Chapter 126: Clash of the Ghost Dao

Tie Ningxiang lay collapsed in the corridor. Her consciousness drifted in and out of focus, and she could faintly hear a man's voice by her ear, though the words were indistinct.

"What happened to me?"

Even with the General Star protecting her fate, she could not escape the Fate Ghost's murderous clutches. Just as those two eerie twins had said earlier, this Fate Ghost had already come into its power and was incredibly difficult to deal with.

"We still haven't settled our debt from last time, and I absolutely won't give you another chance today!" Lu Jin gripped a talisman in both hands. Despite wearing a suit, he kept all his precious talismans on his person. Ever since his Draw the Ground as a Prison Curse had been broken, he had grown suspicious of me, wondering if I was a fellow practitioner. He was being exceptionally cautious, even pulling out his deepest reserves for this encounter.

Lu Xing didn't argue after hearing Lu Jin's words. Instead, he thought, 'What does he mean? Is he hinting at the time I ambushed him at the Pine Forest Cemetery?'

Lu Xing's primary target this time was Tie Ningxiang. Her Fate Pattern was one of the Eight Characters Divine Fiends, and she was the sixth person he needed to kill. Moreover, killing her would draw me out—killing two birds with one stone. It would fulfill the Two-Faced Buddha's request while satisfying his own twisted psychological needs.

His eyes shifted, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he made his decision. 'This is a godsend. I might as well finish them both off right here.'

Lu Xing smiled darkly and pulled a sharp knife from the small of his back.

Seeing this, Lu Jin took a step back. "This is the second time you've shown murderous intent toward me. To think a little city like Jiangcheng would harbor someone with your ruthless ambition. Do you know who I am?"

A hint of confusion appeared on Lu Xing's face, obscured beneath his baseball cap. 'According to my information, this kid just runs a shady adult goods store. Does he have some other identity?'

Seeing Lu Xing slow his movements, the tip of his knife pointing downward, Lu Jin sneered. "Hold your knife steady and listen well. I am a direct disciple of the Miaozhen temple, and the current temple master is my own master."

"Is that supposed to be impressive?" Lu Xing licked the corner of his mouth. His thoughts were simple. 'Since he has another identity, I definitely can't let him leave.'

Lu Jin was an obstacle that had to be eliminated before he could kill Tie Ningxiang. This time, Lu Xing didn't hesitate. He raised his knife and charged at Lu Jin.

For Lu Xing, nothing sparked his interest quite like murder.

"Did you think I would underestimate you like last time?" Lu Jin raised his left hand, pinching a talisman tightly between two fingers. "Six Ding and Six Jia, transform into strongmen! Protect my body and mind, rendering me impervious to all evil!"

"A Lesser Vehicle Talisman—the Six Ding Six Jia Talisman!"

At Xinhu High School, Lu Jin had only used a Lower Vehicle Talisman. Pulling out a Lesser Vehicle Talisman right from the start showed exactly how seriously he was taking Lu Xing.

His own abilities were not yet enough to draw a Lesser Vehicle Talisman. This Six Ding Six Jia Talisman had been created by a Celestial Master, and the materials used were all rare earthly treasures. Its effects were far superior to ordinary Talisman Paper.

As soon as the Six Ding Six Jia Talisman was cast, several Yellow Turban strongmen constructed from the talisman's divine runes materialized to guard Lu Jin. He held the talisman to his chest, completely unhurried, smiling at Lu Xing like a house cat toying with a mouse.

"I'm going to make the person you love most watch as you end up as pathetic as a stray dog!"

Hearing Lu Jin's words, even a psychologically twisted criminal like Lu Xing frowned. 'The person I love most? Does he mean Xiaofeng?'

Noticing that Lu Xing stood motionless in his baseball cap, Lu Jin took a closer look. The man's build seemed a bit different from what he remembered. However, the arrow was on the bowstring and must be fired. He chanted an incantation, commanding the Yellow Turban strongmen to close in on Lu Xing.

"Young and hotheaded. You dare embarrass yourself with a mere Six Ding Six Jia Talisman? It seems I'll have to teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders today. As for the tuition fee, pay it with your life!"

Lu Xing reached out and gripped the tip of his knife. The blade cut into his flesh, and blood soaked the edge. "Twin lives and two faces, wild ghosts and wandering spirits! With my blood, I break the laws of the universe!"

Not a single drop of the blood flowing from his palm fell to the floor. As if guided by an invisible force, it slid along the sharp knife, eventually painting a ferocious-looking character for "Buddha" onto the narrow blade!

This Buddha held no benevolent intent; the entire character was pierced through with murderous aura.

"Break!"

Striding forward with the knife, Lu Xing muttered a curse and plunged the blade right into the chest of a Yellow Turban strongman.

In an instant, the strongman constructed from runes and spells began to dissipate from its chest outward. A large hole simultaneously appeared out of nowhere in the talisman Lu Jin was holding. Lu Xing had actually pierced the Talisman Core from a distance!

"A Lesser Vehicle Talisman personally drawn by my senior brother couldn't even withstand a single blow!" Lu Jin's expression changed drastically. He had thought this was a sure thing, only to be blindsided. He stared at the congealed blood character on the sharp knife in Lu Xing's hand and cried out, "You aren't Gao Jian! You're an evil cultivator of the ghost arts!"

Lu Xing was momentarily taken aback by Lu Jin's shout, but he quickly recovered. "Isn't it a little too late to realize that now? Besides, how could I possibly be Gao Jian?"

He pulled off his baseball cap, revealing a face that was handsome and fair on one half, and covered in scars on the other. "I'm looking for that Gao Jian too!"

Lu Jin's current feelings were too complicated to put into words. As a disciple of a major sect, he understood the terrifying nature of evil cultivators far better than most practitioners. For the sake of a certain obsession, those lunatics could twist themselves into entities that were neither human nor ghost.

They were the kind of people who would never stop until they achieved their goals, a bunch of monsters who had abandoned their basic humanity and would use any means necessary.

If he fell into their hands, Lu Jin didn't even dare to imagine what would happen to him. And to think he had just foolishly announced his background! Wasn't that just lifting a stone to drop it on his own foot?

"It seems we both had a misunderstanding. But since you've seen my true face, I can't let you live. Keep this woman company and die with her!"

By the end of his sentence, Lu Xing's tone had turned utterly savage. He sprinted forward, aiming the tip of his knife straight at Lu Jin's neck!

"You demonic monster of the evil path! Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Lu Jin raised his right hand, suspending another piece of Talisman Paper in front of his chest. "I respectfully invite Patriarch Taiqing to exorcise ghosts! Yellow Talisman into Golden Blade, slash ghosts and exterminate demons, swiftly execute this decree!"

This talisman blade incantation was also a closely guarded secret of the Profound Truth Dao. Even though it was only a Lower Vehicle Talisman, its lethality was even stronger than a typical Lesser Vehicle Talisman.

The two fought to a standstill. Lu Xing cultivated both Buddhism and the Ghost Dao, possessing countless unorthodox techniques. Lu Jin came from a prestigious major sect, and facing this life-or-death tribulation, he naturally brought out everything he had. In just fifteen minutes, he used three or four different types of talismans.

Logically speaking, with the two of them making such a huge commotion, the service staff should have come over long ago. However, due to some unknown method Lu Xing had used beforehand, not a single person passed through the entire sixth floor. Thus, no one was around to witness the incredibly perilous struggle taking place!

...

At 7:15 PM, Bai Qi and I arrived at Century New Garden. I had made ample preparations this time, but things didn't go smoothly. I ran into trouble before I even got through the door.

"Stop right there! You're not welcome here!" A guard blocked my path. Turning to look, I realized I had seen the two men blocking me before at the Blues Bar. I think Er Gou and I had even beaten them up pretty badly.

"Step aside. I have an appointment." I tried my best to soften my tone. I didn't have time to waste breath on these small fry.

But as the saying goes, King Yama is easy to see, but little imps are hard to deal with. These two security guards stubbornly blocked my way, even using their walkie-talkies to call for backup.

Century New Garden was the Jiang family's turf. They figured I wouldn't dare pull anything out of line, so their arrogance flared even higher. Even after I pulled out my phone and showed them my appointment notification, they still kept me out, using the excuse that pets weren't allowed inside.

Under any other circumstances, I might have compromised and let Bai Qi wait somewhere else. But this time was different. My right eyelid kept twitching, a sure sign that disaster was coming, so I needed Bai Qi's help.

With neither side backing down, I grew anxious and was just about to resort to force when a man and a woman walked in through the main gate. They looked like a married couple, but they lacked any sort of intimacy; there was enough space between them to fit a whole other person.

These two had just finished accompanying some out-of-province boss for dinner. They had just seen him to his car and bumped into me right as they returned.

"Gao Jian?"

The woman murmured, earning an icy glare from the man. "What? Still harboring feelings for your old flame?"

The woman lowered her head, not daring to speak. The man gave a cold snort and pushed his way through the crowd toward me. "A visitor is a guest. Century New Garden welcomes all friends. How can you drive people away?"

Hearing that familiar, repulsive voice, I knew this situation was probably going to be even harder to resolve.

Turning around, I looked at the man standing before me with his insincere smile. "Jiang Chen, have you recovered from your illness?"