Scarlet eyes, the unusual demeanor of the undead...
"You!" Xuan Hongsheng covered his ears, his pupils trembling uncontrollably. "You are the new Ghost King of the Ghost Clan!"
Bai Ran smirked, her raven-black hair cascading down, her scarlet eyes as dazzling as rubies, beautiful.
"You guessed right, but—"
"There's no reward."
The soul that Bai Ran had collected instantly reappeared behind Xuan Hongsheng.
The wails of the vengeful spirit were desolate, echoing endlessly through the forest.
Xuan Hongsheng spun around, his hands involuntarily dropping, his mind instantly flooded with the spectral cries of the deceased.
Two streaks of blood flowed from his ears down his cheeks. Before Xuan Hongsheng could even see who was behind him, the soul plunged into his body.
Possession.
Bai Ran's eyes turned black, and she casually glanced at the screaming entrance of the Ghost Mansion.
The sounds ceased instantly, though a few stifled noises of "Mmm" still escaped from those who couldn't stop themselves.
Xuan Qinghong gritted his teeth and struggled to look up, only to find Xuan Hongsheng grinning widely.
"Let's go back, let's go back, I'm fine now."
The empty eyes of the vengeful spirits looked at him, each one obediently disappearing into thin air.
"What trick are you playing now!" Xuan Qinghong, facing the uncharacteristically behaving Xuan Hongsheng, said through gritted teeth.
"King's disciple, no, my son, Father apologizes to you." Xuan Hongsheng covered his face and sobbed, even offering an apology.
But this scene struck Xuan Qinghong as utterly bizarre.
He tightened his grip on his sword and charged directly at Xuan Hongsheng, his killing intent palpable.
Xuan Hongsheng neither dodged nor evaded, allowing the sword to pierce his heart.
Blood trickled from his lips as the soul within him departed at that moment.
The departing soul of Wei Li looked at Bai Ran, bowed deeply, and then dissipated into the air with a faint smile.
Xuan Qinghong twisted his sword, showing no hesitation even though the person before him was his own father.
"An apology? You can't even repay the sins you committed against Mother with death!"
Bai Ran's eyes held a cold glint. If you can't repay it in life, then you will in the afterlife.
Xuan Hongsheng regained his senses, looked down at the blood-stained sword, and a look of disbelief crossed his face.
"You! How dare you strike your own father!"
"Cough cough!"
A sense of weakness surged through his limbs; his body was rapidly losing strength.
With a thud, he knelt down, his blood turning cold. "Good, a good son..."
Xuan Qinghong's eye sockets cracked. Even in death, he refused to acknowledge his mistakes!
"After you die, I will refine the Three-Marked Clear Spirit Pill."
"I will save Mother..."
Xuan Hongsheng's eyelids grew heavy. As he closed his eyes, he heard these words.
Xuan Hongsheng was dead.
Xuan Qinghong's eyes were filled with exhaustion, his desolate figure appearing somewhat bitter.
Bai Ran raised an eyebrow and looked at the palace doors. "The Valley Master of the Medicine Valley is dead, how long do you plan to hide?"
Jing Yuanming still lay on the ground, unconscious.
There were only four people present, yet five auras.
"Please don't kill me!"
A terrified voice cried out. Behind the palace doors, a trembling figure was hiding.
"You are... that concubine?" Xuan Qinghong wiped his sword, his killing intent not yet faded.
If Jing Yuanming were awake, he would recognize her as Concubine Xue.
She was an accomplice in the death of Xuan Qinghong's mother.
Bai Ran glanced at her weary master and then walked into the palace.
The woman was beautiful, her charm still potent despite the passage of time. "Don't kill me, please!"
"I was deceived by Xuan Hongsheng! I! I didn't want to force your mother to die!"
"Master."
Bai Ran looked at Xuan Qinghong, who let out a long sigh. "Do you know where the recipe for the Three-Marked Clear Spirit Pill is?"
Concubine Xue raised her hand and tremblingly pointed at the deceased Xuan Hongsheng. "It's, it's there!"
On him... Xuan Qinghong brought his sword down, splattering blood. His eyes, however, had a hint of numbness.
Bai Ran walked over to Xuan Hongsheng and squatted down, beginning to search.
Jing Yuanming also slowly woke up at this moment, gasping in pain as he clutched his head.
His vision cleared, and he saw the dead Concubine Xue and Xuan Hongsheng. He paused, but then immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Nothing? Bai Ran's brow furrowed. Was it hidden too deeply?
Thinking this, he began to strip the corpse's clothes. This scene filled Jing Yuanming with shock. "You! You're a woman!"
He scrambled to his feet and quickly grabbed Bai Ran's hands. "What are you doing!"
"The recipe for the Three-Marked Clear Spirit Pill is on him," Bai Ran stated truthfully.
Jing Yuanming blinked, then, steeling himself, began to strip Xuan Hongsheng's clothes. "Girls should turn around!"
Bai Ran smiled and turned her back, hearing the rustling sounds behind her.
The clothes were stripped bare, but not even a corner of the recipe was found. Jing Yuanming frowned suspiciously.
"Are you sure the recipe is on him?"
Bai Ran nodded with her back turned. "His concubine said so; it shouldn't be a lie."
"But I've stripped all his clothes and haven't found any trace of the recipe..."
Bai Ran pondered, then turned around. Jing Yuanming yelped and quickly covered his private parts. "You! Why did you turn around!"
Bai Ran drew her Feng Yin sword, its tip pointing directly at Xuan Hongsheng's abdomen. "If it's not outside, it must be inside."
Jing Yuanming's heart trembled as he watched her cut open the corpse.
"Ugh—"
Jing Yuanming's face turned deathly pale, his body swaying precariously. He still clutched his private parts. "You're a woman...?"
He looked at the bloody intestines scattered on the ground, unable to stop himself from feeling nauseous.
This young woman, how could she do this without even batting an eye?
Bai Ran used her sword to pick out a well-preserved paper ball, a smile curving her lips. "Found it."
To prevent the recipe from leaking, Xuan Hongsheng had swallowed it. However.
He probably didn't expect someone as peculiar as Bai Ran to disembowel him after death.
The recipe was made of a special material that wouldn't be corroded by stomach acid, which was why Bai Ran believed Xuan Hongsheng had hidden it within his abdomen.
"Master, I found the recipe!" She turned to look, only to meet Xuan Qinghong's desolate gaze.
In her eyes, her master had always worn a righteous, stern face, immensely imposing.
But at this moment, he was as fragile as if he could shatter with a touch.
"Master..."
Jing Yuanming quickly covered the corpse with clothes. Seeing Xuan Qinghong, he sighed mournfully.
"Let your master calm down for a bit."
He would have to take over as Valley Master, sit in a position he hated, and manage everything.
Moreover, the young master had personally killed his own blood relative.
Although he never seemed to hesitate, it was only in the moment of his closest relative's death that he would feel an overwhelming sense of desolation and grief.