Chi! Gong Ruqing, who had just been screaming in agony at the doorway, was once again cut in half by Lu Sheng. Her severed body collapsed to the side.
"Mr. Li... Mr. Li!! Qingqing is in so much pain..."
Li Shunxi's face turned pale green. Alarmed, he rushed to catch up with Lu Sheng, with Duan Meng'an and Ning San—drenched in sweat—following closely behind.
Lu Sheng strode out of the kitchen. The moment he stepped outside, a fierce gust of wind slammed into his face. Instinctively, he raised his blade to block.
Ding!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbcUo6ltVt
A thunderous clang rang out as a massive force collided with him. Lu Sheng staggered backward, thrown off balance by a dark figure that struck him head-on.
"Another corpse soul?!" Li Shunxi exclaimed in shock as he recognized the silhouette. This estate was too strange—two corpse souls in such quick succession? It was unheard of.
He had only read about such spirits in ancient texts—ghosts immune to blades and bullets, their bodies like iron and bronze, yet vulnerable to fire. Encountering them back-to-back here was beyond comprehension.
As he stood frozen in disbelief, Lu Sheng had already engaged the corpse soul in brutal combat at the doorstep.
The two shadowy figures clashed with fierce force, and after several collisions, they crashed through the kitchen’s right wall and tumbled outside.
Duan Meng'an grabbed Li Shunxi and, with Ning San, rushed out of the kitchen. Behind them, the ghostly figures of the former lady’s guards surged forward in pursuit.
One of the ghosts lunged forward, slashing Duan Meng'an's back with a claw. His clothes tore apart, and five deep, bloody gashes marked his back.
"Ahhh!"
Duan Meng'an screamed and ran faster, his survival instincts kicking in.
Li Shunxi and Ning San didn't dare look back—they broke into a sprint toward the manor’s main gate.
Bang!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMYzMtwSd3
In the center of the backyard, Lu Sheng's right palm, now glowing red like burning metal, struck the corpse soul square in the chest. But at the same moment, the corpse retaliated with a brutal kick to Lu Sheng’s lower abdomen. Blood surged to his face—he had clearly suffered internal injuries.
"Die!" Lu Sheng growled. With his other hand, he gripped his straight blade tightly, seized the corpse by the neck at close range, and sliced through with brutal force.
Chi!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8JwNbpsuP
A geyser of thick, black blood sprayed across his body.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOiNs3uMsH
The corpse thrashed violently, landing blow after blow on Lu Sheng, whose face flushed from the impact.
But Lu Sheng was already channeling the Black Tiger Jade Crane Art, fusing it with the Yin-Yang Guiding Force to swiftly repair his damaged organs and restore his strength from within.
The situation was dire. Lu Sheng knew he had to trade blows and finish off the corpse soul quickly—if this dragged on, the manor might unleash more tricks, leaving them overwhelmed.
The corpse’s relentless strikes landed hard, causing internal damage, but it didn’t faze Lu Sheng. Thanks to the Black Tiger Jade Crane Art, his wounds were already stabilizing. The technique’s specialty was rapid hemostasis—burst blood vessels were immediately compressed by his internal energy, halting the bleeding. With just a few days of rest, even serious trauma would heal, much like a shallow cut on a finger.
Had he not been concerned about depleting his strength too soon, Lu Sheng would’ve unleashed the Tiger Roaring Crane Blade and ended the fight with a single, decisive blow.
"Boss! Let’s go!" Duan Meng’an’s shout came from the distance. He and the others had taken advantage of the chaos to run ahead, circling around the manor house toward the front courtyard.
Lu Sheng delivered a powerful palm strike, flinging the corpse away. Before its body could dissolve, he stamped the ground with force, launching himself forward like an arrow with a loud bang.
In just a few strides, he caught up with the three, and together they dashed toward the manor's gate.
"Why must we go through the gate? Can’t we just climb over the wall?" Ning San asked anxiously.
"No! This is a ghost array!" Li Shunxi shouted as they reached the courtyard. "If you climb the wall, you'll just return to the kitchen cellar—that's the array’s core! Destroy the tree!" He pointed to a withered black tree beside the stone bridge.
Bang!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2hv0TdxSF
Duan Meng’an used all his strength to slam into the tree. The dead trunk, thick as a man’s forearm, cracked and toppled with a snap.
But the force of the impact made Duan Meng’an dizzy. Staggering, he was caught by Ning San, and the two rushed toward the villa gate.
Lu Sheng stayed behind for one final strike—he cut down a ghost guard that had nearly caught up.
Suddenly, a sharp scream echoed from the yard.
"Ah!!"
It was Song Yunjuan. The young girl came running, chased by a wild-haired ghost, her small frame stumbling toward the gate.
"Help!" she cried out, her face pale, streaked with tears and snot as she nearly fell mid-run.
"It’s the little girl from that manor!" Li Shunxi muttered. He hesitated for a moment, eyes flicking from the ghost to the child. The distance between them was just enough—they could save her and still escape.
"You go first!" he ordered in a deep voice, unable to stand idly by.
Duan Meng’an and Ning San turned to him, eyes wide with disbelief and reluctant understanding.
"Boss is faster than us! If you get caught, don't expect any help!"
"Stop talking nonsense—go! Take advantage of the formation while it's still active!" Li Shunxi made up his mind. He couldn’t bear to watch a young girl die in such a dangerous place, not when they had a chance to save her.
Duan Meng'an and Ning San glanced at the little girl, hesitation written all over their faces.
"Help! Brother! Big brother!!" Song Yunjuan cried out desperately. As she ran, her foot caught on a sharp stone, and she tumbled to the ground. The female ghost behind her lunged.
"Ah!!"28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAVtiXZdvx
She let out a terrified scream, shutting her eyes tight.
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Just then, Lu Sheng surged forward from behind like a blazing storm. He grabbed the ghost by the head, his scorching palm sizzling on contact, white smoke curling from her skull.
With a violent twist, he hurled the ghost backward, sending her crashing far into the shadows.
Song Yunjuan stared up at him, eyes brimming with gratitude.
"Thank you, big—"
Bang!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBKNrdXXHU
Before she could finish, Lu Sheng kicked her square in the head. The force launched her across the courtyard, slamming her into a stone pillar. Her body rebounded mid-air.
Chi!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxaIRw3zjP
A cold gleam of steel flashed—Lu Sheng’s blade split her in two. Blood sprayed across the ground as her wide, confused eyes stared lifelessly, as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Boss...!!" Duan Meng’an and Ning San stood frozen, stunned.
Li Shunxi, too, was in disbelief. He had never imagined this outcome.
Without a word, Lu Sheng turned and charged toward the manor gate. With a single slash of his blade—
Crack!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezrni3qkKm
The wooden door shattered. Lu Sheng dashed out, and the others quickly followed.
But the moment they stepped outside, all three stopped in their tracks.
Beyond the manor stood a sea of people and horses—over a hundred strong, all fully armed.
Lu Sheng stormed to the front, grabbed a torch from one of the men, and turned back toward the manor.
"Burn it!" he shouted.
"Burn!" another voice echoed—one of the Red Whale Gang’s leaders.
Immediately, the gathered gang members lit torches, raised bows, and took aim at the Song Family Estate.
Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rhaCTZ6Lf
Dozens of flaming arrows whistled through the night air. Sparks rained down as they struck the manor.
In an instant, flames erupted.
The fire, at first flickering, quickly swelled—glowing red and hot, consuming everything in its path. The inferno roared, growing stronger and more violent with each passing second.
Lu Sheng mounted his horse, his eyes fixed coldly on the burning manor. Flames crackled and roared, but his expression remained still—unmoving, unfeeling.
The fire continued to grow, consuming the buildings inch by inch under the watchful eyes of the Red Whale Gang.
"Sir, the firewood on all sides has been lit," a subordinate reported, licking his lips nervously.
"Keep firing the fire arrows!" Lu Sheng ordered, his voice icy.
"Yes!"
The gang members quickly prepared another volley. They dipped their arrows into oil bags, lit them, and drew their bows.
Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi!!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cnGDLSaqu
A second wave of flaming arrows launched into the night, arching through the air and slamming into the manor.
Suddenly—
ROAR!!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJe3Il8fr4
A piercing, inhuman sound erupted from the flames. At the scorched entrance of the manor, a small burning figure emerged—it was the little girl, Song Yunjuan.
Her body was engulfed in fire, yet she stood upright, howling at the crowd. The roar she let out didn’t belong to a child—it was the shriek of something monstrous.
Without warning, she lunged toward them, only to slam into an invisible barrier just outside the gate.
She screeched again, her charred face melting like candle wax. Her skin drooped, and three dark holes formed where her eyes and mouth should have been. The roaring continued, echoing with unnatural rage.
ROAR!!!
BANG!!!28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXuy0Mag8e
A high-speed spinning blade slammed into her face, knocking her backward into the burning manor.
Lu Sheng lowered his hand after the throw and bellowed, "Keep shooting! Don’t stop until everything is gone!"
The gang members were trembling. Some nearly fled on the spot, their faces pale from terror. But Lu Sheng’s commanding voice snapped them back to focus. Gritting their teeth, they readied more arrows and resumed the assault.
Flaming arrows rained again. One round. Two. Then three.
Eventually, the inferno swallowed the entire estate. The flames climbed skyward, devouring every beam, every brick, until all was a sea of fire.
Then—
Click.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQz9rtkj4R
From the burning gate, a scorched figure burst out, tumbling to the ground. The flames clinging to him hissed and died as he rolled through the dirt, groaning and thrashing.
The gang instantly froze. A few drew their bows, aiming at the blackened figure.
"Wait!" Lu Sheng raised his hand sharply, halting them.
He dismounted and strode forward. As he drew near, he recognized the man through the burns—it was the scholar he'd glimpsed earlier that day when passing the village.
The man was severely burned. His skin was blistered and torn, face barely recognizable—yet he laughed. A wild, hoarse laugh.
Then, with trembling hands, the scholar reached out and scraped something into the dirt: I am a human.
Lu Sheng's eyes narrowed. Then he spoke in a deep, commanding tone.
"Treat his injuries. He’s not a ghost. He’s a human."
The order rang clear—but no one moved. The men around him stood frozen in place, too shaken to obey.
After a long, tense moment, a few brave members of the Red Whale Gang finally stepped forward. They cautiously helped the burned scholar to his feet and examined his condition.
"My goodness... this man's tongue was cut out. No wonder he couldn’t speak," an older gang member muttered, swallowing hard, eyes wide with disbelief.
At that moment, Lu Sheng took a closer look and confirmed it—this was indeed the same scholar he had seen earlier that day. His clothing, though scorched, was still recognizable.
Lu Sheng’s ability to distinguish ghosts from the living wasn’t based on superstition—it was honed by his terrifyingly sharp five senses. His three internal martial arts techniques, each of which would take an ordinary practitioner decades to master, had elevated his physical perception to an almost inhuman level. The combined strength of these arts gave him internal vigor that surpassed what most could attain in a hundred years of cultivation.
Thanks to that internal power, Lu Sheng's five senses had reached an extreme. Within ten meters, he could hear even the faintest heartbeat or whisper of breath.
That was how he had known—without a doubt—that Gong Ruqing and the others in the manor were not human.
He had paid close attention to the details. At the front gate, he found only four sets of footprints: his, Duan Meng’an’s, Ning San’s, and Li Shunxi’s. No others.
Even in the dead of night, that tiny detail hadn't escaped Lu Sheng’s enhanced eyesight.
Suspicious, he further investigated—and noticed a faint scent clinging to Gong Ruqing and the others. It was identical to the subtle fragrance coming from the little girl, Song Yunjuan.
From that point on, the truth had become clear.
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