Chapter 102
Ling Yunxiao stood there for a long moment, absently clutching the pendant artifact as though he had forgotten everything else around him.
Seeing the faint flush creeping across his face, Lou Yuqing naturally assumed he was simply delighted to finally own a proper magical artifact.
The thought made her smile.
Another good deed accomplished today.
Meanwhile, the imposter wearing Chu Qingyang's face watched the pair drift into their own world and felt an increasingly dangerous urge rise inside him.
He wanted to run.
The idea appeared—and was immediately strangled in its cradle.
The two demons looked distracted, but he was willing to bet his life on one thing: the instant he tried to escape, those horrifying torture devices would finally find a practical use.
As if sensing his thoughts, Lou Yuqing suddenly looked over in surprise.
"Huh? You didn't take the opportunity to run?"
The imposter nearly leapt out of his skin.
Sure enough. It had been a trap.
A cold sweat broke out across his back as a wave of lingering fear washed through him. Thankfully, he had resisted the temptation.
Before he could finish congratulating himself on his caution, Lou Yuqing pointed cheerfully at the mountain of kitchenware piled nearby.
"Since you've been so well-behaved, I'll reward you with the privilege of choosing your own torture device. Go on, pick one."
The imposter's face immediately went blank.
He could have lived his entire life without that particular privilege.
By then, Ling Yunxiao had finally recovered from his daze and carefully put away the pendant.
One glance at the prisoner's expression was enough to tell him exactly what he was thinking, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
The man looked as though he had just been handed a menu and informed that every item on it would kill him.
"Don't want to choose?" Ling Yunxiao asked lightly. "That's fine. We'll just set up a pot, light a fire, and deep-fry you instead."
As he spoke, he casually formed a hand seal, looking every bit like a man preparing to start cooking.
The imposter nearly had a heart attack.
Deep-fry?!
"Wait! Who said I wasn't choosing?!"
He practically lunged forward to stop him.
"Not deep-frying! Anything but that! I'll choose something else. I'll choose... I'll..."
His voice gradually died away.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples.
Damn it.
The more he thought about it, the more hopeless it became.
No matter what he picked, the result was still death.
The only difference was the recipe.
Steam him. Boil him. Stew him. Roast him.
Not a single option sounded remotely dignified.
Just as despair began to swallow him whole, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck.
Wait.
There was another choice.
His eyes lit up instantly.
He looked at Lou Yuqing as though he had just spotted a celestial savior descending from the heavens.
"You said earlier that I had two choices."
Straightening his back, he drew himself up with all the dignity he could muster.
"I've made my decision."
His expression was solemn.
"I choose the quick death."
At first, he had still clung stubbornly to the hope of survival.
Now?
After listening to these two discuss ways of cooking him, he felt that living wasn't necessarily all it was cracked up to be.
A swift and painless death suddenly seemed very appealing.
"Go ahead," he said resolutely.
Then he closed his eyes and waited.
One breath passed.
Then another.
Then a third.
Strange.
Death was much gentler than he had imagined.
There was no pain.
No sensation.
It almost felt as though nothing had happened at all.
Just as he was beginning to wonder whether this was what dying felt like, Lou Yuqing's voice floated into his ears.
"Wake up. You can answer our questions before you die."
The imposter froze.
"..."
Right.
Still alive.
His eyes snapped open.
At this point, he seemed more eager to get the process over with than either of his captors.
"If you've got questions, ask them already!" he blurted out. "I'll tell you everything I know!"
"Good." Lou Yuqing nodded in satisfaction. "We like cooperative prisoners. Don't worry, we'll make sure your death is quick and painless."
As she spoke, she lifted the wilted white flower in her hand.
"Your companion turned into a Snow Lotus after he died. Why?"
The imposter's gaze shifted from her to Ling Yunxiao.
The pressure bearing down on him was so overwhelming that he almost couldn't breathe.
He knew full well how suspicious his answer would sound.
Unfortunately, it happened to be the truth.
"I... don't know."
Lou Yuqing studied him carefully. His expression was troubled, but she couldn't detect even a trace of deception.
"You don't know?" she asked skeptically. "Weren't you companions?"
The imposter looked as though he was about to cry.
"Senior Demon Lord, please understand—I really don't know!"
The words slipped out before he could stop himself.
The moment he realized what he'd said, his face froze.
Lou Yuqing: "..."
Slowly, she turned toward Ling Yunxiao.
"Did he just call me a demon?"
Ling Yunxiao nodded.
His expression was no less strange.
Without hesitation, Lou Yuqing stepped on the imposter's leg and let out a cold laugh.
"I'm a demon?"
The imposter nearly suffered heart failure on the spot.
His head shook so violently it looked ready to detach from his neck.
"No! No, absolutely not!"
In his panic, he immediately pointed at Ling Yunxiao.
"Senior isn't a demon! That senior is the demon!"
The air abruptly fell silent.
Ling Yunxiao lowered his eyes and looked at him.
After a long moment, he said thoughtfully, "It seems I should do something worthy of that title."
Dark spiritual energy began gathering around his hand.
The imposter almost bit off his own tongue.
My stupid mouth!
"Of course neither senior is a demon!" he blurted out, switching expressions faster than flipping a page.
"You are both noble, extraordinary individuals. I simply failed to recognize greatness when I saw it. Please be magnanimous and forgive this insignificant mistake!"
Lou Yuqing had to admit that, when his life was on the line, this fellow's ability to adapt was truly impressive.
Not wanting the conversation to derail again, she waved the matter aside.
"Enough. Tell us everything you know about your companion."
Seeing that the crisis had passed, Ling Yunxiao casually dispersed the spiritual energy gathering in his palm.
The Shadow Spirit immediately straightened up.
"Seniors may not know this, but I'm actually a Shadow Spirit."
He pointed at the body he was currently inhabiting.
"This body isn't mine. I possessed it."
Lou Yuqing already knew he was possessing someone, but she wasn't particularly familiar with Shadow Spirits themselves.
Fortunately, Ling Yunxiao explained from the side.
"Shadow Spirits are one of the countless races born naturally between heaven and earth. They're highly spiritual beings capable of devouring a cultivator's shadow and using it to possess the cultivator's body. However, a possessed body can't last forever. Sooner or later, it will collapse."
Realization dawned on Lou Yuqing's face.
The Shadow Spirit nodded repeatedly.
"What Senior said is correct. But..." His expression gradually darkened. "The truth is, I never possessed this body willingly."
A trace of bitterness flashed across his face.
"I was born in the snow mountains a few years ago. Not long after that, someone captured me. I lost consciousness, and when I woke up..."
He lowered his head and looked at the body he occupied.
"...I was already inside this body and the first thing waiting for me was an order."
Lou Yuqing raised an eyebrow.
"Orders to hunt us down?"
The Shadow Spirit let out an awkward laugh.
Who else could it have been?
The answer was practically written on his face.
"After I woke up, I was ordered to come here and kill."
Lou Yuqing immediately connected the pieces.
"Hu Ruoyan?"
The Shadow Spirit scratched his head.
"I only know she's a woman. I don't know her name."
Lou Yuqing couldn't help giving him a strange look.
This Shadow Spirit was surprisingly dense.
Before she could say anything else, Ling Yunxiao casually waved a hand. Spiritual energy gathered in the air, weaving together into a lifelike image of Hu Ruoyan.
The Shadow Spirit's eyes lit up immediately.
"That's her!"
The moment he recognized the face, resentment surfaced in his expression.
"I should've been living freely in the snow mountains, but she captured me." He clenched his fists, bitterness evident in his voice. "The restrictions she planted inside me left me no choice but to obey her orders."
Then he pointed at the Snow Lotus flower in Lou Yuqing's hand.
"As for this guy—Old Ji—he wasn't my companion at all. He's one of her people. I don't know much about him."
He did his best to look pitiful.
Unfortunately, neither Lou Yuqing nor Ling Yunxiao had any sympathy to spare.
The only thing that caught Lou Yuqing's attention was a single name.
Old Ji.
Sensing something dangerous in Ling Yunxiao's gaze, the Shadow Spirit hurriedly added, "I'm telling the truth!"
Lou Yuqing ignored his attempt at self-preservation and lowered her eyes to the Snow Lotus in her hand.
"So Old Ji was the one behind all this."
Everything suddenly began falling into place.
"No wonder he deliberately misled the trial participants and claimed the Snow Lotus was with the Baishi Sect Master."
If Old Ji himself was a Snow Lotus spirit, and Hu Ruoyan was his master, then a lot of previously confusing details suddenly made sense.
Which also made Hu Ruoyan's identity far more suspicious.
Ling Yunxiao clearly arrived at the same conclusion.
"Hu Ruoyan's mother was named Xue Lian."
His voice remained calm, but his eyes darkened slightly.
"I suspect both mother and daughter are Snow Lotus spirits."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"That would explain why she's so determined to kill us. She can't allow her identity to be exposed."
The more Lou Yuqing listened, the more convincing it sounded.
"Exactly."
Her attention shifted back to the Shadow Spirit.
"How many other subordinates does Hu Ruoyan have? Where are they? How do they communicate? Tell me everything you know."
The Shadow Spirit instantly looked as though he was about to cry.
"Senior, I really can't help with that." He spread his hands helplessly. "I only communicated with her through the restriction inside my body. I don't know where any contact points are."
Seeing Lou Yuqing's expression growing increasingly dangerous, he hurriedly continued, "And after I woke up, I was immediately sent here to carry out the mission. Aside from Old Ji, I don't know anyone else."
He shook his head so hard it was practically a blur.
Lou Yuqing's face filled with disappointment.
"Useless."
There went her beautiful dream of an endless stream of points.
Fortunately, Ling Yunxiao remained calm.
"We still have another lead."
His gaze drifted in the direction of the Hu residence.
"Find Hu Ruoyan." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "If my guess is correct, the remaining Snow Lotus spirits should all be with her."
After a brief pause, he added, "I suspect Old Xue and the slaughterhouse owner have already gone to the Hu family."
Lou Yuqing considered it for a moment before nodding.
"Then we'll head there as soon as we're finished dealing with him."
Her gaze swept over the Shadow Spirit before shifting away.
"I wonder if Hu Ruoyan already knows Old Ji is dead."
The answer, however, was yes.
At that very moment, inside the Hu Family ancestral hall, Hu Ruoyan stood before the gathered crowd, sorrow etched across her face.
"Everyone..." Her voice was unusually heavy. "Old Ji is dead."
The words struck the hall like a thunderclap.
"How could this happen?!"
Cries of shock rang out from every corner as grief swept through the room. They had endured years of hiding, years of preparation, and had finally reached the threshold of success. Yet at the very last moment, one of their own had fallen.
Old Xue's hands clenched into fists.
Crack.
Crack.
The sound of joints grinding against each other echoed faintly through the silence.
Of everyone present, he had been closest to Old Ji.
How could he possibly accept this?
Years ago, disaster had descended upon the Snow Lotus Clan. Their clan leader had fallen, their people had scattered, and countless clansmen had died. The survivors fled in all directions, each struggling to survive alone.
Old Xue had hidden himself in Xue Family Village under the name Xue Daixue.
There, he and Old Ji had relied on one another through years of hardship and uncertainty. Only after Hu Ruoyan summoned them back had their lives finally begun to improve.
For all these years, revenge had been the one thing sustaining them.
Snow Lotus spirits were born weak. To avenge their fallen clan, they had spent years making preparations, enduring humiliation and hardship while waiting for the right opportunity.
Back then, he and Old Ji had often spoken of the future.
Once their enemies were dead, they would rebuild the clan.
Once everything was over, they would return to the snow mountains. They would live peacefully there for the rest of their days.
But now, Old Ji would never see that future.
"Young Mistress..."
Old Xue's voice came out rough and hoarse. His eyes had already reddened.
"Tell me who killed him."
Hatred seemed carved into every word.
"I'll make them pay with blood."
Hu Ruoyan let out a long sigh.
"Old Xue." Her tone softened slightly. "Don't act recklessly."
She looked at him steadily.
"Old Ji was one of my right-hand men. I've already lost him."
A trace of weariness surfaced in her eyes.
"I can't afford to lose you too."
Then her gaze sharpened, and a dangerous chill flashed across it.
"I swear to you... they will pay for this."
The fury in Old Xue's chest gradually settled.
His fists loosened little by little.
Hu Ruoyan had gone to enormous lengths to smuggle them into the Hu residence and bring them this far.
If he acted impulsively now and exposed their existence, everything they had sacrificed would be wasted.
Suppressing the hatred boiling inside him, he lowered his head.
"...Yes, Young Mistress."
Hu Ruoyan watched Old Xue in silence.
A dull ache spread through her chest.
She had only sent Old Ji and two Shadow Spirits because the people from Xue Family Village had already been weakened by Soul-Dispelling Powder.
Under normal circumstances, that force should have been more than enough.
Who could have predicted that Lou Yuqing would escape the Repulsion Formation?
Or that she herself would fail to trap Ling Yunxiao?
Those two had joined forces—and Old Ji had paid the price.
A trace of regret flashed through her eyes.
Had she known things would develop this way, she would have sent additional people even at the risk of exposing herself to Hu Haitian.
But regrets were meaningless now.
Taking a slow breath, Hu Ruoyan forced the turmoil in her heart back down.
She was their young mistress.
Their backbone.
If even she lost control, the people who followed her would have nothing left to rely on.
When she spoke again, her voice had already regained its usual calmness.
"Old Shang."
The slaughterhouse owner immediately stepped forward.
"Young Mistress."
"Are all members of the Hu Family's branch lines present?"
"Yes." Old Shang nodded without hesitation. "Everyone has already entered the manor."
Hu Ruoyan's gaze sharpened.
"Then seal off all information immediately. No one is allowed to leave the Hu residence."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Increase surveillance around the estate as well. Pay close attention to anyone approaching the manor."
A cold glint flickered through her eyes.
"The ancestral worship ceremony must proceed without interruption."
In her view, Lou Yuqing and Ling Yunxiao were still pursuing the Snow Lotus.
That greed was precisely what limited them.
As long as they wanted the Snow Lotus, they couldn't expose everything publicly. Instead, they would continue investigating in secret.
And eventually, they would come looking for her.
After all, she had already become their most valuable clue.
"We obey, Young Mistress." The crowd answered in unison.
Most of them already held positions within the manor. Some were servants, some maids, some workers responsible for various duties. Together they formed an invisible web capable of monitoring nearly every corner of the Hu residence.
Only after everyone else had left did Hu Ruoyan finally allow a trace of unease to appear on her face.
Old Shang immediately noticed the change.
His expression tightened.
"Young Mistress? What happened?"
Hu Ruoyan frowned. "One of the Shadow Spirits is still alive."
The words caused Old Shang's expression to darken instantly.
"Alive?"
Hu Ruoyan nodded. "It contacted me earlier and claimed it escaped."
For a moment, silence settled between them.
Then Old Shang's eyes narrowed.
"Could it be a trap?"
Hu Ruoyan considered the possibility before slowly shaking her head.
"The restriction inside it is still active."
The uncertainty in her expression gradually faded, replaced by confidence.
"As long as the restriction remains, I don't believe it would dare betray me."