CHAPTER 255: CHAPTER 254: THE EVIL SPIRIT IS ACTUALLY HIM?

"Ahhh! There’s a ghost, help!"

"Run quickly, the specter is coming!"

"Protect the emperor, hurry and protect him!"

...

The specters attacked, and everything descended into chaos.

The common people rushed back, seeking a place for refuge.

Amidst the pushing and shoving, the cries of children could be heard, and some were knocked down to the ground, trampled with cries of anguish.

"This is bad! Why are there so many specters!"

Mr. Lin and Pei Yuanzheng instinctively hid among the Dragon Shadow Guards, seeking protection out of fear.

"Jing’an, quickly think of a way!"

Emperor Anqing’s face changed dramatically, and his voice trembled.

This scene seemed to take him back to his childhood, when he was thrown onto a sacrificial altar, unwillingly offered up to the specters. The bizarre images still haunted him.

"Form the array!"

Jing’an gritted his teeth and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

The disciples stood firmly around, holding compasses. Jing’an walked in the center, facing forward to create a barrier to protect Emperor Anqing.

The specters were attracted by the purple aura on Emperor Anqing, eagerly crashing into the barrier, making ’bang bang bang’ sounds.

Emperor Anqing breathed a sigh of relief, "Luckily, Jing’an is here; otherwise, we would all become a feast for the specters."

"What about the other common people, won’t you care?"

Yu Nianzhao coldly questioned.

"Naturally, the Emperor’s wellbeing is most important."

Mr. Dong wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, stepping into the barrier seeking shelter.

"Ziyin, come quickly!"

Emperor Anqing beckoned to Xie Jiuxiao, "You’re the most easily affected by the specters, hurry into the barrier."

Xie Jiuxiao remained expressionless, turning to look at the common people possessed by the specters, drawing the Soft Sword, he asked, "Zhaozhao, is there a way to dispel the specters."

Yu Nianzhao took out a talisman and attached it to his sword’s blade, "Use the back of the sword to attack, it can expel the specters!"

"Alright, be careful yourself!"

Xie Jiuxiao nodded slightly in her direction, then turned to stab a possessed commoner, the specter touched the talisman and turned into black mist, drifting away.

Yu Nianzhao looked up at Emperor Anqing and said, "Emperor, you truly disappoint me. The prosperity and peace you envision – is it the common people living well, or is it merely your own prosperity?"

Emperor Anqing’s face alternated between blue and red, he reprimanded, "Yu Nianzhao, you’re the future Princess Consort Su and have saved the Empress, thus I regard you differently and protect you in every way, but this is not a reason for your arrogance."

Pei Yuanzheng echoed, "Zhaozhao, do not defy the Emperor, hurry and apologize."

Yu Nianzhao sneered, "Arrogant because of favor? I never have been, don’t make things up! I am who I am, always unchanged, and I am not a servant of the Emperor, I don’t need to listen to reproach. If a monarch can’t even accept this bit of truth, what kind of enlightened ruler is he."

Yu Nianzhao’s blunt words startled Pei Yuanzheng, nearly making him faint.

"Oh rebellious girl! Emperor, please don’t take her words seriously." Pei Yuanzheng said worriedly.

Emperor Anqing looked displeased, opened his mouth but finally turned into a sigh, he weakly raised his hand and said, "Zhaozhao, I will not abandon the common people, if you get rid of these specters, I shall reward you heavily."

Hearing him relent, Yu Nianzhao merely snorted lightly, "I am not helping you, I pity the Empress."

Mr. Lin discontentedly said, "Women and petty people are hard to deal with, why does the Emperor favor her, swapping for another Princess Consort Su would be better."

Before he finished speaking, he watched Yu Nianzhao’s talisman fly out, immediately repelling several specters.

Yu Nianzhao turned back to him, asked slowly, "What did you say just now?"

Mr. Lin swallowed his saliva, awkwardly smiled, "I said nothing at all."

With Yu Nianzhao making a move, Emperor Anqing’s panic lessened greatly, mocking, "How about now? Mr. Lin, why did you stop talking? Now you know Zhaozhao’s prowess? In this situation where specters are everywhere, you can only rely on Zhaozhao; otherwise, going out means being devoured by specters."

No specter could near Yu Nianzhao, the specters that were rampant moments ago, under Yu Nianzhao’s talisman, were mostly cleared away in no time.

Mr. Lin nodded numbly, couldn’t help but quietly ask, "Who does Miss Pei of Mr. Pei’s family apprentice under?"

Pei Yuanzheng was also seeing Yu Nianzhao exorcise directly for the first time, he held his breath and awkwardly laughed, "I don’t know either, perhaps someone taught her when she was little."

The specters were too many, Yu Nianzhao didn’t bother to act anymore, she placed a hand on the ground, a black shadow extended from the ground, covering the land, "Jiu, eat them up."

[Yes, master.]

[Such a delicious bunch!]

Jiu Ying followed the shadows on the ground, probing with a gray shadow, quickly devouring the specters.

Chu Wenjun stood in place; he was the only one not inside the barrier, he stood proudly, frowned slightly staring at the malicious ghost atop the Stargazing Tower, discontentedly said, "It indeed came from Nanwang Country, a ghost that cannot be tamed, captured like this, our plan is disrupted."

"Master, what should we do?" the subordinate behind asked softly.

"Have him find a chance to leave first!"

"Understood!"

The subordinate had not yet managed to flee onto the tower amidst the chaos, only making a few steps when caught by black mist, instantly drained of blood, turned into a dried corpse.

Seeing this scene, Chu Wenjun’s face turned grim, he stared ferociously at the direction of the malicious ghost, suppressed saying, "This guy simply doesn’t obey, this cooperation is likely doomed!"

After absorbing human blood, the black mist of the malicious ghost grew thicker, from within it emerged a ghostly figure.

He wore armor, his face fierce, wielding a long spear, resembling a general.

"Xie Jiuxiao!"

The deafening sound made everyone’s heads throb, felt as though eardrums might shatter.

"He is..."

Emperor Anqing covered his ears, looked at the malicious ghost in astonishment, feeling it very familiar.

"Shi Ye!"

Xie Jiuxiao turned around, his pupils quaking, gritting his teeth, shouted out this name.

"You indeed know each other!"

Yu Nianzhao said, "This is his original appearance, he’s still wearing armor, could it be..."

Yu Nianzhao recalled the battle scene seen in Xie Jiuxiao’s dream.

Xie Jiuxiao clenched his fists, coldly said, "Indeed, he was the commander of that battle... Shi Ye!"

"He devised such a sinister and ruthless method, ultimately slain by me, yet... I thought he had perished entirely, didn’t expect he was still alive!"

Xie Jiuxiao couldn’t understand, "Taiyin Evil didn’t swallow him?"

He fell into self-doubt, the intense hatred almost engulfed him.

Yu Nianzhao soothed him, "The scene must have been much more chaotic than now, Taiyin Evil assisted you while also controlling you, the specter being devoured could have been your illusion, the fact is, this specter indeed escaped!"