Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Snatch Them Back Again

In Li Shuang’s senses, the malice coming from the woman before her grew thicker and heavier.

At that instant, the spirit essence orb she had taken back from Ye Zhao Zhao trembled a little.

Li Shuang kept a calm face. [No mistake.] This woman had to be Ye Zhao Zhao.

There were methods for corpse-seizing rebirth in this world, but for an ordinary cultivator to return to life, they first needed a top secret art. That one step alone kept ninety-nine percent of cultivators outside the door. Even after a true return, because the body was not one’s own, body and soul did not match. Cultivation growth would slow, and the spirit body would be very unstable. On top of that, the whole cultivation world saw corpse-seizing rebirth as an evil art. Anyone who practiced it would be rejected by the entire Righteous Path.

But the Devil Seed’s means were shocking. This time Ye Zhao Zhao’s corpse-seizing rebirth was almost perfect. She had directly inherited the original person’s cultivation realm, and her spirit body looked very steady. If Li Shuang had not been on guard, she might not have noticed so easily.

The System’s voice rang out: “Parasitism complete. Parasitized target: Li Shuang. Host, please stir up Li Shuang’s negative emotions and plunder her cultivation and good fortune.”

Ye Zhao Zhao’s lips curled in a subtle smile. [It worked.] She had once again set the System to parasitize Li Shuang.

In the minds of the Sword Sect disciples, she should already have died once. Now no one would expect her to return so soon. And this time, her starting point was higher, and her identity even easier to use. The Sword Sect had killed her once; she would repay that hatred in full. Her revenge would start with the people right in front of her.

She looked at Luo Ming Yue with a face full of admiration and said: “You must be Fellow Daoist Luo. If you hadn’t acted in time, I fear I would have made a huge mistake today.”

Luo Ming Yue gave a perfunctory nod. She felt neither fondness nor dislike for this suddenly appearing Fang Qing Yu. They were strangers, so there was nothing to say.

Ye Zhao Zhao was about to speak again when Sheng Yuan said coldly: “Senior Sister Luo, you saw it too. Even if you hadn’t stepped in, this Fellow Daoist Fang was nearby. If we had held on a little longer, she would have arrived. With the three of us working together, we might not have lost to those wolf demons. This was my and Second Junior Brother’s task. The mission spoils should belong to us.”

Sheng Yuan stared stubbornly at Li Shuang. Right now, he did not even know whether he was speaking for those three demon cores, or for Li Shuang’s attention.

Luo Ming Yue let out a cold laugh and said: “The demon I killed, the demon core I take. If you’re unhappy, go to the Disciplinary Hall. I’d love to see who will listen to your nonsense.”

Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes flickered. She glanced at Sheng Yuan and said: “Fellow Daoist Sheng, you think too highly of me. I may have a wind spiritual root, but I am only a rogue cultivator. I’m good at running, not at fighting. Even if I had arrived, I would not have been a match for those wolf demons.”

Shen Yue hurried to say: “First Senior Brother, we finished this task thanks to Senior Sister Luo’s help. Please stop saying things like that.” Then he bowed seriously to Luo Ming Yue to thank her.

Sheng Yuan pressed his lips together. He knew Shen Yue was right, but a nameless fire kept burning in his chest. No matter what, he refused to back down.

“At least you can talk sense,” Luo Ming Yue said as she glanced at Shen Yue. For now, among the few from Ling Xu Peak, Shen Yue seemed the most normal.

Too lazy to argue, Luo Ming Yue packed up, and the Emotionless Peak group rode their swords into the sky and left.

Ye Zhao Zhao watched them go without the slightest worry. The System had already parasitized Li Shuang, so even if Li Shuang left, she could still faintly sense her position. But by herself, she lacked a proper reason to follow.

She looked at Sheng Yuan and Shen Yue and said with a righteous air: “Fellow Daoist Sheng, Fellow Daoist Shen, judging by their haste, Fellow Daoist Luo and her group must also be on a sect mission, right?”

Shen Yue nodded and said: “It should be.” It was probably a hard mission; otherwise even Luo Ming Yue would not have come in person.

“Fellow Daoist Luo helped you by slaying the wolf demons,” Ye Zhao Zhao said, guiding them step by step, “so she brought peace to the people nearby and also helped you finish your task. Now that they have a task of their own, shouldn’t we help them a little in return?”

“How would they need our help?” Sheng Yuan said stiffly.

“Fellow Daoist Sheng,” Ye Zhao Zhao said quickly, “I can tell there are some misunderstandings between you and them. If you help them finish their task this time, maybe they’ll change their view of you, and the past misunderstandings will vanish.”

“There are no misunderstandings,” Sheng Yuan said, his neck stiff.

Yet his expression loosened a little. [If past misunderstandings vanish, will my relationship with Senior Sister Li return to how it was?]

A cold light passed through Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes. [Heh. I gave these people my whole heart for ten years. Now that ‘Ye Zhao Zhao’ is dead, not one of them looks sad. Instead, they’re falling over themselves to please Li Shuang. Does Sheng Yuan think no one can see what he’s doing? If Li Shuang gives him a good look, he’ll probably wag his tail.]

She pushed down the heat in her chest and asked: “Fellow Daoist Shen, what do you think?”

Shen Yue hesitated, then said: “First Senior Brother, why don’t we follow and take a look?”

“Since you insist, then we’ll go look,” Sheng Yuan said with a blank face. “They helped us once, we’ll help them once. Then we’ll be even. That way they won’t go back to the sect and act like they’re our lifesavers.”

“The Sword Sect’s tasks are mostly about slaying demons and protecting the people,” Ye Zhao Zhao said quickly. “If you go, I am willing to come along.”

“Fellow Daoist Fang has a chivalrous heart. Then come with us,” Sheng Yuan agreed.

Only then did a smile appear on Ye Zhao Zhao’s face. [Even with a second chance, the ones from Ling Xu Peak are still the most foolish.] This time she would use these two as stepping stones to bring her back to Li Shuang’s side.

But now her goal was no longer to please the useless ones from Ling Xu Peak. [My earlier failures taught me that those good for nothing people can no longer stir Li Shuang’s emotions. If I cannot stir her negative feelings, I cannot plunder her cultivation and good fortune. Now the ones Li Shuang cares about are different. She seems to get along well with the people of Emotionless Peak. I once threw her into an abyss. So why not do it again? Back then, I easily stole the people of Ling Xu Peak away from her. I can steal the people of Emotionless Peak too. When she falls again, who will save Li Shuang this time?]

With a pleasant smile, Ye Zhao Zhao said: “In that case, let’s catch up to them.”

Sheng Yuan and Shen Yue both agreed.