Chapter 113: Exterminating the Ghost

The "Five Emperors' Coins" refer to the copper coins from the reigns of the Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing emperors of the Qing Dynasty. They are common ritual objects used by Taoist practitioners to dispel malevolent spirits, neutralize baleful energy, and organize geomantic formations.

Old Man Huo used these coins to set his formation, with seven of them serving as the anchors. The older the coins, the greater their power.

The ghost in green was trapped within the formation, unable to break free as golden light surged from all sides, bombarding the ghostly aura. Each strike left deep wounds on her ethereal form, causing significant damage.

The ghost let out a piercing shriek and transformed into a white blur. She began to spin faster and faster, like a high-speed top, causing the golden light to scatter and deflect. Old Man Huo’s hand gestures faltered, and he whispered to himself that the situation was dire; the golden light of the formation began to flicker and dim.

With a shrill cry, the formation shattered completely. The golden light vanished, and a white shadow burst forth, followed by a surging wave of black miasma. Old Man Huo let his hands fall, gasping for breath. "It seems my 'Seven-Star Binding Formation' still lacks the strength to hold her."

Before he could muster the energy to perform another incantation, the ghost in green was already upon him, her spectral claws lunging for his chest.

*Clang!*

In a flash of lightning, Cui Yue lunged forward, his wooden sword taking the brunt of the ghost’s strike. The immense force sent him and his sword flying, crashing into Old Man Huo.

"You look like a monster, but you certainly pack a punch!" Cui Yue spat out, wiping blood from his lip.

"Neither of you will leave Yunshan Village today!" the ghost in green snarled.

"I came here to exorcise you, not to let you continue wreaking havoc on the world!" Old Man Huo pushed his blood energy to the limit, silently reciting the "Thousand-Fold Divine Power Mantra." Like an arrow released from a bow, he charged forward to engage the ghost.

It was a battle of life and death, and neither held back. For a time, the sky was obscured by the clash of golden light and dark shadows.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Old Man Huo and the ghost traded a heavy blow, and the golden light shattered. Old Man Huo was sent reeling, falling to the ground severely wounded.

In his desperation, Cui Yue threw out his final talisman. It ignited without a breeze, transforming into a sphere of blue flame that streaked toward the ghost.

Old Man Huo’s eyes flickered as he muttered, "A fire talisman from the Taibai Immortal Sect! This boy has quite a stash, but unfortunately..."

The ghost in green did not seem to fear the blue flame. She merely waved a hand to block it, but the flame continued forward, suddenly exploding!

*Boom!*

As the dust settled, the ghost in green had not moved an inch and showed no signs of damage.

"How is this possible?" Cui Yue was stunned. The talismans left behind by the bespectacled boy had never failed before, yet this time, they had proven utterly useless.

Old Man Huo coughed up a clot of blood and spoke with difficulty, "Though this fire talisman is infused with vital blood, the disparity in cultivation levels is too great. Against a ghost of the Ghost King realm, the odds are slim." Of course, had the talisman been of a higher grade, or drawn by a master like Zhang Huanqing, the outcome might have been different.

The ghost in green began to shriek incessantly. Her black aura swirled, and her form began to blur and expand, splitting from one into two, then into four...

Dozens of ghostly figures morphed into black blades, all aimed at the fallen Old Man Huo. The blades were unsheathed in an instant!

Old Man Huo’s heart sank, and a flash of despair crossed his eyes. Was this the end of his long journey through the martial world? In that instant, memories flooded his mind—the long-lost image of the Taoist temple nestled deep within the towering mountains...

Suddenly, a figure blocked the thousands of blades.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

The blades passed through the body. Though intangible, they struck like solid steel. Cui Yue vomited a mouthful of blood, his body pierced by the black blades, with black miasma spilling from the wounds.

"Old Man Huo, you slovenly fool, get up and finish her!" Cui Yue, covered in blood and wreathed in black mist, knelt on the ground and roared at the old man, looking truly terrifying.

"You... why did you..." Old Man Huo was stunned, his face changing as he stuttered for the first time in his life.

"I... I just don’t want to owe you anything!" Cui Yue managed to say before collapsing to the ground, coughing up more blood.

The black blades slowly dissolved into mist, converging to reform the ghost’s image.

"Why? Why would you rather die than let him perish?" the ghost in green asked, staring at Cui Yue.

Cui Yue lay on the ground and spat, saying disdainfully, "I, Cui Yue, am not a coward who clings to life!"

The ghost in green paused, then said seriously, "Cui Yue? I will remember that name. You are a good man."

The world is treacherous, but righteousness comes first.

Today, having chosen sacrifice over survival, how could one of our kind return home in cowardice? Old Man Huo moved; he had never felt such a fierce desire for justice. He shouted, "Are we not meant for greatness!"

His blood surged, and he moved with lightning speed, biting his tongue and spraying hot blood onto the rings on his fists.

*Crack.*

The bronze rings reacted to the blood, and a mist of crimson energy surrounded them. Strange tattoos began to crawl across his hands, spreading rapidly until they covered his entire body and face. Old Man Huo blazed with golden light, his aura rising to its peak. He stood with the majesty of a deity descended to uphold the Way.

"Die!"

Old Man Huo darted forward, his body becoming a blade—a weapon of divine judgment.

The blade fell, and everything was consumed. The ghost in green was struck by the golden light and swallowed whole. The light faded, and silence returned.

Old Man Huo suddenly spat blood toward the sky, clutching his chest as he collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

"Is that all you have!"

A shriek erupted from the golden light. The ghost in green burst through, laughing hideously, looking like a resurrected demon. Her ghostly form was severely damaged, half her face missing, and her body shredded by the golden light.

Old Man Huo tried to move, but as he gathered his strength, blood surged up and he vomited again. The ghost in green staggered toward him, cackling with ghostly laughter.

Suddenly, without warning, a wooden sword pierced the ghost’s chest!

"This... what is this?" The ghost could not believe her eyes; she had been run through!

Cui Yue, struggling with his grievous wounds, had struck back with one final blow, driving the sword into the ghost’s vital point. The small peach-wood sword was a rare artifact, though Cui Yue had never understood its true potential. The ghost, already at the end of her strength, had been caught off guard.

"I... I was actually defeated by you?" The ghost in green could not fathom that she had fallen to such a greenhorn, and so completely.