67: Chapter 67 Remnants of Maoshan

The atmosphere in the hall became even heavier and more stifling after those few Jianghu guests departed.

Li Wujiu's gaze, like cold lightning, slowly swept over the few remaining people in the hall.

Old Monk Baiyun sat withered like a piece of dead wood, his aura as calm and deep as an ancient well; Prince of Zhou Yuan and his sister were dressed in fine, embroidered silks, their demeanor elegant and their true strength unfathomable.

In terms of cultivation Realm alone, these people were all on par with him.

However, the zombie was treacherous and vicious, not something that ordinary martial arts could contend with.

Li Wujiu asked himself.

When it came to methods for dealing with such sinister and evil creatures, Lin Jiu, a Maoshan Daoist specializing in this Dao, should be the best.

His Talismans, Magical Artifacts, and corpse-suppressing techniques were beyond his own reach.

Old Monk Baiyun had profound Buddhist knowledge and might be able to restrain evil spirits; he shouldn't be far behind.

As for himself and Prince of Zhou Yuan from Youzhou, even though their inner strength was not weak, their methods were not specifically designed to counter zombies, so they were inevitably a notch inferior.

While he was pondering, he heard Prince of Zhou Yuan's clear voice ring out, carrying the reserved curiosity typical of a Young Master from a noble family.

"Since that zombie is so ferocious, how shall we deal with it when the time comes, and who shall lead the attack? We need to have a plan."

Lin Jiu, duty-bound, stood up abruptly, his square face set with the determination to slay demons and eliminate evil.

"Since I came for this matter, and having already clashed with that evil creature, I shall naturally take the lead! It is my duty to eliminate demons and uphold the Dao!"

"Amitabha!" Old Monk Baiyun also stood up, his dry, raspy voice carrying the compassion and firmness of Buddhism.

"Evil spirits are causing havoc, and the common people are suffering. Although this old monk's strength is limited, I will do my utmost to exorcise this fiend and protect the people!"

Prince of Zhou Yuan turned his gaze to Li Wujiu, clearly waiting for him to state his position.

Li Wujiu let out a cold snort, and the long saber at his waist hummed without wind, emitting a low, resonant sound.

His eyes were sharp as blades as he said decisively:

"I, Li, have traveled the Jianghu and have slain no small number of demons and devils! What does it matter if a mere zombie has skin of bronze and bones of iron? I have my own thunderous methods to break it! How can I allow it to wreak havoc?"

He understood this perfectly well in his heart.

As long as his Master, Ding Qing, was here, he would dare to brave even a mountain of blades or a sea of fire!

Not to mention his nature of hating evil, which had long been tempered into fine steel by Ding Qing; seeing evil spirits running rampant, how could he possibly stand idly by?

A glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Prince of Zhou Yuan's eyes as he clapped his hands and said:

"Good! The three of you are truly righteous! Since that is the case, my sister and I will provide support from the sidelines, filling in any gaps, and we will ensure that the fiend cannot escape!"

The roles for surrounding and killing the zombie were thus settled.

Just at this moment, Wen Cai, who had been shrinking behind Lin Jiu the whole time, suddenly raised his hand, seemingly possessed.

He pointed at Ding Qing, who had been sitting upright like a stone Buddha since entering the room, his aura unfathomable.

"Then... what about him?"

"You fool! Shut up!" Qiu Sheng's expression changed, and he grabbed Wen Cai's arm.

He wished he could sew his Junior Brother's mouth shut.

Lin Jiu's expression darkened, and he felt extremely annoyed.

He had failed to teach his disciples properly, and here and now, they had asked such rude and foolish questions to someone so unfathomable that even Old Monk Baiyun had to pay respects to him!

This was undoubtedly a slap in the face to Li Wujiu and his Master!

Wen Cai's gesture was like throwing a boulder into stagnant air, instantly focusing everyone's gaze on Ding Qing.

Li Wujiu's expression suddenly turned icy cold.

The Evil Qi around his body erupted like a tangible force, and the air seemed to drop to freezing point in an instant.

He turned his head abruptly, his cold gaze piercing straight at Lin Jiu, and said, word by word, with chilling menace:

"Daoist Master Lin, control your disciple's mouth! If there is a next time, don't blame me for being ruthless with my blade!"

Qiu Sheng, stirred by this undisguised killing intent, felt his blood boil and retorted with his neck stiffened: "My Junior Brother only..."

"Qiu Sheng!"

Lin Jiu barked at Qiu Sheng to stop, his eyes roiling with anger, but he forced it down.

It was true that he was protective of his disciples, but he also knew deeply that this was no time to act on impulse.

Li Wujiu and his Master were definitely not people to be trifled with.

That Ding Qing was even more mysterious, and even Old Monk Baiyun treated him with awe.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger and embarrassment, and bowed deeply to Li Wujiu, lowering his posture completely.

"Young Hero Li, please calm your anger! This Daoist has failed to teach his disciples well; my unruly disciple spoke without thinking and offended your Master. I apologize on his behalf! I will certainly discipline him strictly when we return!"

"Master, why are you apologizing to him! Wen Cai didn't do anything wrong..."

"Shut up!"

Lin Jiu roared at Qiu Sheng, a rare occurrence.

However, could the pent-up anger of Li Wujiu be quelled by Lin Jiu's single apology?

Seeing Qiu Sheng still daring to talk back, a fierce light flashed in his eyes!

"Clang!"

The ancient long saber at his waist suddenly unsheathed by half an inch!

A condensed, tangible, and chilling Saber Qi, carrying the bone-piercing aura of thunderous Evil Qi.

It instantly tore through the air like cloth, silent yet faster than lightning, slashing straight at Qiu Sheng's face.

Where the Saber Qi passed, the air emitted a faint crackling explosion.

This strike was ruthless, decisive, and merciless!

"Brother Li! Please show mercy!"

At the critical moment, Prince of Zhou Yuan shouted in a low voice.

He did not move his body, but his right hand flashed, striking the hilt of the ornate long sword at his waist.

"Hum!"

A gentle yet incredibly resilient, invisible force of Qi, like ripples in water, instantly surged out, precisely blocking the path of the Saber Qi.

"Pop!"

With a soft sound, the sharp Saber Qi and the resilient Qi force vanished simultaneously, leaving only the surging wind in the hall to flutter everyone's clothes.

Prince of Zhou Yuan still wore the composed smile of a Young Master from a noble family, but his eyes now carried a hint of seriousness.

"Brother Li, everyone! With a great enemy before us and the zombie's ferocity yet to be removed, if we fall into disarray first, wouldn't that just pain our loved ones and gladden our enemies?

Why resort to real violence over a minor verbal misunderstanding? It would be better to let this pass, work together with one heart, and slay the evil spirit; that is the proper course of action!"

Lin Jiu's face was as heavy as water, and he said nothing.

He only protected Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, who were scared pale and had weak legs, tightly behind him.

The depths of his eyes as he looked at Li Wujiu were full of vigilance and suppressed anger.

Everyone in the hall, including Old Monk Baiyun, held their breath, the atmosphere as tense as a drawn bowstring.

Everyone could see that Lin Jiu was eager to protect his disciples, and Li Wujiu's decisiveness in killing was by no means an empty threat.

Just at this moment of deadly stalemate, where even breathing seemed to have stopped.

"Click."

A very slight, yet clear crisp sound, like a jade chime striking in everyone's hearts, came.

It was the sound of a teacup being placed back on the table.

Only to see Ding Qing, who had been sitting at the head of the table, silent as ten-thousand-year-old black ice from the beginning, finally slowly put down the cup of clear tea in his hand that he had barely touched.

He slowly raised his head.

Under the shadow of his bamboo hat, those eyes, like an abyss of molten lava, carried a cold indifference as if looking down on ants, and slowly swept over the faces of everyone in the hall.

Wherever his gaze passed, the air seemed to freeze!

Finally, those two gazes, which seemed capable of piercing through the Soul, landed heavily like two invisible mountains on Lin Jiu's square, stoic face, which was now slightly pale.

A low, hoarse voice, like two pieces of red-hot raw iron being quenched and rubbed together in ice water.

Carrying a cold pressure originating from a higher level of life and undisguised condescension.

It rang out in the deadly silent main hall of the Ren Residence.

Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking everyone's hearts.

"Maoshan Remnants... if you feel you have lived too long..."

Ding Qing paused slightly, his lips, tightly pursed like a blade, outlining a cruel arc.

"I don't mind taking action."