Chapter 64: More Ruthless Than Evil Spirits

“Speak! What exactly is happening inside Mount Yunhua? I know you went to investigate, so don’t even think about hiding it from me!”

The voice that came from Du Feng’s mouth was shrill, eerie, and utterly foreign.

It was not his own voice, but that of an evil spirit possessing him, borrowing his lips to speak.

Yet before Du Feng could answer the spirit’s interrogation, another voice spoke from the side:

“Asking him is pointless. He only investigated the villages and towns at the foot of Mount Yunhua; he never entered the mists within the mountain. At best, he can tell you that after people entered the mist, they lost their way and disappeared...”

Hearing this, Du Feng whipped his head around, his gaze following the voice.

His eyes were icy-cold, brimming with wariness and suspicion.

At that moment, Shang Lu felt a peculiar sensation, as if Du Feng was no longer human, but a rat wearing a human skin.

Utterly uncanny.

“You know what’s inside Mount Yunhua?”

The voice from Du Feng’s mouth was still that sharp, unfamiliar one.

As he spoke, his eyes darted rapidly, scrutinizing the speaker.

It was Shang Lu.

He sneered, “I’m his superior. He investigated Mount Yunhua on my orders. Do you think I know what’s inside the mountain or not?”

“Speak! Tell me everything you know!”

Du Feng shrieked, his eyes flashing with excitement and frenzy.

He was so agitated he forgot to gnaw on his own hand, pressing insistently for answers, blood-mixed spittle and bits of flesh flying from his mouth, splattering all over Liu the Constable, who was holding him down.

But Shang Lu answered evenly, “You tell me first—how did you find out about Mount Yunhua?”

“Trying to bargain with me?”

The evil spirit possessing Du Feng let out a furious, mocking laugh.

Its laughter was shrill and strange, stabbing at the ears.

“Do you really think you have that right? If you don’t speak, I’ll eat this boy! You wouldn’t want to see your own subordinate devour himself, would you?”

What the spirit didn’t expect was that Shang Lu was immune to its threats.

“Then go ahead and eat him. After his death, I’ll apply for his family’s compensation, and I’ll invite a shaman to avenge him.”

“Trying to threaten me with a shaman? Ridiculous! Why would a shaman ever stand up for petty constables like you?”

A roar of rage burst from Du Feng’s mouth, and the evil spirit began forcing him to gnaw at his own hand again.

This spirit wanted to prove with actions that its threats were not empty—it would really make Du Feng eat himself.

The other constables, including Liu, desperately tried to restrain Du Feng with all their might.

They couldn’t understand why Shang Lu would deliberately provoke the spirit—was he truly as heartless as he claimed, utterly unconcerned with Du Feng’s life or death?

That’s what everyone thought, and the spirit, possessing Du Feng, began to suspect as well.

Seeing that Du Feng’s life was useless as leverage against Shang Lu, the spirit immediately changed tactics.

A bestial roar erupted from Du Feng’s mouth.

A strange gray light flared in his eyes, and all his muscles swelled with blood, his body growing noticeably larger.

Du Feng’s strength skyrocketed in an instant!

With a mighty jerk, he threw off Liu the Constable and the others restraining him, hurling them to the ground.

“If you don’t care about others’ lives, do you care about your own? If you don’t speak, I’ll eat you!”

Now free, Du Feng leaped like a giant bear, lunging at Shang Lu.

His hands reached out to seize him.

His mouth yawned wide, teeth growing sharp and long like rat’s fangs, viscous, stinking saliva trailing from his lips.

At that moment, Du Feng looked more beast than man.

In the blink of an eye, possessed by the spirit, he charged at Shang Lu, intent on bringing him down and devouring him.

But just then, Shang Lu employed the Monkey’s Walk technique—his movements nimble as an ape, he sidestepped Du Feng’s lunge with ease.

With a crash, Du Feng slammed into the ground, gouging out a pit.

Before he could rise, Shang Lu struck.

Using the Black Tiger’s Tail from the Tiger Step style, he landed a heavy kick to Du Feng’s lower back.

Blood and energy surged into the blow, crashing into Du Feng.

Despite the spirit’s enhancement, Du Feng was sent sprawling again by the kick.

Before the spirit could react, Shang Lu was upon him with another Tiger Step, stomping hard on Du Feng’s back.

Trying to rise, Du Feng was forced down again.

The spirit raged and struggled, but Shang Lu’s foot pressed him down with the weight of a thousand catties—it was impossible to break free.

“Now do I have the right to bargain with you? Speak! How did you learn about Mount Yunhua? If you don’t, I’ll behead Du Feng here and you can die with him!”

Shang Lu threatened coldly.

He even placed his hand on his sword hilt, poised to draw at any moment.

Shang Lu, of course, had no intention of truly killing Du Feng. He only put on a ruthless front to force the spirit out of Du Feng’s body.

The spirit tried several times, but seeing it couldn’t break free of Shang Lu’s hold—and that he truly did not care for Du Feng’s life—it erupted in furious curses.

“You humans are even more ruthless than us...”

There was a metallic ring as Shang Lu drew his blade.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk—just put the sword down!”

The spirit cowered, screeching, “Come closer; I’ll tell you alone.”

Shang Lu actually complied, bending down to approach.

A glint of cunning triumph flashed in Du Feng’s eyes.

He turned his head, mouth opening as if to speak.

But in the next instant, a jet of gray vapor shot from his mouth like an arrow, aiming straight at Shang Lu.

The spirit, having failed to threaten Shang Lu, now tried to possess him instead, hoping to interrogate and torment him as it had Du Feng.

But the spirit never expected that this was precisely what Shang Lu had been waiting for.

As the gray vapor shot from Du Feng’s mouth, Shang Lu twisted at the waist, his upper body snapping back.

In his hand, the ox-tail saber flashed coldly as he unleashed the Decapitating Strike from the Tendon-Slicing Bone-Chopping Blade technique, slashing directly at the gray vapor.

A surge of energy burst from his palm, flooding the blade and amplifying its power.

With a thunderous crash, the saber struck the gray fiendish vapor.

Vital energy roared, shattering the vapor’s defenses and slicing through its form.

The spirit had never expected Shang Lu could harm it; it let out a series of piercing squeals.

“You can see me?!”

Shang Lu ignored it. Having landed one blow, he followed with several more, hacking relentlessly at the gray vapor.

He would not stop until it was utterly destroyed.

The vapor shrieked in rage, its cries filling the air.

By now, it realized it had been thoroughly deceived.

Desperate to escape, it tried to return to Du Feng’s body, but Shang Lu was ready—he kicked Du Feng again.

Though powerful, this kick did not harm Du Feng; it merely sent him flying aside.

Seeing all its schemes foiled, the gray vapor dove for the ground.

Shang Lu’s saber followed hard, but was a beat too late.

The vapor burrowed into the earth and vanished without a trace.

Shang Lu’s blade left only a gash in the ground, stained with blood and a few tufts of gray-black fur.

“I’ll remember this grudge. I will return and take my revenge!”

The vengeful voice of the spirit echoed from far away.

Shang Lu turned his head and saw a streak of gray fleeing into the distance.