“Lin Chengyou!” The golden-robed young master no longer cared about maintaining his elegant demeanor. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the golden hairpin from the back of his head and roared ferociously, “Tonight, I’ll ensure you die without a burial ground. None of you will escape!”

He lunged first at Teng Yuyi, intending to seize and tear her in half.

But Teng Yuyi and her servant had already taken the opportunity to flee. Before he could exert any force, his neck was tightly constricted, and a great force yanked his entire body backward. Usually, with his wings and demonic powers, he wouldn’t have given such a magical weapon a second thought. But now things were different – not only was one of his wings destroyed, but his vital points were also injured.

He could feel his demonic power rapidly draining away along with the blood flowing from his eye sockets.

Lin Chengyou stood in the courtyard and pulled without mercy, dragging him down from the eaves. Jun Nu pounced again but was stopped by Lin Chengyou’s shout. Simultaneously, Lin Chengyou unleashed his Seal Dragon, causing the golden-robed young master’s body to contort.

The golden-robed young master lay on the ground, grinding his teeth as he laughed: “What’s this? Even resorting to using women? If you have the ability, release me, and let’s fight one-on-one. Ganging up on me with superior numbers is too dishonorable.”

Lin Chengyou first used talismans to seal his vital points, then used the Soul-Locking Beast to bind him thoroughly from head to toe. Only after ensuring there was no possibility of escape did he stand up and dust off his hands.

The golden-robed young master’s eyes flashed with panic: “What are you going to do?”

Lin Chengyou sneered: “You’ve already called me ‘dishonorable’ – if I don’t do a few truly dishonorable things, wouldn’t that make your insult meaningless?”

The golden-robed young master’s face changed dramatically. Before he could react, Lin Chengyou tossed the silver chain in his hand to the black panther: “Play with him well.”

The black panther lowered its head and nuzzled against Lin Chengyou’s robe hem, then lifted its head high. With the silver chain in its mouth, it began running joyfully around the courtyard.

Jian Tian and the others gathered around Lin Chengyou, their faces full of curiosity: “Young Master, have you raised this little panther by your side since it was small? How is it so obedient to you?”

Lin Chengyou snapped his fingers to make Jun Nu run faster: “Though it seems obedient now, it has quite a temper. It was only two months old when it came to me. After raising it all these years, I finally managed to teach it some skills. It occasionally helps me out, but only when it’s willing. When it gets temperamental, it can be quite a headache.”

Teng Yuyi peered curiously from the eaves. Such spirit beasts were extremely rare. She wondered if she would have the chance to raise one herself in the future. No matter how difficult it was to tame, she wasn’t afraid – after all, she had ways to make spirit beasts obey. Suddenly noticing that Lin Chengyou’s right hand remained behind his back, she quickly whispered: “Uncle Cheng, the corpse demon will likely be provoked out soon. Huo Qiu and I will protect the formation. Be ready to assist Lin Chengyou at any moment.”

Uncle Cheng nodded silently.

The golden-robed young master was dragged back and forth, his heart filled with fear and hatred. He especially hated that he had not a trace of demonic power left, otherwise how could he suffer such humiliation? He cursed loudly: “Lin Chengyou, either kill me or release me. What’s the point of humiliating me like this?”

Lin Chengyou didn’t respond, only gesturing for Jun Nu to run faster. The faster the black panther ran, the more unbearable it became for the golden-robed young master. Suddenly hearing faint movement from the tower, his eyes flickered with demonic light as a thought he’d never had before suddenly emerged in his mind – Lin Chengyou wasn’t doing this merely to humiliate him; he was using this method to draw out the corpse demon.

He sneered: “Lin Chengyou, I know what you’re planning. I advise you to give up early. The corpse demon and I merely have a mutually beneficial relationship. Once I’m finished, I can simply find another demon to cultivate with. Don’t hope to use me against the corpse demon – it won’t care whether I live or die.”

Lin Chengyou sighed: “Now that you’ve said that, I’m even more determined to try.”

With that, he whistled, directing Jun Nu to leap toward the eaves while dragging the silver chain. This Jun Nu was a tribute from the Kingdom of Sinhala, with other spirit beast bloodlines mixed in its ancestry. Its nature differed from ordinary black panthers, with both its speed and strength being extraordinarily remarkable.

With one leap, it easily jumped onto a branch of the parasol tree in the courtyard. Using the momentum, it wove and bounded between branches, causing the silver chain to clang repeatedly as it wound around the branches. The golden-robed young master let out strange cries before being completely hung from the tree, positioned to face the open window of the front tower, perfectly placed for the corpse demon inside to fully appreciate his miserable state.

While Jun Nu was busy, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi weren’t idle either. Following Lin Chengyou’s instructions, they had reset the Golden Infant Venerable Formation beneath the corridor and plastered the entire passageway with talismans that Lin Chengyou had personally drawn earlier. Finally, they moved the two injured Taoist priests and the courtesans to the corridor before breathing sighs of relief.

“Lin Chengyou!” The golden-robed young master kicked his legs awkwardly in mid-air. “A warrior can be killed but not humiliated. Falling into your hands meant my skills were inferior. If you’re going to dissipate my demonic power, do it quickly – why torture me like this?”

Lin Chengyou scoffed: “Now you talk about principles? You’ve caused havoc for over a hundred years, killing no less than hundreds of people. Don’t be impatient – this is just the beginning. Later, I’ll transform you back to your original form and have Jun Nu pluck your feathers one by one.”

The golden-robed young master’s gaze instantly turned venomous. Throughout his life, he had been most proud of his brilliant golden feathers, calling himself the “golden-robed young master” with quite a self-praising tone. Though burned feathers could be restored through cultivation, what would he look like being publicly plucked into a bare bird?

“You devil!” He struggled desperately. “I’d rather die than suffer such humiliation! You claim to be a Taoist, yet you show not a shred of kindness or mercy. That blind Taoist from a hundred years ago was far more decent than you – though he stripped away my demonic power, he didn’t humiliate my true form.”

Lin Chengyou sighed: “Master Dongyang was indeed decent, but didn’t you and the corpse demon still cause his demise? Moreover, if the old master had thoroughly eliminated the threat back then, there wouldn’t be this disaster a hundred years later. This proves one can’t show mercy when dealing with evil spirits, especially murderous fiends like you who are accustomed to harming humans.”

As he spoke, he waved his hand, using the Seal Dragon to force the golden-robed young master back to his original form. In an instant, the man in the tree transformed into a huge golden bird with disheveled feathers.

“Jun Nu, start plucking.”

The golden-robed young master had intended to curse again, but having transformed into bird form, he could only screech shrilly. As he struggled futilely, the black panther silently stalked toward him along the branches. He steeled himself to bite through his tongue, attempting to end it all.

Lin Chengyou seemed to sense his intention and swiftly snatched something from Jian Tian’s hand, throwing it up into the tree. Before the golden-robed young master could bite his tongue, a large object was thrown into his mouth.

He was momentarily stunned. The object emitted waves of strange odors, like saliva mixed with sock sweat, nauseating to smell. He had always preferred cleanliness, never willing to touch even a speck of filth. His instincts told him this was not something good.

Then he heard Jian Tian shout: “Hey, Young Master, that’s my wine pouch! You’ve thrown it up in the tree – what am I supposed to drink now?!”

“Just borrowing it for a while. I’ll get it back for you later.”

Jian Tian’s face showed complete disgust: “I don’t want it back – it’s been contaminated by that demon’s saliva.”

The golden-robed young master rolled his eyes in anger. No wonder it smelled so awful – it was all this old Taoist’s saliva. It was already impressive that he hadn’t vomited on the spot – how dare this Taoist priest be disgusted by him?

At this point, his emotions had been provoked to the extreme. With his mouth stuffed, he could only shake his body frantically. With a surge of strength, he made the parasol tree rustle loudly. After all, he was a great demon with hundreds of years of cultivation. When he went berserk like this, even the fallen leaves in the courtyard began to whirl around.

Lin Chengyou’s smile remained unchanged, but his ears didn’t dare relax for a moment. As the golden-robed young master lost control in his fury, the front tower finally produced another strange sound, growing louder as the golden-robed young master’s emotions became more intense.

It seemed as if someone was running rapidly through the corridor in the connecting tower, and the surrounding air suddenly turned cold.

Lin Chengyou said softly: “It’s coming.”

Though Jian Tian and Jian Xian were laughing and joking, they had been secretly watching the front tower out of concern for their junior brother’s safety. They immediately understood.

Lin Chengyou’s voice dropped so low it could only be heard through internal energy: “Remember, Taoist Jian Le was captured by the corpse demon and taken into the tower, so the cloth on his wrist can no longer be used as a secret signal to confirm his identity.”

Jian Tian and the others nodded repeatedly.

“Besides this, the corpse demon’s greatest skill is creating illusions. When confronting it later, you must constantly remind yourself of this point.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi nodded secretly: “Senior Brother, should we tell Young Master Wang about these things?”

Jian Tian couldn’t help interjecting: “Foolish children, there’s no need to remind Young Master Wang about these things. With her intellect, she’ll understand on her own.”

Lin Chengyou casually rubbed the silver thread in his hand behind his waist: “Taoist Jian Tian and Jian Xian will watch the golden-robed young master. Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi just need to guard the injured Taoist priests and Maiden E and the others. The formation and talismans are ready beneath the corridor. Unless necessary, the corpse demon won’t bother you.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi nodded deeply.

Jian Xian said quietly: “Young Master, the corpse demon is not like the golden-robed young master. No matter how skilled Young Master Wang and her servant are in martial arts, they don’t understand Taoist arts. Should we send someone else over there? Otherwise, if the corpse demon causes chaos, they won’t be able to catch the silver thread you throw.”

Lin Chengyou raised his eyes to glance at the eaves, just as Teng Yuyi was looking at them.

His gaze swept around her. Though the corpse demon’s target was the golden-robed young master, once it emerged, it definitely wouldn’t miss the chance to attack Teng Yuyi. He had seen her assassination attempt on the golden-robed young master earlier – fierce and tricky. It was clear she had learned quite a few unusual martial arts these past few days, but these tricks were far from enough against the corpse demon.

He looked around, but unfortunately, there were no extra people to deploy now. Suddenly thinking of Jun Nu, an idea struck him.

He looked up toward the treetop and whistled to Jun Nu.

Jun Nu raised its jade-green eyes, curiously glancing at Teng Yuyi and her servant on the eaves. Then it jumped down from the tree and nuzzled Lin Chengyou’s robe with its head. This gesture was both affectionate and playful, as if not understanding why its young master wanted it to go to strangers.

Lin Chengyou crouched down to pat its head. This was Jun Nu’s first time leaving him to protect others – he was unwilling. But now wasn’t the time to be temperamental.

“Go on, go on.” He recalled having a similar mindset when he inexplicably taught Teng Yuyi the Peach Blossom sword technique, and couldn’t help sighing. “Don’t be stubborn. I’ll give you lots of treats when you return.”

Only then did Jun Nu turn around and reluctantly leap onto the eaves.

Teng Yuyi never imagined Lin Chengyou would make such an arrangement. Seeing the little black panther approach, she was overjoyed and quickly took some deer jerky from her pouch, spreading it in her palm to feed the little black panther: “Hello, Jun Nu.”

Jun Nu didn’t even look, turning its head to the side.

“Don’t like deer jerky? That’s alright, I also have fried lychee.”

Jun Nu remained unmoved, lowering its head to lick its paws.

Teng Yuyi wasn’t discouraged at all: “Ah, it’s our first meeting, so it’s natural for you to be shy. But once you spend more time with me, you’ll know I’m not a bad person.”

Lin Chengyou looked around for a moment, then said softly: “Alright, everything’s ready. The corpse demon will come out soon. To disturb everyone’s minds, it will extinguish all the lights in the courtyard before emerging.”

Lin Chengyou wasn’t wrong. As soon as he finished speaking, the row of lanterns beneath the corridor went out silently. The window frames creaked, and the cold wind gusted in from all directions. In an instant, even the red moon overhead was covered by dark clouds. The entire courtyard plunged into darkness as suddenly as if someone had blown out a candle.

The courtesans screamed in terror. Lin Chengyou grabbed Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, one in each hand, and decisively threw them back to the corridor. Jian Tian and Jian Xian flew to the treetop in the darkness, following the silver chain to grasp the golden-robed young master’s two damaged wings.

Lin Chengyou held his bow and arrow, listening for movement in the darkness. Suddenly sensing a dark wind attacking from behind, he quickly rode the momentum upward, lowering his shoulder and throwing several talismans backward: “I thought you had left. Didn’t expect you’d stay behind for the golden-robed young master. Feng Abao, do you care so much about him because when your grandfather confined you in the temporary palace, only this golden bird would fly over the palace walls to keep you company?”

Unexpectedly, a little girl’s crying voice came from behind: “Waa waa, I want Mother, I want Mother.”

“This again.” Lin Chengyou sneered, “Besides this trick, do you have any other tricks?”

Turning to see the little girl clearly, he shot an arrow without hesitation: “Poor imitation, try again!”

The arrow left the string, cutting sharply through the night wind. Just as the golden arrowhead was about to strike the little girl’s forehead, a young lord suddenly ran out from the shadows, pushing the little girl’s shoulder, and helping her dodge the arrow just in time.

“Hey, stop following me,” the young lord seemed to be scolding the little girl.

A thunderclap exploded in Lin Chengyou’s ears – the young lord appeared to be around eight years old, his appearance and demeanor exactly matching Lin Chengyou’s childhood self.

He quickly regained his senses, smiling through gritted teeth: “Now this is finally something fresh – you even dare to impersonate me. Did you get your grandfather’s permission?”

He quickly steadied his mind and fired another arrow with a fierce smile, but unexpectedly, when the arrow touched young “Lin Chengyou’s” shoulder, it fell to the ground silently as if hitting soft cloth.

Lin Chengyou was secretly shocked. The golden bow and arrows in his hand were specially made – upon touching evil spirits, they would immediately begin burning the flesh like raging fire. The young “Lin Chengyou” before him was completely unharmed when shot – could he not be an evil spirit?

In this moment of distraction, the courtyard before him grew increasingly bright, and with another blink, it had transformed into an extremely vast garden.

Before him was an endless lotus lake. A fresh breeze swept past, carrying the pure fragrance of lotus leaves, gently brushing his face with a refreshing coolness that penetrated the bone.

Under the emerald willows by the lake, two children ran one after another. The young “Lin Chengyou” in front was a head taller than the little girl behind, running while saying: “Stop following me.”

The little girl held up a package of candy, chasing a few steps behind. Seeing she couldn’t catch up, she stopped, panting.

She watched young Lin Chengyou’s retreating figure, silently clutching the doll in her arms.

A deep sense of guilt welled up in Lin Chengyou’s heart. He desperately tried to see the little girl’s features clearly, but a thin mist seemed to shroud her, making it impossible to approach.

The little girl only stood there for a moment before walking in another direction with her doll. As she walked, an elderly servant took her hand.

Lin Chengyou couldn’t help but follow, but the figures of the old servant and child quickly disappeared into the thick fog. As the mist slowly dispersed, the vast lotus pond transformed into a bedroom.

The room was spacious and luxurious, with a bed against the wall. Two frost-green curtains hung before the bed, and a small, exquisite sachet hung at the head of the bed.

The curtains were half-drawn, and a little girl lay in bed, wrapped in quilts, appearing to be ill.

Lin Chengyou couldn’t see the little girl’s features clearly, but his instincts told him she was the same girl from beside the lotus pond.

“A’Gu.” He hesitantly uttered those two words.

Many servants surrounded the bed, each wearing worried expressions. Lin Chengyou found this scene strangely familiar, suddenly remembering he had dreamed similar dreams more than once. In his dreams, A’Gu was also bedridden, though everything before him now seemed more real than in the dreams.

He couldn’t help but look around, only then noticing the many toys for young ladies in the room – small kickballs, small kites, small puppets… Not far from the bed, on a table, sat a half-finished embroidery hoop with the character “Li” clearly visible. Looking at the small sachet at the head of the bed, too was embroidered with the character “Li.”

So her surname was Li?

Overjoyed at this discovery, he tried to walk toward the bed, but it was as if an invisible wall stood before him, completely blocking his steps. He grew anxious – for years he had been searching for this little girl, and now that he had finally found her, he couldn’t even have a chance to speak with her.

He wanted to thank her in person, to repay her for saving his life.

Most importantly, he wanted to tell her he wasn’t ungrateful. That day, as soon as he changed clothes, he went back to look for her. He hadn’t forgotten his promise to help her find her mother.

This memory had scarred his heart, almost becoming an obsession. Whenever he thought of this matter, a voice would echo in his ears: Since you promised to help her find her mother, you shouldn’t have let go so carelessly.

Eager to confirm her condition, he stepped forward again, but before he could reach the bedside, the servants burst into silent tears. His heart sank – surely not…

The servants cried heartbrokenly. He tried his best to hear what they were saying, but even this close, he couldn’t make out a single word.

In another instant, before him was an empty bed – the room vacant, the little girl was gone.

Large beads of sweat appeared on Lin Chengyou’s forehead. What it meant when bedding was removed was all too clear. No wonder he could never find this girl – had she died young?

A chill ran through his entire body. That was the first time he had broken a promise to someone, and after letting go, he never even had a chance to make amends.

A voice began mocking him in his ear: You failed your little lifesaver. You promised to help her find her mother, but instead you abandoned her. You’re just a little wretch. Don’t think you can find a chance to make amends – look, she’s dead, dead for many years. All these years of supposedly searching for your benefactor have been nothing but a self-deceptive joke.

He covered his ears, but that voice penetrated everything. After listening for a while, his heart grew so guilty it ached, and gradually he forgot where he was, his mind filled only with “No, impossible.” The yin energy around him intensified, but he was completely unaware. Something approached him, but he did not react. Unconsciously, a hand stained with bright red henna crept closer, slowly approaching his chest, gently toying with his lapel. Just as it was about to pierce his clothes, Lin Chengyou unexpectedly grabbed that hand, producing a dagger from his palm and slicing it in two.

This change came too suddenly – that thing had no time to dodge and let out a shrill scream: “Ahhhhhh!”

The dagger flicked upward, swiftly stabbing toward its face. Lin Chengyou shouted fiercely: “You think such flawed tricks can bewitch people’s minds?”

He hadn’t forgotten that the corpse demon could only create illusions using living people’s memories. If A’Gu was already dead, how could the corpse demon obtain these memories from a dead person?

If A’Gu was still alive, yet the corpse demon lied about her death, it further proved this was all just an illusion unilaterally fabricated by the corpse demon.

The corpse demon released all its yin energy to force Lin Chengyou back, but it was still too late – its pretty face had been carved with a long wound by that sharp magical weapon, instantly ruining its appearance.

It raised its severed hands, nearly screaming its throat raw: “You villain! How dare you cut my face!”

Lin Chengyou felt a bone-chilling yin energy directly assault his face. He hurriedly flipped and leaped away. Though he ran quickly, he was still shocked and numb all over. Fortunately, with the Fire Jade Spirit Root Decoction helping to stabilize his essence and ward off evil, his breath was only disordered for a moment before quickly evening out.

Lin Chengyou raised his hand and shot an arrow, only regretting that at this crucial moment, the corpse demon’s fangs were still nowhere to be seen. The silver thread had been prepared long ago but still couldn’t be thrown.

While contemplating countermeasures, he quickly surveyed his surroundings. The corridor lights remained extinguished, the courtyard dimly lit. Fortunately, when the corpse demon’s yin force dispersed, the moon was no longer obscured by dark clouds. In the pale moonlight, he saw the two Taoist priests sitting motionless in the tree, seemingly trapped in illusions. Below in the corridor, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi swayed their heads, dazed like idiots. As for Maiden E and the others, they were even worse – either pulling at their clothes while wailing like ghosts and wolves or crawling around on the ground.

Sparks flew in his eyes – he knew it would be like this. The corpse demon’s methods of bewitching people were impossible to fully guard against. Despite making many preparations, everyone had still fallen for its tricks.

He anxiously looked across to the other side and secretly breathed a sigh of relief – thankfully, Teng Yuyi was still conscious, whether due to Jun Nu’s protection or her naturally exceptional mental fortitude.

Teng Yuyi and Jun Nu stood on the eaves, calling anxiously: “Young Master!”

“Have Uncle Cheng and Huo Qiu been bewitched?” Lin Chengyou called out.

“Yes!” Teng Yuyi’s face was grim. “They don’t respond no matter how we shout or push them.”

“Pierce their Tianchi points.” Lin Chengyou leaped onto a tree branch, about to wake Jian Tian and Jian Xian, when unexpectedly two sword lights came at him face-on – Jian Tian and Jian Xian were thrusting their swords at him with expressionless faces.

Lin Chengyou was shocked. Though the corpse demon excelled at controlling people’s minds, it could usually only make people hate and grieve themselves. Those bewitched often became lost in illusions, ultimately being harmed in unbearably painful circumstances. But judging from Jian Tian and Jian Xian’s condition, they seemed to view him as an enemy.

It didn’t seem like puppet control either – the corpse demon could only use such tricks on those who didn’t understand Taoist arts, like Juan’er Li. It was helpless against Taoists, especially since Jian Tian and Jian Xian had previously drunk the Fire Jade Spirit Root Decoction that could protect the heart and ward off evil.

He calmly raised his arm to block, leaning back to dodge the sword tips. Before landing on the ground, he threw paper balls made from talismans at both Jian Tian and Jian Xian. The force was like stone, the speed like wind, hitting their Fengchi points perfectly. He thought this would be enough to wake them, but Jian Tian and Jian Xian showed no intention of withdrawing their swords.

Lin Chengyou grew increasingly bewildered. His body spun in midair, changing direction toward the corridor below – the situation with Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi wasn’t good either. He had to wake them before they fell completely under control.

Seeing Lin Chengyou attacked by his people, the golden-robed young master made joyful calls from the tree. Unable to move his body, he used a voice half-human and half-bird to continuously urge the corpse demon.

The corpse demon ran excitedly around the courtyard. Its flesh and bones naturally had self-healing abilities, and after a period of recovery, its severed hands had grown back somewhat, while the wound on its face had healed without a trace. After running for a while and hearing the golden-robed young master’s calls, it brought its legs together and suddenly jumped into the tree.

It brought the golden-robed young master down from the tree, letting him sit against the trunk, while it put its hands on its hips and called coquettishly to the people in the corridor: “Get to work!”

At this command, everyone led by Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi suddenly stood up. Before Lin Chengyou could leap close, they all swung their swords at him in unison. Even the injured Jian Xi and Jian Mei struggled to their feet, red-eyed and shouting for his death.

Lin Chengyou flew over everyone’s heads, like a dragonfly touching the water as he stabbed each person’s nape in turn, but Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi did not react. They quickly turned around in place, their sword tips again thrusting toward Lin Chengyou’s back.

Drums pounded in Lin Chengyou’s heart – this was far too abnormal. Even if bewitched, they shouldn’t be so out of control. Before he could think further, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi’s swords had approached his vital points.

Afraid of accidentally hurting them, Lin Chengyou leaped back to the eaves: “Damn it all, you don’t even recognize me anymore!”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi pursued relentlessly with their lightness skills: “Don’t try to run!”

Meanwhile, Jian Tian and Jian Xian also surrounded him, all using killing moves against Lin Chengyou. While defending, he carefully observed everyone’s expressions. Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi’s attacks were all lethal, their faces clearly showing a tragic determination to die. Jian Tian and Jian Xian were full of fury, as if ready to sacrifice their lives, and even Uncle Cheng and Huo Qiu who were about to join the assault had extremely sorrowful looks in their eyes.

Though Lin Chengyou was fighting many opponents at once, his gaze didn’t miss anyone’s expression. He found the situation indescribably strange. Having barely blocked the first round of attacks, a thought flashed through his mind.

Well played, corpse demon, to think of such a vicious method in such a short time. His mind was in chaos. Turning to block another sword, he took the chance to look at Teng Yuyi – if it was really like this, only she could resolve the situation.

The corpse demon jumped around cheering for Jue Sheng and the others, while the golden-robed young master also laughed continuously. Both were overjoyed, eagerly waiting to see Lin Chengyou torn to pieces by his people.

After watching the entertainment for a while, the corpse demon suddenly bounced its legs and leaped straight onto the eaves, targeting the distant Teng Yuyi and running towards her joyfully: “It’s your turn now.”

Teng Yuyi had already followed Lin Chengyou’s instructions to pierce Huo Qiu and Uncle Cheng’s Tianchi points, but unexpectedly, they didn’t wake up. After the corpse demon’s command, the two even jumped directly into the courtyard to join the assault on Lin Chengyou.

“Uncle Cheng! Huo Qiu!” Teng Yuyi called sharply from the eaves, but to no avail – the two wouldn’t listen at all. She didn’t understand what was happening, but it must be related to the corpse demon.

Lin Chengyou had been everyone’s pillar of support, but in an instant, he became their target. The disciples’ dependence on him, the allies’ trust in him – all shattered like ice in a moment. Everyone was using killing moves against him, each wanting to grind his bones to dust. This was an enormous assault on one’s will – few could withstand it.

Fortunately, Lin Chengyou didn’t seem to be immediately crushed, but he had to protect himself without hurting others while both escaping and dealing with the corpse demon. Even with the two sword techniques he had learned at the Love of Books Study, he couldn’t guarantee to remain unscathed even just jumping down from the eaves.

Before she could figure it out, the corpse demon was running towards her from afar. She nervously tried to copy Lin Chengyou’s whistle, but instead of producing a beautiful whistle, it came out as an embarrassing “xu xu” sound. Jun Nu rolled its eyes at her, so Teng Yuyi simply shouted: “Bite it!!!”

Jun Nu lowered its shoulders and arched its back. Before the corpse demon’s lively laughter could float closer, it pounced like lightning.

Its momentum was like a fierce wind, its movements both fast and violent. It caught the corpse demon’s neck in its mouth and shook its head violently, then with a bang, actually slammed the corpse demon onto the roof tiles.

The corpse demon fell like a wooden stake, its smile unchanging. Its bright red nails extended as it clawed toward Jun Nu’s crown, giggling: “Want to eat.”

Jun Nu’s speed far exceeded normal beings. Before the nails could come down, it darted diagonally and leaped to the opposite side with lightning speed, this time biting the corpse demon’s head.

Teng Yuyi watched, hardly daring to breathe. Unlike the golden-robed young master, the corpse demon wasn’t made of flesh and blood. Though Jun Nu could bite off some skin and flesh in close combat, the corpse demon felt neither pain nor itch, and its wounds healed quickly.

Jun Nu seemed somewhat confused. A moment’s distraction easily led to vulnerabilities, and there were several times when Jun Nu nearly got caught by the corpse demon’s sharp claws. Fortunately, its speed was as swift as lightning, or it would have been defeated long ago.

Even so, Jun Nu couldn’t hold out much longer.

Teng Yuyi felt anxious. She wanted to see Lin Chengyou’s current situation, but when she looked up, a dark green figure came flying towards her.

“Young Master.”

Jian Tian and the others pursued relentlessly, but due to Lin Chengyou’s exceptional lightness skills, they were quickly left behind.

Lin Chengyou leaped close, scooped Teng Yuyi into his arms with one movement, and with several bounds, landed before the window of the front tower’s pavilion.

Teng Yuyi was uncertain and alarmed. The corpse demon’s true form was still fighting with Jun Nu, so there was no need to worry that this Lin Chengyou was fake, but what was he planning to do?

She didn’t dare struggle in his arms, but her eyes quickly assessed him. His clothes were torn, and his arms showed blood marks. Earlier, he had fought so many rounds with the two monsters without injury, but once surrounded by his people, he was wounded -, no matter how wicked he could be, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt his people.

Her heart was both shocked and hateful – the corpse demon had precisely identified Lin Chengyou’s weakness. At this rate, Lin Chengyou would eventually fall. If Lin Chengyou fell, they would lose completely tonight.

Lin Chengyou set Teng Yuyi down on the roof tiles and caught his breath: “Jun Nu can’t hold out much longer. Quick.”

“What do you need me to do?” Teng Yuyi’s nerves were taut.

Lin Chengyou pointed to his neck: “Is there something here? Wipe it off.”

Teng Yuyi focused her gaze and indeed saw a dark black bloodstain near his Adam’s apple. Against Lin Chengyou’s fair skin, it was particularly noticeable: “Yes.”

She hurriedly moved to wipe it with her sleeve, but Lin Chengyou suddenly said: “Use your saliva to wipe it.”

Teng Yuyi was startled – her saliva?

“Hurry, we won’t have time if we delay any longer.” Lin Chengyou’s expression was strange as he turned to look behind them.

Teng Yuyi didn’t dare waste time and quickly took out her handkerchief, but when she had to spit on it, she felt indescribably awkward.

Did she have to wipe it like this? The question almost burst out, but she held it back – Lin Chengyou wouldn’t joke with her at a time like this.

She dampened the handkerchief with a bit of her saliva and raised her hand to wipe the bloodstain on Lin Chengyou’s skin. That bloodstain was particularly difficult to remove – one attempt wasn’t enough, so she had to add more saliva.

“Young Master, couldn’t you explain a little?”

Lin Chengyou’s expression wasn’t much better than Teng Yuyi’s. This was the corpse demon’s blood. The corpse demon was the world’s most yin creature and most favored pure yang body. He could never wipe it off himself, no matter how hard he tried – he could only use Teng Yuyi’s saliva.

“This is the corpse demon’s blood. It first sets up an illusion, then smears its blood on someone, making everyone attack that person as if they were the corpse demon.”

Teng Yuyi suddenly understood: “I was wondering why Jue Sheng and the others’ expressions were so strange. The corpse demon has blood? Isn’t it a dead thing?”

“It has blood, but it’s long dried up, like hard scabs attached to its blood vessel walls. Usually, it can’t flow. To turn these scabs into flowing blood requires quite some effort. It’s doing this simply to use others’ strength against us.”

His brows slightly furrowed as he let her rub the saliva-dampened handkerchief back and forth below his jaw. Her saliva was slightly warm at first but quickly cooled. Fortunately, it had no strange smell, and her handkerchief seemed to be scented with some fragrance, carrying a subtle fresh aroma.

Lost in these random thoughts, he inadvertently glanced down and found that Teng Yuyi’s face had reddened. Ah, she was probably just as extremely embarrassed as he was.

No… why was he thinking about these messy things? He should be thinking about how to deal with the corpse demon.

“Earlier, everyone encountered illusions, but each person saw something different. I knew I had fallen into an illusion and deliberately pretended to be bewitched by the corpse demon. Unexpectedly, the corpse demon’s true purpose wasn’t to bewitch me but to smear its blood on me. To lower my guard, it was even willing to let me cut off its hand.

“Meanwhile, it set up another illusion for Jue Sheng and the others, making them see their companions being harmed by the corpse demon in the illusion, causing them unbearable pain. So when they see me as the ‘corpse demon,’ they want to cut me into a thousand pieces. As for why you weren’t caught in the illusion, I guess the corpse demon needed you to stay conscious, otherwise it couldn’t take your heart.”

Teng Yuyi nodded, her hair accidentally brushing against his chin.

Lin Chengyou instinctively stepped back.

“Don’t move, how can I wipe it if you keep dodging?” Teng Yuyi was applying saliva for the third time. After the first two times, she had gotten the hang of it, knowing that wiping vertically was faster than horizontally.

Lin Chengyou had no choice but to stay still. To distract himself, he tried to pay attention to the surroundings, grateful that everyone in the courtyard had lost their senses – no one else could see him and Teng Yuyi in this situation.

“It’s done.”

They both sighed in relief simultaneously. Lin Chengyou didn’t look at Teng Yuyi, just took the handkerchief from her hand: “Give it to me, I’ll need it.”

Then he said to Teng Yuyi: “I’ll find a way to force out the corpse demon’s fangs, but Jian Tian and the others might not recover their senses quickly. Can you catch that silver thread?”

Teng Yuyi vaguely guessed how Lin Chengyou planned to force out the corpse demon’s fangs. Knowing this opportunity couldn’t be missed, she quickly gathered her internal energy using the mental techniques he had taught her, feeling increasingly skilled at using her internal power.

“Alright, I’ll try.”

Lin Chengyou looked at her, about to give a few more instructions, when Jian Tian and the others came charging over. He quickly grabbed Teng Yuyi by her collar and brought her back to the eaves of the lower level.

In mid-air, Teng Yuyi kept watch on Jun Nu’s situation. After fighting with the corpse demon for a while, Jun Nu was showing signs of fatigue. The corpse demon had inexhaustible strength, its claws as sharp as iron hooks. Unable to defeat it after a prolonged attack, and worried about its young master’s safety, Jun Nu gradually became restless. With distraction and irritation, its attack speed also slowed. Several times, the corpse demon nearly managed to gouge out Jun Nu’s jade-green eyes.

The golden-robed young master laughed triumphantly under the tree. In this courtyard, Lin Chengyou was its most hated enemy, and that panther was second. Now Lin Chengyou was being surrounded by his people and would soon be torn to pieces. That damned panther would also soon become a dish for it and the corpse demon.

Once they were dead, the remaining people would be like ants. What did it matter if its vital points were injured? As long as it could practice secret techniques with the corpse demon, in an instant it would return to being that elegant and handsome young lord of the past.

Its laughter made the tree leaves rustle. As it laughed and proudly surveyed its surroundings, it unexpectedly saw a figure leap down from the eaves. Seeing it was Lin Chengyou, it only sneered inwardly – this boy was at the end of his strength and couldn’t pull any more tricks.

Lin Chengyou instantly approached the golden-robed young master, who coldly snorted: “What are you going to do?”

Lin Chengyou smiled and wrapped the handkerchief around its red beak: “It would be impolite not to return the favor – here’s something nice for you.”

He quickly tied the handkerchief securely, smilingly patted the golden-robed young master’s red beak, then leaped to one side. He took out his bow and shot an arrow at the corpse demon on the eaves – it was a chain shot, four arrows fired in rapid succession with whooshing sounds.

The golden-robed young master was puzzled – what was this boy trying to do? Suddenly hearing a large group of footsteps getting closer, it confusedly looked with its remaining good left eye to see that group of Taoists charging towards it to kill.

Its pupils contracted – what was happening?

Why were they coming for it instead of surrounding Lin Chengyou?

As it pondered, a cluster of dazzling sword tips thrust toward it. Having suffered severe injuries, it couldn’t use its demonic power and could only awkwardly crawl quickly with its wings. But it was soon surrounded with nowhere to hide. Only then did it understand – so it was the blood-stained handkerchief on its mouth causing trouble.

Lin Chengyou, damn him to death! It furiously flapped its wings, trying to push the handkerchief off its mouth, but cursed that it was tied too tightly. The old and young Taoists moved too quickly, their eyes containing overwhelming fury, every strike a killing move. The golden-robed young master couldn’t even let out a cry before its other eye was pierced.

Everything instantly plunged into the boundless darkness. Its body violently convulsed – this darkness made its heart palpitate with despair, more torturous than physical pain. When one vital point was struck, there was always hope for recovery, but with both vital points damaged, even secret techniques couldn’t save it.

Its heart turned ice cold. Although a hundred years ago, the blind Taoist had dispersed its and the corpse demon’s evil power, the Taoist himself had also perished. His two disciples didn’t dare dig them out to perform rituals, only able to suppress them in place with formations. That’s why they could spring back to life like dead wood meeting spring, returning to the world after a hundred years.

But this time, thanks to this boy Lin Chengyou, it would be ground to dust and scattered to the winds.

No, it wasn’t willing. It hadn’t played enough with young women, hadn’t absorbed enough essence, hadn’t helped Feng Abao achieve his long-cherished wish…

It screamed and rolled, stirring up dust everywhere. These cries reached the ears of the corpse demon on the eaves, causing its entire body to stiffen.

It slowly turned its rigid neck, looking at the scene below in disbelief. Seeing both of the golden-robed young master’s eyes had been blinded, it was momentarily without reaction, either furious or shocked to the extreme. It didn’t even move after being hit by four arrows and didn’t resist when Jun Nu caught its neck.

Only after the golden-robed young master stopped writhing did it let out a shrill scream. This strange cry shot straight to the clouds, instantly bringing Jian Tian and the others somewhat back to their senses, but it was too late – the golden-robed young master’s body was covered in sword wounds, without a single piece of good flesh remaining.

In its fury, the corpse demon used its sharp claws to gouge toward Jun Nu’s eyeballs. How could Lin Chengyou let it strike? He had already shot his fifth arrow, its force unstoppable, knocking the corpse demon’s arm aside.

“Jun Nu, go!” Lin Chengyou called out deeply.

Jun Nu seized this opportunity to leap away from the corpse demon. As if knowing it had completed its mission, it no longer entangled with the corpse demon but ran toward the distant Teng Yuyi.

Lin Chengyou pointed backward at the dying golden-robed young master and smiled: “Your companion is finished. It’s your turn now.”

These were the words the corpse demon had said to Teng Yuyi earlier. He repeated them exactly. As soon as he finished speaking, Jue Sheng stumbled due to his dazed state and accidentally stepped on the golden-robed young master’s head. The golden-robed young master’s bird legs lifted high, then became motionless again.

Teng Yuyi took the chance to laugh from the eaves: “Ah, your friend is in quite a pitiful state.”

The corpse demon’s fury was provoked to its peak. It stood up from the roof tiles with a dark face, its murderous aura emanating from every pore, instantly making the air in the entire courtyard several degrees colder. Then its red lips parted, revealing a pair of snow-white fangs. Its eyes fixed firmly on Lin Chengyou as it jumped down from the eaves, wet and dripping, like a giant stone falling, making the ground vibrate with a humming sound.

“I want you dead!”

It howled as it ran toward Lin Chengyou, its mouth opening wider and wider as it ran. It seemed to have forgotten all other devious methods in its fury, apparently intending to bite Lin Chengyou’s neck directly to vent its hatred.

Before it could run far, something thin shot toward its face. It felt a sudden chill on its teeth and hurriedly threw its head back to dodge, but Lin Chengyou quickly leaped to the other side while holding the silver thread, catching its other fang as well.

The corpse demon knew it had fallen into a trap. Its throat made furious gurgling sounds. Lin Chengyou smiled innocently and threw the other end of the silver thread to Teng Yuyi, while he continuously stepped on tree trunks to leap up to the treetop in one breath, then flipped onto the eaves, calling out: “Use all your strength, pull!”

“Alright!” Teng Yuyi caught the talisman ball and used her internal force to pull back. With a series of zipping sounds, the thread quickly embedded itself into the corpse demon’s teeth. Jun Nu bit the hem of Teng Yuyi’s robe, helping her apply force.

The corpse demon was greatly alarmed, knowing that at this rate it would surely turn into a puddle of pus. It hurriedly used all its yin force to leap into mid-air, trying countless methods – leaning back, shaking, pulling – but couldn’t free its fangs from the silver thread’s constraint. Its eyeballs rolled wildly before suddenly spotting Juan’er Li standing woodenly in the courtyard.

A thought flashed through its mind – if this strange silver thread could see through its fangs, it would certainly cut through human skin and bone even more easily. If it could just call this puppet to its side, it would surely be able to loop this thread around her. If Lin Chengyou insisted on not letting go, this puppet would have to die with it.

It made a gurgling sound and laughed with pleasure, landing on the ground and beckoning to Juan’er Li, who walked blankly toward the corpse demon.

Lin Chengyou’s heart sank – the corpse demon was going to use Juan’er Li as its target. If the silver thread wrapped around Juan’er Li’s neck, how could she survive? If he disregarded others’ lives to subdue the corpse demon, wouldn’t he be just as inhuman as these demons and monsters?

He maintained his force on the thread but called out anxiously: “Jue Sheng! Qi Zhi!”

However, the corpse demon had already controlled everyone with illusions earlier. Most people hadn’t yet regained consciousness. Though the corpse demon couldn’t move freely, for now, releasing yin force around itself was no problem. Jian Tian and the others were closest to it, and when struck by the yin force, they became dazed again.

Maiden E and the others weren’t confused again because they were far away, but they neither understood Taoist arts nor dared to come forward, only huddling together trembling beneath the corridor.

Soon, Juan’er Li was not far from the corpse demon. In his urgency, Lin Chengyou threw a talisman ball, but Juan’er Li had been controlled for too long. Now with the corpse demon using all its power to bewitch her, though she stumbled when hit by the talisman ball, she still walked steadily forward.

Teng Yuyi called out loudly: “Uncle Cheng! Huo Qiu! Quick, stop her!”

But there was no response from anyone.

Just then, a slender figure suddenly rushed out from beneath the corridor, immediately embracing Juan’er Li.

“You can’t go!” that person cried out.

It was Bao Zhu. She seemed terrified to the extreme, her face as white as paper, but her arms held on tightly, desperately restraining Juan’er Li.

Juan’er Li’s footsteps faltered.

The corpse demon’s face darkened: “Kill her!”

Juan’er Li raised her arm and expressionlessly gripped Bao Zhu’s neck.

Bao Zhu’s nostrils flared as she spoke with difficulty: “Juan’er Li! I’m Bao Zhu, how can you bear to harm me? These past few years we’ve eaten and lived together daily, we’re already like sisters.”

Juan’er Li froze, her grip seeming to loosen somewhat. Bao Zhu tried to pry her hands away but couldn’t move them.

“Quick, let me go, come on, let’s go back!”

The corpse demon hadn’t expected to lose control of its puppet one day. Its fangs had already been sawn through by a third – if this dragged on any longer it would be too late. It screamed in exasperation: “What are you doing? Quickly kill her!”

Juan’er Li’s body moved, her hands again locking around Bao Zhu’s neck, but she seemed to be struggling internally, unexpectedly hesitating to use force.

“You recognize me, don’t you?” Bao Zhu cried, “I’m Bao Zhu! Silly girl, quick, let me go, don’t go to your death – come with me!”

During this delay, Lin Chengyou had already found time to bite his finger and use his blood to quickly draw several “Zhengyi Talismans,” throwing them in turn at Jian Tian, Qi Zhi, and the others. They were startled for a moment before finally fully awakening. Seeing the scene before them, their expressions changed, and they hurriedly pulled Juan’er Li and Bao Zhu back beneath the corridor.

“Senior Brother!” “Young Master Wang!”

After confirming that Lin Chengyou and Teng Yuyi were unharmed, their anxious hearts settled. They quickly divided into three groups: one stayed in the courtyard to prevent the corpse demon from playing tricks, one leaped behind Lin Chengyou to help, and another ran to Teng Yuyi’s side.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi’s faces were streaked with tears. Earlier in the illusion, they had witnessed their senior brother being killed by the corpse demon with their own eyes, their hearts completely shattered, only wanted to cut the corpse demon into pieces, using all their strength in every strike. Now awake, they were naturally full of guilt and regret.

“Senior Brother, we were confused, we truly deserve to die—” Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi looked at their senior brother’s wounds, secretly guessing which ones they had inflicted, their chests aching indescribably, unable to stop their tears.

Lin Chengyou knew their cultivation wasn’t enough – being so young, they naturally couldn’t resist the corpse demon’s cruel methods. Even Jian Tian and Jian Xian had fallen for it, let alone these two. How could he bear to blame them? He only said: “Senior Brother is fine. You did very well. I don’t need help here – go guard those courtesans under the corridor.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi’s tears poured down. They quickly lowered their heads and mumbled a response, gathering their spirits to wipe their tears before silently jumping down from the eaves.

Lin Chengyou’s force on the thread had never relaxed. After all this effort, nearly half of the corpse demon’s fangs had been cut through, their tips tilting upward, the sockets also loosening. Unfortunately, Teng Yuyi’s force wasn’t enough, and though Jun Nu helped, it was also limited. He had to accommodate the other side and couldn’t use full force, otherwise it could have been faster.

Now Uncle Cheng and Huo Qiu had leaped onto the beam, and Jian Xian had also run up to help. With four people and one beast working together, the talisman ball in his hand instantly became as taut as a bowstring.

“Young Master!”

Lin Chengyou inwardly exclaimed “Good” and hurriedly channeled all his internal force into the silver thread. With both sides coordinating, the corpse demon’s pair of fangs actually rotated out of their sockets. Originally the tips pointed toward the ground, but now they faced forward, the teeth swaying and about to break completely.

Teng Yuyi held the thread tightly, struggling to coordinate with Lin Chengyou. Having only learned two sword techniques, how could she withstand such tremendous force? Fortunately, Uncle Cheng and the others behind her continuously channeled internal force through their palms, preventing her from being thrown to the ground by Lin Chengyou’s internal force and the corpse demon’s yin force.

The corpse demon screamed hatefully, its yin force sweeping through the courtyard like a fierce wind. Flower beds were overturned, large trees fell with crashes, doors and windows broke open, and tables and chairs produced a series of splintering sounds.

Hearing these screams, the courtesans beneath the corridor became greatly disturbed, holding their heads in their hands, nearly crying hysterically. Fortunately, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi’s loud chanting prevented their heart vessels from being shattered.

Lin Chengyou stood firm and unmoved, though sweat rolled down in streams. The corpse demon’s struggles grew increasingly violent but constrained by the silver thread, it didn’t dare rashly leave the courtyard. Suddenly, as if making up its mind, it ignored its teeth being cut faster and leaped up from the courtyard, violently charging toward Lin Chengyou.

“Ahhhhhh!” it cried indistinctly, its voice sweet and cloying. “You’re the worst person I’ve ever met, I’ll die with you!”

Teng Yuyi and the others were startled: “Young Master!”

They desperately increased their force. Lin Chengyou watched the corpse demon’s figure approach without blinking, secretly pushing his internal force to the extreme. Suddenly feeling his grip loosen, two white shadows flew from the corpse demon’s mouth, falling at its feet.

The corpse demon paused in mid-air, slowly rotating its eyeballs to look down, seeing those two snow-white sharp objects – its fangs.

Its features contorted into a mass as it frantically pulled at its hair: “My teeth! My teeth!”

But before it could exert force, its grip loosened, and all its hair came out in its hands. It was stunned for a moment, then raised its hand to touch again – its head of glossy black hair was falling like autumn leaves.

Then its skin, nails, arms… By the time the corpse demon realized its entire body was melting, it shrieked and tried to grab at Lin Chengyou.

“…Even if I die, I’ll eat you first…” Its eyes blood-red, it crawled quickly toward Lin Chengyou, but it was too late – its arms and legs had also melted.

Finally crawling to Lin Chengyou’s feet, before it could strike, it turned into a puddle of pus under Lin Chengyou’s mocking gaze.

“Die…” Its final words were drowned in gurgling bubbles.

Lin Chengyou clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he looked at the pus at his feet: “That’s my line.”

Everyone erupted in cheers as if reborn. Teng Yuyi stumbled twice before happily collapsing onto the eaves, looking up at the dome of the sky, panting continuously.

The night sky had been piled with layers of dark clouds, but now they were all swept away. The moonlight reappeared in the heavens, both crystalline and pure, its gentle radiance falling upon the world, coating Chang’an in a layer of tender light.

Teng Yuyi gazed at that clear light, smiling silently. Her heart was safe – she had escaped disaster. She turned to get up, only to see Lin Chengyou examining the puddle of pus at his feet.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were dancing with joy beneath the corridor: “Wonderful! Senior Brother! We killed the corpse demon!”

Jian Tian and the others could hardly resist running wild on the roof tiles: “Ancestral Master, we’ve avenged you! Your disciples have avenged you!”

They quickly ran to the front tower and rescued the unconscious Jian Le.

Lin Chengyou was even happier than them. In his joy, he also wanted to lie on the roof tiles and roll around like Teng Yuyi, but unfortunately, there were still important matters to attend to. He couldn’t run wild just yet. He drew a Golden Infant Venerable Formation around the pus, then lit talismans to burn dry that foul-smelling puddle. Gracefully landing in the courtyard, he pulled up the dying golden-robed young master.

The golden-robed young master had been unconscious for a long time and only woke when Lin Chengyou pulled him.

“Want to live?” Lin Chengyou asked concisely.

The golden-robed young master laughed coldly and maliciously as if knowing Lin Chengyou would never let it go.

Lin Chengyou smiled: “You can’t survive, but your lifetime of sins can’t be repaid just by dying. I have a way to help you cleanse your sins sooner, but first, you must tell me how you and the corpse demon escaped from the formation.”

The golden-robed young master still didn’t speak, but his attitude had softened somewhat.

Lin Chengyou: “I know you’re attached to the mortal world – just looking at your attire shows that. Think carefully – if you speak, you won’t have to suffer through endless lifetimes. If you don’t speak, not only will you become a wisp of turbid smoke, but you’ll also lose the chance to reincarnate in the future.”

This time the golden-robed young master no longer laughed coldly but remained silent.

“Have you thought it through? Let me ask you first, how did you and the corpse demon meet?”

The golden-robed young master pointed at its throat with its damaged wing, indicating that as a bird now, it couldn’t make human sounds.

Lin Chengyou thought for a moment – with the golden-robed young master’s demonic power completely lost, he had no way to help it transform into human form.

“No matter, I’ll guess – nod if I’m right, shake your head if I’m wrong.”

The golden-robed young master nodded.

“A hundred years ago, you were wounded by another Taoist called ‘Qingxu Zi’, and happened to escape to a temporary palace in Fan Valley. At that time, the palace’s owner was Feng Abao, who hadn’t died yet. She was the illegitimate daughter of the last emperor of the previous dynasty. Out of curiosity, she saved you, and from then on you became acquainted – is this correct?”

The golden-robed young master slowly nodded.

“She was lonely in the temporary palace, and you needed a quiet place to recover. She was naturally cruel, and you were morally corrupt. You hit it off immediately, and as time passed, you grew increasingly close. After you recovered, perhaps to absorb young women’s essence, or perhaps out of boredom after staying too long, you left the temporary palace in Fan Valley. When you returned, the previous dynasty had fallen, and Feng Abao had been buried in the palace. Unwilling to accept her death, you dug up her corpse and helped her become a corpse demon – is this right?”

The golden-robed young master weakly gasped and nodded again.

“You hadn’t caused havoc for long before Taoist Dongyang of Dongming Temple cast you into a formation, trapping you within the Pingkang District. You slept for a hundred years. When you broke out recently, was it just because the formation was accidentally broken by craftsmen, or was there another reason?”

The golden-robed young master’s red claws curled slightly as if hesitating whether to tell.

Lin Chengyou’s face remained calm, but a storm raged in his heart. The two monsters’ escape from the formation had another cause, just like how that tree demon suddenly could become evil – it was guided by someone.

This demon excelled at exploiting human weaknesses. The more he wanted to know the answer, the more he needed to keep his composure.

The golden-robed young master hesitated for a long time, finally showing signs of wanting to raise its wing, when courtesans in the courtyard cried out in a group: “It’s alright, it’s alright, don’t be afraid anymore. That female ghost has turned to water, we don’t need to worry about it causing trouble anymore.”

The golden-robed young master trembled – female ghost? Turned to water?

During its unconsciousness, it didn’t know what had happened, but firmly believed the corpse demon could escape. When it woke up and saw Lin Chengyou busy asking about their escape from the formation, it assumed Feng Abao had already fled.

Who knew Feng Abao…

Its mind became a tangled mess. If not for being hindered by it, Feng Abao would never have met such an end.

Its whole body trembling, it raised its wing and violently swept at Lin Chengyou. Lin Chengyou had been prepared for its attack and raised two fingers, about to stick the already-prepared talisman on the golden-robed young master’s forehead.

Unexpectedly, the golden-robed young master opened its red beak, and its body spontaneously burst into flames. Lin Chengyou knew something was wrong and hurriedly pried open its red beak – its mouth was full of demon blood. It had bitten off its tongue.

This time not only Lin Chengyou was shocked – Jian Tian and Jian Xian were also startled. They ran over and crouched down, too stunned to speak.

Bird demons concealed a soul vessel under their tongues. With this bite, it wasn’t just giving up on living – it didn’t even want its soul.

Just because the corpse demon died trying to save it?

The golden-robed young master let out muffled groans, rolling painfully on the ground.

Lin Chengyou blocked the crowd behind him: “Don’t get close to it.”

The golden-robed young master looked like burning golden charcoal, turning into a pile of powder in an instant. When the wind blew, it became a wisp of turbid smoke, floating into the air and disappearing without a trace in a moment.

Lin Chengyou felt great regret. He had thought that even upon hearing of the corpse demon’s death, the golden-robed young master wouldn’t lose all hope. Who would have thought a demon’s suicide could be so resolute? Unfortunately, before he could ask how they escaped the formation, the lead had been cut off like this.

Teng Yuyi sighed: “This demon committed many evil acts, yet it also had a side that valued loyalty.”

Lin Chengyou was about to respond when suddenly his vision darkened and he fell backward. He could only hear the panicked shouts of others in his ears. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids were too heavy. After that, he knew nothing more.

***

When Lin Chengyou had fought with the tree demon at Purple Cloud Tower earlier, he had been injured and never properly recovered. Recently, he had exhausted himself mentally and physically trying to subdue the two evil beings. At Colorful Phoenix Tower, he had intended to lure the two monsters into a trap, but unexpectedly encountered the serial murder case.

He had meticulously investigated, going without sleep day and night. Just after uncovering the truth behind two old major cases, he had fought all night with the two evil beings. During this time, there were many twists and unexpected developments. He had already been exhausted when surrounded by his allies, only holding on due to his youth and health. By the time he subdued the two monsters, his energy was already at its limit. Seeing the two monsters successively vanish into nothing, he could no longer hold on. As his spirit relaxed, he collapsed.

This sleep was extremely deep. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the apricot-yellow canopy. There was a hint of medicine fragrance in his nose. Turning his head to look around, he found himself lying in a side room in the back garden of Colorful Phoenix Tower.

Outside, the sun’s shadow slanted westward. Thick flower fragrance drifted through the deep green gauze windows on the wind. Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were whispering outside, seemingly discussing what to make him for dinner.

He closed his eyes and listened for a while, feeling his body full of energy. Lifting the quilt, he got out of bed and found both his arms wrapped in cloth – presumably bandaged by the medical workers while he was unconscious.

Hearing movement in the room, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi hurried in: “Senior Brother, you’re awake?”

Both still showed deep guilt on their faces. Lin Chengyou observed their expressions and smiled casually: “That was quite a comfortable sleep. What time is it? Don’t tell me I slept for a day.”

“It’s almost You hour.” Jue Sheng came closer to examine his senior brother’s wounds while Qi Zhi brought over a teacup, standing on tiptoes to let his senior brother drink.

Seeing their senior brother’s spirited appearance, they felt somewhat better. “The medical worker said Senior Brother was exhausted and told us not to wake you.”

Lin Chengyou lowered his head to drink tea from Qi Zhi’s hand, then patted their heads: “Did you sleep? What did you eat during the day?”

“We slept too. Miss Teng had Huo Qiu buy soup and flatbread from outside to share with everyone. We ate and then slept until afternoon.” As they spoke, they touched their messy hair.

Lin Chengyou paused while arranging his clothes, remembering Teng Yuyi’s saliva still on his neck. He suddenly felt uncomfortable, guiltily glancing at Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi. His junior brothers’ eyes were clear as they curiously looked back at him.

He steadied himself, fortunate that when this happened everyone had lost consciousness – presumably no one had seen that scene. As they say: heaven knows, earth knows, he knows, Teng Yuyi knows.

“Has Miss Teng not left yet?” he asked casually.

“Miss Teng was also exhausted. She fell asleep while talking up front and was carried to the back garden by Madam E and others. We heard she just woke up.”

Lin Chengyou touched that spot on his jaw. The more he tried not to mind it, the more that spot felt burning hot. Finally, he simply said: “Have someone bring some water, I need to wash my face and hands properly.”

After washing thoroughly, Lin Chengyou changed into a clean crimson brocade robe and energetically led Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi toward the front tower, asking as they walked: “Has Peng Yugui’s corpse been moved to the front tower?”

Jue Sheng nodded sadly: “Since he was a criminal, his corpse is being guarded by officials from the Court of Judicial Review. I was worried about the eternal lamp going out, so I asked Director Yan and Taoist Jian Tian to help watch over it.”

Lin Chengyou’s footsteps paused: “Let’s take a look. By the way, after I fell asleep, how have the Taoist priests recovered?”

“Taoist Jian Le has woken up. He wasn’t injured, only poisoned by the corpse demon. He just took a Heart-Clearing Pill and should recover in a few days. Taoist Jian Xi and Jian Mei’s injuries will probably take several months to heal. They said they had something to tell Senior Brother, but seeing you had fainted, they also found side rooms to sleep in, only waking in the afternoon.”

Coming toward them was Director Yan leading a group of yamen runners, with Ge Jin following behind.

“I was just going to visit Young Master. Are you feeling better?” Director Yan walked quickly over, his clothes neat.

Lin Chengyou cupped his hands: “Sorry for frightening everyone last night.”

“We should be thanking Young Master.” Director Yan felt sincere gratitude and relief. “A few days ago, so many villagers died in that village outside the city, showing how fierce these two monsters were. Fortunately, they were quickly subdued, otherwise the people of Chang’an would have suffered. How are Young Master’s injuries? Are they serious?”

“Just some superficial wounds.” Lin Chengyou had been hunting demons and eliminating evil with his master since childhood and was used to disregarding his injuries. Thinking of Peng Yugui’s case, he was about to walk on while speaking when suddenly Ge Jin knelt at his feet.

“Thank you, Young Master, for upholding justice. This humble one’s great revenge has been achieved. I specially asked Director Yan to bring me here to thank you in person. This lowly one has no way to repay you, can only kowtow several times to Young Master, and hopes Young Master won’t mind this one’s presumptuousness.”

She began kowtowing with thuds. Lin Chengyou had Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi help Ge Jin up. Ge Jin rose with tears, silently retreating to one side.

Lin Chengyou looked at the horrific wound on her face, thinking that this woman was quite determined. Last night, to lure out the real culprit, she had been locked in Dayin Temple for a night without complaint. She was originally a courtesan, and unfortunately had her face ruined. In the future, even maintaining a livelihood would be problematic. Thinking this, he felt compassion: “With Boss He dead, Colorful Phoenix Tower will disperse. I’ll return your contracts to you shortly. Tomorrow, go find the Personnel Sergeant of Wannian County to remove your lowborn status, then make an honest living.”

Ge Jin was both shocked and overjoyed, kneeling to kowtow again. Lin Chengyou stopped her and took out a gold ingot from his chest: “Your face is ruined, life will be harder than for others. Take this.”

Ge Jin shook her head tearfully: “Young Master has already helped remove my lowborn status, showing this one great kindness. This one still has some savings and can maintain a livelihood. Moreover, now that this one is free, these two hands can earn a living.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were both soft-hearted and naturally felt relieved hearing this. Lin Chengyou nodded and walked ahead with his hands behind his back.

When the group reached the front tower, they saw Teng Yuyi sitting on a stone table beneath the corridor as soon as they entered the courtyard.

Lin Chengyou couldn’t help glancing at her. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes bright – signs of a sudden increase in internal force. She had completely mastered the Peach Blossom sword technique he taught her last night, and the true qi he had transferred to her had been fully utilized.

Fortunately, few people knew the true essence of this sword technique, and Teng Yuyi herself didn’t know that the yang energy he had transferred would continuously protect her. Otherwise, this matter would be hard to explain. He decided to keep this buried in his heart – his first task upon returning would be to rename the sword manual.

Suddenly glimpsing her moist red lips, his Adam’s apple began to feel hot. He shifted his gaze and quickly crossed the courtyard, but unexpectedly Teng Yuyi touched the mustache on her lips and called out to him: “Young Master.”

Lin Chengyou pretended to just notice Teng Yuyi: “Young Master Wang?”

Teng Yuyi came forward with a smile. After last night’s events, her gratitude toward Lin Chengyou far outweighed her dislike. She raised both hands to her eyebrows and sincerely bowed to Lin Chengyou: “Thank you for your protection last night, Young Master.”

Lin Chengyou’s lips twitched: “I am Qingxu Zi’s disciple’s disciple, and I must subdue demons and eliminate evil. Last night was merely my responsibility, Young Master Wang need not thank me.”

Teng Yuyi crossed her hands and bowed again: “Everyone knows the two monsters’ cultivation level. Escaping disaster last night was entirely thanks to Young Master’s excellent demon-subduing abilities. You truly deserve this ‘thank you.'”

Lin Chengyou: “A single tree cannot make a forest – I dare not claim credit wrongly. Successfully eliminating the two monsters was the result of everyone working together. For example, in pulling out the corpse demon’s fangs, Young Master Wang deserves a great share of the credit.”

Teng Yuyi thought for a moment – when this person wasn’t deliberately making things difficult, he was quite reasonable.

She smiled: “In any case, Wang’s life was saved by Young Master. This kindness Wang will remember in his heart.”

As she spoke, she raised her eyes and inadvertently glimpsed Lin Chengyou’s Adam’s apple, suddenly remembering last night’s events. Her smile froze – though no trace could be seen there now, the scene of her using her saliva to wipe his blood last night remained vivid in her memory. Fortunately, Lin Chengyou seemed composed, either not remembering or simply not caring.

She secretly observed him, unexpectedly meeting his dark eyes.

Lin Chengyou naturally knew why she suddenly peeked at his throat. He uncomfortably glanced at her, then turned away and walked into the hall as if nothing had happened.

Author’s Note: In the previous chapter, he taught the husband-wife sword technique, don’t skip ahead.