Chapter Seventy-Six

Chapter Seventy-Six

The disciples of Qingcheng Mountain were stunned.

The treasury was always heavily guarded, with dozens patrolling daily. Outstanding disciples contributing to the sect could even enter to choose treasures... But with so many coming and going, no one had discovered there was a basement beneath the treasury!

"What's going on here!" a disciple exclaimed in disbelief, his pupils quivering.

Shen Wang noticed the disciple who spoke was one of the group that had followed him during his last reconnaissance trip to Qingcheng Mountain. This was the same disciple who had spoken on behalf of others when they visited Chen Feng.

This person must be the chief disciple of Qingcheng Mountain.

Gu Dongting didn't bother to respond; instead, he turned to Shen Wang, "Shall we go down?"

Shen Wang nodded, "Let's go."

The two made their decision in an instant, perfectly in sync.

The members of the special department following them twitched their eyelids in frustration, thinking resentfully: What's gotten into Master Gu? Although they are the ones from the special department, why does Master Gu always consult Shen Wang's opinion?

Shen Wang, unaware of their expressions, entered the tunnel with a slight frown.

The deeper they went, the stronger the mix of evil and yin energy became, almost unbearably intense, accompanied by a nauseating stench of decay.

If Shen Wang had any doubts before, by now he was certain of what this place was, and he cursed under his breath.

Gu Dongting looked back at Shen Wang, his voice calm, "What's wrong?"

Shen Wang suppressed his anger, "They are using a method of raising ghosts similar to breeding venomous insects."

Allowing the lesser ghosts to devour each other, forcibly creating a stronger ghost... To nurture a king among them, how many must be sacrificed?

Shen Wang had seen a similar method of raising ghosts in Xu Cheng's hometown. A malevolent cultivator, masquerading as a geomancer, exploited the local backward mentality of preferring boys over girls, leading to the deaths of numerous infants and children.

And this time, the resentment in the tunnel was even more intense than before.

In the dimly lit tunnel, Shen Wang noticed that half of Gu Dongting's face was hidden in darkness, the other half faintly illuminated by the dim yellow light, emanating a cold indifference as if nothing could touch his soul, neither the method of raising ghosts nor the tormented spirits.

Shen Wang's heart skipped a beat. When he looked again, Gu Dongting's face showed a faint trace of anger: "Such actions are unforgivable; they must be severely punished."

"Must be a mistake," Shen Wang let his guard down. "Right, they must be severely punished."

Gu Dongting turned his head, the superficial sense of justice on his face disappearing without a trace, replaced again by indifference.

After a while, the group finally reached the basement. The moment they saw the scene before them, someone vomited on the spot.

The small, circular space resembled a crude cave. In the center was a round, black stone platform. A narrow path led straight from the entrance to the platform, bordered not by flora but by a chilling array of bones and decaying flesh.

The cramped space was filled with malevolent spirits devouring each other, their gnashing the source of the eerie sounds heard earlier.

As the living stepped into the room, the spirits abruptly turned, their eyes, filled with greed, fixed on the newcomers.

Gu Dongting frowned, "Back to the tunnel!"

Everyone immediately retreated to the tunnel, and the one who had vomited was dragged back by a companion.

After retreating, the spirits seemed confused for a moment, wandering aimlessly around the chamber before resuming their mindless devouring.

Shen Wang's brow twitched, "There's a formation in the chamber."

But the formation was obscured by corpses, making it impossible for Shen Wang to discern its nature.

The same method of raising ghosts, the same kind of formation... Shen Wang couldn't help but connect the Qingcheng Mountain sect leader with Lin Yin-Yang from before. He and Gu Dongting exchanged a glance and simultaneously leaped back to the surface.

As they soared out, the sounds of a fight echoed from outside.

They saw the Qingcheng Mountain sect leader, somehow freed from his spirit-suppressing handcuffs, holding a member of the special department by the neck, laughing arrogantly, "Did you think mere handcuffs could hold me?"

The member being choked was already rolling his eyes back. Gu Dongting struck with his sword at the sect leader's hand, forcing him to retreat and carelessly throw the hostage aside.

"Gu Dongting!" The Qingcheng Mountain sect leader watched him coldly, a mocking smile on his face, "You might handle a minor ghost king, but what about those dozens of malevolent spirits? How will you protect these weaklings?"

Shen Wang was startled and turned around abruptly.

He saw the evil spirits that had been trapped in the chamber suddenly bursting out, their shrill screams echoing as they swarmed out of the ground. The black ghostly aura spread rapidly, engulfing a Qingcheng Mountain disciple who couldn't dodge in time, and instantly swallowed him whole.

"Damn it," Shen Wang cursed in anger, "He's a damn madman!"

Not to mention the dozens of special department members present, but also the hundreds of Qingcheng Mountain disciples, and thousands of tourists outside. If even one of these spirits escaped, it would be a disaster!

Almost driven mad, Shen Wang kicked the Qingcheng Mountain chief disciple who was nearly engulfed by the ghostly aura, "Stop dawdling, damn it! Hurry up and evacuate the tourists!"

The chief disciple, as if waking from a dream, scrambled away.

"Damn it." Shen Wang pulled out a talisman from his pocket and handed it to Shi Yan, "Distribute these."

After speaking, he dashed out in big strides.

Shi Yan, alarmed, called out, "Where are you going?"

In the urgent situation, Xie Qingming quickly pulled the overwhelmed Shi Yan behind him, snatching the talismans from Shen Wang, "Don't run around!"

These tortured spirits were formidable, some even former cultivators, not to be underestimated. If there were only one or two, the metaphysical experts present could have handled them easily.

But with so many surging out at once, while also needing to protect the weaker disciples of Qingcheng Mountain and prevent the spirits from reaching the tourists... even the formidable members of the special department were stretched thin.

The Qingcheng Mountain sect leader, standing at a higher position, looked down at the chaotic crowd below with a satisfied, sinister smile, "You forced my hand!"

As he spoke, he attempted to flee amidst the chaos. Suddenly, a sword thrust in from the side, forcing him to dodge hurriedly. Still, a long cut appeared across his chest, dripping with blood.

"Gu Dongting!" The sect leader's pupils contracted in shock, "How are you here!"

"Why can't I be here?" Gu Dongting held his sword, a drop of blood trickling down its tip. His expression was indifferent, as if oblivious to the panicked crowd below.

"You're not helping them. Do you know how many more will die here?" the Qingcheng Mountain sect leader said, his facial muscles twitching.

Gu Dongting twirled his sword elegantly, laughing. His smile was as sinister as that of the Qingcheng Mountain sect leader, "What do their lives have to do with me?"

"My only task is to capture you."

"Or kill you."

The sect leader's heart skipped a beat. Without time to ponder why Gu Dongting seemed like a changed man, he barely parried an unexpected lethal move.

"Gu Dongting!" the sect leader panicked, "If you stand by and do nothing, the entire metaphysical community will rise against you..."

Gu Dongting seemed deaf to his words. His swordplay was straightforward, without any fancy moves, yet each strike was lethal, targeting the sect leader's lower body, throwing him into disarray.

The sect leader, who had never fought with Gu Dongting, knew he was strong, but not this strong, and shameless!

"What renowned master would resort to such tactics? Wouldn't they be embarrassed to speak of it?"

Soon, the sect leader could no longer afford to think diversely. Gu Dongting pressed on relentlessly. Escape was futile; it was time to fight back! The next second, the sect leader pulled out his own magical weapon, a blood-red whip!

The whip, steeped in blood, seemed to be dyed with countless lives.

Rise against him? Gu Dongting remained unruffled. He feared nothing, having been hunted by the metaphysical community once before.

Above, the two fought fiercely, their swordplay crisp and powerful, slicing through any approaching ghostly aura. The remnants of their sword energy shattered nearby trees, scattering leaves.

Below, the ghostly aura had spread, ominously covering the entire mountain, with a tendency to drift towards the tourist area below.

Shi Yan was terrified, cursing for the first time in front of others, "Damn, Xie Qingming, think of something, some spirits have slipped away!"

Xie Qingming, unable to maintain his cool demeanor, was frantic, "What can I do? We might as well pray for a quick rescue!"

Distracted by his own words, Xie Qingming momentarily let his guard down, allowing an evil spirit to pounce on Shi Yan, who was heavily protected. The spirit's greedy fangs nearly bit Shi Yan's arm.

At that moment, a faint white light shone from Shi Yan, and the spirit screamed in agony as Xie Qingming seized the opportunity to shatter it with a decisive attack.

"Thank goodness for Shen Wang's talismans!" both Shi Yan and Xie Qingming thought simultaneously.

Shi Yan, still shaken, gripped the talisman tightly: "Where did Shen Wang go?"

With Shen Wang's abilities, there was no way he would flee the scene. But Shi Yan couldn't figure out where he had gone.

At that time, Shen Wang stood on the third floor of the treasury, carefully studying the protective formation inside, his gaze intense and focused.

Meanwhile, the ghostly aura surged violently, nearing the tourist area, less than a hundred meters away.

Thousands of visitors, only halfway through their tour, were suddenly hurriedly ushered down the mountain, all clearly unhappy and moving sluggishly.

"What's going on? We paid for this, why are we being forced to leave?"

"Exactly, will our tickets be refunded?"

"This place is a rip-off, cutting the visit short... I'm never coming here again."

The chief disciple of Qingcheng Mountain, sweating profusely, was in a dilemma. The events occurring on the mountain couldn't be explained to ordinary people, and even if he did, they wouldn't believe him.

In his urgency, he had a sudden idea and shouted through a megaphone, "A storm is coming, and there's a high risk of a landslide. Please descend the mountain in an orderly fashion and avoid staying near the slopes..."

"A storm? Landslide?"

Hearing these words and seeing the anxious expressions and actions of the staff, most of the visitors believed it and the previously stagnant crowd slowly started to leave.

However, some people were still reluctant.

"It's broad daylight, and you're talking about a storm and landslides... I think this is just a trick to drive the tourists away."

"Unless you refund me and compensate for my emotional distress, I'll expose you online and tarnish your resort's reputation."

"Walk slower, how fast can a landslide be, anyway..."

"That's just alarmist talk."

The noisy crowd had diverse opinions, some even raising their phones, spinning around to film the surroundings.

Just as the Qingcheng Mountain chief disciple wished he could throw these tourists down the mountain himself, a rolling black mist descended like a flowing black river, moving towards the crowd at a speed that seemed slow but was actually fast.

The chief disciple's pupils contracted, his voice cracking as he yelled, "Everyone run!"

"Run, now!"

His shouting, however, only made some people laugh as if watching a show. At that moment, someone noticed the black mist, "What's that?"

"Is it a landslide?"

"It looks like a cloud, a black cloud!"

"So rare, quick, take a photo..."

The chief disciple slowly closed his eyes, a bitter taste in his heart.

Qingcheng Mountain was a sect focusing on feng shui and not known for combat strength. Facing so many evil spirits, they struggled even to protect themselves, let alone thousands of tourists.

After waiting anxiously, no screams or sounds of people being devoured by evil spirits were heard.

The chief disciple, puzzled, opened his eyes. The menacing ghostly aura seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier, reluctantly hovering and coveting its prey.

"This is..." the chief disciple's voice choked with emotion, filled with the relief of having narrowly escaped disaster, "a protective formation! Someone has cast a protective formation for us!"

The Qingcheng Mountain disciples, in the know, were both shocked and overjoyed, crying tears of relief, while the nearby tourists looked on in confusion at the staff who suddenly started crying and then hugging and laughing with each other.

Tourists: "???"

What happened?

The tourists continued to grumble as they leisurely descended the mountain, chatting and laughing with their companions, a rare black cloud overhead and the ordinary world at their feet.

Little did anyone know, they had already skirted the edge of life and death.

"The moment the array lit up, every cultivator still in battle felt a surge of awareness. As they fought the evil spirits, a name firmly emerged in their minds."

"Shi Yan, clutching the talisman, exclaimed with a mix of shock and joy: 'Shen Wang has gone to set up the array!'"

"'That's great! All the tourists are safe now!'"

"Xie Qingming also breathed a sigh of relief."

"Shen Wang... single-handedly turned the tide."

"Atop the treasure vault, Gu Dongting's sword was pressed against the neck of the Qingcheng Mountain leader. To prevent his escape, Gu Dongting unhesitatingly severed his tendons in his hands and feet, acting with swift, ruthless efficiency."

"They, too, felt the fluctuations of the array."

"Following the direction of the spreading dark energy, Gu Dongting saw the tourists safely descending the mountain. He remained emotionally unswayed, while the Qingcheng Mountain leader began breathing rapidly: 'You dared to stop me because you had a backup plan?!'"

"'No wonder, no wonder!'"

"Gu Dongting: '...' Actually, there was no backup plan. He truly didn't care about those people's lives."

"But he couldn't be bothered to explain."

"'Gu Dongting, do you think you can remain arrogant for long?' The Qingcheng Mountain leader suddenly sneered, his gaze dark and crazed as he laughed, 'Your current glory is but a prelude to a tragic future!'"

"'Gu Dongting! Your death will be more miserable than mine! Someone will claim your life, trample you underfoot. Everything you have...'"

"Before he could finish speaking, the Qingcheng Mountain leader suddenly bulged his eyes, then breathed no more, his expression frozen in a mix of anger and glee, almost reveling in another's misfortune."

"Gu Dongting's eyes shook. He hurried forward to check and found that the Qingcheng Mountain leader was beyond dead, with even the trace of his soul vanished... his soul had scattered to the winds."

"'This must be a restriction.' A voice suddenly rang out."

"Startled, Gu Dongting instinctively drew his sword and swung it, but upon seeing Shen Wang at the other end, he trembled the tip of his sword, halting his subconscious attack."

"Shen Wang touched his nose. He was at the top of the treasure vault, having used the vault's original protective array to set up a larger one."

"It wasn't that he intended to eavesdrop; it was just that they chose to talk atop the roof of the vault."

"Gu Dongting looked deeply at Shen Wang and asked, 'What kind of restriction?'"

"Shen Wang leaped onto the roof, glanced around, and shook his head: 'I don't know, but it's clearly a silencing type. The moment he tried to reveal certain information, he died instantly.'"

"It was astonishing that the head of such a major sect in the metaphysical world had such a restriction embedded in him."

"Shen Wang looked at Gu Dongting with concern, pondering the Qingcheng Mountain leader's words before his death."

"What did it mean by 'today's glory is for future tragedy'? Who would trample him underfoot? Was it Tang Jiu, the protagonist in the original story?"

"But how did the Qingcheng Mountain leader know about Tang Jiu's existence? Shen Wang sensed something was amiss."

"Shen Wang always thought he was just a minor character in the book, who accidentally entered the world of cultivators and then unintentionally returned. He had no particular fondness for the original story but also harbored no significant doubts."

"After all, in the myriad worlds, anything was possible. Each flower, each leaf could constitute a world of its own. The world of a novel was no exception."

"But... what if this isn't a novel's world? Breaking free from his mental confines, Shen Wang's gaze darkened. He always felt that a massive net was ensnaring the main characters of these 'novels'."

"Shen Wang didn't know that Gu Dongting had a similar feeling."

"Ever since his rebirth, Gu Dongting had been focused on taking revenge against Tang Jiu and his followers. Only now did he realize that something else lurked behind Tang Jiu."

"Both heavy-hearted, they exchanged a glance and simultaneously cracked a small smile."

"Shen Wang: 'Dongting knows nothing; I can't let him be frightened.'"

"Gu Dongting: 'Shen Wang knows nothing; I can't let him worry about me.'"

"Shen Wang: 'He was spouting nonsense, trying to scare you!'"

"Gu Dongting: 'Last words before death are not to be trusted.'"

"Both spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping. They looked at each other, their smiles growing more genuine: 'Let's go and clean up this mess.'"

"Gu Dongting nodded, kicked the body of the Qingcheng Mountain leader to the ground, and leaped down with Shen Wang."

"As the body of the Qingcheng Mountain leader hit the ground, all the evil spirits, as if sensing something, abandoned their fights and swarmed towards the body, gnawing at it relentlessly."

"All the evil spirits created by the Qingcheng Mountain leader, upon his death, piled up and furiously bit at his corpse, venting all their hatred."

"This scene was too ghastly for Shen Wang to bear watching."

"With Gu Dongting and Shen Wang joining the fray, the multitude of evil spirits posed no threat. They were swiftly eradicated. Just then, the reinforcements Shi Yan had called for at the start of the incident finally arrived belatedly."

"Shen Wang couldn't help but laugh: 'Just like the police in TV dramas — always a step behind.'"

"Shi Yan, uncharacteristically, didn't show any odd expression. His look towards Shen Wang, similar to the one he had for Gu Dongting, carried an almost imperceptible admixture of admiration and worship... or perhaps a blend of strange emotions."

"Shen Wang told a joke that no one laughed at, and upon seeing Shi Yan's expression, couldn't help but rub his arms, feeling goosebumps: 'Don't look at me like that; I prefer your old rebellious demeanor.'"

"As soon as he finished speaking, a crowd gathered around, gazing at Shen Wang with sparkling eyes."

"'Brother Shen, you're so awesome, you're incredible!'"

"'If it weren't for you this time, we might all have been goners. Brother Shen, you saved us all.'"

"'And those tourists... If those evil spirits had escaped, the tourists would have suffered terribly.'"

"'Brother Shen, you're so capable and you're on such good terms with Brother Gu, why not join our special department...'"

"Amidst the flattery of the special department members, Shen Wang lost himself, only to realize upon regaining his senses that he had agreed to something extraordinary."

"Shen Wang: '...'"

"Shi Yan held a phone, playing a recording."

"Shen Wang: '...'"

"Damn, caught off guard."

"The disciples of Qingcheng Mountain, knowing what had happened, were extremely uneasy. They watched the bustling members of the special department from afar, until finally the senior disciple of Qingcheng Mountain mustered the courage to approach: 'Director Shi.'"

"Shi Yan instinctively flashed his standard professional smile: 'What's the matter?'"

"The senior disciple of Qingcheng Mountain asked hesitantly: 'Director Shi, we don't know what exactly our leader did...'"

"Shi Yan, unflappable, responded in official tone: 'The special department will thoroughly investigate. We will not let any criminal off the hook, nor will we wrongly accuse any innocent person.'"

"The senior disciple sighed, 'Then our Qingcheng Mountain...'"

"'Don't worry, Qingcheng Mountain is still Qingcheng Mountain. As long as less than half of you are involved, there will be no implication for Qingcheng Mountain,' Shi Yan said indifferently."

"As time passed, Qingcheng Mountain remained, but after this battle, whether it could restore its reputation in the metaphysical world was uncertain, not to mention its greatly weakened state, likely to soon fall from the ranks of major sects."

"The senior disciple managed a bitter smile: 'Thank you, Director Shi.'"

"He looked utterly dejected, drawing a few extra glances from Shen Wang."

"Gu Dongting commented coolly: 'The sect of Qingcheng Mountain has a culture of sycophancy, from the leader to the elders down to the ordinary disciples. They bully the weak and flatter the strong. Now that he's become the weak, he's trying to please. You needn't show him any pity or gentleness.'"

"Shen Wang was startled, then indignant: 'What pity or gentleness? Don't talk nonsense!'"

"'I was just observing that he seems to be tainted with something,' Shen Wang said, almost laughing and crying."

"Gu Dongting's expression softened slightly, 'It's the smell of corpse poison.'"

"As Shen Wang pondered what the smell was, Gu Dongting's words sent a shiver down his spine: 'Why does he have the scent of that stuff on him?'"

"Corpse poison isn't very strong, especially the common type, which is mostly harmful to ordinary people... but it's utterly disgusting."

"Just thinking about the process of making corpse poison made Shen Wang feel sick."

"A faint smile flickered in Gu Dongting's eyes as he reminded, 'Chen Feng.'"

"Shen Wang's pupils dilated sharply!"

"'Chen Feng suffered from corpse poison, enduring unbearable pain. They say his body was so rotten that it was falling apart...'"

"Shen Wang withdrew his gaze, expressionless, 'Qingcheng Mountain? Let it perish.'"

"What kind of people are these..."

"After informing Shi Yan, Shen Wang refrained from further involvement, not wanting to entangle himself with this toxic sect any longer."

"Walking side by side with Gu Dongting, their shoulders touching, Shen Wang asked, 'Dongting, how did you know that was the smell of corpse poison? Isn't that rare among reputable sects?'"

"'I've heard of it.'"

"'The scent on him was so faint, I almost didn't catch it with my sensitive nose. You recognized it just from hearing about it? Could you be the legendary...'"

"Gu Dongting paused slightly in his steps."

"'A genius?!' Shen Wang exclaimed, grabbing Gu Dongting's shoulder, 'The kind of genius who understands everything immediately, smarter than others, who gets it just by hearing or seeing once!'"

"Gu Dongting looked stunned for a moment, then laughed, 'Maybe.'"

"Overnight, Qingcheng Mountain, once a dominant force in the southwest, was nearly completely annihilated."

"The leader of Qingcheng Mountain turned out to be a murderous heretic cultivator, secretly nurturing ghosts; the third elder abetted tyranny, covertly finding targets for the leader; and even the senior disciple wasn't innocent, having poisoned the leader's illegitimate child who lost his cultivation..."

"The gossip spread rapidly throughout the metaphysical world, shocking everyone."

"It was commonly believed that heretic cultivators were loners, hiding in remote mountains. Even those with substantial skills typically acted alone. This was the first time a powerful sect elder had turned out to be a heretic!"

"The most horrifying part was the discovery of bodies in a secret chamber, including some disciples who had disappeared from other sects!"

"The entire cultivation world was on edge. Seeing anyone from Qingcheng Mountain made people spit in disdain and avoid them."

"'People from Qingcheng Mountain are terrifying, let's steer clear of them.'"

"'So scary... How could there be such brazen heretic cultivators, aren't they afraid of being captured...'"

"'The leader already committed suicide out of fear, what good would capturing him do now...'"

"Hearing the public's discussions, a passing Qingcheng Mountain disciple covered their face and hurried away, silently swearing to leave Qingcheng Mountain as soon as they returned."

"In just a few days, the disciples either left or fled. The once-famous Qingcheng Mountain vanished from the metaphysical world. However, thanks to Xiao Hei's help, Qingcheng Mountain's techniques continued to circulate widely in the metaphysical world."

"Indeed, it had become a very decent introductory technique in the metaphysical world."

"According to the technique, Qingcheng Mountain hadn't disappeared; instead, it had gained many more disciples and grand-disciples... although the disciples of Qingcheng Mountain probably wouldn't want such successors."

"After everything was settled, Shen Wang also learned some secret information from Gu Dongting, like how Qingcheng Mountain controlled evil spirits to scare wealthy merchants, then offered to solve the problem for a hefty fee."

"Or how they used evil spirits to eliminate rivals, then blamed the spirits as the 'culprits', allowing the Qingcheng Mountain leader to escape unscathed... Their misdeeds were numerous."

"Shen Wang showed an indescribable expression: 'No wonder, their whole family used evil spirits against me; it seems to be a family technique.'"

"Chen Feng used fierce ghosts, and Chen Xingzhi used a small ghost king... Their methods were a little too practiced."

"Gu Dongting smiled enigmatically: 'Chen Feng is also dead.'"

"Shen Wang wasn’t particularly surprised; given Chen Feng's physical condition after losing his cultivation, he would have died long ago if not for his father's care."

"Now that his father was dead, Chen Feng surely couldn’t have survived much longer."

"After exchanging a few more words, they ended the call. Shen Wang looked outside and noticed it was already evening. He was used to this and didn’t mind."

"He got up to check the backyard and was about to activate the formation to start cultivating when he suddenly shouted with joy, 'Xiao Hei! Long time no see!'"

"The person in black standing outside the door, hearing the voice, didn’t move."

"Undeterred, Shen Wang quickly climbed over the wall, running up to the person: 'Xiao Hei, how have you been lately? Are you tired? Do you want to come in and sit?'"

"These past few days, he had been wanting to find Xiao Hei but had no way to contact him; it was all up to fate. He hadn't expected to see him outside his house so soon! Shen Wang was both surprised and delighted, feeling a special connection with Xiao Hei!"

"Xiao Hei was still wearing a mask, holding a phone that seemed to have just ended a call."

"He put the phone away and scrutinized the unusually enthusiastic Shen Wang: 'Do you need something?'"

"The fleeting sense of blur he had felt upon seeing the phone disappeared instantly. Shen Wang chuckled and gestured, 'Come in, we'll talk inside.'"

"Once in the room, Shen Wang courteously poured a cup of tea for Xiao Hei, then said, 'Actually, I do need a favor from you.'"

"Shen Wang dashed into the study, took out something, and handed it to Xiao Hei: 'This is a special talisman paper I've developed. It has a higher success rate and greater effect than the Tang family's special talisman paper.'"

"As he spoke, he took out a bright yellow talisman paper: 'This is a sample I made. You can try it out.'"

"Xiao Hei remained silent for a long while. He first meticulously examined the method for making the special talisman paper, then casually drew an attack talisman with a brush. It wasn’t used yet, but the spiritual light it contained indicated its considerable power."

"After doing everything methodically, Xiao Hei tapped his knuckles on the table: 'Are you giving me all these things?'"

"Shen Wang chuckled, not hiding his malice in front of Xiao Hei: 'Xiao Hei, what do you think? Can I use this to crush the Tang family?'"

"'The talisman-making Tang family.' Xiao Hei spoke slowly. He didn’t say it was possible, nor did he say it wasn’t. Instead, he asked, 'Do you have a grudge against them?'"

"Shen Wang was puzzled: 'Haven’t you seen the news online? My feud with the Tang family is not just any grudge, it’s a matter of life and death.'"

"'You had enmity before, but you only brought out this special talisman paper now, when the Tang family is on the decline.' Xiao Hei pointed out sharply."

"Knowing Shen Wang as he did, Xiao Hei realized that in most cases, Shen Wang was not the type to kick someone when they were down."

"His smile fading, Shen Wang fell silent for a moment before speaking truthfully: 'I have a friend whose sister is involved with Tang Jiu. I'm afraid they'll scheme against my friend.'"

"Xiao Hei lowered his head, his fingertips brushing over the items on the table, his tone hard to discern: 'Do you realize how precious what you’ve brought out is? The Tang family rose to power because of a method for making a special talisman paper.'"

"'Although the Tang family is now in decline and not what they used to be, they were once quite illustrious a few decades ago.'"

"Shen Wang waved his hand indifferently: 'That's not important.'"

"'Not important...' Xiao Hei fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, 'I truly envy your friend, having such a devoted and heartfelt friend like you.'"

"'He's been good to me too,' Shen Wang said matter-of-factly, 'Friendship is mutual.'"

"'He's been good to you?' Xiao Hei asked coldly, 'Has he helped you solve any problems? Has he given you anything?'"

"Shen Wang blinked: 'Xiao Hei, how can you be so materialistic? Money and possessions are external... He stood by me unconditionally when I was condemned by thousands, in that moment, I knew our bond was more real than gold.'"

"There was a cracking sound as Xiao Hei, holding the teacup, split the tea table with a forceful crack."

"Shen Wang: '...'"

"Shen Wang felt weary. He didn’t understand why, but he thought of Gu Dongting's inexplicable behavior, strangely similar to Xiao Hei's today... even though the two of them were completely different people."

"Shen Wang cautiously glanced at Xiao Hei: 'Xiao Hei, you’re also a good brother to me. We've been through so much together, and you even offered to give me all the money from auctioning the Qingcheng Mountain techniques... In my heart, you are one of my best brothers!'"

"In his heart, Shen Wang silently added two words: 'one of'."

"Xiao Hei took a deep breath and picked up the items on the table: 'As you wish, I will make sure this talisman paper is used throughout the metaphysical world in the shortest time.'"

"Shen Wang's eyes lit up, thinking Xiao Hei would use the same method as with the Qingcheng Mountain techniques, giving them away freely. He happily said: 'Okay, Xiao Hei, I’ll wait for the good news!'"

"As Xiao Hei strode away, Shen Wang suddenly had a flash of insight and shouted: 'Xiao Hei, leave your contact information! Otherwise, I won’t be able to find you next time!'"

"The other paused, turned back to exchange contact information with Shen Wang, and then strode away."

"For some reason, Shen Wang felt that Xiao Hei’s footsteps were unusually heavy today."

"'Even men can get jealous.' Shen Wang opened Xiao Hei’s social media account, which was spotlessly clean with no information, 'It’s my fault for being too charming, having too many brothers... but at least I can carry water.'"

"Shen Wang liked the spotlessly clean social media account, akin to a miniature version: 'To brothers, equal treatment!'"

"Meanwhile, Tang Jiu was out shopping with Gu Manling, bitterly denouncing Shen Wang, exaggerating his actions and telling her everything about him."

"Gu Manling pondered: 'That person is too bad, clearly you're the one who spent decades with your parents. He doesn't appreciate you taking care of his parents on his behalf, and he even wants to drive you out...'"

"'Yes,' Tang Jiu sighed, 'My parents didn't agree to kick me out, so he left and spread lies online, causing our company's stock to plummet, losing many projects, and slandering us for cursing others. I really don't know what crooked path he took to enter the metaphysical world.'"

"'The crooked path is not the way to go,' Gu Manling commented. She was about to say more when she suddenly saw a beautiful necklace appear before her, blushing, 'I just looked at it a few times, how did you buy it so quickly...'"

"'If you like it, of course, I’ll buy it for you,' Tang Jiu said with a twisted smile, putting the necklace on Gu Manling. The rose gold chain accentuated her slender neck, sparking a barely perceptible desire in Tang Jiu's eyes."

"They exchanged smiles, their affection deep and sweet."

"Touching the necklace around her neck, Gu Manling secretly decided to reciprocate Tang Jiu's gesture and lend him a hand."

"Shen Wang: 'He stood by me unconditionally when I faced public condemnation. I love him so much.'"

"Black Gu (shaking with anger): 'That was me! I did that! (voice trembling) Curse that thieving Bai Gu!! (spouting fire)'"