The tip of the Seven Stars Sword merely tapped against Chen Hui's brow without even piercing the flesh, yet the sword qi contained within the blade bored straight into the depths of his glabella, sending the seventh-rank demonic cultivator into a dead faint.
Having forged sword intent, Zhou Wuji possessed precise control over his strikes when wielding a blade.
With the gu master's most formidable gu insects rendered useless and his martial arts only at the level of hidden force, he was entirely at Zhou Wuji's mercy.
Now was not yet the time to kill!
Dispatching two men in succession had taken less than two breaths in truth.
Inside the bedroom, the martial artist heard the commotion. Saber in hand, he was just about to rush out to help when a cold gleam flashed from a White Brow Needle. The martial artist threw his head back and fell, dead on the spot.
Zhou Wuji stepped into the bedroom, tossed the dead martial artist aside, and first performed a brief examination of the comatose youth on the bed.
Calling him a youth was not entirely accurate. He had a square face, thick eyebrows, and a tall frame. Even lying there, his bulging muscles were plainly visible, making him look like a burly adult.
Only the thick down on his jaw and upper lip revealed a touch of adolescent greenness.
The youth's face was blackened, his breathing faint and weak, appearing as though on the brink of death from a grave affliction.
Zhou Wuji noticed gu insects as fine as dust drifting through the room. Silently chanting an incantation, he activated the Five Yin Pouch. With a flick of his wide sleeve, a gauze-like veil of black qi drifted out, sweeping in a loop around the room to swallow up every fluttering gu insect.
Gu insects were minuscule creatures by nature, inherently countered by the yin spirits within the Five Yin Pouch.
Once drawn into the Five Yin Pouch, their vitality would be thoroughly drained by the yin spirit qi.
In the blink of an eye, ninety-nine percent of the drifting gu insects in the room were purged.
He also noticed that the burning incense was somewhat unusual. He promptly extinguished it and hurled the incense burner outside.
Fearing that some gu insects had not been completely eliminated, Zhou Wuji cast the Golden Light Incantation in the end to illuminate all directions.
These minuscule gu insects were each infused with a thread of the gu master's divine sense and spirituality, which was how the gu master commanded them at will.
The golden radiance cast by the Golden Light Talisman could not kill the gu insects outright, but it could destroy the divine sense and spirituality attached to them.
Deprived of this spiritual nourishment, the gu insects would die all the same.
Terrified that some gu might slip through the net, Zhou Wuji cast the Golden Light Incantation more than ten times in succession.
His vitality and blood were exceptionally robust, leaving him entirely unafraid of such tiny vermin, but ordinary mortals could not withstand them.
Especially for Yang Tieying, who had already been afflicted by gu witchcraft; any uncontrolled leftover gu would pose a lethal threat to him.
Having cleared away the swarm of gu insects, Zhou Wuji finally dismissed the Heavenly Puppet.
In a span of merely ten breaths, nearly ninety percent of his true qi had been consumed, and his divine sense had suffered heavy depletion as well, leaving his consciousness faintly dazed.
With time pressing, Zhou Wuji directly cast the Rejuvenation Technique upon himself, rapidly restoring his true qi and divine sense.
Having regained his condition, he examined Yang Tieying's body once more.
Though the Six Yang Dharma Eyes could not see through a person's viscera, at this distance they could capture the abnormal life aura inside Yang Tieying's body.
At Yang Tieying's heart, a mass of black qi was clearly clustered, which was likely the gu insects planted within him.
Zhou Wuji estimated he had a sixty to seventy percent chance of destroying these gu insects without harming Yang Tieying, but he still refrained from acting rashly.
A human life was at stake; there was no need to treat someone else's child as a practice dummy.
He stowed away the Heavenly Puppet, stepped outside to lead Wuzheng in, and asked Wuzheng to examine Yang Tieying's body.
Wuzheng took Yang Tieying's pulse, peeled open his eyelids, and felt his chest over the heart, already reaching a rough diagnosis.
"In my view, he is indeed afflicted with gu insects, right at his heart," Wuzheng said. "To deal with such foul gu insects, we can use the Body Cleansing Divine Incantation paired with the Golden Light Incantation, then administer two Golden Splendor Pills to nourish his physical body along with a Golden Yang Pill to purge the evil qi..."
Zhou Wuji praised, "Senior Brother's medical skill is exceptional."
Wuzheng shook his head. "Mainly it's because you subdued the gu master. With no one controlling the gu insects, we can treat him calmly and methodically.
"If the gu master were nearby and triggered the gu the moment we made a move, this boy would certainly be dead."
After all, gu insects burrowed deep into the flesh and carried virulent toxins; the gu master needed only to activate them to easily kill the afflicted victim.
Ordinary spells and pills had to take the patient's endurance into account and could not be so domineering and drastically potent.
Zhou Wuji smiled. "Gu witchcraft is unpresentable in the end. Senior Brother is being too modest."
"That is not quite true. Gu witchcraft has an ancient lineage and possesses its own formidable strengths. It is just that this bunch from the Five Dragons Gang has low cultivation and inferior techniques..."
Wuzheng possessed some knowledge of gu witchcraft and cautioned Zhou Wuji not to underestimate cultivators of this discipline.
Zhou Wuji nodded receptively. Senior Brother Wuzheng was right: just because the Five Dragons Gang was subpar did not mean gu witchcraft itself was weak.
Next, Wuzheng performed the Body Cleansing Divine Incantation. Although an altar could not be formally erected, Wuzheng was a properly ordained Daoist priest; by planting a few small banners, he created what amounted to half an altar.
Through the talismans and registers conferred by his sect, Wuzheng could invoke the Daoist soldiers consecrated upon the lower court's altar, greatly enhancing the power of his incantations.
Zhou Wuji could not see the Daoist soldiers, but he could sense that when Wuzheng invoked the divine incantation, it was augmented by a unique spiritual qi—there was indeed a difference in level compared to the spells he cast himself.
Once Wuzheng cast the Golden Light Incantation once more, the black qi on Yang Tieying's face immediately dissipated. His breathing turned steady and vigorous, his eyes darted beneath his lids, and he looked on the verge of waking...
Wuzheng also showed a joyful expression. This was his first time purging gu insects from someone, and he had not been entirely confident either.
Setting Yang Shuling aside, merely saving an innocent youth caught in the crossfire was enough to lift Wuzheng's spirits tremendously.
Zhou Wuji breathed a sigh of relief as well. If they could not cure Yang Tieying, their only option would have been forcing the gu master to extract the gu, which would have been far more difficult.
Wuzheng fed the youth three pills. As the medicinal potency circulated, the tall, sturdy youth awakened.
The moment Yang Tieying opened his eyes, he saw two figures standing beside the bed. In the dark, he could not see clearly, and dazed from slumber without knowing what was happening, he threw a punch almost by instinct.
Zhou Wuji reached out and pressed down on Yang Tieying's chest. This was a central pivot of the human body; with a touch of deft force, he dispersed Yang Tieying's strike.
"Easy. We're friends of your grandfather," Zhou Wuji said gently. "You were struck by gu witchcraft, and you probably don't know what happened. Now go to the front courtyard and fetch your grandfather. Tell him Zhou Wuji invites him over to speak."
Yang Tieying was still somewhat bewildered, but he recognized the name Zhou Wuji. He looked at Zhou Wuji in mild astonishment, not entirely daring to believe it.
The room felt exceedingly dangerous to him, and he still wished to leave as soon as possible.
The moment Yang Tieying got out of bed, he saw a person lying by the doorway in a stiff posture—evidently dead!
His heart gave a violent jolt. Hurrying his steps, he left the room, only to see two more bodies lying in the parlor. Panic surged within him, and he bolted straight toward the front courtyard...
In his room, Yang Shuling was agonizing over his dilemma when his grandson came dashing in, startling him. Instantly overjoyed, he sprang up and grabbed his grandson's arms. "Tieying, you're all right?!"
Having calmed down by now, Yang Tieying replied, "Grandfather, I'm fine. Daoist Zhou Wuji is here, and he asked you to come over."
"Daoist Zhou is here!"
A complex expression crossed Yang Shuling's aged face. Having Yang Ping deliver the invitation had indeed been meant to pass a message to Zhou Wuji.
Yet he had also feared that Zhou Wuji might misinterpret it as a change of heart, thinking he no longer wanted his grandson to take Zhou Wuji as master.
If so, it would ruin everything.
Yet he had not dared to speak openly. Gu witchcraft was bizarre and sinister, and he had no idea what underhanded methods the enemies possessed.
That Azure Dragon Emissary Chen Hui had made it abundantly clear: if he dared send word, his grandson would die without question.
Fortunately, Zhou Wuji was sharp-witted and had grasped his meaning. He had even come on his own initiative to lend a hand, actually saving Tieying.
Yang Shuling felt a wave of admiration. Zhou Wuji truly had incredible ability to effortlessly dispatch the Azure Dragon Emissary without a sound reaching the front courtyard!
At the same time, he felt uneasy, unsure whether Zhou Wuji would blame him.
Leading his grandson back to the rear courtyard, Yang Shuling entered the room to find Zhou Wuji interrogating Chen Hui while Wuzheng stood watching nearby.
Even under the dim candlelight of the room, Yang Shuling could clearly see that Chen Hui, who had been smug and triumphant during the day, was now crestfallen and covered in grime.
Hearing footsteps, Chen Hui looked up to see Yang Shuling leading Yang Tieying inside.
He cared nothing for Yang Shuling, but seeing Yang Tieying alive and well left him genuinely astounded!
Daoist arts could indeed counter gu witchcraft, but for them to extract the Azure Dragon Gu from Yang Tieying's body so easily without damaging his essence and blood—such skill was truly formidable.
Yang Shuling led his grandson in bowing to Zhou Wuji and Wuzheng. Zhou Wuji nodded slightly. "Master Yang, no need for formalities. Let us deal with this man first."
"His name is Chen Hui, the Azure Dragon Emissary of the Five Dragons Gang. He planted gu insects in my grandson to coerce me into acting against you, Daoist.
"Northern Emperor above, I harbor absolutely no malice toward you!"
Yang Shuling seized this opportunity to hastily clear himself of suspicion.
Zhou Wuji smiled. "You deliberately sent me a warning, Master Yang; I ought to thank you instead.
"Otherwise, having these people plotting against me from the shadows would have been a massive nuisance."
Hearing their exchange, Chen Hui's expression turned even uglier.
Yang Shuling cautioned, "There were only three of them, yet they swaggered into my residence as though they had me completely in their grip.
"I suspect they must have accomplices. You two Daoists must remain vigilant."
Yang Shuling had rich experience in the martial world; observing Chen Hui's manner, he guessed that the man inevitably had companions.
If nothing else, Chen Hui facing Zhou Wuji alone would merely be sending himself to his death!
It was precisely because he recognized this that he had swallowed his indignation and refrained from falling out with Chen Hui on the spot.
Zhou Wuji looked at Chen Hui. "What say you?"
Though his limbs were immobilized, Chen Hui kept his lips tightly pressed, indicating he had nothing to say.
He felt secure in his identity as the Five Dragons Gang's Azure Dragon Emissary. The Daoist sects were customarily gentle; they would never kill him outright.
This time he was originally meant to act as bait, but he had never expected Zhou Wuji's methods to be so brilliant that he had no time to flee, or even send a warning.
For now, as long as he stalled for time, the Cold-Blooded Twin Fiends would surely sense something amiss, and that would be the death date of this entire bunch.
"The scoundrel is sly! The Daoist is too merciful to harm him, so allow me to teach him a lesson!"
Yang Shuling hated Chen Hui to the bone, and having forged a feud with the Five Dragons Gang this time, he needed Chen Hui's companions eliminated alongside him so he would have time to flee with his entire family.
Hence, Yang Shuling was exceedingly eager to take action.
Zhou Wuji shook his head slightly. "There is no need for that either."
Such villains deserved death without pity, but using torture during interrogation was not quite appropriate either.
Yang Shuling hesitated, wanting to speak, but in the end did not dare say more.
Chen Hui secretly gloated. Indeed, the Daoists placed great stock in precepts; they did not even dare torture him, let alone execute him!
Zhou Wuji said to Chen Hui, "Your companions are in the small courtyard nearby—a dozen or so people, with two seventh-rank demonic cultivators leading them. Am I right?"
Though Chen Hui tried desperately to control his expression, he could not conceal the shock in his eyes!
Zhou Wuji's mind settled. Had he guessed the demonic cultivators' cultivation level incorrectly, Chen Hui would not have been so rattled.
In such a precarious moment, Chen Hui could not possibly have the inclination to put on an act. Even if he wanted to, he could not have faked such a precise expression and look in his eyes.
With a single phrase, he had bluffed out the cultivation level of the two demonic cultivators, setting Zhou Wuji completely at ease.
Before Chen Hui could utter a word, Zhou Wuji pointed a finger between Chen Hui's brows. The true qi swirling at his fingertip condensed into a sword forged of sword intent, penetrating Chen Hui's sea of consciousness.
The Five Dragons Gang's Azure Dragon Emissary did not even know what had happened before the spiritual light in his eyes dimmed and his body went limp, breathless and dead.
Seeing Zhou Wuji kill Chen Hui without batting an eyelid, Yang Shuling and Yang Tieying were both startled.
Just moments ago, Yang Shuling had thought Zhou Wuji somewhat softhearted, only now realizing that Zhou Wuji had already grasped the full picture and disdained to stoop to forced confession through torture.
Astonishment and dread welled in his heart. This young Daoist possessed unfathomable depth and was ruthless and decisive in action—he was formidable to the extreme!
No wonder so many claimed Zhang Xinhu had been done in by Zhou Wuji; it was indeed exceedingly probable!
Wuzheng frowned slightly. He felt that killing the Azure Dragon Emissary directly like this was still improper; the best course would have been handing him over to the lower court so the court could settle accounts with the Five Dragons Gang.
Once someone was killed, the situation changed. Though they were in the right, they lost the leverage to negotiate with the Five Dragons Gang.
Yet he could not say much. After all, the Five Dragons Gang had set out to kill both of them; the Azure Dragon Emissary hardly died an unjust death.
The dead Chen Hui's chest suddenly tore open, and an azure scorpion leaped out from within.
Zhou Wuji was well prepared; with a single sword stroke, he cleaved the gu insect in two.
The azure gu insect twisted and struggled briefly before its body crumbled into specks of drifting ash.
Golden light flashed as Zhou Wuji cast the Golden Light Incantation to prevent any surviving gu insects from lingering.
The entire sequence was remarkably swift. Wuzheng and Yang Shuling were both prepared, but Yang Tieying had known nothing of how gu insects behaved and was startled out of his wits...
Zhou Wuji paid no heed to such trifles. Keeping the Azure Dragon Emissary alive carried too many variables; killing him outright was far less trouble.
He said, "There are still two seventh-rank demonic cultivators. By rights, we should wait until daylight. Under the sun, these demonic cultivators will retain only thirty to fifty percent of their prowess, making them easy to deal with."
Most demonic cultivators' methods could not bear the light of day. This was not a figure of speech: sunlight was supremely fierce and purely yang, powerfully countering all sorts of evil arts and witchcraft.
Even his Five Yin Pouch, though an orthodox Daoist spell, would be suppressed by sunlight.
All the more so for enemies who likely specialized in commanding yin ghosts, who would be suppressed by sunlight even further.
Zhou Wuji shifted his tone and added, "However, there is an issue. Chen Hui very likely agreed on a special signal with them. If we do not strike in time, that band of demonic cultivators might well realize something is wrong."
Wuzheng and Yang Shuling both nodded, in complete agreement with Zhou Wuji's deduction.
The lurking demonic cultivators certainly had some means of communication with Chen Hui to coordinate their movements and adapt to changes.
Zhou Wuji said, "Time is of the essence; we cannot let them escape.
"How about this: Master Yang, protect my senior brother while he casts spells from the front. I will attack from the flank and wipe out these demonic cultivators as swiftly as possible!"
Wuzheng pondered for a moment and nodded firmly. In this situation, without knowing the enemy's exact background, doing everything to destroy them was the only option; there was nothing to negotiate.
Yang Shuling nodded in agreement as well; he wished for nothing more than to see the enemy wiped out entirely.
Killing Azure Dragon Emissary Chen Hui this time meant offending the Five Dragons Gang. Zhou Wuji and his fellow Daoist had the backing of the lower court and naturally had nothing to fear.
He, however, lacked the qualifications to fight a behemoth like the Five Dragons Gang. He had to pack his valuables and find somewhere to lie low first.
Yang Tieying was young and at an age of hot blood and eagerness for battle. Seeing that Zhou Wuji had not called his name, he volunteered, "Daoist, I have mastered hidden force; I can help too."
Zhou Wuji glanced at Yang Shuling, who quickly chimed in, "This is a grave matter, and an extra hand is always welcome. My grandson possesses some martial courage and will not get in the way."
Opportunities were precious; Yang Shuling wanted his grandson to prove himself so he could apprentice under Zhou Wuji.
He had already regarded Zhou Wuji as formidable, and witnessing his methods tonight only solidified his resolve to have his grandson enter Zhou Wuji's tutelage.
"Very well,"
Zhou Wuji said. "Don your armor and take up your weapons, both of you. We set out at once..."
Yang Shuling and Yang Tieying moved swiftly, fully geared up in no time.
Both wore leather half-armor. Yang Shuling carried a spear, while Yang Tieying wore a saber, held a longbow, and had a quiver slung across him.
Zhou Wuji was quite pleased with this; having a longbow gave them a significant advantage.
Moreover, with a seventh-rank expert like Yang Shuling present, it was enough to ensure Wuzheng's safety.
He briefly briefed the Yang grandfather and grandson on the situation, cautioned them on what to watch out for, and once everything was confirmed, the party slipped out through the Yang family's back gate, quietly arriving before the small courtyard...
Chapter 80