Chapter 25: The Vengeful Spirit Seeking Shen Weifeng’s Life Is Indeed As Formidable As Rumored!
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Shen Gurong remained expressionless, but four large words flashed across his mind: “Expel from the sect.”
With half his body hanging over the edge of the boat and already vomited, Wen Liubing was still trying to reassure Shen Gurong, murmuring, “Master, leave everything to Sanshui… Ugh.”
He then lowered his head and vomited again.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Just focus on your vomiting, little radish.
Shen Gurong had no hope left for this person named Sanshui who couldn’t handle water but was supposed to handle everything. He stood on the precarious boat, with the haunting voice of the water demon echoing in his ears, and surrounded by people who were all useless in this situation.
Oh, except for Mu Zhe. He was still just a child.
Shen Gurong once again tried to activate his spiritual power secretly, only to find, like last time, that it couldn’t function within the water demon’s barrier.
Finally regaining his senses, Xue Manzhuang, in a daze, didn’t even bother to question why he was in such a bizarre place. His first instinct upon seeing Shen Gurong was to lunge forward.
As soon as he moved, the whole boat started to shake violently again. Mu Zhe stumbled and fell directly into the water, but Shen Gurong swiftly caught him in his arms.
Meanwhile, Wen Liubing was vomiting even more severely on the side.
Holding Mu Zhe close, Shen Gurong felt a pounding headache. “Xue Manzhuang, can you change back to your Yao form?”
Xue Manzhuang, still swaying and calling out to “Fengxue”, heard the question and, like a well-trained spirit pet, chirped and transformed on the spot into a phoenix with colorful feathers. It obediently flew onto Shen Gurong’s shoulder, flapping its wings.
The weight of the boat instantly lightened considerably, at least no longer swaying dangerously as it had moments before.
Xue Manzhuang crouched in front of Shen Gurong, chirping incessantly.
Shen Gurong was taken aback, then realized, “You can use spiritual power?”
Xue Manzhuang, with a puzzled bird-like face, tilted its head and chirped again.
Wen Liubing, barely conscious, explained to Shen Gurong, “The only ones unable to use spiritual power in the water demon’s domain are those who make eye contact with him. Xue Manzhuang isn’t affected because the phoenix spiritual power within you is involved, which exempts him.”
In summary, among the four, only Shen Gurong is unable to use spiritual power, while the others are unaffected by the water demon’s domain.
Shen Gurong’s lips twitched as he glanced at Xue Manzhuang, who seemed clueless except for pecking at him, and at Mu Zhe, who appeared terrified while nestled in his arms. He once again pinned his last hope on Wen Liubing, hoping he could be of even the slightest use.
Wen Liubing… Wen Liubing vomited again.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Alright, it seems I can only rely on myself.
The sound of rowing approached slowly, and soon the figure of the water demon emerged from the thick fog.
Breaking through the mist, his white eyes stared fiercely at Shen Gurong, his palms seeming to have even more blood on them. As he paddled through the water with the oar, each stroke left behind a trail of crimson bloodstains on the dark surface, creating a disturbingly eerie sight.
The water demon said, “Shen Fengxue.”
Shen Gurong struggled to hold himself up and nodded slightly. “We meet again.”
Mu Zhe was holding Shen Gurong’s slender waist and keenly heard Shen Gurong’s inner thoughts: [AHHHH, he’s so ugly! Despite both being blind, I, the Sage, am as beautiful as a celestial being.]
Mu Zhe: “…”
Shen Gurong watched as the water demon approached, maintaining a calm exterior as if he had a plan in mind, but inwardly, he was panicking: [This water demon doesn’t seem to have much sense. No, I need to come up with a way to deceive him again.]
Mu Zhe: “…”
What does “deceive him again” mean?
Is it because I’m ignorant, or is my master just good at making up new words?
I wonder what kind of teacher could have raised someone as eccentric as Shen Gurong.
Xue Manzhuang on his shoulder was very excited. This was his first time being this close to Shen Gurong, and he hadn’t faced any obstacles yet.
As soon as he got excited, he instinctively started pecking at Shen Gurong’s face.
Shen Gurong, while contemplating, turned his head to avoid Xue Manzhuang’s sharp beak, getting a bit impatient and eventually raising his hand to shield his face.
Xue Manzhuang was so happy pecking away that he accidentally pecked Shen Gurong’s hand back. A red mark appeared on his jade-like hand, quickly followed by a trickle of blood.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Xue Manzhuang: “…”
Shen Gurong gritted his teeth, maintaining the last shreds of dignity as a Sage refraining from pinning Xue Manzhuang to the ground and punishing him. Xue Manzhuang probably sensed his mistake and timidly approached, swallowing the drop of blood he had caused.
Wen Liubing was a beat too slow in his warning: “Don’t…”
But it was too late.
In the next moment, a flash of red light enveloped both Xue Manzhuang and Shen Gurong. Beneath their feet, intricate symbols seemed to whirl rapidly, as if conjuring up a chain to slowly tighten around them.
A sound of locking echoed in the void, followed by the gradual disappearance of the light.
Shen Gurong’s face was filled with confusion, unable to grasp what had just occurred.
Wen Liubing weakly explained, “The Yao clan and cultivators form a blood contract, and the formation contract has been established. Xue Manzhuang is now your spiritual beast, Master…”
Every time Wen Liubing turned to speak to Shen Gurong, he had to quickly turn away to vomit. If Shen Gurong didn’t know Wen Liubing was prone to seasickness, he would have suspected that he himself was just too repulsive, causing such a reaction in him.
Shen Gurong’s lips twitched slightly. “But I didn’t intend to form a contract with him.”
Drawing from Shen Fengxue’s memories, Shen Gurong had a rough understanding of the existence of contracts. Among cultivators, disciples, Dao companions, demon beasts, and even spiritual artifacts could have corresponding contracts, but usually, both parties needed to willingly activate the spiritual formation.
As for Xue Manzhuang…
Wen Liubing interjected, “Xue Manzhuang’s contract with Master isn’t a lifelong bond, but rather a recognition of Master as its owner…” He paused, seeming to struggle.
Shen Gurong remained silent.
Shen Gurong thought to himself, “You better keep vomiting seriously, don’t make a sound.”
Seeing Shen Gurong’s silence, Wen Liubing resumed vomiting.
Xue Manzhuang, clueless about everything, looked at Shen Gurong with a puzzled expression, tilting his head in confusion, unaware that he had just sold himself out.
If news of a Yao young master acknowledging a human cultivator as his master were to spread, it would surely become a laughingstock.
But now, Shen Gurong couldn’t afford to dwell on such thoughts, as the water demon was right in front of them.
After the arrival of the water demon, he held the boat pole in his palm like a guiding stick, gently probing the ink-like water.
He was only three steps away from Shen Gurong’s boat, and there was a noticeable change on the water demon’s face as he murmured, “Why are there four of you this time?”
Shen Gurong, trying to deceive him, calmly responded, “You came from Dongting to Fuxian City, harming innocent beings along the way. Zhuxie already knows about it. Do you think you can kill me under Zhuxie’s nose?”
The water demon was taken aback, his brows furrowing slightly.
Are the other three followers of Zhuxie?
Seeing that the water demon seemed to waver because of his bluff, Shen Gurong was about to rejoice, but then he heard the water demon suddenly say, “No, that’s not it.”
Shen Gurong tensed up again, asking, “Hmm?”
The water demon tilted his head slightly, and the boat pole moved gently, stirring up ripples on the water. “No, although there are four people on the boat, one has a damaged spiritual power, one is a young Yao, and there’s another… although their spiritual power is strong, they are currently in disarray and are no match for me.”
Shen Gurong remained silent.
Shen Gurong was surprised that despite his blindness, the water demon could accurately sense the spiritual power of others, and he became somewhat unsettled.
After the water demon finished speaking, a sinister smile curled upon his lips as he said, “You’re flustered. Just as I suspected.”
Despite the seemingly large number of people on the boat, there wasn’t a single capable fighter among them.
Shen Gurong’s hands trembled with anxiety, and Mu Zhe, who had been supporting his shaky body by holding onto his arm, tilted his head slightly to look at his pale face.
Shen Gurong met his gaze and, thinking that Mu Zhe was scared, he hugged him tightly and whispered, “Don’t be afraid.”
Mu Zhe’s eyes widened slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, he nodded gently.
Knowing that Shen Gurong was likely trembling with fear, Mu Zhe’s heart fluttered slightly. He reached out and gently held Shen Gurong’s cold hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
I’m not afraid, so you shouldn’t be either.
Shen Gurong didn’t notice Mu Zhe’s gesture; his gaze was fixed firmly on the boat pole in the water demon’s hand.
He remembered that the last time he escaped from the water demon’s realm, it seemed to be because the water demon lightly tapped his boat with the pole.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Gurong watched the approaching water demon and made a decision in his mind.
[If he comes any closer, I’ll jump over and snatch the pole,] Shen Gurong thought to himself. He was naive in his thinking, [It would be good to send Sanshui and the others away first.]
Mu Zhe was once again taken aback, holding Shen Gurong’s hand even tighter.
Shen Gurong tended to indulge in wild thoughts when nervous: [Ah, I must be the best master in the Three Realms.]
Mu Zhe: “…”
Mu Zhe almost choked on his breath, but he managed to hold it in.
His master’s nature was really…
Difficult to describe in words.
Shen Gurong stared fixedly at the approaching water demon, calculating the distance in his mind.
[Just one more step, just half a step.]
He stared intently at the water demon’s boat pole as the boat approached. Just when the boat was about to reach them, the water demon suddenly stopped in place.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Come on, get over here!
Whether the water demon guessed what he was thinking or not, it sneered and lifted its long boat pole, then swung it down fiercely towards Shen Gurong’s boat.
It was a “knock,” but only one blow was enough to break the entire boat in half.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Shen Gurong: “!!!”
The boat beneath their feet was instantly broken by the boat pole, and the three of them, along with a bird, plummeted straight down towards the dark water.
Xue Manzhuang was startled, screaming in terror as he grabbed Shen Gurong’s white hair, trying to prevent him from falling.
Amidst the chaos, a clump of Shen Gurong’s white hair was torn off, causing him pain almost to the point of crying out.
With tears in his eyes, Xue Manzhuang closed his eyes tightly and desperately flew upwards, only to realize after a while, half-heartedly, that he was holding just a clump of severed hair, while Shen Gurong was still down below.
Xue Manzhuang: “!!!”
With tears streaming down his face, Xue Manzhuang flew down once again.
However, when he returned to the scene on the water’s surface and saw what had happened, he was stunned for a moment before a string of hearts seemed to float out of his eyes.
On the dark water’s surface, Shen Gurong’s boat had already turned into a pile of debris, replaced by large swaths of lotus flowers that seemed to have grown out of nowhere.
The barely conscious Wen Liubing and young Mu Zhe sat amidst the lotus flowers, not swallowed by the water.
The source of Xue Manzhuang’s excited chirping—the figure of Shen Gurong, clad in a green robe, stood firmly on the white lotus, his disheveled white hair resting on the lotus leaves without a single stain from the murky water.
Shen Gurong had no idea what had happened. Amidst the chaos, he felt a surge of formidable spiritual power erupting from within him. By the time he regained consciousness, he was standing on the lotus with an air of mystery and aloofness.
Trembling with fear, he maintained a cold and proud demeanor as he gazed icily at the bewildered water demon.
The water demon seemed surprised that Shen Gurong could still wield spiritual power. After a moment of stunned silence, he raised his boat pole, leaving behind dark water traces, and transformed into vengeful spirits that lunged toward Shen Gurong with bared teeth and claws.
Shen Gurong maintained a stoic expression, his eyes icy cold.
In his mind, he thought, [Ah! There’s a ghost!]
Mu Zhe: “…..”
Mu Zhe couldn’t help but think that if he were to reveal what Shen Gurong was thinking to anyone else, he would surely be accused of having an overactive imagination.
After all, how could someone as noble as Shen Gurong, as unattainable as a snow lotus, possibly be afraid of ghostly chatter?
Just as the vengeful spirits were about to pounce, Shen Gurong suddenly heard a sigh of resignation in his ear.
He paused for a moment, before sensing someone behind him.
He tilted his head slightly, but saw no one.
The seemingly invisible person emitted a familiar chill, slowly extending a hand to grasp Shen Gurong’s cold fingers.
Shen Gurong then realized that a spirit sword had appeared in his hand, seemingly out of nowhere.
It was still Shen Fengxue’s personal sword – “Lin Xiachun”.
The person behind him held his hand, helping him lift the sword. With a gentle swing, reminiscent of a child playing with a wooden sword, the menacing spirits paused for a moment before bursting in the air, raining down as black droplets into the water, like a heavy downpour.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Who is this? Who am I?
The person behind him held his wrist tenderly, staying close.
Despite the eerie scene, Shen Gurong surprisingly didn’t feel scared. Instead, he found himself lost in thought, feeling a sense of familiarity, as if he were a child again, held in the arms of a teacher teaching him how to write.
The unknown person behind him spoke softly, “This is how the sword is used. Have you learned it?”
Shen Gurong suddenly trembled and whispered, “Are you… Shen Fengxue?”
The person did not respond, seeming to silently acknowledge it.
He gently held Shen Gurong’s hand, his voice clear as a tranquil pond. “You need to learn how to survive on your own.”
Shen Gurong furrowed his brow, about to ask further, but the hand had already begun to slowly dissipate.
Due to the sudden withdrawal of the person’s grip, Shen Gurong felt a weight in his hand as he held onto Lin Xiachun, almost being pulled down by the sword.
Shen Gurong immediately tightened his grip on the sword, as the water demon once again conjured up vengeful spirits, now looming dangerously close.
Without much time to think, Shen Gurong desperately recalled the sword techniques taught by Shen Fengxue just now. He faced the countless vengeful spirits rushing at him once again, without blinking an eye, he raised his sword and swung it.
With a loud bang, Lin Xiachun demonstrated its remarkable power, slicing through all the vengeful spirits that came charging at him.
The vengeful spirits turned into droplets of water, raining down on the surface of the water, making a pitter-patter sound.
Mu Zhe and Wen Liubing were both stunned.
The water demon remained completely dumbfounded, gripping the boat pole tightly. His expression was a mix of fear and coldness as he stared at Shen Gurong.
Shen Gurong, dressed in green, stood amidst the blooming lotus in the filthy water, his eyes lowered, giving off an otherworldly aura under the moonlight.
Quick to react, Wen Liubing was the first to speak up, his eyes shining with admiration. “Master is mighty.”
At the same time, Mu Zhe heard his master praising himself in his mind.
[The Sage is mighty! Shen Weifeng’s reputation is well-deserved!]
Note: Weifeng is mighty.
Shen Gurong was unusually excited, once again indulging in self-praise, as if amusing himself.
[Shen Weifeng! Young Master Shen, the unparalleled hero, grace us with another stroke of your sword for us to admire your elegance.]
[No, I prefer to keep a low profile.]
[Sage Shen, please, we beg of you.]
[Very well.]
Mu Zhe: “…”
Mu Zhe buried his head in a lotus flower, his shoulders trembling slightly.
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