Peach Blossom Grove, Peach Blossom Manor.
Yuanjing, pale and unsteady, sat on a chair at the entrance of the hall, resting to recover.
Shen Ying stood outside the hall, her fingers forming a spell. In the courtyard of Peach Blossom Manor, dense peach trees grew, trapping two sinister ghosts that darted left and right but could not escape. The peach blossoms filled the air with a misty haze, blinding the ghosts so they couldn’t see beyond a few feet.
When Lu Zheng arrived, he saw this scene. Exchanging a glance with Shen Ying, he first approached Yuanjing.
“Senior Brother, are you alright?”
Yuanjing waved a hand, though he looked somewhat embarrassed. “Minor injury. I was careless. I didn’t expect there to be two of them.”
Lu Zheng nodded, indicating this was understandable. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a porcelain bottle, poured out a pill, and handed it to Yuanjing.
“This is a healing pill prepared by Qingyan. It’s mostly made from common herbs, but it contains some century-old jade ginseng. Senior Brother, take one. It should help.”
“Thank you, Junior Brother!”
Yuanjing didn’t stand on ceremony. He swallowed the pill, and within moments, his complexion visibly improved.
Seeing that Yuanjing’s injuries were indeed minor, Lu Zheng relaxed. He then joined Shen Ying, looking at the peach grove in the courtyard, and gave her a thumbs-up. “My lady, you’re impressive.”
Shen Ying’s lips curved into a proud smile. These two ghosts were formidable, or they wouldn’t have been able to ambush Yuanjing. After all, spurred by Lu Zheng and Guangyue, and with special guidance from Master Mingzhang, Yuanjing’s cultivation had recently advanced significantly. Yet, Shen Ying had trapped both ghosts in her peach grove, where they could neither fight nor flee. This showed how much her strength had grown.
Lu Zheng glanced at the grove and asked, “They have a backer?”
Yuanjing nodded, pulling out a bronze pot from his robe. The pot, made of ancient bronze, bore inscriptions of dragon-headed beasts and cloud patterns.
Opening the lid, a mix of yin and yang energy faintly emanated.
“Last night, passing through a village, I saw one of the ghosts using this pot to collect the villagers’ yang energy. I intervened and seized it, intending to deal with the ghost. But another ghost ambushed me, and I got injured. I fled north, pursued by these two ghosts who demanded I return the pot, saying it bore their master’s mark. They warned that if I didn’t comply, their master, once done cultivating, would come kill me. I planned to escape to Baiyun Temple, but these ghosts were strong and held me back. So, I came to Peach Blossom Manor to ask Fairy Shen for help.”
Shen Ying smiled. “We’re family. It’s only natural. I’m happy to help, Master Yuanjing.”
Lu Zheng nodded with a smile. “I’ve sent Qingyan to Shaotong Mountain. Master should arrive soon.”
Yuanjing let out a long breath, closed his eyes to focus, and channeled the pill’s effects to heal his injuries faster.
While Yuanjing relaxed, Lu Zheng, seeing the bronze pot and the two ghosts, also felt relieved. Judging by the pot’s quality and the fact it was entrusted to these ghosts, their master’s strength, even if greater than the trio’s, wasn’t likely to be overwhelmingly superior. Even without notifying Master Mingzhang, the three of them, with the advantage of Peach Blossom Manor’s terrain, could probably handle him. Of course, if Master Mingzhang arrived, it would be even more secure.
Lu Zheng stood beside Shen Ying, watching the two ghosts trying to break the formation in the courtyard.
“A mere local deity dares to meddle in the affairs of the Black Wheel King!” one ghost shouted.
“Release us at once and have that Taoist return the Yang-Refining Pot, or when our master arrives, you’ll all die!”
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “So arrogant?”
Shen Ying nodded with a smile. “These ghosts are quite strong. Killing them would be troublesome but not impossible. However, that would interfere with using the Ghost-Controlling Technique. If I were alone, wearing them down might take too long, and their master might actually show up.”
She looked at Lu Zheng, her eyes sparkling with a smile. “Now that you’re here, Lu Lang, these ghosts are perfect for subduing with the Ghost-Controlling Technique.”
“You don’t need them?” Lu Zheng asked.
“I have enough helpers. If I need errand-runners, I can grab some minor spirits from the Netherworld. No need for century-old ghosts like these.”
Shen Ying, using *Peach Blossom Charm* as her foundation and incense energy as her core, had Qian Bo, An Bo, Xiao Cui, and the eighteen celestial maidens all tied to the old peach tree, sharing her incense energy with her as the leader. Thus, she rarely needed the Ghost-Controlling Technique. She mainly practiced its soul-refining methods for divine connection. When she needed errand-runners who didn’t share her incense energy but could be fully controlled, she’d use it then.
Lu Zheng looked at the two ghosts trapped in the peach grove, wreathed in ghost mist and rolling black smoke, truly sinister century-old spirits.
“Good! Let’s work together and subdue them!”
Since Shen Ying had so thoughtfully kept them for him, how could he not accept her kindness?
Lu Zheng patted his gourd, and a peachwood sword appeared in his hand. With a wave, he pointed the sword, sending a Flying Cloud Evil-Breaking Curse into the peach grove, striking one of the ghosts.
“Ah!”
The ghost screamed, startled awake.
“Xuanmen curse technique!?”
“A fellow disciple of that Taoist!?”
“Stronger than that Taoist! Not good, the peach blossom miasma is increasing. This local deity was holding back?”
At that moment, another True Cloud Curse pierced the ghostly aura, hitting the other ghost trying to break the formation.
The ghost cried out in pain, shouting, “Our master will be here soon, and you’ll all die!”
Lu Zheng laughed loudly. “Let him come. We’ll wait right here. But whether you two can hold out until he arrives is another matter.”
“What?”
“Such bold words!”
The two ghosts roared in anger, wanting to charge at Lu Zheng, but his voice echoed from all directions.
“If you’re so capable, drop the formation, and let’s fight face-to-face!”
“If you’re so capable, wait until our master arrives, and see if you still talk so big!”
Lu Zheng shook his head, relentlessly casting spells to wear them down. True Cloud Curses and Flying Cloud Evil-Breaking Curses drained the ghosts’ yin energy like they cost nothing, combined with the peach blossom miasma. In moments, the ghosts couldn’t hold out.
They gave up on escaping, focusing on defense, waiting for reinforcements.
But…
Lu Zheng grinned, flashed into the grove, bound the ghosts with cloud energy, hit each with a Binding Curse, and sealed them layer by layer with a Cloud-Sealing Curse.
Patting his gourd, he took out an ink-jade plaque, formed a seal with his fingers, and sealed the two ghosts inside.
