Perhaps Lu Xuan's intervention had a butterfly effect, because Nie Xiaoqian had just entered Ning Caichen's room when she heard a loud shout from outside.
"You fiend, how dare you harm people here! Die!"
Yan Chixia suddenly appeared out of nowhere, kicked open the door without saying a word, and drew his sword to slash at Nie Xiaoqian.
Unexpectedly, Ning Caichen suddenly jumped out and stood in front of Nie Xiaoqian.
"Girl, you'd better get out of here! I'll hold them off!"
With a soft chuckle, Lu Xuan couldn't help but laugh out loud. Xiahou turned around and saw that Lu Xuan had somehow moved a stool and was sitting by the window, holding a plate of delicate pastries. He looked like he was seriously watching a show.
The farce outside continued.
"Idiot, can't you tell she's a ghost and wants to harm you?"
"Pah! I think you're the idiot. You look like a vicious monster and you're definitely not a good person."
"If you don't move aside, I'll chop you up too!"
"Come on then, do you think I'm afraid of you? Don't be afraid, young lady, I'll protect you." With that, Ning Caichen drew a short sword from his waist and held it to his chest.
Yan Chixia was exasperated by his actions, but when he saw the sword, he was startled. The sword was exceptionally ornate; he had initially thought it was just a pretentious trinkets for scholars, all show and no substance. But unexpectedly, the moment the sword was drawn, he sensed a faint spiritual power emanating from its blade. The sword was actually a magical artifact.
"Hey kid, where did you get your sword?"
"That's none of your business. Let me tell you, I've practiced swordsmanship."
Yan Chixia: "..." He felt like he was talking to a brick wall. This blockhead in front of him was completely unyielding, making him so angry that he really wanted to chop him down with his sword.
Nie Xiaoqian's heart skipped a beat when Ning Caichen drew his sword. She nearly fled through the door. To better control them, Grandma naturally wouldn't allow these female ghosts to be too powerful. The sword in Ning Caichen's hand instilled in her an instinctive sense of fear.
Just as Yan Chixia and Ning Caichen were facing off, Lu Xuan suddenly looked up and glanced into the distance.
"The show is about to begin," Lu Xuan muttered to himself, then took out a magic sword that had been forged during their early days of working together and handed it to Xiahou.
"Use this sword when the fight starts."
Xiahou took the sword and immediately knew upon testing it that it was a divine weapon of exceptional quality.
"Thank you, young master."
"If you stay by my side, you'll inevitably encounter similar situations in the future. I will teach you some coping strategies later. You need to study them diligently."
Xiahou was overjoyed and knelt on one knee.
"It is my good fortune to be able to follow you, young master."
"It's so good that you think that way."
As they spoke, a black wind descended from the sky. From the chaos, a figure that was neither male nor female shouted.
"Yan Chixia, we agreed to keep to ourselves. Now you dare to touch my people!"
"Pah, you old hag. Your lackeys are harming people here, and you expect me to stand idly by? Eat shit!"
"presumptuous."
As the earth and rocks churned, countless roots sprouted out, simultaneously engulfing Yan Chixia and Ning Caichen.
"Young master, shouldn't we make a move?" Xiahou asked softly from the side.
"That old hag has been watching us the whole time! We'll just have to watch the show."
"Oh." Xiahou fell silent, standing behind Lu Xuan and quietly watching the fight in the courtyard.
Yan Chixia is a typical practitioner of both magic and martial arts. Not only is his Taoist magic strong, but his swordsmanship is also exceptional.
He quickly chanted a few incantations. He then brought two fingers of his left hand together and swept them across the sword. The longsword immediately emitted a pale golden light.
He didn't use any other magic; he just swung his sword like he was chopping vegetables and melons, cutting off all the roots.
"Old hag, is that all you've got? Haven't you been eating enough lately? You're just exhausted."
Yan Chixia's mouth was also a powerful weapon; often, as soon as he opened his mouth, the tree demon would roar in anger.
"You stinking Taoist priest, you're asking for death."
The dilapidated wall was shattered by a tremendous force. A tongue, a meter wide and twenty centimeters thick, rolled in.
Yan Chixia's expression changed slightly, realizing that the tree demon was serious. He then threw his longsword into the air.
"By imperial decree, the sun rises in the east, bestowing upon me a divine talisman to sweep away misfortune and vanquish evil."
The longsword suddenly emitted a golden-red light in the sky, and then fell from the sky, pinning the huge tongue to the ground.
A scream echoed from the void. The tongue, which had been immobilized by Yan Chixia, suddenly exploded, turning into thick black water that poured down on Yan Chixia.
At the same time, countless withered yellow leaves fluttered down from the sky, enveloping the entire temple.
"Demons and monsters are rampant, and lawlessness reigns!"
Lu Xuan, who was inside the room, raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Hehe, see that? This is only the first time they've really gotten serious."
Yan Chixia was also furious.
"Old hag, if you want to play this game, I'll play along with you to the very end."