Chapter 147: Having Come and Passed

Ah—

A miserable scream broke the silence of the deep night.

Boom—

Another loud crash followed, accompanied by the sound of flying sand and rolling stones.

Yu Ye sprang into the air immediately, vaulting across the space before nimbly dodging and landing on a pile of jagged boulders.

More than ten zhang away amidst the rubble lay another patch of open ground.

Dust billowed and stone shards flew in all directions.

A monstrous salamander had locked its jaws around a young man, thrashing him back and forth. The youth was powerless to free himself, clearly on the brink of death. Another monstrous salamander was locked in fierce combat with an old man.

Wielding a short sword, the old man resisted desperately, occasionally casting talismans that transformed into swirling mists. Unable to close in for the moment, the beast roared continuously, driven into a frenzy.

Noticing someone approaching in pursuit, the old man panicked even more. With a flash of his figure, he attempted to flee.

Though massive in build, the monstrous salamander was exceptionally agile. Leaping seven or eight zhang high, it fiercely intercepted the old man and lunged with jaws agape.

The old man slashed his sword, sending out a beam of light that forced the beast back with a loud bang. Before he could turn around, the salamander lunged again. He flicked his hand to cast a talisman, unleashing a series of explosive flames. The flames emitted a cold white light that instantly enveloped the beast, coating its entire body in frost and causing its movements to sluggishly slow down while its ferocity plummeted.

Meanwhile, a bloody squelch filled the air.

The other monstrous salamander had torn the youth in half and began to devour him greedily.

"Alas, Xiaochun..."

The old man cried out in anguish, yet he dared not linger, vanishing in a blur. But the next moment, he reappeared, stumbling unsteadily. A figure had emerged right in front of him—none other than the young man who had been standing on the rocks earlier. While sealing off his retreat with restrictive barriers, the youth raised his hand to form sword incantations. Pale with shock, the old man hastily pleaded, "Fellow Daoist, you have already slain my disciple, why must you push us to the dead end? Show mercy!"

The one blocking his path was precisely Yu Ye. Seeing the old man's mournful tone and tragic expression, his heart softened involuntarily, and he asked, "Why did you and your disciple set up formations to harm my fellow Daoist, and why disturb the souls of the dead?"

"Alas, fellow Daoist, you do not understand!"

Trapped by the heavenly restriction spell and stumbling to steady himself, the old man shook his head and sighed. "Xiaochun is my disciple. Frail and sickly since childhood, he was converted into a ghost cultivator in hopes of prolonging his life. It so happened that someone in the village was being buried, so I brought him here to absorb the Yin Qi. Yet you mistook us for fiends and forced us into a desperate flight. We laid down the soul-bewitching array here merely for self-preservation, but instead, it brought about the death of Xiaochun, my poor disciple. We have no enmity between us, I beg fellow Daoist to raise your hand and let us go!"

"Oh..."

Yu Ye nodded.

Over the past two years, he had perused numerous ancient texts, learning that cultivation was divided into the paths of Dao, Immortals, Demons, Monsters, and Ghosts. He had not expected to encounter two ghost cultivators tonight. Though their cultivation techniques differed, all paths led to the same destination; they could be considered fellow travelers on the path of cultivation.

"In that case, you may leave!"

"Fellow Daoist, let this matter rest. Farewell, it is only a pity for my disciple..."

The restraining magic on the old man had already vanished. Seizing the opportunity, he stepped forward. As he passed by Yu Ye's side, his face still bore a look of deep sorrow.

Right at that moment, a shout rang out—

"Don't let him escape!"

It was Dang Guiyi, emerging from the pile of boulders nearby. Having perhaps just regained his senses, his steps remained buoyant and his body swayed.

"It was a misunderstanding, let him go!"

Yu Ye shook his head and said.

"Ha!"

Dang Guiyi let out a bizarre cry and shouted angrily, "He and his disciple go about killing people, harvesting souls, and harming the innocent—is that supposed to be a misunderstanding too?"

Yu Ye glanced back.

The old man, having just brushed past him, suddenly flicked his sleeve.

Yu Ye hurriedly urged his protective magic. A sudden gust of cold wind struck, and with a flashing bang, his Heavenly Dragon Shield nearly collapsed. A bone-chilling cold penetrated his body, making him shiver involuntarily. Immediately following a flash of light, a thick, billowing fog rolled in. He raised his hand to flick out a sword qi, only to find that the old man's figure had already vanished into the mist. At the same time, a fierce wind arose and the sounds of weeping ghosts and howling wolves echoed from all directions.

"Bah!"

Yu Ye spat silently, turning around to retreat.

Yet all around him was thick fog, and countless clawing, shadowy black figures lunged from every direction.

Yu Ye sprang straight up into the air, leaping over three zhang high. With a hasty sweep of his divine sense, he waved his hand to cast three talismans. Two of the talismans burst into balls of flame, forcefully driving back the lunging shadow figures. The third talisman transformed into a streak of lightning, piercing straight through the mist and vanishing. Before his feet touched the ground, two more roars sounded not far away.

Through his divine sense, he could see Dang Guiyi trapped within the fog, running frantically in circles on the spot, waving a peach wood sword with both hands while chanting under his breath: "By the laws of heaven and earth, let the five thunders strike the peak, haste—"

"Boom..."

Following the direction of his wooden sword, a muffled sound rang out, accompanied by a fleeting flash of fire that barely kept the shadows from closing in. Yet he looked exasperated, muttering to himself, "Alas, another dud thunder..."

"Ah—"

Simultaneously, a miserable scream rang out.

Yu Ye once again cast two Departing Fire Talismans. Wherever the blazing flames reached, the cold wind and mist instantly receded, and the frenzied shadows vanished completely.

Twenty or thirty zhang away, a figure fell to the ground struck by a sword, and the two monstrous salamanders arrived just in time, pouncing to tear and devour...

"Spare my life—"

Dang Guiyi was still dodging the Departing Fire Talismans, jumping frantically from side to side. In a flash, the fire and fog dissipated entirely, leaving him staring with wide, small eyes and a face full of horror.

The fallen figure was the old man. Although injured by the sword talisman, he had not died and was crying out for help. Yet in the blink of an eye, he was torn apart and devoured by the monstrous salamanders...

"Wah—"

Witnessing the beasts devour a living person with his own eyes, Dang Guiyi felt his hair stand on end. He couldn't help retching, then pointed accusingly and said, "You... you actually tamed monsters and condoned them eating people..."

Yu Ye put away his Heavenly Dragon Shield and shivered inwardly once more.

Condoning monsters to eat people?

He was neither willing nor did he bear to, yet he was helpless.

The monstrous salamanders were overly ferocious and addicted to blood; once their killing intent surged, he simply could not stop them.

Yet the old man and youth encountered by chance tonight—whose names and origins were unknown—had fought a life-and-death battle. Two cultivators, or rather ghost cultivators, in short, two living human beings, had just been devoured alive by the beasts like that.

Truly tragic.

And truly inexplicable!

"Fellow Daoist Dang, how did you know that master and disciple harmed the innocent?"

"I guessed blindly."

"You..."

Yu Ye was choked with speechlessness.

Strictly speaking, tonight's disaster had been triggered entirely by Dang Guiyi. With his constant cries of "fiend" and "harming the innocent," and his desperate determination to step forward, he had seemed the very model of righteousness, a chivalrous hero slaying demons and eliminating fiends. Thus Yu Ye had followed his pursuit, employing sword talismans and the two monstrous salamanders, only to go through endless trouble to kill the old man and his disciple—who would have thought that his accusations were merely wild guesses?

"Hah, if I hadn't guessed, how else could I have tricked the old fellow into revealing his bottom line?"

Dang Guiyi looked quite pleased with himself and said, "I know a thing or two about ghost cultivators. Just seeing the dead being buried at night gave me a suspicion. Sure enough, we waited for that old man; if his conscience was clear, why flee, and why set up a formation to entrap the likes of you and me? Fortunately, these monstrous salamanders lack sentience and are cold-blooded beasts, fearing neither Yin Qi nor soul-bewitching arrays, otherwise you and I would have long since become lonely ghosts."

Hearing him say this, Yu Ye felt a lingering fear.

"The soul-bewitching array was formidable; for a moment, I found it hard to break free."

"Who's to say otherwise? You encountered a ghost wall, and I was struck with madness, both caused by the array. Especially since that old man drove ghost spirits, which even my Five Thunders Orthodox Method found difficult to handle..."

"Were those black shadows just now ghosts?"

"Mn, presumably some wandering ghosts who are no longer under anyone's control, perhaps they can now re-enter reincarnation and become human once more. You and I have performed another good deed, you should thank me! For instance, the storage rings of that old man and his disciple..."

"Dud thunder, what kind of spell was that?"

"Ah, let's not mention that. The man-eating monsters are coming—"

In the dark, the two monstrous salamanders slithered over, swinging their heads and tails while kicking up a fishy gust of wind that sent grass clippings and stone shards flying. Their massive bodies, thick limbs, tooth-filled jaws, and ugly appearances were enough to strike terror into anyone's heart.

Frightened, Dang Guiyi turned and hid behind Yu Ye.

With a wave of his hand, Yu Ye recalled the two monstrous salamanders into his beast-taming ring.

Seizing the opportunity, Dang Guiyi rushed forward, picked up a short sword, and then began stamping his feet repeatedly in complaint, "Man-eating beasts don't even spit out bones..."

At the old man's burial site, although it was a bloody mess, not a single bone remained, let alone any storage rings.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, make your monsters return my ring!"

"Since they eat people without spitting out bones, do you expect them to spit out a ring?"

"I don't believe it..."

Dang Guiyi muttered suspiciously, then asked, "What are you looking for?"

Yu Ye circled the pile of rubble and found four small flags.

Dang Guiyi's eyes lit up as he reached out a hand. "Ah, formation flags! I almost forgot, let me see—"

Without a word, Yu Ye stowed the four formation flags into his iron storage ring and urged, "This place is not to be lingered in, let's move on!"

"Hmph!"

Failing to gain any advantage, Dang Guiyi let out a disgruntled hum.

As Yu Ye departed, he turned back to look.

The night was deep, and the rocky mound remained as silent as before, as if nothing had happened at all. Perhaps no one would ever know that an old man and a youth had perished here.

Let us hope that master and disciple got what they deserved for their crimes.

Yet, who really cares about good and evil, right and wrong? It was merely crossing paths with one another, coming this way, and passing through...

At dawn.

Two young men walked down toward Flying Cloud Mountain.

Having traveled all night, both looked travel-worn. Dang Guiyi still kept his back straight and his steps brisk. Yu Ye lagged a few steps behind, his eyes flickering with vigilance.

Qizhou was vast; traveling long distances relied not on lightness techniques or horses, but solely on the immortal sects' teleportation arrays for swift transit across the five nations. Yet Yu Ye had once regarded the Qizhou immortal sects as a flood of ferocious beasts and mortal enemies, and now he was wandering among various large and small immortal sects. Not only that, he was actually following Dang Guiyi to the Yunchuan Immortal Sect.

Was he really going to join an immortal sect?

Although Nanshan and numerous disciples of the immortal sects had died, Bu Yi was still alive. If Bu Yi returned to Qizhou and found that Yu Ye was hiding inside an immortal sect, would he mock him for seeking his own death and then kill him to exact revenge?

And if Dang Guiyi were to discover his true identity, how would he react...

"Senior Brother, can your sect's teleportation array reach Yunchuan Peak?"

"Teleportation talismans aren't cheap, they cost twenty spiritual stones!"

"Ha, no problem!"

Dang Guiyi had already strode ahead to a courtyard at the foot of Flying Cloud Mountain. After exchanging a few words with the gate-guarding disciples, he beckoned, "Fellow Daoist, lend me forty spiritual stones!"

"Why should I lend you spiritual stones?"

"All our food and lodging earlier were paid for by me, have you forgotten? I'm just a bit tight on cash these days, consider it a temporary loan."

Standing outside the courtyard gate were several immortal sect disciples, all looking quite formidable in cultivation. Not far away was a market bustling with all sorts of people.

Finding it inconvenient to argue, Yu Ye produced a storage ring.

Snatching the spiritual stones from the ring, Dang Guiyi exchanged them for teleportation talismans, waved his hand, and strode directly into the courtyard.

Just as the two of them left, the gate-guarding disciples whispered among themselves—

"One tall, one short, both young, and one of them carrying a wooden sword on his back. They look like the people the Xuanling Sect has been looking for..."

"Since the senior instructed us, just report it truthfully..."