"Why won't you believe me? I didn't do it! The disaster in Qingshui County has nothing to do with me. It wasn't me! It wasn't me!"
The furious roar was like a mountain trembling, rumbling as if the earth itself was about to split.
Li Hao's legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground, drenched in cold sweat. "Damn it… why is Meng Xiangxiang here!"
Shen Yue and Fu both caught the terror written all over Li Hao's face, but neither found it strange. To them, it was natural that a powerless mortal would be frightened before the might of a ghostly being.
"Brother Fu, we can't let him hurt Li Hao!"
Cold light flashed as Pei Xianqiao drew her sword, her gaze fixed on the monstrous form that Meng Xiangxiang had become.
A trace of suspicion flickered across Shen Yuefu's eyes as his Lǚshuang Yǔn Immortal Sword stirred, drawing in the moonlight.
…
"That woman… that woman…"
The man in black robes stared fixedly at the woman's figure that appeared on the Shadow-Stone, muttering the words over and over.
"What was the name of the woman who entered Qingshui County alongside Shen Yuefu?"
"How did Shen Yuefu address her?"
The black-robed man's eyes turned blood-red, his whole body thrumming with energy, his emotions surging to a violent peak.
An Mingqi had never seen him look like this before. Those blood-shot eyes seemed as though they could devour the living whole.
"R-reporting to Master… Shen Yuefu called that woman… Pei Xianqiao!"
An Mingqi stammered through the words.
The black-robed man burst out in wild laughter. "Pei Xianqiao… Pei Xianqiao! So it truly is her! That little girl has actually delivered herself to my door!"
An Mingqi stared at his master's swelling figure, Adam's apple bobbing, his pupils trembling in fear.
"You will go at once and tell them Pei Xianqiao must not die. The others—kill without mercy!"
The black-robed man issued his command again.
An Mingqi dared to raise his eyes slightly and meet his master's exposed gaze, only to scramble away in terror, tripping over himself as he fled.
"Y-yes, yes, your servant obeys!"
"Hmph, useless thing. People from the lower realm truly are nothing but trash!"
The man in black snorted coldly, then shifted his gaze back to the woman's image on the Shadow-Stone. Beneath the black cloth covering his face, his lips curved into a mad grin.
"I've finally found you, little girl!"
…
An Mingqi ran out soaked in cold sweat. The appearance his master had taken on today was utterly terrifying.
"I need to deliver his command quickly. That woman must be kept alive!"
Glancing once toward the fog, he shot away in a streak of light.
…
Sword-light cascaded like a waterfall, filling the sky with sword-qi.
"Roar! Roar!" Meng Xiangxiang howled in rage, blood gushing from two deep wounds carved across his shoulders.
"You monster! Was it not enough to kill your own mother and younger brother? Now you come to bring disaster upon the people of Qingshui County. You should never have been allowed to live in this world!"
Seeing Shen Yuefu and Pei Xianqiao holding their ground with ease against Meng Xiangxiang, Li Hao's panic finally eased, and courage began to creep back into him.
Meng Xiangxiang lowered his gaze to the sword wounds covering his body, then shifted his eyes past Li Hao's curses and locked them on Shen Yuefu.
"You… you're strong! But I am not a monster. Qingshui County became like this for a reason!"
"What reason?" Shen Yuefu asked coolly.
The Lǚshuang Yǔn Immortal Sword floated a mere inch from Meng Xiangxiang's chest, poised to pierce through at any moment.
Li Hao, noticing Shen Yuefu was conversing with the ghost, panicked. His eyes darted restlessly, until they landed on Pei Xianqiao, whose face was full of worry for Shen Yuefu.
At once, a scheme took root in his mind.
"Fairy, you must stop your husband from listening to him! That monster will bewitch his heart and strike when he's unguarded!"
Pei Xianqiao's cheeks flushed crimson. "He is not my husband…"
"Oh heavens, look at the time for modesty! Your husband is in danger!" Li Hao shoved her forward, forcing Pei Xianqiao to raise her sword in alarm.
"Brother Fu, this ghost is trying to deceive you. Do not believe him!"
Her sword swept out, releasing a streak of sword-light that struck Meng Xiangxiang before he could speak, blood blossoming across his chest.
Shen Yuefu's eyes narrowed slightly. From behind the ghostly figure, several streaks of spiritual light shot forth, flying straight toward his face.
Pei Xianqiao gasped. "Brother Fu, beware! There are others hidden in the fog!"
Even without her warning, Shen Yuefu's cultivation was deep, and he had already sensed the killing intent locked onto him.
The Lǚshuang Yǔn Immortal Sword split into a rain of countless blades, forming a layered sword formation that encircled them.
Pei Xianqiao shielded Li Hao closely, giving the cowardly mortal an excuse to draw even nearer.
Within the night fog.
An Mingqi had already dispatched his men to surround Shen Yuefu and capture the woman in yellow alive, bringing her to the stone chamber.
"We mustn't be late. That woman seems to be of extreme importance to Master!"
As shadows streaked away, Yao Ranran furrowed her brows.
"More people have entered Qingshui County?"
An Mingqi turned to leave, but abruptly felt a presence in the fog. He snapped coldly, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
From the mist, a woman in a violet dress stepped forward, her figure melting into the night.
An Mingqi's jaw dropped as he stared at her face.
"Are you a ghost or a fairy?"
It was impossible for an outsider to enter Qingshui County alive. His first instinct was that the woman before him was not of this world.
Yao Ranran smiled softly. "If I say I am a fairy, would you tell me everything?"
An Mingqi shook his head dumbly.
How could he gamble with his own life?
The violet dress…
The woman in violet!
Suddenly, realization struck him, and his eyes widened in shock.
"You're the ghost of the Four Seasons Inn?!"
In his heart, he was certain she had died. After all, no one could possibly survive under the siege of the six keepers, including the fat innkeeper.
Yao Ranran blinked at him. "If I were a ghost, would you tell everything to a ghost?"
"No!" An Mingqi barked harshly, eyes flashing with malice, lips curling into a cruel grin. "I would only tell everything to my ghost!"
His wrist twisted, and a small, exquisite tower appeared in his palm, coiling with dark mist.
Yao Ranran frowned. "Too bad I don't practice soul-extraction arts. How does that little tower work?"
An Mingqi let out a chilling laugh. "This black tower is an immortal artifact bestowed upon me by my master. As long as I feed it fresh blood and pour in spiritual power, I can wield it freely. Today, I'll claim your soul and refine you into my servant!"
Yao Ranran nodded lightly. "I see. Thank you for the instruction, Daoyou."
The serenity of her gratitude sent a chill crawling through An Mingqi.
Why was she thanking him? He hadn't taught her anything…
Unless… it was about the black tower itself?
A pale full moon descended behind her as Yao Ranran quietly stirred her spiritual energy, a glowing white moon disk rising into the air.
An Mingqi's eyes went wide.
"You… you…"
Could she truly be an immortal from the upper realm?
The thought flickered across his mind, but before he could voice it, his body collapsed lifeless to the ground.
Yao Ranran blinked in surprise, then immediately took the black tower from his limp hand. Cutting her fingertip, she dripped blood into it, drawing in An Mingqi's departing soul.
"So it really is an immortal artifact. This black tower is no ordinary thing."
She had thought it might resist her, but the tower showed no opposition, lying obediently in her palm.
Meanwhile, An Mingqi's corpse rapidly decayed, leaving behind nothing but a pile of pale bones.