Mystery of the Old House

Chapter 13

Since Zi Ning's death, Jing Yun had been constantly worried about Zhu Ze's health. That day, seeing that the weather was fine, she wanted to persuade Zhu Ze not to stay in his study all day, but to go for a stroll in the garden, lest he become ill from being cooped up. With that in mind, she went to Zhu Ze's study. The study door was not closed, and Jing Yun gently pushed it open and went inside.

Zhu Ze was no longer the spirited man he once was. He was disheveled and listless. Seeing him like this, Jingyun felt a pang of sadness and quickly stepped forward to comfort him softly.

Zhu Ci wanted to investigate Zhu Ze's study. Just as he reached the door, he heard people talking inside. He stood still and listened carefully. It turned out to be his wife, Jing Yun. He decided to stand outside the door and listen to what they were saying.

"Little brother, Zi Ning is gone. Take care of yourself and don't hurt yourself! I will always remember your deep affection for me. Forget me from now on. I have failed Zi Ning!" She then began to sob. Her crying made Zhu Ze think of Zi Ning and he couldn't help but cry as well.

Hearing Jingyun's words from outside the door and seeing them both crying, Zhu Ci thought it was true and was filled with rage. He pushed open the door and was immediately filled with anger and hatred when he saw the poems on the walls.

Jingyun and Zhu Ze were weeping when Zhu Ci stormed in, looking furious. Zhu Ze, seeing his elder brother's ashen face and angry expression, was about to speak when he heard his brother recite:

Once you've seen the ocean, other waters seem insignificant; once you've seen the clouds of Wushan, other clouds seem pale in comparison.

I'm too lazy to look back at the flowers, half for cultivating the Tao, half for you.

"Big brother..."

"What a fine 'half for cultivation, half for love'! Say no more!" Zhu Ci roared.

"My husband, please listen to me!"

Seeing Zhu Ci's resentful face, Jingyun feared the two brothers would fight and rushed over to pull Zhu Ci away. Zhu Ci, however, wouldn't listen to Jingyun and forcefully shook off her hand. But he used too much force, shoving Jingyun against the wall, causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood. Zhu Ci was a martial artist with considerable skill, and coupled with his pent-up resentment, his force was excessive, pushing Jingyun to her death. By the time Zhu Ze rushed over with a scream and caught Jingyun, it was too late. Jingyun was already barely breathing, giving the two brothers one last, lingering look before quietly passing away.

"Haha...They're all dead, all of them are dead, good, good, it's good that they're dead!"

Zhu Ze, tears welling in his eyes, laughed wildly with a sorrowful expression, his head thrown back. Zhu Ci, kneeling beside Jing Yun, embraced her and wept bitterly…

Suddenly, the sky darkened, and in the blink of an eye, a torrential downpour began!

"Haha..." A burst of arrogant sneer pulled Zheng Qi and the others back to reality. The scene in the stone chamber was still vivid in their minds, and the sneer echoed in the air for a long time.

"Who are you? What do you want? Stop cowering and come out and talk."

Zheng Qi snapped out of his daze and shouted loudly at the sky above the stone chamber with a cold face.

A black, eerie wind suddenly rose from nowhere, and the spirit pearl tightly held in Zheng Qi's hand suddenly became scorching hot and stung him. Zheng Qi knew in his heart that this demon was not weak. He secretly gave Mo Han a look, telling him to be careful. Mo Han nodded in understanding.

A masked man in black appeared before Zheng Qi and the others.

"Five hundred years! I've waited five hundred years! Finally, the day I've waited for has come!"

The masked man in black slowly walked to the stone coffin, patted it, and said in a low voice.

A hush fell over the room. No one uttered a sound. The masked man in black slowly turned around, his eyes flashing with a cold, fierce light as he glared at Zheng Qi and his companions.

"Feng Xing, bring him here!"

The masked man in black gave the order coldly, his tone carrying a chilling and domineering air.

"What is he going to do? What should we do?" Zheng Qi asked Mo Han in a low voice.

"Stay put and wait for the situation to change!" Mo Han uttered four words calmly, his eyes fixed on the masked man in black.

All eyes turned to Ling Bing and Yu Xue.

Yu Xue began to feel uneasy. She glanced at Ling Bing, then looked towards Zheng Qi and the others, a hint of pain and despair in her eyes. Ling Bing remained standing there blankly, expressionless, just as Zheng Qi and the others had seen her before, looking completely lost.

"If things get bad, you protect Ye Feng and the others, I'll go rescue Ling Bing and Yu Xue!"

Zheng Qi, still worried about Ling Bing, turned his head slightly and whispered to Mo Han, who nodded almost imperceptibly. His gaze, however, remained fixed on the masked man in black.

The air suddenly became tense, oppressive, and filled with fear.

"Feng Xing, what do you want to do?" the masked man in black suddenly shouted.

Feng Xing and Yun Piao each grabbed Ling Bing and Yu Xue by the neck, and Ling Bing and Yu Xue's faces began to turn red.

"Give me the spirit pearl right now, or they'll both die!"

Ignoring the masked man's angry shouts, Feng Xing yelled at Zheng Qi, his eyes filled with ferocity.

Mo Han glanced at Zheng Qi, who stared coldly at Feng Xing without moving.

"Did you hear me? Hurry up!" Feng Xing shouted again, and Ling Bing and Yu Xue's faces turned even redder!

Zheng Qi remained standing there indifferently, seemingly unmoved.

"Zheng Qi, give them to them, otherwise Ling Bing and Yu Xue will be killed!"

Meng'er pleaded softly behind Zheng Qi, her voice trembling. Mo Han secretly gestured to Meng'er and the others from behind her back, signaling them to stop. Meng'er held back her tears and fell silent.

"Feng Xing, do you think they are the extremes of Yin and Yang?"

Another masked man in black appeared behind Feng Xing.

"Lightning?"

"Hmph, do you think you can control the Spirit Orb just by drinking their blood?"

Lightning said with a mocking tone.

How did you know?

"You think Blood Rabbit is still under your control? Haha... She's been obeying me for a long time!"

"You? You? That bitch Blood Rabbit lied to me!"

"Hmph, the day I possessed Li Fan's body, I noticed that the little rabbit was acting strangely. Sure enough, it turned out to be your spy, Lord Fengxing."

At this point, Lightning glanced smugly at Windwalker and continued:

"How could a mere blood rabbit spirit be a match for my lightning strike? It's incredibly clever. The moment it ran into me, it spilled all your secrets, Lord Windwalker, and even started keeping an eye on your every move for me! Haha..."

Enraged, Feng Xing gritted his teeth, suddenly released Ling Bing, and dragged Yun Piao towards the other side of the stone chamber where Zheng Qi and the others were. Zheng Qi and the others only saw a gust of wind sweep past, followed by a black shadow flashing by. In the blink of an eye, Feng Xing and Yun Piao collapsed to the ground, leaving only a shriveled tiger skin and a shriveled fox skin. Soon after, the two skins gradually shrank, becoming smaller and smaller, until finally nothing remained.

Meng'er and Ye Feng, who were standing to the side, couldn't help but shudder.

"Hmph!" The masked man in black stood beside the stone coffin, not even glancing at it, and coldly snorted through his nose.

Lightning, standing to the side, felt a chill run down his spine when he saw that Wind and Cloud had ended up with nothing.

Mo Han and Zheng Qi gasped in shock; this monster was not to be underestimated! Just as everyone was calming their fear and unease, a piercing scream rang out. Mo Han's heart sank – Oh no! But it was too late!

Ling Bing and Yu Xue had been captured and brought to the side of the masked man in black.

The masked man in black gave Zheng Qi and his companions a sinister smile.

"Thunder and lightning, protect the Lord's primordial spirit!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! I obey!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the masked man in black who had been standing behind Feng Xing instantly flew to the left side of the stone coffin like a whirlwind, transforming into a one-eyed, silver-gray wolf. Before anyone could see clearly, a gigantic, multicolored python suddenly sprang out from the right side of the stone coffin.

Upon seeing this, Yu Xue's face turned pale, while Ling Bing remained completely oblivious to the scene before her.

Upon seeing the two monsters, Zheng Qi and the others felt their hearts sink again.

"What time is it now?" Zheng Qi asked Mo Han quietly.

"Fifteen minutes until Ion Night!"

"good!"

Zheng Qi turned slightly to the side and whispered to Ye Feng behind him,

"Ye Feng, take the Spirit Pearl! You, Meng'er, and Cheng Jin, retreat to the edge of the stone chamber. Mo Han and I will go rescue Ling Bing and Yu Xue!"

After saying that, she shoved the spirit pearl she was holding tightly into Zheng Qi's hand.

"What? Zheng Qi, are you crazy? You gave us the Spirit Pearl, how are you going to deal with that demon?"

Ye Feng exclaimed in surprise.

"Shh, keep your voice down! With the Spirit Pearl in your hands, the demons won't dare approach easily! That way, when Mo Han and I go to deal with those demons later, I won't have to worry about you. Don't worry, I'll be careful!"

While keeping a close eye on the demon's every move, Zheng Qi whispered instructions to Ye Feng and the others.

"But..." Ye Feng wanted to say something, but Zheng Qi gestured for him to stop. Ye Feng could only grip the spirit pearl tightly and remain silent, his brows furrowed, a look of pain and worry appearing on his face.

"Listen, there's no time to lose. If anything happens to Mo Han and me, you take Meng'er and Cheng Jin and leave through the stone chamber that Ling Bing and the others just came in from! Remember, don't worry about us, you go first, understand?"

Ye Feng nodded solemnly, tears welling up in his eyes.

Ye Feng led Meng'er and Cheng Jin cautiously toward the wall of the stone chamber.

Zheng Qi and Mo Han stood back to back in the center of the stone chamber.

"Are you scared?" Zheng Qi asked Mo Han with a smile.

"Hehe, life and death are in the hands of fate! Besides, it's my duty!" Mo Han said with a smile, his face showing no fear.

"Alright! You deal with the two monsters, and I'll deal with the masked man in black!"

Zheng Qi's expression turned cold, and he calmly said, while Mo Han nodded slightly.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and the air seemed to freeze, filled with a chilling murderous aura.

Mo Han raised his hands, drawing an elegant arc in the air as he chanted incantations. Suddenly, a cold light flashed out of nowhere, and a bronze sword appeared before everyone's eyes. The sword's blade was smooth and shiny, exuding a chilling aura. Its edge was as sharp as frost and snow, leaving behind a deep, piercing light wherever it passed, like the fleeting glint of stars.

"Truly a fine sword!" Zheng Qi couldn't help but exclaim. Mo Han smiled smugly.

"Demon, take this!"

Mo Han roared angrily, leaped into the air, and drew his bronze sword to strike the two monsters.

The giant python, coiled and head raised, its red tongue flicking, slowly writhed, then suddenly hissed. Its green eyes widened, and it leaped into the air, unfurling its body like a hundred-foot-long whip, hurtling towards Mo Han's head. Mo Han gripped his sword hilt tightly, his body flying towards the python's vital spot. Sensing danger, the python darted high and low, dodging rapidly, spewing out a white mist that filled the air, enveloping Mo Han. Mo Han focused his mind, closed his eyes, and chanted incantations, freezing himself in mid-air. Then, like a flash of lightning, he struck forward, aiming directly at the python's vital spot. The white mist instantly dissipated, blood splattered, and the python rolled several times in the air, hissing as it fell to the ground, leaving only its skeletal remains.

Suddenly, the python died instantly, and the one-eyed wolf howled at the sky. Its single eye, gleaming with a fierce light, emitted an eerie green glow, and its silver fur appeared as if covered in icy frost. The one-eyed wolf lay low on its stomach, its back straight and slightly arched, its long, blood-red tongue panting rapidly in its mouth. Mo Han stood three meters in front of it, one hand gripping his sword tightly, the other secretly channeling his inner energy, his eyes focused intently on the one-eyed wolf. Suddenly, a sharp howl rang out, and the one-eyed wolf pushed off with its hind legs, leaping into the air, its sharp, gleaming front claws hurtling towards Mo Han's chest like a whirlwind. In that split second, Mo Han thrust his bronze sword upwards, tilting his head back and performing a 360-degree backflip, the tip of the sword slicing through the one-eyed wolf's throat and down to its tail. A flash of silver light passed over Mo Han's body, and with a "bang," the one-eyed wolf fell to the ground, black blood splattering everywhere, leaving only a silver-gray wolf pelt.

Mo Han straightened up and coldly wiped away the drop of wolf blood from the tip of his sword. In that instant, Zheng Qi saw a flicker of panic in the masked man's eyes. It quickly returned to its vicious gaze.

Mo Han had already retreated to Zheng Qi's side.

"What do you plan to do with him?" Mo Han asked in a low voice.

"My master once taught me the art of 'sending troops and generals,' and I want to use this Maoshan Taoist technique to deal with him!"

"Okay, be careful, I'll protect you!"

Mo Han nodded and whispered. His hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the bronze sword once more.

Zheng Qi took out five beans from his pocket; the beans were red, black, yellow, blue, and cyan. He placed the five colored beans in the four corners (east, south, west, and north) to form an array, and placed the black bean in the center. Then he took out five talismans and chanted: "Heaven is clear, earth is auspicious, soldiers obey orders, soldiers follow the seal, generals act according to orders." The five talismans burst into flames as Zheng Qi chanted the incantation. Zheng Qi stood outside the array, sat cross-legged, bit his middle finger, and drew a blood Bagua (eight trigrams) in the center of his other palm. He then closed his eyes, concentrated his energy, and shouted: "Five ghosts of the center: Yao Bisong; Five ghosts of the north: Lin Jingzhong; Five ghosts of the west: Cai Ziliang; Five ghosts of the south: Zhang Zigui; Five ghosts of the east: Chen Guixian, quickly receive the order and set off! Divine soldiers, swift as the law commands!"

In an instant, five wisps of black smoke slowly rose from the five colorful beans. These wisps then transformed into five short, wiry, and menacing ghost generals. Each had fangs and bulging eyes, a truly terrifying sight. Zheng Qi frowned, muttering incantations. A moment later, the masked man in black transformed into a wisp of black mist and was drawn into the formation. Soon, the black mist tightly surrounded the five ghost generals, and a deafening, tearing sound echoed from within. Meanwhile, outside the formation, Zheng Qi's face grew increasingly pale, his body trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat rolled down his forehead. Mo Han's unease grew; he sensed that Zheng Qi was struggling to hold on, indicating that the demon's power far exceeded their expectations.

The black mist suddenly changed, gradually condensing into a ferocious and terrifying monster, letting out a shrill howl. The monster tightly gripped the five ghost generals, who began to suffocate, their ten ghostly claws and feet flailing wildly as they struggled desperately to escape. Mo Han, standing nearby, was frantic with worry, but could only watch helplessly. Helping them now would only disrupt Zheng Qi's concentration. Just as he was getting anxious, Zheng Qi suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, then straightened up, thrusting his palm, adorned with a blood-red Bagua symbol, towards the monster. A beam of golden light immediately shot from his body towards the monster. Immediately afterward, a series of explosions rang out, accompanied by bursts of fire. A thick black mist rose from the formation, then dissipated, only to instantly coalesce back into the masked man in black, who flew back to the stone coffin.

Only five charred beans remained in the formation. Zheng Qi's body went limp and he involuntarily fell backward.