Chapter 427: This is…

Unlike the Corpse Generals from earlier, these ones were dressed in ordinary people’s clothing, and appeared to be just regular villagers. Ye Wenxin took a closer look and recognized a few familiar vendors. She didn’t expect to cross paths with them so soon, in such a disturbing way.

Ye Wenxin’s expression grew serious. She tossed her long whip, which transformed back into a blood-red flower. The petals began to scatter and slowly flutter down in the air, just as a hexagram appeared.

“Still divining when death is imminent! Gu Qingcheng, let’s see who is superior, you or my jiangshi army.” The Jiangshi King’s voice continued to echo in Ye Wenxin’s mind, filled with increasing madness.

Long Qingyue calmly controlled her talismans, while a relaxed smile adorned her face. Meanwhile, the umbrella sword resumed its deadly attacks, though the prolonged battle was tiring the Yin-Yang Ghosts.

“Master, you’re still playing with flowers at a time like this.”

“Hehehe, I’m just preparing a big move,” Ye Wenxin responded with a smile. The flower petals had landed on the ground, and seemed to absorb the nutrients from the fallen corpses, growing into a red flower much taller than a person.

The flower was vividly red, extraordinarily enchanting, and beautiful beyond description. The Corpse Generals were drawn by the strange aura it emitted, and blindly moved towards the flower. In an instant, the once-beautiful red flower suddenly bloomed wide open, swallowing several nearby Corpse Generals whole.

“Man-eating flower? Your tricks are getting more and more bizarre,” Long Qingyue remarked with a wide smile. Ye Wenxin gave an awkward smile in return, “As long as it’s effective.”

The idea naturally came from Earth’s man-eating flower, but Ye Wenxin’s version, created using Flower Burial, possessed a form of consciousness. The Corpse Generals, powerless to resist, could only watch as they were turned into nourishment for the flower. Each time the flower consumed a Corpse General, it grew larger and even started to mutate.

The green vines resembled tentacles and had the ability to capture prey. The Jiangshi King trembled where she stood, seemingly infuriated as she desperately kept summoning more Corpse Generals. It appeared that she only had this one trick up her sleeve.

“It’s impossible—no one can resist the Corpse Generals!”

Her frustration grew, and no matter what she did, the Corpse Generals only put up a minimal fight. Suddenly, the corpse worm perched on the Jiangshi King’s shoulder started to move restlessly in circles. The Jiangshi King, increasingly agitated, coldly said, “Are you betraying me too!?”

She threw the corpse worm to the ground. But in that instant, she felt a presence behind her. The Jiangshi King, who hadn’t noticed someone coming up behind her, abruptly turned around to face them.

“D-darling Mo…” The Jiangshi King’s voice softened upon seeing the handsome man smiling at her. She wanted to walk into her beloved’s arms, but was struck by a sharp pain in her chest.

A closer look revealed the long sword that had pierced her heart. It was none other than the umbrella sword, known for its ability to restrain the most evil of entities. The Jiangshi King made no sound; she merely reached out, desperate to touch her beloved standing before her.

The cloak finally fell, revealing Mo Rou’s delicate face, still smiling foolishly.

However, in Ye Wenxin’s line of sight, there was no one behind the Jiangshi King at all. Ye Wenxin looked to Long Qingyue for an explanation, only to hear Long Qingyue say, “Oh, I got tired of killing, so I decided to play a little trick and make her see something.”

Long Qingyue’s response was calm and devoid of any emotion. Ye Wenxin suddenly understood and looked back at the Jiangshi King, who was embracing empty air with a blissful expression.

The surrounding Corpse Generals had already vanished, and only the corpse worm remained. It anxiously tried to tell the Jiangshi King that everything was an illusion, a human ploy, but no matter how hard it bit, the Jiangshi King couldn’t hear it.

She was so immersed in her own false fantasy, that she even violently threw the corpse worm away when it tried to stop her again. The Jiangshi King’s love had reached the point of madnesss, but seeing Long Qingyue’s indifferent expression, Ye Wenxin felt a chill down her spine.

“What is it? Do you think I’m terrifying?” Long Qingyue asked, as if she could perceive every thought in Ye Wenxin’s mind, but she had no intention of explaining that there had never been any ambiguity between her and the Jiangshi King; the Jiangshi King was merely a stand-in for Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng.

And now, with Gu Qingcheng by her side, why would she need this substitute to continue existing?

“I’m already used to it, but what struck me wasn’t your numbness to love. Don’t you think that corpse worm is quite pitiful?” Ye Wenxin remarked thoughtfully, but her question took Long Qingyue by surprise. She, too, turned to look at the corpse worm tirelessly calling out to its master, still desperately trying to bring the Jiangshi King back to her senses.

Even though it was covered in wounds, the corpse worm continued to fight with all its might. The Jiangshi King seemed to grow impatient and directly sliced the corpse worm in half. However, the corpse worm only multiplied, splitting into more and more corpse worms. They surrounded the Jiangshi King, trying to pull her back from this false dream. Despite the corpse worms swarming over her body, the Jiangshi King remained engrossed in the illusion.

“Corpse worm, she’s beyond saving now. You don’t have to bother with her anymore,” Ye Wenxin couldn’t help but advise. It was just a worm, but Ye Wenxin felt it was the most beautiful worm in the world.

The corpse worm glanced at Ye Wenxin, proudly raising its upper body as if passionately trying to convey something. Ye Wenxin still couldn’t understand it at all, but after it finished, the corpse worm opened its disproportionately large mouth and unexpectedly spat out a Core Pill. Its body shrank considerably, and it looked at Ye Wenxin again, as if it wanted her to eat the Core Pill.

Long Qingyue explained to a stunned Ye Wenxin, “That is the corpse race’s Core Pill. It’s saying it’s willing to exchange its Core Pill for the Jiangshi King’s life.”

Ye Wenxin was even more stunned upon hearing this. She had never expected the corpse worm to be willing to sacrifice so much for the Jiangshi King. However, her inherited memories kept reminding her that as long as the Jiangshi King remained, the world would be filled with chaos.

As if sensing Ye Wenxin’s hesitation, Long Qingyue slowly took a brush out of her bag of holding and then drew a few strokes on a talisman. A golden, glowing talisman appeared, which Long Qingyue handed to Ye Wenxin before continuing, “This talisman can control the Jiangshi King, and for now, it can be considered a way to spare her life. But think carefully—once the talisman’s effect wears off, the Jiangshi King’s revenge on you will be even more brutal.”

Seeing Ye Wenxin frown slightly, Long Qingyue offered a second suggestion: “And this Core Pill can solve the problem you most desire to resolve right now.”

A sense of caution arose in Ye Wenxin’s heart, but her curiosity led her to ask, “What problem?”