Free Web NovelChapter 165: Chapter 157: Deeply Mourning the Passing of Our Guixi Sect’s Holy Daughter, Su Ling’er, Once Again!!
"Don’t worry too much. The affairs of cultivators aren’t something we mortals can fathom."
"Besides, Ling’er..."
"The path of cultivation is an arduous one. You can’t just come back whenever you feel like it. Since she chose this path, we must let her walk it on her own."
Despite his words, he was more worried than anyone.
But when Su Ling’er was tested back then, the result was a Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Root.
While this meant she could cultivate, unlike her younger siblings who had No Spiritual Root at all, it was still just a Pseudo Spirit Root. Her path to immortality remained bleak.
Even the major sects wouldn’t give her a second glance.
Unfortunately, Su Ling’er was stubborn. He had to pull some strings, and it just so happened that Qingxu Temple was recruiting outer disciples at the time, which was the only way she managed to get in.
He often tossed and turned at night, wondering if his decision back then had been right or wrong.
’Perhaps...’
’I really should have listened to my wife. I should have let her come back, find a good family here in Anhe City to marry, and live a peaceful life. That would have been a blessing in its own right.’
’It’s just... for some reason, something has felt off in the city lately. I can’t shake this ominous feeling...’
...
「Guixi Sect.」
「Inside Su Ling’er’s bamboo house.」
’There’s no way First Senior Brother is actually going to hold a funeral for me every week!’
’I’m not going to be crammed in with those vicious ghosts and dried-up corpses again, am I?’
’Anything but that! Aaaaaah!’
She violently burrowed into her bedding, pulling the quilt over her head and pretending she hadn’t heard a thing.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
The sound of knocking on the door was sharp and clear.
It was immediately followed by the familiar, chilling voice of her First Senior Brother.
Tinged with a cheerful lilt, his voice pierced through the door and her quilt, drilling right into her ears.
"Little Junior Sister, rise and shine! Time to send you on to the next life!"
’You can’t be serious!’
’Are you actually going through with this?!’
’Oh my god!’
’Can’t you just stay away from me?!’
’I don’t want a funeral! I don’t want to get in a coffin again! Aaaaaah!’
BANG! BANG!! BANG!!!
The knocking grew louder.
"Little Junior Sister, you must have the courage to face your own death. This, too, is a form of cultivation."
"If you don’t open up, I’ll have to force my way in, you know?"
"And I can’t guarantee what will happen then."
Meanwhile, the blare of a suona roused everyone in the surrounding thatched huts.
The undercover agents, bleary-eyed, pushed open their doors. Rubbing their eyes, they looked outside to see countless pieces of joss paper drifting through the air.
’Wait, did someone die again?’
’Who is it this time?’
’Did some great expert of the demonic path finally kick the bucket, someone important enough for a funeral?’
’But why would the funeral procession be passing through our area?’
’This place is so desolate. Are they just taking a shortcut?’
Li Chunfeng walked out of his thatched hut, yawning. As he stretched, he habitually practiced drawing and sheathing his Wooden Sword.
He squinted at the joss paper in the sky and clicked his tongue. He looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just increased the frequency of the CLANG, CLANG from his hands.
Then, everyone witnessed a sight they would never forget.
They watched as First Senior Brother Lin Qingfeng kicked open the door to the bamboo house. After a flurry of chaos, he dragged Su Ling’er out and began stuffing her into a coffin carved from jade.
Wang Xiedi stared in utter shock.
’It can’t be.’
’Is First Senior Brother really going to put Senior Sister through that twisted funeral ceremony again?!’
’Could it be... because she didn’t perform well enough on her recent sect missions?’
’Or did she make a mistake in her cultivation and anger that unpredictable, great demon?!’
’So he’s using this torturous, wicked method to ’temper’ Senior Sister again?!’
’No!’
’I wasn’t with Senior Sister last time, so I missed too many details!’
’This time, I have to watch everything from start to finish!’
’Senior Sister... you’ve suffered so much!!!’
Just as he was thinking this, Lin Qingfeng slammed the coffin lid shut with a BANG, dusted off his hands with satisfaction, and turned to face the dumbfounded group of undercover agents.
"Oh, you’re all awake?"
A benign smile spread across his face.
"Perfect timing. Seeing as you’re all so curious, I’ve prepared a few coffins for you too. Come on over, let’s all hit the road together. It’s good to have company on the journey."
As he finished speaking, another thirteen wooden coffins flew out from the funeral procession, landing with a series of CLATTERS as they lined up in a neat row before the crowd.
Thirteen coffins, all in a perfect row.
The undercover agents: "??????"
’Wait, what’s going on?!’
...
Lin Qingfeng made a welcoming gesture, his posture so elegant it was as if he were inviting honored guests to a banquet, not ordering men into their coffins.
"Esteemed Junior Brothers, please, step inside."
At this, the undercover agents, still reeling in confusion, completely lost it. Their panic instantly shot to its absolute peak.
’W-what’s happening?! He wants us to get into coffins too?!’
’What’s he planning to do?!’
’Are they... are they going to bury us all alive?!’
’I knew it! I knew this demonic sect wouldn’t let us off so easily!’
’Please, nobody try to be a hero and get us all killed! If you want to die, die on your own time!’
Though they were still terrified, everyone ultimately chose to wait and see.
And so, under the ’benevolent’ watch of Lin Qingfeng and a crowd of player-disciples, the thirteen undercover agents, one by one, lay down inside the wooden coffins prepared for them.
THUD... THUD... THUD...
It was Dong Changsheng’s turn.
He took a deep breath and straightened his robes. As their ’leader,’ he had to maintain his composure.
With a steady gait, he walked toward his designated coffin.
However, a hand blocked his path.
It was Lin Qingfeng.
’Just to be safe, I should ’disinfect’ him again,’ Lin Qingfeng thought. ’Don’t want him accidentally starting to feel grateful to me again!’
"Mr. Dong," Lin Qingfeng said, a warm smile on his face. "Before you depart, allow me to instill in you some courage for the journey ahead."
Dong Changsheng froze, a sense of foreboding rising within him.
Before he could even react, Lin Qingfeng had already raised his hand.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
A series of crisp, loud slaps rained down on his face once again.
The other undercover agents, already lying in the pitch-black of their coffins, clearly heard the sickening thuds.
Their hearts clenched in an instant!
’Just from the sound, we knew... Mr. Dong was being beaten again!’
’At this final moment, in front of everyone!’
Boundless fear and pity spread through the darkness.
’So it turned out that even someone like Mr. Dong was nothing more than a plaything to be casually humiliated in this den of demons!’
’Mr. Dong! He has it so hard!!!’
Lin Qingfeng lowered his hand and carefully studied Dong Changsheng’s eyes.
’Excellent.’
’That look, filled with humiliation and resentment, yet not daring to voice his anger!’
’Felt good, too!’
’Disinfection successful. He can be sent on his way now!’
Satisfied, Lin Qingfeng released him and patted his shoulder. "There. Your Dao Heart is stable now. Get in."
Trembling, Dong Changsheng silently—one might even say wretchedly—crawled into the coffin.
THUD... THUD... THUD...
As the last of the lids were sealed, an endless darkness and dead silence swallowed everyone whole.
Lin Qingfeng nodded in satisfaction. With a flick of his wrist, the Human Emperor Banner, which echoed with the ceaseless wails of ghosts, appeared in his hand.
He gave it a gentle shake. In an instant, a sinister wind raged and ghostly qi surged into the heavens!
The nether-spirits he had captured from the instance dungeon poured out from the banner. They walked silently to the thirteen coffins and transformed into pallbearers.
The scene of the funeral procession was bizarre beyond measure.
Just then, a high-pitched, mournful cry echoed across the wasteland.
It was Lin Qingfeng.
"We solemnly mourn the second passing of our Guixi Sect’s Holy Daughter, Su Ling’er!!!"
"And also, those dozen or so unimportant people!"
"Wait, no."
"And those ten unimportant people, as well as... Junior Brother Li Chunfeng, Mr. Dong, and, what the hell, Wang Xiedi too!"
