Fang Rui recounted the day's events to Liu Jiang Fusheng and Ziying without bias.
Liu Jiang Fusheng stood like an ice sculpture, listening to her in silence.
So... at that time, her indifference when he fell off the cliff was because she was possessed by an evil spirit and acted against her will?
Although a clear voice in his heart scoffed at his foolish hope, he chose to believe the clouded explanation.
After listening, Ziying felt something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint it. Just then, she remembered someone missing, "Junior Uncle Guiying, where is he?"
An elite disciple poked his head out and replied, "He got separated from us during the retreat. However, he sent a message via jade token saying he would catch up with us soon."
Ziying froze.
Separated?
Where did he go alone?
Having learned the full story, Liu Jiang Fusheng, with his solemn and radiant face, turned to leave.
Elder Jiuli gritted his teeth, "Stop, where are you going?"
He was like a man without ears or mouth, unheeding and forging ahead with the determination of a blade's edge.
Seeing his utter disrespect, Elder Jiuli was angered but also worried that he would rashly go into a one-on-one confrontation.
He reached out, and a pillar of green spiritual light transformed into a cage. Liu Jiang Fusheng countered with a sword, a dazzling frost blooming as the light cage shattered in an instant. He turned his noble, surging gaze.
"You may not care about her life or death, but anyone who obstructs me from finding her..."
His dark pupils ignited with a ferocious beast, gleaming chillingly.
The moment they met his gaze, they felt a sudden, prickling sense of danger.
Elder Jiuli's face darkened. However, as the leader of this mission, he was responsible if anything happened. Moreover, Liu Jiang Fusheng held immense significance for their Dayan Sect. He couldn't just watch him act recklessly.
"Do you know there is a powerful flying zombie demon within this barrier? If you act alone and encounter it, do you wish to die?"
Elder Jiuli had already briefed everyone on the flying zombie's prowess. Especially now, in this place of Yin energy, it was akin to being on its home turf. Its power would surge, while they would be trapped.
Seeing Liu Jiang Fusheng's prolonged standoff with Jiuli over Gu Yi, Danyan felt a surge of perverse satisfaction, her wicked thoughts bubbling up.
Indeed, Gu Yi was his weakness. Whether she lived or died, Liu Jiang Fusheng was destined to fall for this matter of love.
Let him go. If he met that flying zombie, it would be a happy outcome for all.
---
While the Dayans below were arguing and refusing to yield, directly above them, Gu Junshi cast an illusion spell and, with Gu Er, openly eavesdropped.
None of these people had higher cultivation than her. Even if some did, they couldn't see through her unique spell-concealed form and appearance.
Both she and Gu Er were focused below, thus failing to notice an elite disciple of the Dayans casually, yet deliberately, glance in her direction.
Gu Er floated above. His current appearance already carried a hint of cold indifference. Once malevolent energy entered his eyes, he would truly resemble a demonic entity. "Sister, I want to kill Chen Daoshan and the others!"
Upon seeing his former fellow disciples from the Void Sect, he was reminded of his shamelessly depraved master and how he had been jointly slaughtered by these fellow disciples.
Previously, he cared about his image before his sister and deliberately hid his unbearable, ugly, dark side. But now, seeing his enemies ignited his hatred. He feared she would stop him from seeking revenge, so he wanted to make her understand his current pain and suffering.
He wanted her to empathize with the wrongs he had suffered.
He had died with his insides ripped open at Tian Yi's hand, yet they knew he hadn't lost his sanity. He was merely Gu Chuhao, whose appearance had changed to resemble a demon.
He begged them. He knelt and pleaded with them to spare his life.
He hadn't met Gu Yi yet; he didn't want to die.
But even with his kowtows and pleas, not a single one of them showed him any mercy. They were determined to kill him.
He knew it was because these people disdained him for coming from the mortal realm and had always looked down on him for currying favor and his sudden promotion into the messenger team. He hadn't expected human hearts to be so filthy and vile that they would disregard another's life simply out of dislike.
Although Gu Junshi didn't know the specifics of Gu Chuhao's death, the blood karma clinging to Chen Daoshan and the others, which triggered the ghostly spirits' violent unrest, indicated they were not innocent. As the saying goes, every grievance has its source, and every debt has its owner. Heaven and earth possess fair judgment.
"I was planning to let you go down later anyway, to cause trouble," she said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Gu Er exclaimed joyfully, "Sister, you permit me to do evil?"
"Punish evil with evil, why not?"
Her words were like a calming needle, easing Gu Er's wavering, uneasy heart. However, his ambition grew, but he considered a practical problem, "But there are so many people below..."
Gu Junshi said, "Within this dark night barrier, it inherently aids in increasing Yin energy. Their spiritual power is hindered, making it your time to act rampantly, you flying zombie."
Previously, Gu Er's zombie body had only temporarily gained flying zombie abilities by relying on the "Nirvana Pearl." In reality, its evolution was incomplete. If the "Nirvana Pearl" were removed, it would revert to an ordinary zombie.
Therefore, when Tian Yi and Gu Er were locked in a battle of souls, there was no Yin soul to control the zombie body. The zombie, controlled by the inherent malevolent energy, focused on killing and devouring living souls to increase its strength.
Even then, the flying zombie could make Chen Daoshan and others flee in terror. Moreover, Gu Er was now a true flying zombie, his strength only increasing, not decreasing. What problem would there be in completely overwhelming the group below?
Receiving his sister's encouragement, Gu Er cast aside all his worries. He said, "Alright, I'll go down now!"
"Wait."
However—all of this was predicated on the absence of someone named Long Aotian.
"What is it?"
Gu Junshi thought for a moment and asked him, "Haven't you been asking about your brother-in-law?"
"...Brother-in-law?"
Why was his sister bringing up her brother-in-law now?
Gu Er's attention had been fully occupied by his animosity towards the Void Sect members, so he hadn't paid much attention to what the Dayans were arguing about.
Apart from Danyan calling out "Ayi" at the beginning, others referred to her as "she." Liu Jiang Fusheng called her his wife. Gu Er truly hadn't expected that the target of their dispute was his sister.
Gu Junshi told him, "Your brother-in-law is down there."
"What?" Gu Er's expressionless face was aghast.
The demonic brother-in-law he had always fantasized about was actually from a prestigious orthodox immortal cultivation sect?!
Gu Junshi continued, "You'll hold me hostage later and threaten him to stand aside and watch idly. After you've dealt with the Void Sect members..." She paused. Gu Er, thinking he was quick-witted, quickly interjected, "I'll run?"
However, Gu Junshi uttered something that completely surprised him: "No, you'll deal with him too. Don't show any mercy. Beat him to death."
Gu Er: "..."
Had his sister gone mad?
Was she secretly colluding with her own brother to murder her husband?!