Chapter 26: Capture an Enemy to Torture
After the rain, the sky was still gloomy, and thick fog cascaded down like an avalanche, casting large shadows over the city, which lay in a deep, oppressive silence of desolation and decay.
On the rooftop.
When Lu Yibei heard the girl’s voice coming from Qing Ji say “Huasang,” his body stiffened, and he froze in place.
What the hell, Huasang!?
The girl from the story just now is Huasang? The one I know?
I™ am dumbfounded, how does the ancestor relate to Huasang?
After a brief moment of surprise, Lu Yibei composed himself, perked up his ears to listen, wanting to hear if Qing Ji would reveal any critical information again, but he fell silent.
It was like he had fallen asleep.
Lu Yibei, “……”
In the silence, she suddenly recalled the heavy pressure that had appeared on that little girl in the story’s end, and connected it to the overwhelming pressure that had been occasionally squeezing her bones, as if trying to crush them, and she paused, falling into deep thought.
Besides that bizarre heavy pressure, there were the shadowy figures seen during the urban legend transformation in the abandoned small shop at Yujiatang, their terrifying appearances resembled the villagers who died from Nightfall Syndrome, which was caused by the invasion of night in the previously mentioned story.
Also, there was the strange sound at the airport edge and seeing Li Xuan’s sickly face, plus now, the strange phenomenon of Qing Ji’s voice “jumping frequency” to Huasang…
Lu Yibei spent several minutes mentally going through the details of various incidents, feeling a chill run down her spine.
Previously, when analyzing the cause of her recent abnormalities, she had speculated that it might be related to Huasang, and now combining all the details and clues, plus the timing of her body anomalies coinciding with her contact with Huasang…
She felt there was at least a 90% chance these abnormalities were related to Huasang!
“So, recently those physical anomalies might not have been caused by Spirit Patterns going out of control, but rather this inexplicable connection with Huasang? I might have wrongly accused the little brother?”
I said! The little brother could not be that bold!
“However, I still need the Spirit Seals to suppress the Spirit Patterns, since the little brother has mutated; what if he rebels one day?” Lu Yibei muttered, nodding to herself.
Besides the 90% relating to Huasang, wasn’t there still a 70% chance related to Spirit Patterns going out of control?
To prevent that 70% accident from happening, she could only first beat up the little brother, then imprison him, and find a robust man to strictly guard him.
This was not about whether the little brother would dare or not, it was about being prepared.
Discovering that her Spirit Patterns were unlikely to have gone out of control lifted some weight off Lu Yibei’s heart, but soon new doubts arose within her.
“……”
Speaking of which, why do I have such a special connection with Huasang?
We only just got to know each other not long ago, in a novel that’s not even thirty chapters, and there isn’t even a complete plot, how could there be some bizarre “bond”? If there were one, it should be with Miaomiao Sauce, and Stinky Sister could also be understood.
But why is it Huasang specifically? Could it be…
While pondering, Lu Yibei furrowed her brows, looking at the unconscious Qing Ji, and narrowed her eyes slightly.
Could it be related to the ancestor or Ling Tai Purification?
Speaking of which, Huasang is a disciple of Dachunyang Palace and was sent by the [Black Emperor] to assist in Huacheng, surely she is highly regarded within Dachunyang Palace, likely better respected than Fu Xinyi, the once-in-a-century talent, but at least more than Li Xuan, who lingered on the edge of being expelled.
It’s possible she is that legendary “true disciple” kind of presence, and such people could have access to fragments of Ling Tai Purification.
I just don’t know if she formed a special connection after coming into contact with the fragments or if she directly carries the fragments on her?
Hmm, regardless of which situation, now that the ancestor has turned out this way, it’s likely because she touched Ling Tai Purification and remotely logged into the ancestor… uh, something feels off? Never mind, it’s not a big issue!
My and her connection must be resolved as soon as possible before it truly becomes a big problem.
According to the current trajectory, if it continues developing freely, it could evolve from logging into Qing Ji to Huasang logging into Lu Yibei and vice versa, just thinking about it feels so bizarre! Lu Yibei thought.
She could guarantee that she wouldn’t do anything strange with Huasang’s body; at most, she would conduct a wave of fraud to get back at a few people who are usually inconvenient to retaliate against, using the identity of a Dachunyang Palace disciple to buy things on credit or similar trivial matters.
“But if Huasang takes control of my body, wouldn’t all my secrets be exposed?” Lu Yibei muttered to herself.
Observing the styles of Li Xuan and Fu Xinyi, one could tell that disciples of Dachunyang Palace are overflowing with a sense of justice; if they found out a bizarre entity infiltrated the Siye Society, the consequences would be dire.
“……”
Given Huasang’s ability to contact the [Black Emperor], it’s quite possible she could directly bring in the strongest forces of the Siye Society.
By then, even if she went to Peach Source for refuge…
No, encountering a risk of that magnitude, Stinky Sister would surely capture me and hand me over to the [Black Emperor] herself. If I were in her shoes, I’d do the same; that’s just our friendship.
The more Lu Yibei thought, the colder her back felt, and the more she felt time was running short.
“d*mn, what should I do? To resolve this situation, I need to complete the reforge of Ling Tai Purification, but to obtain the Ling Tai Purification fragments, I can’t act too hastily.”
“Even if Huasang can reach the fragments, or if she’s outright carrying them, I can’t get a hold of them right away?”
“I can’t just snatch them, right? If I do, besides alerting the [Black Emperor], just considering the current situation, plus her terrifying defense like facing high-level alchemical bullets… if I sneak attack her, my own downfall may very well be assured…”
Muttering to herself, Lu Yibei suddenly had a bold idea.
How about I try to charm her?
————
Meanwhile, in front of the Lipstick Tavern.
“Not a human son, not a human son!” After learning that the white-clothed man who saved Huasang had made her tie the knot with his son and promised a series of beautiful commitments, Qing Ji slammed the table in anger, “Isn’t this taking advantage of the situation?”
Huasang shook her head with a wry smile, “He didn’t force me; he just said that if I was willing, he and his son were willing to be my family.”
“But your husband is just a child, what could he understand?” Qing Ji still felt displeased and angrily stated, “This surely has an element of deceit.”
“Not really?” Huasang pouted, sighing, “Considering what I was in at that moment, even if there was a visualization diagram of Dachunyang Palace, it’s very likely I would have died before gathering the Spirit Seal.”
“Looking back, he wants me to tie the knot with his son to intertwine our fates through this red thread of marriage to prolong my life. Though it’s a bit of a wicked method, it seems pretty effective so far.”
“Moreover, given my current predicament, he should be the one bearing the brunt of any connection; isn’t that right? Haha!” Huasang laughed.
In fact, after studying a large amount of knowledge related to spirit energy around the ages of thirteen or fourteen, she had roughly figured out the man’s intentions when he originally did that.
However, understanding and gratitude aside, she had never once thought of going to see her fiancé, nor had she ever had the urge to inquire about that man and his son.
Even though she had successfully gathered the Spirit Seal and suppressed the Spirit Pattern within her, that Spirit Pattern seemed alive, continually growing stronger over time.
At first, she felt as heavy as if she were filled with lead, but it gradually intensified to feel like carrying a truck, leaving her under tremendous pressure every moment.
She could only keep strengthening her Spirit Seal to reach a balance, keeping things temporarily unhazardous.
Yet, if she sought that man and his son, her time spent interacting with them would stretch over several years, maybe decades.
With such a prolonged time span, who could say for sure when the rate of strengthening her Spirit Seal would keep up with the growth of the Spirit Pattern?
She no longer wished to hurt anyone, especially not her savior.
That was why she stayed at Dachunyang Palace as much as possible; only that way, when the day arrived that her Spirit Pattern completely went out of control, she could minimize the destruction.
————
On the other side, on the dilapidated and crumbling rooftop.
This won’t work; the charm won’t work!
If the charm fails, not only will I d*e, but my identity as a bizarre entity will be exposed, and I’ll soon face physical d*ath.
Charm won’t work… do I need to hire a hitman? But could an ordinary spirit ability user or urban legend deal with her? Lu Yibei wondered.
As she contorted her brows in distress, Qing Ji, who had been sleeping soundly beside her, suddenly shifted after a moment of silence and mumbled again.
Oh! There’s a signal again! Lu Yibei’s heart surged with joy.
“Young friend, after talking so much today, the atmosphere feels a bit heavy and sorrowful, hiccup, I think we should do something to lighten the mood! Now that we both know each other’s secrets, how about… how about swearing brotherhood?”
Lu Yibei, “？？？”
What the hell! Is this some kind of bizarre fraternity requiring public nudity before joining?
Knowing each other’s secrets means we must become sworn brothers, right?
“Sworn brotherhood? Senior, isn’t that a bit…” the girl exclaimed, “This seems a bit against the rules, after all, you’re the senior… I think we should forget it?”
“Hiccup! You’re worried about it being against the rules? Hiccup, I’ve never cared about these things; it’s mainly whether you mind or not…”
Wait, really? Lu Yibei felt a panic in her heart and blurted out, “I mind! Very much! Extremely concerned!”
She had originally been just an onlooker. Now, having accidentally found herself at the center of attention, she suddenly felt an extremely poor experience.
If you swear brotherhood with Huasang, won’t she become my great-great-grandma?
How am I supposed to sneak up on my great-great-grandma then?
What I initially planned to do to acquire the Ling Tai Purification fragments was already complicated enough; could you not add extra difficulty!? Lu Yibei thought.
At that moment, Qing Ji suddenly went silent, and unable to comprehend the progress of events, Lu Yibei became anxious.
Earlier, it was bad reception where he kept losing signal, but this crucial moment, how could he go silent?
Oh my, this is driving me crazy!
Lu Yibei anxiously thought, looking at Qing Ji, whose expression was gradually becoming strange, and then rubbed her palms together, creating a huge, silver light ball, holding it high, and walked toward Qing Ji.
Then, with a loud “boom,” both she and Qing Ji turned into light…
————
In front of the Lipstick Tavern.
Huasang cocked her head, watching Qing Ji, who was now a bit drunken and incoherent, shaking her head.
She knew, the senior was drunk again; it had been like this last time, wanting to swear brotherhood with anyone. Starting first with a pillar in the shop, then a table outside, and finally it was her turn.
Moreover, it wasn’t just Qing Ji being drunk; even if she were sober, she would never accept such an offer.
Senior Qing Ji was a venerable sage of Dachunyang Palace, reportedly of a higher rank than the Chief Priest; wouldn’t swearing brotherhood with him mean…
How would my master refer to me then?
Surely, it would be impossible for her master to stay in Dachunyang Palace… Huasang thought.
Although her master didn’t hold the same position as her grandmother and that man who had saved her life, he had treated her well throughout her life. She couldn’t do something to embarrass him.
Just as she was about to refuse Qing Ji’s proposal, she suddenly saw Qing Ji’s body stiffen, and a glimmer of silver light flickered beneath his skin.
That silver light traveled through his veins, gradually intensifying and becoming blindingly bright, transforming in an instant into a “figure of light,” and then…
Boom! It exploded.
An acrid wind rushed towards her, and bl**d mist filled the air.
The sight of bright red and the sound of the explosion gave her a chaotic feeling, indeed achieving the joyful effect Qing Ji had wanted.
Watching a hand fly over and land precisely in her bowl, Huasang, splattered with bl**d, immediately sobered up and stood there, dumbfounded.
“!!”
It exploded, it exploded?
Had such an incident ever happened before when senior disciples came to see the elders?
Senior… could he have just vanished like this? Huasang thought in terror.
————
After a long period of silence, consciousness gradually regained clarity in the cool breeze.
Lu Yibei opened her eyes to see Qing Ji sitting at the edge of the rooftop.
In the distance, gloomy clouds loomed, thick fog swirled, and Qing Ji’s figure was shrouded in a thick layer of sorrow, seemingly with a few crystalline tears at the corners of his eyes.
Such a “performance” made Lu Yibei feel uneasy.
In the past, whenever the ancestor wanted to try something new, he would always showcase it to her, and each time it was roughly in this form.
Lu Yibei, “……”
Something feels off; what play is he performing now?
I saw him a day or two ago, so it can’t be the lonely old man’s emotions, but if that’s not it…
Could it be that he found out about me “restarting” him just now?
At this thought, a chill ran down Lu Yibei’s back. She was just calculating how to sever ties with Ling Tai Purification and hurriedly get out of this cursed place when Qing Ji’s voice suddenly rang behind her.
“Daughter-in-law… you’re here? Come and chat with me?”
“I had a dream just now, a very sad dream…”
Is the sad dream about… being bombed by the great-granddaughter? Lu Yibei’s heart tightened, her eye twitching slightly, and stiffly turned around, bowing her head, placing her hands together in front of her abdomen, standing humbly.
“Ol, ancestor, actually I…” Lu Yibei spoke softly, prepared to bow her head in repentance and endure a beating at any moment.
At that moment, she suddenly heard Qing Ji say, “Daughter-in-law, I dreamed of your Yan Zhi grandmother. I remembered when we first met: I snatched her embroidered shoes, and she chased me through a few streets. I secretly sneaked into her home at night to return the shoes, almost getting discovered by her father.”
Lu Yibei, “……”
So it’s not about me “restarting” you? That’s good then!
However, you’ve done something like that…
No, not wrong; the world line has shifted, and now I might be gone. Lu Yibei thought.
“My old father-in-law was burly, iron-faced with whiskers, and fierce eyes; he used to be a highway robber in his youth. When I first went to their home, I saw red tassel spears, nine-ringed sabers, meteoric hammers, all mixed in with the kitchenware, and I thought they were running a black shop.” Qing Ji said.
“That night, your great-grandmother was worried I’d be killed by her father, so she hid me in her bed, hehe… and then I woke up.”
“After waking up, I suddenly remembered that I reshaped Ling Tai Purification for your Yan Zhi grandmother with a purpose, but I forgot what that specific purpose was. Sigh—!”
Qing Ji sighed heavily, his brows furrowing down as he fell silent for a long time.
Seeing this, Lu Yibei hesitated several times before stepping forward, “Ancestor, it’s okay; if you can’t recall, just take your time. Besides, perhaps when Ling Tai Purification is complete, you’ll remember.”
“Right!” Qing Ji frowned, looking toward Lu Yibei, and in a flash, appeared in front of her, grabbing her face, and gravely said, “Why haven’t you set off to Dachunyang Palace to retrieve the last fragment?”
“Did I not draw the layout for you?”
“That layout of yours… eh, eh, it hurts!”
Lu Yibei was about to refute, but Qing Ji applied more pressure on her face, elongating her tender flesh as if pulling a piece of soft candy, literally lifting her heels off the ground.
“Still dare to talk back? Did I make a mistake?”
“I was wrong, I was wrong!” Lu Yibei pleaded innocently, “I was just held up by something! Really, it’s something serious.”
“Oh?” Qing Ji narrowed his eyes, loosening his grip slightly, just as Lu Yibei prepared to slip away, he tightened his hold again, asking in a deep voice, “Speak, what’s the serious matter?”
“If you can’t say it… hmhm! I have discovered four more uses of the Hundred-Armed Giant Power recently, just right to teach you.”
“Ow, it hurts, I’ll say it!” Lu Yibei cried in pain, “The matter is as follows…”
And so, Lu Yibei recounted the Decapitated Senior’s experiences, slightly dramatizing it for sadness, altering Zhang Shuo’s involvement in harming Lu Ming to being involved in harming Lu Yibei, and narrated the whole saga to Qing Ji.
“…Therefore, that girl truly had it rough. I just wanted to help her and investigate the cause of my husband’s d*ath.”
“I came to find you this time to ask how to perform the directional summoning spell formula.”
“…” Qing Ji gazed into Lu Yibei’s eyes for a few seconds, gradually relaxing his grip, inhaling deeply, “If that’s the case, I can teach you…”
“Yay!” Lu Yibei exclaimed, covering her face and cheering.
“Don’t celebrate too early; this spell formula isn’t so easy to learn!” Qing Ji glared at Lu Yibei, “Thus, I still suggest you think of ways to infiltrate Dachunyang Palace while practicing.”
“By the way, do you have any deceased enemies?”
“Why are you asking this?” Lu Yibei queried, pondering, “Thinking carefully, I actually have quite a few enemies, but it seems not many are dead…”
Qing Ji shot her a glare, exasperated, “Your current goal is to summon that guy named Hu Chuan; however, he’s just an ordinary person and can’t withstand the spell’s torment too many times. If you use him as a target to practice the spell, his soul might collapse before you learn it, so…”
“I understand, I understand!” Lu Yibei’s eyes sparkled, “So, we need to capture an enemy to torture! Right?”
Upon hearing this, Qing Ji nodded approvingly, “Hmm~ A child can be taught!”
