Chapter 102 (The Shadow Spirit's Defection)

Chapter 102 (The Shadow Spirit's Defection)

Ling Yunxiao clutched the pendant artifact in his hand, lost in his own emotions for a long time.

Lou Yuqing saw that his face was flushed slightly, and assumed that he was moved by the magical artifact. She couldn't help but smile and thought to herself that she had done another good deed today.

The imposter Chu Qingyang, observing the two's dazed expressions, felt a restless urge to run away.

But as soon as such a thought arose, he immediately dismissed it. Despite the two demons' apparent indifference towards him, he was certain—

If he makes the slightest move, they will use those horrific instruments of torture on themselves!

The next moment, the imposter Chu Qingyang heard the female demon exclaim in surprise: "Huh, you didn't take the opportunity to run away."

The imposter Chu Qingyang was startled and felt a sense of lingering fear. Sure enough, they had not been careless at all and had set a trap for him. Fortunately, he had not acted rashly.

Just as he was feeling relieved, Lou Yuqing said again, "Since you've been so well-behaved, I'll give you the right to choose your own torture instruments. Come on, pick one!"

She pointed to the small mountain of kitchen utensils on the ground.

The imposter Chu Qingyang: "..." It's better not to have this right.

Ling Yunxiao snapped out of her reverie, carefully putting away the pendant artifact. She glanced at him, saw through his thoughts, and said casually, "Don't want to choose? Fine, then let's set up a pot and start a fire, and deep-fry some."

Having said that, he made a hand gesture as if to make a move.

Deep-fried?!

The imposter Chu Qingyang was immediately alarmed and stopped him, saying, "Wait, who said I didn't want it? Deep-fried is no good, I want to choose something else, uh, I'll choose...choose..."

He got stuck halfway through his sentence, sweating profusely with anxiety. Damn it, no matter which option he chose, he was doomed. No matter which option he chose, he would die a miserable death. Wasn't there a more dignified way to die?

Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him.

Wait a minute, he actually has another option!

The imposter Chu Qingyang stared intently at Lou Yuqing, as if he had seen a savior: "You said before that you would give me two choices. I've made up my mind. I'm going to die as soon as possible. Go ahead and do it!"

If he had initially harbored any hope of survival, after experiencing the series of threats he had just received, he no longer wanted to live.

He closed his eyes and calmly faced death.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

The imposter Chu Qingyang was somewhat puzzled. So this is what death feels like—painless and indifferent, as if nothing had ever happened.

Just as he was feeling sentimental, Lou Yuqing's ghostly voice rang in his ears: "Wake up, ask your questions before you die."

The imposter Chu Qingyang: "..."

Oh ho ho, you're still alive?

He opened his eyes, determined to die, wanting only a quick victory, and appeared even more anxious than Lou Yuqing and Ling Yunxiao: "What do you want to know? I will tell you everything I know!"

"Good!" Lou Yuqing praised, "We love prisoners like you who cooperate so well. We'll make sure you die without feeling any pain, your companions..."

She held up the white flower in her hand: "Why did it turn into a snow lotus?"

The imposter Chu Qingyang glanced at her, then at the menacing Ling Yunxiao, feeling immense pressure. He knew his answer wasn't very credible, but—

"I have no idea."

He still spoke out, after all, it was the truth.

Lou Yuqing looked at his troubled expression and, finding no evidence of deception, felt strange. She asked in return, "You're companions, how could you not know his background?"

The imposter Chu Qingyang cried out, "I really didn't know! Senior Demon Lord, please see the truth!"

He regretted it as soon as he shouted it out; he had accidentally let it slip.

Lou Yuqing: "..."

What is that?

Lou Yuqing turned to Ling Yunxiao and asked, "Did he just call me a demon?"

Ling Yunxiao nodded, his expression strange.

Lou Yuqing stepped on the imposter Chu Qingyang's leg and sneered, "Am I a demon?"

The imposter Chu Qingyang's heart skipped a beat, and he shook his head like a windmill, denying it: "No! Senior is not a demon, that senior is the demon!"

Looking at the finger pointing at him, Ling Yunxiao paused, his cold gaze falling on the other man: "It seems I have to do something to make the identity of a demon truly deserved."

Black light swirled around his hands, making him look ready to attack.

The imposter Chu Qingyang lamented: "What a terrible mouth of mine!"

"Of course you are not a demon, seniors." He said with a fawning smile, "I misspoke and failed to recognize your noble origins. I hope you two seniors will be magnanimous and forgive my small mistake."

Lou Yuqing: She is indeed flexible and adaptable.

Unwilling to interrupt again, she continued, "Tell me everything you know about your companion."

Seeing her like this, Ling Yunxiao lowered his hand.

The imposter Chu Qingyang's eyes showed a newfound respect: "Seniors, you may not know, but I am a Shadow Spirit, and this body is actually the one I possess."

Lou Yuqing knew he was possessed, but she didn't really know what it was. There were many things in the world that could be possessed, and when she heard the words "shadow spirit," she was confused.

Ling Yunxiao thoughtfully said, "Shadow Spirits are one of the many living beings. They are born in nature and are not created by human intervention. They are full of spirituality and can devour the shadow of a cultivator to possess them. However, the possessed body will not last long and will break down."

Lou Yuqing seemed to be deep in thought.

The Shadow Spirit nodded and bowed, saying, "What this senior said is basically correct. The Shadow Spirit race does indeed possess this ability, but..."

He glanced at Ling Yunxiao's expression and said cautiously, "I didn't possess this body willingly. I was born in the snow mountain a few years ago and was captured. I lost all consciousness and when I woke up again, I found myself in this body and received a kill order from this person."

Lou Yuqing's eyes held a subtle expression: "Who are you chasing?"

Yingling gave an awkward but polite smile. Who else could it be but them? Everything was understood without words. After a pause, he said, "Later, this person asked me to come here to kill someone."

Lou Yuqing understood and said, "The person who instructed you must be Hu Ruoyan. We have touched on the secret of the Snow Lotus, and she doesn't want us to continue living."

Shadow Spirit scratched his head and said, "I only know that this person is a woman, but I don't know her name."

This Shadow Spirit looks a bit silly.

Lou Yuqing muttered to herself. Ling Yunxiao, who was next to her, raised his hand and waved it. Strands of spiritual energy intertwined in the void to form a picture, in which Hu Ruoyan's face appeared.

Shadow Spirit exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, it's her!"

As he spoke, a resentful expression appeared on his face: "I could have lived a free and unrestrained life, but who knew that I would be captured by this woman, and because of the restrictions in my body, I have no choice but to obey her."

He then looked at the snow lotus in Lou Yuqing's hand: "And this guy called Lao Ji is a loyal follower of that woman, not one of my companions. I know very little about them."

By the end, Yingling looked pitiful.

Lou Yuqing ignored his pretense and focused solely on the name Lao Ji. Ling Yunxiao even gave her a warning look, which frightened Ying Ling so much that she dared not play the victim anymore: "Seniors, what I said is true."

“This flower was actually transformed by Old Ji. No wonder he misled the trial disciples, saying that the Snow Lotus was with the Sect Master of Baiyan Sect.” Lou Yuqing murmured, “He is a Snow Lotus spirit, and Hu Ruoyan is his master. So, Hu Ruoyan is very suspicious.”

Ling Yunxiao added, "Hu Ruoyan's mother is named Xue Lian. I would guess that she and her mother are both Xue Lian spirits. This would give her a reason to kill us, because she cannot reveal her identity as a Xue Lian spirit."

Lou Yuqing listened with increasing conviction and exclaimed, "That's right!"

Her gaze fell on Yingling, and she asked, "Who else do you know among Hu Ruoyan's subordinates, and where is their contact point? Tell me everything in detail!"

Shadow Spirit said tremblingly, "Senior, please forgive me for being powerless. I communicated with this woman through the restrictions within my body, and I did not know how many strongholds there were. Moreover, I came here to carry out the mission as soon as I woke up, and apart from Lao Ji who was with me, I did not know anyone else."

Lou Yuqing was furious at his lack of ambition: "Useless idiot!"

With no news of the Snow Lotus Spirit, her path to wealth through points has been cut off!

Ling Yunxiao reassured him, "We still have another way to go: find Hu Ruoyan. She's bound to have the Snow Lotus Spirit by her side. I suspect that Old Xue and the slaughterhouse owner have gone into hiding with the Hu family."

Lou Yuqing thought about it and agreed, saying, "We'll set off immediately after dealing with the Shadow Spirit. I wonder if Hu Ruoyan will receive the news of Old Ji's death."

In fact, Hu Ruoyan had already received the news. She looked at everyone with a sorrowful expression and said, "I'm sorry, everyone. Lao Ji has been killed."

"How could this happen!" Everyone was filled with grief.

The ancestral hall was filled with sorrow. They had made so much effort to avenge their kin, and were on the verge of success, but at the last moment they lost a member of their clan.

Old Xue's hands clenched so tightly they creaked. Of all those present, he and Old Ji were the closest, and how could he accept the reality of the other's death?

Many years ago, the chieftain of the Snow Lotus Clan encountered an accident, plunging the clan into crisis. Many clan members died, and the clan dispersed and went their separate ways.

He went by the name Xue Daixue and lived in seclusion in Xue Family Village. He and Lao Ji helped each other. Later, after being summoned back by the young master, their lives gradually improved.

Over the years, he had been thinking about revenge every moment. Although the spirits could cultivate into human form, their strength was weak. They had made full preparations and finally waited for their opportunity.

He and Lao Ji agreed that after killing their enemies, they would rebuild their home together and return to the snow-capped mountains to live a peaceful life. But... Lao Ji would never live to see that day again.

"Young Master, who killed Old Ji? I will make him pay with his blood!" Old Xue said in a hoarse voice, the hatred etched into his very bones.

Hu Ruoyan sighed deeply: "Old Xue, don't be impulsive. You and Old Ji are both my right-hand men. I've already lost him, and I can't lose you too. I swear, I will make them pay the price!"

Old Xue slowly relaxed his clenched fist. The young master had gone to great lengths to smuggle them into the mansion, and he couldn't go out and disturb the Hu family, lest he ruin the hard-won situation.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Old Xue's voice was dry, and his eyes were a little red.

Hu Ruoyan looked at him, feeling an indescribable sadness. She only sent Lao Ji and two Shadow Spirits out on the mission because the five people from Xuejia Village had been poisoned by the Soul-Disrupting Powder and were no match for them.

She thought everything was foolproof, but who would have thought that Lou Yuqing broke free of the repulsion formation, and she also made a mistake, allowing Ling Yunxiao to escape. Only then did the two of them have the opportunity to join forces and kill Lao Ji.

If she had known this would happen, she would have sent more people out, even at the risk of being discovered by Hu Haitian.

Hu Ruoyan told herself that she was their young master and their backbone, and she couldn't lose her way at this moment. She forced herself to cheer up and looked at the slaughterhouse owner: "Old Shang, are all the members of the Hu family branches here?"

Old Shang nodded: "Reporting to the young master, everyone has arrived."

Hu Ruoyan's expression was solemn: "Block the news, don't let them leave the Hu family, and be wary of anyone approaching the Hu family. The ancestral worship ceremony must not be disrupted!"

She thought that Lou Yuqing and Ling Yunxiao were after the Snow Lotus. Their greed would prevent more people from knowing their identities, so they would definitely approach her during this time—her identity had already been exposed, becoming the opening for them to seize the Snow Lotus.

Everyone responded in unison, "Your subordinate obeys."

Apart from Lao Xue and Lao Shang, almost everyone else had arrangements in the mansion. Whether they were servants or maids, they were all placed there to supervise the entry and exit of the mansion without any problems.

After everyone left, Hu Ruoyan's expression changed.

Old Shang, who remained in the ancestral hall, hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with the young master?"

Hu Ruoyan said, "One of the Shadow Spirits is still alive. It is said that it escaped." She was in a state of panic because of Lao Ji's death and did not have time to contact the Shadow Spirit.

"Could it be a trap?" Old Shang worried.

Hu Ruoyan said confidently, "With the restrictions in place, I doubt he would dare to have any disloyal thoughts."