Mr. Ling halted his steps.
He looked at the four yellow talismans in his hand, the top right corner of the talisman was already starting to blacken — a signal that You Su had successfully lit incense and chanted the incantation.
It seemed that the young man wasn't as terrifying as he thought. Mr. Ling felt a slight relief. Having roamed the evil path for years, his skill in disguise was unparalleled. How could he stumble over a blind young man?
He was already anticipating the moment the talismans ignited and when the Bone-Eroding Soul-Devouring Array was activated, wondering what kind of expression the young man would have.
Shock? Regret? Or pain? Yet no matter how intense the emotion, it wouldn't save their lives. The young man could only powerlessly watch as the array swallowed and refined both himself and his beloved Master, and he himself was the one who personally pushed them into the abyss.
Almost forgot, You Su, being blind, couldn't see at all. But that's alright, Mr. Ling decided to show some mercy by ensuring that the cries of the most important people to You Su, the Master, would be so horrifying that he would clearly hear them.
Mr. Ling thought of himself as a demon, tasked by the master to complete a task so perfectly. That mysterious Master, if not for the master's caution in fearing she would be a wildcard, this setup wouldn't be necessary. Now it seems the Master is not formidable at all, even if she concealed her strength, so what? Once the array is formed, even a cultivator in the Feather Transformation Realm would be reduced to a pool of blood!
It's a pity about that young man of immense potential; otherwise, taking him as a disciple would have been excellent. But none of this could be blamed on him; the fault lies with the young man's master, who dared to offend the master.
The master has endured numerous hardships over the decades in hiding, but none of that mattered. Soon, the master will complete his plans, shaking the entire Five Continents! And he will become the master's most loyal servant, receiving the true power of the Evil God!
Just then, Mr. Ling's daydreams of the future stopped abruptly with the cooling of the talismans. The charred talisman did not continue to heat up to the point of ignition but gradually cooled down, even being torn by the wind.
Mr. Ling frowned and could only think of one reason: You Su hadn't finished the incantation completely, leading to the talismans not burning fully. But why didn't You Su finish it? Was he interrupted by his Master? Could it be that the Master wasn't so simple after all? That would be a bit troublesome.
Yet, You Su should have ignited the Ghost Bewitching Fragrance; otherwise, the talisman wouldn't have warmed up at all. That's fine, as those without any demoniac possession cannot withstand the erosion of the Ghost Bewitching Fragrance, the situation is still under my control.
Mr. Ling folded the talisman, thinking this way.
Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching rapidly, without any killing intent, seemingly fleeing to this place.
Mr. Ling extended his perception, focusing his gaze to find You Su panting heavily. You Su looked as though he had seen something extremely frightening, with terror written all over his face.
You Su was staggering, swaying as he ran, nearly stumbling to the ground as he reached Mr. Ling.
Mr. Ling frowned more deeply. It was the first time he had seen such panic on the usually calm young man.
You Su clutched his chest, gasping for air, saying, "Mr. Ling, Master, Master has emerged!"
Master emerged? A flicker of doubt passed through Mr. Ling's eyes. Why would he be so scared if the Master emerged? Was it the Dream Wasp acting up again, making him see a demoniac-like Master?
Thinking of this, Mr. Ling cursed inwardly. As expected, demons are demons, foolish creatures. Without him giving any orders, it plunged You Su into an illusion at a crucial moment.
Seeing You Su nearly petrified with fear, Mr. Ling felt he had underestimated him but still kept his disdain hidden and asked with concern:
"Don't be afraid, you're safe with me. What happened to your Master? Tell me slowly."
You Su seemed to have found a savior, a flicker of hope glinting in his unfocused eyes, "Mr. Ling! Master emerged! She saw me lighting the incense and chanting, she wants to eat me!"
So it was right, it was the Dream Wasp acting up again, putting this young guy into an illusion, scaring him to the point of stopping the chant.
Feeling much relieved after understanding the circumstances, Mr. Ling looked up to the stars and moon, his fingers executing a few calculations, then turned to You Su, speaking soothingly, "Don't be afraid, that wasn't your real Master. When the array purges the miasma from your body, it's inevitable you'll experience some illusions. There's still a moment until the end of the Dragon Hour, you need to overcome your fear and finish the incantation, or who knows when the next opportunity will come!"
You Su trembled, asking, "Mr. Ling, is what you say true?"
"Of course! Don't you want to save your Master and her companions?" Mr. Ling widened his eyes, his voice heavy, "The incense helps reduce the perception of the demons. Once it ends, they will surely notice, and by then, it will be difficult to rescue them!"
"I'm afraid…" You Su stumbled back two steps.
Damn, what a useless coward! To think you posed as so capable before, I thought torturing someone like you would be interesting!
Mr. Ling gazed at the panic-stricken You Su, wanting to spit in his face.
"No need to worry. I am here; should anything happen, I will save you, ensuring your life is unharmed!" Mr. Ling approached You Su, solemnly promising.
"I won't save them… Mr. Ling, just kill them! I, I won't go back!" You Su collapsed onto the ground, hands supporting himself on the grass.
Mr. Ling sighed short and shook his head. He had seen too many such spineless fools. When faced with genuine crisis, they reveal their true colors. His eyes flashed a trace of malice. Self-proclaimed master of manipulating hearts, his usual pastime was turning prey against each other, but now he had to personally intervene.
Mr. Ling placed his hand on his Qiankun Bag, weighing his options on how to eliminate the sect's three people quietly, ensuring no trace for the townspeople to notice and possibly interfere with the master's plan.
Suddenly, You Su, shaking his head while sobbing, shouted, "No! I want… I want to save them! I want to save them!" He then trembled while trying to get up, yet stumbled back to the ground.
Watching the revived You Su struggle with himself, Mr. Ling felt a bit gratified. Such prey has value in torturing.
He bent down, placing his hands on You Su's shoulders, intending to help him up.
You Su let Mr. Ling assist him, and just as he was about to stand upright, You Su suddenly grasped the sword at his waist.
In an instant, the flash of the sword was fleeting, like a meteor flashing across the night sky.
Mr. Ling first looked at the bloody gash on his chest in disbelief, then glanced up at You Su, already in sword stance.
The fear on the young man's face had vanished, behind his hollow eyes, it was like an endless, unfathomable deep pool.