The full moon was tranquil, and the summer night's grassland was unexpectedly silent without the chirping of insects. Only the night wind passing through, the rustling of leaves was particularly clear.
In the moonlight, the two were in a subtle equilibrium, facing off against each other.
It was sheer luck that You Su's sneak attack had succeeded; he dared not take the initiative again and could only set his sword stance, waiting for a counterattack.
Mr. Ling, however, stared at You Su with blood-red pupils, hating him so much that he wished to cut him to pieces. His once-kind face had turned hideous and terrifying.
But Mr. Ling wasn't overwhelmed by anger; on the contrary, he was exceptionally calm at this moment.
Recalling the series of actions the youngster had taken earlier, one couldn't help but admire his acting skills. First, pretending to be weak to lower my guard, then somehow allowing me close enough to attack, and finally exploiting the moment when my hands were at their weakest defensively to launch a sneak attack. This plan was undeniably insidious. Just when I thought I was always plotting against others, there's a day when I was plotted against successfully.
Mr. Ling tapped his fingers thrice with a "Pa, pa, pa," stopping the blood flow from his chest. This sword hadn't hurt his organs, but it caused some injuries. Mr. Ling wasn't in a hurry to make a move; he chuckled coldly and asked:
"When did you figure it out?"
"At first sight." You Su tightened his grip on the sword hilt, ready for battle.
"Oh? Why?"
"I've raised dogs. The way the Lantern Ghost looked at you wasn't how it would look at an enemy but more like how it would look at its master."
"Heh, is that all?" Mr. Ling shook his sleeves.
"The person the Lantern Ghost ate—I knew him—it was Mr. He from the Shouxi Sect."
Mr. Ling was taken aback, seemingly surprised by this answer and exclaimed, "You weren't blind from birth, were you? How did you meet that fool?"
"I am indeed blind, but Mr. He wasn't always foolish. When I was seven, he offended my master and came to apologize. My master called him 'little bald worm' because not only was he bald, but he had a dragon tattoo on his head. I remembered it despite never having seen it." As You Su narrated calmly, he tilted his head slightly to listen more intently for any subtle movements from Mr. Ling, "I would assume your junior brother wouldn't coincidentally also be nicknamed 'little bald worm,' would he?"
Suddenly, Mr. Ling laughed in relief; he truly hadn't expected that capturing an introverted fool to play the role would somehow be recognized by You Su. This also proved that this blind man saw through his true nature at their first meeting and had been playing along ever since just for today's betrayal.
"Boy, you've certainly given me quite a few surprises."
"Mr. Ling, your praise is too much. Compared to the surprises you've prepared for me, this is nothing," You Su remained neither humble nor haughty.
"You Su, you know, if you had obediently listened to me, your family would've just suffered a little and died quietly in this Sound Insulation Array. But now, it won't be that easy."
Mr. Ling's smile was sinister, his face suddenly turned a ghastly white as the corners of his mouth and eyes slightly tore open. An old, peeling skin fell away, revealing beneath it a shriveled face covered with dark, wriggling veins like leeches crawling all over.
"I'll turn you into a human puppet—no! I'll keep your ears! I'll let you hear, night and day, the screams of your junior sister and master as lesser Evil Powers ravage them… how delightfully…"
You Su didn't give Mr. Ling the chance to continue speaking. He had long prepared; a powerful sword strike, accompanied by the sound of wind splitting, stabbed straight at Mr. Ling's heart.
Mr. Ling did not stop his maniacal laughter, the torn corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears. His left hand's withered fingers twisted, unleashing intangible energy that momentarily stalled You Su's movement. Then, forming his right hand into a sword with two fingers, he deflected You Su's formidable strike from the side.
In a flash, Mr. Ling's fingers felt a slight sting from brushing the sword. He was astonished—this boy's sword indeed had a quality no less than a Spirit Sword. It was becoming increasingly difficult to see through this blind man.
But his face still wore a confident smile, "What? Can't stand to hear it now? Then you'll have plenty to listen to in the future. I've clearly seen your junior sister from afar…"
Halfway through his words, You Su's next sword strike came right after.
You Su wasn't foolish; he recognized that Mr. Ling was deliberately provoking him, and he had to admit that Mr. Ling succeeded.
Mr. Ling hastily retreated, ready to form a spell, but You Su, aware of a Sword Cultivator's advantage, relentlessly closed in, leaving him no gaps.
When Mr. Ling was previously disarmed, he merely thought You Su had some talent. But now, being forced into a tough spot, he realized that a sword-wielding You Su was not to be underestimated.
Mr. Ling's right hand flipped out a talisman, shouting, "Explode!"
A formidable explosion erupted between the two, shaking up sand and grass. When the dust settled, Mr. Ling's previously gaunt frame had become unbelievably tall, covered with explosive, blood-red muscles, paired with his narrow head, appearing extremely grotesque.
Mr. Ling felt the surging strength throughout his body, a mixture of pain and ecstasy.
He had tamed three Evil Powers in total; the Lantern Ghost and the Dream Centipede belonged to the realm of dreams, used by him to bewilder hearts. The Flesh-fed Red Meat Ghost, was hidden inside his body, nourished daily with his own flesh and blood, just to let it possess him at critical moments for a powerful physique, one that could even conceal his own aura.
Mr. Ling felt somewhat angry as he subtly shifted his footing, suddenly disappearing, his speed several times faster than before!
Before You Su could react, a nauseating iron fist was already by his cheek, sending him flying backward. You Su quickly righted himself, spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, unable to comprehend why Mr. Ling had suddenly transformed so drastically, even his perception couldn't catch up. Just moments ago, everything was within his calculations.
Yet, Mr. Ling didn't give him time to think. Relentless fists smashed through You Su's defenses like a storm. No matter how sharp the sword, it was useless now, forcing You Su into retreat.
In a flash, You Su shockingly discovered, that in his murky eyes, a fierce bloody figure appeared, just like when he first saw the Lantern Ghost! He realized that this was Mr. Ling, indeed an Evil Cultivator nurturing and using the Evil Power!
Mr. Ling stopped, looking down at You Su with disdain, like a lamb to be slaughtered. He decided to control his strength with the next punch, making sure the boy couldn't rise again. But this time, the unstoppable punch didn't land solidly on You Su.
Incredibly, You Su dodged away! By now, You Su had flipped behind Mr. Ling, swinging his sword at him, but the strike met with steel-like resistance, failing even to scratch.
Mr. Ling swept his large hand, sending You Su flying while raising a gust of sinister wind. He didn't intend to give the youth any more chances, his ferocious attacks surged like an avalanche.
Yet You Su, like a grasshopper in the grass, deftly dodged his assaults. Mr. Ling couldn't understand why the boy suddenly became so nimble. Until his extremely concealed punch was once again avoided by You Su, he couldn't help but ask:
"Can you fucking see me?"
At this moment, Mr. Ling was shocked to discover, that You Su's eyes were uniformly pitch black, indistinguishable between pupils and whites.
Under the dim starlight, Mr. Ling felt that he was the one truly haunted.