The opponent arrived faster than imagined.
That very night, a ghost shrouded in black mist came to Taohua Ping to visit the village.
Coincidentally, Lu Zheng was in Taohua Village at the time. He went out with Shen Ying to greet the guest. He scrutinised the ghost carefully, yet could not discern the opponent’s cultivation level.
“Who are you?”
“The name of the Hui Ming Seven Canons is too resounding. I do not wish to expose myself and attract attention. Please forgive me, Peach Flower Immortal.”
The ghost stood outside Taohua Village. He was eight chi tall, with black mist swirling around his entire body. Even as Lu Zheng and Shen Ying frowned and looked closely, they could not see him clearly.
Lu Zheng smiled slightly. “But you must give us a title to address you by.”
The ghost said indifferently, “You two may call me Ghost King.”
“Fine then, Ghost King. Actually, the information you probed is wrong. The Black Wheel King did not die in my village at that time.” Shen Ying said faintly.
The Ghost King nodded. “I know. But shortly after, his possession body did not die at the hands of this Young Master Lu?”
Lu Zheng’s heart jumped. He raised an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”
This matter was known only to his close friends and the Zhenyi Division. Could it be…
“I have no intention of making an enemy of the yang world court. Even though I sent out many people, they did not cause chaos or harm in the yang world. Instead, you killed quite a few of my subordinates.” The Ghost King said faintly.
Seeing Lu Zheng’s doubt, the Ghost King continued, “I merely killed a bailiff of Yizhou Prefecture and extracted his divine soul memories.”
Bloody hell!
On one hand, he said he had no intention of clashing with the yang world court. On the other, he casually killed a bailiff!
Fine… one cannot judge the ancients by modern morals. Lu Zheng was still adjusting.
“So.” The Ghost King said, “I am here to discuss business with you two.”
“Business?”
The Ghost King nodded. “Yes. Any ghost who knew the Black Wheel King obtained the Refining Yang Chapter and fled to the yang world, I have already killed.”
Lu Zheng and Shen Ying exchanged a glance.
The meaning of his words was that now, only he knew Lu Zheng had the Refining Yang Chapter from the Hui Ming Seven Canons.
Plus, he had just said he had no intention of clashing with the yang world court… so this statement was both a show of goodwill and a veiled threat. It depended on how they interpreted it.
Shen Ying could not help looking at Lu Zheng. He nodded, so Shen Ying stepped aside. “Please!”
“Thank you!”
The Ghost King returned the courtesy. Then his figure floated lightly, following the two into Taohua Village.
As expected… the bold are those with skill?
The eighteen heavenly maidens appeared together. They surrounded the front hall and stood in the heavenly maiden formation, yet did not activate it.
The Ghost King was unmoved. He naturally sat in the guest seat in the front hall.
Lu Zheng and Shen Ying also sat in the host positions.
“What business?”
“Technique exchange.” The Ghost King looked at Lu Zheng and Shen Ying. “I will use one chapter from the Hui Ming Seven Canons to exchange for the Refining Yang Chapter.”
He had this in mind?
Lu Zheng asked, “Are you so certain the Refining Yang Chapter is in our hands?”
Upon hearing this, the Ghost King smiled slightly. “Now I am certain.”
Bloody hell!
Damn these old monsters!
Lu Zheng narrowed his eyes. His mood was no longer pleasant.
The opponent first said only he knew the Black Wheel King had fled to the yang world. Then he proposed a fair exchange of techniques, giving full face. One could say, he left Lu Zheng and Shen Ying only one path.
But… Shen Ying’s face was cool and aloof. Lu Zheng was calm and indifferent. Did he think this carrot and stick would make them fear?
The Ghost King’s eyes flashed. Then he smiled slightly. “Among the Hui Ming Seven Canons, there is a Refining Soul Chapter. It is adept at washing and enhancing the divine soul. It is a cultivation method for the ghost immortal lineage. After completion, the divine soul can roam in broad daylight and walk the heavens and earth.”
“Deal!” Lu Zheng decided decisively.
The Ghost King could not help smiling. “Young Master Lu is indeed straightforward. Only…”
“Only what?”
“Only the Refining Soul Chapter is not in my hands at present.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes widened. “Are you toying with me?”
“Of course not. I have no intention of toying with you two. On the contrary, I am very sincere.”
The Ghost King waved his hand and said, “I have already collected three chapters of the Hui Ming Seven Canons. The remaining Refining Soul Chapter was already my target. I originally planned to exchange one of these three. But upon seeing the Peach Flower Immortal just now, I realised the Refining Soul Chapter is the most suitable.”
“I see.”
“So, if you two agree, I can come back to exchange with you after I obtain the Refining Soul Chapter.” The Ghost King said.
Lu Zheng nodded. There was no issue with that.
“Young Master Lu is straightforward. Doing business with you two is truly comfortable.”
The Ghost King rose. In a floating motion, he soon left Taohua Village. Then his figure grew dimmer and vanished quickly.
Lu Zheng and Shen Ying stood at the door for a long while.
“How is it?” Shen Ying asked.
“Could not gauge the depth. Perhaps he has no assurance of easily defeating us, but he is confident in escaping.” Lu Zheng said.
They were all thousand-year foxes. The premise for equal trade was similar strength.
The Ghost King might truly have no desire to clash with the yang world court. But if he could casually slap Lu Zheng and the other to death, he surely would not mind obtaining the Refining Yang Chapter sooner.
However, Taohua Village was Shen Ying’s home ground, with the peach flower heavenly maidens arrayed. Together, they were unbreakable by ordinary experts. Plus, Lu Zheng’s aura was extremely dominant. He could fly through the sky and burrow into the earth, with astonishing cultivation.
The Ghost King had no assurance of quick victory. If they fought and made a big commotion, drawing Zhenyi Division experts or Baiyun Temple daoists, he might not escape easily.
In that case…
Shen Ying was a yang world land spirit, with no conflicting interests in the netherworld. Why not exchange peacefully?
Moreover, what he offered in exchange was the most useful Refining Soul Chapter for them.
As for the possibility that the Ghost King was bluffing and not actually strong… it existed, but it was too small to consider.
“After he takes the Refining Yang Chapter, he will not come to the yang world to cause trouble, will he?” Shen Ying was still somewhat worried.
Lu Zheng shook his head. “If he has any brains, he will not do that. The last one who did, the Black Wheel King, has grass three chi tall on his grave by now.”
The original owner of the Refining Yang Chapter, the Hui Ming Law King himself, had not done such a thing. This showed that coming to the yang world to absorb yang qi was not the optimal path for cultivating the Refining Yang Chapter.
“Fine. I did not expect this matter to resolve in such a way. I thought we would have to fight him.” Lu Zheng laughed.
“This concubine did not expect it either.”
Shen Ying leaned against Lu Zheng. She could not help recalling the Night Lantern King’s arrogance that day. She smiled softly. “Nowadays, even a ghost king from the netherworld cannot easily bully us.”
“Exactly!”
Lu Zheng laughed heartily. He turned and scooped Shen Ying up by the waist. “The night is deep. Madam, come back to the room with your husband to rest.”
“Yes!” Shen Ying lifted her head slightly. Giggling, she leaned close to Lu Zheng’s face and lightly licked his earlobe. “This concubine will serve husband well~”
