Chapter 17: Offering One's Body to the Blade

The Hundred Ghosts Blade was incredibly fierce in its technique. Although I used the Soul-Calming Bell to shield myself, over time, the protective aura it emitted was relentlessly shattered by the hundred cuts of the blade. This situation immediately heightened my tension.

The opponent, seeing me cornered, couldn’t help but jeer mockingly from the side. “You’re supposed to be the proud heir of the Ghost Hemp Physiognomy, yet your skills are so pathetic. Didn’t your grandfather teach you any powerful exorcism techniques? Or is your Ghost Hemp art inherently useless?”

Ghost Fox bore a smug expression. Although the earlier circumstances had been unexpected, judging by the current state, it wouldn’t be long before he killed me, making my soul the hundredth spirit sealed by his blade.

“Just surrender obediently! I’ll give you a quick and merciful death.”

Ghost Fox swung his blade again, the tormented souls entwined around it wailing miserably. At this moment, he had only one goal: to kill me with all his might. The Gu masters and the Physiognomy sect had been sworn enemies for centuries. If he could kill me, Ghost Fox’s status in the Miaojiang region would rise dramatically. This was one of the reasons he had come personally to the Liu family villa to kill me.

Though his ambition was grand, he had made a fatal error in choosing his opponent. His Hundred Ghosts Blade was sharp beyond compare but lacked the power to kill me instantly. The Soul-Calming Bell in my hand repelled the evil spirits emanating from his blade, though the bell was riddled with countless cracks from the onslaught.

Still, killing me would not be so easy.

Earlier, in a moment of respite, I had cast a divination for myself. The omen showed that although I faced disaster in the provincial city, a great master would aid me. Though I did not know who this benefactor was, this at least proved I was not alone in the city.

But who was this person? At this moment, I was utterly bewildered.

In the nearby darkness, Ghost Fox continued to incite the souls on his blade to attack me. His sole purpose now was to kill me—a hatred passed down for centuries that no one could alter.

Facing Ghost Fox’s Hundred Ghosts Blade, my only task was to muster every ounce of strength to block his onslaught. Not only for myself but to prove to him that our Qingma Physiognomy lineage was by no means feeble. At least when facing their Gu masters, we were not afraid.

Perhaps sensing something from my tactics, Ghost Fox’s expression darkened, and he swung his blade faster and faster. Countless malevolent spirits surrounded me, but because of the special presence on the Soul-Calming Bell, they could not harm me—for now.

This only made Ghost Fox’s face grow more grim.

He had originally intended to kill me with a single blow, but his desperate strikes had all been blocked by my bell. Now, it was Ghost Fox’s turn to feel the pressure. He never expected that a young heir of the Qingma Physiognomy could cause him such trouble.

But to quell his fury, Ghost Fox decided to sacrifice himself to his blade.

“The Qingma Physiognomists have been our Gu masters’ eternal enemies for centuries. Only one of us will walk away from this place alive today. It’s a matter of skill and strength. The dead have no right to complain—blame yourselves for being born into the wrong fate.”

With these words, Ghost Fox raised his great blade over his head and suddenly slashed at his own left arm.

“I feed my flesh and blood to the blade, seeking the perfection of the Hundred Ghosts Blade technique. Help me annihilate my lifelong enemy!”

Enduring the pain of his severed arm, Ghost Fox began chanting incantations. The bloodstained blade trembled violently. With his arm’s sacrifice, the Hundred Ghosts Blade reached its peak power.

Then, gripping the great blade with his remaining hand, Ghost Fox swung it fiercely at my position.

As his blade descended, I felt the ground beneath me tremble fiercely. This was incredible, revealing that his methods were far beyond what I had imagined.

I had thought my Soul-Calming Bell could block his attack, but with a thunderous crash, the bell shattered into two pieces in front of me.

After landing his strike, Ghost Fox laughed aloud. Though he had lost an arm, if he could kill me, he had no reason to complain. Compared to his arm, killing me was paramount.

With my Soul-Calming Bell broken, Ghost Fox was confident of victory. He stepped forward, his gaze turning ferocious. He was already plotting how to turn me into a perfect skeletal talisman.

After all, making talismans from one’s enemies was a common practice among Gu masters, meant to intimidate others in the martial world and deter foes.

Yet, even so, the Qingma Physiognomists feared none of their tactics.

My grandfather was unafraid, and so was I.

With the bell destroyed, my body suffered severe injuries. Blood spilled from my mouth as I could no longer stand before Ghost Fox.

Was I truly going to die at this man’s hands?

A surge of unwillingness stirred within me. I forced myself up again in the villa’s main hall.

This Ghost Fox was deranged, his mind likely consumed by the Hundred Ghosts Blade. The only thing keeping his reason intact was the hatred he bore for me as a Qingma Physiognomist heir.

“Your protective talisman is broken. Prepare to die obediently!”

Ghost Fox raised his great blade and swung it down toward my head.

His intention was simple: to kill me here and now. Only then would his goal be fulfilled.

At this critical moment, a sharp shout came from the entrance.

I turned to see a man about thirty-five or thirty-six years old step inside. He wore a white robe, exuding a refined and amiable aura, though he carried a rusty half-iron blade on his back—a peculiar sight.

His face was strikingly handsome, with sharp features that gave him an imposing presence even without anger.

After his stern shout, he raised his blade to block Ghost Fox’s downward strike.

“Who are you? How dare you interfere with my Miaojiang Gu master’s affairs? Do you not want to live?”

Ghost Fox’s face darkened instantly as his decisive blow was thwarted.

“You’re breaking the rules of the martial world with this,” he growled, stepping back and raising his voice.

“Standing up against injustice and drawing your blade to help is also a rule of the martial world. Besides, he is my fellow disciple. If you kill him, I will not stand idly by. Do you understand now?”

The man stepped forward, helping me behind him while cautiously watching Ghost Fox.

“You’re fellow disciples? So you’re from the Qingma family as well?”

Ghost Fox’s face was filled with murderous intent.

“That’s right. I share a master-disciple bond with Elder Chen. But I was slow-witted and failed to grasp the essence of Qingma Physiognomy, bringing shame to my master’s name.”

The man’s expression dimmed slightly as he spoke, perhaps mourning his failure to fully learn the art from my grandfather—a deep regret in his life.

“By the way, my name is Soul-Chasing Blade Hu Tieshou. If you want to cause trouble for the Qingma Physiognomists, come find me anytime. I will accompany you to the very end!”

“Are you Hu Tieshou, the Soul-Chasing Blade? The one who killed several people overnight...”

Ghost Fox trembled visibly at the mention of this name. He dared not act recklessly against Hu Tieshou.

“Since you want to protect him, I’ll give you face this time. But remember, you cannot shield him forever. One day, you will leave, and when that day comes, this boy will meet his death!”

With that, Ghost Fox raised his blade and left, clutching his severed arm as he went.

After his departure, the hall fell silent.

The tension I’d held so tightly finally eased. Before I could even thank Hu Tieshou, I lost consciousness.

“Qiuyue, Qiuyue...” Hu Tieshou called out anxiously, but I showed no sign of response.