When the Immortal Venerable Picked-Up the Demon Cub - Chapter 47

The water ghost met Zhu Ning’s icy gaze and faltered. But remembering the sudden surge of power moments before, it grinned maliciously. “You doomed practitioner, you can’t possibly defy the gods! Even the gods in heaven see my resentment! Why do you interfere in matters that don’t concern you?”

Though Zhu Ning’s expression remained unchanged, her thoughts churned. The water ghost’s sudden strength had sent her flying ashore, and now she herself possessed an inexplicable power…

Could it be from the Major Villain, Lin Xiayan? This cultivation felt entirely different from what she’d inherited from her original host.

Zhu Ning felt a wry amusement. She could sense the Demonic Aura within the power. Lin Xiayan’s trick was truly clumsy.

Dark clouds churned overhead, as if a blizzard were about to descend. The servants by the carriage stood speechless, barely daring to breathe. The howling wind grew fiercer.

The water ghost’s hair whipped wildly, like a crazed monster baring its fangs. Seizing the moment Zhu Ning seemed lost in thought, it lunged forward.

As the Resentful Energy drew closer, Zhu Ning instinctively channeled her cultivation into Zhōng Yuè. The artifact grew larger, radiating golden light and clanging discordantly.

“This Venerable One doesn’t want to hear any nonsense.”

Tonight, Zhu Ning seemed to have unlocked some hidden potential. Not only were her moves sharp and decisive, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor, but she was also unnervingly cold, as if some unseen force had stirred her. No one could recognize her as the kind and approachable Zhu Ning they knew.

This, in truth, was the true bearing of the Sect Leader of Yun Cang Mountain!

While the water ghost cowered before Zhongyue’s brilliance, Zhu Ning pulled out a stack of talismans. Chanting incantations, she hurled them at the ghost without hesitation, each talisman a desperate strike.

Zhu Ning’s strategy was simple: exhaust the water ghost’s resentful energy first.

The water ghost refused to yield. A shrill scream pierced the air as its black hair surged forward like a tidal wave. Whether amplified by Gu Xi’s magical power or not, the hair behind the ghost had grown even darker, so black that from a distance, it seemed as if the world had never known light.

Zhu Ning chanted incantations, frantically recalling methods for dealing with water ghosts from ancient texts. After summoning Zhongyue and reciting a protective spell, she charged into the sea of black hair, brandishing the glowing Zhongyue and casting spells.

The radiant Zhongyue sliced through strands of hair, but the water ghost was no longer its former self. It unleashed a torrent of resentful energy directly at Zhu Ning, who was locked in a desperate struggle with the surging hair.

Zhu Ning sensed the approaching Resentful Energy, her lips curving into a smirk as she unleashed her cultivation. The hair around her snapped instantly, leaving not a single strand near her body.

The water ghost finally realized it had been tricked, but it was too late. It could only keep pouring more Resentful Energy into the attack, desperate to avoid having it turned back against itself by Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning’s cultivation continued to expand. The moment it collided with the Resentful Energy, a fierce gale erupted, whipping sand and pebbles into the air. The howling wind sounded like the mournful cries of a hundred ghosts wandering the night, yet also like the thunderous drums of war.

Without a doubt, the Resentful Energy was severed in two. The water ghost was struck by its own rebound, the shock even reaching Gu Xi.

Gu Xi, already overwhelmed, couldn’t even continue to channel her power.

The water ghost retracted its black hair. Covered in wounds, it looked even more terrifying than when it first appeared. Yet now, the arrogance in its eyes had been replaced by terror.

The water ghost never imagined it could be defeated even after bolstering its attack with magical power. Yet in the clash with Zhu Ning, it hadn’t gained nothing.

It had noticed a fundamental change in Zhu Ning’s Daoist aura. The pure yang energy of old was gone, replaced by a domineering Demonic Aura…

“You hypocritical cultivator! Always preaching about eliminating evil and promoting virtue, yet you’re protected by a Demonic Creature yourself! Two-faced!” The water ghost, disregarding the potential consequences of provoking Zhu Ning’s backers, focused solely on angering her enough to drop her defenses so it could kill her.

Zhu Ning’s expression shifted slightly. The ghost was right. Using demonic power to slay ghosts… it was truly a betrayal of her ancestors.

But… Zhu Ning had transmigrated into this novel. She didn’t care about such trivialities. What really bothered her was the water ghost’s taunting expression. The original owner’s cultivation was more than enough.

So… she forcefully expelled that mysterious power using her own cultivation.

“Now, This Venerable One will defeat you in a fair and honorable battle.” Zhu Ning stood firm, her expression resolute as she drew her sword.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiayan was playfully sparring with Gu Xi when she suddenly sensed Zhu Ning expelling her cultivation.

Lin Xiayan’s entire body tensed for a moment, her gaze turning even more venomous as she looked at Gu Xi. “You’re the Young Mistress, so I won’t harm you directly. But… those who dare to bully my people will never be spared.”

Gu Xi had been wary of Lin Xiayan all along, but upon hearing the words “my people,” the lively figure of her childhood friend suddenly flashed through her mind.

Silently, she put away her Dharma Artifact, a folding fan, and formed a seal. She withdrew the divine power she had bestowed upon the water ghost.

Lin Xiayan chuckled. “Could it be that Young Mistress Gu Xi is afraid?”

Gu Xi gazed tenderly at the folding fan in her hand. “I’ll say only this: even the compassionate Bodhisattvas who pity all living beings are depicted as both male and female. Why should you be so bound by gender?”

Lin Xiayan was stunned. She seemed to understand, yet also not. Seeing her puzzled expression, Gu Xi murmured, “It’s still too early…”

The two unexpectedly ended their duel in harmony, pretending nothing had happened as they returned to their carriage.

Meanwhile, Zhu Ning’s struggle with the water ghost grew increasingly tense. Now stripped of its divine support, the ghost repeatedly dove into the water to evade her.

Zhu Ning frowned, leaping onto the lake surface. She lightly tapped the water with the tip of one foot, sending ripples spreading outward.

Unfazed by the dancing waves beneath her, Zhu Ning calmly recited the incantation. With each repetition, the ripples widened. Seizing the moment, she suddenly leaped away from the water, causing a spray of droplets to explode upward.

Having forced the water ghost onto land, Zhu Ning chuckled. Zhongyue danced through the air toward its target. With each thrust of her sword, she uttered a word. After nine strikes, the spell was complete. She then recited the nine words in sequence:

“Lin Bing Dou Zhe, Jie Zhen Lie Xing.”

The water ghost wailed in agony. The wounds left by Zhongyue burned like scalding coal, searing her already swollen, water-logged body.

The nine characters Zhu Ning recited were the Nine-Character Mantra of Daoism, a secret technique that reads: “Lin Bing Dou Zhe, Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing” (When soldiers fight, they all array themselves in battle formation). This mantra, when secretly recited, can ward off all evil. It is a fundamental principle of Daoism, simple yet profound.

By the lakeside where she had died once before, the water ghost once again endured endless agony. The Nine-Character Mantra burned her soul, and with Zhu Ning continuously amplifying the spell, the water ghost could only await death.

“Ahh—” A despairing wail tore through the sky. The dark clouds scattered slightly, and the water ghost… had perished.

Zhu Ning steadied herself, just beginning to relax, when she noticed a corpse identical to the water ghost rising from the lake. From this corpse materialized a figure.

Zhu Ning’s eyes widened in surprise. The figure looked exactly like the water ghost in life. Shouldn’t her soul have scattered after being burned by the Nine-Character Mantra?

The figure slowly spoke: “Immortal Venerable, thank you for purifying my resentful energy. However, the place you’re heading to has been ravaged by Bai Yao Ge. Many children have been taken by the Pavilion Master of Bai Yao Pavilion for alchemy. I hope you can resolve this as well…”

Zhu Ning smiled, taking the words to heart. She then sent the figure on to reincarnation and turned to leave. Unbeknownst to her, a single tear slid down her cheek.

Watching Zhu Ning’s retreating figure, Lin Xiayan remained silent, following at a distance. She kept pace behind her, never closing the gap.

Gu Xi, however, remained rooted to the spot. The maid beside her asked if something was wrong, but she shook her head, her gaze fixed on the pair disappearing into the distance. Her heart swelled with longing, her eyes stinging. She looked up at the full moon emerging from the dispersing clouds, and a peach blossom materialized in her hand, tender and dewy.

The maid beside her saw none of this. She only noticed her young lady’s desolate expression, secretly wondering if she had fallen for someone.

Back in the carriage, Zhu Ning showed no trace of the tear that had fallen earlier, as if it had never existed. Her expression remained impassive, fully aware that Lin Xiayan was following behind.

Only when Lin Xiayan climbed into the carriage did Zhu Ning speak: “Did you notice? During my battle with the water ghost, my cultivation surged dramatically, but it wasn’t the energy of the Daoist path. It felt… impure.”

Lin Xiayan avoided Zhu Ning’s gaze, lowering her head and pretending to straighten her clothes. “Is that so?” she asked. “It seems the reputation of the Sect Leader of Yun Cang Mountain has truly spread far. Even such important figures secretly support you.”

Her words were perfectly reasonable and in character, yet Zhu Ning sighed.

Zhu Ning said nothing more. Leaning against the carriage window, she closed her weary eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Lin Xiayan heard her steady breathing and realized Zhu Ning had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

Gazing at Zhu Ning’s furrowed brow, even in slumber, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her. She carefully removed her outer robe and draped it over Zhu Ning, breathing softly so as not to disturb this celestial being.

After watching her for an indeterminate amount of time, Lin Xiayan also drifted off to sleep.

Gu Xi, however, remained awake. While the servants slept, she quietly rose and gazed at the peach blossom in her hand, inhaling its sweet fragrance, her heart melting with tenderness.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, the group resumed their journey. This time, their progress was remarkably smooth, and they reached the small eastern city in just a day.

By the time they reached the small town, evening had fallen. The ground was still damp, a clear sign that a light snow had fallen the previous night.

Zhu Ning stepped out of the carriage, her feet sinking softly into the moist earth. She breathed in the fresh, crisp air, feeling her mood lift from its earlier heaviness.

Squire Gu had come to the town gates to personally welcome them, having been asked to escort Gu Xi. When he saw Zhu Ning and Lin Xiayan, he smiled broadly. “My daughter is so impetuous, I’m grateful you two Immortal Venerables came all this way to escort her. Since you’ve come to our humble town, why not join us for a gathering at my residence?”

Gu Xi, standing beside her father, smiled warmly, silently urging them to feel at home and visit her family’s estate.

Lin Xiayan glanced at Zhu Ning, who nodded. “We humbly accept your invitation,” Zhu Ning replied. “In fact, we do have a matter we’d like to discuss with you, though we hope you won’t mind the intrusion.”

Unaware of the Hundred Demon Pavilion’s involvement, Squire Gu assumed their visit concerned local affairs. He readily agreed, promising to answer their questions fully and openly.

Thus, invited by Squire Gu, Lin Xiayan and Zhu Ning proceeded to the estate of the Gu family in the small town…

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