"Give Gu Zhong back to me!"
Lingyan raised the magical artifact in her hand, staring intently at Gu Zhong in front of her, making a bluffing threat.
"Gu Zhong! Can you hear me?"
Then, as if remembering something, she called out loudly.
It seemed they hoped that Gu Zhong would suddenly regain his senses, just like during the battle at the palace, and cleave through the black mist with a single sword strike, annihilating the surrounding demons.
However, nothing happened this time. The black mist still surrounded Gu Zhong, constantly drilling into his chest through the gaping hole, repairing the already rotting flesh.
A flame attacked Gu Zhong from behind.
The flames came with extreme ferocity; Ling Yan had never seen Ling Ying use this technique before.
If he were to throw that ball of flame onto the ground, he might be able to wipe out nearly half of the demon cultivators in an instant.
"careful!"
Lingyan couldn't help but speak up to remind him, completely forgetting that Gu Zhong was no longer the same person.
Gu Zhong turned his head slightly, and with a wave of his hand, extinguished the raging fire. Then he looked at Ling Ying.
Looking into those lifeless eyes, Ling Ying felt a chill of fear and couldn't help but take a few steps back.
His left hand was pressed against his right elbow, and a look of pain appeared on his face, as if he had suffered a very serious injury.
"Ling Ying?! What happened?"
Chu Cheng called out to him in confusion.
"I'm fine."
Ling Ying's answer was very weak.
"How do you know I'm not Gu Zhong?"
He darted to Ling Yan's side, whispered this last sentence in her ear, and then turned into black mist, disappearing completely into the night.
"Gu... Zhong?"
After savoring those two words for a moment, Ling Yan suddenly turned around and looked at the now tranquil night, her eyes shining with an astonishing brightness.
--------------------
Author's Note:
GGAD got divorced, so they got divorced (no).
Gu Zhong: Another day of having my heart ripped out by my wife!
//Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-04-09 22:52:12 and 2022-04-10 23:19:45!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Spring Breeze Once More (30 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 129 Swordsman and Exorcist (Fifteen)
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With Gu Zhong's departure, the densely packed demon cultivators withered instantly, as if deprived of nourishment.
They didn't even have time to utter a mournful cry before turning to ashes and falling into eternal silence in the night.
The black mist covering the ground, after churning for a moment, gradually disappeared and vanished into nothingness.
What's going on?
Having slain demons and monsters for so many years, Chu Cheng had never encountered such a situation before, leaving him speechless with astonishment.
"I don't know either."
Ling Ying pursed her lips, looking equally surprised.
Only Lingyan remained gazing thoughtfully in the direction where Gu Zhong had disappeared.
"Let's see if there are any survivors in the Taoist temple."
After a moment of contemplation, Ling Yan turned to look at the two people who had fallen to the ground in a disheveled state and said calmly.
The result was entirely as expected; it did not meet their expectations.
With such a massive display tonight, no one survived the entire Taoist temple.
"Let's go back to the Imperial Preceptor's residence..."
Chu Cheng said absentmindedly, his usually straight shoulders slumped down, as if all his energy had been drained away in an instant.
"Mr. Chu, what's wrong with you?"
Ling Ying asked in surprise.
"If we hadn't come here tonight, would this tragedy have been avoided?"
During the day, the people still alive in this Taoist temple might just brush past him, exchange a few words with him, or simply offer him a cup of hot tea.
Within a few hours, right before his eyes, it transformed into a mindless monster, then turned to ashes and vanished completely from this world.
Watching helplessly as such an unstoppable tragedy unfolded before his eyes, and being powerless to stop it, Chu Cheng was filled with self-blame and guilt, and he became obsessed with negative thoughts.
"Perhaps..."
Seeing the dejected Chu Cheng, Ling Ying put her hand on his shoulder, seemingly wanting to comfort him.
There are no "ifs".
At this moment, Lingyan seemed unable to comprehend Chucheng's pain, coldly and indifferently interrupting his confession.
"Aren't we supposed to be going back to the Imperial Preceptor's residence? What can we do here?"
——
When the three exhausted men rushed back to the Imperial Preceptor's residence without stopping, the moon had already disappeared into the dim light of the sky, leaving only a hazy crescent.
The dawn light began to shine from the edges, but it still seemed dim.
"Inform Senior Brother Lu! We'll head to the Demon-Slaying Hall first."
As soon as Chu Cheng arrived at the gate, he shouted to the gatekeeper.
The disciple was taken aback. Seeing that their condition was unusual, he feared that there was indeed an emergency to report, so he hurriedly went to call for help.
"Junior Brother Chu, what's the urgent matter?"
Senior Brother Lu arrived very quickly, his hair and clothes were neat and tidy, not like someone who had just been woken up from his sleep, but rather someone who had not slept all night.
Filled with anxiety and unease, Chu Cheng didn't notice his senior brother's attire. He went straight to the point, his voice heavy with worry.
"Senior Brother Lu, something's happened at Qingxi Taoist Temple..."
"Where is Elder Gu?"
The original four-man squad was reduced to three. Senior Brother Lu glanced at Chu Cheng and Ling Ying, who were covered in sword marks, and asked in a deep voice.
"She...I'm afraid she's already turned into a demon."
Chu Cheng paused for a moment, his expression even more sorrowful.
“Tell me from the beginning.”
Senior Brother Lu narrowed his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his narrow slits.
Chu Cheng and Ling Ying then recounted in detail what they had seen and heard that night, while Ling Yan listened quietly without saying a word.
"So, in the end, she didn't attack you?"
Senior Brother Lu glanced at Ling Yan with a strange look in his eyes.
"yes···"
Chu Cheng also glanced at Ling Yan, somewhat puzzled.
"Miss Ling, did you notice anything unusual that night?"
Senior Brother Lu then turned to Lingyan and asked.
"No."
Lingyan's answer was brief and resolute.
"Really not?"
Senior Brother Lu looked her up and down suspiciously.
"What does Senior Brother Lu mean by this? Do you suspect me of colluding with demons?"
Lingyan bluntly pointed out his thoughts, and she lost all her politeness.
"Senior Brother Lu, Miss Ling would never be that kind of person..."
Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two, Chu Cheng quickly stepped in and acted as a peacemaker once again.
"I certainly believe that, but—"
Senior Brother Lu nodded slightly, then his expression turned serious, and he drawled out—
"Do you know what really happened at the Imperial Preceptor's residence?"
"What is it?"
Ling Yan raised her eyebrows and asked. She had felt something was wrong before. The Imperial Preceptor's Mansion was now just an empty shell. Only Chu Cheng would be foolish enough to believe the Imperial Preceptor's claim of seclusion.
"The Imperial Preceptor was seriously injured in the battle with the demon, and all the elders of the mansion were killed in the battle—yet the demon still managed to escape."
Senior Brother Lu's expression was serious, and the words that came out of his mouth were like a thunderclap, exploding in the ears of the group.
"Could there be a demon even more terrifying than the one from a hundred years ago? Besides, why does this great battle seem to have passed without any activity? The royal city remains peaceful?"
Lingyan frowned, recalling the earth-shattering battle that had been passed down through generations of her aristocratic family.
She didn't entirely believe what Senior Brother Lu said, so she asked a series of questions.
"That's not entirely true. It's just that this demon's abilities are unpredictable and difficult to guard against. It can possess people and suddenly attack, taking their lives in an instant."