Chapter 253

Chen Jing’s body began to heat up, his skin flushed red, and the blood within him seemed to boil. Wisps of white smoke escaped from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, making him resemble a volcano on the verge of eruption.

When the rock suppressing his family affection was shattered, the inherent brutality from his bloodline and bones was completely unleashed. The fury of revenge consumed his reason. Now, he was actively summoning and amplifying this power within him.

Li Zhuiyuan stood by, watching him calmly. He hadn't spent much time with this young Taoist priest; Tan Wenbin had handled that task for the past few days. Therefore, what concerned him now wasn't anything else, but whether the young Taoist could control this power. Anger was fine, but he mustn't lose his mind because of it.

Tan Wenbin, sitting in his wheelchair, felt much more conflicted at this moment. He looked at Chen Jing with a hint of concern in his eyes. Tan Wenbin genuinely liked this boy: cheerful, enthusiastic, and sensible. Yet, from this day forward, all of that had to be erased from him. But this was an unavoidable situation. The entire incident, from beginning to end, was a tragedy. They were merely a group of people who had arrived at a midway point in this tragedy. Even if they wanted to act charitably and do something, it would be meaningless.

Suddenly, Chen Jing's aura became erratic. He was, after all, unable to control this power on his first attempt. His face began to contort, and his expression turned ferocious.

Li Zhuiyuan pressed his thumb into red clay, then touched Chen Jing's forehead. His fingertip was scorching hot, but Li Zhuiyuan forced himself to press down further. After a moment, he suddenly pulled his hand away. To the naked eye, a normal person would only perceive a blurring in that area. However, from a spirit-walking perspective, one could see a ball of green demonic fire being extracted by Li Zhuiyuan, then neutralized by black karmic fire.

In an instant, a sense of clarity filled the ward. Even the lights seemed to brighten, and the air became exceptionally fresh. Chen Jing’s expression eased slightly. He had just felt as though his body was about to burst, and now the pressure had been relieved in time.

Li Zhuiyuan initially wanted to push him, but after glancing down at his thumb, which was reddened and peeling from the heat, he opted to lift his foot and kick him with the sole of his boot. The kick wasn't forceful, but its direction was precise, causing Chen Jing to lose his balance and stumble a few steps to his left, eventually falling towards Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin caught Chen Jing. The boy seemed to have found an outlet; whether it was a psychological need for reliance or the physical torment of his feverish state, he clung tightly to Tan Wenbin. Tan Wenbin's coldness finally brought the boy's body temperature down.

“Thank you, Brother Binbin…”

Tan Wenbin reached out and stroked his head. Amidst the alternating hot and cold, the boy's hair quickly became soaked, as if he had just washed it.

“Don’t worry, we will help you avenge…”

Before Tan Wenbin could finish his sentence, the boy had already fallen asleep.

Lin Shuyou entered the ward from outside. “Brother Bin, I’ll take the child out so he can get some good sleep.” A-You could see the closeness between Brother Bin and the boy.

Zhao Yi, leaning against the doorway, showed a playful smile and squinted at Li Zhuiyuan.

Tan Wenbin pushed A-You’s hand away and said to Zhao Yi, “Young Master Zhao, please take the trouble to settle the child.” Uncharacteristically, Zhao Yi didn't refuse. He simply nodded, walked over, picked up the child, and gave Tan Wenbin an extra look or two. Zhao Yi felt that this person had also made great progress.

Next, they notified the medical staff to handle the grandfather's body, forged a relative's signature, and had the grandfather's body placed in the hospital morgue. Then, Lin Shuyou was to liaise and settle the medical expenses incurred since admission, covering any outstanding balance. They also arranged for someone to look after the comatose grandmother. In those days, professional caregivers were not common, so they simply found an empty bed and gave some money to a seemingly reliable family member nearby to watch over her.

After completing these tasks, everyone gathered in Xu Ming’s ward, except for Zhao Yi, who was accompanying Chen Jing.

After three days of healing, Xu Ming's injuries inflicted by Lin Shuyou had recovered. He had removed his bandages and cast and was performing stretches in place. The Liang sisters sat side by side on the hospital bed, one holding a mung bean popsicle, the other a bowl of brown sugar ice jelly.

Liang Yan: “So, what do we do next?”

Liang Li: “Didn’t we say we’d act immediately once the injured had recovered?”

Run Sheng remained silent, simply standing there, carrying a bundle for Yin Meng. Yin Meng leaned against the corner, holding a needle and thread, mending her demon-slaying whip. The two of them were already accustomed to not thinking much; they would just do whatever they were told when the time came.

Lin Shuyou stood by with his arms crossed, constantly rising slightly onto his toes and then lowering them. His brows furrowed and relaxed intermittently. Unlike the other two who were completely disengaged, A-You at least *performed* thinking.

Seeing no one respond, Liang Yan asked again, “Give us a definite answer, please?”

Liang Li: “Exactly! Consider that our leader isn’t here; you should at least give us some extra consideration.”

Tan Wenbin explained, “We’re waiting for your leader to lose the person.”

Lin Shuyou nodded.

Liang Yan: “Lose? Will that Taoist priest come to snatch the child?”

Liang Li: “Then what are we all doing here? We should go support the leader!”

Tan Wenbin: “The child will run away on his own. Of course, your leader will also intentionally let him run.”

Lin Shuyou smiled and continued to nod. He thought to himself: *No wonder Brother Bin didn’t let me look after the child; he was afraid I’d watch him too closely and prevent him from escaping.*

Earlier, when Chen Jing had fallen into Tan Wenbin's arms and called him “Brother Binbin,” Tan Wenbin could see in the child's eyes that he no longer trusted him. After experiencing what he had, Chen Jing's worldview had collapsed, leaving him like a frightened and utterly bewildered small animal. Moreover, their group's seemingly omniscient intervention in his life, and their recent display of extraordinary abilities, was enough to make him suspicious. Even if they genuinely harbored no ill will towards him, at this point, no explanation would be effective. It was better to let him act according to his own desires. He intended to seek revenge, so they should let him go and follow behind him, letting him lead the way.

Just then, a nurse walked to the door, knocked, and said, “The person ran away.” As everyone looked at the nurse, she collapsed. Lin Shuyou walked over, moved the nurse's uniform aside, and found a few talismans and chair legs inside. That Zhao Yi, even for a simple notification, he had to make it showy.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze swept over everyone present, lingering particularly on the Liang sisters, and he declared: “Let's go!”

After settling the young Taoist priest in bed, Zhao Yi went about borrowing a knife to peel an apple and getting hot water from the boiler room, essentially giving him the freedom to sneak away. Chen Jing did not disappoint Zhao Yi's expectations; he ran, and he ran by jumping out the window. Having awakened the demonic blood within him, he now possessed physical abilities far surpassing his past self. Although this power was unstable and caused him great discomfort, he needed it for revenge.

Zhao Yi formed a hand seal, created a simple puppet to deliver a message, then went down the stairs. He didn't jump out the window with Chen Jing, fearing that being too close would make him detectable. It was better to keep some distance. A freshly escaped prey has the highest vigilance at the start.

Chen Jing kept looking back as he ran, carefully observing his surroundings. He couldn't trust anyone now, not even Brother Binbin, who had been with him for the past few days, because their appearance was too strange; they seemed to have known the truth all along. What, then, did he mean to them? Consumed by rage, Chen Jing had lost the ability to think rationally. Now, he didn't care about anything else, only finding his master and seeking revenge. Fortunately, he ran very fast and unexpectedly. They didn't notice him or chase after him.

Chen Jing focused on adjusting to his physical changes, allowing his speed to increase. Gradually, he stopped running on two legs and began moving on all fours, a posture that felt more comfortable to him. As he ran, Chen Jing sniffed, then looked suspiciously to his right, but when he sniffed again, he couldn't smell anything. After he left, Zhao Yi's figure appeared there.

“Dog nose?” Earlier, Zhao Yi had started closing the distance, thinking the other party's vigilance had dropped. Who would have thought that as soon as he got close, the other party seemed to have caught his scent.

“Is his demonic bloodline that of a dog? Forget it, let’s just say it’s a mastiff. Calling it a dog doesn’t sound good.” The demonic blood exchanged at the young Taoist priest’s birth should be of a high level. If the deepest entity truly belonged to the Yu family, then this demonic blood should come from a demonic beast close to the Yu family.

Zhao Yi took a small box from his pocket, opened the lid. Inside the lid was a delicate mirror. Below it were numerous small indentations, containing different scented powders. Applying these was partly to attract attention, but primarily to mask his own aura. His fingernail continuously scraped inside these indentations. After mixing the powders, he pulled out a talisman to wrap his fingernail, flicked it gently, and the talisman burned, the fragrant powder dissipating to envelop Zhao Yi completely. From then on, Zhao Yi’s scent would blend with the surrounding environment.

He chased after Chen Jing again, trying to get closer. It worked very well; Chen Jing’s nose didn't react again, which gave Zhao Yi further room to maneuver. The boy went up Qingcheng Mountain; his destination was that Taoist temple. But Zhao Yi already knew the location of Shen Huaiyang's temple, and Sun Yan was still guarding it. There was no point in the boy going to the temple.

Zhao Yi began to anticipate the boy's direction of travel, maximizing his movement technique, running ahead to set up arrangements in advance. How could a newly awakened little demon compete with an old hunter like him? Soon, Chen Jing found himself trapped in formations similar to "ghost walls," unable to successfully bypass them despite changing direction several times. He didn't realize Zhao Yi was behind it, only assuming it was his master's arrangements, intentionally blocking him out of fear of his approach. Ultimately, Chen Jing completely changed his route, no longer aiming for the Taoist temple, but instead heading deeper into another large mountain.

Zhao Yi, having achieved his goal, smiled and nodded: “You really do know that location.”

In the ward, after the boy "witnessed" his grandfather's memories, his mind was quickly overwhelmed by anger. This incredible method of memory alteration didn't even make him question or doubt it, which could only mean that he had encountered such beings before, and there was a possibility he had been to that place. This place was very important to Zhao Yi and his group; it was the ultimate destination of their current undertaking. Therefore, this task was best suited for Zhao Yi alone. Others either had the brains but lacked the physical prowess, or vice versa. Next, it was a simple matter of following him and leaving marks along the way.

Chen Jing ran into a crevice and continued downwards. Soon, the sun above was no longer visible. The sound of flowing water emerged from ahead, indicating an internal waterfall, similar to a water curtain cave.

Chen Jing stopped and angrily shouted, “I know you’re in there! Just wait, I’m coming in to kill you!” The boy was preparing to wade into the water. Zhao Yi could see that there was a strong restriction within the water curtain, but it seemed to make an exception for the boy.

“You can’t go in yet. We still need you as a key.”

Zhao Yi appeared, pouncing behind Chen Jing, grabbing the boy’s shoulders, and forcefully pulling him back onto the shore. Chen Jing thought his master had come out. After landing, he was about to rage, but then he saw that it was actually Zhao Yi. He paused, then roared: “What exactly do you people want?”

Zhao Yi raised his hands and explained, “We will help you kill your master, and we will help you deal with the entity behind your master.”

“Why should I believe you, you liars!”

Zhao Yi shrugged: “Facts will speak for themselves. We don’t need your belief.”

“Get lost!”

Chen Jing opened his mouth, his teeth sharpening, reflecting a cold glint even in the gloomy depths of the valley.

Zhao Yi: “Wait a moment. Your Brother Binbin and the others have already set off to deal with your master. It won’t be long before they bring you your master’s head. Then, we can all go in there together and deal with the deepest evil, the initiator of all this, and thoroughly exact your revenge. How does that sound?”

“Get lost! I don’t need your help, I’ll do it myself!”

Zhao Yi: “Perhaps the initial awakening of your bloodline has given you a false sense of power, but in reality... you don’t have the strength. You’re still too weak.”

“My business is none of yours!”

“Good boy, listen. Heaven saw the suffering you and your family endured, and that’s why we were sent down to help you. We represent the Way of Heaven to help you eliminate evil.”

“Get out!”

Chen Jing turned to jump into the water again. Zhao Yi stopped him once more.

“Listen, your strength isn’t enough. Going in would only be suicide.”

Chen Jing let out a roar from his throat and attacked Zhao Yi. Zhao Yi moved his right hand rapidly, blocking all of the boy’s leg attacks, then swiftly extended his left hand, accurately and firmly grabbing the boy’s neck, lifting him, and slamming him to the ground to restrain him.

“See? Even I don’t dare to go in alone and play hero, and you can’t even beat me.”

Chen Jing: “Let go of me, let go of me, let go of me…”

Zhao Yi’s patience was wearing thin. He tightened his grip on the boy’s neck, preventing him from making any sound. However, Chen Jing’s struggle continued. Even with such a vast difference in strength, he still didn't give up.

Zhao Yi leaned his mouth close to the boy’s ear and said: “I know all you’re thinking about right now is revenge, and I know you’re not afraid of death, you even wish for it. But why don’t you consider this: what was your master’s elaborate purpose in making you this way? You can go in now, but not only will you fail to get revenge, you’ll become exactly what the other side needs. Your enemy, your master, would probably be pleased by how considerate and sensible you’re being.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the intensity of the boy’s struggle immediately decreased. He stared at Zhao Yi with suspicious eyes.

Zhao Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. This child was finally starting to think.

“Wait here until your Brother Binbin and the others bring your master’s head. Then, we’ll go in together. You can suspect that we have ulterior motives – that’s true. But our goal aligns with your revenge. We can simply cooperate with each other.”

Zhao Yi released his grip. Chen Jing didn't jump up again but slowly sat up, rubbing his neck with both hands, clearly having been throttled quite hard.

“My birth was a mistake…”

Zhao Yi pulled out a cigarette, lit it, exhaled a smoke ring, and said: “Who isn’t, though?”

“You?”

“I was born with a chronic illness. For someone with this condition, it was extremely fortunate to be born at all instead of dying in the womb. But after birth, most would typically die young. So, even though I was from the direct lineage, my family, including my own parents, abandoned me early on. Later, I grit my teeth and struggled to survive. As I grew older, my family realized I was a special genius and only then began to value and treat me well. Like you, with your grandfather and grandmother, I only had an old servant with no children of his own who stayed by my side day and night during those toughest years. Without him, I would have certainly died young. Oh, right, when I was threatening you just now, I forgot something: your grandfather is gone, but your grandmother is still alive. She’s old; you still need to take care of her in her old age and see her off properly.”

“Will Grandma see what Grandpa saw before he died…”

“The person roughly your age asked me to ask if you need him to strengthen your grandmother’s memory seal, so she won’t recover those memories, even at the very end.”

“Can... can he?”

“Yes. You’re young, you should know the truth. Your grandmother is old; let her live a normal old age and pass away peacefully.”

“Thank you.”

Zhao Yi pulled out a cigarette, offered it to Chen Jing, and asked, “Want one?”

Chen Jing reached out to take the cigarette.

Zhao Yi pulled the cigarette back, then gave the boy a light flick on the forehead: “Smoking at such a young age, how dare you!”

The Taoist temple door opened, and Shen Huaiyang emerged. He had changed into a new Taoist robe, and his hat was pulled low to conceal his injuries. The effect of the two groups calling at his door that night was very strong, especially the fat man, who dealt a significant blow to Shen Huaiyang, causing him not to leave the temple for several days. But today, he intended to go out and bring his disciple back, after all, the Demon Sealing Assembly was about to begin.

Sun Yan, who had been monitoring him, looked up at the sky. The bird circled once, then continued circling. Sun Yan retracted her gaze. The information couldn't be transmitted because the recipient had already arrived.

Li Zhuiyuan had noticed the mark left by Zhao Yi upon his arrival, indicating a turn in direction, which meant the deepest location had been found. Next, the plan was to quickly deal with Shen Huaiyang without alarming anyone, then rendezvous with Zhao Yi to handle the final trouble.

Red lines appeared on the young man’s right palm, connecting him with four companions. Li Zhuiyuan didn't give red lines to Zhao Yi's people; they wouldn't trust him unconditionally, and any inner resistance would cause him to suffer a backlash, a risk not worth taking.

Shen Huaiyang placed his hand on his sword hilt, looking at the approaching group. He found the people in front of him somewhat familiar.

Shen Huaiyang asked, “Have we met somewhere before?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “It seems the side effects of arbitrarily altering memories are quite apparent.”

Shen Huaiyang’s eyes grew serious. He drew his sword and pointed it at Li Zhuiyuan: “What is your purpose?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “To attend the Demon Sealing Assembly.”

Shen Huaiyang: “There’s still one day; it’s not time yet!”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Exterminating demons and defending the Tao, we seize every moment.”

The brief exchange was meant to give his companions time to position themselves. Further words were useless.

Run Sheng’s energy channels opened. Wielding his Yellow River Shovel, he charged directly, each step making the ground tremble, radiating immense momentum. Shen Huaiyang raised his sword and drew a circle above his head. A spectral image of an ox horn appeared, attaching itself to him, and his aura instantly became robust and powerful. This was also a Yu family technique, where the spirits of demonic beasts were collected and refined for use in spells.

However, the anticipated collision did not occur. Run Sheng sidestepped, bypassing Shen Huaiyang. Shen Huaiyang, ready and standing his ground, met only empty space. Just as he felt puzzled, a children’s song reached his ears. The song was clear and carried a special magical power, drawing people in.

He abruptly snapped out of it, slamming his left palm onto his chest, attempting to shake off the effect by disrupting his vital energy. But he forgot that he had just imbued himself with demonic power, amplifying his strength. This blow was too forceful, causing him to cough up blood. Yet, the effect was excellent. Although injured, at least his mind was clear.

At that moment, Baihe Zhenjun, wielding dual maces, appeared behind him and struck downwards with immense force. Shen Huaiyang clenched his left fist to block, but again, he met empty space, because Baihe Zhenjun, like Run Sheng, only aimed for an imposing aura before swerving away.

Yin Meng flicked her finger upwards, and a swarm of insects burst from the ground beneath Shen Huaiyang’s feet, frantically clinging to his body. Before Shen Huaiyang could react, all the insects exploded, splattering venom. The pieces of the old sweeping Taoist priest’s corpse, preserved for so long by Tan Wenbin, finally served their purpose. Yin Meng smiled, finally feeling a sense of participation in a team battle again, her arduous practice of this ancestral sacrifice secret art not in vain.

“Ah!”

Shen Huaiyang let out a scream. The venom all over his body began to rapidly corrode him. The first thing to rot was the new Taoist robe he had put on that morning. But this fellow, as bewildered as he was, was also truly resilient. He simply ignored his condition, raised his sword, and charged towards Li Zhuiyuan. He intended to take out the soft target first, as Yin Meng and Tan Wenbin, in his wheelchair, were also beside Li Zhuiyuan.

Xu Ming prepared to block, and the Liang sisters also got ready.

Li Zhuiyuan swept a clear glance over them and said, “Don’t move.”

A gigantic eye appeared beneath Shen Huaiyang’s feet, impeding his advance.

Shen Huaiyang: “That night, it was you…”

One giant eye after another shattered. Though the distance was short, Shen Huaiyang felt as if he were mired in a swamp. With such ample time, Run Sheng and Lin Shuyou were no longer frantically defending but leisurely collaborating in attack. One on each side, a shovel on one side, a mace on the other.

Shen Huaiyang’s gaze sharpened, and the ox horn mark reappeared from his brow. But that cursed children’s song started again. Shen Huaiyang’s mind churned, and the ox horn mark on his brow began to disperse.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

The combined attack of the shovel and mace landed squarely on Shen Huaiyang. Li Zhuiyuan instantly removed all the giant eyes on the ground. For Shen Huaiyang, the ground lost its stickiness, and he was sent flying backward, crashing through several trees.

The boy thought the first phase should be complete, and the next would be the second phase where Shen Huaiyang would go mad. Then, it would be his turn to deliver the killing blow. But Shen Huaiyang forcibly stood up. He was incredibly disheveled but not yet mad. His gaze was no longer firm; he wanted to escape.

Even the best plan can’t keep up with changes. Li Zhuiyuan’s reference data came from the fight between the fat man and Shen Huaiyang that night, but after that night, Shen Huaiyang had clearly changed. In that case, there was no choice. The killing move originally intended for the second phase had to be used a little earlier. This would require Zhao Yi’s people to provide defensive support in the second phase. Originally, they wouldn't have been needed. Li Zhuiyuan himself was confident he could resolve the situation without injury, by exploiting Shen Huaiyang's weaknesses and employing clever coordination.

With a thought, Yin Meng nodded, formed a hand seal, and initiated a second sacrifice. White dots appeared in the decaying flesh on Shen Huaiyang’s body, previously corroded by venom. These were the eggs laid by the insects. The fresh pork, beef, and lamb bought from the market before didn’t have this effect; only the corpses of high-quality Xuanmen practitioners could withstand a second sacrifice. However, there was also a problem here: the level of materials couldn’t be higher. If it were higher, Yin Meng wouldn’t be able to control them. In fact, Yin Meng’s second sacrifice was already beyond her limits; her body began to sway, and cold sweat appeared on her face. But fortunately, the second sacrifice was successful, and the insects hatching from the eggs began to burrow further into Shen Huaiyang’s body.

“Roar!”

Shen Huaiyang let out a roar.

Li Zhuiyuan mentally told Yin Meng, “Alright, stop, sever, rest.”

Yin Meng immediately severed her connection with the insects, swayed backward, and then steadied herself. Then, from the pocket behind Tan Wenbin’s wheelchair, she took out a can of Jianlibao, opened it with a “psst,” and drank several mouthfuls. It was delicious and chilled. The Liang sisters, Xu Ming, and Sun Yan in the tree watched this scene with somewhat complex expressions. Opening a can of beverage to drink during a fight—what kind of operation was this? Moreover, everyone present was an experienced professional. The earlier exchange, though brief, had every detail executed perfectly. It was hard to imagine such a high degree of coordination being achieved silently. They couldn't help but put themselves in Shen Huaiyang's shoes, wondering if they could withstand such a coordinated team attack.

The reappearance of the insects was the final straw that broke Shen Huaiyang’s sanity. He went mad, his eyes turning green as he entered a state of berserk rage. The moment he entered his maddened state was when his consciousness was most diminished, making him most impulsive, reckless, and disregardful of consequences. Furthermore, any further delay in this state of madness would alert “the one” in the deepest part, providing a warning. Therefore, this was the killing phase Li Zhuiyuan had designed.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Xu Ming, I need you to block for a moment and take another injury. This will incur the least cost.”

Xu Ming: “Uh… okay, alright.”

Zhao Yi wasn’t present. Mobilizing his people for cooperation was fine, but asking them to sustain injuries and reduce combat effectiveness could easily be suspected as intentional attrition. However, by stating it plainly, Li Zhuiyuan eliminated the problem.

Veins bulged on Shen Huaiyang’s body, and the insects within him all burst under this pressure. Yin Meng, having severed her connection with the insects beforehand, was unaffected. However, when she finished one can and reached for another, she found the remaining ones were frozen. Tan Wenbin’s current refrigeration effect was truly somewhat terrifying.

Run Sheng and Lin Shuyou began to retreat to the sides, intentionally not presenting themselves as targets. In his maddened state, Shen Huaiyang once again charged towards Li Zhuiyuan along the previous path. Xu Ming stood at the very front. His feet sank into the ground, his arms spread wide, and vines from the trees on either side rushed towards him with a “whoosh,” instantly weaving a vine wall.

“Boom!”

Shen Huaiyang crashed into the vine wall. The wall didn't completely shatter, but Shen Huaiyang’s hand punched through it, striking Xu Ming’s chest. Xu Ming gritted his teeth. Instead of retreating, he propelled the vines to spread further, binding this hand as well, effectively tying himself to Shen Huaiyang. *Though his young master wasn't here, he would absolutely not disgrace him!*

Li Zhuiyuan: “You can fall back now.”

Xu Ming, who had just finished binding: “…”

Li Zhuiyuan frowned slightly. He had clearly told Xu Ming to “block for a moment.” Yet, after completing the task, Xu Ming took it upon himself to play a tragic role. They were, after all, someone else’s subordinates, and commanding them wasn’t as smooth. His own partners wouldn’t make such mistakes, and with the red lines of connection, combat intentions could be conveyed more clearly and quickly. This situation forced Li Zhuiyuan to quickly change his original plan, otherwise Xu Ming would be blown to smithereens along with Shen Huaiyang. Injuring Zhao Yi was understandable to Zhao Yi, but killing one... was a bit indefensible.

The young man’s left hand reached upwards, pulling down the power of Feng Shui. In his right palm, blood mist gathered to form a battle flag, which he gripped and waved. At the same time, Yin Meng, whose combat mission should have ended, received a new command. Her demon-slaying whip lashed out, coiling around Xu Ming’s waist.

Li Zhuiyuan’s formation activated, and immense pressure instantly enveloped Shen Huaiyang and Xu Ming.

“Boom!”

With Shen Huaiyang’s mighty shake, all the vines burst away. Xu Ming spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if he had suffered continuous heavy blows. Fortunately, the demon-slaying whip acted at the most crucial moment, pulling him out. Any earlier, the vines binding him to the opponent wouldn’t have broken, preventing him from being pulled away. Any later, he would have sustained too much damage and been in life-threatening danger.

Xu Ming, after landing, ignored his injuries and turned to look at Yin Meng behind him, his eyes filled with admiration. Yin Meng understood the meaning in his gaze, her face slightly flushed.

At this moment, Run Sheng charged from the side, striking Shen Huaiyang with his Yellow River Shovel. Shen Huaiyang, enduring the pressure of the formation, forcefully dodged, then reached out and grabbed Run Sheng’s arm, leaning his neck forward, mouth agape, as if to bite.

“Crack!”

The Yellow River Shovel, which should have been charging for a powerful blow, disassembled in Run Sheng’s hand, meaning this attack was a feint from the start. The peach wood handle circled Run Sheng’s arm, trapping Shen Huaiyang’s neck, while the sharp shovel head was raised by Run Sheng, aimed at Shen Huaiyang’s skull. That night, the fat man had successfully created an opening there with his fan-sword. Flesh wounds could heal quickly, but a large missing piece of bone from the head couldn’t recover so fast.

After doing this, Run Sheng exerted his full strength, pressing his shoulders, back, hips, and legs against Shen Huaiyang’s body, firmly restraining him for a brief moment. These details weren’t taught by Li Zhuiyuan. Li Zhuiyuan let Run Sheng improvise, as Run Sheng understood the feeling of biting while enraged, and thus knew how to counteract it.

Baihe Zhenjun, wielding dual maces, approached, swinging them forcefully, stacking their power, and smashing them onto the shovel head. The scene was like Run Sheng holding a nail in place, while Baihe Zhenjun swung a sledgehammer. The Liang sisters and others instinctively swallowed. In a normal battle, how could such a scene occur? Life-or-death combat couldn’t be rehearsed beforehand. But the problem was, such an illogical thing actually happened.

Sun Yan in the tree reached out and pinched the dead bird beside her. The dead bird’s white eyes stared at the scene below. Sun Yan felt it was necessary to record this moment and show it to her young master later.

“Bang!”

One hammer!

“Bang!”

One hammer!

After three continuous hammers, the shovel successfully pried open Shen Huaiyang’s entire skull, revealing the still wriggling red and white mixture inside.

In his wheelchair, Tan Wenbin suddenly tilted his head back, his white hair flying, his mouth open, letting out a sharp scream from his throat. Two infants, hidden by the power of the formation, had stealthily positioned themselves above. The moment Shen Huaiyang’s skull was pried open, their four small hands clasped together, unleashing the strongest curse they could command downwards!

Instantly, the inside of Shen Huaiyang’s head first turned black, then a nauseating thick substance appeared, which then violently boiled and began to evaporate. Shen Huaiyang’s eyes rolled upwards, his face showing indescribable pain, and he let out a weeping wail. He released his arm entangled with Run Sheng, his body constantly retreating. Wisps of black smoke continuously rose from his head, his life force rapidly vanishing.

The Liang sisters exchanged glances. Liang Li, the younger sister, immediately darted forward, holding a dagger, aiming straight for Shen Huaiyang’s face, intending to deliver another blow to an already doomed enemy. They couldn't help it; they had watched the entire process without getting a single chance to act, and they wanted some sense of participation.

“Bang!”

Liang Li’s dagger was blocked by Lin Shuyou’s mace.

Liang Li: “What do you mean?”

Lin Shuyou: “Our Brother Xiaoyuan said the face mustn’t be damaged. The head needs to be cut off and taken away for display.”

Liang Li asked in surprise, “When did he tell you that?”

Lin Shuyou: “In my mind.”

Liang Li felt A-You was mocking her.

“Thud!”

Shen Huaiyang fell backward, collapsing onto the ground. His brain was almost completely empty, with only a little black fluid still oozing out.

Run Sheng reassembled his Yellow River Shovel, walked over, raised the shovel, and brought it down with a chop.

“Slice!”

Head separated from body. He bent down to pick it up; it was light, and he simply tied it to his waist.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Let’s go, find Zhao Yi.”

In front of the water curtain cave.

To calm Chen Jing and prevent him from going berserk again, Zhao Yi continuously told him stories. He had finished telling his own childhood story, so he began telling others', and they had to be stories Chen Jing could witness later to be more convincing. He spoke of Run Sheng, born as a revenant, shunned by everyone, always hiding and dodging. He spoke of Yin Meng, unloved in Fengdu, surviving since childhood by begging for food from various families. He spoke of Lin Shuyou, unable to perform spirit mediumship, cast aside as useless by the temple, even kicked out of his family temple, left to fend for himself.

He also spoke of Tan Wenbin, whose parents’ relationship broke down when he was young, suffering emotional abuse from his mother and physical abuse from his father, eventually thrown into a juvenile detention center and tortured with electrocution. After that, he found a partner, married, but both their children died young. His wife ran away, and the vengeful spirits of his two children clung to him, leaving him consumed by guilt.

When someone feels very miserable, simple comfort is less effective than comparing their misery to others'. They will feel much better. The effect was obvious. The brutality in Chen Jing’s eyes lessened, and he even began to feel sympathy for Tan Wenbin: “So Brother Binbin was so unfortunate…”

Zhao Yi, enjoying his fabrication, continued, “And that guy surnamed Li, now *he* is truly exceptional!”

Li Zhuiyuan: “How so exceptional?”

Zhao Yi: “He brought them all together, to huddle for warmth. He’s truly an exceptional person.”