Chapter 26: The Master Said, "To See What Is Right and Not Do It Is Lack of Courage!"
Boom!
As soon as Lin Buyu finished speaking, a pale blue, semicircular shield composed of densely packed golden runes suddenly sprang forth before her. It was none other than the Innocence Token in her hand that had conjured it.
Bang!
Almost simultaneously, the kitchen knife wielded by the young girl of the Cao family crashed down heavily upon the shield. Although it left a shockingly deep crack, the Innocence Token managed to block the attack.
“Hoo…”
Seeing this, Lin Buyu let out a long breath, her face full of lingering fear.
“Are you an idiot? Rushing forward without knowing anything like that—you’ll get yourself killed!”
She turned, both anxious and angry, to glare at Xu Ye.
Xu Ye had never expected that the seemingly frail Lin Buyu would step in front of him at such a critical moment. A sense of admiration for this sharp-tongued but soft-hearted and proud young woman bloomed in his heart.
“Scholar, act now—this is a malevolent ghost!”
Iron Mask, too pressed for gratitude, clutched his wound while turning to shout at the scholar.
“You don’t need to tell me!” the scholar retorted coldly. Lifting the Azure Lake Inkstone high with both hands, he shouted,
“All rivers flow to the sea!”
No sooner had his words fallen than the sound of surging waves erupted within the small house. The tiny inkstone became the heart of a vortex, fiercely drawing in the ghostly aura shrouding the Cao family girl, and even her body staggered under the pull.
“Aaah!”
Just as everyone thought the scholar’s Azure Lake Inkstone would absorb the vengeful spirit, the ghost let out a piercing shriek—and something strange happened.
The Cao family girl’s head suddenly split open at the mouth with a horrific screech. Her hands reached into the gaping wound and pulled out a pair of black scissors.
Snip!
With blood-soaked hands, the girl gripped the shears and brought them down hard on the scholar’s inkstone.
There was a crisp snap, and the Azure Lake Inkstone split cleanly in two, shattering on the ground.
“The Azure Lake Inkstone… broke?!”
Lin Buyu stared in disbelief.
“Could it be… those are Ghost Weapons? This spirit has already birthed Ghost Weapons—she’s but a step away from becoming a Wraith!”
Iron Mask was equally dumbfounded.
The scholar, too, stared blankly at the broken remains of his inkstone, his gaze shifting from shock to fear. Gesturing frantically at the girl with the split head, he stammered,
“A malevolent spirit—she feeds herself to the ghost, nurtures it with grievance. She’s birthed Ghost Weapons!”
Without another word, he tossed aside his scroll. The unfurling painting expanded to envelop the entire room, sealing the doors as he bolted for the exit, escaping without a backward glance.
Iron Mask and the others, caught completely off guard by the scholar’s sudden flight, stood frozen in shock. From outside, they faintly heard, “Hold it off—I’ll fetch the Warden!”
“You scoundrel!”
In a fury, Iron Mask ignored his wounds and bellowed after him.
Beside him, Xu Ye and Lin Buyu were struck dumb.
“Iron Mask, what do we do now?” Lin Buyu asked nervously, her Innocence Token nearing its limit.
“Miss Lin, Brother Xu, I’ll hold it off—you two find an opening, break down the door, and escape.”
With effort, Iron Mask tried to stand despite his injuries.
Bang!
But before he could get to his feet, the girl with the split head struck again with her cleaver.
Splurt!
Even with the shield of the Innocence Token, the blow sent Iron Mask sprawling, blood spewing from his mouth—the previous wound dealt by the vengeful spirit had been too severe.
“Those who speak are without fault, those who hear should take heed!”
Once more, Lin Buyu recited her incantation. The shield above their heads, which had been dimming, flared bright again.
“Xu Ye, this ghost is too powerful. I’ll hold it off—go report to the Ghost Suppression Bureau and bring reinforcements!”
She called out, not daring to look back.
Swish!
No sooner had Lin Buyu spoken than the ghost’s shears snapped toward her.
Bang!
The Innocence Token shielded them once again, but with a sharp crack, another fissure appeared on its surface.
“Hurry!” Lin Buyu urged, her anxiety clear. Yet, to her astonishment, Xu Ye did not flee—he strode past her instead.
“You fool, don’t do anything reckless!” Lin Buyu shouted.
But Xu Ye seemed not to hear. Imitating Iron Mask and the others, he recited aloud,
“The human heart is perilous, the Dao heart subtle; only with utmost sincerity and unity can one hold firm to the center.”
At the moment his words fell, a wave of golden, radiant warmth exploded from him, and his bones began to crackle and pop.
“This righteous energy…”
Lin Buyu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The Sixteen-Character Mantra could restore a martial cultivator’s righteous energy, but never before had she seen anyone, not even among the Wardens, gather such an abundance in an instant.
“Could he truly be so gifted?” she wondered.
Xu Ye himself was equally astonished. He’d guessed that the mantra would restore his righteous energy, but to feel it erupting so powerfully from his martial heart felt almost unreal.
Bang!
At that moment, the ghost’s shears struck again, splitting open the shield overhead.
“If you don’t go now, it’ll be too late!”
Lin Buyu no longer cared for Xu Ye. Without turning, she recited another incantation for the Innocence Token.
Bang!
But before she could restore the shield, the ghost’s scissors snapped down.
Crack!
The Innocence Token managed to block the attack, but its light faded completely. The protective runes vanished, and it was too late to summon their power again.
“I wonder if that fool escaped. He’s such a worry.”
As the ghost’s cleaver descended toward her, Lin Buyu found herself, inexplicably, worrying about Xu Ye behind her.
“Never mind, he probably didn’t get far…”
Boom…
Just as Lin Buyu steeled herself for death, out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed Xu Ye, enveloped in righteous energy, surging forward with his fist raised.
“The Master said: To see what is right and not act is to lack courage!”
Before her astonished gaze, Xu Ye shouted, and his righteous energy exploded. Behind him, a towering golden figure, condensed from that same energy, appeared. Together, they swung their fists, striking at the vengeful ghost.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the ghost was sent flying, smashed straight into the wall of the little house.
The building trembled violently, and the shockwave swept over Lin Buyu like a gale.
“To see what is right and not act is to lack courage… Could this be a sage’s words? Otherwise, how could a single phrase summon such boundless righteous energy?”
Staring at Xu Ye as he pummeled the ghost, Lin Buyu stood in stunned disbelief.