Chapter Forty-One: The Birth of Enmity (Part One)

At the very moment I made my move, Master Forget-Me-Not took a step forward, raising his hand and slapping the blood-colored talisman I was about to strike.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

As his palm touched mine, the entire space trembled violently. Gusts of icy wind surged across the floor, and the nine paper figures that had been standing there began to sway. I could see the spirits within them trembling in fear as they looked at me.

“Young man, just who are you?”

For the first time, Master Forget-Me-Not seemed less courteous. He advanced, and his hand came down in another strike.

I stared at him, sensing in an instant a terrifying aura that far surpassed the presence of the red-robed Nie Xiaoke I had encountered before.

“Master, retreat quickly—this man is a living dead!”

I was speechless for a moment. Living dead? The only living dead I knew was Carefree Child. But this Master Forget-Me-Not clearly looked like a monk.

Without hesitation, I dodged his attack.

“Tu, is there any way to deal with him?”

Master Forget-Me-Not pursued me, and suddenly I saw that his hands were shrouded in ghastly energy. The howling, sinister aura around him condensed onto his palms, forming a massive vortex. A black longsword materialized in his grasp.

“Soul-Slaying Sword!”

Tu’s voice rang in my ear, sending a chill through me and causing me to retreat further.

Soul-Slaying—the meaning was clear: if struck by that black sword, the soul would be destroyed. A person without a soul was as good as dead.

Tu didn’t answer for a while, seemingly considering a countermeasure. Meanwhile, Master Forget-Me-Not advanced step by step. I snorted coldly and seized Nie Xiaoke in my hand.

“Master Forget-Me-Not, if you come any closer, I’ll destroy Nie Xiaoke and scatter her soul. Your dual Yin-Yang corpse will never be completed!”

The threat worked. As soon as I grabbed the red-robed ghost Nie Xiaoke, Master Forget-Me-Not halted on the spot.

I knew that now, the ferocious aura surrounding Nie Xiaoke was fading bit by bit. Perhaps she had always been a deeply worried ghost, and all she did before was merely for revenge.

---

The other red-robed ghost kept inside the crystal ball by Master Forget-Me-Not must be Zhang Qianqian.

According to Li Hongbo’s account, Zhang Qianqian was disfigured by her fall, while Nie Xiaoke’s body bore no marks at all. There was something suspicious about this.

“Hm?”

As I drew a blood talisman and pressed it to Nie Xiaoke’s brow, Tu spoke suddenly.

“Master, there seems to be a ray of Buddhist light on Nie Xiaoke, protecting her body and suppressing her ghostly aura. I noticed something strange before, but only now does it make sense.”

“Buddhist light?”

Tu affirmed. It seemed Master Forget-Me-Not not only wanted this extremely Yin soul, but also coveted the Buddhist light within her.

Master Forget-Me-Not stood there, coldly saying, “May I ask for your name, fellow Daoist? Why have you disrupted my ritual today?”

“This ghost is a menace to the region. I am acting on Heaven’s behalf to subdue her. Why do you hinder me—are you, perhaps…”

“Oh, come on, Master Forget-Me-Not! I know exactly what you’re up to. Nie Xiaoke is an extremely Yin soul, Zhang Qianqian as well, and Li Hongbo is a Yang corpse. You’ve laid the Nine Ghost Merging Soul Array. Any half-witted occultist could see that. I’m here to claim Nie Xiaoke myself.”

I had no idea what Nie Xiaoke felt at this moment, but if I were her, I’d be utterly distraught.

Without waiting for Master Forget-Me-Not to speak again, I slapped Nie Xiaoke’s brow, and she was instantly absorbed into my Blood Slaughter Array, where Tu bound her soul with various sealing techniques.

“You!”

Seeing this, Master Forget-Me-Not was furious, flashing toward me with his Soul-Slaying Sword raised to strike.

“Think carefully—if you strike, all your preparations will come to nothing!”

I stood firm, and the sword did not fall.

“Name your terms.”

I grinned and spoke gently, “Master Forget-Me-Not, to tell the truth, I too want to forge a dual Yin-Yang corpse. I only lack a Yin soul now, and Nie Xiaoke fits my requirements. I understand your feelings—I’ve searched many places for such a soul myself!”

“Tell me, what do you want?”

---

Master Forget-Me-Not stood there, staring coldly at me.

“Master Forget-Me-Not, you look as if you’d like to kill me. It makes me wary of any transaction with you. If I hand over the extremely Yin soul, and you complete your dual Yin-Yang corpse, then use my blood for the offering, I’d have nowhere to turn, neither Heaven nor Earth.”

Master Forget-Me-Not was silent, but he had no alternative. He let out a long breath, withdrawing his aura, and the Soul-Slaying Sword slowly vanished in his hand.

“So, shall we begin our negotiations?”

“Very well.”

“May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?”

“Yang Dong.”

Tu had already flown into the Blood Slaughter Array, beginning to converse with Nie Xiaoke. I had no time to listen in, but from the fluctuations in the array, I could tell their exchange was lively.

“Fellow Daoist Yang Dong, since we are of the same tradition, perhaps you could do me a favor…”

“Why not do me a favor instead? By rights, I began forging a dual Yin-Yang corpse first. Judging by your progress, I have priority.”

“You! Fellow Daoist Yang Dong, if you can relinquish the extremely Yin soul, I am willing to exchange my most prized artifact with you.”

My heart skipped a beat—I needed magical treasures now. Though I had seen many diagrams and descriptions of rare items, I had hardly encountered any real treasures.

“Oh? What treasure do you offer?”

Master Forget-Me-Not drew a black parasol from a cloth pouch. Under the streetlight, its color appeared especially deep and somber.

“This little umbrella is called the Gathering Yin Umbrella. I obtained it years ago while wandering, after slaying a century-old zombie in a corpse-breeding ground. If you give me the extremely Yin soul, I am willing to trade this umbrella.”

PS: So tired, I’m ill and updates are a bit late. Hope everyone understands. If you like, feel free to join Shaolang’s group or add QQ: 511489605. Any suggestions, let Shaolang know. Good night!