Chapter 231: Spirit Soul Illusion, Grand Event

“Impossible! They died decades ago—how could they still send someone to demand revenge?! Who the hell are you?!”

The man with the ruddy face screamed wildly, his face twisted in utter despair.

“What’s Lu Qing doing?”

From afar, Ma Gu and the others exchanged puzzled glances. They were too far to hear what Lu Qing had said, only seeing the man suddenly erupt into hysterics.

“Yes, they’re dead,” Lu Qing said calmly, his eyes glowing with an odd light. “But because they died unjustly, their resentment refuses to fade. For these past few decades, they’ve been unable to be reborn—mere wandering spirits, lost and lonely. Look over there—don’t you see their souls?”

He pointed toward the nearby rice field.

The ruddy-faced man turned his head. His pupils instantly dilated.

Two pale figures hovered above the rice paddies—one covered in blood, the other with its tongue lolling out, its expression blank and eerie as it stared directly at him.

The sight was unmistakable—the very images that had haunted his dreams for decades: his long-dead brother and sister-in-law.

“There they are,” Lu Qing murmured, his voice laced with a strange rhythm. “Your brother and sister-in-law have come. They say only your death can set them free, allow them to be reborn. See? They’ve come to claim you.”

As he spoke, the two ghostly figures drifted forward, light as mist, their arms reaching out slowly, fingers curling toward the man’s neck.

“No! No! Brother, sister-in-law—please! I didn’t mean to kill you! Don’t come after me! Don’t!”

Fear paralyzed the man. He screamed, writhing backward, but his legs were broken, his body seized by terror. His qi had collapsed, and no matter how hard he tried to crawl, the spectral hands closed around his throat.

“Don’t! Please!”

He clawed at his own neck, desperately trying to push away the icy fingers. But it was useless—the hands passed right through his arms like smoke, clamping down with relentless force.

At that moment, the ghostly faces twisted into grotesque grins, their expressions wild with ecstatic fury.

The icy grip around his neck, the suffocating pressure, and the mad, grinning visage of his brother and sister-in-law—his mind shattered. He wanted to scream, but his throat was crushed shut. Only a gurgling sound escaped, his breath growing weaker with every passing second.

Finally, overwhelmed by terror and asphyxiation, his eyes lost focus. His body went still. Silence followed.

All the while, Lu Qing stood motionless, watching coldly—utterly silent.

“Lu Qing, what happened?”

Ma Gu approached, eyes widening at the corpse’s ghastly state.

“Whoa… He actually choked himself to death? That’s brutal.”

“Nothing much. Let’s dispose of the body and leave,” Lu Qing said, turning away.

Ma Gu glanced back at the man—especially the frozen look of sheer terror on his face. Something felt off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Still, he shrugged. These scum deserve whatever they get. Maybe Lu Qing used some special technique.

He grabbed the body and dragged it back.

As Lu Qing walked toward the carriage, his mind wandered.

The man hadn’t actually been killed by ghosts. He’d been ensnared in Lu Qing’s Spirit Soul Illusion.

From earlier reconnaissance, Lu Qing had uncovered a dark secret: years ago, this man had murdered his own brother and sister-in-law out of lust and greed—his deepest, most buried sin.

So Lu Qing decided not to let him die easily.

Now, with his Spirit Soul Power greatly enhanced, he could finally wield techniques once beyond his reach. He’d tested it here—just a small demonstration.

It worked.

When Lu Qing exposed the truth, the man’s resolve cracked. His mind shattered under the weight of guilt, and he fell completely into the illusion—truly believing his brother and sister-in-law had come to claim him.

In reality, he had strangled himself.

And until the very end, he never realized the truth.

After moving the bodies of the fallen Liu Yun Zong disciples into a clearing and burying them in a nearby forest, Lu Qing finally felt the weight of the burden.

Maybe I should develop a more efficient way to erase evidence, he thought. Constantly burying corpses is tedious and time-consuming.

After finishing the task, the group resumed their journey.

“A Qing,” Old Doctor asked from inside the carriage, “why did that last Liu Yun Zong elder scream like that?”

Though he hadn’t stepped out, the old doctor had sensed the faint ripple of Spirit Soul Power emanating from Lu Qing.

Ma Gu, driving the carriage, also leaned forward, ears perked.

“Earlier, I used a small Spirit Soul Power technique,” Lu Qing replied. “It trapped the elder in a hallucination—forcing him to relive his past crimes. He must’ve been so terrified he choked himself to death.”

“Choked himself to death from fear? That suggests he committed something monstrous,” Old Doctor murmured, shaken.

“He murdered his own brother and sister-in-law—people who raised him from childhood—out of lust and greed,” Lu Qing said flatly.

“…”

Old Doctor fell silent.

“Such a man could kill the very ones who raised him… No wonder Liu Yun Zong is nothing but a den of snakes and vermin. Not one decent soul among them!”

Wei Zian spat in outrage.

Ma Gu, ahead, felt the same rage—yet also awe.

Lu Qing is truly growing stronger. To make a high-level Inner Cultivation master fall into a self-induced death trap—without a sound, without a fight—this is unheard of.

After this encounter, the group felt reassured.

At least now they knew Liu Yun Zong hadn’t bypassed them to reach Qingfeng Town.

All that remained was to press forward. Once they reached Liu Yun Zong, Qingfeng Town would be safe.

The carriage rolled on steadily. Lu Qing pondered his Corpse Disposal Technique.

Just as he began to see a glimmer of an idea, the carriage stopped.

“Old Doctor,” Ma Gu said, “we’ve been traveling long enough. The horses are tired. There’s a Tea Pavilion up ahead—why don’t we stop for a rest?”

“Good idea,” Old Doctor agreed.

Ma Gu guided the carriage forward. Lu Qing pulled back the curtain.

Ahead, a thatched roof stood beside the road, a large coarse cloth with the character “Tea” fluttering in the breeze.

“Hello, honored guests! Would you like some tea?”

A young, ragged waiter in tattered clothes hurried over, wiping sweat with a cloth draped over his shoulder, bowing respectfully.

“Yes,” Ma Gu replied. “We’re weary from the road. We’d like tea. Do you have hay for the horses?”

“Of course! Right behind the pavilion—top-quality feed!” the boy said eagerly.

“Bring two bales. We’ll feed them well—don’t worry, you’ll be paid handsomely.”

“Right away, sir! Please come in!”

The waiter helped guide the horses. Lu Qing and the others stepped into the Tea Pavilion.

An elderly man emerged from within, beaming.

“Welcome, guests! Please, take a seat.”

Once they were settled, he asked, “What would you like to drink?”

“No need for fuss. Two pots of tea, and whatever food you have.”

“Coming right up—please wait a moment.”

The old man left. Lu Qing surveyed the place.

The Tea Pavilion was spacious. On the other side, several tables were already occupied—by people who clearly weren’t ordinary travelers.

Lu Qing didn’t react. He glanced at their weapons, then let it go.

In this world, anyone traveling far from home was either a martial artist with skills to defend themselves—or a wealthy family with guards.

After all, poor people don’t travel far.

The road is for the rich.

The guests at the other tables gave Lu Qing’s group a quick glance—then turned away.

Those who could afford a carriage weren’t the sort to stir trouble. As long as they didn’t act out of line, everyone stayed quiet.

Soon, the waiter brought two pots of coarse tea and a simple meal: steamed buns and pickled vegetables.

Not fancy, but in this remote spot, it was more than decent.

Lu Qing examined the food, confirmed it was safe, then picked up a bun and began eating.

Just then, a conversation at a nearby table caught their attention.

“Liu Yun Zong’s reputation is ruined this time. I heard their Shao Zong Zhu was killed—by someone no one knows! And they still haven’t found the killer!”

“Impossible! Liu Yun Zong is one of the three major sects in Yun Zhou—who dares challenge them?”

“Why not? This is what my nephew in Tian Yan Sect told me. He says the news has spread across the entire region. It’s true.”

“Wang Xiong, you really have connections! Tian Yan Sect is second only to the three great sects. Your nephew must be a prodigy!”

“Ah, nothing special—just lucky to get in,” Wang Xiong said modestly, though his grin betrayed him.

Others gasped. “So it’s really true? Who in their right mind would dare kill Liu Yun Zong’s heir? They must be mad!”

“Exactly! The Shao Zong Zhu is the sect master’s son. And Liu Yun Zong is notoriously ruthless and protective. If they’re not raging, I’ll be shocked!”

“The killer’s still unknown. But lately, Liu Yun Zong has gone berserk—turning Yun Zhou upside down. They suspect rival sects. So they’ve been hunting down every sect with even a hint of strength, demanding clues. Refuse to cooperate? Light punishment. Refuse completely? They’ll accuse you of murdering the Shao Zong Zhu, then raid your place. It’s madness!”

“Thieves in broad daylight! The Shao Zong Zhu is dead—instead of finding the real killer, they’re using it as an excuse to plunder others! That’s outrageous!”

“They’ve always been arrogant and greedy. Everyone knows that. Now they’ve got an excuse to extort even harder.”

“Maybe the Shao Zong Zhu really was killed by a sect fed up with years of oppression. It’s not impossible.”

“Regardless, Liu Yun Zong is convinced. They’re hunting everywhere. But Yun Zhou isn’t under their sole control. Just a few days ago, they hit a wall.”

The man called Wang Xiong spoke again.

“A wall? What kind of wall?”

The others leaned in, eyes bright with curiosity.

“Word is, a Liu Yun Zong elder and his disciples tried to raid a small sect. They were stopped by a few traveling young warriors. A fight broke out. The elder, relying on his strength, killed two of them.”

“Two young warriors? That’s brutal.”

“Wait—what’s the point?”

“Ah, here’s the twist. One of them was a disciple of the Silver Moon Sect—and one of the Master’s own direct students.”

“Silver Moon Sect?!”

The others gasped.

The Silver Moon Sect was one of the three strongest sects in Yun Zhou, its power and legacy on par with Liu Yun Zong.

“Exactly,” Wang Xiong confirmed. “When a direct disciple was murdered unjustly, the Silver Moon Sect Master couldn’t stay silent. And with Liu Yun Zong’s recent madness making enemies across Yun Zhou, he decided to take action.”

“He issued invitations to every major sect, calling for a united front—to march on Liu Yun Zong and demand justice!”

“Holy—this is massive!”

The others were electrified.

“Wang Xiong, do you know when this… Grand Event is happening?”

“My nephew says—three days from now.”

“Three days? That explains why I saw so many powerful martial artists on the road yesterday. Their auras were intense—enough to make even old Wu nervous. I wondered why so many strong fighters were out here. Now I know—they’re heading to this gathering!”

“Only those of us without connections would hear this so late.”

“So you’re on your way to witness this Grand Event too, Wang Xiong?”

“Of course! This time, the Silver Moon Sect is leading—uniting over eighty percent of Yun Zhou’s sects. How could I miss such a moment?”

“Then we shouldn’t miss it either. Wang Xiong, we’ve been fortunate to meet. Why not travel together?”

“Absolutely—happy to!”

Lu Qing and the others exchanged glances, having listened in silence.

The table across the way was already deep in conversation, ready to become sworn brothers.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end