63: Pei Xuanji, you have no moral integrity! [Two chapters in one

Chapter 63: Pei Xuanji, You Don't Play Fair! [Two-in-one Chapter]

After hearing the old man's words, Li Yunshu's mind exploded, and in that instant, he understood many things.

From beginning to end, this was a trap; that map was meant to lead him to Western Zhou.

Thinking of that map, he immediately thought of Shen Yuan in the Soul Banner.

Initially, that map was obtained from Shen Yuan.

The Soul Banner trembled, and he released Shen Yuan from it.

Upon seeing the old man, Shen Yuan's eyes lit up.

Turning to look at Li Yunshu beside her, she immediately rushed to the old man and grabbed his sleeve.

"Where is my daughter! Where is my daughter!"

Shen Yuan knelt on the ground, pointing at Li Yunshu.

"I've already led him here, you can return my daughter to me now, right?"

Li Yunshu's face was ashen; he had fallen into the trap after all.

They had taken Shen Yuan's daughter, making her pretend to seek him out.

And once he took Shen Yuan in, he would inevitably discover the Cosmos Sack on her, and the map inside.

He was appointed Imperial Envoy by the Empress, and the matter of seeking the Three-legged Toad was not a secret.

The other party used this very point to lead him step by step into this trap.

Careless... At this moment, Li Yunshu truly regretted letting the Empress leave.

He had originally thought that with the Red-Clothed Vengeful Spirit, capturing the Three-legged Toad was a sure thing.

He didn't expect to be ambushed.

The only consolation was that the Three-legged Toad was real; it was just a pity he didn't know if he would even live to bring it back to Great Chu.

If he were in the Great Chu Capital, he naturally wouldn't be afraid; at worst, he could shout for His Majesty's help.

But here in the Mizang Forest of Western Zhou, he feared his cries would go unanswered, whether to heaven or earth.

Now, he could only take a gamble: he and the Red-Clothed Vengeful Spirit against this old man.

Amidst Shen Yuan's desperate pleas, the old man flicked his sleeve and said,

"She died a long time ago. Don't worry, I will send you and your daughter to reunite."

Shen Yuan, who had just been pleading desperately, suddenly fell silent.

Her mouth hung open, her eyes vacant, only one sentence echoing in her mind.

'She's already dead, dead...'

Li Yunshu was not surprised by this.

How could someone who used another's daughter as a bargaining chip possibly care for a girl for so long?

Moreover, a Yin spirit was like an ant in the eyes of these people.

After luring him to the Mizang Forest, she no longer had any use.

To get the upper hand, Li Yunshu released the White-robed Yin Spirit.

Soon, a spatial rift quietly appeared behind the old man.

However, the method that had always worked failed this time.

The old man's figure remained still, but the spatial rift froze in the air, unable to swallow him.

In the air, that spatial rift was like a giant black mouth, yet it could do nothing to the old man before it.

As Li Yunshu expected, the old man completely ignored Shen Yuan beside him.

"It's useless, don't struggle."

Li Yunshu clenched his palm; if he couldn't draw this old man into the Red-Clothed Vengeful Spirit's space, he would lose his biggest advantage.

No need to ask, he knew this old fellow's cultivation must be above the Soul Transformation Stage.

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but there was no way to save himself.

The old man picked up his fishing basket and said,

"Don't worry, my task is to bring you alive back to the Capital. As long as you behave, I won't bully the young."

Upon hearing that he was to be taken back to the Western Zhou Capital, Li Yunshu's first thought was that the fake roster had been exposed.

Then he reconsidered, that wasn't right; this trap had been set a month ago.

At that time, he hadn't even thought of stealing the roster.

Who could command someone with such cultivation?

"Why do you want to take me back to the Capital?"

"Naturally, someone wants to see you."

"Who?" Only two people came to Li Yunshu's mind, "The Western Zhou Emperor? The Empress Dowager?"

The old man lifted his leg and walked towards Li Yunshu, speaking calmly.

"The Empress Dowager has decreed that you are to enter the palace for an audience."

However, as he took one step, his other foot was firmly rooted to the spot.

Looking down, he saw that Shen Yuan's hand was gripping his ankle tightly.

"You—"

Li Yunshu narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling a powerful surge of resentment and malice wash over him.

Shen Yuan's long hair flew, and powerful waves of Aura swept out, causing ripples on the lake's surface.

This was no Yin spirit; her Aura was even stronger than the Red-Clothed Vengeful Spirit.

Although there were many Yin spirits in the Soul Banner, this was the first time he had seen such a situation.

A Yin spirit, evolving into a Vengeful Spirit in just a few words, was that possible?

Turning to look at the White-robed Yin Spirit beside him, it wore an equally shocked expression.

Well, no need to ask; this one certainly wouldn't know either.

Shen Yuan suddenly looked up, her eyes completely black.

A chilling voice echoed through the forest.

"Return my daughter!"

Bang!

Shen Yuan grabbed the old man's ankle, suddenly turned, and swung her arm in a full 180-degree circle, slamming the old man heavily onto the ground.

Whoosh!

The fish that had just been caught flew out of the fishing basket and splashed into the lake.

Its tail swayed, and it quickly disappeared into the water.

Whoa!

Li Yunshu leaned back slightly, exclaiming, "Good heavens!"

This was no longer a Vengeful Spirit; it was definitely a Malignant Spirit!

With the old man's strength, it was impossible for him to be pinned down and rubbed against the ground by a mere Vengeful Spirit.

To achieve this, it had to be at least a Malignant Spirit.

At this moment, the tension in Li Yunshu's heart quietly disappeared; he had been scared to death just moments ago, but now he was just watching the show.

A Malignant Spirit would be enough to give this old fellow a hard time.

At this point, he also understood a few things.

After death, spirits form because of obsession or resentment.

To put it simply, the power of a spirit comes from that obsession and resentment.

And depending on the strength of the obsession and resentment, the power of the formed spirit also varies.

Thus, there are distinctions between Yin spirits, Vengeful Spirits, Malignant Spirits, and Cursed Spirits.

Shen Yuan's dramatic change was all because the old man had killed her daughter.

When Shen Yuan learned this news, her inner resentment surged, transforming her from a Yin spirit into a Malignant Spirit.

After understanding all this, Li Yunshu couldn't help but gasp, he and the old man before him had underestimated the power contained within a mother.

To be honest, with the Soul Banner in hand, he had unknowingly developed a disdain for Yin spirits.

Now he realized that every Yin spirit should not be underestimated.

Thinking of this, his gaze fell upon the Soul Banner again.

Shen Yuan had already been branded by the Soul Banner, so theoretically, she couldn't harm him.

But this was, after all, an ordinary Soul Banner, and it had its limits. He wondered if it could still contain Shen Yuan later.

While he was distracted, the old man had already been beaten beyond recognition.

Shen Yuan's strength far surpassed the old man's; there was no suspense in this battle at all.

She picked up the old man, who was barely clinging to life, and questioned him.

"Where is my daughter?"

The old man spat out a mouthful of blood. He subtly crushed the jade talisman in his hand, then bared his teeth and said,

"She was fed to Yao Beasts long ago."

"Ah!"

Shen Yuan roared in fury, directly shattering the old man into a mist of blood, which dissipated into the air.

Moments later, silence fell over the forest.

Shen Yuan knelt on the ground, her face full of bewilderment.

Although she had avenged her daughter, she felt as if she had been completely drained.

Li Yunshu looked at the large lake nearby and tentatively spoke.

"Although it's a bit inappropriate, can you help me catch the Three-legged Toad?"

He could feel that the Soul Banner's brand was still there.

In the current situation, he found it somewhat difficult to rely on the Red-Clothed Vengeful Spirit to catch the Three-legged Toad.

If he could see the Three-legged Toad, it would be fine, but the commotion from the fight hadn't even drawn the toad out.

Even if he wanted to use a spatial rift to swallow it, there was no target.

Shen Yuan suddenly turned, her eyes fixed on Li Yunshu, making his hair stand on end.

She slowly stood up, her voice tinged with a plea.

"Can you let me go afterward?"

Hearing this request, Li Yunshu was naturally a thousand times unwilling.

One must know, this was a Malignant Spirit before him, something incredibly rare to find.

Shen Yuan continued,

"I just want to avenge my daughter."

Li Yunshu looked at the bloodstains on the ground; the old man was now just a blood-soaked garment.

"Haven't you already had your revenge?"

Shen Yuan shook her head.

"There's also the Western Zhou Empress Dowager."

Whoa!

The Western Zhou Empress Dowager!

Hearing this answer, Li Yunshu's liver trembled.

The Western Zhou Empress Dowager's status in Western Zhou was akin to the Great Chu Empress.

Although Western Zhou was nominally ruled by the Emperor, the Empress Dowager's strength was beyond doubt.

Didn't he see how even the Empress, with her temper, behaved herself in the Western Zhou Capital?

"You, you should know the Western Zhou Empress Dowager's strength, right?"

Although Shen Yuan could easily kill the old man just now, the Western Zhou Imperial Palace couldn't possibly be without a single expert.

She probably wouldn't even get to see the Empress Dowager before her spirit was dispersed.

Shen Yuan shook her head, her voice firm.

"Even if it's like throwing an egg against a rock, I won't hesitate."

Her daughter was dead; she had no more attachments to this world.

Having her spirit dispersed by being struck down would only be a form of release for her.

Li Yunshu really wanted to refuse this crazy idea, but he didn't dare.

This mother's resentment was so strong it had reached the level of a Malignant Spirit.

If he pushed too hard, it was hard to guarantee he wouldn't suffer the same fate as the old man just now.

"Alright, you help me catch the Three-legged Toad, and then I'll let you go."

Seeing his agreement, Shen Yuan bowed to Li Yunshu.

"Thank you."

Shen Yuan soared into the air, hovering above the large lake.

She clapped her hands heavily towards the lake, and a giant pillar of water shot up into the sky.

In the sunlight, a golden toad, glowing with golden light, was propelled into the air by the water column.

Li Yunshu looked up at the Three-legged Toad in the sky, and his heart finally settled.

Under Shen Yuan's immense pressure, the Three-legged Toad couldn't move at all.

Just as Li Yunshu was about to collect the Three-legged Toad into the Red-Clothed Vengeful Spirit's space, an unexpected change occurred.

Purple Qi came from the east, instantly kicking Shen Yuan away.

The Empress, dressed in a cheongsam, stood in mid-air, with the Three-legged Toad controlled beside her.

Recognizing the newcomer, Li Yunshu jumped up and shouted,

"Pei Xuanji, you don't play fair!"

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. Only now did he realize that the Empress had not returned to Great Chu at all, but had been hiding in the shadows.

She was just waiting for him to find the Three-legged Toad, then intercept it halfway.

Vicious, truly too vicious!

However, the situation was far more complex than he had imagined.

He suddenly felt a powerful pressure engulfing his surroundings; he couldn't move.

And that pressure was not coming from the Empress.

At this moment, the Empress's figure suddenly vanished, and when she reappeared, she was above his head.

Bang!

Li Yunshu felt a buzzing in his ears, and the enormous collision ripple slammed him directly to his knees.

Pfft!

The shock made him spit out a mouthful of blood.

Even so, he didn't forget his Three-legged Toad.

Taking advantage of the Empress's distraction, a spatial rift appeared, instantly swallowing the Three-legged Toad that was trying to escape.

Li Yunshu's ears were ringing, as if a thunderclap had exploded beside them.

He turned his head and saw a silver-haired old woman in mid-air behind him.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and, supporting himself, stood up.

An old woman whose strength was on par with the Empress; her identity could only be one—the Western Zhou Empress Dowager.

The old fishing man had once said that the Western Zhou Empress Dowager wanted to see him.

He hadn't expected this old woman to find him so quickly.

The reason she wanted to see him was most likely also for the secret of Ascension.

His master's wife had said back then that countless people were watching him, just to know the secret of Ascension.

Now that he thought about it, he felt a real sense of dread that he had dared to run to the Western Zhou Capital and cause trouble right under the Empress Dowager's nose.

Yu Linglong glanced at Li Yunshu and said,

"I didn't expect the Great Chu Empress to come to my Western Zhou for this young man."

Pei Xuanji said coldly,

"Old hag, don't even dream of Ascension."

"Hmph." Yu Linglong snorted, "If others can achieve Ascension, why can't this Empress?"

After speaking, she looked at Li Yunshu.

"Young man, come with this Empress. Whatever Pei Xuanji can give you, this Empress can give you."

Li Yunshu glanced at the old woman, thinking, 'You can forget about it.'

I want black silk-clad jade feet; do you have them?

Seeing his disdainful expression, Yu Linglong's withered hand reached out towards him.

Pei Xuanji's Phoenix eyes narrowed, her figure flashed, once again blocking Yu Linglong, then she coldly said to Li Yunshu,

"Hurry up and get out!"

She had already told this fellow that coming to Western Zhou was suicide, but he wouldn't listen.

Li Yunshu raised the Soul Banner in his hand, collecting the White-robed Yin Spirit, then swiftly retreated.

In a battle of this magnitude, his presence here wouldn't help.

However, Yu Linglong's next words made him stop.

"Your spiritual power is unstable; are you injured?"

Step.

Li Yunshu's footsteps halted. He stopped and turned to look at the Empress.

It was already past noon, and the Empress hadn't bathed or absorbed his Pure Yang Qi.

Therefore, she could revert to her original form at any moment.

The runes on the Empress's back would limit her strength, and at that point, she would certainly not be a match for the old woman.

Thinking of this, he knew he couldn't leave.

Not just for the Empress, but also for himself.

If the Empress died here, even if he escaped, this old woman could still capture him and bring him back to Western Zhou.

At that time, truly no one would be able to protect him; even his master's wife would not be a match for this old woman.

At this moment, the sky grew dim, the surrounding trees became covered in a layer of frost, and the Empress moved.

Li Yunshu's expression deepened a few shades; the Empress's impatience indicated that she wanted to end the battle quickly, otherwise she wouldn't be able to hold on.

He could see it, and Yu Linglong naturally could too.

In the sky, a white light bloomed, forcing Li Yunshu to shield his eyes.

Boom!

When he opened his eyes again, Yu Linglong had already appeared before him.