Chapter 6: A Demonic Encounter at the Yang Estate

Qíngyǔ, with an unhurried grace, stepped into the grand Yang Family Estate. Scarcely had she begun to sense for demonic energies when a woman, lantern in hand, emerged from a small side gate, approaching her.

Upon spotting the newcomer, the woman offered a deferential bow from afar. Observing Qíngyǔ’s stillness, she then advanced with a steady, measured pace.

“At such a late hour, Young Lady, what brings you to our door?”

“I received an invitation, prompted by whispers of demonic mischief in this very place. Thus, I came to partake in the excitement.”

Qíngyǔ offered a slight smile. Glancing back, she noted that Jí Yào was, indeed, a man of considerable courage; even as he dragged his injured body, he had gritted his teeth and pursued her into the estate.

“Then I must regretfully spoil the Young Lady’s amusement,” the woman stated, her expression subtly changing as her gaze fell upon Jí Yào, who was thoroughly stained with blood.

“The air here is crisp and clear; there is certainly no demonic evil. I implore you, do not venture further inside.”

“Your Young Lady and I share a past acquaintance, and we arranged to meet this very night.”

“Young Lady Cangxuan, do not believe this evil spirit!”

The Servant, who had been seething with resentment, observed that the person possessed by the evil spirit dared not act rashly in Qíngyǔ’s presence.

Seizing the moment, he immediately prepared to raise his blade and charge forward.

“Ah, you see, my guard is quite the impatient fellow.”

The Young Lady extended a hand, halting Jí Yào’s advance, then turned her gaze upon the evil spirit. In the depths of her eyes, a profound azure glint flickered, only to vanish as swiftly as it appeared.

Through her unique ink-wash vision, she perceived before her a swirling darkness, mottled with streaks of vibrant crimson.

“Might you be so accommodating? Whatever the matter, I shall address it only after I’ve had a word with your Young Lady.”

“In that case… I must ask the two of you… not to disturb the peaceful slumber of the adults within this household.”

Even as she spoke, the evil spirit opened her mouth and exhaled, a thick plume of black smoke instantly enveloping Qíngyǔ.

Jí Yào, though intending to utter a warning, witnessed Qíngyǔ’s expression remain utterly serene, devoid of any movement, before she was entirely swallowed by the darkness in a blink.

Observing her spell’s success, the woman clutching the lantern exhaled a long breath. A malevolent aura spread across her features; she licked her lips, then fixed a vicious glare upon the Servant.

“Unable to discern her true depth, I had foolishly assumed she was some otherworldly master. Turns out, she’s merely a charlatan, a fraud.”

Jí Yào gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on his blade, as a profound bitterness welled within his heart. He could only conclude that he had, inadvertently, brought harm upon that remarkably capable Young Lady.

“As for you, fellow, after finally managing to escape this territory, you’ve now foolishly delivered yourself right to my doorstep.”

“The Yang family showed me kindness; naturally, I must repay it with all my might!”

“And did the Yang family also bestow kindness upon this little girl?”

The evil spirit erupted into cackling laughter, then extended a hand, conjuring a wisp of black energy that swiftly bound Jí Yào.

“I wasn’t entirely confident in dealing with that fellow lurking in the shadows, but after devouring the two of you and Yang Qingqing, I reckon that will be more than sufficient!”

As the black energy assailed him, a profound bleakness settled within Jí Yào’s heart. He raised his blade, prepared to make a desperate final stand, when a faint, distant sound drifted into his ears.

“Blood.”

‘Blood? What blood?’

A suffocating knot of frustration tightened in his chest, swiftly followed by a surge of fierce resentment that rushed to his head.

He spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto his blade, his eyes now bloodshot, his already matted hair, thick with gore, hanging before his face as he glared ferociously at the evil spirit, which had now revealed its true, monstrous form.

“Damn it all! Even if I die today, I’ll tear a piece of your flesh from you!”

“A mere mortal, you should quietly transform into my blood meal.”

The black mist churned violently, on the verge of entirely swallowing Jí Yào in a single, monstrous gulp.

The latter, having steeled his resolve, poured every ounce of his remaining strength into a single, desperate strike. Raising his blade, which caught a spray of his own blood, he cleaved down with brutal force.

Like a hot knife slicing through tofu, the demonic mist, which had moments before seemed utterly impervious, was violently ripped open, revealing a gaping void.

The evil spirit shrieked in agony, recoiling sharply, and in the blink of an eye, it retreated back into the body it had previously possessed.

“What did you do?!”

The woman immediately spat out a mouthful of black blood, her hair now disheveled and wild. Swaying precariously, she fixed her gaze upon the Servant.

Witnessing this bizarre scene, Jí Yào’s mind reeled in a daze. Just as he attempted to raise his blade and press forward once more, he realized that the vast majority of his strength had already been spent.

He could only manage to stand precariously in place, his face ashen, as he met the evil spirit’s gaze.

The space before the small gate suddenly plunged into an eerie stalemate.

The evil spirit watched the Servant, and upon seeing that he still clutched the humble blade capable of harming its true form, it dared not make a rash move for the moment.

“It’s about time.”

Yawning lightly, Qíngyǔ waved a hand, effortlessly dispelling the lingering black mist.

“Your demonic arts are so crude, yet you dare to emerge and harm people? Is this region truly so unsupervised?”

“You… how… how could you…”

“Has no one ever told you that the illusions you conjure can only ever repeat a few phrases?”

Moments ago, within that illusion, Qíngyǔ had once again encountered her “family” of this world.

While their appearances were crafted quite convincingly, their words proved far too mechanical.

She had originally intended to use this evil spirit as a means to observe her family’s true conduct, but it appeared she had entertained too many fanciful notions.

“This Daoist reiterates: might you be so accommodating? Whatever other matters there are, I shall discuss them after I’ve seen your Young Lady.”

As she spoke, the Young Lady extended a hand, forming a demon-subduing seal, and prepared to step through the small gate.

“What is your esteemed opinion on the matter?”

“The esteemed guest truly jests,” the evil spirit stammered, blood still staining the corner of its mouth.

At this moment, it was acutely aware of Qíngyǔ’s formidable power. Forcing a strained smile, it offered a deferential apology to both of them. “Please, if you would follow me this way.”

“Mr. Jí, shall we proceed?”

Qíngyǔ, unburdened by concern, couldn’t be bothered with further theatrics. She remotely channeled a breath of vital energy to the Servant, then trailed after the evil spirit, venturing deeper into the estate.

“G-good… good!”

A tumultuous wave of great sorrow and profound joy had crashed over him in a single instant, leaving Jí Yào feeling as though he were adrift in a dream.

He could only offer a bewildered reply, then, after adjusting his grip on his blade and patting his face, he hastily followed the unusual pair—one human, one demon—ahead of him.

Nevertheless, the evil spirit’s words had been accurate: the night was indeed clear and crisp, with a luminous moon hanging high in the sky. Yet, from where this demonic mischief truly originated remained a mystery.

***

[Wake up! Wake up! Your Little Mom has gone out to subdue demons!!]

Meanwhile, in the small courtyard, the Immortal Sword was frantically shouting within the Little Girl’s sea of consciousness.

“Mm… Little Mom… hug… hehe…”

[If you don’t wake up now, Little Mom will really be gone!]

[No one is allowed to steal my Little Mom!]

The Little Girl, provoked by these words, suddenly thrashed awake. Habitually, she reached out to cuddle, only to find no one beside her, merely a slightly wrinkled quilt.

[Did you trick Little Mom away?]

[Oh, my dear madam, please get dressed quickly. Your Little Mom has gone to the Yang Residence to find evil spirits; if you don’t hurry, it’ll truly be too late!]

Hearing that Little Mom was in trouble, and being woken in the middle of the night, the Little Girl, who had been somewhat groggy, instantly became wide awake.

She scrambled out of bed, swiftly dressed, and dashed towards the door, intending to rush out and find Qíngyǔ.

Upon reaching the doorway, however, her path was blocked.

[Oh dear, who left this locked?]

Seeing the Little Girl unlock the door yet still unable to push it open, the Immortal Sword had no choice but to manifest as a faint apparition. It circled the door twice before discovering a restriction had been placed upon it.

[What’s wrong? Aren’t you an Immortal Sword? Can’t you even open a door?]

[Of course I am an Immortal Sword! However, this lock is unlike ordinary ones; it will take a bit of time…]

The Immortal Sword also found it peculiar. Its previous master had cultivated to the Tribulation Transcending stage over nearly a millennium, yet had never encountered a restriction of this nature.

While it could break the spell by sheer force if it had abundant spiritual energy, using subtle techniques proved exceedingly difficult at the moment.

What kind of esteemed expert would cast such a spell in a place like the Northern Ridge?

The Immortal Sword grumbled, concluding it wasn’t a demonic spell, nor should it be a mortal’s spell. So who else could it be? Perhaps an elder dispatched from some sect saw a promising talent here and set up a restriction?

[You’re so silly.]

The Little Girl, growing impatient, pushed hard against the front door again, and this time, it actually opened.

[Alright! Alright! Little Master, hurry!]

The restriction, as if resigning itself, shimmered slightly and gently adhered to the Little Girl’s hand.

Though it had initially intended to intervene, seeing no real danger and not wanting to waste time, the Immortal Sword could only let it be.

[You’re still not as smart as this.]

As soon as the restriction affixed itself to the Little Girl’s hand, it immediately pointed out a path, leading directly towards the Yang Residence.

[Oh, me… my little madam, please just hurry on ahead.]

The Immortal Sword, having lost its temper, could only sullenly retract its apparition and return to the Little Girl’s sea of consciousness.

[Can that Moon Essence Scripture really be cultivated? I won’t get silly if I cultivate it, will I? Then Little Mom won’t want me anymore.]

[It’s the 《Scripture of Ancient Enlightenment and Future Insight》, abbreviated as the Moon Essence Scripture. You won’t get silly from cultivating it, and it certainly won’t make your Little Mom abandon you.]

The Little Girl had a hint of suspicion, but seeing the Immortal Sword’s earnest words, she then chased after the path towards the Yang Residence.