Chapter 27: Paying Homage to Guan Gong! A Persistent Specter?

Wan Jianyi and Ye Changsheng were surprisingly in sync; the two knelt side by side on the ground. Just as they were about to bow, Wan Jianyi suddenly recalled something, sprang to his feet, and pointed at the Buddha statue inside the dilapidated temple.

"In this life, the things I, Wan Jianyi, loathe the most are these hypocritical, bald-headed monks!"

"Me too! What Eastern Earth Buddhism? Our Taoism is the greatest!" Ye Changsheng nodded, chiming in.

This was no drunken rambling; it was the honest truth in Ye Changsheng's heart. The path of the undertaker he followed was none other than Taoism itself.

"Brother, you have the strength—get rid of this broken statue."

"You got it, brother!"

Ye Changsheng flicked two fingers, and his long sword shrieked through the air, hovering before him. Wan Jianyi looked at Ye Changsheng, asking curiously, "Brother, you know how to use a sword?"

"I know a thing or two." Ye Changsheng chuckled, feigning modesty.

"Strike!"

At Ye Changsheng's command, the long sword surged forward like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for the Buddha statue. A cold glint flashed, and silver sword light crisscrossed the air.

"Bang!"

The Buddha statue shuddered violently, and its head tumbled to the ground. A second later, the entire statue exploded into a shower of flying debris. Standing to the side, Wan Jianyi burst into hearty laughter.

"Well blasted! That was brilliant!"

Ye Changsheng asked curiously, "Brother, who shall we pay respects to for our oath?"

"I don’t believe in Heaven or Earth, nor in ghosts or gods, so this is a bit of a headache," Wan Jianyi said, scratching his head.

"I’ve got it! How about we bow to Guan Gong?"

"Who is Guan Gong? Is he powerful?" Wan Jianyi asked with curiosity.

Ye Changsheng had drunk too much and had forgotten that Guan Gong was a figure from his previous life. "He’s incredibly powerful! Back where I’m from, everyone bows to him when they swear an oath of brotherhood!"

"Is that so? Hurry up and bring him out so I can see."

Ye Changsheng requested a portrait of Lord Guan from the system and hung it in the center of the hall. The two knelt on the floor, cupping their hands in salute.

"Lord Guan is our witness!"

"I, Wan Jianyi!"

"I, Ye Changsheng!"

"Today, we vow to be brothers of a different surname. We do not seek to be born on the same day, month, and year, but we seek to..."

Before Ye Changsheng could finish, Wan Jianyi reached out and covered his mouth.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

"Dying on the same day is unnecessary. I’m an old man, my lifespan is nearly spent, and I won't drag you down to the grave with me," Wan Jianyi explained with a grin. "Just kowtow."

"Alright." Ye Changsheng nodded heavily.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After the kowtowing, the two brothers, acting in perfect harmony, collapsed and fell fast asleep.

It wasn't until the next day that a ray of sunlight shone through a hole in the roof onto Ye Changsheng’s face. He sat up slowly, feeling a sharp throbbing in his head. "What did I do last night?"

Sitting on the ground, Ye Changsheng tried to recall the events of the previous night, finding it all increasingly absurd. He turned to look at Wan Jianyi, who was sprawled on the floor, snoring like thunder. "It seems I’ll have to drink less in the future..."

Suddenly, a clamor erupted outside.

"You grown men, bullying a weak woman like me—do you have no shame?"

"Little girl, I don't have time for this. Tell us quickly, where is Ye Changsheng?"

Hearing this, Ye Changsheng jumped to his feet. "Oh no! Qinyin!"

He had promised Su Yang that he would look after Su Qinyin after his death. Without a moment's hesitation, he took a step and flew out of the temple.

By now, Yun Che had led his men to surround the temple, and Su Qinyin was being held hostage by a stout elder.

"Qinyin!"

The stout elder held a dagger to Su Qinyin's throat and chuckled, "Kid, I advise you not to act rashly. If you startle me and my hand slips, your woman will be gone! This little girl is so pretty, I almost can't bear to do it..."

Ye Changsheng clenched his fists, burning with rage. "You... bastard!"

Yun Che stood with his hands behind his back, smiling faintly. "Ye Changsheng, didn't expect this, did you? Who would have thought you'd end up like this?"

Ye Changsheng narrowed his eyes and sneered, "What? Doesn't your Azure Cloud Sect pride itself on being a righteous sect? Taking a weak woman hostage—is this how you act?"

"Special circumstances require special measures," Yun Che replied with a light chuckle. "Kid, where is my ancestor's corpse? Hand it over immediately!"

"Your ancestor was suffering by following you all; I’ve already buried him."

"Buried him?" Yun Che pointed at Su Qinyin and snorted coldly, "Kid, if you don't hand it over, I'll have her killed right now!"

"Fine, I'll give it to you!"

Yun Che smiled triumphantly, "That's right! Hand it over obediently, and you'll save a life in vain..."

Ye Changsheng thought to himself, *There's no other way. I have to take a gamble now!*

He feigned calm and beckoned to Yun Che with his finger. "Come here."

Yun Che walked forward slowly, smiling, "I advise you not to try any tricks this time."

"Sorry, but you guessed right!" Ye Changsheng sneered and stomped his foot down hard.

"Supreme Clarity Cloud-Covering Art, First Form: Wind Sweeps the Clouds!"

In an instant, a gale roared, and a surge of wind engulfed everyone present. As the fierce winds raged, the crowd felt as if they were trapped in a swamp, unable to move a muscle. Ye Changsheng, however, walked as if on level ground, completely unaffected.

Yun Che struggled against the immense wind pressure, slowly lifting his head to roar, "What kind of demonic magic is this?"

"And you call yourself the Young Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect? Can't you recognize your own sect's techniques?"

"This is an Azure Cloud Sect technique..." Yun Che’s brain raced, searching for any trace of this technique in his memory. "This is the Supreme Clarity Cloud-Covering Art! How do you know this?"

Yun Che was stunned, exclaiming, "My father has practiced this for years without success—how could an outsider like you master it?"

Ye Changsheng had no interest in engaging with Yun Che and walked straight toward Su Qinyin.

"Don't come any closer! Do you think I won't kill her?" The stout elder’s voice trembled as he retreated step by step.

"Do you think I won't kill you right now?"

The stout elder tightened his grip on the dagger and roared, "I want to see if you're faster, or if my blade is!"

Ye Changsheng said nothing. His figure flashed like a ghost. In the blink of an eye, he stood perfectly still, and a mist of blood slowly rose into the air.

"Sorry, but I'm faster."