CHAPTER 264: CHAPTER 263: MAY WE NEVER MEET AGAIN!

"Shaochen!"

Song Caiwei was very worried about him and hurriedly shouted.

Luu Shaochen finally snapped out of it, slapped his own cheeks, and the pain dispelled the confusion in his mind.

"Trying to confuse people right in front of me?"

Yu Nianzhao slowly walked over and stood in front of Luu Shaochen.

"And who are you?"

The malevolent spirit stared disdainfully at Yu Nianzhao, saying, "Were you the one who dealt with my ’soldiers’ earlier? Was it you who found the coffin?"

Yu Nianzhao lazily replied, "I’m here... to collect you."

"Collect me? Hehehe! Do you think I’m just an ordinary malevolent spirit?"

The spirit laughed wildly, its shadow quickly expanding, climbing up like a small mountain, forming a huge shadow that engulfed them.

"Ahhh——"

The others were terrified, huddling together and trembling.

"Do you know why you can see this place? I let you in on purpose! I was worrying that just eating these two tonight wouldn’t be enough, and then you all just delivered yourselves right to me for a feast, how splendid!"

The spirit grinned hideously, "Then leave your lives here!"

It made a dive, intending to swallow Yu Nianzhao whole.

Yu Nianzhao didn’t even blink, slowly raised his hand, and the Blade of Judgment appeared in his palm.

At the moment the spirit approached, Yu Nianzhao swung his hand, transforming the Blade of Judgment into a long sword, slashing fiercely through the black mist.

"Ahhhhhh——"

The spirit let out a miserable shriek, the dense black mist rapidly shrinking as if compressed by someone, and its power weakened significantly.

"My Evil Qi, my malevolent power, no, don’t let it escape..."

A large gash opened up on the spirit’s soul, with the power it had absorbed over the years continuously pouring out, as it hastily attempted to block it but in vain.

Yu Nianzhao held the Blade of Judgment, approaching him in reverse, "Weren’t you just flaunting your might? Where’s your courage? Your spirit? Weren’t you going to eat me? I’m a living person right in front of you, and yet you won’t eat?"

"You, you are not an ordinary person, what on earth are you holding that can hurt me?"

The spirit was extremely frightened, now like a mouse being hunted by a cat, retreating continuously.

"It can not only hurt you but also make your soul vanish!"

Yu Nianzhao pointed at him and coldly asked, "You have no right to ask me questions. I’m the one asking you. If you don’t answer properly, my next stab will be at your heart!"

Jiu had also unknowingly returned behind Yu Nianzhao, with Jiu Ying’s shadow following like a shadow.

The immense pressure made the spirit’s soul shiver.

Realizing he had hit a stone wall, the spirit could only weep without tears, "Fine, I got it."

"Did you take Luu Shaochen’s fate pattern back then?"

"Yes..."

"To whom did you give his fate pattern?"

"I don’t remember clearly, I’ve always hidden in the shadows of Shangjing, terrified of being discovered by the Daoist. So, I acted very low-key, only bewitching those with unsettled minds. Over the years, I’ve bewildered hundreds, if not thousands—how could I remember all of them!"

Pah!

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Nianzhao slashed at his soul.

Ahhhh——

The cutting pain of the soul made the spirit scream out in agony.

He cried out immediately, "I remember, a man came to me voluntarily, saying he could help repair my soul on the condition that I find a fate pattern with auspicious purple Qi for him."

"Who is that man, what does he look like?"

"I only remember a man entwined with ghostly Qi, with an adept Daoist always beside him who helped him find me."

"Can you still find him now?"

"It’s been so long, I’m not sure!"

"You’re lying!"

Yu Nianzhao squinted his eyes and slashed again.

The spirit wept without tears, lamenting how his hard-earned cultivation was ruined overnight.

"I can find him, I surely can!"

The spirit knelt fearfully, kowtowing to her, "Spare me, my lady, I still have contact with that Daoist. He occasionally uses me to help them with tasks."

"What tasks?"

"To select suitable people for them. As long as they have clean souls, I’ll inform them, and they’ll abduct those people."

The spirit resentfully revealed the truth to Yu Nianzhao, "My lady, I’ve told you everything I should; please don’t hurt me anymore."

"Such things happen in Shangjing as well?"

Mr Lu gasped, "I always thought Shangjing was at least safe, never realized a malevolent spirit was lurking nearby."

"Abducting people?"

Yu Nianzhao immediately thought of those she encountered at the Black Market Netherworld who were lured there.

"What do they use these abducted people for?"

"Clean souls can be used for many things, I guess, sacrifices? Offerings?"

The spirit said in grievance, "I’m just helping with some tasks; I don’t know everything."

"Oh..."

Yu Nianzhao retracted the Blade of Judgment, gestured with her fingers, and said, "Wei Zhao, watch him closely and take him back."

"Yes, Miss!"

Wei Zhao obediently restrained the severely injured spirit.

"Miss Yu, what do you mean by what you just said? My fate pattern... was altered?"

Luu Shaochen’s face changed dramatically, clenching his fists, "No wonder the abbot told me my fate had undergone a major change back when I visited the temple. It was probably man-made."

He turned to Ms Lu and said with difficulty, "Do you hate me so much? Even though you’re a stepmother, I didn’t expect you to treat me like your own son, but did you really have to harm me this way?"

Ms Lu cried, "I’m sorry, Shaochen, it’s my fault, I was weak-willed and was taken advantage of and bewitched to do this. If you want to blame someone, blame me; I deserve it, but Shaoqi really didn’t know about it. He’s always treated you as his real elder brother. Please don’t let this create a rift between you brothers because of me."

Luu Shaochen sighed deeply, "Once you took that step, that crack already appeared and can’t be undone."

Mr Lu wiped his face and shook his head, "Madam, you’ve been really foolish!"

Song Caiwei knew this was their family matter, feeling it inappropriate to intervene, yet her heart ached for Luu Shaochen. In a spontaneous move, she stepped forward and held his hand.

Luu Shaochen, feeling the warmth from her palm, looked down at Song Caiwei, and the pain and confusion in his eyes dissolved significantly as he held her hand in return.

"Brother, I’m sorry, my mother was wrong; let me make it up to you."

Luu Shaoqi said with reddened eyes, choking with emotion.

"Fool, how would you compensate?"

Luu Shaochen smiled wryly, "It’s been many years; I just hope we won’t see such things again in the future."