Chapter Twelve: Reversal
Amidst the ancient pines, the low, dilapidated tile house was dim and damp, never touched by sunlight throughout the year.
“Lord Lu Ning, what do you think of this woman?” Yao Zhimei shoved Qu Yiqiu forward with a flourish.
Qu Yiqiu stumbled several steps, panic-stricken as she stood before the man.
Lu Ning’s unrestrained gaze swept over her, and he uttered repeated exclamations of approval.
“Meier, you truly found me a treasure!”
Qu Yiqiu looked into his bloodshot eyes, instinctively tilting her head and casting a pleading glance toward Yao Zhimei.
She had thought her own performance had won Yao Zhimei over, but now realized she had been played instead.
Yao Zhimei's cultivation was already at the early Forming stage, equivalent to the human clan’s early Golden Core, yet she addressed Lu Ning as lord; it seemed this male ghost’s cultivation must be at least mid-Forming stage.
“Hehe, Meier has known you for years, Lord, how could she not understand your tastes?” Yao Zhimei laughed sweetly, utterly ignoring Qu Yiqiu’s silent plea for help.
Lu Ning rose lightly, reaching out to nearly embrace Qu Yiqiu’s shoulders. She retreated hurriedly, terror written across her face.
“Hahaha! Hahaha! That immortal aura she carries—I’ve never seen its like!” Lu Ning showed no anger; instead, his eyes grew more intrigued.
Yao Zhimei lowered her gaze, smiling. “As long as you’re satisfied, Lord. Shall I go deal with the boy inside the demon array?”
Lu Ning’s smile faded. With a wave of his hand, the scene within the cave appeared before them.
Qu Yiqiu stared in surprise at the blue-robed man inside.
“Hmph. That boy is Su Xichen’s disciple. If we harm him, the people of Tianyan Sect will not let us off. Let them leave for now; there’s no need to interfere!” Lu Ning replied coldly.
Yao Zhimei bowed gracefully. “Yes, then I’ll take my leave.”
Lu Ning waved his hand broadly. “Hahaha, go on, go on! I want to enjoy this beauty alone!”
His blood-red eyes burned with fervor.
Yao Zhimei turned and departed.
Qu Yiqiu subtly shifted her position, trying to shorten the distance to the broken door for her escape.
Once Yao Zhimei’s silhouette vanished, both Lu Ning and Qu Yiqiu made their moves.
Qu Yiqiu dashed for the only exit, planning to vanish into her spatial pocket at the corner, hoping they’d believe she’d escaped with a transit talisman.
But Lu Ning was swift as lightning; at the very first step, he seized her left shoulder, tearing apart the new clothes Yao Zhimei had carefully chosen for her.
Qu Yiqiu was hurled against the cobweb-laden wall, stifling a groan as she realized the vast difference in strength between Golden Core cultivators and mere Qi practitioners.
Lu Ning lewdly sniffed the torn piece of garment in his hand, grinning wickedly. “It still carries your scent. The fragrance of a beauty is like poppy—just a whiff sets me ablaze!”
Qu Yiqiu, revolted by his words, wanted nothing more than to spit in his face, but the disparity in power forced her to feign arrogance. “If you like this scent, Lord, you shouldn’t be so impatient—the real fun is yet to come!”
Lu Ning’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Oh? What games does this beauty have in store?”
Qu Yiqiu smiled brightly. “If you dare turn around, an astonishing nude performance will begin.”
Lu Ning could barely restrain himself; his dark red tongue flicked out, licking about. “You certainly know how to play, beauty—I can hardly wait!”
His body, half mist and half substance, immediately spun around, his blood-red eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Qu Yiqiu’s expression turned cold; she darted for the broken door.
Just as she was about to slip into her spatial pocket, a cloud of pure black mist surged toward her, revealing Lu Ning’s wildly grinning head.
Qu Yiqiu’s pupils dilated in shock.
A spear rang out with a golden clang, piercing through Lu Ning’s brow.
A drop of black liquid rolled from his forehead, and Qu Yiqiu seized the moment to tumble away in escape.
Lu Ning shrieked in fury, wrenching the spear from his head as black liquid gushed like a bubbling spring.
Yao Zhimei, her claws sharp, slashed at the air, sending streaks of sinister energy slicing into Lu Ning’s body.
Qu Yiqiu finally saw the truth.
The two ghost cultivators had torn off their masks.
“What did you do to me? Why has my Evil Spirit Possession failed?!” Lu Ning’s twisted face distorted further, revealing a multitude of different faces.
They all emitted eerie, mournful cries.
Yao Zhimei, holding twin spears, her expression icy, spat, “I’ve had enough of your lechery, old ghost! I secretly added some relic incense to her body—how does that scent suit you? Hahaha!”
She threw her head back in wild laughter, her disheveled hair swirling in the wind.
Qu Yiqiu suddenly realized that Yao Zhimei was the finest actress of them all, deceiving everyone.
Lu Ning, oozing pus, his red eyes ferocious, snarled, “Yao Zhimei, I will not die so easily!”
No sooner had he finished than Yao Zhimei’s spears shot forward, piercing both his eyeballs.
A black orb burst from Lu Ning’s body, exploding violently as it neared Yao Zhimei.
Qu Yiqiu had already anticipated Lu Ning’s intentions, hiding in a safe spot before the Golden Core detonated.
When the blast finally subsided, she emerged from behind a towering ancient tree to find Yao Zhimei collapsed on the ground, vomiting blood.
She looked so frail, weaker than any mortal.
She tossed out a half-polished, dazzlingly colored and hard object.
“This is the leftover relic. Take it to the ancient demon array, and you can subdue the evil spirit and rescue the souls it has devoured.”
Qu Yiqiu hesitated, then walked over to pick up the half orb.
“Was that evil entity raised by you?”
Yao Zhimei, her back turned and face unseen, spoke hoarsely: “Lu Ning raised it. He somehow acquired a mid-tier Profound-grade Evil Spirit Possession technique and came here to prey on innocent villagers, nurturing evil spirits.
It’s been centuries since he first arrived; no one could subdue him.”
Qu Yiqiu eyed her weakened form. “Let’s make a deal. If you promise me one thing, I’ll help restore your body.”
Yao Zhimei turned her head, smiling. “No problem—as long as you don’t ask me to find you a man again.”
Qu Yiqiu rubbed her forehead in resignation, regretting ever playing such a role.
She helped Yao Zhimei into the battered house, then took the half relic and set out along the shortcut Yao Zhimei had described.
The evil entity was Lu Ning’s avatar, without its own consciousness, always under his control.
Now that Lu Ning was dead, the evil entity could no longer operate the ancient demon array.
Qu Yiqiu slipped in easily via the narrow path, using the golden radiance of the relic to trap the evil entity in her Universe Pouch.
This was the pouch Chi Yushu had given her for missions, finally proving useful.
She watched the evil entity thrashing about inside, then sat cross-legged and began chanting the rites of liberation.
She had never needed to learn this; as she activated the relic, the simple chants surfaced in her mind.
Almost as soon as she began reciting the incantation, Chi Yushu entered from a corridor to her right.
He glanced in surprise at Qu Yiqiu’s half-exposed shoulder and promptly draped a man’s cloak over her.