Chapter 28: Wait, A Twist Like This?
Before Wei Zixi could think further, he suddenly heard the Thousand-Faced Ghost spit out a mouthful of black blood with a pu sound. In an instant, he crashed to the ground.
Just looking at the Thousand-Faced Ghost’s expression, it was clear he hadn’t expected this sudden change; his eyes were full of confusion.
Clearly, there was no error in the steps of the array, so how could it fail?
What was worse was that because he had expended a vast amount of cultivation to power the array earlier, not only did he suffer a backlash from the failure, but his current cultivation had dropped to be no different from an ordinary Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.
Thinking this, the Thousand-Faced Ghost subconsciously looked at Shen Yi standing to the side. Seeing her subtle smile, he realized instantly.
He became even angrier.
He had always thought highly of himself and never imagined that one day… he would fall at the hands of a human with no cultivation!
The Thousand-Faced Ghost climbed up from the ground in a rage. Ghostly energy quickly condensed in his palm as he looked fiercely at Shen Yi, saying coldly, “Bitch, you betrayed me?”
Wei Zixi’s mind snapped to attention. Looking at Ming Ji, he saw his Master summon Xuanshuang to block this lethal strike.
The Thousand-Faced Ghost stopped his hand, a sneer spreading across his lips.
Even if he were stupid, he now understood—these two people in front of him were in cahoots.
He covered the wound that was about to burst open with his hand and looked at Ming Ji, mocking, “Immortal Ming, what good tactics. You were willing to enter the trap yourself to coordinate with this woman from the inside and outside.”
“It turns out… I underestimated you, Immortal Venerable—”
Before Ming Ji could speak, Shen Yi laughed loudly instead.
Her face was filled with the pleasure of revenge as she said sternly, “It is just a tooth for a tooth.”
“Thousand-Faced Ghost, when you killed Shen Wan, did you ever think this day would come?!”
The Thousand-Faced Ghost’s eyes rolled, clearly considering Shen Yi’s words. Then he laughed contemptuously. “Shen Wan, that idiot?”
He dragged out his tone meaningfully, unable to suppress his laughter. “Are you talking about that fool who wanted to join hands with the cultivation world to catch me, willingly acted as bait, and ended up blocking a blade for those hypocrites?”
“Truly, stupid to the core.”
Hearing this, Shen Yi’s eyes filled with rage. The curved blade in her hand pointed straight at the Thousand-Faced Ghost, her arm trembling slightly.
She calmed her breathing and shouted, “Zhao Qingshan and those cultivation clans are dead. And now… Thousand-Faced Ghost, it is your turn.”
“You will all be buried with my sister!”
Only then did the Thousand-Faced Ghost realize Shen Yi’s intention. His tone was unhurried. “Before, you told me you loved Zhao Qingshan. It turns out you just wanted to deceive me to avenge Shen Wan.”
After saying that, he clapped his hands in exaggerated admiration. “Not bad, not bad. What deep sisterly affection.”
Shen Yi could bear it no longer. Without waiting for the Thousand-Faced Ghost to say anything more piercing, she stabbed him cleanly in the heart, speaking word by word, “Thousand-Faced Ghost, I lurked by your side for years, surviving near-death experiences to gather the materials to create the Sealing Ghost Knife, just to kill you!”
“The Sealing Ghost Knife, also known as the Ghost-Killing Knife, is sufficient to deal with a heavily injured Golden Core stage cultivator like you.”
Seeing this, Ming Ji kept his nerves taut, afraid the Thousand-Faced Ghost would use some other means to self-destruct and take the innocent women and Shen Yi with him.
Just in case, he put his hand behind his back, gradually condensing spiritual energy in his palm, watching the Thousand-Faced Ghost’s every move vigilantly.
“Immortal Ming Ji, I think… we will meet again.”
Even heavily injured, the Thousand-Faced Ghost stared straight at Ming Ji. The smile on his lips was like a venomous snake that had found its target—incredibly difficult to shake off.
To Ming Ji’s surprise, the Thousand-Faced Ghost did nothing. The events before seemed like the malice he had guessed was possessing him.
When Shen Yi stabbed him in the heart with the Sealing Ghost Knife, that malice disappeared from his body.
All that remained were the panicked, shrill screams of the monster.
The Thousand-Faced Ghost quickly turned into a skeleton, then gradually melted away. In the blink of an eye, only the black robe he wore remained.
Seeing this, Shen Yi let go of the handle and suddenly lost all her strength, collapsing to the ground.
She flashed a brilliant smile, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.
Shen Yi’s voice was hoarse at this moment, yet so firm.
“Sister, look… I avenged you.”
Not only her, but Wei Zixi, seeing that the Thousand-Faced Ghost was dead, also fell silent.
Ming Ji pursed his lips and subconsciously patted Wei Zixi’s hand in comfort.
Then, he turned to look at Shen Yi and couldn’t help asking softly, “Miss Shen, what about those ninety-nine young women…”
“I forgot to tell you, Mister,” Shen Yi wiped the tears from her cheek with her hand, trying to steady her voice. “These girls were constantly abused by their families, treated as tools for marriage alliances, and forced to marry strangers.”
“I saved them. Their willingness to enter the trap was the deal I made with them.”
Shen Yi looked at Ming Ji again. Although her voice was soft, it was extremely determined. “They are all people with bitter lives. I will take them into the academy.”
“They will no longer be unable to be themselves because of the eyes of the world.”
“That is good.” Ming Ji nodded upon hearing this.
Wei Zixi, however, was a bit unsettled.
He knew Ming Ji always had a brilliant mind. At first, he hadn’t expected Ming Ji to know Shen Yi. Now that he could finally relax, he subconsciously asked, “Master, Miss Shen is…”
Ming Ji said helplessly, “Miss Shen Yi and Miss Shen Wan were on the verge of death due to some reasons before. I happened to save them, so I sent them to the academy to study.”
Having said that, thinking of the deceased Shen Wan—that gentle and dignified woman—he couldn’t help but feel it was a pity, shaking his head and sighing slightly.
Shen Yi naturally understood what Ming Ji was thinking and comforted him, “My sister was always a very good person. Influenced by the academy, she wanted to save the suffering women of the world, but…”
Shen Yi did not continue. Thinking of something, the light in her eyes suddenly dimmed.
Then, she looked at the rescued women, her expression becoming relieved as she whispered, “Fortunately, I did not fail the teachings of the academy and my sister.”
“I will carry on my sister’s ideas.”
“What she could not accomplish, I will continue.”
Ming Ji felt a thousand emotions in his heart and asked Shen Yi, “Miss Shen, then you…”
Shen Yi’s eyes curved, and she laughed, opening her heart for a rare moment.
“Me? Naturally, I will save all the suffering women in the world!”
Her smile was so pure, her ethereal voice echoing through the entire cave.
“Mister…”
“The path of the Jianghu is long, may we meet again!”
After Shen Yi left with the other girls, Ming Ji noticed Wei Zixi’s persistent sullen look and couldn’t help asking gently, “Zixi, what’s wrong?”
Seeing Ming Ji’s concerned expression, Wei Zixi felt a momentary pain in his heart, then murmured, “The Thousand-Faced Ghost killed my family back then. Now evil has met its retribution, killed by Miss Shen. Master…”
“Since I was young, I desperately cultivated hard because I wanted revenge. Now that the enemy is dead, for some reason, I feel empty inside.”
After saying this, Wei Zixi fell silent.
Until later, a warm hand gently stroked his soft hair.
Ming Ji’s gaze was burning, his expression gentle. “Zixi, have you thought about what to do next?”
Wei Zixi’s eyes became resolute.
His handsome face, now grown into young adulthood, unexpectedly overlapped with his six-year-old self.
Wei Zixi raised his voice and said firmly, “Punish evil, promote good, and guard the peace of the world.”
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