Chapter 17 Black Line

Ye Yang sat down and quickly began recording the events of the past few days, but he omitted the details of his encounter with the red-robed ghost messenger.

Ye Yang didn't stop until he had written everything down, leaving a secret mark in the signature of the note. It was his unique symbol, one that only he could understand at that time.

After finishing, Ye Yang read through the notes from beginning to end. As if he had thought of something, he picked up his pen and quickly wrote a few words on the paper. This time, before he could finish, the pen fell from his hand.

Ye Yang sat there blankly.

A moment later, a ghost messenger wearing a red sleeveless shirt appeared before him. The messenger picked up the paper on the table, read it front and back, and sneered, "So, he knows to write things down?"

While muttering to himself, he flipped through Ye Yang's notes.

When he saw the second page, he looked as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight, his eyes widening in shock, nearly dropping the notes.

The note contained only four words – Sword strike the intruder!

As the ghost messenger tried to retreat, Ye Yang's gaze and sword light fell upon his legs simultaneously.

Where his gaze fell, the sword light arrived.

Ye Yang severed the messenger's legs with a single stroke, then pierced through his shoulder armor, pinning him to the ground.

As the ghost messenger lay on the ground, screaming in agony, Ye Yang activated his "Prefect's Token."

Before the buzzing of the Prefect's Token had faded, Ye Yang gripped his sword hilt: "Are you from the Zhang family?"

The messenger hissed, "So what if I am? I'm from the Bureau of Punishments. You're just a small-time Life Borrower, how dare you attack me? As long as I don't give in, no one can save you."

Ye Yang said coldly, "Take me to Zhang Chengye."

As Ye Yang spoke, Nie Xiaochun woke up: "Ye Yang, what are you doing? The people of the Bureau of Punishments have always been tyrannical in the underworld. Offending them might not end well!"

The messenger sneered, "Good that you know. Quickly..."

Ye Yang silently sheathed his sword. The messenger, seeing Ye Yang's sword returned to its scabbard, thought he had given in, and immediately became smug, "It's good that you have some sense, I tell you... What do you want to do?"

Before the messenger could finish his threat, it turned into a scream, because he saw Ye Yang pull out a bundle of black thread.

Sorcerers use red thread to track ghosts and spirits. No one uses black thread for spells, because black itself represents death, representing calamity.

Using black thread meant killing!

Ye Yang stepped forward and wrapped the black thread around the messenger's neck several times, pulling the end of the thread taut: "Go!"

The cotton thread, which should have been as light as nothing, became like the Soul-Fetching Chain of the Black and White Impermanence the moment Ye Yang flicked it out, passing through the barrier of yin and yang, shooting straight towards its target.

The ghost messenger, entangled by the black thread, didn't even have time to speak before the thread tightened around his neck. His eyes bulged from their sockets, and his tongue slowly protruded outwards.

Before he could grab at his neck, the black thread dragged him out the door.

Nie Xiaochun said, "Ye Yang, if you do this, he will be annihilated. You're being too..."

"I've already broken his legs. Whether I kill him or not, the Bureau of Punishments won't let me off. It's better to kill him and be done with it," Ye Yang said calmly. "Take Old Liu and quickly find a place to hide, don't let anyone find you. Also..."

Ye Yang pointed to the white lantern still emitting green flames at the door: "Throw that lantern away, then run quickly, don't let anyone see you throwing the lantern. I need you to lead the people chasing the ghost messenger away, but don't expose yourself."

Without waiting for Nie Xiaochun to reply, Ye Yang flew after the ghost messenger being dragged away by the black thread.

Ye Yang only chased for a short distance before the black thread flying in the air stopped at a farmhouse at the foot of the mountain.

The ghost messenger entangled by the thread desperately tried to grab the door, trying to warn the people inside that a "strong enemy has arrived," but his outstretched hand could not reach the door frame.

Ye Yang silently walked towards the door, stepping on the ghost messenger as if nothing was happening. As Ye Yang's foot landed again, phosphorescent flames scattered beneath his feet.

Ye Yang stepped into the green fire and silently walked towards the courtyard.

A scene similar to when he first sought out the Zhang family appeared before Ye Yang's eyes.

However, this time, the first to speak was Zhang Qiang: "Grandpa, I just don't understand, why do we have to help those people deal with Li Po and Ye Yang?"

"You know nothing!" Zhang Chengye cursed, "What happened to our family is true, and what happened in the Third Archive is also true."

"Over the years, your great-grandfather, your father, how many people have they begged, how many methods have they thought of, but they still couldn't get that He Haoyu out to be killed."

"The favors our family owes, the debts we owe, we can't repay them in several lifetimes. For you, you little rascal, our old Zhang family will do anything, no matter how immoral, to kill Li Po and them."

Zhang Qiang retorted, "Even if our family can't kill He Haoyu, isn't there the path of the Life Borrower?"