"What?" Xiao Lingzi's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets.
In his eyes, although Ye Huohuo was incredibly unlucky, always encountering bizarre misfortunes, she was the most formidable Xuanmen practitioner he had ever seen.
Those old men with long beards, who looked like transcendent beings daily, actually lacked real skill, always making matters worse, leaving Ye Huohuo to clean up their messes.
In Xiao Lingzi's eyes, Ye Huohuo was always incredibly capable and intelligent, exuding an arrogant aura of being the best, unmatched by anyone.
He could honestly say that the person he admired most was Ye Huohuo, a girl only a year older than him.
Hearing her admit to being deceived was as unbelievable to him as hearing that the sun rises in the west.
"How is that possible? How could anyone deceive you?!" Xiao Lingzi grabbed Ye Huohuo's shoulders, his eyes fixated on her face, as if searching for proof of her lying in her expression.
But he failed. There wasn't a hint of mockery on Ye Huohuo's face; instead, it was filled with regret and self-blame.
Ye Huohuo looked up and gave a bitter smile, "What's impossible about it? I'm human, not a god. When you encounter someone more skilled, being deceived is only natural."
"Who? Who deceived you? How did they deceive you? You..." Xiao Lingzi's rapid-fire questions left Ye Huohuo no room to speak.
Li Mohan frowned and pulled him away, shielding Ye Huohuo behind him. "That's enough. Talking about it now is useless. We need to figure out how to break this predicament."
Ye Huohuo shook her head and offered a wry smile, "It's my fault. I was too arrogant, too careless. You warned me before that I might just be a pawn they were using.
I should have realized that the malevolent painting was likely something they deliberately let me obtain."
"What do you mean?" Li Mohan asked, the other two also listening with confusion.
Ye Huohuo pursed her lips, "Just now in the restroom, Lihua was already injured and no match for me. I could have dealt with her using other methods.
But that would have taken more effort, so I got clever and used the malevolent painting. After all, that painting is specifically designed to capture ghosts, and it was convenient. Previously, when I captured a lustful ghost and another spirit on the red-light street, there were no issues.
I became careless, thinking I could use it to capture Lihua again. But I never expected that the painting had been tampered with. When I unfurled it, it suddenly emitted a powerful aura of Yin Sha.
It enveloped Lihua, not only enhancing her strength but also carrying her through the red line restrictions. If it weren't for Xiao Lingzi and the others' quick thinking, she would have escaped by now, and finding her again would be as difficult as ascending to heaven."
Ye Huohuo briefly recounted what had happened.
The three fell silent after listening, even the usually voluble Xiao Lingzi biting his lip in stunned silence.
After a long moment, Li Mohan took a deep breath, "This person is truly terrifying, to have calculated things to this extent. This isn't just about calculating events, but also about calculating people's hearts. To think such a master exists in the world. How did our Li family offend someone like this?"
Xiao Lingzi chimed in, "Actually, it wasn't just us reacting quickly. It was Mr. Li. He arrived in time and sprinkled the cinnabar to subdue the female ghost."
A flicker of surprise crossed Ye Huohuo's eyes, "You? How did you guess Lihua would escape?"
Li Mohan's gaze shifted, "I can't quite explain it. It was just a feeling, a sense that things wouldn't go so smoothly! I wanted to come and see, and it turned out that..."
Ye Huohuo rapidly moved her fingertips, forming hand seals to divine.
Finally, her gaze settled on Li Mohan's face, and she spoke indistinctly, "Success depends on oneself, and failure also depends on oneself!"
"What does that mean?!" the three asked in unison.
Ye Huohuo, however, shook her head, "Some things are better left unsaid! Let's let nature take its course!"
After speaking, she looked towards the Yin energy swirling not far away, the corner of her lips curving upwards slightly, "Who is the hunter and who is the prey is not yet decided!"
Ye Huohuo turned to look at Li Mohan and the others, her eyes shining as brightly as the stars in the sky. She smiled, "My life, Ye Huohuo's life, has been fraught with hardship. I absolutely did not survive until now by luck!
Since they have provoked us, the Shouyang Mountain, the Wuji Temple, then let them see who is truly the number one in the Xuanmen!"
The aura of pride emanating from the seemingly thin and frail young girl was like a halo, making it difficult to look directly at her.
Watching Ye Huohuo like this, as if she had transformed into someone else, made Li Mohan's heart race.
"What... what are you going to do?" he asked, his voice unconsciously softening.
But everyone's attention was focused on how to deal with the ghost, and no one noticed the change in his tone.
"Before, I always felt sorry for Lihua and thought about capturing her, dispelling her resentment, and helping her reincarnate. But now, it seems her resentment is too deep, and I can no longer be lenient.
In a moment, you all find a place to hide. No matter what happens outside, do not come out! I... I will definitely handle things here." Ye Huohuo's words were solemn.
She didn't feel it, but the others listening felt as though she were bidding farewell.
"I'll go with you. Didn't you say I'm your good luck?" Li Mohan grasped her hand firmly.
Feeling her hand was icy cold, he couldn't help but frown. Her hands always felt this cold.
"Heh, I said it before, Ye Huohuo never got to where she is today by luck, Mr. Li, don't underestimate me!" Ye Huohuo's eyes were as firm as a rock, unwavering.
Although her heart had been warmed to the core by his hand and his words, her face showed no trace of it.
She had never wanted to stay by someone's side so much, but she also knew she couldn't, she couldn't endanger him!
Even if it meant sacrificing her own life, she couldn't harm Li Mohan!
"Then I'll stay with Miss Ye. Didn't I... wasn't it me before..." Before Li Mohan could say anything more, A Cheng volunteered himself.
"Enough. Which time wasn't it you causing trouble? If it weren't for you, things wouldn't have escalated to this point. You not helping is the greatest help!"
Ye Huohuo's words suddenly turned sharp and biting, each word like a knife stabbing into A Cheng's heart. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
A Cheng's mouth, which hadn't finished speaking, gaped open, and he stood frozen on the spot.
"Ye Huohuo, are you crazy! Why are you talking like that?" Xiao Lingzi, standing beside him, couldn't stand it.
Although he didn't interact much with A Cheng, he had great admiration for this muscular and well-built man. Perhaps it was a young boy's yearning for a man and genuine respect.
At this moment, Xiao Lingzi almost saw him as his idol, imagining himself becoming as manly as A Cheng one day.
Ye Huohuo's words now not only struck A Cheng's heart but also hurt Xiao Lingzi's.
Ye Huohuo let out a cold laugh, "You brat, you're really impudent, talking to me like that?
Don't forget, you're just my little follower. Besides getting things we need, what else can you do?
You don't know any magic, yet you go around calling yourself a Xuanmen practitioner. Truly shameless!"
"Ye Huohuo, you've finally said what's on your mind. Before, when you had no money, you called me your good younger brother to get things on credit. Now that you have money, you've finally revealed your true colors!"
Ye Huohuo was truly like a fighting rooster, her eyes narrowed. She glanced at Li Mohan, "Mr. Li, do you have anything to say?"
To everyone's surprise, Li Mohan smiled, pulling one person with each hand. "Let's excuse ourselves!"
With that, he took A Cheng and Xiao Lingzi and retreated into the women's restroom behind them.
Ye Huohuo took out the talisman her master had given her, looked down at it, and said softly, "Master, this talisman is saving just me. It's too wasteful. If I truly fail, please save those three!"
After speaking, she slapped the talisman onto the door of the women's restroom. She cast a deep glance at the door, then turned to face the black mist and walked in resolutely.