Chapter 27: Slaying - Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

### Chapter 27: Slaying The cold wind howled, and ghostly shadows loomed. The woman who had died now stood before him once more. Li Jue faced this sight without fear, strangely calm. Perhaps the torments of death and ghosts paled compared to the agonies of his heart. Si Tu Yan, transformed into a ghost, finally spoke in a sorrowful murmur. "I do not hate you, nor can I kill you." Her voice was as cold as if it came from the depths of the underworld. “I…” Li Jue looked at her, momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say. Suddenly, Si Tu Yan shouted with urgency, “You must leave now!” “What’s wrong?” Li Jue asked, startled, appearing somewhat stunned, still sitting on the ground without moving. "Ah—" Si Tu Yan let out a piercing scream towards the sky, and the surrounding cold winds roared, causing the trees to sway wildly. In an instant, the lakeside turned bone-chilling cold, resembling a ghostly realm, and her eyes gradually emitted a blood-red glow. “No…” Yet she rasped these words out of her throat, seemingly struggling, then raised her head and shouted toward Li Jue again, “You must leave now!” Only then did Li Jue sense something amiss, stumbling to his feet and running backward. Just as he began to flee, Si Tu Yan's black hair suddenly flared up, revealing a face marred by black veins that twisted and contorted in a terrifying visage! "Stay here!" Her voice turned icily sinister. Her demeanor shifted rapidly. With a single motion, the ghostly figure lunged at Li Jue. From the shadows where she had observed quietly for a long time, Song Qing Yi decided not to stand by any longer. Turning to Chu Liang, she said, “I’ll handle this.” With those words, her figure darted forward, and from her hand, a radiant jade ruler unleashed a surge of vibrant blue energy! There was a legendary ancient weapon within the Junzi Sect, ranked in the top hundred of the Wanbao Record, called the Measure River Jade Ruler. Song Qing Yi wielded a replica of this famed weapon, known as the Cunxin Ruler. In the world of immortal cultivation, many replicas of such treasures existed, generally crafted only by the original owner of the treasure. High-level replicas often maintained a significant degree of power. The righteous energy of the Cunxin Ruler filled the air as it struck, nearly hitting Si Tu Yan mid-lunge at Li Jue, catching her off guard. Fortunately, now a ghostly being, her form was elusive and moved several zhang sideways in a flash, narrowly evading the attack. Yet Song Qing Yi’s assault continued relentlessly. With a twist of her wrist, she hurled the jade ruler, striking Si Tu Yan’s side with a resounding thud. Boom— The spectral form took the hit, releasing a plume of black mist, and was violently flung to the ground. The jade ruler whirled back into Song Qing Yi’s grasp, ready to pursue further, when a figure swiftly stepped in front of her. Li Jue stood with outstretched arms, blocking Song Qing Yi, pleading, “Instructor Song, please don’t kill Si Tu Yan. She isn’t evil… she’s pitiful…” “Li Jue!” Song Qing Yi exclaimed urgently, “Si Tu Yan is already dead! Now transformed into a ghostly entity, dispersing her is the only way to ensure she enters the proper cycle of reincarnation. Leaving her like this will only doom her to eternal unrest!” “Ah?” Li Jue said, his body trembling. Song Qing Yi spoke the truth; the consensus in the world of cultivation was firm… treating the ghostly with neither good nor evil, dispersing them into the cycle was considered an absolute good deed. During this moment of pause, Si Tu Yan, who had been on the ground, regained her senses and let out a sharp cry, sending a mass of black energy toward them! The black energy swirled and expanded rapidly, transforming into an endless cloud of darkness that enveloped the entire lakeside. “Trying to escape?” Song Qing Yi immediately leaped high into the air, escaping the black mist's reach. With a flick of her hand, she suspended a half-page of gold scripture above her head, the clear radiance illuminating the area below, ensuring the ghost could not escape under the cover of darkness. Yet no figure emerged from the mist. After a long while, as the night wind blew and the mist gradually dispersed by the lakeside, Song Qing Yi landed once more. The scene before her left her momentarily startled. Li Jue sat on the ground, dazed, clearly disoriented by the events he had just witnessed. Next to him, another Li Jue also sat bewildered, looking around in confusion. Indeed, there were two Li Jues by the lake! “What… what is happening?” Li Jue A asked panic-stricken. Li Jue B, equally terrified, immediately moved away from his counterpart and looked to Song Qing Yi for help: “Instructor Song…?” Song Qing Yi frowned deeply at the sight of two identical Li Jues. Who was the real one? “I’m the real one,” they both said simultaneously. “I’m the real one!” Song Qing Yi was at a loss. Just then, footsteps emerged not far away from the bushes, and a smiling youth slowly walked out. Chu Liang made a flashy entrance. He approached Li Jue A, smiling, and said, “I have a solution. The fake Li Jue has never met me. Whoever can say my name is the real one.” “You’re Chu Liang!” Li Jue A immediately responded. Li Jue B was stunned, speechless. At this moment, all eyes—Chu Liang’s, Song Qing Yi’s, and Li Jue A’s—turned towards him. Seizing the opportunity, Chu Liang suddenly struck, a half brick in hand smashing into the back of Li Jue A’s head, bang! With a single strike, black mist billowed out, and Li Jue A let out a distorted cry, instantly reverting to the ghostly form! Chu Liang wasted no time; with a left-hand strike revealing its true form, his right hand flashed with a sword that gleamed with a white glow! Shhh— The long sword pierced through the ghostly body, instantly covering its phantom form with cracks! “Si Tu Yan…” Li Jue called softly. The ghost turned its head to look at Li Jue, a flash of release gleaming in its eyes. Bang. The ghostly body shattered, turning to dust. “You…” Song Qing Yi quizzed, curious, “It clearly said your name. How did you know it was the fake?” “I didn’t know, but I thought the ghost might have overheard my name while lurking around the academy,” Chu Liang smiled. “Asking for the name was just an excuse to get close. Nothing beats the assurance of a good old brick.” “We owe you gratitude for this,” Song Qing Yi acknowledged. Without Chu Liang's presence, the ghost's antics would have caused her much more trouble. “We’re all righteous cultivators, eliminating demons and defending the right is our duty,” Chu Liang replied with a wave. In truth, he had to thank the ghost for making things complicated at the end. Had Song Qing Yi managed to easily subdue it, his intervention would have been difficult, as this was, after all, within the realm of their domain. This time, he took the lead convincingly, and Song Qing Yi thanked him, which was a pleasant bonus. The only one left feeling lost was Li Jue, who stared blankly at the spot where Si Tu Yan had vanished, unsure of what to do. Chu Liang approached him saying, “If you feel the need to atone, turn yourself in to the authorities, confessing to the accidental killing. Seeking death is not a way to escape everything.” “Mm…” Li Jue nodded gently. Song Qing Yi’s eyes held a touch of melancholy, feeling pity for Si Tu Yan’s tragic fate yet puzzled by her many wrongdoings. The tranquil lake rippled under the night breeze, helplessly serene. … “Damn it!” Not far away, within an inn in Yan Jiao City, a figure clad in a black robe suddenly shattered the lantern on the table. Within it was a black candle that had already extinguished. Crash! The lantern fell to the floor, breaking apart. The black-robed figure gritted his teeth with fury. “After spending so much effort to refine the ghost, with more captured souls, I stood a chance of being promoted at the next soul gathering!” “And in just a few days, it’s been slain…” “This is truly infuriating!” “I want to see who it was that dared to interfere with my ghost…”