Chapter 214: Reaping What One Sows

"What's going on?" Shao Meiyun was more nervous than anyone else. No one wants to be harmed by ghosts, especially not a smart and influential woman like her.

"Sister, there's probably a powerful figure behind these people!" Li Nianlong thought of a certain talisman from the spells he had learned.

"A Ghost Transformation Talisman?" The crowd was unaware but felt the gravity of those three words.

"Yes," Li Nianlong nodded. "It's a type of talisman water given to the living, and it only works if drunk within three days before death." He looked at Grandpa Liu and Shao Meiyun, "Grandpa, Sister, those people might not have been unable to escape; they probably stayed on purpose to die. Two hundred vengeful ghosts could easily take Sister's life in a short time."

A cold light flashed in Li Nianlong's eyes as he spoke, "Such ruthlessness! To target Sister, someone sacrificed over two hundred lives. Who holds such a grudge against Sister? This person must have significant backing to command over two hundred death warriors, and they are highly manipulative, able to make men, women, and children willingly die for them… hmm, maybe it's not manipulation but dark magic controlling their minds."

Grandpa Liu and Shao Meiyun's faces turned grim. Grandpa Liu looked at Shao Meiyun, "Could it be that old sorcerer from before?"

Shao Meiyun squinted her eyes and smiled coldly, "It's probably him. He has the background and the dark arts. I never thought letting him live back then would lead to such a disaster."

"Who is Sister talking about?" Li Nianlong asked.

"Let me explain," Grandpa Liu's eyes flashed with anger. "It was fifteen years ago. At that time, your sister was in her prime, attracting countless suitors from noble families. Among them was one man, older than your sister by more than ten years, but extremely ugly. How could such a toad be worthy of your sister? But he had dark arts and threatened that if she didn't comply with him, she would die from exhaustion and her body would fester."

"What a brazen scoundrel," Xiang Youyou snorted, "Anyone who dares to threaten Sister Meiyun deserves to die!"

"He certainly deserves death!" Grandpa Liu said coldly, "But that sorcerer was the son of the Maoshan Sect's leader. Later, Meiyun did begin to show symptoms of exhaustion and festering. In anger, I allied with fellow martial artists to storm Maoshan, demanding the sect leader hand over the sorcerer or face destruction."

"So bold!" Li Nianlong praised, "Grandpa, you were a true man, a real man."

Grandpa Liu stroked his beard proudly and smiled, "That's nothing. Back then, your grandpa had a fiery temper. Not even the Long family could bully me."

Li Nianlong nodded, "What happened next? Did you destroy Maoshan?"

"No," Grandpa Liu shook his head, "We went to Maoshan mainly to force the sorcerer to lift the curse on your sister. In the end, the curse was lifted, and Meiyun recovered. But I didn't let the sorcerer go easily; I crippled his hands on the spot so he could never use dark arts to harm anyone again."

"Didn't the Maoshan leader intervene?"

"Intervene?" Grandpa Liu snorted, "Who are the Liu family? A small Maoshan Sect dared not act out of line. Moreover, the sorcerer dared to use such dark arts on my granddaughter; just crippling his hands was already merciful."

"Grandpa is right," Li Nianlong nodded, "If it were me, I'd have killed him."

"I was too lenient back then, which is why he dared to target Meiyun again. It seems our Liu family has been too kind all these years." Grandpa Liu's eyes flashed with cold light, "Fifteen years ago, I spared your life. Fifteen years later, you won't be so lucky."

Li Nianlong glanced at Shao Meiyun, who looked grim and full of resentment, and said softly, "Leave this to me."

"Menglong..." Shao Meiyun looked at him, and Li Nianlong smiled slightly, "Anyone who dares to harm my sister won't be forgiven. Since he uses dark arts to harm people, I'll play dirty too."

Shao Meiyun squinted her eyes and chuckled, "Great! Sister has never seen you play dirty. How will you do it? Need any help from Sister?"

"No need," Li Nianlong took out some ghost-catching talismans and sneered, "He uses ghosts to harm people? I'll make him reap what he sows!"

At Maoshan, in a gloomy hut, a man with disheveled hair, looking like a ghoul, was holding a brush with his toes, drawing talismans on yellow paper while cackling evilly, "Shao Meiyun, you made me a cripple, but you didn't expect me to learn to draw talismans with my feet in fifteen years! Once you killed those two hundred people, just wait for death. If you don't die, I can't quench my hatred! And that old man, once I finish these talismans, you will die too!"

Just then, a cold wind blew, and the man shivered, "What's going on? Where did this wind come from? What demon dares to disrespect me?"

"We died so miserably..." Over a hundred fierce ghosts with blue faces and fangs suddenly appeared, wailing, "You wicked sorcerer, give us back our lives... give us back our lives... give us back our lives!!"

"It's you!?" The man was terrified, "Don't come near... don't come near... stay away! Ah..."

Miserable screams echoed over Maoshan. The Maoshan leader, who was resting, opened his eyes in shock and fury upon hearing the screams. He quickly donned his robe and rushed outside, heading towards the hut. The closer he got, the clearer and weaker the screams became.

Enraged, the Maoshan leader rushed in, holding a peachwood sword and shaking a soul-quieting bell that jingled, "What demon dares to run wild on Maoshan?"

"Give us back our lives..."

Half of the hundred ghosts rushed at the Maoshan leader. The soul-quieting bell had little effect on them.

So many ghosts appearing simultaneously turned the Maoshan leader's face pale, "Wicked beasts, don't be arrogant! Watch my Five Thunders True Technique!"

The Maoshan leader, who had practiced Maoshan arts for years, had mastered some skills. The Five Thunders True Technique was a trump card against demons. Lightning flashed in his hand as he aimed at the ghosts. Thunder roared, and lightning struck, turning the ghosts into ashes with miserable screams.

But with over a hundred vengeful spirits, after a bitter battle, the Maoshan leader managed to kill all the ghosts but was severely injured himself. His life force was greatly drained, and he aged rapidly, his once fifty-year-old appearance now looking ninety. His skin was like withered bark, his hair turned white, and his face was bloodless, seeming ready to die at any moment.

However, compared to his son, he was lucky. His son lay on the ground like a skin and bones, frozen in terror, dead as could be.

"My... my son..." With a thud, the Maoshan leader fell to the ground, hitting his head, and blood flowed out. He died following his son.

The Maoshan leader and his son died in the hut, and when the Maoshan disciples arrived and saw the scene, they were terrified. Soon, the news of their mysterious deaths spread far and wide, stirring much discussion.

The Maoshan leader and his son's death were so strange, with their faces aged, looking as if they had their life force drained. This news made many superstitious people believe Maoshan was invaded by evil spirits. Of course, many experts also came forward to debunk this, calling it a rare aging disease and suspecting a hereditary condition in the Maoshan family...

While the outside world buzzed, Grandpa Liu, Shao Meiyun, Xiang Youyou, and Nalan Ruoyue regarded Li Nianlong almost like a god or at least a master trickster.

"Menglong..." Hearing the news of the Maoshan leader and his son's deaths, Shao Meiyun bought a luxurious suit, "Sister got you a new suit. Try it on."

Li Nianlong smiled, "Didn't we just buy one last year? Why get a new one?"

"You know why," Shao Meiyun rolled her eyes and smiled, "Try it on."

"Alright," Li Nianlong smiled and took off his outer clothes, standing in his thermal underwear and a white shirt. He put on the suit, and Shao Meiyun tied a red tie for him. Stepping back, she smiled, "Handsome."

It was a black fitted suit, a white shirt, and a red tie. With Li Nianlong's good looks and physique, he looked extremely dashing.

Nalan Ruoyue and Xiang Youyou's eyes sparkled. Xiang Youyou exclaimed, "Big brother looks so handsome!"

Xiang Youyou had seen countless handsome young men, but they always had flaws—too short, bad physique, or not particularly handsome. Li Nianlong was

 perfect.

"Not bad," Li Nianlong chuckled, "Thanks, Sister."

"Thank you? Sister should thank you!" Shao Meiyun smiled, "If not for you, Sister would be dead."

"No," Li Nianlong smiled, "Remember the safety talisman I gave you?"

"Safety talisman?" Shao Meiyun was puzzled and took out the peachwood talisman hanging around her neck, "This?"

"Yes," Li Nianlong nodded, "Didn't I say? Wearing the safety talisman ensures a year of safety. Without it, you wouldn't have made it back to Liu Manor and been discovered by me."

"Is this all because of the safety talisman?" Shao Meiyun touched the peachwood talisman, eyes filled with gratitude, and smiled, "Luckily, I always wore it. Menglong, you saved me again."

"Phew..." Xiang Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, pulling out her peachwood talisman, "Luckily, I always carry it. Big brother, your talismans are so effective. Draw some more for me!"

"..."