Chapter 119 Respecting the elderly and caring for the young, although a traditional virtue…
Shen Yuepo took a deep breath and strode towards the dilapidated temple.
As you get closer, the smell, a mixture of stale incense ash and a chilly odor, becomes increasingly pungent.
The dilapidated temple was in ruins, with tiles peeling off, walls crumbling, and the temple gate long since reduced to rotten wood fragments.
A dense aura of malevolent energy swirled above the temple, making the already dim light even more somber.
The two yellow talismans held between Shen Yuepo's fingertips spontaneously combusted without fire, drawing two streaks of golden light in the air.
"break!"
With a clear shout, the yin energy was forcibly torn open.
Shen Yuepo stepped into the dilapidated temple without hesitation, and the stench that hit her made her gasp for breath.
The scene inside the temple came into view, and even with her calm and composed nature, she couldn't help but frown slightly.
A dozen or so people lay sprawled on the ground, men and women, dressed in various ways.
It was the missing spirit-hunting team, the three Taoist priests, and Wu Feng's team members.
Their faces were ashen, their lips were purple, their eyes were closed, and their breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible.
Shen Yuepo strode forward and ran her fingertips over the sides of everyone's necks in turn.
Although their pulses were weak, they were still clinging to life.
However, each person was shrouded in black energy, which was constantly eroding their vitality and soul.
"Release them." Shen Yuepo commanded coldly without turning his head.
Lu Ningshuang did not hesitate. She raised her hand and waved it, and the black aura that was wrapped around the living person gradually dissipated.
Shen Yuepo quickly took out several yellow talismans from his bosom and stuck them on the foreheads of the unconscious people to protect their souls.
"Sister..."
Abao cautiously peeked out, his pale little hands clutching the hem of Lu Ningshuang's clothes.
He looked timidly at Shen Yuepo's busy figure and asked in a low voice, "Can we...can we stop hurting people?"
Lu Ningshuang looked down at her younger brother's innocent face, smiled bitterly, patted his head, and said nothing.
She dared not hope for more, only wishing that her younger brother could have a glimmer of hope.
Soon, the three Taoists with higher cultivation levels trembled violently and were the first to open their eyes.
"Well…"
Master Zhang from Longhu Mountain sat up, clutching his forehead, his eyes still somewhat dazed.
But when he caught a glimpse of Lu Ningshuang in her red dress out of the corner of his eye, he instantly became alert.
He instinctively reached for a hand seal and incantation, then roared, "Demon, prepare to die!"
At the same time, Master Wang of the Maoshan Sect and another fellow disciple struggled to their feet. Seeing this, they also unhesitatingly produced yellow talismans, and it looked like they were about to start fighting—
"Fellow Daoist, stop!"
Shen Yuepo flashed forward, blocking Lu Ningshuang and her brother, his gaze calmly fixed on the three still-shaken Taoists:
"I'm Wu Feng from the Special Cases Bureau of the Capital, sent to find you. I still have a use for this female ghost and her brother."
Master Zhang looked at Shen Yuepo and sensed the righteous aura emanating from her, which slightly eased his tense nerves.
He withdrew his lightning technique, but his eyes remained wary as he observed Lu Ningshuang and her brother.
"Special Case Bureau? So it's a fellow Daoist coming to the rescue. I am Zhang Qingyuan from Longhu Mountain. Thank you for saving my life!"
He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, his face still pale.
The other two Taoist priests from the Maoshan School also quickly expressed their gratitude and introduced themselves.
“Xu Jing Guan, Chen Yue Po.” Chen Yue Po nodded slightly. “The others may need a little longer to wake up.”
She pointed to the other unconscious people on the ground, "I will take you out after they wake up."
After saying that, she turned to look at Lu Ningshuang and asked directly, "Where is the blood coffin?"
Lu Ningshuang pointed to the dusty clay Buddha statue in the dilapidated temple: "There is a mechanism under the Buddha statue."
Shen Yuepo looked in the direction she pointed.
The Buddha statue had long lost its former solemnity, leaving only a scene of decay and eeriness.
She walked up to the Buddha statue, her gaze sweeping over the cracked base and the surrounding ground.
“Below the third petal of the lotus pedestal of the Buddha statue, there is a recessed button…” Lu Ningshuang continued.
Shen Yuepo crouched down and brushed away the thick layer of dust and cobwebs.
Sure enough, a very well hidden circular indentation was found in the broken petals of the lotus base of the Buddha statue.
Shen Yuepo's index finger hovered above the circular recessed button, but he did not press it immediately.
Saving lives was the priority; she had to get these unconscious people out safely first. Otherwise, if the blood coffin were opened and something went wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Just then, a furious shout suddenly erupted from behind: "Demon, prepare to die!"
A blinding flash of lightning pierced the darkness inside the temple, heading straight for Lu Ningshuang and her brother in the corner.
Taking advantage of the moment when Shen Yuepo crouched down to examine the mechanism, Zhang Qingyuan's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and a palm lightning bolt had already taken shape.
He disregarded Shen Yuepo's previous warnings and suddenly attacked the Lu siblings.
Although Lu Ningshuang was injured by Shen Yuepo and her strength was greatly reduced, her instinctive reactions as a hundred-year-old vengeful ghost were still present.
She screamed and suddenly pulled Abao into her arms, her soul rolling to the side.
"boom!"
The lightning bolt grazed Lu Ningshuang's soul and struck the ruins of the temple wall, blasting open a charred area and sending debris flying.
Lu Ningshuang's soul fluctuated violently, clearly injured by the aftershocks of the lightning spell, and her aura became even weaker.
She raised her head, her empty eye sockets fixed on Zhang Qingyuan, and let out a shrill scream:
"You despicable Taoist priest! You couldn't even beat me when you were at your peak, do you think you can beat me now that you're taking advantage of my weakness?!"
Shen Yuepo abruptly stood up. With a slight movement, she stood between Lu Ningshuang and her brother and Zhang Qingyuan, her eyes filled with chilling coldness.
"Fellow Daoist, what do you mean?"
Zhang Qingyuan felt a chill run down his spine under Shen Yuepo's gaze, but his hatred for ghosts made him stand firm, and he shouted loudly:
"What do you mean? Fellow Daoist Shen, didn't you see? This female ghost has committed countless evil deeds, capturing human souls; she deserves to die a thousand deaths!"
"If we don't eliminate it now, when will we?! Could it be that you, fellow Daoist, have been deceived by this ghost's sweet words?"
“I’ll keep these two ghosts to find out the truth and deal with the mastermind behind it all; they’ll be of great use.” Shen Yuepo looked at him coldly. “Please don’t make things difficult for me, fellow Daoist.”
"Hmph! What arrogance!" Zhang Qingyuan sneered, his face showing a haughty expression.
"We're all from the Special Case Bureau. Don't think that just because you have profound magic, Longhu Mountain will be afraid of you! Exorcising ghosts and upholding justice is our duty! How dare you..."
"Bang!"
Before Master Zhang could finish speaking, his voice abruptly stopped.
In an instant, Shen Yuepo's figure closed in, and Zhang Qingyuan felt a blur before his eyes as an irresistible force struck his chest.
He didn't even see how Shen Yuepo made his move before he crashed heavily against the wall of the dilapidated temple like a broken sack, causing dust to fall from the beams.
He groaned, his blood surging, clutching his chest, staring at Shen Yuepo in utter horror, unable to utter a single word.
Lu Ningshuang stared blankly at Shen Yuepo's back, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around Abao's little hand.
This is the first time since their parents died that someone has stood up for them.
Shen Yuepo stood still, slowly withdrawing her hand. Her gaze swept over the disheveled Zhang Qingyuan, and her voice was cold:
"Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a traditional virtue."
She paused, her eyes filled with undisguised warning, "But if you don't understand human language and insist on doing things your own way, don't blame me for not showing any mercy to the sect."
This attack instantly stunned the entire audience.
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