Chapter 69: Swift Justice, A Sword of Fury
Mei Hong’an screamed, his mind consumed by terror.
He didn’t care whether the scholar was human or ghost. His only thought was…
To escape, as far away as possible!
This place was far more dangerous than he had imagined. Staying here would mean certain death!
But as he took a step back, he saw the scholar smiling and pointing a finger at him.
“Ah!”
Mei Hong’an instinctively ducked, his heart pounding with fear.
The gesture seemed casual, but an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended upon him, as if facing the wrath of heaven. His bones creaked, and his soul felt like it was being torn apart!
Whoosh—
But the pressure quickly dissipated, replaced by a gentle, warm breeze that caressed his face. Not only was the terrifying aura gone, but even the chilling coldness that had gripped his body vanished. His mind cleared.
“I-I’m alright?”
He realized what had happened.
—The scholar’s finger hadn’t been aimed at him.
Mei Hong’an turned around instinctively.
Guo Sheng’s gruesome face, covered in blood and wounds, was just inches away!
“Hiss—”
He stumbled back, almost screaming in terror.
But he quickly noticed a small hole in Guo Sheng’s forehead, smoke rising from it. His friend’s attack had frozen mid-air.
Then, Guo Sheng’s body crumbled into dust.
“W-what just happened?”
Mei Hong’an murmured, his worldview shattered.
“As you can see, it was just a part of a ghost.”
Lin Tianlu glanced at him. “You were a bit reckless.”
He had assumed that this middle-aged warrior had some kind of trump card, or at least a special weapon.
But he had simply charged in with his blade, only to be scared witless.
He was practically begging for death.
“I-I didn’t know there were such things…” Mei Hong’an’s face was pale.
Lin Tianlu looked at his fear and sighed softly, not saying anything more.
This incident only confirmed his suspicions about this world. The truth about demons, ghosts, and monsters was clearly being concealed, hidden from the public.
This warrior’s recklessness was understandable.
“Wait!” Mei Hong’an suddenly exclaimed. “What about Guo Sheng? He was with me…”
“With you?”
Lin Tianlu sighed. “No, you’re the only living person here. If you’re talking about ‘Guo Sheng,’ perhaps you should take a look at the one in the courtyard.”
A sense of foreboding washed over Mei Hong’an, and he rushed out of the room.
Then, he saw Guo Sheng’s body slumped in a corner of the courtyard, covered in blood, his face pale and lifeless.
“He, he…”
“He’s been dead for a while.” Lin Tianlu said calmly. “You were alone on this mission.”
Mei Hong’an’s face turned pale, and cold sweat dripped down his back.
So the Guo Sheng he had been talking to all this time…
Wasn’t alive?!
He felt a shiver run down his spine.
But remembering the power of that finger, he quickly regained his composure. “Scholar… Master! What should we do?!”
“Master?” Lin Tianlu’s expression turned strange at the title.
It sounded like something a charlatan would call himself.
But he quickly waved his hand dismissively. “Calm down. I’ll take care of this.”
He scanned the seemingly dark courtyard, his senses detecting a network of gray mist, a trap designed to ensnare any prey that entered.
But this also revealed the ghost’s hiding place.
Following the trails of mist, he reached an old well in the backyard.
The well looked ancient, its cover long gone. Although it seemed ordinary at first glance, upon closer inspection… he could see a thick Yin energy emanating from it.
Screech, screech, screech…
The sound of metal scraping against the ground.
Lin Tianlu glanced sideways and saw several figures emerging from the shadows in the corner of the courtyard, dragging their weapons behind them.
Their faces were pale and lifeless, their eyes empty, their bodies withered and decayed.
Judging by their attire, they were the missing martial artists and officers.
But they were clearly dead, now just puppets controlled by a ghost.
Mei Hong’an, who had followed him, was terrified. He grabbed his broken blade and stammered, “Master, I’ll hold them off! You go and deal with that ghost!”
Thud!
With a flick of his sleeve, the approaching puppets collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Mei Hong’an stared at him, dumbfounded.
“There’s no need for that.”
Lin Tianlu withdrew his hand and looked at the old well.
As if sensing the approaching threat, a strange gurgling sound came from the well. Countless black strands of hair shot out, quickly covering the area, twisting and writhing like living creatures.
A woman’s figure emerged from the mass of hair, her face pale and ghostly, a sinister smile on her lips.
And then…
Lin Tianlu stepped forward and slammed his fist down, sending her and all the hair back into the well.
“Aaaaaaaaah!”
A piercing scream echoed from the well, followed by a splash.
“Coming out in the middle of the night to scare people… who do you think you are?!”
Lin Tianlu looked at the lingering blood-red aura in the well, his expression darkening. He tossed a ball of spiritual energy into the well and quickly covered it with the lid.
Bang!
Silence returned to the courtyard.
Only a few wisps of gray mist escaped from the cracks, drawn towards the jade pendant.
Lin Tianlu dusted off his hands and turned to the stunned man with a gentle smile.
“It’s over. You can go home now.”
“…Huh?”
Mei Hong’an was completely bewildered.
It was over?
Wait, what had just happened?
Where was the… ghost?
…
Meanwhile, Hua Shuya was diligently meditating in her room, cultivating her internal energy.
She was keenly aware of her own weakness.
Although the Azure Spirit realm was considered a decent level of cultivation for a martial artist, it was still far from enough to deal with those supernatural beings.
Especially during her fight with Xiao Lanzhu, her usually reliable swordsmanship had felt weak and ineffective. The feeling of helplessness still lingered.
Even if she had advanced from the Pure Yang realm to the Azure Spirit realm, she wouldn’t have been able to change the outcome of that battle.
She would have just been a burden, relying on Senior to save her again and again.
Hua Shuya didn’t dislike being protected by Senior. On the contrary, she felt a secret sense of joy and sweetness.
But…
She didn’t want to trouble him constantly, to make him worry about her.
So, she was now seizing every moment to train diligently. This perseverance and dedication were ingrained in her character, and she wouldn’t give up easily. She would push herself to the limit.
Knock, knock…
A soft knock on the door interrupted her meditation.
Hua Shuya opened her eyes, exhaling slowly, and asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Lin Tianlu’s gentle voice came from outside.
Hua Shuya’s face lit up, and she quickly stood up.
But as she walked towards the door, she hesitated.
“Shuya, open the door. I have something to tell you.”
“What is it, Senior?”
“Ahem… It’s about what I saw today, and… I want to see you…”
“Just a moment, I’ll open the door.”
Hua Shuya’s smile faded. She picked up her sword from the table and walked towards the door.
She flung the door open.
Lin Tianlu stood there, a smile on his face.
Then, his expression suddenly twisted into a grotesque mask, his mouth splitting open almost to his ears!
Thud—!
In the next moment, his head was pierced by a sword. The blade, infused with Azure Spirit energy, burned like a branding iron, making the ‘Lin Tianlu’ scream in pain, struggling desperately.
But the girl’s face remained impassive as she unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, her blade flashing, dismembering and shattering the body until it was reduced to a pile of mud and water.
Hua Shuya, surrounded by a swirling aura of Azure Spirit energy, her face cold and hard, sheathed her sword.
“To dare to impersonate Senior and deceive me, to show such a disgusting form…
You deserve to die!”
The girl’s heart was filled with rage.
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