Chapter 265 - 168: Battle of Wills

Chapter 265: Chapter 168: Battle of Wills

I’ve hit a bug.

Zheng Xiu, with his wealth of professional experience, came to a profound understanding of his current situation.

No wonder he couldn’t see the "pathways" or "doorways" when he sank down, even after entering that space.

Apparently, his Main Body had temporarily lost its connection to the Path due to this state of Life and Death Struggle.

Or, to put it another way, the signal was bad.

If it weren’t for [Unbreakable] holding on, his Main Body would have been implicated and died instantly when "Zheng Baimei" was hit by that attack from the Crow Fosterer.

A wave of fear washed over Zheng Xiu as he thought of this.

A Skill released with the Restriction of a "Blind Eye" was truly terrifying.

But he soon felt a sense of relief.

’Where there’s life, there’s hope.’ Although his connection to the Path was broken, it wasn’t completely severed.

’If this road is blocked, I’ll just take another one.’

Zheng Xiu recalled the sights within the Path. He occupied the [Prisoner] Path, but that didn’t mean it was the only Path he could walk.

Ruchen’s "Heart Zen" gave Zheng Xiu inspiration. Ruchen was able to split off numerous personalities from himself, with each one walking a completely different Path. Such a bizarre cultivation method was mind-boggling, but what was even more incredible was that Ruchen had succeeded. They were both Mystics; if Ruchen could do it, why couldn’t he, Zheng Xiu?

Moreover, Zheng Xiu was currently inside Gongsun Mo’s Cannibal Painting, his memories entangled with Gongsun Mo’s. This was an extremely perilous situation—a single misstep and he could end up like Feng Bei, losing his true self. But risk and reward went hand in hand. This also meant that his memory now held all the top-tier insights into the art of Danqing from the "Ghost Painter," Gongsun Mo, from two hundred years ago!

This was a shortcut to a Deep Path!

Besides, according to the "wool-gathering" theory Zheng Xiu had formulated himself, this Xie Luohe was clearly a Mystic. Gathering wool from a Mystic could increase the success rate of peeking into a Path.

What a coincidence!

Heaven is helping me!

Just as Zheng Xiu thought of this, an irresistible sucking force pulled at him from behind.

"POP~"

His Human Soul swiftly drifted backward, his own gaunt body receding farther and farther into the distance.

Though it was just a glance, Zheng Xiu gave up trying to do anything else. Seeing Zizi standing guard by his side, he was filled with an indescribable sense of gratitude.

It wasn’t hard to guess that since he hadn’t emerged from the dungeon for so long, and given his current state, his family would surely take the risk of calling a famous doctor, perhaps even the number one Divine Doctor in the world, the "Living Dead," Situ Yong. Unless Situ Yong’s reputation was unearned, it would be impossible for him not to see that he was in a state of Life and Death Struggle. In medical terms, that meant, "Prepare for the funeral." And yet, the Zheng Family had not abandoned him, caring for him diligently. This freed Zheng Xiu from any worries about his back, allowing him to focus wholeheartedly on conquering the Ghostly Realm.

"I will..."

Zheng Xiu was about to say something to Zizi’s retreating back.

But he suddenly realized that saying it might be bad luck.

So he departed in silence.

The journey here had felt like sinking, but the return was a constant ascent.

The light and shadows before his eyes shifted.

When Zheng Xiu opened his eyes again, he was back in Yunhe Village, back in that prison cell.

It felt like a lifetime had passed.

This "transmigration" had drained a great deal of Zheng Xiu’s Spirit. A powerful wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he drifted into a deep sleep.

「The next day.」

Zheng Xiu woke up in a warm and cozy bed.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the thick-haired Ruchen crouching outside the cell... No, it was Xie Yunliu.

"Morning, Brother Xie."

Zheng Xiu waved and greeted him.

"You really are hard to kill." Xie Yunliu stared strangely at Zheng Xiu in the cell. He had a feeling something had happened between his little sister and this Scholar, but she wouldn’t say a word, and he had no proof. That was why he’d been waiting here since early morning.

Xie Yunliu and Chu Chengfeng had said the exact same thing last night.

"Shouldn’t you know your own sister’s methods?"

Xie Yunliu grimaced. "Of course I know! That’s why I’m amazed you’re still alive. Anyone else would’ve been beaten to death long ago. Why waste the ointment?"

As he spoke, Xie Yunliu took a key from his waist and opened the cell door.

"Whatever. Count yourself lucky you didn’t die. Now get going."

He let Zheng Xiu out and pointed toward the village gate. "If there’s nothing else, then scram. The farther the better."

Zheng Xiu was stunned. "You’re letting me go?"

Xie Yunliu looked at Zheng Xiu as if he were an idiot. "What’s wrong? Did you get addicted to living in this dump? I’m telling you to leave and you won’t?"

Zheng Xiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Hold on, Brother Xie. This isn’t right. You guys are bandits! Can’t you be a little more professional? You went through all the trouble of kidnapping me, and now you’re just... letting me go?"

"Trouble?" Xie Yunliu laughed and shook his head. "You’re overthinking it. It wasn’t any trouble! Not at all. It was easy."

"Why are you letting me go?" Zheng Xiu frowned.

"My little sister said you’re useless now. Keeping you in the village is a waste of food, so it’s better to let you go."

Xie Yunliu said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Zheng Xiu asked, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell people about you attacking the Prisoner Transport Vehicle?"

Xie Yunliu chuckled. "Go on, tell them. I dare you. The Imperial Court can barely manage its own affairs right now. What time do they have to come to a dump like this and suppress bandits?"

’Barely manage its own affairs?’

Zheng Xiu’s heart skipped a beat. He felt there was a hidden meaning in Xie Yunliu’s words. This period of history was already poorly documented in the records, and he had been focused on business, with no mind for archaeology. As such, he had no idea what had happened during this "blank period" of the Tianjing era. Just as he was about to probe for more information, Xie Yunliu grabbed him, threw him on the ground, and pointed outside again. "Don’t push your luck. I’m a bandit! You should be damn happy I’m even talking to you politely. Scram while you still can, before my little sister changes her mind. Then you won’t be able to run even if you want to! And remember to run far. My little sister’s Archery is god-like. If she’s aiming from the mountaintop, she won’t miss within a ten-li radius!"