willing, he and his son would be my family.”

“But you were just a child. What could you possibly understand?” Qing Ji was still displeased, fuming. “I think there’s some fraud involved here.”

“Not really,” Huá Sāng pursed her lips and sighed. “Given my condition at the time, even with the Great Pure Palace’s Visualized Diagram, I could have died before I even condensed my Ling Seal.”

“Looking back, he wanted me to form a marriage bond with his son to use the red thread of fate to disturb my destiny and extend my life. It’s a bit unorthodox, but so far, it seems to work.”

“Besides, with my situation being so bad, shouldn’t his son be the one getting the short end of the stick by getting involved with me? Haha!” Huá Sāng laughed.

In fact, when she was thirteen or fourteen, after learning a lot about psychic energy, she had already guessed the man’s intentions back then.

But understanding was one thing, gratitude was another. She never once had the urge to go see her fiancé, nor even to inquire about the man or his son.

Although she had successfully condensed her Ling Seal and suppressed the Spirit Pattern inside her–if it could even be called a Spirit Pattern–that Spirit Pattern seemed alive, constantly growing as time passed.

At first, her whole body just felt as heavy as if filled with lead. Then it got worse, like carrying a truck, and now her body was under immense pressure every moment.

She could only keep strengthening her Ling Seal to balance with the Spirit Pattern, so things were stable for now.

But if she went to find that man and his son, the time she’d spend with them would stretch into years, decades, maybe even longer.

With so much time, who could say when her Ling Seal’s growth would fall behind the Spirit Pattern’s?

She didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore, especially not her savior.

That’s why she stayed in the Great Pure Palace as much as possible. Only there, when the day came that her Spirit Pattern completely lost control, could she minimize the damage.

——–

Elsewhere, on the dilapidated rooftop.

No, charming her won’t work!

If the charm fails, not only would it be mortifying, but my haunting identity would be exposed, and I’d soon die for real.

Charming won’t work… Should I hire a killer? But can ordinary psychics or hauntings handle her? Lu Yibei wondered.

Just as she was frowning in distress, Qing Ji, who had been sleeping soundly beside her, suddenly stirred after a moment of silence and started mumbling again.

Huh! There’s a signal again! Lu Yibei was delighted.

“Little friend, we’ve talked so much today, the mood’s gotten a bit heavy and sad. Hic, I think we should do something to lighten things up! Now that we both know each other’s secrets, how about… how about we become sworn siblings?”

Lu Yibei, “???”

What the heck! What are you, some weird brotherhood that requires public streaking before joining?

So just because you know each other’s secrets, you have to swear brotherhood?

“Sworn siblings? Senior, isn’t that a bit…” the girl said in surprise. “Isn’t that against the rules? You’re a senior after all… I think we should forget it.”

“Hic—-! You’re worried about the rules? Hic, I’ve never cared about those. The main thing is whether you mind or not…”

Wait, you’re serious? Lu Yibei was shocked and blurted out, “I mind! I really mind! I mind a lot!”

She was just a bystander, but now she’d accidentally gotten herself involved, and the experience was terrible.

If you and Huá Sāng become sworn siblings, wouldn’t that make her my great-great-grandmother?

How am I supposed to go after (as in ambush) my great-great-grandmother?

It was already troublesome enough trying to get the Pure Lotus Sword fragments, don’t make things even harder for me, okay!? Lu Yibei thought.

At that moment, Qing Ji suddenly stopped talking, and without knowing how things were progressing, Lu Yibei panicked.

Earlier, your signal was bad and you kept cutting out, which was fine–at worst, the story was incomplete.

But how could you go silent at such a crucial moment?

Oh come on, this is killing me!

Lu Yibei thought anxiously, her gaze at Qing Ji growing increasingly deranged. Then she rubbed a huge silver ball of light between her palms, raised it with both hands, and walked toward Qing Ji.

Then, with a thunderous boom, she and Qing Ji both turned into light…

——–

In front of Yanzhi Restaurant.

Huá Sāng tilted her head, watching Qing Ji, who was already so drunk he could barely think straight, and shook her head.

She knew the elder was drunk again. Last time, it was just like this–he wanted to swear brotherhood with anyone he caught. First it was the pillar in the shop, then the table at the door, and finally it was her turn.

Besides, even if Qing Ji wasn’t drunk, she could never accept such a proposal.

Qing Ji was a senior of the Great Pure Palace, said to be of a higher generation than even the Headmaster. If she swore brotherhood with him, wouldn’t that mean…

How would my Shifu address me then?

Shifu probably wouldn’t be able to stay in the Great Pure Palace anymore… Huá Sāng thought.

Although Shifu’s place in her heart wasn’t as high as Grandma’s or the man who had saved her life, he had treated her well enough since childhood. She couldn’t bring herself to do something that would embarrass him.

She opened her mouth, about to refuse Qing Ji’s proposal, when suddenly she saw Qing Ji’s body stiffen, and a flash of silver light appeared beneath his skin.

That silver light traveled along his veins throughout his body, growing stronger and more dazzling, and in the blink of an eye, he became a “man of light.” Then…

With a “bang!” he exploded.

A bloody wind rushed at her, mist filling the air.

A swath of bright red, the sound of the explosion, it almost felt like New Year’s, and indeed achieved the festive effect Qing Ji wanted.

She watched as a hand flew over and landed right in her bowl. Splattered with blood, Huá Sāng sobered up instantly, frozen in place, helpless.

“!!!”

He… exploded?

Had this ever happened when the other martial uncles and senior brothers came to see the elder?

Could the elder really be gone just like that? Huá Sāng thought in terror.

——–

After a long silence, consciousness gradually returned in the damp, cool breeze.

Lu Yibei opened her eyes and saw Qing Ji sitting on the edge of the rooftop.

In the distance, gloomy clouds hung heavy, thick fog spread, and his figure in the wind radiated deep sorrow, with what seemed to be a few sparkling tears at the corners of his eyes.

Such a “performance” made Lu Yibei a little afraid.

In the past, whenever the Ancestors wanted to try something new, they always put on a show for her, and every time it looked pretty much like this.

Lu Yibei, “……”

Something’s off. What is he up to this time?

I just visited him a day or two ago, so it can’t be loneliness. But if it’s not that…

Could it be he found out about me “rebooting” him just now?

At that thought, Lu Yibei felt a chill down her back. She was planning to sever her connection with the Pure Lotus Sword and quickly leave this haunted place, when suddenly Qing Ji’s voice sounded behind her.

“Granddaughter-in-law… you’re here? Come keep me company for a chat?”

“I just had a dream, a sad dream…”

A sad dream–does he mean… being blown up by his great-granddaughter-in-law’s sneak attack? Lu Yibei’s heart tightened, her eye twitched, and she stiffly turned around, head lowered, hands pressed together in front of her belly, standing obediently.

“Old, Ancestor, actually I…” Lu Yibei whispered, ready to kowtow and beg forgiveness at any moment, and prepared to take a beating.

Just then, she suddenly heard Qing Ji say, “Granddaughter-in-law, I dreamed of your Grandma Yanzhi. I dreamed of the first time I met her, when I stole her Embroidered Shoes and she chased me for several streets. That night, I sneaked into her house to return the shoes and almost got caught by her father.”

Lu Yibei, “…”

So it wasn’t about me ‘rebooting’ you? Then it’s fine!

But you actually did something so… unscrupulous…

No, not unscrupulous. The world line changed, and now maybe I wouldn’t even exist. Lu Yibei thought.

“My old father-in-law was burly, with an iron face and a bristling beard, leopard eyes and round pupils. When he was young, he was a bandit on the roads. The first time I went to their house, I saw red-tasseled spears, nine-ring broadswords, meteor hammers and such, all placed together with the kitchenware. I thought their family ran a black shop,” Qing Ji said.

“That night, your great-grandma was worried her father would hack me to death, so she hid me in her bed. Heh heh… And then, I woke up.”

“After I woke up, I suddenly remembered that I reforged the Pure Lotus Sword for your Grandma Yanzhi for a reason, but I forgot what the original purpose was. Sigh–!”

Qing Ji let out a long sigh, his brows drooping, and fell silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Lu Yibei hesitated several times, then stepped forward and said, “Ancestor, it’s okay, take your time to remember. Maybe when the Pure Lotus Sword is complete, you’ll recall it?”

“That’s right!” Qing Ji frowned at Lu Yibei, flashed to her side, grabbed her face, and said in a deep voice, “Why haven’t you set out for the Great Pure Palace to retrieve the last fragment?”

“Didn’t I give you the layout diagram?”

“That layout diagram of yours… Ow, ow, it hurts!”

Lu Yibei was about to retort when Qing Ji suddenly increased his grip, stretching the tender flesh on her face long.

It was like pulling a piece of gummy candy, lifting her heels off the ground and making her stand on tiptoe.

“You still dare talk back? Do you admit your mistake?”

“I was wrong, I was wrong!” Lu Yibei pleaded in a childish voice, “I just got delayed by something, really, something important.”

“Oh?” Qing Ji frowned, loosening his grip a bit. Just as Lu Yibei was about to slip away, he tightened his hold again and asked in a deep voice, “Tell me, what important thing?”

“If you can’t explain… hmph! I’ve recently researched four more ways to use the Hundred-Armed Giant’s power. I’ll teach you.”

“Hiss, it hurts, it hurts, I’ll tell you, just stop pulling!” Lu Yibei cried out in pain, “Here’s what happened…”

So, Lu Yibei recounted the headless senior sister’s experience, adding a bit of tragic color, changed Zhang Shuo’s role in plotting against Lu Ming to plotting against Lu Yibei, and told Qing Ji the whole story.

“…That’s how it is. That girl is really pitiful, so I wanted to help her, and also investigate the cause of my–my husband’s death.”

“I came to you this time to ask how to perform a directional soul-calling spell formation.”

“…” Qing Ji stared into Lu Yibei’s eyes, pondered for a few seconds, slowly let go of her, took a deep breath, and said, “If that’s the case, I can teach you…”

“Yay!” Lu Yibei covered her face and cheered.

“Don’t get too happy yet. This spell formation isn’t easy to learn!” Qing Ji glared at Lu Yibei. “So I still suggest you try to sneak into the Great Pure Palace while practicing.”

“By the way, do you have any deceased enemies?”

“Why do you ask?” Lu Yibei asked in confusion. “Now that I think about it, I do have quite a few enemies, but not many of them are dead…”

Qing Ji rolled his eyes at her and said irritably, “Your current goal is to call the soul of that guy named Hu Chuan, but he’s just an ordinary person. He can’t withstand too many rounds of the spell formation. If you use him as a target to practice, his soul might collapse before you even learn it, so…”

“I get it, I get it!” Lu Yibei’s eyes lit up. “So, we need to catch an enemy to torment! Right?”

Hearing this, Qing Ji nodded in satisfaction, “Mm~ You are teachable!”