Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 208 The Nine Netherworld Demoness, Righteous Spirit

The backyard of Tingyuxuan is a hidden gem; passing through a winding corridor adorned with red lanterns, you'll find yourself in an elegant garden.

The artificial hills and flowing water, along with the exotic flowers and rare plants, were clearly meticulously arranged at great expense.

The further you go in, the quieter it becomes. You can't even hear the chirping of insects or birds. There's a faint, chilly atmosphere in the air, making it seem like a completely different world from the lively and bustling front yard.

As Rong's mother led Chen Ye, her pace slowed, cold sweat trickling down her face, each step feeling like walking on a knife's edge.

Finally, the two stopped in front of a detached small building at the deepest part of the backyard.

The entire building is made of precious white jade, which gleams with a cool glow under the moonlight. A plaque hangs in front of the building, which reads the four characters "Lan Yue Xiao Zhu" (揽月小筑).

The courtyard was filled with all sorts of exotic flowers, but strangely, although these flowers were in full bloom, Chen Ye could not smell a trace of fragrance. Instead, he felt that the cold, eerie atmosphere was even stronger.

“M-Master, this is the place.” Rong Mama’s voice was barely audible. “Miss Bai prefers quiet and doesn’t want to be disturbed, so I won’t go in.”

After saying that, she ran away as if she were being chased by a demon.

Chen Ye ignored her and instead focused his gaze on the tightly closed courtyard gate.

He could sense an extremely powerful aura emanating from the courtyard.

The aura was cold and eerie, yet it possessed a deadly allure, like a bottomless vortex that would suck one's mind and soul into it.

The jade pendant given to him by Master Yan in his arms emitted a faint warmth, keeping out the cold aura.

Chen Ye took a deep breath and pushed open the courtyard gate.

"Squeak-"

The sound of the door hinges turning was particularly jarring in the deathly quiet backyard.

The scene inside the courtyard then came into view.

Then I saw a woman in a white gauze dress sitting under a crabapple tree, playing the zither with her delicate hands.

Her back was slender and graceful, with long, black hair cascading down to her waist. The moonlight shone on her, making her look otherworldly.

The music stopped abruptly as Chen Ye entered.

The woman slowly turned around.

Chen Ye's breathing stopped for a moment.

Even though he had seen all kinds of beautiful women, Chen Ye had to admit that the woman in front of him was the most beautiful he had ever seen.

Her features were so exquisite that not a single flaw could be found, and her eyes seemed to hold the stars and the sea, capable of drawing one's soul in.

She sat there quietly, without making any movement, yet she naturally exuded a captivating charm.

Chen Ye's mind was racing, but he remained calm on the surface and strode over.

"I have long heard that Miss Bai, the newest guest at Tingyu Pavilion, is a celestial being descended to earth. Seeing her today, I can confirm that her reputation is well-deserved! My name is Chen Ye, and I greet Miss Bai."

At the same time, Chen Ye's talent for winning hearts had already quietly been activated.

However, Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat the next second.

Because he didn't hear anything.

There was no heartbeat, no emotional fluctuation, nothing at all.

His talent seemed to sink into the sea without causing a ripple.

Bai looked at Chen Ye, a faint smile playing on her lips—a smile that could drive any man crazy.

"Young Master Chen?" Her voice was ethereal and melodious, with a touch of lazy magnetism. "This Moon-Gazing Pavilion is always quiet. May I ask what brings you here so late at night?"

Chen Yeqiang suppressed his shock, his face still bearing the smile of a spoiled young master: "Naturally, I came for you, Miss. I have heard that your music is worth a thousand pieces of gold. I am not talented, but I am willing to give away all my wealth, just to ask that you play a piece of music for me alone."

He spoke with great bravado, behaving like a complete spendthrift.

And the moment he finished speaking, he finally heard his own heart's voice.

[He's quite good-looking, and has a lot of vigor. It's interesting that he dared to come all the way here alone.]

A chilling thought echoed in Chen Ye's mind, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

Chen Ye's heart was in turmoil, but his face remained infatuated, as if he were truly captivated by her beauty and completely unaware of the impending danger.

Miss Bai slowly stood up, her bare, snow-white, crystal-clear feet walking step by step toward Chen Ye.

She walked slowly, her white gauze dress fluttering gently in the night breeze, each step seeming to tread on Chen Ye's heartbeat.

Then a strange, subtle fragrance wafted into Chen Ye's nostrils. The fragrance was faint, yet it possessed an indescribable magic that made him feel his mind begin to wander.

"Playing the zither just for you?" Miss Bai walked up to Chen Ye, tilted her head slightly to look at him, and breathed softly.

"My piano playing isn't something just anyone can hear."

As she spoke, the young woman in white extended a slender finger and gently touched Chen Ye's chest, her smile becoming even more alluring.

"I wonder what price Young Master Chen is prepared to pay?"

A bone-chilling coldness instantly spread from Bai's fingers throughout Chen Ye's entire body.

It wasn't ordinary cold; it was a chilling cold that seemed to freeze the soul, causing his internal energy to stagnate.

Chen Ye was shocked, realizing that he had seriously underestimated the strength of the female demon in front of him.

But he still had that infatuated expression on his face, as if he was completely captivated by the beauty of the young lady, and didn't even hear what she was saying, just kept grinning foolishly.

"As long as the girl is willing, Chen is willing to pay any price!"

As he spoke, he subtly reached out, wanting to grasp the hand that was touching his chest.

This is a typical reaction of a spoiled brat upon seeing a beautiful woman—frivolous and lustful.

A hint of mockery flashed in Bai's eyes, but she did not flinch, letting Chen Ye's restless hand grasp hers.

It feels cool and smooth to the touch, unlike the feel of human hands.

Chen Ye's heart stirred, and taking this opportunity, he fully activated his LV2 Eloquent Tongue skill.

"Your hands are so beautiful, young lady." He gazed at the young lady with adoration, his voice filled with admiration. "I have traveled far and wide and have seen many beauties, but I have never seen a woman as perfect as you!"

He spoke these words with such sincerity, and given his expression, anyone who saw him would think he was a lovesick fool blinded by beauty.

Bai listened to his compliments without any expression on her face, but Chen Ye could clearly hear the cold fluctuations in her mind.

[You're quite an interesting mortal, and not bad looking either. If it were before, I might have actually been willing to play with you for a couple of days.]

Unfortunately, there's no time now.

"Young Master Chen," Miss Bai's voice was still melodious, but with a hint of amusement, "simply saying nice things isn't enough."

Chen Ye's face showed a hint of grievance, "Don't you like to hear that, Miss? Then... then I'll give you money? Jewelry? As long as you ask, I'll find a way to pluck the stars from the sky for you!"

He perfectly portrayed the image of a spendthrift rich kid who would do anything to win a woman's favor.

Miss Bai was amused by his appearance and laughed so hard she was shaking.

"Young Master Chen is quite interesting."

Then, with a swift movement, she gracefully retreated several feet away, and said with a charming smile, "Young Master Chen, since you like me so much, then today I will show you another side of me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ye smelled a strong stench of corpses!
The stench of decay was so intense, it felt as if thousands of rotting corpses were piled up in front of you, the smell assaulting your very bones.

Then Chen Ye looked closely and saw that the face that was originally breathtakingly beautiful was melting at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Her smooth, jade-like skin peeled away piece by piece, like a candle being heated by fire, revealing the dark red flesh and fascia beneath.

Those beautiful eyes quickly shrank and rotted, turning into two pools of pus that flowed down from their sockets.

Her high, straight nose and rosy lips rotted away in just a few breaths.

In the end, a once stunningly beautiful face was transformed into a terrifying white skull!
Two eerie blue flames burned in the skull's eye sockets, staring intently at Chen Ye.

"Kekeke..."

The skull's jaw opened and closed, emitting a chilling laugh that sounded like bones grinding together.

"Does Young Master Chen still like me now, in this state?"

This sudden and terrifying scene is enough to drive any normal person crazy on the spot, or even scare them to death!
However, Chen Ye's face did not show even the slightest fear.

It wasn't an act; I genuinely wasn't afraid.

After all, Chen Ye had seen all sorts of bloody scenes in the main world. Compared to the methods of the Blood Lotus Sect, this guy surnamed Bai was still a bit green.

So he just watched quietly, and even had the leisure to complain.

"Wow, what a perfect bone structure! It's just that the teeth aren't very good; they're a bit protruding, which affects the overall aesthetics."

Chen Ye's unusual reaction stunned even the skull in front of him.

Her two ghostly blue flames flickered violently.

Buck teeth? He actually called me buck teeth?

An unnamed anger arose within her; the Bone Demon felt her dignity had been challenged like never before!
Then a powerful black demonic aura suddenly erupted from her body!

The entire Lanyue Xiaozhu was instantly enveloped by this terrifying demonic aura.

The exotic flowers and plants in the courtyard withered and turned to ash the moment they came into contact with the demonic energy. Spiderweb-like cracks also appeared on the stone slabs on the ground.

A terrifying pressure, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down on Chen Ye!

She wanted to make this arrogant mortal pay for his rudeness!
However, just before that earth-shattering pressure was about to descend upon Chen Ye, the white jade pendant in Chen Ye's arms suddenly lit up!
hum!
A gentle yet vast white light formed a semi-transparent shield, firmly protecting Chen Ye within it.

The terrifying demonic aura and oppressive force crashed against the white protective barrier like giant waves crashing against rocks, producing a series of muffled roars, yet it could not break through even an inch.

"Upright and righteous spirit?!"

The will-o'-the-wisp on the skull suddenly contracted. "Which old bastard left such pure vital energy on you?"

No wonder he was so fearless; he had a powerful protector!

"You think you can be arrogant in front of me with just a protective amulet? You're too naive!"

Although this righteous energy is pure, it is ultimately like a rootless plant; as long as I continue to deplete it, I will eventually wear it down!

These thoughts echoed in Chen Ye's mind.

Chen Ye seemed not to hear him, and sighed as he looked at the skull in front of him.

"Ugh."

This sigh caused the skeletal demoness, who was frantically channeling her demonic energy, to pause once more.

"Why are you sighing?" she asked sharply.

Chen Ye shook his head. "It's nothing, I just feel it's a bit of a pity."

"What's a pity?"

"What a waste of such a beautiful face." Chen Ye looked at her and said slowly, "I originally thought that meeting a soulmate in this place of pleasure, talking late into the night and discussing romance would be one of the greatest joys in life."

Who would have thought that beneath the beautiful woman's painted skin was actually a skeleton?

"Don't you think this is a pity?"

His tone was calm, without the slightest fear, as if he were chatting with an old friend.

These words once again silenced the Bone Demon.

Having traversed the world for hundreds of years, this was the first time she had encountered such a mortal.

Faced with her true form and her overwhelming demonic aura, how could he remain unfazed and discuss romance and physical appearance with her here?
What is this man's brain made of?
"Aren't you afraid of dying?" she couldn't help but ask.

Chen Ye laughed upon hearing this, "Afraid? Of course I'm afraid, but what good is being afraid?"

"Since death is inevitable anyway, why die in the first place?"

As Chen Ye spoke, a carefree smile appeared on his face, a smile that shone brightly under the righteous white light.

Seeing this, Miss Bai couldn't help but feel a little enlightened.

Just then, Chen Ye suddenly spoke again.

"but……."

He changed the subject, looking at the skull with a strange, burning gaze.

"Miss Bai, you look quite interesting right now, so could you dance for me while the moon is shining and the wind is calm? I think it would be very beautiful."

Miss Bai was completely bewildered.

Because she found that she had never seen such a strange man before. Whether it was someone from the Demon Sect or a fellow cultivator outside, whether it was an old monster who had cultivated for many years or a novice who had just started out, she could roughly guess what the other person was thinking.

But this guy doesn't play by the rules at all, which arouses her endless curiosity.

Just then, a vast and powerful energy, filled with righteous energy, poured out like the Milky Way, and slammed into the courtyard wall of Lanyue Xiaozhu!
The entire courtyard, along with the ground beneath their feet, trembled violently.

The eerie, malevolent aura in the courtyard melted away rapidly under the impact of this righteous energy, like ice and snow under the scorching sun.

"Hmph! It's those annoying flies again!"

Bai's face instantly darkened, and a hint of impatient killing intent flashed in her eyes.

She looked up at the courtyard and saw a middle-aged scholar in a blue robe leading several young students as he walked through the air, surrounded by white light and exuding an astonishing aura.

It was none other than Master Yan from the academy!

"You monster! How dare you commit such atrocities right under the Emperor's nose! Surrender now!"

Master Yan's voice was as loud as a bell, filled with unquestionable authority.

He had clearly noticed something unusual about the jade pendant he had given to Chen Ye, so he rushed over immediately.

Miss Bai looked at the aggressive Master Yan, but a disdainful sneer appeared on her face.

"A pedantic scholar who hasn't even reached the level of establishing principles dares to rant in front of me?"

Although she was merely an incarnation, her vision and knowledge far surpassed those of ordinary people.

Therefore, she could tell that although Master Yan was strong, he was not strong enough to threaten her.

However, she also knew that dealing with such intellectuals was the most troublesome thing.

Their righteous spirit has a natural restraining effect on demons and monsters.

Even if we win the fight, it will inevitably consume a lot of our divine energy, which is not worth it.

"Fine, you bunch of flies have ruined my mood for today."

She shook her head somewhat dejectedly, then turned to look at Chen Ye, her charming smile returning to her face.

“Funny little guy, let’s call it a day for our game.”

"But don't worry, I've already remembered you."

"I'll come back to visit you soon after I've taken care of some chores."

After she finished speaking, her body became transparent in a strange way, as if it were about to merge into the air.

"Want to leave?!"

Upon seeing this, Master Yan in the air shouted loudly, his eyes flashing with a sharp light!

He had already recognized the origin of the aura emanating from Miss Bai!

"Since you're a prodigy from the Nine Nether Sect, we absolutely cannot let you get away!"

As he spoke, he suddenly raised his hand, and an ancient-looking calligraphy brush appeared out of thin air in front of him.

At the tip of the pen, righteous energy was concentrated to its extreme, emitting a dazzling white light!

"The heaven and earth have righteousness, and are mixed and endowed with manifolds!"

"seal up!"

Master Yan muttered incantations, and with a flick of his brush, a huge white character, composed of pure righteous energy, instantly took shape!

Then, the character "封" (seal) carried the supreme power to suppress all evil spirits and struck down on the head of the dissipating White Girl!

However, Miss Bai merely curled her lip in disdain, and her figure vanished even faster.

Just before the letter was about to touch her, her entire body vanished without a trace with a bang.

Only a laugh filled with endless allure and provocation lingered in Chen Ye's ears for a long time.

"Hehehe... Little one, wait for me!"

The character "封" (seal) lingered in the air for a moment before slowly dissipating into the air as it lost its target.

Lanyue Xiaozhu has returned to silence.

The courtyard was a mess; the collapsed walls, withered flowers and plants, and cracks all silently testified to the harrowing battle that had just taken place.

Master Yan and his few pale-faced young students slowly descended from the sky, their expressions somewhat grim.

"Damn it! She still got away!" A young student looked at the empty courtyard and couldn't help but slam his fist in frustration.

"Teacher, what kind of escape technique did that demoness use in the end? Why couldn't even your Righteous Seal work?" another student asked, puzzled.

A solemn light also flashed in Master Yan's eyes.

“That’s not a teleportation technique,” ​​he said in a deep voice.

"That is the mortal incarnation of the Nine Nether Sect disintegrating on its own. This mortal incarnation is composed of divine thoughts, which are invisible when gathered and dispersed. Once it actively dissipates, it will return to the seven emotions and six desires of the world. Unless a great Confucian scholar can seal the entire space with the power of words, it is impossible to stop it."

Upon hearing the words "Nine Nether Sect," the young students' expressions turned serious.

Having read extensively in classical texts, they naturally knew that this was a sect that cultivated by manipulating people's hearts and consuming their emotions and desires. The demons in the sect were all strange and cruel, making them one of the most troublesome enemies for righteous cultivators.

"How could the demons of the Nine Nether Sect suddenly appear in the capital?" Master Yan muttered to himself, his brows furrowed, his heart filled with worry.

The key point is that this demoness from the Nine Nether Sect dared to commit a massacre of an entire family right under the emperor's nose, and Master Yan sensed a conspiracy in it.

Just then, as if remembering something, he suddenly turned his head to look at Chen Ye.

"Inspector Chen, why did that vixen say she would come back to find you?"

(End of this chapter)