“Black Wheel King?”
“You actually know about the Black Wheel King?”
“Where is he?”
As soon as the ghost spoke, the onlookers bombarded it with questions.
Lu Zheng looked at the ghost. It appeared frail and delicate, with clear brows and bright eyes, quite a pretty face.
It bore a seven-tenths resemblance to the white-faced fierce ghost, confirming their father-son relationship.
“You… you swear not to kill me, and I’ll talk. Otherwise, I’ll let the Black Wheel King complete his cultivation in nine years and return as a king.”
Yuanjing’s eyes flashed, “Impossible! The Black Wheel King is reduced to just his soul origin. How could he fully recover in nine years?”
Despite trembling, the ghost clamped its mouth shut.
Xin Zhanting snorted coldly, “Hand him over to me. I’ll take him back and work him over until he spills every detail, even how many times he wet the bed in life.”
Lu Zheng smiled faintly, “I have a secret soul-searching technique that can read memories, but during the process, the soul feels as if it’s being sliced by a thousand knives.”
“Amitabha, this monk also has a method for dealing with ghosts, using Buddhist light to refine the soul and convert it, leaving no secrets,” Guangyue added.
The ghost: “…”
Yuanjing blinked, aware that Lu Zheng’s technique likely came from the Jinhua Sect. Did that mean Baiyun Temple had no such methods?
Tch, Baiyun Temple, a direct lineage of Taiqing, could dispel all evils with a single burst of innate cloud qi!
Well, it seemed they really didn’t have any interrogation techniques. It didn’t fit the image of the Supreme Lord Lao…
“Your father is dead. If you reveal the Black Wheel King’s details to atone for your crimes, I can let you serve as a minor soldier in the City God Temple, granting you another century of existence. If you refuse, these three friends will take turns using their methods,” the black-robed City God, Wei Heng, said calmly.
Having just slain the fierce ghost, the group had introduced themselves, and Lu Zheng learned that this was Wei Heng, the City God of Pingtang County.
Though Xin Zhanting, Lu Zheng, and Guangyue each had their strengths, if the ghost resisted to the death, they weren’t certain they could extract its memories. Getting it to confess willingly would be ideal.
“My father… my father is dead…”
The ghost finally realised that its father, who had protected it for over a century, was gone.
Lu Zheng nodded. The light of fate in his jade seal confirmed it was dead, thoroughly and completely.
“You, you really won’t kill me?”
Wei Heng said coolly, “That depends on whether your information is true.”
“It’s true! It’s true!” The trembling ghost spilled everything.
…
It had to be said, compared to its father, a formidable ghost king, this ghost was a silver spearhead with no real talent.
Not only was its cultivation weak, but its resolve was too. A bit of intimidation, and it confessed everything.
Over a century ago, after their deaths, their souls entered the Netherworld. Its father had stumbled upon a ghost cultivation method and the Jade Phosphor Fire, quickly rising in the Netherworld.
The son, however, lacked talent. After a century of cultivation, he barely had a hundred years of progress, just enough to escape Guangyue’s grasp.
Guangyue: ?_??
Indeed, Guangyue had called on Yuanjing for help, breaking the ghost’s cultivation and chasing it to its lair in the black bamboo forest.
In doing so, it had dragged its father to his doom as well.
As for the Black Wheel King…
“My father knew the Black Wheel King, and our families used to interact. Later, the Black Wheel King obtained a secret method and fled to the mortal world, and we lost contact.”
The ghost continued, “Recently, when I went to the mortal world to abduct women, I heard the Black Wheel King had been subdued there and had spread a secret method, causing quite a stir.”
“Get to the point!”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
The ghost nodded repeatedly, “A few days ago, I went to Pingtang County to capture someone. The woman I targeted had a brother, brimming with yang energy, likely born in a yang year, month, day, and hour. I got excited and wanted to take him too, but I didn’t expect he was already possessed.”
“By the Black Wheel King?”
“Yes, the Black Wheel King. He has a secret method to refine yang into yin and inhabit a human body. I don’t know how he found this person.”
The ghost explained, “I tried to capture him, but the Black Wheel King revealed his identity. Since we’re both from the Netherworld, I didn’t act, nor did I take his sister, and I returned.”
“Who is he?” Yuanjing asked.
“A boy from Guojiazhuang in Pingtang County, named Guo Xiaodan, about twelve or thirteen years old.”
Lu Zheng frowned, “The Black Wheel King is extremely cunning. Since his identity was exposed, he likely won’t stay in the village.”
Yuanjing nodded, “But he probably won’t abandon that body, which could save him decades of cultivation.”
Guangyue tapped his staff, “Let’s go check.”
Xin Zhanting sheathed his long blade, “No time to waste, let’s go now!”
Wei Heng flicked his sleeve, pulling the ghost into it, “If the Black Wheel King is still there, I’ll let you join the City God Temple. If he’s gone, accept your fate.”
“But you already know who the Black Wheel King possessed! How can I be sure he’s still there?”
Wei Heng sneered, “Why didn’t you report it to us immediately?”
The ghost: ???
Lu Zheng clicked his tongue. The official could twist words however he liked.
But with this, Lu Zheng felt assured about the ghost’s fate.
…
The group headed straight to Pingtang County, passing through the Yin-Yang Road to the mortal world, then rushing to Guojiazhuang.
With the ghost leading the way, they quickly arrived at Guo Xiaodan’s home. As expected, only a rather delicate-looking girl was there, with no sign of Guo Xiaodan.
“He’s already gone.”
“And not just for a day. He probably left the same day this ghost discovered his identity.”
“He couldn’t have foreseen that we’d capture this ghost, so he was likely hiding from other Netherworld ghosts.”
“But once he’s gone, other Netherworld ghosts might not find him. However, for us…”
“I’ll head to the Anomaly Suppression Bureau,” Lu Zheng said calmly.
Wei Heng nodded, “Good. With Friend Lu’s ability to ride clouds, reaching Yizhou Prefecture will take mere moments.”
Lu Zheng: ≧?≦
As the words fell, Wei Heng drew his brush and, with lightning speed, struck the ghost’s forehead.
In an instant, the ghost’s form collapsed, vanishing into smoke.
“Buzz!”
A dozen strands of fate light entered Lu Zheng’s account.
Clearly, the ghost’s death was still tied to Lu Zheng.
“No time to delay. I’ll go now, and by tomorrow morning, the Anomaly Suppression Bureau can issue a wanted notice.”
Lu Zheng nodded to the group, then took Liu Qingyan’s hand. In the next moment, a white cloud appeared beneath their feet, lifting them into the air. They gracefully soared toward Yizhou.
