Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Trouble

"Taoist Priestess Xuan Li, you have arrived much later than the agreed time. Should we reconsider tonight’s plan?" Steward Liu was a careful man.

With her palms together in front of her, Taoist Priestess Xuan Li lowered her head and intoned a Buddha’s name, "Amitabha, the Buddha’s mercy is boundless. It was not my intention to delay; I encountered some troubles earlier on."

"Because I helped a gracious family, I incurred the wrath of this evil spirit. Not long ago, the evil spirit ambushed me on a rainy night, but thankfully, with the Buddha’s protection, I barely managed to turn danger into safety."

Upon hearing this, Master Feng set down his wine cup and clasped his hands in a salute to Taoist Priestess Xuan Li, "Thank you for your assistance. Please rest assured that everything tonight is arranged as you have instructed. As soon as the hour of Xu passes, we will proceed to open the body and retrieve the child, to welcome the continuation of the Feng Family lineage. Your compassion is immense, Priestess, and your virtuous deeds are limitless!"

Seeing this, Steward Liu also chimed in, "Priestess, as my master said, after tonight’s affairs are concluded, we will donate three thousand taels of Snowflake Silver for the renovation of your esteemed Cifu Temple, and an additional thousand taels of Silver for the offering of blessed incense. We hope you will accept more disciples and bring benefit to all people."

Taoist Priestess Xuan Li showed neither sadness nor joy, exuding an air of a deeply cultivated immortal, and nodded slightly, "I thank the gracious family. My relationship with the Fengs goes back several decades. I recall the old master, while he was still alive in this world, would often visit my humble temple to discuss the Dharma with me, contributing to the temple’s incense fund. The Feng Family, known for their goodness for three generations, is well-regarded by all. Being able to traverse this calamity today is due to fate’s fortune, not my doing."

"Hahaha, Priestess, do not be so modest. Quick, bring out the fruits and vegetables prepared for the Priestess!" Master Feng was very enthusiastic in his manner towards Taoist Priestess Xuan Li.

Hearing this, the hearts of Yang Xiao and his two companions chilled. This Taoist Priestess Xuan Li had long been acquainted with the Feng Family. It seemed she was the instigator behind the Fengs’ affairs; there was no so-called incomplete secret technique at all. All of this was orchestrated by the old nun!

Master Feng was in very good spirits today, heartily eating meat and drinking wine, his originally pale skin now rosy and revitalized. His uplifted mood contrasted starkly with the declining old man of before. Yang Xiao grew suspicious, hearing Master Feng himself say it was due to an Elixir given by Taoist Priestess Xuan Li, but what kind of Elixir could produce such an effect?

Moreover, since Taoist Priestess Xuan Li took her seat, Yang Xiao gradually felt an indescribable odd sensation, as if something had changed in the vicinity.

Glancing unintentionally at Kuang Hongyi, Yang Xiao noticed that he too had a slight frown, as if he sensed something was amiss as well.

When Steward Liu personally served a plate of fresh fruits to Taoist Priestess Xuan Li, she found it hard to refuse. So, she picked up an apple, lifted it symbolically to her face to look at, then without eating it, she placed it back on the plate, and said, "Tonight, as I must be vigilant against the evil spirit, it is not suitable for me to eat. Thank you, Steward Liu, for your kind intentions."

"It’s no trouble at all," replied Steward Liu as he placed the fruit plate in the center of the table for others to partake.

Master Feng, Taoist Priestess Xuan Li, and Steward Liu were engaged in lively conversation, completely ignoring Yang Xiao and his companions, as if they did not exist. The reason was clear: they were simply scapegoats brought in by the Priestess, and now that the affair was nearly resolved, the scapegoats were no longer needed. On the contrary, the three of them knew too much of the Feng Family’s unsavory secrets and had become a liability.

At a table closer to the entrance of the hall sat the martial master surnamed Zhao and several others dressed as guards. They hardly touched the food or drink, essentially guarding the door. They were waiting for the moment to come when Master Feng gave the order to rush over and kill the three of them with a flurry of blades, to silence them forever.

The opera’s caterwauling echoed in their ears, signaling the climax of the performance was fast approaching. The red lantern behind the white cloth swayed precariously, as if emulating the Hebo Xi Ship about to sink.

This scene, coupled with the sounds of wind and rain outside, was eerily timely. The singing voice of the actress behind the white cloth had also changed in tone, exuding a lament over the injustice of fate, as if transporting them back to that very night long ago.

Suddenly, Kuang Hongyi, who had been motionless until now, stood up with a smile and brought the plate of fresh fruits in front of himself. After taking a bite from a peach, he murmured, "Hehe, so sweet. Don’t just listen to the opera, Chu, Miss Su, you...you should eat too! We shouldn’t let Master Feng’s kindness go to waste."

Kuang Hongyi seemed to suddenly come to terms with the situation, eating and drinking as usual, but Su Tingting was in no mood for food. Their lives were on a countdown. ƒrēewebnovel.com

The crux was that she saw no way out; martial masters guarded the door, and a few watchful protectors hovered nearby.

She had also roughly figured out godfather’s words. The one who had harmed her was unrelated to Kuang Hongyi and Mr. Chu; it was probably this mysterious Taoist Priestess Xuan Li.

Xuan Li was her religious name, but her secular surname was likely Yang. All this was orchestrated by her for the Feng Family, this hypocritical fake nun!

If death was inevitable, at least she knew that ghosts existed in this world. Her death would carry a great resentment, and she would definitely return to seek revenge on Master Feng and the fake nun Xuan Li. Perhaps she could join forces with Ms. Chun, and Mr. Chu might be there by then too!

Yang Xiao, of course, didn’t know the disarray in Su Tingting’s mind. With only one life, he wouldn’t give up easily. He saw Kuang Hongyi holding a peach in one hand, taking a bite from an apple with the other—the same apple that Taoist Priestess Xuan Li had touched.

The next second, Kuang Hongyi furrowed his brow and, without a sound, placed the bitten apple beside Yang Xiao’s wine cup. He then continued to pick and nibble at other fruits, sharing some with Su Tingting.

Yang Xiao immediately caught on, and while also selecting fruits, he took a bite of the apple. At that bite, the hairs on his back stood on end.

The apple was tasteless, like chewing wax.

He remembered the night they watched the ghost play when the Ghostwalker who had assigned them tasks mentioned that ghosts only consume the flavor, the essence of food. There was no way to tell from the appearance if food had been eaten by a ghost.

"Taoist Priestess Xuan Li is a ghost!"

Even though his mind churned with turmoil, Yang Xiao’s face remained composed, realizing that Kuang Hongyi had also noticed something off about Taoist Priestess Xuan Li.

Pretending to be clumsy, Yang Xiao "accidentally" knocked the lid off his teacup. As he bent to pick it up, he glanced under the table to observe Taoist Priestess Xuan Li’s feet. frёeωebɳovel.com

The embroidered shoes, tightly clasped together, were soaked through, and an inexplicably large puddle of water had gathered beneath Xuan Li’s feet.

In the dim light, Yang Xiao had to look carefully. Using the reflection from the puddle, he shockingly noticed that Xuan Li’s feet in the water were backward, with the tips of the shoes pointing back and the heels forward.

After momentarily losing focus, Yang Xiao immediately stood up, pretending as if nothing had happened. But when he raised his head, Taoist Priestess Xuan Li had vanished from across the table, and both Master Feng and Steward Liu had stopped their feast, staring intently at him.

Su Tingting’s rapid breathing sent chills down Yang Xiao’s spine. He stiffly turned his head, catching Su Tingting looking over his shoulder.