Chapter 13: Yin Fire Burns, Crumbling Before a Touch
The flames engulfing the fabric shop, both inside and out, were made of Yin energy. Though they didn’t harm flesh and blood, they burned the soul. No ordinary person could withstand their touch.
Yet, this scholar stood before him, unscathed…
The blue-faced man frowned.
Could it be that this scholar possessed such righteous energy that he was immune to Yin and evil?
He scrutinized Lin Tianlu. Indeed, his posture was upright, his appearance refined, a hint of talent in his features.
The scholar smiled gently, bowing slightly.
“You started this fire?”
“…”
The blue-faced man remained silent, but his eyes were filled with killing intent.
“Even with your talents, daring to intrude here means your fate is sealed!”
He flicked his sleeve, and the surrounding flames, under his control, surged towards Lin Tianlu, engulfing him completely.
These flames were no longer a mere threat but a deadly weapon. Even weapons would melt before them, let alone a mortal’s flesh. He would be burned to ashes in an instant.
“The obstacle is removed. Now… it’s your turn, you ignorant thief.” The blue-faced man shifted his gaze towards the interior of the fabric shop, engulfed in flames.
But as he focused, he saw that the other figure within the inferno had vanished, leaving only a faint trace of Yin energy.
The man was stunned, then roared in fury. “Damn it! You dare to steal my ‘food’ and slip away under my nose?
You can’t escape! I will scour this Changling County, dig three feet into the ground if I have to, and drag you out to be consumed by my flames, to experience the tortures of hell!”
He cursed angrily, turning to leave.
“Hey—”
A cold voice suddenly rang out, stopping the blue-faced man in his tracks. He turned around abruptly.
The white-clad scholar, who should have been burned to ashes, emerged from the flames, unharmed.
“You burn down this shop and think you can just walk away?”
Lin Tianlu brushed off a few sparks from his clothes, his gaze cold.
“You—”
The blue-faced man stared in disbelief. “You’re not dead?!”
How could this weak scholar, with no martial arts skills, survive being engulfed in flames?
“It was just a pathetic illusion. Did you really think it could kill anyone?”
Lin Tianlu’s dismissive words shocked the blue-faced man.
His Evil Spirit Flames, reduced to a mere illusion, unable to even scorch the skin of a mere scholar?
No…
It wasn’t his flames that were weak, it was this scholar… there was something strange about him!
“Interesting!”
A predatory smile spread across the man’s face, and he dashed towards Lin Tianlu with blinding speed.
If Yin fire was ineffective, then he would crush him with brute force!
But as he took a step forward, his body froze mid-motion, his hand outstretched in a striking posture.
“Hmm?”
He frowned, his eyes darting around, his gaze sharp as a blade, searching the crowd beyond the flames. “A mere ghost practitioner, daring to interfere?!”
…
Within the crowd outside the inferno…
Mao Ruoyu, her hand seals changing rapidly as she struggled to restrain the blue-faced man, suddenly paled. A thunderous roar echoed in her mind, and she stumbled back, her heart pounding with fear.
This… this was an Evil Spirit!
How could such a terrifying creature exist in a small town like Changling?!
Terror gripped her as a chilling aura filled the air, swirling around them like a cold wind.
Despite the raging flames, the surrounding people shivered, hearing the wails and screams of vengeful spirits. They abandoned their efforts to extinguish the fire and rescue those trapped inside, scattering in fear, not wanting to be tainted by this sinister presence.
“Foolish scholar… this Evil Spirit can’t be contained by mere righteousness. Run away, quickly!”
Mao Ruoyu gritted her teeth, her forehead covered in sweat.
But another roar echoed in her mind, and she finally collapsed, her technique broken, falling to the ground with a gasp.
“—Scholar!”
…
He thought he heard a familiar voice from outside the flames.
Lin Tianlu was puzzled but didn’t pay much attention to it. He was staring at the malevolent ghost with a strange expression.
The ghost had been charging towards him, intent on taking his life, but had suddenly frozen in a rather comical pose.
It looked like the starting position for a hundred-meter sprint.
And…
“Why are his legs crossed?”
Lin Tianlu rubbed his chin, his expression amused.
“Ha!!”
But at that moment, the blue-faced man roared, his body radiating energy, his hair flying wildly, as if breaking free from some invisible restraint. He spread his arms wide, unleashing a wave of Yin wind and fire.
Lin Tianlu frowned.
What kind of performance art was this?
Chest stretches?
The man’s bones cracked as he snarled, “Prepare to die!”
Then, his figure vanished.
Lin Tianlu let out a soft exclamation. A black shadow flickered before his eyes, and a fist struck his chest with terrifying force.
—Boom!!
A dull thud, loud as thunder.
The man laughed coldly.
This scholar could resist the Evil Flames. He must be carrying some kind of protective talisman.
But with his immense power, this punch was enough to shatter his bones and internal organs, leaving him a mangled corpse!
“Let me see what you’re carrying that can withstand the Evil Spirit Flames.”
He retracted his fist—
Huh?
The blue-faced man froze, looking down at his empty shoulder.
Where was his hand?
“Just so you know, I’m not responsible for any injury compensation.”
Lin Tianlu’s nonchalant voice startled him back to reality. “You attacked me first. I haven’t even retaliated.”
“You, you—”
The blue-faced man’s eyes widened in horror, and he stumbled back, clutching his severed shoulder.
This… this wasn’t a scholar!
What kind of scholar had a chest as hard as steel?!
Lin Tianlu brushed off the charred mark on his robe, left by the ghost’s fist, and muttered to himself.
“Unexpectedly weak?”
Seeing the fear in the ghost’s eyes, his own nervousness eased.
He had thought this ghost was even stronger than the one on the mountain, judging by the intensity of the flames.
But it seemed that this ghost had shattered its own arm with a single punch…
Lin Tianlu was dumbfounded.
It was like watching a terrible actor trying to fake an injury.
“But you harbor malice, attacking and killing without hesitation. You can’t be allowed to live.”
Lin Tianlu took a deep breath, his gaze hardening. His vision shifted, the world around him transforming into an ethereal painting, countless points of light swirling and dancing, outlining the blue-faced man’s figure.
Hundreds of streaks of blood-red light pulsed within the ghost’s body, the wails of tortured souls echoing in his ears, as if women and children were begging for release.
“W-wait—”
This ghost deserved to die.
Lin Tianlu flicked his finger.
Pop—
A crisp sound. Before the blue-faced man could beg for mercy, his eyes widened in horror as he collapsed backward.
“Im… poss… ible—”
A hole appeared in the center of his forehead.
Wisps of gray smoke drifted out from the wound, his form fading rapidly.
“I… Li Dong… how could…”
Before he could finish speaking, his body completely dissolved into smoke, and the surrounding flames died down along with him.
Seeing the gray smoke swirling in the air, Lin Tianlu instinctively took out the jade pendant from his pocket.
The smoke was drawn towards the pendant, quickly absorbed and vanishing without a trace.
Lin Tianlu weighed the pendant in his hand and chuckled.
“Is this like changing batteries for a flashlight?”
His expression turned serious as he looked at the spot where the ghost had disappeared.
“How could a ferocious ghost appear in a town filled with Yang energy? I was being naive.”
He couldn’t understand how such a weak ghost had the audacity to cause trouble in a town. Even someone with a basic understanding of exorcism could have easily eliminated it.
“But…
There seem to be more ghosts and demons in this world than I initially thought.”
Lin Tianlu sighed softly and bowed towards the spot where the ghost had vanished.
“May you find peace, those who have suffered and perished.”
…
Some time later, the fire in the fabric shop had been mostly extinguished.
The residents who had fled in fear slowly returned, staring at the scene in bewilderment.
But before they could understand what had happened, a white-clad scholar emerged from the burning building, carrying two unconscious men.
“Is there a doctor! These two are still breathing!”
“There is… there is!”
“Someone, help them!”
The night was filled with commotion as people rushed forward to take the unconscious shopkeeper and his assistant, carrying them to a safe place to administer aid. An elderly man looked at Lin Tianlu with astonishment, bowing repeatedly. “Sir, what did you…”
“The fire in the shop was strange. Although the flames were fierce, they didn’t burn. I managed to rush in and rescue these two.” Lin Tianlu smiled and bowed. “Now that I look back, the fire has mostly died down. Everything is fine.”
“How strange… how strange!”
The surrounding people murmured in surprise.
Seeing them chattering among themselves, Lin Tianlu quietly slipped away from the crowd.
He wasn’t seeking fame or recognition. He had successfully eliminated the ghost and saved two lives. That was enough.
“Hmm?”
But out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar figure struggling to stand up, looking dazed and disoriented.
“Madam?” Lin Tianlu’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Hmm?”
Mao Ruoyu, lost in her own thoughts, turned her head and saw Lin Tianlu. She stared blankly for a moment.
Then, the color drained from her face, as if she had seen a terrifying monster. Her eyes widened in horror, and she clutched her chest, gasping for breath.
Before she could catch her breath, she let out a soft whimper and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Lin Tianlu: “???”
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