Lin Zhao crouched behind a birch tree, gently pressing Wang Yue’s shoulder without making a sound. He gestured for her to remain silent and observe first. The martial world was a turbulent sea, and it was best not to act immediately when encountering trouble. One had to understand the full story first. After all, he didn't know the background of the young Taoist priest or the origin of the female vengeful spirit.
...
On the ridge, a gloomy, wild wind suddenly surged. The female vengeful spirit, clad in a white dress, fluttered in the wind. Her eyes were hollow, devoid of any spirit. Her face was contorted, and a sinister smile curled her lips. She said, "Ignorant little Taoist, you are here to ferry these souls to the afterlife, but who will ferry you?"
The young Taoist priest’s brows were tightly knit. He clasped his hands together in a salute and said, "Miss, this place has been ravaged by demons. As a member of the Taoist sect, it is my duty to ferry the souls of the departed. If I have offended you in any way, please explain the reason."
"Are you worthy?"
The female vengeful spirit’s smile turned ferocious. She pointed a finger at the village below, which had already been razed to the ground. "You think these villagers were honest and their souls innocent? Very well, proceed with your ritual. I shall ferry you as well!"
With that, the vengeful spirit let out a roar. She spread her sleeves wide, her hands transforming into blood-red claws, and struck fiercely at the young Taoist priest. Ghostly power surged!
This female ghost was in the Golden Core realm. In Lin Zhao's perception, she was a level 130 Earth-tier Boss. Not particularly powerful, and he could handle her in a one-on-one fight. After all, Lin Zhao, a Golden Core Sword Cultivator, had substantial backing. While most Sword Cultivators in the national server had only one Sword Lake, he already possessed two Sword Lakes and two flying swords.
However, the young Taoist priest was not so fortunate. He was merely a cultivator in the Fourth Realm. Facing the female vengeful spirit’s ferocious assault, he remained silent. He merely drew his long sword horizontally, bit his finger, and smeared his blood onto the blade, then uttered, "All Taoist arts, heed my command!"
The next moment, the female vengeful spirit's claws struck the sword's edge, emitting sparks of golden light. Under the violent impact, the sword was completely drawn from its sheath. The inscription "Zhen Wu" was carved near the hilt of the blade. After being infused with the young Taoist priest's blood, the blade emitted a radiant glow, seemingly having a natural suppressive effect on the female vengeful spirit, and repelled her claws!
With a wail, the female vengeful spirit recoiled as if electrocuted. She stopped in the wind, her eyes filled with disbelief. She had cultivated on this ridge for nearly 300 years, finally achieving the realm of a Golden Core ghost cultivator, only to suffer a setback at the hands of a mere Fourth Realm novice Taoist. The sword in his hand was undoubtedly extraordinary!
On the other side, the young Taoist priest, having endured the impact of the Golden Core vengeful spirit's ghostly gale, was sent flying backward. He crashed heavily into an ancient tree, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face turning extremely pale.
"Hmph!"
The female vengeful spirit drifted with the wind, her eyes glinting coldly. "You believe your exorcism and deliverance are righteous deeds, yet you fail to realize you are merely an accomplice. Since you live in confusion, you shall also die in confusion."
She spread her arms, and behind her, numerous spectral phantoms materialized, all wielding terrifying swords and blades. This was the Golden Core vengeful spirit's ultimate attack.
Lin Zhao frowned, having grasped the situation. He gently pressed Wang Yue's shoulder. "Stay here and hide. Come out when I call you. Don't act rashly."
Wang Yue smiled and nodded. "Okay!"
Lin Zhao stood up and walked out of the woods, cupping his fists. "Please, both of you, stop. Let's talk things through. Why resort to violence?"
The young Taoist priest frowned. He couldn't discern Lin Zhao's cultivation level, meaning he had none. He was just a young wandering swordsman. So, he gritted his teeth and said, "Young hero, this is none of your business. Leave quickly. This is a Golden Core vengeful spirit; don't let her take your life!"
Lin Zhao couldn't help but chuckle. This young Taoist priest, despite his low cultivation, had a good heart. He was concerned about others' safety even when he himself was on the verge of death. The female vengeful spirit, on the other hand, sneered. "Tsk, tsk. A swordsman of the lower five realms, what right do you have to meddle here? Have you never died before?"
"???"
Lin Zhao felt helpless. He was clearly an eighth-realm Sword Cultivator. Perhaps it was due to his player status that his aura was naturally suppressed. Thus, in the female vengeful spirit's eyes, Lin Zhao, while a cultivator, was not beyond the lower five realms.
"Honestly, I have died before."
Lin Zhao raised his hand and drew Liquan, smiling. "And it felt terrible! Miss, if you insist on killing this Taoist, then you are truly disregarding right and wrong. After all, he is merely performing a good deed by ferrying the souls. He has done nothing wrong."
"Done nothing wrong?!"
The female vengeful spirit roared, "He has gravely erred! If you, a swordsman of the lower five realms, dare to protect him, you are also an accomplice and a deserving target!"
With that, the female vengeful spirit let out a sharp cry and redirected her attack from behind towards Lin Zhao. Instantly, a torrent of assaults from the ghostly phantoms overwhelmed him. Lin Zhao's eyebrows shot up. Without hesitation, he activated his Sword Break technique. With a "hum," a circular sword domain opened behind him, and streaks of flying sword radiance shot out from the void, repeatedly clashing with the female ghost's attacks. Sword energy and ghost energy collided, shattering her assault in moments.
"..."
The young Taoist priest was dumbfounded. This seemingly ordinary wandering swordsman was so powerful?
"Come, let me see your state of mind!"
Lin Zhao suddenly took a step forward. The flying sword Haoran, its cracks mostly repaired, rushed out of the Sword Lake and unleashed its divine ability, Small Heaven and Earth, directly enveloping the female vengeful spirit within Lin Zhao's domain. For a moment, the female vengeful spirit was immobilized. Even her thoughts and memories seemed laid bare.
Lin Zhao stood suspended in the air, arms crossed, gazing at the unfolding tapestry of memories.
The woman’s name was Chu Meiren. She was a woman who made a living playing the pipa and singing in the Northern Territory. Three hundred years ago, she returned to her hometown from the Northern Territory with her father. When they passed through the nearby village late at night, several unruly youths in the village stoned her father to death. Afterward, they subjected her to immense torment before killing her and sinking her body into a nearby stream, weighted down by stones.
Chu Meiren could not swallow this injustice. She transformed into a vengeful spirit in the stream and embarked on the path of ghost cultivation, eventually becoming the Golden Core realm cultivator she was now. Coincidentally, among the villagers massacred by demons below the mountain, some households were descendants of those who had killed her. This was likely why she considered the young Taoist priest an accomplice.
"Alas..."
Lin Zhao sighed and quietly withdrew from the Small Heaven and Earth. Then, with a "hum," the flying sword Mingyue shot out of the Sword Lake, its chilling radiance stopping before Chu Meiren's forehead. A single rash move would easily subdue her. Lin Zhao frowned and said, "I know what happened."
A flicker of spirit finally appeared in Chu Meiren's eyes. Tears welled up, and she wept piteously. "Young master, do you still think these people deserved their fate?"
"It's hard to say."
Lin Zhao frowned. "The grievances of one generation should not implicate the next. Those who wronged you have long since passed away. Why do you continue to hold a grudge against their descendants? Once these people are dead, your grievances would have been settled."
Chu Meiren gritted her teeth, remaining silent.
Lin Zhao turned and looked at the young Taoist priest. "I am Lin Zhao from Xueyu Tianchi. May I ask your name?"
The Taoist priest hastily clasped his hands in a salute. "I am Xu Ming'an, a cultivator from Jiuhua Mountain's Taoist sect."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao turned to look at the female vengeful spirit. "Chu Meiren, Xu Ming'an's act of ferrying the souls of the wrongly deceased is a good deed, both in reason and in sentiment. You shouldn't have taken your anger out on him. Do you understand this principle?"
"..."
Chu Meiren frowned. "Young master, what if I agree? And what if I refuse?"
"The principle stands regardless."
Lin Zhao's gaze turned sharp. "If you accept this principle, it shows you still have a shred of conscience and understand right from wrong. I will not trouble you further. If you refuse, it means your conscience has been blinded by the hatred of 300 years ago. If I let you go today, you will still harm others. If Xu Ming'an cannot ferry you, I will do it myself. However, the process might not be as gentle, as it would be a physical deliverance."
"..."
The female vengeful spirit wept bitterly.
Xu Ming'an hesitated for a moment and respectfully said, "Miss, do you have a deep-seated enmity with the ancestors of these villagers?"
"A bloody feud!"
"I understand."
Xu Ming'an clasped his hands in a salute. "My words were too harsh earlier. I apologize."
Chu Meiren was stunned. "Young master?"
"Why not let it go?"
Lin Zhao smiled. "Miss Chu, as long as you do not commit any wicked deeds, I will allow you to return to the mountains and cultivate on your own. After all, it is not easy to achieve Golden Core realm after so many years. If you perform more good deeds in the future, perhaps you might attract the true will of heaven and earth and receive a posthumous title, forging a golden body with your ethereal spirit. This could be considered a form of enlightenment. What do you think, Miss?"
"Mm."
The ferocity in Chu Meiren's eyes gradually softened. "This servant will follow the young master's arrangements!"
"Go then."
Lin Zhao retracted the flying sword Mingyue and cupped his fists towards the female vengeful spirit, smiling. "We may meet again in the future, like mountains and rivers, like all rivers returning to the sea. I wish you well, Miss."
Tears glistening in her eyes, Chu Meiren slowly retreated into the depths of the mountains.
...
"Lin Zhao, thank you!"
Xu Ming'an thanked him again, relieved.
"You're welcome."
Lin Zhao smiled. "By the way, Xu Ming'an, you are skilled in Taoist arts of deliverance, aren't you?"
"A little."
Xu Ming'an scratched his head. "I am merely a Fourth Realm Taoist cultivator. The Taoist arts I learned are from a picture scroll left by my master. They are rather basic, but I can still ferry ordinary souls."
"Good."
Lin Zhao smiled slightly. "Help me with a favor. Go and ferry two innocent souls, will you?"