The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 497 Ye Erniang and the Life and Death Talisman are a perfect match!

Hearing the sounds coming from outside, Xu Xingchen paused and turned to walk towards the gate of the villa.

Upon opening the door, one sees a deranged old woman standing outside, her hair disheveled, her clothes rumpled, and her face bearing three scars on each cheek, making her appear decades older and extremely weathered.

Ye Erniang's eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions, including bitterness, desolation, despair, and bewilderment.

Upon seeing the courtyard gate open, she looked up at Xu Xingchen, her expression momentarily dazed, before she suddenly knelt down on the ground.

He kowtowed repeatedly, pleading:

"Master Xu, please tell me, where is my son?"

"Master Xu, I beg you."

"Please, tell me, where is my son?"

Faced with Ye Erniang's kowtowing and pleas, Xu Xingchen remained silent.

He knew why the other person was so dejected.

The death of Abbot Xuanci of Shaolin Temple clearly left Ye Erniang feeling lost, unable to accept, unable to let go, and unable to bear it.

If she once had a pillar of support, now that pillar has collapsed.

Now that Ye Erniang is alive, she has only one goal: to find out who her biological son is and where he is now.
Therefore, she had no choice but to come and beg Xu Xingchen.

Seeing that Ye Erniang's forehead was bleeding from kowtowing so much that cracks appeared on the floor where she was kowtowing, Xu Xingchen slowly asked, "Are you ready to end your own life?"

Ye Erniang suddenly raised her head, letting the blood on her forehead flow down her brow bone, nose, cheeks, and chin. She nodded with a mixture of joy, sorrow, and resolute determination, saying, "Yes, I'm prepared to end my own life. As long as you let me see my son, to see my son properly, I... I don't care if I die."

Xu Xingchen looked up, pondered for a moment, and said in a deep voice, "Come with me!"

"Thank you, Master Xu."

"Second Sister Ye, thank you so much for Master Xu's great kindness."

Ye Erniang shouted twice and kowtowed three times on the floor before staggering to her feet and following Xu Xingchen into the manor.

Xu Xingchen led Ye Erniang forward and arrived at the gate of Wu Yazi's courtyard.

He stopped, turned around, and said to Ye Erniang, "You wait here."

Having said that, he ignored Ye Erniang's reaction and pushed open the courtyard gate and went inside.

Su Xinghe, who had just brought breakfast, came out of the house and greeted Xu Xingchen with a smile, saying, "Master Xu, you've arrived!"

"Good morning, Mr. Congbian!" Xu Xingchen replied, then added, "There is a woman outside the door; you don't need to pay her any attention."

Although Su Xinghe didn't know why, he still said, "Okay!"

Xu Xingchen passed him by, pushed open the door and entered, where she saw Xiao Wuxingyun sitting cross-legged on a chair eating, and Wuyazi already eating on the bed.

"Good morning, seniors!" Xu Xingchen greeted them.

"Good morning, Master Xu," Wu Yazi replied.

Xiao Wuxingyun raised her eyelids, glanced at Xu Xingchen with her beautiful big eyes, and ignored him.

Xu Xingchen was naturally not angry. She sat to the side and chatted quietly with Wu Yazi, discussing the various enlightenments brought about by their discussion yesterday.

After Xiao Wuxingyun finished eating and pushed her bowl and chopsticks onto the table beside her, Xu Xingchen turned to her and said, "Grandma Tong, I've brought a villain with me. I'd like to ask you to plant a life-and-death talisman on her. Would you be so kind as to do me this favor?"

Xiao Wu Xingyun glared at her and said in a crisp voice, "What do you take me for? Do you think I'm someone you can just help out of curiosity?"

Xu Xingchen said calmly, "This junior also possesses a divine martial arts manual called the Nine Yang Divine Skill."

"Legend has it that mastering this divine skill to its highest level not only grants one an inexhaustible source of internal energy, but also makes one immune to all poisons and provides astonishing healing for injuries; moreover, it can counteract all extremely cold and yin-like forces in the world."

When Xiao Wuxingyun heard the words "Nine Yang Divine Skill," his ears perked up, and when he heard about the effects of mastering it, his eyes immediately turned towards it.

Even Wuyazi, who was on the bed, reacted in the same way.

"You also have a set of Nine Yang Divine Skill?" Xiao Wu Xingyun's gaze lingered on Xu Xingchen for a long time, his surprise tinged with a strange feeling: "Nine Yin? Nine Yang? Could this be a martial art?"

“Of course not.” Xu Xingchen shook his head: “I originally planned to bring out the Nine Yang Divine Skill for discussion after a while; but now that I need your help, Granny Tong, it doesn’t matter if I bring it out earlier.”

Now, even if Xiao Wuxingyun disliked Xu Xingchen, she had no reason to refuse.

"Hmph! I'd like to see what kind of wicked woman you're going to plant the life-or-death curse on?"

Xiao Wuxingyun jumped off the chair and walked out while talking loudly.

Clearly, she had overheard Xu Xingchen and Su Xinghe's conversation in the courtyard and knew that the person standing at the gate was a woman.

"Thank you for your kindness, Granny Tong." Xu Xingchen replied, then said to Wu Yazi on the bed, "Senior, Granny Tong and I will go out for a moment. Please wait for us."

Wu Yazi smiled faintly and said, "It's alright, you may go!"

Xu Xingchen turned and left the room.

Ye Erniang, who was waiting outside the courtyard gate, was taken aback when she saw a white-haired girl come out.

At this moment, she had no time to ponder why there was a little girl with a full head of white hair in this manor.

Besides
This mountain villa exudes an air of strangeness.

The owner of the manor advertised his residence as Xiaoyao Manor, but the signboard actually read "Big Fish".

These days, it's not surprising that another little girl with white hair has appeared in the villa.

She quickly spotted Xu Xingchen following behind and hurriedly called out, "Master Xu!"

Xu Xingchen glanced at Ye Erniang, then turned to Xiao Wuxingyun and said, "Grandma Tong, this woman is named Ye Erniang, and she is the second of the Four Evils."

"The Four Evils? I've heard of that name before." Xiao Wuxingyun looked up at the disheveled Ye Erniang, then turned to Xu Xingchen and asked, "Is it the one who planted the Life and Death Talisman on her?"

Xu Xingchen nodded and said, "That's right! It's her."

Xiao Wu Xingyun looked at Ye Erniang again and said with a sneer, "I heard that you four villains are notorious in the martial arts world and do all kinds of evil. You are also considered experts in your own right. How come you would listen to this kid's orders and let me, the Old Woman, plant the Life and Death Talisman on you?"

"The Child Granny's Life-and-Death Talisman."

Ye Erniang pondered the two somewhat familiar words, and after a while, she shuddered, finally recalling the origin of the two names, and exclaimed in surprise, "You are the Heavenly Mountain Child Granny?"

Upon hearing Xiao Wuxingyun's question, his expression turned bitter and helpless, accompanied by a slight, involuntary shiver.

These four villains once served in the Western Xia First-Class Hall and had in-depth knowledge of many martial arts forces in the world. Although the Heavenly Mountain Lingjiu Palace was far away in the Western Regions, the Western Xia First-Class Hall also had records about them, but the information was superficial and vague, and they did not have detailed knowledge of many things.

The renowned Tianshan Child Granny possesses unfathomable martial arts skills.

His method of ruling over tens of thousands of martial arts practitioners in the thirty-six caves and seventy-two islands was the unpredictable Life and Death Talisman.

Now, upon learning that the white-haired girl before her was none other than the legendary "Tianshan Child Granny," the master of the Tianshan Lingjiu Palace, Ye Erniang was both shocked and horrified.

"Legend has it that the Heavenly Mountain Child Granny has lived for a very long time, yet she looks as young as a child. Could it be that the martial arts she cultivates can grant immortality?"

Just as Ye Erniang's thoughts were racing, Xiao Wu Xingyun snorted coldly: "Why don't you answer the questions I, the Old Woman, have asked you?"

Ye Erniang suddenly awoke, her face ashen, and said, "It was I who willingly obeyed Master Xu's orders, allowing you to plant the Life and Death Talisman on me."

Xiao Wu Xingyun sneered repeatedly: "Do you know what the consequences will be for those who have the Life and Death Talisman planted on their bodies?"

Ye Erniang shook her head, hesitatingly saying, "I don't know."

Xiao Wu Xingyun's expression turned solemn: "Those who have been struck by my Life and Death Talisman will experience intense itching and pain all over their bodies when it takes effect. As time goes by, the itching and pain will penetrate deeper into their flesh, internal organs, and bone marrow."

"By then, even if you scratch your entire body until your skin is torn and bleeding profusely, you still won't be able to stop that excruciating itching and pain that makes you wish you were dead."

"During the activation of the Life and Death Talisman, the intense itching and pain will worsen day by day until the 81st day, then gradually decrease, only to gradually increase again after the 81st day, and so on, endlessly repeating."

"Without my antidote, even the toughest heroes in the world could not endure such hellish pain."

"So, Ye Erniang, are you really sure you want this old woman to plant the Life and Death Talisman on you?"

Faced with Xiao Wu Xingyun's last question, Xu Xingchen shook her head and thought to herself: "You, Tianshan Tonglao, have always been ruthless and never care about the feelings of others; why are you dragging your feet today? Is it out of pity for us women?"

He thought about how the Lingjiu Palace in Tianshan was full of women, and he began to speculate about Tianshan Tonglao's intentions.

After hearing Tianshan Tonglao's description of the Life and Death Talisman, Ye Erniang was drenched in cold sweat, her heart clenched violently, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of fear and retreat.

At the same time, she finally understood why the tens of thousands of martial artists from the thirty-six caves and seventy-two islands willingly obeyed the orders of Lingjiu Palace and dared not disobey in the slightest.
She looked up at Xu Xingchen, whose face was calm, and knew that this was a way for Master Xu of Dayu Manor to control her.

If she found out where her biological son lived and saw him with her own eyes, she would inevitably feel some regret and would not want to end her own life.

At that time, he would have to endure the torment of the Life and Death Talisman day and night.

Can't live, can't die!
However, she had no way to refuse Xu Xingchen's control over her.

There is no other way but to accept it.

After much hesitation, Ye Erniang gritted her teeth, nodded firmly, and said resolutely, "I understand. Please, Granny Tong, plant the Life and Death Talisman on me. I...I am willing to bear all the consequences."

"Hmph! Since that's the case, then this old woman will grant your wish."

Xiao Wu Xingyun snorted coldly, stretched out her small, fair hand, palm facing upward, and circulated her internal energy.

In an instant, wisps of fine white cold air emerged from his palm, swirling and expanding until they reached a radius of three feet.

Then, the white cyclone began to rotate in the opposite direction, collapsing and contracting inward, condensing into several thin, icy fragments in the palm of the hand, carrying moisture from the air.

next moment.

With a flick of her small hand, Xiao Wuxingyun unleashed a flash of cold light, instantly disappearing into Ye Erniang's body.

Ye Erniang felt a chill in her body, and then nothing else. A look of confusion flashed in her eyes.

Xiao Wu Xingyun turned and stepped back across the threshold of the courtyard gate. As she walked into the house, she said calmly, "The life-and-death talisman that I planted in your body will activate in a year. At that time, you know what to do."

Xu Xingchen knew that Tianshan Tonglao was acting on her own initiative, but she didn't take it to heart. She turned around and led Ye Erniang out of the courtyard.

Arriving at the gate of the manor again, they found that apart from the two of them, there was no one else within a hundred feet.

Under Ye Erniang's expectant gaze, Xu Xingchen spoke: "After your son was taken away by your man's enemies, in order to make you and your man experience the pain he felt when his wife died and his child was scattered, they put your son in the Shaolin Temple to become a monk."

"The fact that your son lives right under his father's nose all day long, without his parents knowing, undoubtedly makes your man's enemies extremely happy."

"What?! A monk?!" Ye Erniang trembled violently, tears welling up in her eyes instantly, turning her into a weeping mess. She asked urgently, "Who is he? What is his Buddhist name?"

Xu Xingchen said, "His Buddhist name is Xuzhu, and he is a somewhat clumsy and simple-minded monk."

"Xu Zhu!" Ye Erniang softly called out the name that held such great significance for her, her expression a mixture of sorrow and joy, a mixture of laughter and tears, as she murmured to herself, "Xu Zhu... what a wonderful name!"

"Hahahaha, my child, your mother is coming to find you right now!"

Ye Erniang laughed through her tears, then turned and staggered away.

Xu Xingchen watched Ye Erniang's figure disappear at the entrance of the valley, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

"Ye Erniang, you and Xuzhu only spent a year together."

"If you are unwilling to end your own life a year from now, you will have to endure the torment of the Life and Death Talisman."

"I don't believe you can make it."

"Even if you're willing to endure the torment of the Life and Death Talisman just to be with your son longer."

"."

"With this, the matter of the Four Evils is finally settled!"

Xu Xingchen snapped out of her thoughts and turned back to the villa.

With a loud bang, the courtyard gate slowly closed behind them.

Xu Xingchen stepped into Wu Yazi's courtyard again and went inside.

She bowed to Xiao Wu Xingyun, who had sat back down in his chair, and said, "Thank you for your help, Granny Tong!"

Xiao Wuxingyun turned her head to look at Xu Xingchen and said calmly, "Now I remember, every morning Ye Erniang would find a baby to play with, and at night she would kill and abandon them, isn't that right?"

"You only just remembered now?! You really seem so detached from worldly affairs," Xu Xingchen thought to himself, but nodded seriously on the surface and said, "That's right! Over the years, countless babies have died at her hands. Her crimes deserve to die a thousand deaths and cannot be forgiven."

Xiao Wuxingyun raised an eyebrow and asked, "Since you think she deserves to die, why didn't you kill her with a single sword strike? Why did you have to plant the Life and Death Talisman on her body? Was it simply to torture her?"

“What’s the point of tormenting that kind of woman?” Xu Xingchen told Ye Erniang’s story and concluded, “Grandma Tong, there’s no need to give her the antidote or remove the life-and-death talisman from her body. Let her fend for herself!”

"You're really heartless!" Xiao Wuxingyun rolled her eyes at Xu Xingchen, but finally nodded in agreement, saying, "However, you're right. People who don't even spare children don't deserve to live in this world."

At this point, Xiao Wuxingyun's lips suddenly curled into a strange smile, and she said to Xu Xingchen, "Boy, would you like to try this old woman's Life and Death Talisman?"

(End of this chapter)