Chapter 30: Scapegoating
This group was none other than Li Lianqing.
Their current appearance was not an illusion but a complete change of faces.
“That Lord’s Corpse Puppet is truly terrifying, possessing such an unprecedented divine ability. Even a reborn True Immortal wouldn’t be able to see through us.”
Li Lianqing, now bald, stared at the expressionless Luo Song, his reverence for that Lord deepening.
Luo Song’s divine ability was called “Visage Reshaping,” capable of permanently altering a person’s appearance.
However, this change was uncontrollable, resulting in random appearances.
For instance, Li Lianqing had become tall, thin, and bald, while the younger Li Ming had transformed into a middle-aged robust man.
The Soul Refining Sect’s plan was straightforward.
They would pretend to conduct a transaction with Wuhua Palace, then transform into others and steal back the Spiritual Stones under the guise of other Sects.
The blame for the murder and robbery would be pinned on other Sects, allowing the Soul Refining Sect to acquire ten Marrow Cleansing Elixirs for free.
“Killing people and their spirits! Killing people and their spirits!” Li Ming laughed with a contorted face. “This way, Wuhua Palace won’t be able to avenge that arrogant Cultivation Cauldron. If he knew from the underworld after his death, he’d be furious!”
Li Lianqing nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Today, we’ll kill that arrogant youngster.”
Luo Song was a Nascent Soul realm powerhouse. Due to the nature of Corpse Puppets, his combat power was at its peak in the latter half of the night, and the time was not yet ripe.
“Uncle, should we rush over and kill them now?”
“No, we must be steady and wait for the right moment,” Li Lianqing said. “A small impatience can ruin great plans. Recklessness can easily lead to one’s own death.”
Time flowed by, and the latter half of the night arrived.
Luo Song’s eyes became bloodshot, and his chilling True Qi grew denser. The time was ripe.
“Alright, let’s move. Luo Song, you go first and draw them out!”
…
“I must complete this mission successfully and gain Wuhua Palace’s recognition. That way, I can get closer to the Young Palace Mistress.”
Ling Xiaoxing was focused, in a state of high alert.
Suddenly, Ling Xiaoxing sensed a powerful hostility approaching her rapidly from directly ahead.
Enemy attack!
A dark figure broke through the window and landed steadily on the floor.
With pale skin and blood-red eyes, the man exuded a dangerous aura.
“Who goes there?” Ling Xiaoxing asked sternly.
This was Luo Song, a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, but Ling Xiaoxing did not know he was a Corpse Puppet and mistook him for a suddenly attacking Cult.
“Spirit Wood Staff!”
Ling Xiaoxing summoned her Magical Treasure, wary of the opponent’s actions.
“Aaaahhhhhhh!!!”
Luo Song let out a chilling roar and punched towards the girl.
Ling Xiaoxing quickly wielded her artifact and engaged the enemy in combat.
The opponent’s skin was like iron and copper; Ling Xiaoxing’s Magical Treasure could not harm him in the slightest.
Conversely, Luo Song’s fists struck one after another, like an incoming tide, continuously accumulating force.
The opponent didn’t even use a Magical Treasure, rendering her unable to defend herself.
Ling Xiaoxing realized the vast disparity in realms between them, leaving no hope for victory!
“Wood Spirit Breath Shield!”
Ling Xiaoxing could no longer endure and abandoned her attack, resorting to a protective technique.
However, the shield could not block Luo Song and was easily shattered.
Ling Xiaoxing was blown away by the wind force of the punch, crashing through the wall and landing in Ye Changsheng’s room next door.
“Wake up, Wuxiao! Wake up, the enemy is here!!” Ling Xiaoxing leaned by the bed, pale. “The enemy is a Nascent Soul realm cultivator!”
“Oh… huh?” Ye Changsheng opened his eyes. “From the Soul Refining Sect?”
“Probably not from the Soul Refining Sect. Hurry and get up!”
Ling Xiaoxing was about to pull away Ye Changsheng’s blanket but then remembered he slept naked.
That would mean he was wearing nothing, and she would see Ye Changsheng completely exposed—
“Aaaah!”
With a roar, the black figure flew out of the hole. Luo Song intended to kill both Ye Changsheng and Ling Xiaoxing.
Ye Changsheng suddenly threw back the blanket, blocking Ling Xiaoxing’s view and wrapping her within it.
*Thud!*
Luo Song’s fist landed, but Ye Changsheng raised his index finger, lightly deflecting the overwhelming force.
“Huh? Huh!! Huh!!” Ling Xiaoxing couldn’t see what was happening outside, only hearing a loud crash.
“Senior Sister Xiaoxing, you go outside first and provide backup later. I’ll hold him off.”
Ye Changsheng put his arm around Ling Xiaoxing’s waist and tossed her outside. Ling Xiaoxing flew out and landed in the grass.
“Aaaah?”
Luo Song looked confused. As a Corpse Puppet, he couldn’t think like a normal person, wondering what the opponent had done.
“That was an internal force channeling the Dao, nothing to be surprised about.” Ye Changsheng picked up his clothes and draped them over his shoulders.
Luo Song roared and charged forward, unleashing a torrent of punches like a tsunami. The walls of the room cracked, and the floor tiles were sent flying.
Yet, Ye Changsheng danced like a butterfly amidst the rain of fists, perfectly evading the attacks and moreover, elegantly putting on his clothes.
“In the end, you’re just an outwardly impressive Corpse Puppet, incapable of even casting a decent Sorcery.”
Ye Changsheng put on the mask of Wuhua Palace’s Cultivation Cauldron, flicked his sleeves, dispersed Luo Song’s fist rain, and even knocked him to the ground.
“Alright, I should leave. If I stay any longer, Senior Sister Xiaoxing will start doubting my cultivation.”
“Aaaahhh!”
Luo Song, lying on the ground, got up, looked around, and found Ye Changsheng had disappeared.
Ye Changsheng landed outside the inn, and Ling Xiaoxing quickly went to meet him.
“Wuxiao, are you alright?!”
“I barely managed to escape,” Ye Changsheng said in a low voice. “He is indeed at the Nascent Soul realm. I was nearly killed by him.”
“It’s over. None of us can deal with him,” Ling Xiaoxing said, gritting her teeth. “We can only flee.”
“Want to run? Not so easy!”
A loud explosion sounded from above Ling Xiaoxing’s head. A Magical Treasure, trailing a line of light, flew over, and several figures flickered within the bamboo forest.
“Spirit Wood Staff!”
Ling Xiaoxing quickly used her Magical Treasure to block the first wave of attacks.
However, as the second wave arrived, the opponents unleashed their Magical Treasures one after another.
Ling Xiaoxing was outnumbered and suppressed.
“May I ask who you are, Fellow Daoists, and why you are attacking us without cause?” Ling Xiaoxing asked as she retreated while fighting.
The figures all jumped out, appearing before the two of them.
Ling Xiaoxing didn’t recognize any of these people; she had never seen them before.
“You dogs of Wuhua Palace, today we, the Honghuo Sect, have come to take your lives!” Li Lianqing began his act.
“Honghuo Sect?
Ling Xiaoxing initially thought it was people from the Soul Refining Sect causing trouble, but it turned out to be a local third-rate force?
“Honghuo Sect, you know we are from Wuhua Palace, yet you dare to provoke us? Don’t you want to live!”
“Heh heh, Wuhua Palace. Have you forgotten what you did to people from the Honghuo Sect before?”
Li Lianqing commanded loudly.
“Luo Song, come here!”
Ye Changsheng patted Ling Xiaoxing’s shoulder. She realized that Luo Song had blocked her retreat.
Caught between them, she was in a dangerous situation.
“You dogs of Wuhua Palace! My younger brother was captured by you and died being used as a Cultivation Cauldron. I am here for revenge today!” Li Lianqing pointed at Ling Xiaoxing, his face filled with righteous indignation.
