Chapter 39: Phoenix Tail Flower ( IX)

The village chief raised his eyes and met the warm and gentle gaze of Xie Changzhou. His old eyes were hazy and unclear, but his smile was kind and benevolent.

He tilted his head to look at Tang Tang, and his old voice sounded apologetic: “I’m sorry for this girl. Sanwan’s and Ah Niu’s mothers were just a bit too excited.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Tang Tang shook her head quickly.

The village chief silently looked around at the villagers for a while, then let out a sigh: “They didn’t mean to do it; it’s just that Yong’an City is really unstable and everyone is too scared… cough cough.”

He coughed a few times, covering his mouth, then cleared his throat and continued, “I apologize to the Taoist priests on behalf of the villagers. Please forgive them.”

Xie Changzhou nodded slightly and said in a clear voice, “It’s okay, the old man is just overthinking.”

The village chief pushed away the person beside him and tremblingly walked forward. His old eyes were filled with endless sorrow and pleading: “If the Taoist priests really have the ability, can you save Yong’an City?”

“So many children have been lost in the city; so many families have been destroyed. The mother of the two children we lost in our village a few months ago went crazy and committed suicide. This child is her only hope!”

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“R clt usw, rzlypl pyhl vblpl nbkzeald; rzlypl pyhl Zsdt’yd Ukvu!”

Mbl hkzzytl nbklq valxczle yde cldv esod vs jdllz, pnyakdt Fwk Lkdt yde Mydt Mydt, obs iwknjzu pvsrrle bkx yde pyke, “Psd’v es vbkp!”

Mbl saktkdyzzu iwklv nasoe cltyd vs cskz, yde lhlausdl oydvle vs alynb swv yde blzr vbl hkzzytl nbklq.

Mbl hkzzytl nbklq bye clld kd vblka hkzzytl qsa xsal vbyd plhldvu ulyap, oyp bktbzu alprlnvle, yde bye blzrle vbl hkzzytlap kd xydu oyup. Ohlausdl kd vbl hkzzytl alprlnvle bkx.

Xdzu Dkl Ubydtgbsw’p qynl alxykdle nyzx, yde bkp tygl sd bkx oyp ellr yde ekpvydv, pbsokdt ds alynvksd vs vbl hkzzytl nbklq’p jdllzkdt.

“Gb Zyd zssjle wr yv bkp xypvla okvb psxl nsdqwpksd, obkzl Dkl Ubydtgbsw zsolale bkp lulp yde xlv Gb Zyd’p eyaj yde caktbv lulp. Tl alynble swv yde awccle Gb Zyd’p psqv byka, bkp tygl ellr yde xupvlakswp.

Mbl hkzzytl nbklq oyp blzrle wr, vlyap yzalyeu kd bkp nzsweu lulp yp bl rzlyele, “Flhlayz Myskpv xypvlap, rzlypl pyhl wp yde alpnwl vbl vos nbkzeald, Gb Lkw yde Fydoy.”

Dkl Ubydtgbsw alxykdle pkzldv yde zssjle yv bkx nyzxzu yde tldvzu.

Tang Tang held the old village chief’s hand with sincerity and said, “Village chief, don’t worry, we will catch the Green-Faced Ghost and restore peace to Yong’an City.”

Her resolute and passionate expression made Sui Ning shake her head unconsciously. Tang Tang’s habit of helping the oppressed might bring her both good and bad fortune.

The two mothers continued to cry softly, supported by their husbands, to keep from collapsing. They looked at Tang Tang with expressions that were no longer resentful but instead imploring.

“I’m sorry for what I said earlier; please save my son, Sanwa.”

“I also apologize to you; please save my son, Ah Niu; he’s still so young.”

As they spoke, the crying grew louder and more desperate until they were both unable to hold themselves up and fell to the ground, crying in pain.

Having their children taken away was like a deep wound in the hearts of these mothers.

“The village chief sighed heavily and said, ‘A few Taoists, come with me to my home for a moment.’

A gust of evening wind blew into his nose, and he couldn’t help but start coughing painfully, his old face turning red from the coughing.

He turned to face the villagers, trying hard to suppress his cough, and said in a slightly muffled voice, ‘Everyone go home; it’s too late; go rest.’

The two families who had lost their children refused to leave, and the mother of Sanwa burst into tears, looking at the village chief, and said, ‘Village chief, we haven’t found Sanwa yet; I’m really worried.’

The mother of Ah Niu also echoed, ‘I’m also worried; this is like stabbing a knife in my heart, my poor Ah Niu…’

As she spoke, she started crying again, covering her chest as if she were going to faint, and her tears began to flow again, stirring up the tears that the mother of the third child had just stopped.

Sui Ning and Tang Tang looked at each other with helplessness on their faces.

The village chief scolded in a low voice, ‘What are you crying for? Cough, cough, what does it look like! A few Taoists… cough cough, a few Taoists said they would catch the Green-Faced Ghost, so rest assured, cough cough cough.’

He was too uncomfortable, his fist pressed against his mouth, coughing, and the people around him quickly patted his back to help him breathe, looking worried and tense.

The village chief waved his hand to show that he was okay and then looked at the two women and continued, ‘Nothing will happen to Sanwa and Ah Niu. If you cry and collapse, what will you do? Go back… cough, cough, and rest.’

“Do you not believe in me? I’m here,” said the father of Sanwa, embracing his wife with tears still wet on his rigid face and whispering to her,” it’s okay, nothing will happen to Sanwa, it definitely won’t.”

As the head of the family, he can only comfort himself and his wife in this way now.

The mother of Sanwa nodded and cried, while the two mothers who had lost their beloved sons slowly walked towards their homes with the help of their husbands, leaving the sound of their sobbing echoing in the quiet night.

The village chief said to the villagers, “Let’s all go home and rest early, and make sure to close your doors.”

The villagers gradually dispersed, leaving only the village chief and the two people he brought, as well as a few others.

“Follow me, Daochang.”

The village chief turned and left with the support of the people around him, and Tang Tang immediately followed.

Just as Sui Ning was about to follow, she smelled a familiar fragrance.

She raised her head in surprise and met Xie Changzhou’s fair face, with a high nose, long and thick eyelashes, and a sharp and clear jawline.

He’s quite handsome.

Sui Ning admired herself a little, having time to appreciate beauty at a time like this.

Xie Changzhou suddenly turned sideways, and his glass-like eyes met hers with a gentle and focused expression.

His clear voice sounded in her mind: “Ningning, be careful and don’t leave me.”

Sui Ning’s eyebrows and eyes cooled, meeting Xie Changzhou’s gaze with a cold and chilling expression.

Why did Xie Changzhou say that?

She felt a little flustered for some reason and felt that something was not quite right.

“Ningning, don’t worry.”

Xie Changzhou’s clear voice came into her mind, and his expression was calm and peaceful. Sui Ning’s panicked heart gradually calmed down.

“Okay.” Sui Ning smiled, and two dimples appeared on her cheeks.

For some reason, as long as Xie Changzhou was there, she always felt safe.

The village chief took them to the village temple, which was made of green bricks and red tiles, brightly lit with candlelight, and filled with the smell of burning incense, making Sui Ning a little dizzy.

The Spiritual energy in the dantian is churning faintly, emanating a nauseating sensation, while the spiritual body of the Soul Seal Plate emits a faint and radiant light.

She looked up at the people beside her. Xie Changzhou, Tang Tang, and Ah Yan had calm expressions, as if they had no reaction to the scent, while she felt like throwing up.

After half a year in this place, she finally experienced the long-lost feeling of motion sickness.

Warm and pure spiritual energy entered her body through her wrist, invading her meridians. As the spiritual energy flowed through, the churning blood and energy gradually calmed down.

Sui Ning lowered her eyes, and the spiritual pearl on her wrist shone faintly. The dim light mixed with the pure and gentle spiritual energy, surging through her meridians.

It was Xie Changzhou’s spiritual energy.

She smiled lightly, her heart softening, and she gently stroked the spiritual pearl with her fingertips.

Sui Ning rubbed her nose lightly and suppressed the nausea rising in her stomach as she asked the village chief leading the way, “Village chief, what kind of incense are you burning? It smells…quite nice.”

The village chief laughed heartily, saying, “It’s just ordinary incense, nothing special.”

“Is it burning all night?”

“Yes, the people in our village believe in gods and buddhas. We have someone taking turns to burn incense and light candles every night.”

Sui Ning still smiled, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes.

They dared to burn incense and light candles all night, even though the entire Yong’an city closed down after curfew, with no one daring to light a single candle.

The temple had dark red wooden tables and chairs on both sides and several cushions in the middle. In front of the cushions stood a tall statue.

The statue was tall and had a gentle expression and a smiling face. He had a handsome face, holding a book in his left hand and a pen in his right hand.

The system explained in her mind, “[That is the ancient god of life and death, Tao Ji, who has been extinct for tens of thousands of years.]”

The system paused for a moment, and its mechanical voice sounded doubtful: “[Strange, few people worship Tao Ji in folk religion. This is the first time I have seen this.]”

In general, the gods and buddhas worshipped by the people were those who safeguarded peace and children, and Tao Ji was not a very well-known god. Almost no one knew about him, let alone that he was worshipped with such respect.

The village chief turned around and whispered, “Please sit, Daoists.”

His old and kind face had a smile on it, and his cloudy eyes were slightly squinted.

After Sui Ning and the others sat down, he waved his hand lightly and said, “Make some tea.”

The person next to him responded and stepped back, and he finally sat down with the support of others.

Xie Changzhou said softly, “Elder, if there is anything you need to tell us, we will do our best to help.”

“Ah…” The village chief sighed softly with a worried expression on his face. “The Green-Faced Ghost has appeared for two years, and the Main Sect has not sent anyone to eliminate it. We all know that the Main Sect has given up on Yong’an City. After all, we all heard about what happened hundreds of years ago.”

“At first, the village was very peaceful, but half a year ago, two children were lost in the village, and tonight, two more have gone missing… cough, cough, cough!”

The village chief tightly covered his mouth with his old, thin hand, and his face turned red with each suppressed cough, as if he were going to cough out his heart and lungs.

The people beside him gently patted his back to help him breathe as he continued to cough violently.

When his cough finally subsided, he trembled and moved his hand away, and Sui Ning, sitting diagonally below him, frowned.

In the village chief’s old hand, there was a dark red pool of blood.

He had coughed up blood.

“Village chief, are you feeling unwell?” Sui Ning asked softly.

The village chief remained calm, lowering his hand and smiling indifferently. “As people get older, it’s inevitable to have some illnesses. I… cough, cough, cough… won’t be able to last much longer.”

He lifted his eyes and said with a plea, “I just hope that before I die, I can do something for the villagers.”

Sui Ning and Xie Changzhou had calm expressions as they met the chief’s pleading gaze without any disturbance.

A Yan’s voice sounded angry: “Don’t worry, we’ll definitely catch that green-faced ghost and crush him into pieces!”

Tang Tang’s determined face was full of determination as she spoke with a steady tone, “Don’t worry, we have the responsibility and obligation to get rid of demons and monsters, and we will bring a peaceful era to Yong’an City.”

The village chief’s muddy eyes gradually became moist, and his eye circles turned slightly red. “Good, good, I believe in you. Thank you, my fellow Daoists!”

As he spoke, he stood up to grab his walking stick, but Tang Tang quickly rushed up to stop him.

At this time, tea was also served. The tea leaves were floating quietly in the green porcelain cup. The tea looked only average in quality, but as the village was poor and underdeveloped, the fact that the chief could spare some tea to entertain them already showed that he treated them as honored guests.

Sui Ning took the tea and looked at Xie Changzhou. She saw that he picked up the tea without changing his expression, and she felt somewhat surprised.

Xie Changzhou lifted his gaze and met her eyes, nodding slightly at her. Sui Ning pursed her lips and finally drank the tea.

“Village Chief, do you remember Hu Wa?” Xie Changzhou put down his teacup and looked calmly at the Village Chief.

The Village Chief sat heavily back in his chair, silent for a moment, and finally sighed softly.

“Of course I remember that Hu Wa was an unlucky child. His mother died giving birth to him, but who knew that this dead woman could still give birth to a child? Hu Wa was born in the coffin; his crying was heard by his grandfather passing by, who then dug him out.”

“However, Hu Wa was a child of ill-fate. The people in the village didn’t like him; only his grandfather took care of him. But who would have thought that his grandfather fell while cutting wood on the mountain a year ago and had to rest for half a year. Afterwards, his health was not as good as before.”

The Village Chief stopped here, and his expression was full of reluctance to continue. “Hu Wa is still young, and I don’t know how long his grandfather can take care of him.”

“However, a few Taoist priests asked about Hu Wa?” 

Xie Changzhou said calmly, “Not much, just asking. I met him once before.”

The Village Chief nodded understandingly, just about to ask something, but a familiar itching sensation filled his chest, and he quickly covered his mouth.

“Cough, cough, cough! Cough, cough…” He coughed uncontrollably, his already hunched body becoming even more curved.

The people next to him rushed forward with anxious expressions, asking, “Village Chief, should we take a break?”

The Village Chief waved his hand and said, “No, cough… the child hasn’t come back yet.”

He looked eagerly at Xie Changzhou and his group with his old, cloudy eyes full of expectation.

Xie Changzhou’s glassy eyes met his, his expression calm. After a moment, a soft laugh came.

The village chief was slightly startled and spoke hesitantly, “Daoist, what’s the matter?”

Xie Changzhou’s lips curled up, his eyebrows and eyes slightly distant. “May I ask how old the village chief is now?”

The village chief suppressed his cough and spoke with a hoarse and weak voice: “I am already ninety years old; it’s an age to be buried.”

Xie Changzhou sat upright with his back straight, and the dim candlelight reflected on his face, sweeping across his dark, long eyelashes and high nose bridge. His godly appearance made the village chief’s heart skip a beat.

“What does Daoist mean?” the village chief asked.

A clear and crisp voice interrupted him.

“But the village chief doesn’t look like a ninety-year-old.” Xie Changzhou tilted his head to look at the stunned village chief, his gaze suddenly turning icy. “You are at least one hundred and fifty years old.”

Sui Ning and Tang Tang were shocked, turning their heads to look at him.

Ah Bi asked in confusion, “But the people in the mortal world can only live up to a hundred years old at most; how can he still be alive at one hundred and fifty?”

The village chief and the two people beside him were all stunned, looking incredulously at Xie Changzhou.

His old face turned fierce for a moment, then quickly returned to its original kindly appearance. “Daoist… cough, Daoist’s words really flatter me. I am just an ordinary person; how could I… cough, cough!”

The village chief bent down again, coughing hard, blood spilling from between his fingers, and his white eyebrows trembling slightly with the coughing.

Xie Changzhou remained indifferent, his eyebrows and eyes lowering as he watched the village chief coughing and bending over, slowly saying, “Your bone age is at least one hundred and fifty years old, as for why you haven’t died…”

“How many children’s lives have you taken to maintain your longevity?” The village chief froze, shocked, and looked up to meet the cold eyes of Xie Changzhou. Xie Changzhou’s face was cold; his previously raised eyes drooped; his eyebrows furrowed with anger; and his bright blue pupils were full of chill. He asked slowly, “How many children’s lives have you taken?”

Tang Tang was shocked and asked, “What do you mean, Jianzun?” What does it mean to take children’s lives? Sui Ning’s chaotic thoughts suddenly became clear, and she looked at the Taoji Buddha statue enshrined in the hall in amazement. The green-faced ghost was causing chaos, and people in the city were panicking. At the end of the night, every household closed their doors and turned off their lights.

The village chief not only burned incense and chanted scriptures but also kept his lights on all night. Wasn’t he afraid of the green-faced ghost? Or… was he the green-faced ghost? But that’s not right; he doesn’t have the aura of the green-faced ghost. Sui Ning hadn’t figured it out yet, and Ah Yan on her side was holding his head and saying, “Sui Ning, my head hurts…” Tang Tang also weakly said, “Me too, I feel dizzy.” Sui Ning’s heart sank, and she quickly checked the conditions of Ah Yan and Tang Tang.

At this moment, the two of them were in a confused state, with a dazed look, as if they had been drugged.

Oh no, there’s something in the tea…

Wait, that doesn’t make sense. She also drank the tea; why is she okay?

System online: “[The Soul Seal Plate is an ancient artifact that absorbs the drug’s power for you. They are the ones who are really drugged!]”

Sui Ning remembered the strange feeling she had when she entered the house—a nauseating sensation in her dantian. Why was she the only one feeling sick? It was because they had all unknowingly been drugged, and the Soul Seal Plate had absorbed the drugs for her, affecting herself as well.

It was the village chief; the village chief put something in the tea!

“Hahaha, so you figured it out,” came a sharp and ferocious laugh. The village chief’s old face twisted into a sinister grin, his wrinkles piling up, completely different from his kindly appearance just moments ago.

The two people beside him also stopped pretending, standing up and glaring at everyone with a vicious look.

“The drug should take effect soon. What can you do to me?” The village chief wiped the blood off his hands and said, “This is the medicine given by Lord Green- Faced ghost, even a high-level cultivator is powerless to fight back, their spiritual power locked up and unconscious.”

His gloomy gaze swept towards Sui Ning and Xie Changzhou, with a hint of regret in his tone: “You are very strong; you’re still not unconscious at this time, but I’m sure you’re struggling.”

“Hahaha, as long as I seize it…cough cough!” He covered his mouth and bent over, coughing. There was a fresh bloodstain on his just-wiped hand.

He looked up at the dark red on his palm, and a hint of gloom passed through his murky eyes: “Even if my life is about to end, so what? My life is in my hands. I don’t want to die. Why should I die?”

“Cough, cough, cough. I am determined to seize the vitality of these children. You see… cough, I have lived for so many years.”

He smirked, and his eyes sparkled with a wild and ferocious light. He looked fiercely at Ah Yan behind Sui Ning: “The Lord Green-Faced Ghost said that as long as I seize the vitality of this child, I will be able to live forever in the future, hahaha!”

“Heh.”

A light sneer came, interrupting the village chief’s maniacal laughter.

Sui Ning stood up and walked towards him, her eyebrows and eyes full of ridicule. “Are you sure your medicine works?”

The village chief and his group were stunned and quickly looked towards Xie Changzhou on the side. They all showed surprise on their faces.

Sui Ning’s face was calm, and she looked down at him with disdain. Xie Changzhou’s expression was cold, and his eyebrows and eyes were chilly.

Neither of these two looked like physicians!

“How is this possible? The Lord Green-Faced Ghost said that even a great practitioner would be affected. There are only four great transcendents in the world who have gone through the Tribulation. Why would you…”

He stopped suddenly before finishing his sentence and looked at Xie Changzhou: “She called you Jianzun; you are Xie Changzhou!”

“She’s taken the medicine, but why hasn’t she? There are no women among the great transcendent practitioners.” The village chief looked at Sui Ning with a terrified expression.

“As for me, I am a preparatory candidate for the Tribulation.” Sui Ning laughed lightly, her slender fingers pointing at the village chief again, her eyes full of playfulness: “As for you, you are a dying man!”

As her voice fell, the overbearing sword intent swept through and directly lifted the village chief and several others off the ground.

The majestic sword intent ruthlessly suppressed them, like a mountain pressing down, leaving them unable to move.

Sui Ning’s eyes were cold, and she pointed her sword directly at them: “If you want to live, then take away the vitality of those children. Who taught you to do this, the Green-Faced Ghost?”

“You are already 150 years old, which means that at least 50 years ago, you started sucking the vitality of children. Where were you before?”

“Oh, the sect over there noticed it, and you and the Green-Faced Ghost ran away. That’s how you’ve been for so many years, right?”

The village chief glared at her fiercely, struggling to get up but being heavily suppressed by Sui Ning’s sword intent and unable to move.

Ah Yan and Tang Tang had long since passed out. After confirming that the two were unharmed, Xie Changzhou walked over slowly.

He stood tall and straight, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking down at the village chief and others on the ground.

“Lord Green-Faced Ghost, are you sure the Green-Faced Ghost is still alive?”

The village chief was stunned: “What are you talking about?”

Xie Changzhou looked at him, his voice cold and chilling: “Your Green-Faced Ghost  died a year ago.”

“The current Green-Faced Ghost is fake.”