This Wuchang clan female cultivator captured by Qu Zhengfeng was named Lian Zhao, at the middle stage of Jade Nirvana. Among the ten major ghost clans, she could be considered a moderately skilled expert, but looking at the entire Extreme Domain, she obviously wasn’t much to speak of.
Yet she was quite famous within the ten major ghost clans.
Especially among the female cultivators of the ten major ghost clans.
However, this reputation came neither from her mediocre cultivation nor from her unremarkable origins, but from…
Her scandalous fame.
Male cultivators often admired her seductive beauty, while female cultivators disdained her dissolute frivolity. There were rumors among the ten major ghost clans that among the outstanding members of the current young generation, few had not been intimately involved with her, and even the elders above had many who “admired” her.
Named Lian Zhao, yet all her actions were extremely romantic affairs.
As a person, she was arrogant and domineering, often bullying others by relying on her connections. She had made quite a few enemies even within her own Wuchang clan, not to mention among the ten major ghost clans.
When pleased, she would favor you with a smile; when displeased, she wouldn’t even spare you a glance.
Dazzling in her beauty, with smoky gazes and charming movements, she could make others become infatuated with her—truly a master at manipulating hearts, especially men’s hearts.
Nothing else could be said for certain, but judging purely from the various seductive scenes Jian Chou had glimpsed in her memories, her admirers and intimate companions were countless. Some had been seduced into obsession only to be coldly abandoned by her, suffering from unrequited longing; others had brief encounters, becoming strangers after a single night of pleasure; naturally, there were also a few obsessions she had exhausted all her arts trying to seduce but had never succeeded with…
Such as the Ghost King clan’s Lihan.
When Jian Chou glimpsed this in her memories, she immediately knew this Lihan was Fu Chaosheng in disguise, and couldn’t help but pity this female cultivator for picking the wrong target. After all, Fu Chaosheng understood not a whit of human emotions and social niceties—if he could perceive her various hints, that would truly be seeing a ghost.
In summary, this Lian Zhao was definitely a female cultivator who didn’t follow conventional paths. It was difficult to judge her conduct right or wrong, and Jian Chou had no prejudice against her.
Different people simply had different temperaments.
It was just that if she had to disguise herself as such a female cultivator, the difficulty was perhaps too high.
The other male cultivator was surnamed Xiao, given name Mou. He was Lian Zhao’s clansman who had died of consumption on the isolated human island, so although his appearance was handsome, his face was always shrouded in an undispersed sickly aura that made people feel gloomy.
But within the Wuchang clan, he was a rare talent.
He had only joined the clan in the past forty-odd years, yet his cultivation had rapidly climbed to the same level as Lian Zhao, threatening her position among their peers. Thus he constantly faced Lian Zhao’s exclusion, and the two were quite incompatible like fire and water.
This time they traveled together and both fell into Qu Zhengfeng’s hands due to an arrangement by the Wuchang clan.
The Nineteen Continents were attacking Ghost Gate Pass, and the Yin-Yang Realm War had begun.
Eight days ago, the Eight Directions Yama Hall had already issued strict orders, urging all clans to conscript ghost soldiers, including some evil spirits who should have been serving sentences in the eighteen layers of hell. The eighteenth layer of hell had been drawn by the Wuchang clan during the arrangements, so the elders above had sent Xiao Mou and Lian Zhao together, responsible for ghost soldier conscription.
Now the ghost soldier conscription had ended, and the two should have been leading all the conscripted ghost soldiers to the Ghost Gate Pass garrison. However, they obviously hadn’t expected that in this eighteenth layer of hell, which even ordinary ghost cultivators found difficult to reach, a living person would suddenly appear and easily subdue them, throwing them here unconscious.
Qu Zhengfeng was right—this was an excellent opportunity.
Now they had soul-searched these two people and knew everything about them and some matters of the Wuchang clan like the back of their hands. Moreover, these two were supposed to go to the Ghost Gate Pass garrison next. One could imagine how much useful information they would obtain if they imperceptibly disguised themselves as these two and led the ghost soldiers there.
But the problem was…
These were truly two completely different mannerisms—mimicking them would be difficult!
Jian Chou stared directly at Lian Zhao, who appeared enchanting even when thrown on the ground, making it hard not to have improper thoughts. She looked from the ornaments in her hair down to those snow-white bare feet bound with red tassels, and finally turned to Qu Zhengfeng: “Your Majesty the Sword Emperor, regarding this matter…”
“What’s improper about it?”
After soul-searching, Qu Zhengfeng had naturally crouched down to examine the details of the Wuchang clan’s Xiao Mou, even untying the silver-white silk ribbon that bound the other’s hair. Hearing the hesitation in Jian Chou’s voice, he turned to look at her and naturally asked.
Jian Chou had wanted to say plainly that this female cultivator’s manner was truly extraordinarily unrestrained and shocking, and her relationships with those around her, especially men, were quite complex. Firstly, she couldn’t quite learn such behavior; secondly, these complicated relationships might affect their investigation purpose and invite much unnecessary trouble.
But when asked by Qu Zhengfeng, she mysteriously couldn’t say it.
He hadn’t searched the female cultivator’s soul, only Xiao Mou’s, so he probably only had hearsay about this female cultivator’s private affairs without witnessing them firsthand. It wasn’t easy for her to speak plainly about it.
So faced with Qu Zhengfeng’s question, she remained silent for a long time and finally said nothing. Before thinking of a better method, this current opportunity was crucial and absolutely couldn’t be missed.
She wouldn’t ruin the entire situation because of personal preferences.
She simply said “It’s nothing,” then bent down to search this female cultivator’s body, from hairpins and ornaments to tokens and magical artifacts, missing nothing.
Then time was about up.
Two hours had passed.
Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng casually imprisoned these two ghost cultivators in separate rooms, then left the stone chamber to meet them beside the altar outside the eighteenth layer of hell.
When the Sky-Encompassing Mirror’s teleportation array activated, from the eighteenth layer of hell’s perspective, there was no sound or light—people simply appeared on the altar in the blink of an eye.
Jian Chou stood nearby and immediately saw Little Marten being held by Fang Xiaoxie.
As soon as Little Marten appeared on the altar, it also discovered Jian Chou and leaped over with a familiar “whoosh,” landing on her shoulder.
The first wave to arrive were all Yashan cultivators.
When everyone saw Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng, they wanted to bow, but were interrupted by the two, who only made a hushing gesture in the silent wind.
The next moment, the new teleportation array activated, and people were transported into the stone chamber that had been expanded into a massive cave dwelling complex.
The cultivators from both sides were all elite, so their numbers weren’t large.
Altogether there were over eight hundred people, transported in more than ten waves over the course of more than a quarter hour.
Everyone gathered in the stone chamber that had been opened as a temporary base.
Before coming here, everyone had a basic understanding of the Extreme Domain’s situation. Now Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng informed them of the eighteenth layer of hell’s special circumstances and the latest situation.
First, this place was temporarily safe.
Second, don’t act rashly.
Third, wait for Zhang Tang.
Fourth, Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng would disguise themselves and infiltrate the Wuchang clan to first investigate the Ghost Gate Pass situation from behind enemy lines, planning before acting, while everyone else would remain stationed here awaiting further orders.
Naturally, everyone had no objections.
Next came familiarizing themselves with the base and assigning living quarters.
Most people were participating in the Yin-Yang Realm War for the first time and were not only curious but also very excited. Fang Xiaoxie, for instance, was typical of this—instead of looking at living quarters, he peered out from the cave entrance.
Knowing this junior’s temperament, Jian Chou didn’t restrain him.
From Yashan’s side, Elder Qi Boyuan hadn’t come. As he had said, he remained stationed at Yashan. The one who came to the eighteenth layer of hell was another Yashan elder with a more easygoing temperament, Elder Xihe.
Jian Chou spoke with him for a while, emphasizing matters concerning Zhang Tang.
The opportunity with the two ghost cultivators Lian Zhao and Xiao Mou was unexpected. Neither Jian Chou nor Qu Zhengfeng were certain how long it would take, and naturally they weren’t sure how long after receiving Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost’s message Zhang Tang would arrive.
So arrangements needed to be made first.
What they feared most was Zhang Tang’s official manner and cruel magistrate temperament being misunderstood by everyone, causing unpleasantness that would ruin important matters.
As soon as Jian Chou mentioned this, Elder Xihe understood the gravity, saying: “Please be assured, Senior Sister. If this Judge Zhang comes, we would never dare treat him poorly.”
Only then did she feel at ease.
Subsequently, she and Qu Zhengfeng disguised themselves together.
Because living people were still quite conspicuous in the Extreme Domain and some checkpoints were difficult to pass, both of them, relying on their strength above the Soul Separation stage, directly had their primordial spirits leave their bodies, storing their physical forms in Qiankun Bags to carry with them. Then, as primordial spirit bodies, they each put on those two people’s robes, arranged all the details properly, and walked out.
In that instant, everyone was stunned.
They almost felt like they were seeing the two anew.
Qu Zhengfeng need not be mentioned.
Before betraying Yashan, he had been the inwardly cunning senior brother who was unquestionable within the sect, quite dignified. After betraying Yashan, he was the new Sword Emperor of Mingri Xinghai, one of the shadows looming over countless cultivators, with even deeper imposing presence.
Yet he had to play a consumptive ghost.
His black robes changed to pure white, his bound hair was let down and loosely tied with only a silk ribbon. Though he hadn’t completely changed his appearance to match Xiao Mou’s, he had already assumed that pale, sickly complexion.
His calm, imposing eyes became reserved and profound.
He had completely transformed into a slightly solitary sickly young master!
And Jian Chou…
Jian Chou…
When everyone shifted their gazes to her, there was only a light “buzzing” sound as an unprecedented perception and experience swept over all their previous senses, leaving them unable to speak!
Seductive beauty!
Cold beauty!
At first glance, it was darkly charming and languidly seductive; at second glance, it was plainly indifferent and ice-cold.
Gone was the familiar moon-white long robe of the past, replaced by a strikingly beautiful loose black robe with dark red skull patterns embroidered at the edges that didn’t seem terrifying but instead emanated a strange attraction.
Moth-like eyebrows lightly drawn, cinnabar lips slightly dotted.
Her fair skin appeared like jade snow illuminated by heavenly light against the black robe’s backdrop, gentle and charming. Her bare feet lightly touched the ground, the red tassels adorning her slender ankles flickering with an almost soul-stirring gleam.
Young and innocent like Fang Xiaoxie, upon seeing her eyes and brows, immediately blushed with a “whoosh,” his ear tips seeming to burn, not daring to look further.
The Yashan Senior Sister Jian Chou of the past had been a person of plain and simple nature. Though peaceful and tolerant, she also possessed strength that stood proudly above the entire Nineteen Continents, often being someone everyone looked up to.
Like a snow lotus on a dangerous Tianshan peak.
Knowing her beauty, yet because of her lofty solitude, people felt reverence and awe, loving and cherishing her without daring a single blasphemous thought.
However, at this moment, it was like a jade cup overturning from heaven, ice and snow melting from the peak. Beyond her otherworldly transcendence, she had been stained with three parts of mortal dust and smoke.
What hadn’t been noticed before was now fully revealed.
What hadn’t dared to be imagined before now vaguely emerged.
It wasn’t that her appearance had truly changed much, but that the original celestial being had been pulled into the red dust, suddenly seeming to possess worldly desire and thoughts, appearing as though she could be touched.
But it was only “as though.”
In fact, Jian Chou’s brows were slightly furrowed at this moment, her expression cold and condensed. She walked two steps through the air, listening to the tinkling sound of the tassels on her ankles colliding with their seductive undertones, always feeling her whole body bristle with unease—it was both eerie and uncomfortable.
So after a moment of silence, a bold idea suddenly arose in her heart.
She stopped walking and looked toward the quite composed Qu Zhengfeng on the other side, tentatively and slowly beginning to speak: “Your Majesty the Sword Emperor, I wonder if you and I could perhaps…”
Qu Zhengfeng immediately saw through her thoughts. His gaze swept from the top of her head to her feet, and without waiting for her to finish speaking, he coldly refused: “You’re dreaming.”