It turned out that the previous display of losing control was nothing but a façade.
As the ghostly jiao wildly charged around, it was actually searching for the one casting spells behind the scenes—Yue Yingying!
The ghostly jiao had already spotted Yue Yingying casting her spell in the forest, only a few dozen feet away.
It was confident that its sharp horn could pierce right through this delicate-looking woman before it.
At this moment, Yue Yingying was focused intently on her spellcasting—this was a critical point that absolutely could not be interrupted.
She could only watch pale-faced as the ghostly jiao charged straight at her.
There was no time to dodge!
At the last crucial moment, the ghostly jiao’s curved body suddenly snapped straight and could no longer advance an inch.
It turned back and saw the youth behind it holding its tail with one hand, blocking its path forward.
The force was so great that his five fingers tore through the scales and dug deeply into the flesh.
Immediately after, a loud shout rang out:
“Come back here!”
The ghostly jiao’s vision spun wildly.
Ling Xiaodong held the jiao’s tail with one hand, wielding it like a whip.
The hundred-meter-long dragon’s body was repeatedly slammed against the ground, leaving the ghostly jiao dazed and confused.
While Ling Xiaodong battled the jiao, Yue Yingying hurriedly finished her incantation, changing her hand seals rapidly as she chanted:
“Nine Rivers boil, Four Seas surge, cook the rivers and seas. Temper, steam, fire burns to ash, extinguish the mountain demons, the woodland spirits, the monsters and ghosts of old qi. Lady of the Five Roosters, hunt and shoot the unruly demons of the three realms. Five rampant witches and ghostly fiends, the climate plagues, meet the fire of Bing and Ding, swiftly flee a thousand miles. Wind of Xun and thunderbolt strike, annihilate ten thousand ghosts, transform them to dust. Urgent, urgent, as the law commands!”
The storm clouds in the sky shifted from black to red, beginning to emit crimson lightning, swirling together in a vortex.
“Ling Xiaodong, run! It’s coming!”
Yue Yingying anxiously called out from outside the formation.
Ling Xiaodong loosened his grip, slamming the ghostly jiao into the ground once more, then turned and shot out like an arrow toward the formation’s edge.
The moment his front foot stepped out of the talisman’s range, the Great Thunder Fire Curse activated.
Heaven-shattering, earth-devouring crimson thunder roared down, the thunderclap echoing for miles.
Birds and beasts alike trembled before the destructive power of the cataclysmic storm.
Within the talisman formation pulsed the most violent lightning in the world.
The red glow was so blinding that no one could see inside.
Only faint cries of anguish could be heard amid the thunder.
As the lightning ravaged the land, even those last cries were extinguished.
The dark clouds dispersed, sunlight once again poured through the sky, shining down on the earth.
Where Xiao Tan had stood was now a scorched black pit, thick burnt odors drifting up.
Ling Xiaodong peeked into the pit, but the ghostly jiao’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
“This should be the end of it, right?”
Suddenly, faint coughs came from the pit.
“Cough, cough… it hurts so much.”
Ling Xiaodong’s expression changed sharply.
He exchanged a glance with Yue Yingying.
Why was a girl’s voice coming from the bottom of the pit?
Could there have been a girl hiding in the shadows that he hadn’t noticed before?
Without hesitation, he jumped down into the pit.
Yue Yingying leaned over the edge and asked:
“What did you see? Tell me!”
Ling Xiaodong’s voice came from below, echoing slightly.
“Not easy to say. Master, you come down here.”
Seeing that Ling Xiaodong was fine, Yue Yingying summoned the wind and flew down.
In the pit, curled up was a naked girl covered head to toe in black soot and ash.
Yue Yingying’s phoenix-like eyes widened, her delicate mouth covered in shock.
“Did I just injure someone?”
Ling Xiaodong shook his head and pointed to the girl’s head.
“Master, look at her head.”
The girl had a single horn growing right in the middle of her forehead, identical to the ghostly jiao’s.
“What! She can shapeshift? What do we do? Should we still kill her?”
Yue Yingying was at a loss facing the ghostly jiao now transformed into a little girl.
“Kill her. After all, she’s eaten people.
No matter how human she looks, she’s nothing but a ferocious beast.”
Ling Xiaodong raised the Scarlet Serpent Fang high in his hand.
In the Daughter’s Village, the villagers were holding a grand feast to celebrate the heroes’ return.
Long tables were filled with all sorts of delicacies—everything from creatures of the water, beasts of the land, to birds of the sky, all were present.
Villagers in revealing attire, boldly showing their slender waists and long legs, carried plates back and forth, constantly replenishing the dishes.
At the main seat was not Village Chief Fang Xiaosi, but Ling Xiaodong and Yue Yingying, fresh from slaying the jiao.
Both were caught up in the festive atmosphere, laughing happily and raising cups to drink with the villagers who came to toast them.
The village’s wine, made from an unknown ingredient, was exceptionally sweet on the palate.
Even Yue Yingying, who normally disliked alcohol, had drunk several cups.
Her cheeks flushed a rosy red, she swayed slightly holding her cup, eyes somewhat glazed but still boldly declared:
“Come! Drink! Today… I won’t leave until I’m drunk!”
The surrounding girls applauded and cheered, eager to drink with her.
“Enough, Master, stop drinking, you’re completely drunk.”
Ling Xiaodong blocked the girls’ cups from reaching Yue Yingying and took the cup from her hand.
Yue Yingying frowned slightly, dizzy and mumbling:
“Give me back my cup! I… I can still drink!”
She tried to snatch it back but her body suddenly went soft and she staggered sideways, about to fall.
Ling Xiaodong quickly caught his master as she collapsed into his arms.
Yue Yingying clenched her tiny fists, eyes half-closed.
Her soft body, warm and jade-like, fell limply into Ling Xiaodong’s embrace, a faint scent of wine mixed with her natural fragrance.
Ling Xiaodong looked helplessly at his master’s drunken state, sternly said:
“You still want to drink? No way! I’m confiscating it!”
“You can’t control me! I want it! Give it back!”
Yue Yingying pouted adorably, acting spoiled in Ling Xiaodong’s arms.
She was already intoxicated beyond reason.
Fang Xiaosi stood and raised her cup toward Ling Xiaodong.
“Young Master Ling, you are truly the hero of our village.
You slew the jiao that has taken many lives here.
On behalf of the entire village, I toast you!”
“Not at all, not at all.”
Ling Xiaodong held Yue Yingying with one arm, raised his cup with the other, and downed it in one gulp.
Soon countless girls came up wanting to toast this young hero.
Though surrounded by hundreds paying respects, Ling Xiaodong began to feel dizzy.
No one knew how long they’d been drinking when both he and Yue Yingying finally collapsed drunkenly on the table.
As Ling Xiaodong passed out, the once lively room suddenly fell deathly silent.
The villagers busy serving tea and water froze in place as if immobilized by a spell, their smiles eerily fixed.
Fang Xiaosi approached Ling Xiaodong’s side, lightly shook his shoulder, and whispered:
“Young Master Ling? Wake up!”
After confirming he was unconscious, she exhaled softly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“You sure can drink.
The soporific powder added to the wine was strong enough to knock out even a giant beast.”
She folded her arms and paced around the two drunken figures, her face full of smug satisfaction.
“Thank you, Young Master Ling, and Miss Yue, not only did you kill that ghostly jiao for me, but you also came right to my doorstep.”
She bent down to examine them carefully.
“Tsk tsk tsk, one with the body of Xuanyang, the other with the essence of the moon—who would have thought such fortune could be found in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.”
She reached out her palm toward Ling Xiaodong’s neck.
“Time is of the essence.
Come now, merge with me, become the nourishment for my growth.”
Just as Fang Xiaosi’s palm was about to touch Ling Xiaodong, the supposedly passed-out young man suddenly raised his hand and slashed with the Scarlet Serpent Fang across her palm.
“Ah!”
Fang Xiaosi cried out, clutching her hand as she staggered back.
Her eyes widened in horror.
Ling Xiaodong and Yue Yingying, once drunk, now both stood calmly with faces clear of any intoxication.
Ling Xiaodong held the serpent fang dagger across his chest, coldly said:
“Finally showing your true colors?”
Fang Xiaosi’s sliced palm bled no blood, instead slowly writhing and healing.
She stared at them in disbelief, panicked:
“Y-You… how did you know!?”
“Hmph!”
Yue Yingying crossed her arms and snorted coldly.
“We know more than that.
Your methods are just too clumsy.
Isn’t that right? Xuanyang Grass!”