“Such a ruthless heart, little gentleman.”
Ningyu gave a coy laugh, but her face showed no trace of a smile.
The next moment, another whip shot out from her shadow, aiming straight for Lu Zheng, silent as death.
Facing it head-on, Lu Zheng saw it clearly.
A whip? No, it was a massive black shadow python, a foot thick.
Its ghostly aura was chilling, scales like blades, its gaping maw lunging to bite.
From that maw, Lu Zheng felt a suction, as if his essence was about to be torn from his body and devoured.
“Exorcise!”
Lu Zheng roared, activating three Exorcism Talismans, flinging them out.
Now he understood why people shouted during fights. He used to think it was childish, but in the heat of the moment, the tension made it impossible not to.
Compared to him, Duan Changzai, silent and relentless, was the true veteran, all action, no talk.
*Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!* The talismans struck the ghost python, releasing wisps of smoke.
*Hiss—* The python turned, clashing with Duan Changzai’s short spear.
Lu Zheng’s eyes narrowed, sensing the python’s strength was on par with the green-robed ghost Yan Jie.
If delayed, Ningyu would soon dispel the Frost Talisman’s chill.
Lu Zheng wouldn’t give her the chance. While Duan Changzai tangled with the python, he launched three more Frost Talismans.
Ningyu’s pupils shrank. To avoid being hit, she’d have to stop, but stopping meant getting caught.
With no choice, she spun back, taking two more Frost Talismans to charge at Lu Zheng, her fingers sharp as knives.
Lu Zheng paused, retreating swiftly, but he couldn’t outrun her direct pursuit.
“Open!”
With a tiger’s roar, he drew his blade from his waist with a backhand grip.
Spinning with the blade, he channelled force through it, blood qi erupting, pouncing like a fierce tiger.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
His Xiuchun blade clashed three times with Ningyu’s claws.
Demonic qi invaded, but Lu Zheng retreated, his blood qi like a furnace, instantly burning it away.
“Daoist and martial dual cultivation!” Ningyu exclaimed, shocked.
She’d assumed Lu Zheng was just a talisman-wielding Daoist, given his use of Swift Movement Talismans and talismans against the python, planning to take him down in close combat.
After all, compared to Duan Changzai’s superior martial prowess, Lu Zheng’s Frost Talismans were the bigger nuisance.
But he was also a martial cultivator with blood qi!
Forced back, Lu Zheng didn’t close in again, instead launching three more Exorcism Talismans.
Unlike typical cultivators who needed to channel internal true qi and blend it with spiritual energy, a time-consuming process, Lu Zheng’s method was far simpler.
He didn’t skimp on true qi, exhausting it daily to craft talismans for storage.
In combat, this gave him an edge.
One word: lavish!
Exorcism Talismans were best against ghostly qi but worked on demonic qi too, just slightly less effectively. Lu Zheng didn’t mind.
Ningyu waved her cloud-like sleeves, shattering the three talismans mid-air, her body trembling. Seeing Yuan Jing slowly rise in the distance, she stopped hesitating and turned to flee.
“Darling, let’s go!”
*Hiss—*
After clashing once more with Duan Changzai’s spear, the python turned and fled without a word.
As Ningyu ran, Lu Zheng gave chase.
With a stomp, he leapt, veering slightly to avoid a potential python ambush, and flung seven or eight talismans.
Clear division of labour: Frost Talismans for Ningyu, Exorcism Talismans for the python.
*Whoosh!*
The python took the Exorcism Talismans, shrinking back into Ningyu’s shadow.
Ningyu ducked and leapt, taking another Frost Talisman but reaching the south city gate.
*Whoosh!*
Her long sleeves fluttered like an immortal descending, her form dancing with the wind like a divine maiden.
She vaulted over the city wall.
But as she did, Duan Changzai, ready, struck. His spear shot toward her back.
Her shadow was too far—three zhang away—to save her.
Yet Ningyu was prepared, twisting her body, demonic qi surging, deflecting the spear slightly.
It grazed her shoulder, leaving a deep, bone-visible gash.
Lu Zheng arrived, going all out, launching ten Frost Talismans.
Four hit. Ningyu tapped the wall lightly, landed in the forest outside, and vanished.
“She’s injured, her aura’s leaking!” Duan Changzai shouted, “Chase!”
Lu Zheng nodded, activating a Qi-Seeking Talisman to capture Ningyu’s aura, clutching it as he leapt into the forest.
Along the way, he first saw embroidered shoes, then scattered skirts, belts, undergarments…
A few steps further, a water-green long jacket and a moon-white inner robe hung on branches.
Damn, it really looked like a crime scene!
Lu Zheng and Duan Changzai raced on, hearing rustling sounds growing closer.
The scorpion demon was clearly ahead.
After a short chase, under moonlight, Lu Zheng saw a large emerald scorpion scuttling through the forest.
“Strike!”
Duan Changzai erupted with blood qi, speeding up, thrusting his spear at the scorpion’s head.
The python shot from its shadow, blocking the spear.
Boosted by a Swift Movement Talisman, Lu Zheng closed in but didn’t engage directly, instead launching three more Frost Talismans.
The massive emerald scorpion took all three hits.
*Hiss—*
With a screech, it rolled in the forest, smoke rising, transforming back into a beautiful woman.
It was Ningyu.
But… why was she completely naked? Didn’t Lady White Snake transform with her clothes?
Ningyu shot Lu Zheng a venomous look, clashed once with Duan Changzai alongside the python, then fought while retreating, dispelling the chill in her body.
“We’re out of the city, no rush. Let’s see how many talismans that kid has left!”
To Lu Zheng, Ningyu and the python’s strength matched Yan Jie and the boar demon from the attack on Shen Ying.
The python might be slightly weaker than Yan Jie, but Ningyu was far stronger than the boar demon.
Even so, Duan Changzai held the upper hand against both, and with Lu Zheng assisting, it was only a matter of time before they were subdued—unless they escaped.
They would try to escape when Lu Zheng ran out of Frost Talismans.
But just as his talismans were nearly depleted, a flash of pink caught Lu Zheng’s eye.
