C43 Evil Fighting(1)

No sooner had I stopped speaking than the previously stunned group sprang into action. They mercilessly raised their hunting rifles and took aim at us.

Perhaps the rain or the antiquity of their rifles was to blame, but only a single steel ball was fired.

The steel ball whizzed by my ear, blasting a large hole in the brick wall behind me. I was taken aback by the force of it—it wasn't far off from a real bullet.

Luckily, the hunting rifles weren't capable of rapid fire. Deaf Zhang and I seized the moment to take cover in the outhouse. He was quick to act, opening the wine jar swiftly to unleash the malevolent spirits within.

Three dark figures emerged, and almost immediately, the courtyard filled with agonizing screams. Deaf Zhang and I hurried out to see that the group had collapsed, with blood streaming from their mouths and noses.

"They're not dead, are they?" I asked, concerned. These men weren't saints, but they didn't deserve to die for their misdeeds—a lesson would suffice.

"Don't worry, they're alive. They'll just be laid up with a serious illness for a few days," Deaf Zhang assured me.

I nodded, impressed by the formidable power of the spirits. Had I known, I would have confronted the situation head-on.

I still couldn't fully discern the ghosts with my own eyes, only the swirling black mists above.

Glancing towards the Evil Taoist's room, I urged Deaf Zhang, "Mr. Ergou, let's act before the Evil Taoist catches on. Have the spirits take him out!"

Deaf Zhang nodded, and the shadows slipped into the Evil Taoist's quarters. This time, however, there were no screams, no sounds at all.

Soon after, Sunn Youde and Ms. Xiaofeng's father emerged, looking utterly astonished to see us. They quickly roused the others in the courtyard.

As the situation grew tense, doubt crept in. I tugged at Deaf Zhang's sleeve, "Mr. Ergou, what's become of the three spirits?"

Deaf Zhang's brow furrowed, and suddenly there was a loud crack—the wine jar tied to his waist had split open.

"Not good!" Deaf Zhang exclaimed. With a swift motion of his finger, a ghost burst forth from the Evil Taoist's room and returned to Deaf Zhang's side.

But what of the other two ghosts? Could it be...

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky as the door to the room burst open. A Daoist priest clad in a green robe, his eyes emitting a green glow, stepped out.

Clutching a shadowy figure in one hand and an ancient bronze sword in the other, the Evil Taoist gazed at me and Deaf Zhang with a sly look and tossed a folded yellow talisman our way.

Rain pattered against the talisman as I glanced down, recognizing the Extermination Technique I had covertly cast. He had indeed uncovered my ploy.

"Evil Taoist, give back my ghost and my master's life!" There's a special intensity when enemies face off, especially since Deaf Zhang had been hunting the Evil Taoist for three years!

Deaf Zhang swung his horsewhip, striking through the downpour with undiminished force, like a bolt of black lightning.

Yet the Evil Taoist's speed and reflexes were even more remarkable, evading with apparent ease. The whip missed its mark, crashing into the doorway and splitting the frame in two.

Undeterred, Deaf Zhang pressed his attack, the whip in his hand snaking out like a relentless black serpent against the Evil Taoist.

The Evil Taoist seemed to handle the onslaught with ease, but was actually faltering, as evidenced by the black blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Clearly, his previous wounds had not fully healed, and the earlier assault by the three ghosts had taken its toll.

As the Evil Taoist's complexion grew increasingly grim, Deaf Zhang fought with growing ferocity, his large frame seemingly endowed with boundless energy.

The rest of us onlookers had no opportunity to intervene, merely standing in the rain, watching the scene unfold. The Evil Taoist's disadvantage became ever more apparent as the subdued ghosts wriggled free from his grasp.

Seeing the Evil Taoist on the losing end, Sunn Youde's face was a picture of panic. He gestured wildly at the others and bellowed, "What are you standing around for? Grab your rifles and shoot! Shoot to kill!"