Unsheathed

“You damaged the foundation of my sister’s cultivation, so you need to pay for your actions,” the hunchbacked old woman said with a cold smile. “What does it matter even if you’re an earth immortal sword cultivator wielding a divine weapon? There will still be no escape for you.”

Chen Ping’an offered no response to this.

Seeing that the city lord’s chariot was about to arrive, the hunchbacked old woman started to recite a mantra and cast an immortal technique. As if growing legs, the withered trees started to move around and plow open the ground, quickly creating a large open space with no obstructions. As the chariot slowly descended, two female ghosts in green who were holding ivory ritual batons and responsible for opening the path landed on the ground first, tossing out their ritual batons and causing a spring of white light to rush over the earth.

The soil of the dense forest immediately transformed into a white jade plaza that was extraordinarily even and without a single impurity. Chen Ping’an was unwilling to make any contact with the flowing white light as it rushed past his feet, so he lightly jumped up and summoned a dry branch from nearby, stabbing the meter-tall branch into the ground before standing on its tip.

When fighting alongside Mao Xiaodong in the capital of the Great Sui Nation before, Mao Xiaodong had especially explained to Chen Ping’an the powerful nature of formation cultivators afterward.

The two female ghosts in green exchanged a smile. They hadn’t expected that the powerful outsider who had caused Lady Bai to suffer was actually such a coward.

“Such impressive courage, Young Master,” the hunchbacked old woman sneered.

“Such impressive observation skills, Old Grandma,” Chen Ping’an retorted.

The two beautiful female ghosts in green covered their mouths and chuckled in amusement.

Living humans were naturally a rare sight in Malicious Ghost Valley which was crawling with ghosts and yin entities, and interesting living men were an even rarer sight.

The gigantic chariot that appeared much like the small building of a maiden slowly descended to the ground, with two female ghosts dressed in extravagant honorary clothes immediately pulling back the curtains of the chariot in a soft and gentle manner. One of them then bowed and said in a mellow voice, “We’ve arrived, City Lord.”

Chen Ping’an looked up, and he saw a little girl wearing a phoenix headdress and a red face cover sitting inside the chariot. Her makeup was a bit too thick, and there was a dazed look in her eyes. It was as if she were a soulless puppet. The hems of her dress spread outward like a surprisingly big lotus leaf, and it covered almost the entire inside of the chariot. However, this made the little girl appear hilariously small in comparison.

The city lord of Meticulous Skin City was called Fan Yunluo, and following her death, she had occupied this city and especially recruited female ghosts to assume the various official positions. She detested men, and she had given herself the title of High Official Rouge.

She was naturally short and petite, and even though this was the case, it was said that her body was very well-proportioned. In fact, she was as light as a feather, and the history books once mentioned her dancing on someone’s palm. Moreover, she was skilled at poetry and singing, and countless men had submitted themselves to her. Before her death, she was a princess whom the emperor had pampered to an extraordinary degree.

The other female ghost wearing an extravagant honorary dress appeared slightly helpless, and she had no option but to repeat again, “Wake up, City Lord, we’ve arrived at our destination.”

The little girl shuddered and shook her head, still appearing a little dazed as clarity gradually returned to her eyes. She covered her mouth and yawned, and the glistening silk glove on her hand revealed a small section of her beautiful and jade-like wrist.

Fan Yunluo peered down at the young man wearing a bamboo hat and standing on the dry branch, and she asked, “Are you the unfriendly person who caused my dear Official Bai to become severely wounded and forced to slumber in the Soul-Washing Pond? Do you know that she received my command to discuss a profitable transaction with you? Treating the good intentions of others as ill will is an act that will lead to negative consequences.”

Seeing that the young man was showing no signs of wanting to respond, Fan Yunluo didn’t become angry, and she continued, “Oh, that’s right, where’s the Snowflake Dao Robe? Where have you hidden it? It’s not my dear Official Bai’s token of love to you, so why are you hiding it from everyone? You should take it out and return it. This is one of her favorite items, something that she cherished as much as her own life. She’ll be heartbroken if she loses this Dao robe.

“Meticulous Skin City looked for you with good intention, yet you acted dastardly and repaid us with ill will. Disregarding this matter first, it’s indeed the case that people need to speak with their fists in Malicious Ghost Valley. You obtained the Snowflake Dao Robe with your abilities, so feel free to name your price now. We’ll buy it back from you.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “How much is this Dao robe worth in City Lord Fan’s eyes?”

“It should be worth at least three to five grain rain coins,” Fan Yunluo replied in a serious voice. “It’s also one of Official Bai’s favorite items, so since I’m the one buying it back for her, this will definitely double the price. After taking the middle value, I’ll say that it’s worth eight grain rain coins.”

“Is City Lord Fan now going to ask me how many immortal coins my measly life is worth? And after subtracting the eight grain rain coins and returning the Dao robe to Meticulous Skin City, I still need to offer a large sum of immortal coins as a form of apology?”

Fan Yunluo’s eyes lit up, with her childish face filled with curiosity as she leaned forward and remarked, “How are you so sharp? You’re not a parasite in my stomach, are you? How are you able to read my thoughts so accurately?”

She shook her large sleeves and continued, “Very well. I’ll naturally bestow upon you immense wealth after you apologize and offer us compensation. Rest assured, I guarantee that you’ll make a fortune.”

“What’s this transaction about?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Fan Yunluo extended her hands and replied with a faint smile, “Hand over the Snowflake Dao Robe and the grain rain coins, and then we can sit down and discuss this transaction which will bring riches to you and all of your descendants in the future.

“Why doesn’t City Lord Fan discuss this transaction with the cultivators of the Flax Robe Sect or other powerful cultivators traveling around Malicious Ghost Valley? Chen Ping’an asked.

Fan Yunluo narrowed her eyes and replied, “That bunch of stubborn old cultivators is completely focused on slaying demons and subduing fiends and has no desire to make any money, so this transaction naturally doesn’t interest them at all. On the other hand, ordinary Qi refiners have too low a cultivation base and are unable to support this transaction. They’ll end up wasting the time and energy of my Meticulous Skin City.

“Meanwhile, those who possess too high a cultivation base might turn around and attack us instead if we can’t reach an agreement regarding how the spoils are shared. All of these things detrimentally affect my sweet dreams, so my dear Official Bai and the others have searched hard for a candidate for over one hundred years. In the end, they decided that you were the most suitable candidate.”

After saying this, Fan Yunluo’s hands still remained outstretched, waiting for Chen Ping’an to return the Dao robe and offer immortal coins as an apology. There was a slight hint of a murderous aura on her face as she asked, “Do you know how tiring it is for me to hold this position?”

Chen Ping’an fell deep into thought.

There were many cities of varying sizes in the southern region of Malicious Ghost Valley, and including Meticulous Skin City, most of them had a relatively peaceful relationship with the Flax Robe Sect, with neither interfering with the other as they maintained a peculiar state of coexistence. However, it was exceedingly difficult for these cities to interact with cultivators from Skeleton Shoal.

As such, many city lords would rely on their abilities and observation skills to find one or several cultivators to work together with, tasking these cultivators with becoming their link to the outside world. This would allow them to conduct business with the outside world, creating a mutually beneficial transaction in which both parties stood to gain. Otherwise, the yin entities of Malicious Ghost Valley would be stuck in the awkward situation of exhausting the limited resources in this mystical realm.

Regardless of how much yin energy existed in Malicious Ghost Valley, one could view it as a finite resource that wouldn’t increase any further. As long as the yin entities of Malicious Ghost Valley were powerful enough and could see far enough, they could somewhat notice some clues pertaining to the circulation of energy and fortune when they reached a high vantage point and peered down at the entire mystical realm.

Whenever a powerful yin spirit matured, this would imply less yin energy for the remaining ghosts and yin entities in Malicious Ghost Valley. This was like a game of Go where each force had to fight for territory. One side’s gain was another side’s loss, and there was most definitely no option to work together and get rich together.

Casting one’s gaze to the northern region of Malicious Ghost Valley, Skeleton Wall City ruled over more than half of the land, yet it still mobilized armies to invade the south on a very frequent basis. They would obtain abundant spoils of war each time. Because of this, diversifying their sources of income and trade was the number one priority for the city lords in the south.

The Flax Robe Sect was guarding the archways which were the entrance and exit of Malicious Ghost Valley, and even though it looked like they were encircling this mystical realm, they didn’t actually prohibit the city lords in the south from raising puppets to engage in trade with the outside world. The Flax Robe Sect potentially had its own plans regarding these matters. They were unwilling to have the forces in the south become too weak, lest the old saying of elites enjoying elite fortune come true. The Flax Robe Sect didn’t want Skeleton Wall City to successfully conquer and rule over the entire Malicious Ghost Valley.

There was a stern look on the old woman’s face as she exclaimed, “Impudence! City Lord Fan is asking you a question, yet you actually dare to zone out?”

Just like Lady Bai who only showed half her face to other people, this hunchbacked old woman was also one of the four trusted generals of Meticulous Skin City’s City Lord Fan Yunluo. She had been a maidservant responsible for teaching other maidservants in the imperial palace when alive, and she had also been a guest elder of the imperial family at the same time.

Even though she was a Qi refiner at the time, her strength had been in close-quarter combat. This was the reason why Meticulous Skin City had dared to let her interact with Chen Ping’an even after Lady Bai was severely wounded. Otherwise, losing two generals would be a devastating blow to Meticulous Skin City, which wasn’t very powerful to begin with. The cities nearby were no benevolent forces, after all.

Fan Yunluo suddenly raised a hand, gesturing for the old woman not to push the young man.

There was a cautious look on her face.

The young wanderer slowly looked up and took off his bamboo hat.

The bamboo hat vanished into thin air.

This caused the hearts of the hunchbacked old woman and the two female ghosts in palatial dresses on the chariot to jolt slightly.

Sure enough, this was a cultivator who possessed a paramount immortal treasure such as a pocket treasure or a miniature mobile armory.

Chen Ping’an casually placed his bamboo hat inside his minimization treasure.

The bamboo hat was as ordinary as could be, and wearing it was a suggestion made by Wei Bo and Zhu Lian. They had reminded Chen Ping’an to be careful about his aura and to prevent it from seeping out too much when he wore the bamboo hat and traveled around the cultivation world. Otherwise, he would appear far too eye-catching, and he would end up warning his enemies of his presence.

It was even more important for Chen Ping’an to be vigilant when he traveled through large marshes and deep mountains, places that were rife with ghosts and yin entities. Otherwise, he would be like someone holding a lantern and banging on gongs as he wandered through graveyards in desolate mountain ranges, and he would even appear to have a talisman on his forehead like Pei Qian. This would frighten and deter the weaker ghosts, but the more powerful ghosts would definitely charge over in rage.

Chen Ping’an had already discovered these matters when traveling through the mountain range to the south of Bamboo Scroll Lake, but he hadn’t been able to make heads or tails of the situation no matter what. He had chosen to shatter his golden scholarly core, so theoretically speaking, his righteous aura that imbued him with virtue and deterred all evil should have crumbled and dispersed along with it.

Zeng Ye, Ma Duyi, and Gu Can had also felt extremely puzzled at the time, not understanding the reason behind Chen Ping’an’s aura.

After returning home and training in Downtrodden Mountain’s bamboo building, Chen Ping’an had already learned how to freely suppress this aura of his following his rise in cultivation base to the sixth tier of martial arts. However, out of an abundance of caution, Chen Ping’an continued to wear his bamboo hat even when traveling around the central region of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent afterward. This bamboo hat would serve as a reminder to him.

Chen Ping’an continued to suppress his aura even after taking off his bamboo hat, and he said with a smile, “I was confined by the situation in the past, and I was forced to engage in transactions with people who were mortal enemies of mine. There’s no major hostility between your Meticulous Skin City and me right now, so it seems like the most logical option for us is to calmly discuss the matters. At the very least, we should maintain a semblance of decorum even if we can’t agree to a transaction.

“I came to an understanding just then, and we can naturally engage in a transaction with each other since I can be regarded as half a wandering merchant now. I indeed want to make some money as well. However, the transaction between us can’t delay my proper matters.”

Chen Ping’an retrieved the snow-white Dao robe that looked like a white silk handkerchief, saying, “I can return this Dao robe to Meticulous Skin City, but in exchange, you need to tell me the location of that earth immortal ghost. I’m willing to engage in this transaction, but you can forget about the rest.”

Fan Yunluo slowly stood up, and even though she was in the chariot, she only reached the same height as the two female ghosts in palatial dresses standing outside the chariot.

Fan Yunluo put on a stern expression and replied, “You babble too much, and you clearly don’t look like someone who has the courage to fight to the death and ensure mutual destruction. I detest nothing more than people bargaining with me, so since you refuse to accept my goodwill, I’ll rip out your soul and spirit and use them to light candles in Meticulous Skin City. We can discuss the transactions after this is done. You’ve asked for this punishment yourself, and you forsook the opportunity to make mountains of immortal coins to instead lose half your life and make a pittance.”

“Thank you for enlightening me,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

This was the reason why one needed to adapt to the local traditions and customs. In the Northern Complete Reed Continent, haggling and speaking reason was the most inferior method.

After all, hadn’t that sage from the Confucian academy also personally ventured out to beat those three powerful cultivators into submission?

Chen Ping’an glanced at the sky.

He had initially wanted to take things one step at a time, first warming up against that relatively weak Golden Core Tier ghost.

By the look of things, however, he needed to make some adjustments to his plan.

Challenging the entire Meticulous Skin City by himself was also a rare training opportunity.

Moreover, due to Meticulous Skin City’s location in the southernmost region of Malicious Ghost Valley and its close proximity to Orchid Scent Town, Chen Ping’an could advance and retreat as he pleased.

In any case, Chen Ping’an had already made up his mind. He wouldn’t leave any lurking dangers since he had decided to fight.

Even if he retreated, that would simply be for the sake of preparing for his next battle with the ghosts of Meticulous Skin City.

Otherwise, always worrying about surprise attacks coming from behind him while traveling by himself to the north would be far too troublesome.

Moreover, choosing this path could potentially save him from using the gold paper Land-Shortening Talisman.

While traveling north just then, Chen Ping’an had carefully examined the yin and yang barrier of Malicious Ghost Valley. While doing so, he had a nagging feeling that he could genuinely rip open a small and temporary fissure if he launched a full-strength attack with Sword Immortal.

However, he would become exhausted after ripping open a path, so it would still be extremely difficult for him to leave if the small fissure was located too far away from him. With this in mind, Chen Ping’an planned to make another gold paper Land-Shortening Talisman. That way, he would still have the chance to flee from Malicious Ghost Valley and return to Skeleton Shoal even if the fissure were too far away and even if he were being attacked by a powerful enemy.

However, Chen Ping’an couldn’t be too hasty with these matters, and he needed to find a quiet and deserted area to draw the talisman. Otherwise, to say nothing of two gold paper Land-Shortening Talismans, even twenty wouldn’t be of any use if he were exposed.

There were many powerful earth immortals in Malicious Ghost Valley, and also the Unpolished Jade Tier city lord of Skeleton Wall City. It presumably wouldn’t be too difficult for this city lord to leave Malicious Ghost Valley, and he was most likely just afraid of the Flax Robe Sect enjoying a home advantage at Skeleton Shoal and having traps lying in wait for him.

However, it was also possible that the Flax Robe Sect actually hoped for this Unpolished Jade Tier ghost to leave Malicious Ghost Valley. That way, the mystical world would be without its strongest leader. The various forces in Malicious Ghost Valley had always schemed and fought against each other for the past one thousand years, resulting in brutal battles and deep-rooted hatred. Once the strongest city lord was removed from the equation, would they break apart and fragment even further?

Fan Yunluo used her mind’s voice to warn her subordinates, “Be careful of the sword that he’s carrying on his back. It’s extremely likely that this sword is an immortal treasure that only earth immortal sword cultivators can possess.”

There was a fervent look in Fan Yunluo’s eyes as she rubbed her palms together, causing her gloves to glow even brighter. This was one of the treasures that allowed her, High Official Rouge, to establish a city in the south of Malicious Ghost Valley and remain standing until now.

She pursed her lips, thinking that she would definitely make a huge and unexpected profit if she managed to capture this young man. The green Dao robe that he was wearing was already quite valuable, and the wine gourd by his waist was perhaps a high-quality treasure being concealed by the illusion technique of some powerful cultivator. Finally, there was also the sword on his back.

These three treasures were enough for Meticulous Skin City to use as its annual tribute to White Cage City. Not only that, but they only needed to pick one of the green Dao robe or vermilion wine gourd to offer. In other words, Meticulous Skin City would still enjoy a huge surplus. Afterward, the city could recruit one thousand more soldiers, and at that time, perhaps they wouldn’t need to live at the mercy of other forces anymore.

To put things simply, Fan Yunluo had planned for two outcomes when sending Lady Bai, who was skilled at enchantment techniques but not skilled at combat, to feel out Chen Ping’an. If he were a tough opponent whom they couldn’t overpower, then they would take a step back and propose a long and steady transaction with him instead. If, on the other hand, he possessed valuable treasures and was relatively weak, then Meticulous Skin City couldn’t be blamed for targeting him and reaping the huge benefits for themselves.

To say nothing of eating humans, those in Malicious Ghost Valley would even eat ghosts!

Chen Ping’an raised a hand and reached over his shoulder, saying, “Go and play by yourself, and remember to kill them in a single strike. Also, don’t damage their skeletons, as I need to collect all of them to sell. Broken skeletons won’t fetch a good price.”

Chen Ping’an then patted his Sword Nurturing Gourd and said, “The same goes for the two of you.”

A streak of golden light flew out from the scabbard on his back.

At the same time, two streaks of light flew out from the Sword Nurturing Gourd by his waist, one snow-white and one dark green.

Standing on the white jade plaza, the dozens of female ghosts from Meticulous Skin City encircling Chen Ping’an suddenly saw a streak of gold flash past. Their eyes had still been filled with irrepressible fervor just a moment ago, yet they immediately became dull and lifeless the next moment.

A speck of brilliant light further pierced through their glabella.

Chen Ping’an was calm and unhurried as he rolled up his green sleeves and lightly jumped down from the dry branch, walking directly toward the gigantic chariot.

Holding back against women?

In the rundown old temple at the Water Combing Nation, the young boy in straw sandals had once unleashed a relentless flurry of punches at a female ghost’s head, directly smashing that beautiful and voluptuous ghost into smithereens.

At the city god pavilion of the Colorful Garment Nation, he had been even more direct and ruthless during his battle against Shi Rou, back when she was still a beautiful bone ghost.

Looking further back at the very beginning, Chen Ping’an had driven a porcelain shard through the neck of Dawn Cloud Mountain’s Cai Jinjian in an impoverished alley of the small town.

The hunchbacked old woman trembled with fear, and she was seemingly in two minds about whether she should protect City Lord Fan or risk her life to stop this young man from leaving.

Fan Yunluo’s expression was ice-cold, yet it suddenly bloomed like a flower in spring the next moment, with her smile charming as she said, “Esteemed Sword Immortal, why don’t we sit down to discuss things in a calm and civil manner? Everything is negotiable, and we’ll do our best to satisfy Esteemed Sword Immortal’s demands.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly exerted power through his feet, causing a web of cracks to spread across the floor and directly shattering the white jade plaza formed from the two ritual baton spirit tools of the path-opening female ghosts as if it were fragile porcelain. Shards of the white jade plaza flew into the surroundings.

Chen Ping’an directly charged toward the gigantic chariot.

The two female ghosts attempted to stop Chen Ping’an, yet they were immediately sent flying by Chen Ping’an’s overwhelming fist aura.

Fan Yunluo’s expression changed slightly, and she swung her sleeves around and caused her dress, which took up most of the space in the chariot, to ripple up and down. She giggled as she did this, yet the resentment and malice in her eyes was clear for all to see. Her voice was sweet, yet her words were nauseating as she said, “Oh, I’m so scared of you now. I’ll see you later. If you’re so capable, then come to Meticulous Skin City to show your love to me.”

The chariot shuddered, and her two trusted maidservants in palatial dresses were directly shaken off and left to fall to the ground.

Chen Ping’an jumped high up and raised a hand, and as if in tacit understanding, Sword Immortal immediately flew over and landed in his hand. Chen Ping’an then directly slashed down.

The gigantic chariot rolled in an agile manner, just barely dodging Chen Ping’an’s sword strike. It then burrowed into the ground of the dense forest, rumbling loudly as it fled through the ground.

With a tap of his foot, Chen Ping’an jumped into the air and landed on the blade of First that had just rushed over, immediately soaring more than thirty meters into the air. Following the commotion in the ground, his gaze then settled on a certain area, following which Sword Immortal left his hand and furiously shot down like a crossbow bolt.

The gigantic chariot hurriedly changed direction, dodging the piercing attack of Sword Immortal.

However, this slight pause inevitably caused Fan Yunluo’s escape to slow down slightly.

Using First and Fifteenth as stepping stones, Chen Ping’an nimbly dashed through the air, raising a fist high up before launching a powerful punch at the ground.

A loud boom reverberated through the ground, making it sound as if spring thunder were rumbling across this lifeless land.

Bursts of treasured light flickered underground, carrying with them a torrent of angry curses from City Lord Fan Yunluo. However, her voice grew fainter and fainter as the chariot seemingly drew on all its power to burrow deeper underground.

Chen Ping’an knew that this was an earth movement secret technique of the chariot, but there were likely limits to this technique as well. The chariot would be quicker when it “floated” above ground, and it would be slower and face increasing resistance the further underground it burrowed. This was due to the strange natural environment of Malicious Ghost Valley.

Fan Yunluo had been hopeful in the beginning, yet after suffering greatly at the hands of Chen Ping’an, she had no choice but to take the less damaging option, choosing to flee back to Meticulous Skin City more slowly for the sake of avoiding Chen Ping’an’s ground-shaking fist aura and earth-piercing sword strikes.

There was a mental link between Chen Ping’an and Sword Immortal, and the pseudo-celestial sword didn’t ascend too high as Chen Ping’an stood atop it, doing its best to stick close to the ground as it flew toward Meticulous Skin City.

As for Chen Ping’an’s flying swords, First and Fifteenth, they had both burrowed underground to pursue the gigantic chariot.

No matter what, he couldn’t allow Fan Yunluo to flee back and hide in Meticulous Skin City too easily.

In addition, Chen Ping’an also wanted to test Meticulous Skin City’s city-protection formation, gauging whether it could block his full-power sword strike.

Chen Ping’an came to a stop above a small mountain.

Standing there was an individual in Confucian robes, one who had no blood or flesh on his bones. There was also a sword hanging by his waist.

The skeleton smiled faintly and said, “Even seemingly harmless rabbits will bite when cornered, so why do you insist on hunting down Fan Yunluo? She’s always been someone to bully the weak and fear the strong, and she’s most adept at assessing the situation. You don’t need to worry about her creating endless trouble for you.[1]

“Many years have passed, and she’s become the victim of her own smarts more than just once or twice. As such, she’s already accustomed to suffering in silence. Since you’ve scared her so much, the only thing she’ll do is lower her head and apologize to you. In any case, you’ll break one of the rules established by Zhu Quan and the city lord of Skeleton Wall City if you truly kill Fan Yunluo, and at that time, you’ll be hunted down by an alliance of city lords.

“The city lords will be like a surging army of ants attacking an elephant, and you’ll have no option but to leave Malicious Ghost Valley if the situation comes to that. I’ll do you a favor and give you another warning: even if you fly close to the ground, you’ll still be detected by the nearby city lords if you continue to travel north.”

“And you are…?” Chen Ping’an asked.

The skeleton swordsman in Confucian robes smiled faintly and replied, “The Golden Core Tier ghost whom Fan Yunluo coincidentally helped out is an unofficial member of my city. However, that’s the extent of the relationship between me and that ghost. Anyhow, I suggest that you make haste and return to Crow Peak, or else you’ll have done all this for nothing and have your spoils of battle snatched away by that Golden Core Tier ghost.

“Also, let me say this first. The hierarchical notions of rulers and officials and masters and servants are nothing but a joke in Malicious Ghost Valley. No one takes these relationships seriously, and in front of the allure of benefits, they’ll even oppose the heavens. It’s up to you whether you believe this or not.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Ah, you’re the city lord of White Cage City.”

The skeleton swordsman in Confucian robes clearly appeared comical, yet he somehow didn’t appear discordant or absurd at all. He nodded and replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Chen Ping’an carefully considered things for a moment.

He then smiled and patted his Sword Nurturing Gourd, summoning First and Fifteenth back into his gourd.

Chen Ping’an placed his hands inside his opposite sleeves, with his left hand pinching a gold paper Land-Shortening Talisman and his right hand grabbing the walnut bracelet. “Does City Lord have any further recommendations?” he asked.

The skeleton swordsman who was one of the most powerful yin spirits in the southern region of Malicious Ghost Valley shook his head and replied, “No, that’s all.”

Chen Ping’an jumped on Sword Immortal, drawing an arc through the air as he flew into the distance.

The city lord of White Cage City lightly stomped his foot and said, “You can come out now.”

A gigantic chariot rolled out from the foot of the mountain, with this paramount treasure of Meticulous Skin City severely damaged at this moment, clearly reflecting the formidable might of Chen Ping’an’s punch and sword strike.

Sitting in the chariot, Fan Yunluo was covering her face with her hands and sobbing, appearing much like a pure and innocent little girl.

The city lord in azure Confucian robes chuckled and said, “Say, when can you engage in a transaction where you don’t make a loss? Why weren’t you able to think things through clearly? That young man is extremely cautious no matter what he does, so why did he dare to travel directly to Green Cottage Town? Was he traveling here to seek death?”

Fan Yunluo burst into tears, wailing in grief as she lay sprawled across the chariot.

Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief when he returned to Crow Peak.

Apart from the hunchbacked old woman being nowhere to be seen, the skeletons of the remaining female ghosts that he had killed were still on the ground.

1. Don’t ask me how a skeleton can smile, ask the author 🙂 ☜