Chapter 118: Ghost Controller (Part II)

A cold, clear glint of a sword suddenly ignited in the darkness.

Alerted by a ghost infant, She Shanhai threw his body backward, retreating with explosive speed to evade the strike. However, the few martial artists who had accompanied him to serve as pathfinders were not so fortunate.

"Pfft, pfft." With a series of soft sounds and a flash of cold light, all four martial artists clutched their throats and collapsed.

"Who are you?" She Shanhai hissed. The three ghost infants surrounding him bared their fangs at the intruder, their dark-green, deathly pallid faces appearing truly horrific.

"You’ve entered the territory of the Fengyang Martial Arts Hall and you’re asking me who I am?" Fang Yue laughed, though his smile lacked any warmth. He held a longsword in his hand, the tip unstained by blood.

He had been lurking in the shadows, eavesdropping on their conversation. His mastery of the second stage of the "Dragon-Turtle Breath Concealment Technique" had allowed him to mask his presence perfectly. Upon hearing the content of their discussion, he had decided to kill and struck without warning.

In recent days, he had nearly mastered the Longfeng Sword Technique, and through the Merit System, he had advanced it to the second stage. His strike had been as swift as the wind, severing the throats of all four martial artists without a single drop of blood touching his blade. Unfortunately, the moment he acted, his aura leaked, and the ghost infants sensed it instantly, allowing She Shanhai to escape the fatal blow.

Fang Yue did not mind; seeing the bizarre appearance of this short, stout man, he had never expected to kill him with a single ambush. Killing the four martial artists had earned him over a hundred merit points each. He knew that the merit points for killing ghosts were solely dependent on their strength, whereas killing wicked men was based on the weight of their sins, regardless of their combat power. Such a high reward indicated that each of these men carried the lives of several victims on their hands.

"So, you are from the Fengyang Martial Arts Hall," She Shanhai sneered. The moment Fang Yue had struck, his aura had flared; She Shanhai could sense that while the man’s vitality was incredibly potent, he was not a Xiantian Grandmaster. Without the means of a Grandmaster to deal with ghosts, he believed his three "little darlings" could easily handle this man.

"You snuck into the Fengyang Martial Arts Hall—what are you after?" Fang Yue asked, deciding to fish for more information before striking again.

She Shanhai, however, had no interest in small talk. "Once I’ve beaten you to death, I’ll tell you exactly what we’re after." He waved his hand, and the three ghost infants hovering around him began to shriek sharply, their twisted, distorted faces filled with excitement as they lunged toward Fang Yue.

Fang Yue’s robust vitality, while capable of resisting curses and corruption, acted as a powerful lure for the spirits. Consuming the blood and vitality of such a martial artist was lethally attractive to them.

"Bang." Fang Yue struck a ghost infant with his sword, the sound like metal clashing against stone. The creature was knocked backward, screeching, but remained completely unscathed. Such corporeal ghosts were typically possessed of incredibly durable bodies, resistant to ordinary steel. The other two infants continued their onslaught, baring their sharp, needle-like teeth to tear into him.

She Shanhai stood back, watching the carnage. Though his own cultivation had reached the peak of the Houtian realm, his long-term reliance on raising and controlling ghosts had caused his own vitality to wither, leaving him far weaker than a true peak Houtian expert. Yet, with the ghost infants, he felt invincible against anyone below the Xiantian realm. He sneered, waiting to see the young man torn into bloody shreds.

Exposure to ghosts and resentment had not only corroded She Shanhai’s body but his character as well. He had never been a good man, and as a ghost-controller, he had become exceptionally cruel and sadistic. He relished the sight of his enemies being ripped apart, finding a perverse sense of accomplishment in the spray of blood and viscera.

Facing the snarling infants, Fang Yue activated his Flame Palm. His palms turned a searing red, and he unleashed a flurry of strikes against the two blue-skinned bodies. It was as if red-hot iron had been plunged into ice; smoke hissed and curled from their skin. Struck by the palm, the black resentment aura within the infants dissipated, and they emitted shrill, piercing cries. The fire-attribute damage of the technique was a powerful counter to such beings, especially since these infants were artificially created and their resentment lacked cohesion.

Fang Yue pressed his advantage, discarding his sword to unleash a dozen palm strikes in rapid succession. He controlled his force carefully, ensuring they remained within reach. Within moments, the infant he had struck earlier was still wobbling, unable to rejoin the fight, while the other two were blown apart by Fang Yue’s palms. With two slight explosions, their black resentment dissipated into the air, and their bodies crumbled into black ash.

The final ghost infant charged once more, snarling and snapping. It possessed no intelligence and acted only on its master’s commands, showing no fear at the destruction of its companions. Fang Yue swatted it aside, choosing not to engage further.

The master of the ghosts was already fleeing, having sprinted several yards away and preparing to leap over the compound wall. She Shanhai had been confident, expecting to watch a gruesome show, but the sight of his infants being obliterated in the blink of an eye chilled him to the bone.

*A Xiantian Grandmaster! He was playing the pig to eat the tiger!*

Knowing he had kicked a hard rock, She Shanhai didn't dare utter another threat. He abandoned his last ghost infant and turned to flee.

Fang Yue utilized his light-foot technique, closing the distance in a few strides. He had not neglected his footwork during his time at the Fengyang Hall. He was now utilizing the second stage of the "Wind-Chasing, Moon-Pursuing" technique.

Seeing Fang Yue closing in, She Shanhai panicked and yelled, "I have a friend who took people to deal with the eldest Miss Qiu! If you go now, it’ll be too late!" At this critical moment, he did not hesitate to betray his associate.

Fang Yue remained unmoved. Qiu Shiyan was no fragile damsel, and he had already warned her; she would not be easily taken. Besides, Qiu Rubai was still in the back courtyard; the situation was not yet desperate. Letting a ghost-controller like She Shanhai escape was the greater threat. Given the blood debt carried by his companions, She Shanhai’s own sins were surely greater, and Fang Yue’s intent to kill him was absolute.

A few yards beyond the hall wall, Fang Yue caught up and struck out with his palm. She Shanhai was forced to turn and meet the blow. Upon impact, She Shanhai screamed, vomiting blood as he was sent flying backward.

Fang Yue’s full-force Flame Palm strike rivaled the power of an average Xiantian Grandmaster. Though She Shanhai was at the peak of the Houtian realm, his strength had been sapped by his reliance on the ghosts, and his physical prowess was barely that of a late-stage Houtian. He could not withstand the blow.

Without hesitation, Fang Yue stepped forward and delivered two more strikes to She Shanhai’s heart and head, the heat of the Flame Palm severing his life force completely.

The final ghost infant followed behind, still snapping and biting at Fang Yue. With its master dead, it seemed unaffected, mindlessly carrying out its final order. Fang Yue shattered it with a final palm strike, then returned to retrieve his sword.

According to She Shanhai’s dying words, there was another group targeting Qiu Shiyan. Though he believed she could hold her own, Fang Yue refused to risk any accidents. Holding his sword, he activated the "Wind-Chasing, Moon-Pursuing" technique and rushed toward the back courtyard.