"In another seven or eight days, I'll be able to completely suppress the Jade Bodhisattva."
Stepping out of the secret passage, Qi Xiu patted the dust off his clothes and sighed with relief. The process of sealing the Jade Bodhisattva had been rather smooth. As the "Suppress" Characters continually increased in effectiveness, the power of the Jade Bodhisattva grew weaker, with signs of petrification even starting at its base. He estimated that once the entire Jade Bodhisattva petrified, the sealing would be utterly complete.
Additionally, Qian Yuzhe had taken ten thousand taels to Qingtan Mountain and had yet to return. Qian Yuchuan had also taken a large sum and gone back to the Taibao Sect with his senior brother, and there had been no word from him since. Currently, the Qian Family was solely managed by Qian Yuhan.
However, judging by Qian Yuhan's appearance, he seems gravely ill.
Recalling Qian Yuhan constantly coughing, Qi Xiu pursed his lips. He had noticed Qian Yuhan's complexion getting progressively worse and had spoken up to remind him, but Qian Yuhan claimed it was nothing more than exhaustion from overexertion, nothing serious. Since the man himself said so, Qi Xiu didn't press further.
Seeing that it was still early, Qi Xiu didn't return to Lu Family Village. Instead, he took a shortcut directly to the cave where he usually practiced his martial arts.
In recent days, his practice had become quite fruitful, even somewhat addictive. If he didn't practice for a day, he felt an itch in his bones.
Who would have thought that a mere scholar like myself would become obsessed with martial arts? Alas, it's all because of this oppressive world.
Letting out a long sigh, Qi Xiu shook his head and quickened his pace.
「Huangli Mountain—Qi Xiu's training cave.」
Having removed his Taoist Robe, the Green Birthmark Taoist, whose stomach was covered in pus-filled blisters, reached into a bamboo basket. He pulled out a small skinning knife and brandished it with a sneer.
"See, Senior Brother? You told me not to bring my 'meal ticket,' but isn't it coming in handy now?"
"Alright, alright, you're the clever one. Hurry up and get it done. After we've eaten, we can set off early," the Red Birthmark Taoist urged, wiping drool from the corner of his mouth.
"You got it! Just watch me."
Pressing one knee onto the back of the woodcutter, the Green Birthmark Taoist gripped the man's neck and forced his head up. The gleaming skinning knife was poised to plunge into the man's crown.
RATTLE—
Before the knife could fall, the sound of rolling pebbles suddenly caught their attention.
They both looked up simultaneously. A scholar in a greenish-gray cotton robe stood at the cave entrance, an astonished expression on his face. He had clearly seen everything inside.
"You…"
"Hahaha! Senior Brother, we're in luck! Another one has arrived. Perfect, one for each of us. We won't go hungry now," the Green Birthmark Taoist cackled, a gleefully vicious smile spreading across his face as he stood up and inched closer to the scholar.
"Don't be scared, little scholar. Just stay put. If you anger this humble Daoist, however, you'll suffer quite a bit."
"Don't, don't come closer…" The scholar's expression was one of panic as he scrambled backward.
"Hehehe, no need to be afraid. This humble Daoist is very quick; it won't hurt a bit."
Five steps from the scholar, the Green Birthmark Taoist stretched out a large hand, reaching straight for him.
"Is that so? But my methods are quite painful."
The fear vanished from Qi Xiu's face. His expression turned sharp, and he suddenly lunged forward.
His Black Sand Palm, unleashed with its full power, manifested as semi-transparent qi waves coiling around his hands.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The storm of iron-hard palm strikes was terrifying, every one of them landing on the Green Birthmark Taoist.
He hadn't expected the little lamb before him to turn into a fierce tiger descending the mountain in the blink of an eye. The Green Birthmark Taoist, caught completely off guard, took more than ten of Qi Xiu's palm strikes head-on!
RIIIP!
The brutal palm force tore through the Daoist's body, instantly mincing his internal organs. Even the clothes on his back were blasted to shreds.
The Green Birthmark Taoist screamed as he was sent flying sideways, a torrent of blood spraying from his mouth. He crashed to the ground, his head lolled to one side, and he died.
"Junior Brother!"
The Red Birthmark Taoist stared in shock and astonishment at his junior brother, who had been explosively killed by Qi Xiu's sudden attack. He turned his head fiercely toward Qi Xiu.
"How dare you kill my junior brother! Do you know who we are?"
Don't you know that villains usually die from talking too much?
Watching the still-threatening Red Birthmark Taoist, Qi Xiu rolled his eyes. He activated the Swallow Flying Skill and, with a light tap of his foot, shot across the space to attack.
Seeing Qi Xiu charge without a word, the Red Birthmark Taoist's face tightened. His neck swelled abruptly, and a massive burst of dark red smoke billowed out from his throat.
What the hell? This Daoist knows Spells?
Narrowing his eyes, Qi Xiu dodged to the side, avoiding the sweeping red mist. But the red mist was dense and strange. Seeing Qi Xiu evade it, the mist seemed to come to life and pursued him.
SIZZLE—
As it passed over the woodcutter's corpse, a skin-crawling gnawing sound immediately emanated from within the red mist.
Qi Xiu took a closer look. This seemingly ethereal dark red mist was actually a swarm of flesh-eating vermin: maggot-like creatures with mosquito wings, gathered together.
"Mere martial artists of the mortal world! How dare you contend against our Divine Skills and Spells!" The Red Birthmark Taoist's voice turned into a sharp, high-pitched whistle as he spoke.
The mist of flesh-eating insects, which had devoured the woodcutter down to his bones, lunged at Qi Xiu once again.
Deviant heretic, you deserve to die a thousand deaths!
Muttering this, Qi Xiu's eyes grew chilling, his killing intent surging even stronger.
Since he started practicing martial arts, his killing intent and malevolence had grown day by day. If this were him from two months ago, he would never have been so decisive in his intent to kill. It could only be said that once a person gained power, their latent violent tendencies became increasingly active.
With a flip of his hand, he took out a stack of "Suppress" Characters from his chest.
RUSTLE—
He tossed them into the air. As the "Suppress" Characters scattered, their golden light surged.
The flesh-eating insect mist, illuminated by the golden light, immediately let out a sharp, ear-piercing screech. Vast numbers of the flesh-eating vermin convulsed and died, raining down to form a thick layer of insect corpses on the ground.
"HISS! What is this?! Talisman Scripts?!"
His face a mask of shock and disbelief, the Red Birthmark Taoist hastily untied his Taoist Robe. Pustules on his bloated, corpulent stomach burst open one by one, spraying fluid everywhere as more flesh-eating vermin flew out to replenish the insect mist.
Within the vast cavern, two mists—one red, one golden—collided wildly.
Amid the death and withering of numerous flesh-eating vermin, the light of the "Suppress" Characters also dwindled away.
With two-thirds of the pustules on his body burst, the Red Birthmark Taoist had slimmed down considerably, his cheeks now deeply sunken.
"Hehehe, out of Talisman Scripts, are we?"
A malevolent smile tugged at the corner of the Red Birthmark Taoist's mouth, his eyes brimming with venom.
This damned scholar! He's killed so many of the Spirit Insects I've nurtured! I'll capture him and let him know the agony of being devoured by ten thousand insects!
Hearing the Daoist's triumphant laughter, Qi Xiu silently retrieved another stack of "Suppress" Characters from the small of his back. "You said I was out of what?"
"I..."
Staring wide-eyed, the Red Birthmark Taoist was so infuriated he nearly coughed up blood.
Are these Talisman Scripts bought wholesale? How the hell does he still have so many?!
Watching the scholar approach, his oppressive aura growing stronger, the Red Birthmark Taoist's eyes darted around. He suddenly grabbed the bundle he had been carrying on his back. He shook off the bundle's cloth cover. An ancient, worn face mask emerged, covered in cracks and tiny pits, marked only by the impression of a mouth.
A pained look of reluctance on his face, the Red Birthmark Taoist pressed the white face mask against his chest.
GULP. GULP.
A swallowing sound that made one's scalp tingle rang out as the Red Birthmark Taoist's complexion rapidly turned ashen.
The next second, the face mask suddenly came to life! Its ink-drawn mouth opened, and the originally pale, colorless surface gradually revealed a ghastly, fierce, oil-painted design of a Green-Faced, Fanged demonic visage.
His mouth twitching, the Red Birthmark Taoist removed the mask from his chest and pressed it onto his own face.
The moment the bizarre mask touched the Red Birthmark Taoist's face, amidst strange sizzling sounds, it instantly adhered and fused with his skin.
"ROAR..."
His body contorting strangely, the Red Birthmark Taoist let out a low growl. His normal physique began to swell and morph uncontrollably. His skin darkened and sprouted steel-like hairs. Sharp, menacing bone spurs erupted from his spine, and his body became covered in pustules oozing a dark green liquid.
In the blink of an eye, the Red Birthmark Taoist had transformed into a nearly three-meter-tall White Bone Evil Ghost.