Chapter 231: Divine Soul Illusion, A Grand Occasion

"Impossible! They died decades ago. How could they possibly send someone to take revenge? Who are you?" The man with the jujube-red face screamed hysterically, his face contorting in fear and confusion.

"What's Brother Lu Qing doing?" Ma Gu and the others, who were standing at a distance, looked on with puzzlement as they couldn't hear what Lu Qing had said, only seeing the man with the jujube-red face suddenly fly into a frenzy.

"Indeed, they are dead, but because they died unjustly and their grievances were not redressed, they have lingered as wandering spirits for decades, unable to reincarnate. Look over there; aren't those their vengeful spirits?" Lu Qing's eyes glimmered with a strange light as he pointed to the side, towards the rice fields.

The man with the jujube-red face turned his head, and his pupils suddenly dilated. He saw two white figures floating above the rice fields—one drenched in blood, the other with an elongated tongue and an expressionless face, staring at him eerily. They were the apparitions of his brother and sister-in-law, who had died decades ago and often haunted his dreams.

"Look, your brother and sister-in-law are here. They say that only if you die can they be freed from their torment and reincarnate. See, they have come to take your life," Lu Qing said, his voice carrying a strange melody.

As he spoke, the two white figures floating above the rice fields began to drift towards them, their outstretched hands reaching for the man with the jujube-red face, their fingers slowly tightening around his neck.

"No, no! Brother and sister-in-law, I didn't mean to kill you. Don't take your revenge on me, please, don't!" As the two white figures advanced, the man with the jujube-red face cried out in sheer terror. His mouth screamed in denial while his body writhed, trying to crawl away.

However, all his efforts were in vain. With his legs broken and his body in a state of extreme shock, he couldn't even gather his qi. No matter how hard he tried to crawl away, the two white figures drew closer, their hands tightening around his neck.

"No, don't!" The man with the jujube-red face tried to protect his neck with his hands, desperately trying to break free from the pale, clutching hands.

But it was futile. Those hands seemed to be illusions, passing right through his defensive grasp and tightening around his neck with relentless force.

At the same time, the faces of the two white figures contorted into hideous expressions of excitement and madness.

As the man with the jujube-red face felt the chill on his neck and the suffocating grip tightening, along with the sight of his brother and sister-in-law's vengeful spirits before him, he completely broke down. His fear peaked, and as he tried to scream, his throat was constricted, producing only a raspy, gurgling sound. His breathing became more and more difficult.

Finally, overwhelmed by sheer terror and suffocation, the man with the jujube-red face fell silent, his eyes glazing over as he died a quiet death.

Throughout this ordeal, Lu Qing remained impassive, watching the scene unfold without uttering a word.

"Brother Lu Qing, what happened?" Ma Gu approached and was startled by the gruesome state of the man with the jujube-red face. "He strangled himself to death? How cruel!"

"It's nothing. Let's go. We'll dispose of the body and be on our way," Lu Qing said, turning back.

Ma Gu glanced at the dead man again, his expression of extreme fear at the moment of his death giving Ma Gu a sense that something was amiss. However, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Nonetheless, he didn't dwell on it. After all, these were despicable people, and they deserved their fate. Perhaps Brother Lu Qing had used some special method to deal with them.

Shaking his head, Ma Gu picked up the corpse and started walking back.

As Lu Qing walked towards the carriage, his mind was already turning to other matters.

The man with the jujube-red face hadn't truly been taken by vengeful spirits; he had fallen prey to Lu Qing's Divine Soul Illusion.

Earlier, through the use of his ability, Lu Qing had discovered a secret about the man with the jujube-red face—a heinous act he had committed in his youth, a dark secret he had kept buried all these years: the murder of his own brother and sister-in-law.

And so, Lu Qing decided that this man didn't deserve a quick death.

Recently, Lu Qing's divine soul power had increased significantly, allowing him to tap into some divine soul secret arts that had previously been inaccessible. This was an opportunity to test his newfound power.

As it turned out, the effect was quite satisfactory.

When Lu Qing exposed the man's secret, his panic and shattered resolve created an opening for Lu Qing's Divine Soul Illusion to take hold completely. The man truly believed that he was being haunted by his deceased relatives, seeking revenge.

In reality, he had strangled himself to death, driven by the illusion Lu Qing had crafted.

And until his dying breath, the man with the jujube-red face never realized the truth.

After burying the bodies of the deceased Flowcloud Sect disciples in a patch of forest by the roadside, Lu Qing couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to develop a more efficient method of disposing of bodies and evidence.

"Otherwise, we'd have to deal with the bodies every time we kill someone. It's just too troublesome and time-consuming."

After burying the bodies, Lu Qing and his companions continued on their journey.

"Qing, why did that last elder of the Flowcloud Sect suddenly scream like that earlier?"

Inside the carriage, the old doctor asked. Earlier, he had sensed the fluctuations of divine soul power emanating from Lu Qing, even without leaving the carriage.

Ma Gu, who was driving the carriage, pricked up his ears as well.

"Earlier, I used a bit of divine soul power to make the Flowcloud Sect elder fall into an illusion, causing him to recall the heinous acts he had committed. I didn't expect him to be so terrified that he strangled himself to death," Lu Qing replied.

"He was so scared that he strangled himself? Must he have committed some grave sin?" The old doctor was moved.

"He gave in to his lustful desires and took the lives of his own brother and sister-in-law, who had raised him," Lu Qing said indifferently.

"... "

The old doctor fell silent.

"That man killed his own brother and sister-in-law, who raised him. The Flowcloud Sect is truly a den of snakes and rats, not a single decent person among them!" Wei Zian exclaimed indignantly.

Ma Gu, who was driving at the front, felt the same anger.

However, he was also deeply shaken.

The Lu Qing brothers were becoming more and more formidable. They could silently make a powerful martial artist at the pinnacle of the Inner Strength realm fall into an illusion and commit suicide. Such a method was truly unheard of.

With this encounter, Lu Qing and his companions were reassured.

At least they knew that the people from the Flowcloud Sect had not bypassed them and gone to Clearwind Town.

As long as they headed straight to the Flowcloud Sect, there shouldn't be any more trouble in Clearwind Town.

The carriage continued on its journey at a steady pace, while Lu Qing contemplated a more efficient method of disposing of bodies.

Finally, as he began to form some ideas, the carriage came to a stop.

"Old Doctor, we've been traveling for quite some time now, and the horses are tired. There's a tea shed up ahead. Why don't we take a rest there?" suggested Ma Gu.

"Alright," the old doctor nodded.

With their consent, Ma Gu drove the carriage towards the tea shed.

Lu Qing drew back the curtain and saw a grass shed with a large cloth banner that read "Tea" fluttering in the wind.

"Hey, customers! Would you like some tea?"

A young waiter with a towel draped over his shoulder and a humble smile on his face approached them, bowing and scraping as he spoke.

"Yes, we're tired from the journey and would like some tea. Do you have fodder for our horses?" Ma Gu asked.

"Yes, yes, we have the best fodder right behind the shed," the young waiter replied eagerly.

"Then bring us two bundles. Make sure our horses are well-fed, and we'll pay you handsomely."

"Certainly! Please come in, customers."

The young waiter walked ahead to help with the horses.

Lu Qing and the others stepped into the tea shed.

An old man emerged from inside with a smile on his face and said, "Please take a seat over here, customers."

After they were seated, he asked, "What would you like to order?"

"No need to go to any trouble. Just bring us two pots of tea and some food that you have available," replied the old doctor.

"Certainly, it will be here shortly. Please wait a moment."

After the old man left, Lu Qing began to survey the tea shed.

The shed was quite spacious, and there were already several tables of customers on the other side, and they didn't seem to be ordinary people.

Lu Qing was not surprised. After glancing at their weapons, he didn't pay them much mind.

In these times, those who traveled and wandered the lands were rarely ordinary people.

Most of them were martial artists with some degree of skill or people from wealthy families who could afford to hire bodyguards.

After all, only the truly destitute would refrain from traveling.

The customers at the other tables glanced at Lu Qing and his group but didn't pay them much mind.

Those who could afford to travel by carriage were usually not ordinary, and it was best to mind one's own business. As long as no one stepped out of line, there was no need for unnecessary conflict.

Soon, the waiter brought over two pots of tea and some simple food—steamed buns and side dishes.

Although the tea was ordinary and the food was plain, it was still quite satisfactory in this remote location.

After inspecting the food to ensure there were no issues, Lu Qing picked up a bun and began to eat.

"This time, the Flowcloud Sect has truly lost face. I heard that even their young master was killed, and the worst part is that they have no idea who did it!"

As Lu Qing and his companions quietly ate, their attention was drawn to the conversation of a few martial artists at a table across from them.

"Impossible! Flowcloud Sect is one of the three major sects in Yunzhou. Who would dare to provoke them?

"Some refuse to believe it."

"How could it be impossible? This is what my nephew, who joined the Heavenly Flame Sect, told me. He also said that the news has spread almost throughout Yunzhou, so it can't be wrong!" The man named Brother Wang asserted confidently.

"So it turns out that Brother Wang has such connections. The Heavenly Flame Sect is only second to the Three Great Sects in power. It seems your nephew is a young genius!" one of his companions flattered him.

"Where are you all going with this? He's just lucky to have joined the Heavenly Flame Sect by chance," Brother Wang replied humbly, though he couldn't hide the smile of pride on his face.

The others were astonished. "So, you're saying it's true? Who would dare to be so audacious and kill the young master of the Flowcloud Sect? Are they tired of living?"

"Yeah, I heard that the young master is the son of the sect master. The Flowcloud Sect is also the most overbearing and protective of its own. With their style, they must be going crazy over this!"

"We don't know who the murderer is yet, but lately, the Flowcloud Sect has indeed gone crazy. They're stirring up trouble all over Yunzhou. I heard they suspect it's someone from another sect who plotted against their young master. Recently, they've been sending people to question many sects with some power, demanding clues from them. Those who can't provide any are either punished or framed as having a hand in the young master's death, and then they're looted. They've truly gone insane!"

"That's taking advantage of the fire to rob people! Their young master is dead, and instead of finding the real culprit, they're looting other sects. This is too tyrannical and bullying!" someone exclaimed in disbelief.

"You're not just finding out about their tyranny now. Usually, they like to threaten nearby sects for offerings. Now that they have an excuse, they're bound to extort everyone severely."

"Such arrogance and greed. No wonder their young master got killed. I'm starting to believe that it might indeed be another sect, tired of their long-held grudges and unwilling to continue suffering under their oppression, who secretly got rid of that young master!" someone whispered.

"Whether it's true or not, the Flowcloud Sect seems to have really made up their minds. They're shamelessly searching for the culprit everywhere. But Yunzhou isn't a place where the Flowcloud Sect can cover the sky with their palm. Just the other day, they kicked an iron plate." The man initially addressed as Brother Wang said.

"What do you mean by kicking an iron plate?"

Several of his companions showed eager expressions, curious for more gossip.

"I heard that a Flowcloud Sect elder, leading his disciples to rob a small sect, was stopped by a few passing young heroes. A conflict broke out between the two sides. Then, that Flowcloud Sect elder, relying on his profound cultivation, killed two of the young heroes. Unexpectedly, one of them was a disciple of the Silver Moon Sect and a personal disciple of the sect master!"

"The Silver Moon Sect!"

The others exclaimed in surprise.

The Silver Moon Sect was one of the three most powerful sects in Yunzhou, and their influence was not inferior to that of the Flowcloud Sect.

"That's right, the Silver Moon Sect! The sect master's personal disciple was innocently killed, so he naturally wouldn't let it go. With the Flowcloud Sect's recent crazy behavior, they've also angered many in Yunzhou. So, he sent out invitations to unite the various sects in Yunzhou to go to the Flowcloud Sect and demand justice!" Brother Wang explained.

"That's explosive!"

His companions were thrilled upon hearing the news.

"Brother Wang, do you know when the Silver Moon Sect and the other sects will go to the Flowcloud Sect to seek justice?"

"According to my nephew, it will be in three days!" Brother Wang replied.

"Three days? No wonder I saw many martial artists rushing on the road yesterday, some with very powerful auras that even scared me. I wondered why so many powerful martial artists were traveling, but it turns out they're hurrying to attend this grand event!"

"Only us freewheeling martial practitioners, with no sect allegiance, would be this tardy in hearing such significant news."

"So, Brother Wang, you're also hurrying on your journey to attend this grand event?"

"Of course! This time, the Silver Moon Sect is taking the lead, uniting at least eight out of ten sects in Yunzhou to go to the Flowcloud Sect. I can't miss this once-in-a-lifetime event."

"Then we can't miss this either, Brother Wang. It's fate that brought us together. Let's travel together!"

"Sure, sure..."

Seeing the men from the other table eagerly trying to build a connection and almost ready to swear brotherhood, Lu Qing and his companions withdrew their gazes and glanced at each other.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end