Chapter 227: Extra Story 3: A Dream of Past Lives, Bound into a Name (Part II)

Extra Story 3: A Dream of Past Lives, Bound into a Name (Part II)

Lingxiang was focused intently on using the Pure Spirit Fire from the Fire Spirit Bead to cremate the third corpse, paying no heed to the movement behind her. Yet, behind her, a figure was slowly approaching.

The figure moved sluggishly and appeared cumbersome, yet it made only the faintest of sounds; had one not been listening carefully, it would have been easily masked by the chirping of insects all around, let alone when Lingxiang was currently fully concentrated.

By the time the figure reached her, Lingxiang finally sensed it, but it was already too late. The figure grabbed her shoulder, its sharp teeth like blades, glinting with a cold aura, and it opened its mouth to bite at Lingxiang's neck.

It was actually a Corpse Demon!

……

Sutong Immortal's eyes were blood-red, glowing with a terrifying light, as she pressed closer and closer to Banxia. Banxia, as if caught in a nightmare, stared fixedly at Sutong's eyes without moving, her expression dull.

Liu Xia watched this, burning with anxiety, but those men in white were truly difficult to deal with.

Just then, a thunderous explosion erupted in his ears, and the cave began to shake, with rubble falling incessantly from the ceiling.

This sound was the same as the one heard before, only much closer than just now, as if it were right beside his ears.

It was precisely this clap of thunder that caused those men in white to fall to the ground one after another.

Seeing this, Liu Xia did not bother to investigate further; he lunged forward, raising his sword to stab at Sutong Immortal.

However, before he could get close, ink stains began to seep through the white cloth wrapping Banxia. In an instant, the white cloth binding her body was completely dyed black.

Seeing this, Sutong Immortal retreated in a hurry. Before she could steady herself, she saw streaks of Ink Blade flying out from within the cloth, tearing the black cloth to shreds.

Seeing this, Liu Xia hurriedly dodged the incoming Ink Blades. When everything calmed down, he looked up and saw wisps of ink circling around Banxia. She was forming hand seals, and the Judge's Pen was constantly tracing lines around her, as if she were painting.

Seeing this situation, Liu Xia grinned and thought to himself, "I underestimated this girl; I never imagined she had such tricks up her sleeve."

Banxia also let out a sigh of relief. It was thanks to that clap of thunder that she had regained her senses; otherwise, she might have had her soul snatched away.

"I wonder what Long Qi and the others are messing around with..." Banxia muttered, though she dared not relax.

This Sutong Immortal's abilities were truly significant. Just now, she hadn't even seen the movement clearly before she was tightly bound, and it had forced her to use her life-saving skills. She dared not be careless again.

In a flash, Banxia decided not to hold back any longer. As her hand seals shifted, the Judge's Pen instantly slashed through the air in front of her. Droplets of ink flew out, transforming into Ink Awls that flew in unison toward Sutong.

Seeing this, Sutong only gave a cold laugh, then waved her hand, sending two strips of white cloth flying out to sweep away all the incoming ice awls.

Liu Xia couldn't help but frown. Just now, Banxia's Witchcraft had easily torn Sutong's cloth to pieces, so why was it having no effect now?

Banxia was also very puzzled. Looking closely, she realized that the cloth circling Sutong was vastly different from before.

The cloth shimmered with five-colored light, and looking carefully, one could even see patterns on it.

"Heh, your skills aren't much, but your magical artifact is quite good; it actually forced this seat to bring out the Scale Slough."

No wonder her Body Movement was agile; she was actually a Snake demon. Banxia suddenly realized, but before she could think further, she saw Sutong flip her hand, and scales flew out from the cloth, sharp as blades and fierce in their approach.

Banxia frowned: A snake body has scale patterns, but no scales; where did these scales come from?

While Banxia was still pondering, she was unexpectedly pulled behind someone by a force. Then, she heard a "whoosh" sound of wind; it was Liu Xia who had unleashed the Huasheng Sword.

The sword transformed into willow branches, acting like a whip to knock down all the incoming scales. But even so, the two of them only had the strength to parry; they were simply no match for Sutong.

Liu Xia knew that dragging it out like this was no solution, so he told Banxia to leave first. Banxia naturally wouldn't leave him behind alone. As the two argued, Sutong suddenly vanished without a trace.

The two were immediately on high alert, but looking around, they found no sign of her.

Just at this moment, a strip of cloth suddenly wrapped around Banxia's waist, dragging her away. By the time Liu Xia reacted, Sutong had already seized Banxia.

"If you dare to move again, I will twist her neck off!"

Liu Xia hurriedly waved his hands, insisting he wouldn't move, but Banxia shouted, "Are you stupid? If you don't move, will she let me go?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she gave a start, for Sutong was licking her neck.

"This skin doesn't look white, but it is quite delicate. Since you hope so much that this seat won't let you go, then this seat will not decline." As she spoke, she made a "hissing" sound, then opened her jaw wide, revealing white, sharp fangs.

Banxia felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but shiver. Just as Sutong was about to bite down, a humming sound was heard, and a great sword flew across the air.

She hurriedly released Banxia and dodged in a flash. The person who arrived was none other than Long Qi.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..." Banxia touched her neck for a long while, "My life is still here..."

Watching Banxia sitting on the ground and sighing incessantly, Long Qi found it ridiculous and pulled out his sword while suppressing a laugh.

"I said it was a demon, and sure enough, it was!" Long Qi said, shouldering his sword and prodding Chengkai who had just arrived.

Chengkai did not answer, but looked around, then asked Sutong, "What have you done to the young lady?"

Long Qi rolled his eyes at him: "If you ask like that, how would she understand?" He then shouted at Sutong: "Hey! Where is the Saintess?"

Sutong gave a contemptuous smile: "Food that has fallen into one's mouth, how could it be easily discarded?"

Once these words were out, Chengkai's eyes turned red instantly, and he swung his staff at Sutong. Long Qi failed to stop him, only shook his head and sighed, helplessly joining the battle between the two.

But the strength of the two sides was vastly different; even with the two of them working together, they could not defeat Sutong.

Not to mention their cultivation levels, even in their exchanges, the two lacked coordination; either Long Qi struck with his sword too early, or Chengkai blocked his path.

Before long, the two were defeated, and Sutong pushed them both back with just one piece of Witchcraft.

Long Qi had truly not expected Sutong to have such strength; he had only taken her for a minor demon, never imagining she would be so difficult to deal with. However, he was also fortunate; if Lingxiang had come, it might have been dangerous.

In fact, what Long Qi did not know was that Lingxiang had done this intentionally.

Firstly, Lingxiang felt that something was amiss, and the death of the Saintess was certainly unusual; secondly, she felt that Long Qi had become somewhat complacent recently, which was a great taboo in cultivation. If not corrected in time, it would surely lead to great disaster later.

Yet Lingxiang was not the type to lecture, which was why she deliberately ignored this matter, letting Long Qi learn a lesson from it.

She had sensed demon trouble when she saw Longqiao Town, which was why she readily agreed to Banxia's request, though she had not expected the demon's cultivation to reach this level.

While Long Qi was still pondering how to respond, Chengkai roared and charged up again, making Long Qi so angry he wanted to curse.

Through the previous bout, it was obvious to see the gap between them and Sutong. Now, the reason Sutong was still fighting them was likely just treating them as prey, playing with them!

Lingxiang always said Chengkai was steady and reliable; now it seemed he was just a blockheaded fool with no wits.

But what could be done? He couldn't just watch him go to his death, could he?

Long Qi sighed as he followed, while constantly searching for a countermeasure.

Just as those two were locked in combat with Sutong, Liu Xia hurried to help Banxia aside to check if she was injured. But Banxia only sighed for a while before turning her attention to the three fighting.

She looked thoughtful, then suddenly seemed to remember something, rummaging through her clothes, and soon pulled out a crumpled piece of Talisman Paper.

Liu Xia looked carefully; wasn't this the Talisman Paper Lingxiang had given him during the Second Martial Exercise? He had thought he'd lost it earlier, but he hadn't expected it to be in Banxia's hands.

But when had she taken it?

Banxia stared at the Talisman Paper in her hand without a word, though her heart was filled with trepidation. She had never used a God Summoning Talisman before, and with her current cultivation, she didn't know if she could succeed, but looking at the current situation, if she could borrow divine power, there might be a turning point.

Liu Xia truly did not know what Banxia was thinking and assumed she was frightened. Just as he was about to open his mouth to comfort her, he didn't anticipate Banxia suddenly raising her head, and he was nearly struck in the chin by her.

Banxia stared fixedly at Liu Xia, who wore a look of bewilderment.

Forget it! Treat a dead horse as if it were a living one!

Thinking this, Banxia immediately clamped the God Summoning Talisman, pinched her fingers into a seal, and began to chant.

Just as Liu Xia was wondering what she was trying to do, he saw a ray of spiritual light swirl around the God Summoning Talisman, and then it was slapped onto his chest by Banxia.

In an instant, a yellow light spread; Liu Xia felt a surge of warmth pour in, and before he could speak, he lost consciousness.

However...

However, Liu Xia just remained kneeling there motionless, without the slightest reaction.

Sure enough, it still didn't work!

Banxia looked dejected and was about to tear off the God Summoning Talisman when a muffled thud came from behind her; it was Long Qi and Chengkai colliding with the stone pillar behind them.

Seeing the stone pillar crack, Banxia felt pain just watching it; it was a credit to those two that they could endure it.

Just as she focused all her attention on the three of them, Liu Xia quietly poked his head out from behind her, rubbed his chin, and looked for a moment before speaking in a ghostly tone:

"Hiss~ Incredible! It's actually a Snake; it's been a long time since I've encountered one!"

Banxia was startled and hurriedly pushed away a distance of a zhang. Although the person in front of her was indeed Liu Xia, he would never speak in such a tone.

But then she thought, could it be that the God Summoning Talisman had worked?

Looking at the glowing seal on Liu Xia's chest, Banxia asked hesitantly: "Are you the heavenly god that this disciple just summoned?"

Hearing this, Liu Xia stroked his chin and said triumphantly: "I didn't expect you, at such a young age, to be able to summon this Star Lord to descend. Not bad! This Star Lord is the Biyue Star Official of the Twenty-Eight Mansions in heaven, surely..."

Banxia was overjoyed. Before Biyue Wu could finish, she hurriedly grabbed his sleeve: "Since the Star Lord has descended, please quickly display your divine powers and deal with that monster causing havoc!"

Biyue Wu's smug expression didn't fade, but his words stuck in his throat. Looking at the hopeful Banxia, he rolled his eyes and teased: "This... look, those two children have decent skills, surely they will win before long, so there is no need for this Star Lord to..."

Having said that, how could Banxia not understand? She gave Biyue Wu a look of utter contempt: "You... you're afraid you can't beat it, aren't you..."

Biyue Wu's face stiffened, his mouth hanging open for a long time without being able to say anything. Seeing him like this, Banxia was even more convinced of what she had just said.

"What kind of Star Lord or heavenly god, you're nothing much after all..." Banxia muttered as she turned away, ignoring Biyue Wu behind her.

Although she spoke softly, Biyue Wu heard it clearly; it felt like a slap to the face, and his expression was incredibly awkward.

He thought that although he was a Star Lord, he was different from the Four Wood Avian Stars; he was merely a civil official in charge of rain, and he had no ability to catch monsters. Come to think of it, even if the Mao Ri Star Official came, he would be a hundred times better than him.

Previously, when he received the summons in heaven, he had been quite excited, thinking that since he hadn't been to the mortal world in a long time, he would take a good look around. He hadn't expected to be mocked by a little girl, and he really couldn't save face.

"Ahem..." Biyue Wu feigned a light cough, "The matter of catching monsters is the duty of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Lords of the Thunder Department. This Star Lord is merely a civil heavenly god and is naturally not skilled in this, but I do know how to restrain this beast."

Hearing this, Banxia immediately turned back, her eyes shining as she looked at Biyue Wu: "Is what the Divine Lord says true?"

"That is natural," Biyue Wu stroked his beard, only to realize the person he was possessing didn't have one, so he just scratched his head, "Although this beast has fallen and become a Snake, it has not shed its serpentine form. If you apply realgar wine to it now, it will surely diminish its cultivation."

Biyue Wu finished speaking with a smug look, but Banxia was in a bind.

Realgar wine? Where was she supposed to get realgar wine at a moment's notice? Besides, the common folk said snakes feared realgar, but that was just a rumor; what use could this realgar wine actually have?

Just as she was thinking, Long Qi and Chengkai were knocked to the ground again. This time, the two seemed seriously injured; they struggled to support themselves but were unable to stand up.

"Oh my!" Biyue Wu cried out strangely: "Snake venom is extremely yin; I'm afraid those two children have been struck."

Perhaps Sutong had grown bored of playing and didn't want to tangle with the two any longer. She waved her robe sleeves, and scales were instantly thrown out, dense like a sudden rain, striking directly at the two.

Seeing this, Banxia didn't have time to think and rushed out. But Long Qi and Chengkai were far apart; she could protect one but not the other.

The poisonous scales were close at hand. At the critical moment, a wind suddenly rose on the flat ground of the hall, swirling wildly and scattering the scales.

"Little girl, this Lord can only help you this much..." As soon as the words fell, the God Summoning Talisman on Liu Xia's chest dissipated.

Sutong frowned; she had forgotten about these two mice.

She leaped up and rushed fiercely toward Banxia. Just then, a spray of water splashed up, soaking Banxia completely, followed by a pungent smell.

"Wine?" Banxia sniffed her sleeve in confusion.

Where did the wine come from?

The smell of wine spread instantly, and Sutong, who had been closing in, hurriedly covered her face and retreated. At this moment, someone spoke from behind Banxia:

"No wonder you were repeatedly instructed to buy wine on the way; it was for this purpose."

It was Xin Yi!

Banxia turned her head to look; Xin Yi was carrying a wine jar in one hand and holding a blade in the other, unrestrained and dashing, like a heavenly god.

In her daze, a porcelain bottle was tossed into Banxia's hand.

"This is an Anti-Poison Pill, quickly give it to those two," he said to Chengkai, "Wuyang has already found the Cheng family miss."

As Xin Yi spoke, he lifted the wine jar and took a hearty gulp, then threw it toward Sutong.

Sutong hurriedly dodged, and the jar of wine shattered on the ground with a "clatter." But before she could steady herself, she was drenched by a spray of water.

While smacking his lips as if lamenting the good wine, Xin Yi leisurely took a paper packet from his bosom, opened it, and tossed it into the air.

Dust instantly rose, but instead of falling, it seemed to come alive, drifting toward Sutong.

It was Lingxiang who had cast witchcraft on the realgar powder.

"You..." Banxia spoke softly: "You just now... on my body..."

Seeing Xin Yi's calm expression, Banxia shuddered in astonishment, then disgustedly shoved the Pill into Long Qi's mouth.

Long Qi coughed for a long time, his face turning red, but he couldn't say a word; he hurriedly struggled to move away from Banxia.

Sutong hadn't done anything to him for a long time, yet he had nearly died at the hands of this little girl...

"You..." Long Qi asked Xin Yi while coughing: "How did you get here? Where is Lingxiang?"

Xin Yi briefly explained the reason, and after hearing it, Long Qi was filled with endless worry.

Then wouldn't she be all alone with no one to protect her?

Thinking of this, he could no longer care about his own injuries, and hurriedly raised his sword, rushing out like the wind.

"She... she..." Banxia pointed in the direction of Sutong and stammered for a long time, but could not manage to say anything coherent at all.

Xin Yi smiled, "Now that she has lost her toxicity and her cultivation has been reduced, she is not difficult to deal with."

When Lingxiang and Long Qi returned to the Chengfeng Escort Agency, Sutong was being tightly bound by Liu Xia's Huasheng Sword, struggling there, looking utterly disheveled.

The Escorts in the agency surrounded her, each of them fierce and aggressive, insisting on killing her to eliminate a scourge for the people; it was only thanks to Xin Yi and the others being present that they were stopped.

"Cough!" Lingxiang feigned a light cough, "This Corpse Demon has profound cultivation; let alone you all, even we have no way to deal with her, so how could you possibly kill her?"

"Are we just going to let her go like this?" One Escort was immediately displeased, and the others echoed loudly, saying they could not spare her.

"That, of course, is not possible," Lingxiang walked forward slowly, and Long Qi hurriedly moved to protect her.

"Since she has committed such heinous acts, she naturally deserves to be punished." As she spoke, she reached out and took out a Painting Scroll.

Just as she was about to open it, she heard Sutong sneer, "I was wondering who had the ability to use the Spirit Tracking Technique; I didn't expect it to be a mere yellow-haired girl. Do you think you can use such petty tricks to plot against me?"

"Tsk! Hey~" Lingxiang smacked her lips in a show of affectation, "How can a practitioner call it plotting? It is merely relying on one's own skills."

"Ha! A fine 'relying on one's own skills,' a mere child daring to speak such wild words!" As Sutong spoke, a red light flashed in her eyes, and her form changed drastically.

"Then I shall let you see for yourself!"

As soon as the words fell, a wild wind rose suddenly, and dark clouds churned. The crowd was shocked and hurriedly stood in battle formation, while Long Qi firmly protected Lingxiang behind him.

Yet looking at Lingxiang, she did not seem panicked at all, only fiddling with the Painting Scroll in her hand unhurriedly, as if the situation before her had nothing to do with her.

Just as Sutong broke free from the restraints of the Huasheng Sword and was about to soar into the air, Lingxiang suddenly opened the Painting Scroll and said to Sutong:

"Sutong! Look who this is!"

Even amidst the chaos, Lingxiang's voice was very clear and hard to ignore.

And the moment the painting was unfurled, the surroundings gradually calmed down.

Sutong stared blankly at the Painting Scroll, tears in her eyes.

"Tumi..."

She murmured, as if deeply attracted by the painting in Lingxiang's hand.

Just then, the scroll flashed with spiritual light, and Sutong seemed to hear someone within it calling her name.

"Sutong... Sutong..."

So familiar, so warm, so unforgettable to her.

Sutong seemed to have her soul hooked by these calls, staring unblinkingly at the light before her, moving closer to it bit by bit.

At this moment, an arm reached out from the Painting Scroll, and Sutong reached out to take it without hesitation.

The moment their hands touched, golden light flashed brilliantly, but in an instant, it vanished.

When everyone opened their eyes, there was no longer any trace of Sutong in the courtyard...

Watching Lingxiang unhurriedly rolling up the Painting Scroll, Long Qi couldn't help but ask, "You actually have such a treasure, why didn't you take it out sooner?"

Lingxiang slapped away Long Qi's hand reaching for the scroll: "Why? So you can know about it and pine for it day and night?"

Long Qi rubbed the back of his hand with a fawning expression and was about to speak when he saw Zhao Wuyang running out from the inner courtyard.

"Miss... Miss Cheng has gone mad!"

At this time, Cheng Danruo was sitting on the ground covered in broken porcelain, pulling at her hair, her eyes vacant, whispering to herself, looking truly like she had gone mad.

The Escorts, calling her 'Miss' and 'Ancestor,' hurriedly stepped forward to help her up, but before they could get close, she wailed and grabbed the broken porcelain on the ground, throwing it wildly at the crowd, completely disregarding whether she would hurt herself.

For a time, there was chaos again, and in this chaos, Chengkai appeared particularly calm.

It was then that a crisp "slap" was heard, and the room fell instantly silent.

"It is just a man, yet you are throwing a tantrum and rolling on the ground; who are you putting on this show for!?"

Banxia grabbed Cheng Danruo, who was sitting on the ground clutching her face in a daze, and roared: "Are you unable to live without a man?!"

Everyone present was stunned; even Lingxiang did not expect Banxia to strike suddenly.

"Madam Cheng is still lying ill on her bed, and the vast family business is in ruins waiting to be rebuilt, yet you have done such an absurd thing for a man, implicating a whole family of people who care about you and nearly costing them their lives. How can you face them?"

"It was hard enough to save you, and you are still acting like you want to die; do you even want this face of yours anymore?"

"If you really want to die, you could either hang yourself with a three-foot white silk or jump into the river outside the town; that would be clean and decisive, and could be considered fulfilling your pretense of being 'devoted.' Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than your current appearance like a shrewish scoundrel?"

Banxia spoke in a continuous stream; Cheng Danruo listened, dumbfounded, and after a long while, she finally burst into loud tears.

At this moment, Banxia pulled her into an embrace, patting her back incessantly, as if comforting a child who had suffered every grievance.

This tactic of using provocation was well-used!

Lingxiang smiled at the corner of her mouth and gave a look; Chengkai understood immediately and led everyone out.

Madam Cheng eventually passed away. Although Cheng Danruo was heartbroken, after this incident, she became much more sensible. Seeing her like this, Chengkai also breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After the seventh day of mourning, the group prepared to head north to Fengwu Mountain. When they left, the people from Chengfeng Escort Agency saw them off to the edge of town with a thousand thanks, and Cheng Danruo even held Banxia's hand, reluctantly urging them to come back and visit often.

With this, the turmoil in Longqiao Town had finally passed.

Short Theater:

The Corpse Demon gripped Lingxiang's arm, and just as she was about to bite down, Long Qi flew in and slashed down with his sword, cutting the Corpse Demon in two from head to toe.

"Look, look, if I hadn't arrived in time, your little life would have been lost here." Long Qi waved his sword, thinking himself dashing, and said with a smug look.

"Then I am truly grateful to the young hero for saving my life!" Lingxiang teased: "This little girl is truly overwhelmed with gratitude, it is just a pity I have no way to repay you, and can only offer to serve you in the next life."

Her tone was extremely frivolous, appearing quite dismissive. Yet Long Qi did not seem to mind, only rubbing his nose, looking a bit embarrassed.

"That... let's not wait for the next life; I can't wait that long for some distant future, let's just do it in this lifetime!"

As she spoke, she took a hairpin from her bosom and carefully inserted it into Lingxiang's hair bun.

"Mm! Very good, very good!" Long Qi laughed, "It looks much better on you than it did on Sutong!"

Only then did Lingxiang put away her Witchcraft and turn around; the youth before her had an immature face, but the eyes looking at her were bright and spirited.

"You actually stole something from a monster?"

"Tsk!" Long Qi smacked his lips, his face showing slight dissatisfaction, "As a practitioner, how can you call it stealing? I pulled it right off her head fair and square! Besides, it didn't look good on her anyway!"

Looking at Long Qi, who wore an expression of taking it for granted, Lingxiang could not help but sigh in her heart.

Forget it, forget it; he is a youth, so it is normal for him to be high-spirited and full of himself. As for future matters, we shall talk about them in the future!

Thinking this, Lingxiang sat down right where she was.

"The moonlight is just right; keep me company for a while!"

Admiring the moon? Here? In a graveyard? This Lingxiang is really...

Quite eccentric...

Although he thought this, Long Qi still sat down as requested. The two did not speak, only gazing at the bright moon in the sky.

After a long while, Long Qi suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder; it was Lingxiang leaning against him.

"I'm tired, let me rest for a while..."

Long Qi looked at the small face on his shoulder, which appeared especially exquisite under the moonlight, and his expression could not help but soften.

The two leaned against each other like this, sitting in the graveyard for the entire night until the horizon turned slightly white.

"Heaven and earth are eternal, the Dao follows nature; idly listening to flowers fall, life is but floating clouds and smoke."

Lingxiang suddenly spoke, but Long Qi did not understand what she was saying; yet when he turned his head to look, a hanging scroll had appeared in her hand for no reason.

"Sigh..." Lingxiang sighed, stood up, and brushed the dust off her body.

"Let's go! To resolve the karma..."