“You are one of Dong Ye’s accomplices?!”
Everyone in the dormitory was shocked, especially the female ghost.
The murderer who killed her years ago was now using her to collect souls for him after five years?!
She had begged him for help to avenge her, only to find her mortal enemy right in front of her!
“Why would you do this?!”
The female ghost’s face contorted with rage, and she let out a sharp howl. The ghost infant seemed to resonate with the female ghost’s emotions, crawling onto the ceiling and baring its fangs at the man, like an enraged wildcat.
The temperature in the dormitory plummeted instantly. The bed frames around them trembled violently, and the atmosphere became extremely tense!
The man pushed Long Feicheng away and tugged hard at the dormitory door, but found that it wouldn’t budge.
Looking up, he saw an unfamiliar talisman pasted on the door. It was that very talisman that sealed the door shut!
“You bastard!”
The man cursed under his breath and reached out to peel off the talisman. But Yan Shouyi blocked him midway, grabbing the man’s wrist with a grip so powerful it almost crushed his bones!
“Ah—Let go!”
The man roared in anger and swung his horsetail whisk towards Yan Shouyi. But Yan Shouyi was faster. He drew a talisman from his sleeve and chanted:
“I wield a Zanpakuto, capable of toppling heaven and earth, severing mountains and rivers, and inverting yin and yang!”
A pitch-black Zanpakuto instantly appeared in his hand. Amidst the flashing sword light, the man’s horsetail whisk was easily severed by the Zanpakuto!
“Go!”
Yan Shouyi lifted his foot and kicked the man hard in the chest. The man flew backward, crashing to the ground in a disheveled heap, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Yan Shouyi had used his full strength for that kick, breaking at least two of the man’s ribs!
Before the man could scramble to his feet, Long Feicheng lunged forward again, pinning him down. He rained punches down on the man’s face, cursing, “You scumbag, you killed her and then used her for your evil deeds. You’re utterly wicked. My master’s soul is with you, isn’t it? Give it back!”
Although Long Feicheng was slender, his years of experience in society were not in vain. He didn’t hold back when it came to beating someone up.
Soon, the man was beaten until his teeth were bloody and his face was bruised. However, he retained a sliver of his sanity.
Seizing an opportunity, he struck out suddenly, poking Long Feicheng’s throat with a finger. Long Feicheng’s movements faltered, and he then fell straight to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably and foaming at the mouth.
Yan Shouyi knew that Long Feicheng’s vital acupoint had been hit, incapacitating him temporarily without causing permanent harm. Therefore, he didn’t rush to check on Long Feicheng.
The man got a moment to breathe and was about to get up when he saw a pale, furious face up close!
The female ghost hung suspended in the air, locking eyes with the man who had sat up, her gaze filled with fiery anger.
“Give me back my life!”
The female ghost clutched the man’s neck with both hands, her teeth growing long and sharp. She opened her mouth wide and bit towards the man.
In a panic, the man produced a copper coin and struck it against the female ghost’s forehead. The female ghost screamed and was sent flying backward!
Yan Shouyi hadn't expected the man to be so formidable. Both the female ghost and Long Feicheng were incapacitated. As for the ghost infant, being in the dormitory, it would be fortunate if it didn't become a captive; there was no hope of it helping.
He understood that he could not give this man any more chances.
“Heaven and earth, the primal energy of the root. Cultivating for ten thousand kalpas, attaining divine powers. Within and beyond the three realms, only the Tao is supreme. Golden light appears swiftly, guarding my body!”
Yan Shouyi, holding the Zanpakuto, chanted the Golden Light Incantation for himself while advancing menacingly towards the man.
A flicker of fear flashed in the man’s eyes, and he quickly took out a black gourd.
Upon opening the lid of the black gourd, over a dozen malevolent spirits floated out, rampaging wildly in the dormitory.
But Yan Shouyi, protected by the golden light, didn’t pay these spirits any mind. They were terrified of the Golden Light Incantation and kept their distance, let alone attacking Yan Shouyi!
“You have committed countless evil deeds, and now your retribution has come!”
Yan Shouyi charged at the man and, with a swift strike, slashed at the man’s arm. The man rolled away in a desperate attempt to dodge, but Yan Shouyi still managed to sever one of his little fingers!
The intense pain caused the man to cry out. As he was about to flee, Yan Shouyi suddenly raised his left hand, pointed his finger at the sky, and shouted:
“Essence of horns and dipper, divine spirits of Jia and Yi. Raise waves and beat the drums, summon clouds and thunder swiftly. All demons wandering in the void, be cut by thunder. Cut off a thousand heads, sever ten thousand forms. Those who follow me live, those who oppose me fall. Violate my command, and you defy the highest purity. Hasten, as the law dictates!”
*Boom!*
Heavenly lightning appeared from nowhere, transforming into lightning that converged in Yan Shouyi’s left palm. He immediately struck towards the man, and the palm lightning, turning into electric snakes, wreaked havoc in the dormitory. The malevolent spirits released by the man were instantly annihilated!
The man also did not escape. The palm lightning instantly pierced his body and rampaged within him!
The man was electrocuted until he was charred on the outside and raw on the inside, collapsing on the ground twitching, with scattered lightning marks left on his skin.
“Who… who in the world are you…”
The man lay on the ground, his eyes filled with unwillingness. “The Golden Light Incantation of Mount Longhu, the Palm Lightning of Mount Mao… these are clearly secret arts that are not passed down…”
“I dare say, you might not dare to hear it.”
Yan Shouyi snorted coldly, pulled the man up, and asked fiercely, “Who are you? Confess everything!”
“I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”
Having witnessed Yan Shouyi’s thunderous methods, the man no longer harbored any hope. He clutched his head and replied, “My name is Zhou Mingyuan!”
At this moment, Long Feicheng finally recovered his senses. He weakly got up, wiped the spit from the corner of his mouth, and spat on Zhou Mingyuan’s face again. “Damn it, your acupoint-striking skills are quite good. Let me hit you with one too!”
Saying this, Long Feicheng grabbed a broomstick from the corner of the dormitory and was about to poke Zhou Mingyuan’s neck. His intention was clearly to kill Zhou Mingyuan.
Yan Shouyi quickly stopped him, “Don’t be impulsive. There’s plenty of time to beat him up. The most important thing is to find out about his accomplices!”
“You’re right.” Long Feicheng restrained himself but still couldn’t help but kick Zhou Mingyuan twice.
The female ghost also finally regained her senses. She floated weakly before Yan Shouyi, her expression dejected as she said, “If I had known he was my murderer, I would never have helped him lure away your elders’ souls.”
Yan Shouyi shook his head, “This is not your fault.”
“It’s all this man surnamed Zhou’s fault!” Long Feicheng exclaimed, “You scoundrel, why aren’t you confessing quickly!”
Zhou Mingyuan didn’t fear Long Feicheng or the female ghost, only Yan Shouyi. This mysterious young man knew so many skills that it was almost unimaginable. He was indeed no match for Yan Shouyi.
“I am just an Yin Yang Master. I take money and do things for people…”
Unlike the Taoist priests from famous sects, people like Zhou Mingyuan, who had no sect affiliation but possessed some magical abilities, were called Yin Yang Masters in folk tradition. If the Lu Ban Sect had no inheritance, Yan Shouyi would also be one of them.
Yin Yang Masters were not bound by any sects, so they acted purely for money. Receiving payment and fulfilling requests was their sole principle. Some conscientious Yin Yang Masters were respected, but there were also those like Zhou Mingyuan, whose consciences had been devoured by dogs.
“You are using spells from the Lushan Sect,” Yan Shouyi said coldly.
“I had a friend who was a member of the Lushan Sect. He secretly taught me those spells.”
Yan Shouyi held the Zanpakuto horizontally, “Do you think I wouldn’t dare to kill?”
Zhou Mingyuan trembled all over. At this moment, he saw intense killing intent in this young man’s eyes.
Even more terrifying, there was indeed a murderous aura emanating from his brow!
Although the aura was deliberately suppressed, Zhou Mingyuan could still feel it. The murderous aura on Yan Shouyi was terrifying. The number of people he had killed was almost immeasurable!
What was going on? He was so young, yet he had killed, and killed many people!
Who was he!!
“I was wrong!” Zhou Mingyuan said loudly, lowering his head. “I was a disciple of the Lushan Sect. Later, I was expelled for making a mistake.”
“Continue!”
“After being expelled, I sought opportunities in Rongcheng, doing things like helping people with Feng Shui and relocating ancestral graves. Five years ago, someone from the Dong family suddenly approached me and offered a hefty sum to cast a curse on their child, preferably to ensure his lifelong safety and prosperity. At that time, my cultivation was still shallow, and I couldn’t fulfill the Dong family’s request. But they offered too much, so I chose to use the forbidden spell, the Yin Ming Suo Hun Curse, and decided to kill someone to gain good fortune for Dong Ye. However, I wasn’t sure who to kill. Unexpectedly, Dong Ye found me that night and said he already had a target, asking me to help him kill someone…”
“Although I was scared, having already been expelled from the sect, I didn’t care much. I just wanted to take the money and leave. So, I agreed to Dong Ye’s request and came to the girls’ dormitory at Shanghang Arts School with him. An art school security guard from Shanghang also joined us. The three of us joined forces to kill that poor woman, completing the Yin Ming Suo Hun Curse!”
“After that, I left Rongcheng with the money, but I returned every year to provide for this mother and daughter. One reason was to continue Dong Ye’s good fortune, and the other was to alleviate my guilt. Later, by chance, I met a prominent figure from the Bai family of Feifeng Mountain in Rongcheng. He asked me to regularly submit souls to him for consumption. As long as I collected seventy-seven souls for him, he could use his influence to let me return to the Lushan Sect!”
Zhou Mingyuan finished speaking, tears of guilt streaming down his face, crying with such remorse and regret that even the female ghost was touched, seeming to understand Zhou Mingyuan’s plight.
Long Feicheng also hesitated. In that case, Zhou Mingyuan wasn’t an irredeemably bad person.
However, Yan Shouyi suddenly made a move and swung the Zanpakuto in a feigned cut. Zhou Mingyuan cried out in pain!
Long Feicheng said, “Don’t pretend. Brother Yan’s blade didn’t even touch you!”
But seeing Zhou Mingyuan convulsing in pain, his face pale, and tiny beads of sweat on his forehead, it seemed he wasn’t faking it.
Yan Shouyi calmly explained, “My Zanpakuto not only cuts through iron like mud but can also directly attack a person’s soul. Although that strike did not injure Zhou Mingyuan’s physical body, it left a wound on his soul, which is why he is in so much pain.”
He paused and then added, “What you said is half true and half false. That strike was a punishment for deceiving me for the second time.”
Long Feicheng was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Yan Shouyi’s insight to be so sharp. Zhou Mingyuan had spoken with tears and apparent sincerity, and even he, an experienced veteran, had believed him to some extent, but Yan Shouyi remained unmoved.
Upon further reflection, Long Feicheng understood. Regardless of Zhou Mingyuan’s reasons, they were no excuse for murder. He was a thoroughly wicked person!
Thus, Long Feicheng and the female ghost’s eyes also turned cold.
“You said you made a mistake and were expelled from the sect. It was because of the Huang Song case eight years ago, wasn’t it? What is your relationship with Tang Hongkai?” Yan Shouyi questioned.
Zhou Mingyuan’s soul-deep pain slightly subsided. The painful lesson taught him again that Yan Shouyi was not easily fooled.
Moreover, he was surprised by Yan Shouyi’s keen investigative skills, connecting the two cases so quickly.
He truthfully confessed, “When I first joined the Lushan Sect, I learned some skills and couldn’t help but show off outside. By coincidence, I met Tang Hongkai, who then introduced me to Wan Ninghong, the current principal of Shanghang Arts School. At that time, Huang Song kept reporting the problems with the construction of the sports field, so Tang Hongkai paid me to get rid of Huang Song… Three days ago, Tang Hongkai sensed that things were about to be exposed, so he contacted me again, asking me to deal with you. But I didn’t expect to fail so miserably and be defeated by you. Tang Hongkai was also immediately arrested…”
With Zhou Mingyuan’s confession, the previous mysteries were also solved one by one.
Yan Shouyi asked him a few more questions and quickly pieced together the timeline.
Zhou Mingyuan was once a disciple of the Lushan Sect. Because Tang Hongkai paid him, he killed Huang Song and buried the body under the sports field. Unexpectedly, his master discovered this matter. To protect the reputation of the Lushan Sect, his master chose to quietly expel him. After leaving the Lushan Sect, Zhou Mingyuan met Dong Ye five years ago and, at Dong Ye’s instruction, colluded with a security guard from Shanghang Arts School to kill the female ghost and her unborn child, then used the Yin Ming Suo Hun Curse to help Dong Ye gain fame. Subsequently, Zhou Mingyuan, in order to seek the help of the Bai family to return to the Lushan Sect, returned to the girls’ dormitory, having the female ghost and the ghost infant work for him, collecting souls, and coincidentally collected Chen Dawei’s soul…
After that, Yan Shouyi appeared.
If Yan Shouyi had not appeared, all of this would have remained a secret, never to be exposed, never known.
“You bunch of scum!” Long Feicheng couldn’t help but kick Zhou Mingyuan again.
How malicious can people be!
Yan Shouyi said with a grim expression, “I will ask you three final questions. You must answer them truthfully.”
“Certainly, certainly!” Zhou Mingyuan, even if he were to die, never wanted to experience the pain of having his soul cut by the Zanpakuto again.
“First, what is your master’s name at the Lushan Sect? Second, who is that prominent figure from the Bai family of Feifeng Mountain? Third, what is the name of the security guard who colluded with you and Dong Ye to commit murder back then!”
The three questions pointed to three individuals, and in Zhou Mingyuan’s story, none of them were good people.
The master of the Lushan Sect, knowing his disciple had committed heinous acts, chose to handle it quietly to protect the sect’s reputation, leaving a good person like Huang Song buried for eight years!
The people from the Bai family of Feifeng Mountain, already wealthy, refused to reincarnate but also refused to be honest wandering spirits. They even went so far as to consume the souls of the living, causing harm to the area!
The security guard who colluded with Zhou Mingyuan and Dong Ye to commit murder was also a murderer. Yan Shouyi absolutely would not allow him to escape justice!
Zhou Mingyuan sighed and slowly replied, “My master’s name is Fan Tiancheng. The prominent figure from the Bai family is Bai Yusheng. As for that security guard… I really don’t know his name. I only know he’s called Brother Wei…”
“Brother Wei?!”
Yan Shouyi and Long Feicheng exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock.
That slovenly, shirking security guard Brother Wei was actually one of the murderers?!
The female ghost suddenly remembered something, “Zhou Mingyuan said he was often not in Rongcheng, but I often received offerings after my death. Could it be… him?”
After the Yin Ming Suo Hun Curse took effect, constant offerings were needed to benefit the living.
It seemed that Brother Wei had stayed at Shanghang Arts School and frequently visited to offer sacrifices to the ghost infant, maintaining Dong Xi’s good fortune!
“You scoundrel, we were all deceived by him!” Long Feicheng angrily pounded the wall. The thought that Brother Wei, that beast, had smoked so many of his cigarettes in the past made him furious.
“No wonder he disappeared immediately after Principal Tang was arrested. He must have known that things were exposed and that he would be next…”
Yan Shouyi also sighed deeply, regretting not seeing through Brother Wei’s true nature sooner.
Just as they were regretting, a dark shadow silently appeared outside the dormitory door…
[Author’s Note]
The plot has been quite continuous recently, so I haven’t divided it into chapters, allowing everyone to enjoy it in one go~