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Lu Sheng slowly approached the Taoist temple, stopping about twenty paces away.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoVE0AZFkk
His gaze fixed on the temple's ruined entrance, eyes narrowing as he peered through the collapsed gate.
Inside, he saw Yan Kai brandishing a fine iron sword, clashing repeatedly with a vague, flickering white shadow.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsw9iAGdVg
In just moments, the sword struck true. The shadow let out a high-pitched shriek—strangely reminiscent of a young girl’s cry—before crashing to the ground and vanishing into thin air.
Yan Kai staggered slightly, his face as pale as a withered date. He sheathed his sword with slow, deliberate movements, while wisps of white vapor curled above his head.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCzh8pPlVU
The air here, deep in the frigid mountains near the White Ice Ocean, was always cold enough to show one's breath—but after such an intense battle, the steam rising from him was thick and constant.
As he turned, Yan Kai noticed Lu Sheng and his group rushing toward him.
"It's Master Sheng of the Lu family, he's brought reinforcements," he said with a weak nod.
From behind a corner, Duan Rongrong finally emerged. She had been hiding during the confrontation but stepped out once the danger had passed.
"That was close. Demons never act in groups... but we ran into three at once. Just our rotten luck," she said, her voice still trembling from the memory.
"It's alright, they're all dealt with," Yan Kai replied calmly. "Go greet Master Sheng. Also, the tunnel behind this Taoist temple—it might be connected to the disappearances."
"Ooh, if we sort this out, I’ll finally have enough saved for a long vacation!" Duan Rongrong beamed, brushing the dust from her clothes as she headed toward Lu Sheng.
Yan Kai sighed, exhaustion written across his face, and followed her at a slower pace.
Lu Sheng stepped forward, smiling, and raised a hand in greeting.
"Master—"
Before he could finish, a sharp, ripping sound tore through the air—like fabric being violently shredded.
Puff!!!
A white blur shot from the shadows, lunging toward Lu Sheng and the guards behind him.
"Look out! It's trying to possess someone!!" Yan Kai shouted.
He knew exactly what kind of spirit they were facing. Demon ghosts were far more dangerous than common specters. Unlike ordinary ghosts, they could possess the living—rendering many of his exorcism techniques useless. If that happened, they’d have no choice but to fight it head-on.
When a demon ghost possessed a host, it could rapidly enhance the victim’s strength, speed, and senses—an unnatural surge that made it especially dangerous.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkGypnu80I
If Yan Kai were in peak condition, he might not have feared it. But right now, with Lu Sheng bringing a large group of people, the situation had become far more perilous.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFAgPhlmrK
To the demon ghost, these men—robust and brimming with blood and energy—were ideal vessels.
Yan Kai felt the exhaustion dragging at his limbs. If the ghost managed to possess someone in this state, especially Lu Sheng, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Get out of the way!!!" Yan Kai roared, surging forward, blood and qi igniting like a blaze.
But he was too slow. The demon ghost moved like lightning.
With a sharp whoosh, the white shadow lunged straight for Lu Sheng, drawn by his overwhelmingly potent life force.
Yan Kai’s heart nearly stopped. Anyone else being possessed would be bad, but if something happened to Lu Sheng... it would be catastrophic.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOWu3eHWc4
In just a single day, they had uncovered the extent of the Lu family’s influence in Jiulian City. From the shadows to the highest levels, their reach was vast.
Clenching his teeth, Yan Kai pushed forward, activating a strange footwork technique. His speed surged as he tried desperately to intercept the ghost.
Clang!!14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3OMa01iyz
A flash of white light burst out.
Lu Sheng’s eyes snapped open.
The air around him trembled, vibrating with a powerful resonance—then came the deafening roar of a tiger.
In a blur, he reached behind his back with his right hand and unsheathed a long sword, striking forward in one fluid motion.
A blinding arc of sword light tore through the air, accompanied by another ferocious tiger’s roar—
Ao!!
Puff!
The white shadow was struck head-on, flung back like a tattered rag. It tumbled through the air before vanishing with a sharp sizzle.
Silence returned.
Lu Sheng slowly sheathed his sword.
His body still pulsed with energy, muscles swollen and veins bulging from the burst of power. He stood there, emanating a fearsome aura—like a wild beast roused from slumber.
Yan Kai came to an abrupt stop, eyes wide as he stared at the spot where the demon ghost had vanished. Then he turned to look at Lu Sheng, whose body was still swollen with surging blood and qi.
For a long moment, he couldn’t find the words.
Duan Rongrong’s eyes sparkled as she stepped beside him.
“Brother Yan Kai, this Master Sheng is incredible…”
She was impressed, though she hadn’t fully grasped the deeper meaning behind that sword strike.
But Yan Kai had. He remained silent, still dazed, until Lu Sheng calmly walked up to him.
“Master, you’ve worked hard. If you hadn’t seriously injured the demon just now, I wouldn’t have been able to finish it off with a single sword,” Lu Sheng said with a modest smile.
“…Master Sheng… you’re too kind,” Yan Kai finally managed to reply, shaking his head as he returned to his senses.
“To be honest, I’ve seen all kinds of exorcists like myself, and I’ve also witnessed different methods to deal with demons and ghosts…14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMiwxTnbLC
But it’s the first time I’ve seen someone solve it using nothing but raw internal energy.”
As he spoke, memories of his earlier words—saying that martial arts were ineffective against ghosts—came back to him. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“Oh?” Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Yan Kai’s expression softened, and the impatience he once had was now gone. He explained patiently,
“Martial arts aren’t completely useless. But only internal energy that’s extremely yang in nature—or has special properties—can inflict real harm on ghosts.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYLRMo6yTd
But even then, the efficiency is horrible. Say our exorcist methods can destroy a demon with one unit of effort—internal energy would need fifty to do the same.”
Hearing this, Lu Sheng finally understood. It also made clear why Yan Kai had looked down on martial artists—there was a huge disparity in effectiveness.
Yan Kai continued,
“But your sword just now—part of it was because I had already injured the demon. The rest is because your internal energy, Master Sheng, seems to possess qualities that mildly restrain these creatures. That’s what made the strike fatal.”
Behind them, Yu Han and the other mansion guards had seen it all. They had watched as Lu Sheng cleaved through the ghost with a single sword stroke.
Though they had been shaken by the battle, their fear was now laced with admiration. The Taoist was clearly formidable, but their young master had proven himself just as exceptional.
Yu Han still felt a chill lingering on his back. When the ghost had flown toward them, he had frozen in terror, breaking out in a cold sweat—but luckily, he hadn’t panicked or embarrassed himself.
Most of the other guards weren’t as composed. The moment the ghost charged, many had turned and run, dropping torches and weapons along the way.
Lu Sheng glanced over his shoulder at the scattered group of guards, then turned his attention back to Yu Han.
"Take care of the area and search around. See if there are any other survivors nearby. Taoist priest, is this place clean now?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6FpNW71IP
Lu Sheng turned and directed the question to Yan Kai.
Yan Kai’s face flushed with embarrassment, recalling his earlier oversight. He quickly nodded.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lu08FCdMR
"Don’t worry. It’s clean now. That one just now was only a fish that slipped through the net."
Duan Rongrong, eyes wide with curiosity, couldn’t take her gaze off Lu Sheng.
Yan Kai added,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkQDpa0xvi
"There’s a tunnel inside. When Miss Zhuan Feng discovered this place, she suspected there might be survivors hiding down there."
"Where is Miss Zhuan Feng?" Lu Sheng asked, just as he spotted her emerging from the Taoist temple.
"Let’s go. We’ll take a look inside."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8dyX3tuJH
With his hand resting firmly on his sword hilt, Lu Sheng stepped toward the temple gate.
Yan Kai and Duan Rongrong moved quickly to his side, passing him in a few strides to lead the way inside.
The Taoist temple, faded to a dull yellow-gray, consisted of three interconnected rooms.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfjsuGvkff
The central hall had no doors, and a large hole in the roof exposed the inside—overgrown with weeds and scattered with stones.
Lu Sheng followed Yan Kai into the main hall. On the far wall, a weathered black-and-white Taiji diagram was painted.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzdXptS6Bs
Before it stood a stone statue, its head cleaved clean off, making it impossible to tell which Taoist deity it once represented.
Yan Kai approached the statue and swept his foot through the weeds on the floor.
Clang.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡharDfdRsIA
With a crisp metallic sound, a square tunnel entrance, just wide enough for a person, was revealed beneath the rubble.
A faint wind whispered up from the tunnel. Standing there, it almost sounded like someone was crying deep below—an eerie, unsettling wail.
Zhuan Feng stepped closer and spoke quietly.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZPZ1eUmFd
"I went down into the tunnel once before. There are some corpses... and a few survivors."
She hesitated as she spoke, her expression troubled, clearly unsure how to describe what she had seen inside.
Lu Sheng looked at Yan Kai, who gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"I’ve heard Miss Zhuan Feng describe it. Only you should go in. Don’t worry—there’s no evil presence left down there. It’s safe now."
Lu Sheng had a bad feeling in his gut. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, forcing down the unease in his chest as he stepped carefully into the tunnel, descending along the worn stone steps.
Zhuan Feng followed quietly behind him. No one else dared to enter.
The tunnel started off narrow, the damp walls brushing close to their shoulders. After about a dozen paces and a turn, they came to a dark iron door, slightly ajar. Faint, unsettling sounds filtered through the gap.
Lu Sheng glanced at Zhuan Feng.
"This is it. The missing people should all be inside," Zhuan Feng said seriously.
Lu Sheng felt a rising curiosity about her.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo56z1WN7u5
What had she experienced to become so composed, so calm in the face of horror? She was young, but there was a hardened stillness about her—like someone who had long grown used to darkness.
The way she remained unfazed when the demons appeared earlier... perhaps she had seen far worse.
Lu Sheng studied her for a moment before asking,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dhqnYFt4L
"Miss Zhuan Feng, would you be interested in joining my Lu family as an honored retainer?"
"No."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTInS7mJIM
Her reply was swift, cold, and final.
"Alright."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQEf2tF6QM
Lu Sheng nodded, unsurprised. He had little to offer aside from money, and he knew it wouldn’t be enough to sway someone like her.
He stepped forward and pushed the iron door open.
With a screech of rusted metal grinding against stone, the door creaked wider, revealing the chamber beyond.
It was a stone-walled secret room, no more than ten steps wide in any direction. The corners were crowded with naked corpses, limbs tangled and lifeless, men and women, old and young, all strewn like discarded dolls.
Amidst the dead were three survivors—two women and one man. They were in good physical shape, their bodies lean and agile, clearly people who trained regularly.
But what made Lu Sheng’s heart plummet was the sight of one of those women.
It was Lu Qingqing.
She was naked, kneeling limply on the ground. Her long hair fell like a veil over her face, which had turned a sickly pale-blue.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4u5WZZQLK1
Hearing the door, she looked up sluggishly. Her once-bright eyes were now dull, blank, unfocused. Saliva dribbled from the corner of her mouth—her expression void of any recognition or awareness.
"Qingqing!"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefCpb4v8LJ
Lu Sheng rushed forward, tearing off his coat and wrapping it around her.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaQaV9UqEY
"Qingqing, wake up! Wake up!"
He gently slapped her cheeks, trying to rouse her.
But nothing changed.
Her eyes remained lifeless. Her mind—gone.
Zhuan Feng stepped closer, a flicker of sadness passing through her gaze.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkn7EhvwZ1
"It’s no use. She’s already lost her mind… The Yin Qi has invaded her brain. Without the support of Yang energy, at least half her mind is dead. It's a miracle she’s even alive. That’s what the Taoist priest said."
Lu Sheng felt as if a heavy weight was pressing against his chest. He stood up slowly, cradling Lu Qingqing in his arms, then turned his eyes toward the other two survivors.
They were both beautiful—well-groomed, fit, almost too perfect. Clearly, they had been kept alive by the evil spirits for some twisted, unknown purpose.
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