Chapter 38 Part 2: Phoenix Tail Flower (VIII)

“If these sects were really impartial, how did the Jianzun’s master die?”

Tang Tang suddenly paused. She had also heard of what happened to Master Ban Xu.

Master Ban Xu was trapped in a city, facing tens of thousands of demon soldiers alone. The nearby sects did not send reinforcements, but Xie Changzhou led the disciples of the Limitless Sword Sect to support him.

At that time, Xie Changzhou was only in the Mahayana stage, and the disciples of the Limitless Sword Sect suffered heavy casualties. Later, Master Ban Xu and the demon general died together in self-destruction, and the powerful cultivator’s explosion destroyed the evil spirits for nearly ten thousand miles.

Sui Ning closed the window and turned around, her voice soft: “I’m afraid that in the entire world, only Xie Changzhou would dare to go against the Changming Sword Sect.”

She looked down at the spiritual beads strung on her wrist. The beads were damaged during the thunder tribulation, but Xie Changzhou repaired them and made them into a bracelet to give to her.

A transparent and shining spirit pearl is worn on the wrist, emitting a warm and soft light. Familiar and pure spiritual energy nourishes her meridians. She seems a little absent-minded, muttering to herself, “Is he silly?”

For the sake of this cultivation world, he lives such a boring life, forcing himself to practice every day and always feeling that he was born to live and die for the world. 

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

Tl qllzp caykdoypble yde osdelap kq bl’p pkzzu. Mbl pupvlx elvlnvp bla csalesx yde prlyjp wr, “[Tspv, kv’p bkp alprsdpkckzkvu.]”

Fwk Lkdt pdsavp ekpeykdqwzzu: “Rv’p dsv bkp alprsdpkckzkvu; kv’p vbl alprsdpkckzkvu vbyv usw rlsrzl byhl kxrsple sd bkx.” Tl oyp csad qall, yde yzz alpvaykdvp yal kxrsple sd bkx cu vbl osaze.

Mbl pupvlx kp prllnbzlpp, yde Fwk Lkdt zsolap bla blye vs qkeezl okvb vbl prkakv rlyaz sd bla oakpv. Ebld pbl vswnblp kv, vbl prkakvwyz ldlatu pokazkdt yaswde kv pzsozu tyvblap yaswde bla qkdtlavkrp yde yqqlnvksdyvlzu awcp ytykdpv bla.

Fwk Lkdt nbwnjzlp zktbvzu yde tldvzu pvasjlp vbl pryajzkdt prkakv rlyaz. Mydt Mydt kp pvkzz pvwddle cu vbl kxrynv, zlydkdt ytykdpv vbl okdeso kd y eygl.

Wsa y xsxldv, ds sdl prlyjp kd vbl assx, yde kv qyzzp pkzldv. Fwk Lkdt pktbp psqvzu yde kp ycswv vs ts vs cle obld y qyxkzkya hsknl pswdep kd bla xkde.

“Lkdtdkdt, vyjl Mydt Mydt swv sq vbl okdeso yde ts vs vbl hkzzytl vseyu.” Rv’p Dkl Ubydtgbsw.

Ebld Fwk Lkdt’p lulp pydj, pbl jdlo vbyv Dkl Ubydtgbsw xwpv byhl ekpnshlale psxlvbkdt yde xlppytle bla. Fbl iwknjzu osjl wr Mydt Mydt, obs oyp pvkzz kd y eygl, yde pyke, “Qs vs vbl hkzzytl vbyv ol ts vs ewakdt vbl eyuvkxl; Kkydgwd byp psxlvbkdt vs vlzz wp.”

Mydt Mydt oyp pvyavzle qsa y xsxldv, cwv vbld iwknjzu alyzkgle obyv oyp byrrldkdt. Fbl rknjle wr vbl posae dlmv vs vbl vyczl yde qszzsole Fwk Lkdt yp vblu fwxrle swv vbl okdeso yde psyale kdvs vbl pju.

Standing in mid-air with their swords, the city of Yong’an was pitch-black and silent, with no lights or people in sight. Before they landed, Sui Ning saw a white figure in the distance, standing alone with a long sword in hand, accompanied by a child. It was Xie Changzhou, and Ah Yan.

Sui Ning hurriedly approached and asked, “Jianzun, what happened?”

Xie Changzhou’s expression was distant, and his tone was calm. “The Green-Faced Ghost has appeared.”

Sui Ning and Tang Tang were shocked. “Shouldn’t we catch him right away?”

Xie Changzhou shook his head and turned to Sui Ning. “His aura disappeared after only a moment. With my cultivation level, I can sense him within a hundred miles, but his aura vanished into thin air.”

His furrowed brows showed his concern. “Someone intentionally leaked his aura. Someone leaked the Green-Faced Ghost’s aura and led us here.”

Tang Tang asked, “Could someone have used an artifact to conceal his aura?”

Xie Changzhou was silent for a moment, his eyes showing a hint of coldness. “No, I don’t think so. Someone deliberately leaked his aura.” He looked toward the nearby village. “Someone leaked the Green-Faced Ghost’s aura and led us here.”

Sui Ning doesn’t understand it very well.

“What does leaking the aura of the Green-Faced Ghost mean?”

Xie Changzhou explained softly, “Even if it’s just an object, it will absorb the owner’s aura over time. It’s not difficult to leak the aura; just use something that has the aura of the Green-Faced Ghost on it to lure me here, and then destroy it when I arrive.”

Ah Yan tugged at Xie Changzhou’s sleeve and asked in a childish voice, “Then why did he want to lure us here?”

Xie Changzhou shook his head. “I don’t know yet.”

He only suddenly sensed the aura of the Green-Faced Ghost while meditating tonight. Although it was faint, it was enough for him to locate its position.

Until Xie Changzhou arrived here, the aura had completely disappeared.

With his cultivation, he could sense within a hundred miles. If the Green-Faced Ghost had really entered the city, it would not have been able to run so fast.

But assuming the Green-Faced Ghost was here, he did not sense the spiritual energy fluctuations of a high-grade artifact. After excluding the possibility of an artifact concealing the aura, there was only one possibility left.

Someone deliberately released the aura of the Green-Faced Ghost to lure him here.

This person could actually get their hands on the aura of the Green-Faced Ghost.

A trace of darkness flashed through Xie Changzhou’s eyes, and his lips tightened. His clear gaze fell on the nearby village.

Sui Ning and Tang Tang followed his gaze, and the village was dark, with the occasional barking of dogs and crowing of chickens.

Why did this person lure them here?

“My child! Sanwa!”

“A chilling female voice came, filled with panic and crying, which seemed particularly abrupt in the quiet village.

Then a shout came from deeper in the village: “Ah! A’niu, A’niu, where are you?”

The sound of the door opening rang out, and two women ran out, crying loudly.

“Third child, third child!”

“My Ah Niu, you damn demon, give me back my child!”

In the silent night, their crying and shouting were especially clear, and there was a chorus of barking dogs, crowing roosters, and women’s weeping in the village. Many people were awakened and came out to look.

Someone quietly reminded them at the window, “Hurry back; be careful of the green-faced ghost coming to get you!”

“Yes, what if the green-faced ghost hasn’t gone far and comes back? Don’t drag us down if you want to die!”

The woman who cried and called out for her third child suddenly looked fierce, trembling, and pointing at the few people who were speaking, asking, “Are you so indifferent today? Don’t you fear that you will suffer the same fate tomorrow!”

“We’ve already lost four children in the village! The green-faced ghost has been targeting us for a long time!”

The few people who were speaking were suddenly at a loss for words and began to panic, afraid that they would be next.

People with children quickly hugged their children and closed the door, praying that the green-faced ghost wouldn’t notice their children.

The village became chaotic for a while, with crying and arguing voices rising and falling.

Sui Ning’s heart sank. “Jianzun, wasn’t the green-faced ghost’s aura impersonated by someone just now? Then why are children being lost?”

Could it be that there are two groups of people snatching children in the city?

Xie Changzhou shook his head, but before he could speak, the mother of the third child, who was crying and wailing in the village, shouted, “It’s her!”

Sui Ning and the others were stunned, and the mother of the third child got up crying and rushed towards them.

As Sui Ning and a few others were startled, the mother of Sanwa cried out and crawled towards them.

Xie Changzhou’s eyes turned cold, and he erected a barrier in front of them, blocking Sanwa’s fierce-looking mother, who wanted to pounce on them.

Sanwa’s mother pointed at Tang Tang and cried out, “It was you! Today, my child came back and said he was bullied by a female cultivator in red clothes, and the description matches you!”

“The green-faced ghost has been haunting the city for months and hasn’t appeared in our village. You came to our village, and he appeared and took my child. It must be you!”

Sanwa’s mother kept hitting the barrier, tears streaming down her face as she stared at Tang Tang inside the barrier and shouted, “It was you! Sanwa got caught up in your bad luck, so the green-faced ghost targeted him. Give me back my child!”

On the other side, A Niu’s mother also regained her senses and rushed towards the barrier, pounding on it, “My A Niu, give me back my A Niu. It’s all your fault!”

The two mothers who had lost their children screamed, tears pouring down their faces and their voices hoarse and mournful, echoing through the quiet night.

Tang Tang was stunned, her lips moving as she tried to defend herself, but facing two desperate and miserable mothers who had lost their children and their hopeless and sorrowful eyes, her throat seemed to be blocked, and she couldn’t say a word.

She stared blankly, her palms sweating, only hearing her own frantic heartbeat.

Tang Tang clenched her fists tightly, her nails almost embedded in her flesh, when suddenly a soft and warm touch covered her hand.

She was startled, turned her head, and met Sui Ning’s soothing gaze.

Sui Ning slowly opened her tightly clenched fist and gently held her hand, whispering, “It has nothing to do with you; don’t overthink it.”

Ah Yan also held Tang Tang’s other hand, looked up at her with his dark eyes, and said, “It was the bad guys who took them away; it has nothing to do with you.”

Outside the barrier, the women continued to cry and howl, but Tang Tang’s panicked heart gradually calmed down. She grasped the hands of Sui Ning and Ah Yan and forced a smile.

“Return my son; return my third child!”

“Give me back my Ah Niu! It’s all your fault!”

Xie Changzhou stood in front of Sui Ning and Tang Tang with a calm expression. “Your missing children have nothing to do with us. We’re only here to handle business. Please stay calm.”

But a mother who had lost her child could not possibly listen to his advice. The two women cried and pounded on the barrier, glaring fiercely at Tang Tang, who was cowering behind Xie Changzhou, and hurling insults at her.

Xie Changzhou felt somewhat helpless and showed it on his face. They were cultivators and couldn’t lay hands on ordinary people. But the two women wouldn’t listen to reason.

More and more people crowded around them, watching them warily from inside the barrier.

Xie Changzhou furrowed his brow, about to explain, when Tang Tang, who had been silent, stepped forward.

She let out a breath and looked calmly at the two women who were glaring at her. “Your child being taken has nothing to do with me. We’re here to catch the Green-Faced Ghost. If you continue to obstruct us, your child will never be saved.”

The two women stopped crying but still looked at her with hatred on their faces.

Tang Tang’s expression was solemn, and her bright eyes were determined. “Whether you believe it or not, you have no choice but to rely on us now.”

She paused for a moment and then spoke calmly. “Is there anyone here in charge of managing the evil spirits in Yong’an City?”

The villagers who had been watching them fell silent and looked at each other, while the two mothers remained stunned with blank expressions on their faces.

Even though they were full of anger, despair, and unwillingness to believe, they had to admit that the few cultivators in front of them were their only hope.

The Green-faced Ghost had been haunting Yong’an City for two years without any cultivator coming to deal with it. The villagers who went to request help from the cultivators were of no use, and the people in the city had already lost hope. Suddenly, the Green-faced Ghost disappeared, and they finally felt some relief. But now the Green-faced Ghost has appeared again and has even come to their village.

The villagers still watched the few people inside the barrier with caution, and the two mothers cried silently. Tang Tang firmly said, “We’re here to investigate the Green-faced ghost; please trust us.”

The villagers remained silent, but a hoarse voice came from the crowded group of people: “I trust you!”

The crowded group of people made way for an old man with white hair, who walked slowly with the help of others. He looked very old, with the wrinkles of hardship on his face. Although he was slightly hunched over, there was a sense of dignity in his speech.

He walked towards the barrier and stared closely at the few people inside. The third child’s mother was stunned and asked, “Village Chief, what are you doing here?”

The old man, who was called the Village Chief, glared at her and said with a red face, “If I didn’t come, would you just continue to make trouble here? Ridiculous… *cough* *cough*.”

His emotions were too intense, and the cold night air rushed into his nose, causing him to let out a suppressed cough.

The person supporting him on the side quickly patted his back to help him breathe, saying, “Village chief, take it slow.”

Seeing their respected and elderly village chief coughing like this, the two women, who were just filled with anger and wanted to kill Tang Tang, lowered their heads in shame, tears still on their faces.

The village chief remained silent and let out a sigh: “Ah, Third Son and Ah Niu just went missing. If these cultivators are willing to help, there’s a good chance they can be saved. Why are you causing trouble…cough, cough!”

As he spoke, he began to cough again. Xie Changshuo’s calm gaze fell on him, and he let out a small sigh. The village chief had very little life left in him; his entire being was weakened and nearing death.