Chapter 71: Seen Through the Ghost King, Delights in Teasing the Ghost King

Xie Lian had initially planned on keeping the suspicious ghost robes to thoroughly reexamine them himself, but he hadn't realized that he would catch this huge hole in Ling Wen's lies with her one offhand comment. The moment Xie Lian wrapped his head around what it implied, he went with the flow and managed to blow apart Ling Wen's armor with his crafty words.

Ling Wen stood there, frozen.

"Of course, you can deny all of this," Xie Lian granted.

"But it would be easy to prove the robe's authenticity. All I would need to do is bring the robe to the Palace of Divine Might. Then I can have it change its form before the Heavenly Emperor and ask you to describe what it looks like. And the truth would come to light."

The Brocade Immortal sucked the blood of over five hundred people when it roamed freely in the Mortal Realm. It was a sinister object of great evil. Even if Ling Wen had simply broken into the T emple of Divine Might to steal the robe and hadn't yet had the chance to use it to cause harm, it wouldn't have been such an unforgivable crime. But Ling Wen was an appointed deputy general before she ascended, and the earliest stories of the Brocade Immortal surfaced long after Ling Wen's tenure in that position.

Which meant that Ling Wen created the Brocade Immortal after she had taken up her duties in the Heavenly Realm and become a heavenly official!

A heavenly official, who was duty-bound to protect humanity, had seduced and murdered a human; that alone called for a severe criminal sentence. Furthermore, the human who had been lured to his demise was a future heavenly official. Alas, the court would not handle this case with a light hand.

"Your Highness, you are honestly…" Ling Wen sighed.

After a pause, she continued, "Maybe it's just my bad luck that this mission was given to you. There are only the two of us here at the Palace of Ling Wen today, and we've got centuries of friendship between us…but I doubt you'd agree to it if I pleaded for you to turn a blind eye because of that.

So now you're going to encourage me to turn myself in to the Palace of Divine Might. Am I right?"

Xie Lian sighed too. Although he and Ling Wen had known each other for centuries, it had always been pure business; they had never developed a closer bond.

Nonetheless, their relationship was fairly good. When he ascended for the third time, Ling Wen never looked down on him even when all the others taunted him as the Scrap Immortal. On the contrary, she had assisted him and taken care of him. But this Brocade Immortal mission just had to land on his head. Now that the truth was revealed, it was hard to report it and harder to stay silent.

"My luck is bad too," Xie Lian replied earnestly.

Ling Wen crossed her arms and shook her head. "Your Highness, you… Sometimes you're smart, but sometimes you aren't smart at all. Sometimes you're softhearted, but sometimes your heart is as hard as iron. You are rigid as always." After a pause, she asked, "So where is the robe now?"

"It's in my custody," Xie Lian replied. "After we're done here, I will personally deliver it to the Palace of Divine Might."

Ling Wen nodded, seemingly having nothing more to say.

"Can you tell me something?" Xie Lian asked. "Why didn't the Brocade Immortal work when Lang Ying wore it?"

"I can probably guess," Ling Wen said. "But if Your Highness wants the answer, will you first agree to a request?"

"What is it?" Xie Lian asked.

"Will you let me see it? The Brocade Immortal."

Xie Lian was taken aback.

"I only need one day," Ling Wen said. "If I am to turn myself in to the Palace of Divine Might, there may not be any opportunities to see it after. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not going to tamper with it. I was just shocked when you said he'd shown himself."

She shook her head, then her eyes stared off in reverie.

"...It's been so many years, and I've never seen Bai Jing appear once."

"That young warrior's name was Bai Jing?" Xie Lian asked.

Ling Wen seemed to snap out of it. "Oh. Yes. But people usually called him Xiao-Bai."

"Xiao-Bai?" Xie Lian wondered. "That sounds like…" Like they were calling him a dog, or an idiot.

Ling Wen chuckled. "It means what you're thinking of.

I'm the one who gave him the name Bai Jing. No one ever called him that, so not many knew the name. But he'll be very happy if you do."

In the legend of the Brocade Immortal, the way the young man's beloved treated him made her seem cruel and terrifying. If she didn't have a bone-deep hatred for him, then she was born cold-blooded. Yet Ling Wen's tone was amiable when she spoke of that young man—there was neither affection nor hatred.

"So will you? If Your Highness is worried I'll run away, you can have Ruoye bind me. I won't be able to escape—I'm not a martial god."

For some reason, Xie Lian felt he should trust Ling Wen.

After considering it for a moment, he nodded cautiously.

"Very well."

They left the Palace of Ling Wen like nothing was wrong;

they greeted other passing heavenly officials as usual while they strolled down the Avenue of Divine Might. Ling Wen looked the same as always, and nothing gave away the fact that her hands were firmly bound by Ruoye under her sleeves. They didn't get very far before they ran into Pei Ming, who had just returned from his street patrol. The two greeted each other, then stood on the side of the road for a bit to chat and make perfunctory pleasantries. Pei Ming stared at Xie Lian the entire time, and Xie Lian grew slightly apprehensive.

"Why is General Pei looking at me like that?"

Pei Ming stroked his chin. "Not gonna lie, Your Highness.

I get the jitters whenever I see you now. It feels like anyone standing next to you is going to have something go wrong," he replied earnestly. "So my poor heart started pounding when I saw you walking with Ling Wen. Ling Wen, you'd best watch your step for the next little while."

Ling Wen laughed. "How could that be? General Pei, please stop joking."

Xie Lian, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. On some level, Pei Ming's instincts were right on target.

Once back in the Mortal Realm, they could see Lang Ying leaning against the old tree out front as they drew close to Puqi Shrine. He was spinning the broom in his hand without a care, and next to his feet was a tidy pile of fallen golden leaves. Xie Lian watched him for a while before he purposely put more weight into his steps to make his approach heard.

Lang Ying didn't look back, but he must've noticed their presence and quite naturally changed his posture. He returned to sweeping, then turned around and acted like he'd only just noticed Xie Lian and Ling Wen.

Xie Lian lightly cleared his throat. "Sweeping again?"

Lang Ying nodded. Seeing him like this, Xie Lian couldn't resist patting his head like an elder would.

"What a good child," he praised.

Lang Ying accepted the gesture without reservation.

Ling Wen watched them without comment.

Xie Lian led her to the shrine's entrance and opened the door. "It's in here…" The moment he opened the door, he saw a figure crouched in front of the donation box, sneakily stuffing in gold bars. Xie Lian hurried over to drag him away.

"Qi Ying, stop stuffing it full! That's really enough. I haven't even taken out the ones you put in there last time.

You've jammed up the opening with them now."

Ling Wen nodded. "Greetings, Your Highness Qi Ying."

Qi Ying acknowledged her too. "Hi."

There was a wooden rack set up in the center of Puqi Shrine, and a plain hemp robe hung there. Of course, that was only what Xie Lian saw. Ling Wen approached and gazed at it solemnly, but the robe did not react, even as the minutes stretched on.

She cocked her head. "My Lords, I want to look at it alone. Is that all right?"

"That's fine," Xie Lian said.

Xie Lian wasn't that worried; Ruoye had her hands bound and she wasn't a martial god, so there wasn't much she could try. He laid a hand on Quan Yizhen's shoulder.

"Let's go outside."

This case was more or less closed, and Xie Lian could feel himself relax. The neighbors had recently given him a bunch of fruits and vegetables, so Xie Lian took them to the kitchen, ready to cook. His undefeated spirit should be admired as an example to all.

Now that he'd stayed there for a few days, Quan Yizhen seemed to have taken Puqi Shrine as some sort of happy farm. He kept leaping around, climbing trees, stealing squash, snagging fish, and catching frogs. In a moment of Xie Lian's carelessness, Quan Yizhen snuck into the kitchen and swiped a yam. Feeling the empty spot on the counter, Xie Lian turned to see Quan Yizhen slipping out of the kitchen with the yam dangling from his mouth, hurrying away like a fish who had escaped the net.

"It's not cooked yet, don't eat it!" Xie Lian cried.

It was precisely because it hadn't been cooked yet that it had to be eaten quickly. Once Xie Lian cooked it, it wouldn't be edible anymore. Xie Lian shook his head, then he saw Lang Ying walking over and his eyes turned crescent as he smiled.

"Lang Ying, are you free? Come help me chop some vegetables."

Lang Ying seemed to have been planning to snatch the yam back from Quan Yizhen, but when he heard Xie Lian's request, he came over to help without a second thought.

T aking his task very seriously, he picked up the knife from the cutting board and sliced into the cabbage, cutting with the utmost concentration. Xie Lian watched him for a moment, then turned to rinse the rice as he chatted.

"Lang Ying, you've seen quite a number of gods and ghosts coming and going from our little Puqi Shrine by now, right?"

Each of them more bizarre than the next. From behind him, Lang Ying answered, "Mm."

"Then let me ask you something," Xie Lian continued. "If you had to pick, who among them do you think is the handsomest?"

Lang Ying was engrossed in chopping the vegetables and seemed to be thinking hard. Xie Lian lightly arched his brows.

"Go on, tell me. Just say whatever you think is the truth."

Lang Ying answered, "You."

Xie Lian laughed. "Besides me."

"The one in red," Lang Ying said.

Xie Lian was going to bust a gut trying to contain his laughter. "Mmm. I think so too," he responded seriously. After a pause, he asked again, "Then who do you think is the coolest?"

Lang Ying still answered, "The one in red."

Xie Lian swiftly continued his questions without skipping a beat. "Who's the richest?"

"The one in red."

"Who do you admire the most?"

"The one in red."

"Who's the silliest?"

"The one in green."

The questions came one after the other without pause, but he was surprisingly able to change his answer in time. It spoke for his quick wit and reactions.

"It seems you quite like the gege dressed in red," Xie Lian commented. "His name is Hua Cheng—remember it well.

So does this mean you think he's nice?"

The chopping of the knife in Lang Ying's hand had gotten many times faster, seemingly without the wielder noticing. "Very nice."

"So then, once we're free, do you think we should invite him here again?" Xie Lian asked.

"Mmm. Of course. It's a must," Lang Ying replied.

"I think so too," Xie Lian said. "But his subordinate said he's been very busy lately, so he must be occupied by very serious business. I think it's best if we don't disturb him."

After that comment, the crunching sound of vegetables being chopped grew more heavy-handed. Xie Lian gripped the edge of the stove to support himself, his stomach straining from trying to hold back his laughter. Quan Yizhen poked his head in the window, sweeping a look over the kitchen as he took a bite of the yam.

"You chopped it to shreds. It won't taste good anymore," he said to Lang Ying.

"Hmm? What did you say?" Lang Ying threatened.

Xie Lian turned to look; the cabbage wasn't just shredded, it was pulverized into tiny scraps. He cleared his throat softly.

"My gosh, your knife work is really bad."

"..."

After throwing all sorts of seasonings into the pot, Xie Lian dusted off his hands and decided to let it simmer for two hours, then left the kitchen. He glanced at Ling Wen; she was still behaving herself in the shrine, so he continued to do his chores. He picked out a larger plank from the pile of firewood and borrowed a brush and ink from the village chief's house, then sat in front of the door lost in thought. One hand held the plank and the other held the brush. Lang Ying walked over, and Xie Lian looked up.

"Lang Ying, can you read? Do you know how to write?"

he asked warmly.

"Yes," Lang Ying replied.

"How's your writing?"

"Mediocre."

"That's all right. As long as it's legible. Come give me a hand again." Xie Lian passed the plank and brush over to Lang Ying and smiled. "Our shrine doesn't have an establishment plaque. Why don't you draft one for me?"

"..."

Lang Ying picked up the brush at Xie Lian's insistence.

The little brush in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds and wouldn't be moved no matter what. A moment later, he seemed to concede defeat and put down both the brush and plank. A helpless voice came from underneath the bandages.

"Gege…I was wrong."

That voice didn't belong to Lang Ying at all—though it was crisper and more boyish than it normally was, it was clearly the voice of Hua Cheng. Xie Lian had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and after watching him struggle for so long and finally surrender, he could no longer hold back and sank to the ground in a fit of laughter.

"San Lang really is extremely busy!"

Since they hadn't seen each other for a long time, Xie Lian had missed him dearly—even though that "long time" was no more than a few days. Yet who would've thought Hua Cheng had been hiding right by his side all this time? Xie Lian's mood brightened immediately, and all his previous concerns were completely forgotten. He was laughing so hard he was having trouble getting up.

"Gege, you played me," Hua Cheng accused.

Xie Lian picked up the brush and plank. "Don't turn this on me; San Lang played me first. Let me guess…you've been around ever since I broke the stove, right?"

"Ah, that's true. Gege, how did you know? You're amazing!" Hua Cheng complimented him.

Xie Lian waved dismissively. "Amazing? San Lang, if you want to wear a disguise, don't be so lazy about it. It would be more amazing if I hadn't seen through it. And here I thought there really was a second person who could eat…ahem.

Honestly…'Who's the handsomest? Who's the coolest? Who's the richest? Who do you admire the most?' Ha ha ha ha…" "...Gege, please forget that ever happened," Hua Cheng pleaded softly.

Xie Lian was resolute in his refusal. "No. I will remember this forever."

"Gege, although I'm happy you're so happy, is it really that funny?" Hua Cheng asked in a woeful tone.

Xie Lian hugged his belly as he laughed. "Of course!

Only since meeting you have I rediscovered how simple it is to be happy, ha ha ha ha ha…" Hearing this, Hua Cheng blinked. Xie Lian's laughter quieted as he realized that his words were a little too frank.

Even he thought they were a little corny now that he'd calmed down. Clearing his throat quietly, Xie Lian rubbed at the corners of his eyes and forced himself to school his expression.

"All right, enough playing around. Where's the real Lang Ying? Why are you disguised as him? Bring that child back now."

"I sent him to Ghost City as a guest," Hua Cheng replied languidly.

Since Hua Cheng was the one who took him away, Xie Lian wasn't worried. He nodded and was about to continue their conversation when the wooden door creaked open. Ling Wen walked outside Puqi Shrine with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Your Highness."

Hua Cheng had no intention of revealing his identity, so Xie Lian didn't mention it and pretended he was still Lang Ying in front of others. Seeing Ling Wen's solemn expression, Xie Lian's smile faded unconsciously.

"What is it? The Brocade Im—is something wrong with Bai Jing?"

"No. There's nothing wrong with him," Ling Wen said.

"There's a weird smell coming from the kitchen. Is Your Highness cooking something?"

"Oh, I am. It's simmering on the stove," Xie Lian replied quickly.

After some thought, Ling Wen used a courteous tone to say very discourteously, "Please clear it away, Your Highness.

Whatever you're cooking, it's probably ruined by now."

"..."

T wo hours later, evening had come.

Inside Puqi Shrine, Hua Cheng, Ling Wen, and Quan Yizhen sat around the little wooden altar table. Xie Lian brought a pot from the kitchen and set it on the table. He opened the cover to reveal dozens of cute, round, smooth, snow-white little meatballs sagely curled inside.

"Weren't you stewing something? How did it turn into meatballs?" Quan Yizhen demanded.

Xie Lian introduced his creation. "This dish is called 'Incorruptible Chastity Meatballs.'"10 "Weren't you stewing something? How did it turn into meatballs?" Quan Yizhen demanded.

"Kneading meatballs requires delicate strength, not too hard, not too light," Xie Lian continued his presentation.

"That's why so much time went into these."

"Weren't you stewing something? How did it turn into meatballs?" Quan Yizhen demanded.

"..." Since Quan Yizhen was so relentless, Xie Lian explained warmly, "It was originally more of a stew, you're right. But because there was a small mishap with time and controlling the fire, all the water boiled off, so I mixed in new ingredients and made meatballs instead."

Hearing this, Ling Wen praised him wholeheartedly.

"Your Highness truly thinks outside the box. There is no one like you in all of history. I am steeped in deep respect."

"Please, that's too much praise," Xie Lian said.

"It's not," Ling Wen said. "At least, I certainly do believe there will never be another person in history able to create a dish called 'Incorruptible Chastity Meatballs.'" Xie Lian passed chopsticks around. "Thank you, thank you. Everyone, please."

Ling Wen and Quan Yizhen took chopsticks with one hand and at the same time reached for the cold buns sitting at the edge of the table with the other. Only Hua Cheng reached for an Incorruptible Chastity Meatball and popped it into his mouth.

After a moment, he remarked, "Pretty good."

Quan Yizhen's eyes widened at the sight.

"A bit bland," Hua Cheng added.

"Okay. Duly noted," Xie Lian said.

Quan Yizhen watched with wide eyes as the bandaged boy next to him ate several of the abnormally glistening meatballs and gave such sincere feedback. After some thought, he seemed to be persuaded and reached for his own meatball.

Xie Lian maintained his smile. He smiled and watched Quan Yizhen swallow. He smiled as Quan Yizhen's face turned pale. He smiled as Quan Yizhen crumpled to the floor.

Xie Lian continued smiling as he asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Probably ate too fast and choked," Hua Cheng advised.

Ling Wen grinned.

All of a sudden, Xie Lian heard a familiar voice in his ear.

"Gege."

It wasn't Lang Ying's mumbling voice, nor was it the crisp and languid voice of Hua Cheng in his boyish form. It was the voice of the usual Hua Cheng, and he was speaking to Xie Lian through their private communication array.

Xie Lian raised his lashes slightly. "What is it?"

"Ling Wen is cruel and cunning, heartless and merciless.

Things might not end so easily now that you've brought her here."

This was the first time Xie Lian had ever heard anyone make such comments about Ling Wen. He thought for a moment and then replied, "It seems to me she harbors some goodwill toward the Brocade Immortal. That much at least I believe is true."

"Harboring goodwill and being merciless don't conflict.

She's the number one civil god in the heavens—her eyes and ears are everywhere, and her arms are far-reaching. Gege needs to guard against her seeking out helping hands."

"General Pei?" Xie Lian asked.

"Unlikely," Hua Cheng replied. "She certainly would have asked the Water T yrant for his assistance in suppressing the matter if he were still around, as Shi Wudu always acted on acquaintance and not reason. But Pei Ming might not be willing to aid corruption as long as you inform him of the truth. Gege, be careful."

"All right, I will be careful," Xie Lian said. "Good thing a day goes by fast."

However, Hua Cheng's voice was dark in his ear. "No.

Gege, you've misunderstood. I'm telling you to be careful of something else. We have visitors."

The clinking, crisp sounds of bells reached Xie Lian's ears. Hua Cheng frowned slightly. Xie Lian looked through the window and saw a middle-aged cultivator approaching the entrance to Puqi Village and ringing a bell as he strutted forth.

The cultivator wore a rather magnificent cultivation robe and carried a treasure chest on his back that was covered in yellow talismans. As he walked along, his bell rang with each step. Xie Lian recognized it as a good tool; he had an eye for these things. The sound of that bell would give a piercing headache to any low-level evil beings that were near enough to hear it, and they would steer clear.

Before the cultivator got any closer to the shrine, he was joined by a few other large, white-browed, yellow-robed monks carrying staves in their hands, their gaits steady as they approached.

Soon, a crowd of fifty or sixty had gathered, and Puqi Shrine was heavily surrounded. It was as if they had planned this meeting and were unsurprised to see one another present.

These people weren't just putting on a show. Their bodies were hung with spiritual weapons, and their forms were composed and obviously very skilled. Heavenly officials took spiritual power from their worshippers' offerings, and likewise, certain Daoist and Buddhist cultivators could request spiritual power from the heavenly officials they worshipped. And so the monks and cultivators gathering at the shrine might possess greater spiritual power than Xie Lian, a heavenly official.

So many of them swarming outside all at once couldn't herald anything good. Xie Lian sensed that the newcomers didn't come in peace and knitted his brows in concern.

Hua Cheng put down his bowl and chopsticks and rose to his feet. Xie Lian heard his humph in the private communication array.

"Those foul old monks and cultivators dared chase me all the way here. I'm sorry that I brought trouble to your door, gege. I'll leave and lead them away."

Xie Lian grabbed him. "Don't move."

Ling Wen was bewildered. "What's going on?"

Xie Lian spoke to Hua Cheng through their private communication array. "Don't go. T ell me honestly, is the reopening of Mount T onglu affecting you greatly?"

"No," Hua Cheng replied.

Xie Lian stared intently at the eyes behind the bandages. "Stop lying. You're a Supreme Ghost King. You don't need to be afraid of mortals like them. Why would you lead them away and not beat them away? You weren't just playing a prank when you changed into this form, were you?"

The stronger the nefarious creature, the more they felt Mount T onglu's effects. Xie Lian had witnessed with his own eyes just how much misery Hua Cheng had suffered the first time the ghosts were agitated, and the tremors would only intensify as the gate's opening approached. If Xie Lian had been the one suffering such a thing, he would have chosen to temporarily seal his true form. T o avoid going berserk and conserve his spiritual powers, he would transform into a small creature and wait it out until after the mountain had finally formally opened.

That would be a way to avoid the torment of Mount T onglu's aggravation, but because his powers were sealed, it gave others the opportunity to ambush him.

Xie Lian cursed. "Qi Rong, you…" That night, Qi Rong had threatened to bring forth all the Daoists and Buddhist monks who had grievances with Hua Cheng, but Xie Lian was shocked to see that he hadn't been bluffing. Hua Cheng shook his head.

"Gege, they're only targeting me. It'll be fine once I'm gone. Although I can't kill them with a single move in my current form, I can at least make them get lost."

But Xie Lian threatened, "If you leave now, don't ever come back to see me again."

"...Your Highness!" Hua Cheng cried, shocked.

Hua Cheng was usually so flawlessly composed. He had helped Xie Lian so many times in the past, so now that Xie Lian finally had the chance to help him, how could he possibly allow Hua Cheng to leave all alone?

"Sit down. I'll go meet with them," Xie Lian said darkly.

Quan Yizhen opened his eyes with great difficulty. "Is… someone here?" he asked in a daze. His voice was hoarse.

"Do you…need me to beat them up?"

"..." Xie Lian helped him close his eyes. "Qi Ying, just keep lying there. Also, you can't just beat up mortals—it'll cost you merits."

Xie Lian pressed himself against the wooden door to listen for any movement outside. Some villagers who had just finished their work for the day were still out and about and hadn't yet gone home for dinner, and they were amazed to see so many Daoists and monks.

"What're the masters doing here?" they asked. "Are you here for Xie-daozhang?"

A murderous-looking monk put his hands together in prayer. "Amitabha Buddha. Benevolent donor, are you aware that this place has been invaded by wicked creatures?"

"What?!" the villagers were shocked. "Wicked creatures?! What kind of wicked creatures?"

"A hell-raising ghost king, singular in his evil throughout the ages!" another monk replied enigmatically.

"W-what should we do?!" the villagers exclaimed.

The splendidly dressed cultivator had been the first to arrive, so he took it upon himself to announce their intent.

"Leave it to us! T oday, we who walk the same path are gathered here for one reason. We have been blessed with the chance of a lifetime to capture that vile ghost!"

However, before he could rush the shrine, the village chief pulled him back. The cultivator glared at him.

"Who are you? What are you doing?"

"Um, masters," the village chief laughed nervously. "I'm the leader of this village. We're very thankful you're here, but to tell the truth, y'all look very expensive…" "...We've come to defeat evil. Do you think we're here for a reward?!" the splendidly dressed cultivator said, offended.

They tried to charge again, but the villagers stopped them once more. Although the monks and cultivators were growing irritated, they couldn't just shove themselves through.

"What now?!" they demanded with forced patience.

The village head wrung his hands nervously. "If it's free, then that's great; our thanks to the masters for coming here to defeat evil with benevolent hearts. But…it's just that all such work here in this village is taken care of by Xie-daozhang. It's hard on me as the village chief if the masters have come to steal Xie-daozhang's work."

The band of monks and cultivators looked at each other in dismay.

"Xie-daozhang?"

They huddled around.

"Is there a well-known, mighty Daoist school in the trade with the name of Xie?"

"Don't think so."

"Either way, I've never heard of him. Probably some nobody."

"If we haven't heard of him, then he's not well known, so who cares?"

After their discussion, the splendidly dressed cultivator turned back around. "The Xie-daozhang you speak of, is he the one living in this place?"

"Yeah." The villagers then shouted in the direction of Puqi Shrine. "Xie-daozhang! Xie-daozhang! Your peers are here! There're so many of them! Are you home?"

A yellow-robed old monk pressed his hands together in prayer. "Amitabha Buddha. It doesn't matter if Xie-daozhang is here. That wicked creature is hiding in this house right now!"

The villagers were stunned. "Huh?!"

At that point, Xie Lian pushed the door open and leisurely strolled out. "I'm here. What's going on, everyone?"

"Daozhang, these eminent monks and cultivators are saying that in your house, there's a…a…ghost…" the villagers stammered.

Xie Lian smiled. "Eh? You can tell?"

The crowd outside the shrine was shocked.

"It's true?"

"What a quick confession of guilt!"

Xie Lian tossed a jar to them. "That's right, there really is a ghost!"

The splendidly dressed cultivator caught the jar and was delighted at first, but his smile collapsed when he opened it.

"A Half-Maquillage Woman?" He tossed the jar back, looking very obviously displeased. "Don't pretend, my friend.

A vulgar ghost like this isn't even at the level of a fierce! You know exactly what we're referring to."

Xie Lian caught the jar and could tell that the man's throw wasn't weak. It was obvious that he had cultivated for many arduous years and had considerable strength.

"Dao-xiong, I can sense that this cultivator's body is full to bursting with evil qi," a number of monks said to the splendidly dressed cultivator. "Could he be…" "I, Heaven's Eye, can determine such things with just one glance!" the splendidly dressed cultivator stated.

With a loud shout, he bit his finger and drew a line of blood down his forehead, and a moment later, a third eye looked like it sprouted on his face. Xie Lian silently praised this demonstration of skill, and he leaned against the door to enjoy the show. The splendidly dressed cultivator glared at him for a moment with great concentration.

"I knew it… There it is, ghost qi! Such sinister ghost qi!

You did change your face after all, Ghost King!"

Xie Lian was struck dumb.

How could he, an esteemed and titled heavenly official, have ghost qi on him? He was just starting to think that this man might have some skill, so why was he spewing nonsense not a moment after?

At this accusation, the fifty or sixty masters in the gathering looked like they were steeling themselves to face a great enemy. Each of them went into a fighting stance.

"These people are so annoying," Hua Cheng said to Xie Lian in their private communication array.

"It's fine. It's not that bad. Just sit tight," Xie Lian replied.

The splendidly dressed cultivator spoke up again a moment later, but he sounded doubtful. "...That's not right?"

"What's not right?" the monks next to him asked.

The splendidly dressed cultivator rubbed the blood mark on his forehead. "This is weird. When I look at this man, he's sometimes covered in ghost qi, sometimes glowing with spiritual light, and sometimes dull and colorless… This is really strange."

"Huh? How can that be? Dao-xiong, can you handle this?

If you can't, let us take over."

"Yeah, how could it be so bizarre?"

The splendidly dressed cultivator was miffed. "What?

You think I can't do this? If I can't, do you think you can? I, Heaven's Eye, have been in the trade for years and years, and I've rarely gotten anything wrong!"

Xie Lian rubbed his forehead and shook his head. "Then why don't you take another look and tell me which part of me has the strongest ghost qi?" he asked temperately.

Heaven's Eye rubbed his forehead hard and studied him again for a moment. "Your lips!" he firmly declared.

"..."