Qin Yexuan put down the dazed Wang Jiaqian and whispered to Sun Qinglu, "Once we're out of here, if anyone asks what happened, just say you were unconscious and saw nothing. Understand?"
Sun Qinglu stood protectively in front of Wang Jiaqian, a hint of worry on his face. "Disciples understand, Master. But what about those students earlier, especially your three female fans, and also, Teacher Wang here? What if they speak nonsense?"
Qin Yexuan chuckled. "The more real and terrifying their stories are, the less people will believe them."
Sun Qinglu didn't understand.
Meanwhile, Qin Yexuan had already stepped into the mist-shrouded mansion.
Wang Jiaqian looked up and vaguely saw a giant, blue-haired lion appearing in the mist.
Its teeth were like saw blades, its round head covered in bristly, fork-like fur. Its eyes glowed like large lanterns, and most terrifyingly, a tuft of brows on its head burned with a blue light.
Those brows connected to its nostrils, constantly spewing out various green flames.
The lion-like monster in the mist spoke in human tongue, "What are you?! You dare to cross me? I once swallowed ten thousand souls with a single gulp. You're not even enough to fill my teeth..."
*Roar!*
A fierce wind arose, and above the mist, a giant handprint, vast as a curtain, descended from the sky.
The majestic lion-monster let out a yelp. Its entire form shrank immensely, becoming a creature the size of a kitten, scurrying around in panic.
Another handprint appeared, this one carrying the green vitality of a forest.
"Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain... Master is using two great techniques from the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Hand Seal! Haha, no monster can escape this."
The kitten indeed darted everywhere, letting out pitiful whimpers. Finally, it prostrated itself on the ground, begging, "Esteemed Immortal, spare me, spare me! I was truly forced to eat people. That monster a hundred years ago wasn't me; it was human Daoist priests. They captured me to help them refine elixirs, which is why the rumors of the haunted mansion started..."
It pleaded and explained, "In recent years, I've only eaten drunk scoundrels. I try my best not to eat indiscriminately. *Sob sob sob*, my old home in Shituoling was taken over..."
The clouds and mist in the sky dispersed, and Qin Yexuan stood with his hands behind his back. "Hm? Shituoling? Isn't the Shituoling Club in Chaoge yours now?"
"No, it's not mine. A group of villains occupied my territory and issued orders in my name. I was peacefully residing in Lingmeng Mountain when that old bastard Xu Chunyang from Tianyi Dao captured me and used my demonic energy to refine elixirs..."
Qin Yexuan's eyes flickered, and his spiritual energy receded.
He gently extended his hand. "Come!"
The "little cat" jumped directly onto his arm and quickly climbed to his shoulder.
It had the appearance of a lion-kitten, but it was very small, much like a newborn kitten. Its fur was soft, a grayish-blue. The tuft of fur between its brows formed the shape of a flame. If one hadn't witnessed its true form earlier, it would have appeared cuter than any pet cat.
Especially its eyes, one gold and one white, were round like two beads.
"What's with your eyes? They look like the inner core of a thousand-year-old great demon?"
The lion-kitten looked on the verge of tears. "My two brothers in Shituoling, White Elephant and Golden Eagle, were killed by Xu Chunyang and a bunch of Daoists. Their inner cores, unwilling to be surrendered to humans, transformed into my eyes."
Qin Yexuan scoffed. "Then you're quite powerful. With your own inner core, that makes three cores within you. If you cultivate for a few more centuries, you'll become a spirit demon even stronger than a great demon."
The lion-kitten dared not speak.
Qin Yexuan snorted coldly and suddenly raised his hand, imprinting nine seals into the lion-kitten's brow in quick succession.
The lion-kitten didn't dare move.
It was truly terrified to death.
That Grand Celestial Master Xu Chunyang from back then was already the strongest cultivator among humans. But before this young man, ten thousand Xu Chunyangs wouldn't have mattered.
With the seals absorbed, the lion-kitten was firmly under Qin Yexuan's control.
He asked, "What elixir was Xu Chunyang refining when he captured you?"
The lion-kitten raised a paw to scratch its head. "This humble demon's cultivation is too low to understand, but it seemed related to the Golden Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate."
Qin Yexuan realized with a start that behind all this was the chaotic world conspiracy orchestrated by Xu Chunyang.
It had been brewing for a hundred years, only officially activating recently when the seal on Lingmeng Mountain was opened.
"Well done, Xu Chunyang. I remember years ago at the Three Mountains Dao Altar's Dharma assembly, he sat in the chief seat. Even then, people in the Daoist sect said he was a boundless Celestial Master of the future. I never expected he was orchestrating such a grand scheme behind the scenes."
Qin Yexuan sighed inwardly and patted the kitten. "Follow me for now."
The lion-kitten expressed its profuse thanks, its paws clasped together and shaking.
Qin Yexuan said sternly, "I'm not taking you as a pet, but I temporarily need your intelligence. Don't try any of that. Remember this: I don't have many rules under me. If anyone attacks you, you can resist, but you need my permission!"
The lion-kitten whimpered and lay obediently on his shoulder.
At this moment, the entire haunted mansion had vanished, leaving behind only ruins and trees.
Sun Qinglu and Wang Jiaqian stared, dumbfounded, at the lion-kitten. As Qin Yexuan approached, they couldn't help but back away.
They were still afraid.
Qin Yexuan smiled faintly. "What are you afraid of? It's pretty much like a normal cat now."
Ghosts would believe that.
Following Qin Yexuan out of the iron gate, the outside had already calmed down.
Numerous armed vehicles surrounded the area, clearing it.
Above Haunted House No. 13, various mists began to spread outward, engulfing the entire region.
"Now's our chance, let's leave quickly!"
Qin Yexuan's figure flickered, instantly vanishing a hundred meters away.
Then he reappeared with a sigh. "I forgot, you two are too slow."
With a whoosh, he directly hoisted Wang Jiaqian onto his shoulder and let Sun Qinglu grab the corner of his jacket. Then, he flashed away again.
Wang Jiaqian closed her eyes, only hearing sharp cracking sounds in her ears, like sonic explosions.
When she opened her eyes again, they were at least a thousand meters away from the haunted mansion.
My goodness.
The night's encounters had completely shattered Wang Jiaqian's world. She suddenly felt how ridiculous she had been before. What were the troubles of the mortal world compared to apocalyptic events like monsters entering Chaoge?
At this moment, Sun Qinglu suddenly took out his phone. "That's strange, uh, how did Sun Yong'an get my phone number?"
As soon as he answered, Sun Yong'an's furious voice came through. "I've been searching for your number all over the city. Are you a student from Chaoge Academy? Did you impersonate my biological son and then injure my adopted child?"
Sun Yong'an was already suspicious. "Who sent you? You're quite capable, impersonating the Sun family bloodline while trying to eliminate my adopted son. Are you trying to seize my Sun family's fortune?"
Sun Qinglu's eyebrows shot up, and he trembled with anger.
Sun Yong'an, however, issued a cold warning. "My wife heard the news and has already gone to find you. I'm warning you, you'd better disappear. If you make my wife sad or upset, I'll kill you!"
Sun Qinglu directly hung up the phone and looked at Qin Yexuan. "They've located me using my phone number..."
Qin Yexuan looked at him. "Sun Yong'an has a bad temper, but he is indeed a good man who dotes on his wife. Since your mother has come to find you, let's meet her, explain everything, and then leave. There's no need to inherit the Sun family's fortune; it's all too tedious." The Lion-Kitten on his shoulder was exchanging glances with the little cat and was now utterly stunned.