Chapter 1763: Soul Artist
Wang Neishi got up and said, “Alright then. I will bring the two of you to see my father now.” He was quite excited and wanted their lives to end up hanging by a thread as soon as possible. Then, he would swoop in and receive all of their gratitude and devotion.
Just the thought of how soft and lovely Miss Xie would feel in his arms made him even more worked up. He thought, That Yun woman might be a bit fiercer, but she really is pretty. Her figure is top-notch too, so I wouldn’t mind…
Along the way, Xie Daoyun couldn't help but ask, “Right, I heard that if your esteemed father is dissatisfied, he takes the petitioners’ souls? I wonder what he does with the souls.”
Wang Neishi explained, “Miss Xie might feel that taking one’s soul is sinister, but no one has ever criticized the Wang clan for it. Do you know the reason why?” When he saw the two women shake their heads, he then continued, “That is because my father has always exorcised ghosts and allowed countless people to live. He has established tremendous contributions. However, his various talismans need to be operated too, so he needs soul power to nurture them. Only then can he save even more people in the future. Furthermore, the ones who had their souls absorbed were merely engaging in a fair deal. No one forced them to do it.”
“So that’s what happened,” Xie Daoyun said, then fell silent. You save some people, but you need to kill others. Then, which side is more worth it, really?
Yun Jianyue began to secretly wonder just what kinds of talismans needed the power of souls. Why did she have an ominous feeling?
When he saw that the two women had fallen silent, Wang Neishi assumed that they were scared. He said with a smile, “There is no need to worry. With me here, I will definitely protect you two.”
“We’ve troubled you, second young master,” the two women said with a slight nod.
…
Soon after, they arrived in front of a large building. Wang Neishi went in first to issue a report, then came out soon after. He said, “As of late, father has stopped receiving guests normally, but he agreed to meet you two because of me.”
“Thank you, second young master,” the two women said, exchanging a look. Yun Jianyue secretly told Xie Daoyun to not be nervous and to leave everything to her.
Xie Daoyun’s nervousness finally eased a bit. As expected of the Devil Sect Master, who has experienced all kinds of things.
They entered the giant building. It looked splendid and majestic from the outside, but it was quite dark inside. The corridors were quite cramped and narrow too. Suddenly, Xie Daoyun noticed some drawings on the wall. The people drawn were vivid, lifelike, and extremely detailed. She had practiced a bit of art in the past, and so she naturally noticed just how incredible the skill involved was.
She couldn’t help but ask with a sigh, “Just which master drew these? The artistic skill involved is already beyond incredible.”
Out of everyone she knew, Yu Yanluo was probably the only one who had such a level of skill. It was to the extent that, in a certain sense, her skill was even slightly inferior to these paintings; that was because the paintings didn’t look like drawings, but more like real people. The one thing that was a bit strange about them was that they were all human figures. There was no scenery in the background, nor were there any plants. It was a bit too simple.
Wang Neishi’s expression was a bit strange. A while later, he said, “These are none other than the pitiful creatures who failed to strike a deal with my father over the decades. Their souls have been left here forever.”
Xie Daoyun was stunned. However, Yun Jianyue’s expression remained the same. As the Devil Sect Master, quite a few people had died under her hands. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to create her domain.
Soon, the group arrived at the top floor. Wang Neishi knocked on the door and said, “Father, I have already brought them over.”
“Let them in. You can leave,” an aged voice said from inside.
Wang Neishi was stunned. He had wanted to go in as well, but he didn’t dare to retort and could only say, “Father, they are my friends. I hope that father can be generous later.”
“Alright,” the voice within said without a hint of emotion.
Wang Neishi was helpless. He could only secretly give the two women a look and said, “Do not be scared, ladies. I will be waiting for you two to come out later.”
Then, he went down the stairs while continuing to glance back. He really was scared that his father would suddenly change his mind and seize their souls. It really would be way too great of a pity if the two died just like that.
…
After Wang Neishi left, the door opened on its own. The interior was extremely spacious. There was a tall platform right ahead of them, atop which an elder was seated. He was clearly the clan master, Wang Youjun. He raised an eyelid and looked at the two ladies, saying, “Come in.”
Yun Jianyue was the first to step inside, standing protectively in front of Xie Daoyun. At the same time, she sized up Wang Youjun.
Perhaps because he always remained inside, the elder’s skin was extremely pale. His hair was also gray and thin. However, they could still see that his facial shape was straight and proper. He had definitely had a handsome face when he was younger.
Yun Jianyue thought to herself that the elder cultivation was a bit inferior to her own, but the strength of the people of this world lay largely in their talismans. If they really fought, it would be hard to say who would come out on top.
“It’s been a long time since I last saw ladies this beautiful. No wonder that child was so eager,” Wang Youjun said with a chuckle. “Did you two come to make a deal with me?”
“The second young master is generous and we cannot thank him enough. I wanted to find our missing companions, so we came to look for your respected self,” Xie Daoyun replied gently.
“Generous?” Wang Youjun sneered. He naturally knew what kind of person his son was, but didn’t feel like exposing him. “Isn’t it going a bit too far to seek me out when you’re just looking for some people?”
Afterward, his brows furrowed. He clearly suspected their motives.
“It’s just that our companions are extremely important to us. We also don’t know where they are in this world. We don’t have a single clue and can’t find them on our own,” Xie Daoyun explained. “If we were just looking for someone normally, there would be no need to take such a huge risk to ask for your respected self’s help. However, after they were sucked into this world, they were all scattered all over the place. This world is just too large, so it’s hard to even know where to start looking for them.”
“So that was it,” Wang Youjun said, his suspicion gradually fading. “Then you should know my rules. What have you prepared for the deal?”
Yun Jianyue took out a blade covered in ancient patterns. It was entirely black, and the blade alone flickered with a cold glint. There were faint strands of blood-colored veins vaguely visible on it. When thr item appeared, the entire room was immediately filled with a faint hint of bloodiness. With a light raise of her hand, this blade slowly floated into midair, moving toward Wang Youjun so he could see its details.
“Incredible; what an excellent blade!” Wang Youjun couldn't help but say with a sigh of admiration. This woman looked dainty and delicate, but she actually had such incredible backing.
Yun Jianyue said, “This blade’s name is Separation. It’s a heaven-grade weapon. I wonder if it’s to your distinguished self’s satisfaction.”
She had already discussed the situation with Xie Daoyun yesterday. Judging from what the maid had said, many petitioners had started carefully, but they had never gotten a chance to bid higher. In contrast, the three who succeeded had immediately offered something extremely precious right from the start. A heaven-grade weapon was roughly equivalent to the value of those items.
This blade had once been the personal weapon of a certain Devil Sect Master. It actually pained Yun Jianyue quite a bit to part with it. However, she had no choice. She wasn’t Yu Yanluo; she didn’t have wealth rivaling a nation. She only had this murderous item that was still relatively precious. It was unclear whether Zu An and the others were even alive right now. In order to find them, a heaven-grade weapon wasn’t much.
“I can sense that this blade has drunk the blood of countless people. Separation is indeed a fitting name,” Wang Youjun said with a sigh of admiration.
“Then will your distinguished self help us look for our people?” Yun Jianyue asked, relaxing a bit.
Wang Youjun shook his head. He pushed back the blade and said, “Even though this blade is good, I’m not someone who uses a blade. It’s useless to me.”
Yun Jianyue felt dejected. It was difficult for her to find anything comparable to the blade. She couldn't just give him the Empress Lantern or Crescent Ring, right?
Wang Youyun then looked at Xie Daoyun and said, “I heard that the lady seems to be good with rune talismans too.”
Xie Daoyun was stunned, but then she reflexively replied, “I’m not incredibly skilled and have only dabbled a bit. Furthermore, my runes and your talismans are largely different.”
“Oh? How so?” Wang Youjun asked, looking at her with interest.
Xie Daoyun thought for a bit and said, “Your rune talismans don’t need to borrow energy from ki stones or other sources to use their effects. The runes I know are pieced together into formations. Then, as the energy source, they channel the power of the world to produce their effects…”
“I see. Then that means you’re proficient in formations, no?” Wang Youjun asked, his eyes lighting up.
“I have a bit of knowledge,” Xie Daoyun said with a sweet smile.
“Then draw a defensive-type formation for me to see,” Wang Youjun said, leaning forward slightly.
Xie Daoyun secretly looked at Yun Jianyue and sensed the other woman egging her on. Then, in the end, she quickly drew a defensive-type formation. When the final stroke was complete, light blue radiance flowed along the formation’s patterns. This time, she had clearly noticed something, so she made sure to draw a rather profound and intricate formation.
When he saw the light blue formation, Wang Youjun had a pensive expression. A while later, he said, “How about this? I can look for your companions, but I don’t want your heaven-grade weapon. I only need you to help me with something.”
“What is it?” both women asked, trembling slightly.
“I intend to go somewhere. Your skill with formations might be useful to me,” Wang Youjun said, giving Xie Daoyun a look. “Go with me on this trip, and I’ll help you look for those people. Who knows, you might even obtain unimaginable benefits.”
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