This place is strange.
Shen Yuefu realized it almost instantly.
A faint crease lingered between his brows as he studied the last wisp of hair burning away in his palm. Without hesitation, he stepped into the heavy night mist.
That strand of hair had once been a gift from Yao Ranran, before her true identity was revealed. At the time, he hadn't known she was deceiving him, so he had kept it carefully.
He never expected it would prove useful here.
If it had been before she left for the Eastern Wilderness, or if he still regarded Yao Ranran as his benefactor, he would never have imagined that one day he would be the one chasing her relentlessly.
Now he even felt a flash of gratitude that she had given him this strand of hair—it had allowed him to track her to her hiding place.
Shen Yuefu pressed his lips together, pushing aside all distracting thoughts.
He was pursuing Yao Ranran for one reason only: to defeat her.
"Pei girl, this place is very unusual," Elder Shang muttered, stroking his beard as his gaze swept over the fog-shrouded darkness where even the night seemed fused with the mist.
Pei Xianqiao, watching Shen Yuefu disappear into the haze, tightened her grip on her sword. "Elder Shang, I'll rely on your protection. Yao Ranran is inside. No matter what dangers lie within, I will not turn back."
She stepped forward into Qingshui County, her eyes unwavering.
Elder Shang's satisfaction was plain. She knew what she sought, stood firm in her heart, and carried fortune's blessing. This was why he had chosen her back then. He would guard her with all his strength.
The mist was cold, their footsteps hushed.
A shadow emerged. Shen Yuefu's immortal sword flashed as he leveled a cold gaze at the figure.
"Did I not tell you not to follow?"
Pei Xianqiao froze when he withdrew his sword, her lashes trembling. "Elder Shen, I only wanted to help you."
A flicker of impatience crossed Shen Yuefu's expression. With a metallic ring, the edge of his sword swept past her cheek, leaving only a sharp gleam of cold light.
Her eyes widened.
A voice suddenly cried from behind, trembling with fear. "Immortal Master, spare me! I am only a mortal!"
Pei Xianqiao turned quickly.
A short man knelt on the ground, shaking as he begged for his life.
Shen Yuefu gave him a brief glance, then recalled his sword.
"You are from Qingshui County?"
The man lifted his head fearfully. "Yes. I've lived here for over twenty years."
"Then tell me—what is this night fog?" Shen Yuefu's voice was icy.
The man darted glances around, then asked timidly, "May I…may I know what level of cultivation Immortal Master has reached?"
Shen Yuefu's tone grew colder. "Nascent Soul."
"Nascent Soul?!" The man jolted as if struck, stumbling backward in terror.
"You… you are truly a Zhēnjūn?" His voice shook with desperate awe as he tried to crawl closer.
The immortal sword slammed into the earth before him, halting his advance.
"Have you seen a woman enter here?" Shen Yuefu asked calmly.
The man flinched, shaking his head rapidly. "Zhēnjūn, please, save us of Qingshui County!"
He looked up at Shen Yuefu with tearful eyes.
Pei Xianqiao, finally reacting, rushed to help the man up. "Tell us what troubles you. There is no need to kneel."
As she neared, he shrank back at first, but sensing her sincerity, he seized her hand desperately.
"Fairy, please save Qingshui County! You are kind, please, save my father!"
Pei Xianqiao blushed faintly at his sudden grip and glanced toward Shen Yuefu. He remained indifferent, as if unaffected. Her heart chilled.
"Take us to your father," Shen Yuefu said coldly.
The man nodded hurriedly, hiding behind Pei Xianqiao as if for safety. "This way… my home is just ahead…"
They learned his name was Li Hao.
As they followed, Pei Xianqiao asked, "Li Hao, what illness does your father suffer from? And what has befallen Qingshui County?"
Li Hao's face darkened with sorrow. "An evil man appeared. His body reeks of murderous qi. He killed his own mother and unborn brother, then slaughtered the people of our county!"
Pei Xianqiao's eyes widened. "An evil cultivator?"
Li Hao hesitated, then shook his head. "No. A ghost cultivator. He bears an evil spirit within him."
"A ghost? What is his cultivation? Is there truly no one in Qingshui who can oppose him?"
Li Hao covered his face, voice breaking. "No one can resist him. He has ruined us all!"
Shen Yuefu frowned. "What realm is he, then?"
Li Hao's lips trembled. "He…he…"
"He's here!"
Li Hao's eyes went wide.
Shen Yuefu's Immortal Sword flared, cold light splitting the mist as he turned sharply.
"Stay away from him! Don't follow him, he's not a good man!" A boy stumbled out of the fog—Meng Xiangxiang. His voice cracked as he shouted.
Li Hao's panic rose. "That's him! He's the ghost that destroyed us!"
"You lie! I didn't! I never wronged anyone!" Meng Xiangxiang's eyes were blood-red, black qi coiling around him.
Pei Xianqiao froze, staring at the boy.
Shen Yuefu only frowned. Could such a frail figure truly destroy all of Qingshui County?
Li Hao, seeing their hesitation, quickly cried out to provoke him. "If you hadn't gone mad, would Qingshui have fallen? Your mother and her unborn child—they both died because of you!"
Meng Xiangxiang's crimson eyes bulged with fury. "I didn't!"
His killing aura erupted, yin qi boiling forth like a storm.
Shen Yuefu and Pei Xianqiao's faces darkened.
Before their eyes, the thin boy twisted into a monstrous ghost, his body swelling several zhang tall. From his neck dangled the head of an infant, its eyes sealed shut.
"See? You see it too, Immortal Masters!" Li Hao screamed, trembling. "I didn't lie—he's a great evil ghost!"
Terrified, he ducked behind Pei Xianqiao.
…
On the second floor of the Four Seasons Inn, Yao Ranran silently pulled out the Ancient Appraisal Mirror. Her eyes followed the swirling tide of yin and killing qi.
Target: Meng Xiangxiang, unknown stillborn infant
Constitution: Yin Fiend Ghost Body, Corpse-born Child
Spiritual Root: None
Cultivation: Unpredictable
Evaluation: There is something else in his belly. Resentment? Wrath? Or boundless hatred?
Yao Ranran lowered the mirror, fingers tightening on the note Meng Xiangxiang had left behind. She whispered, "This Meng Xiangxiang is no ordinary boy. He must be hiding a tremendous secret."
…
"Ghost fiend! This land is under the jurisdiction of Wuxiang Sect. You will not run wild here!"
Pei Xianqiao immediately shielded Li Hao, fearing the ghost would target him.