With virtue

Zhao Yunshu's sword strike was executed without the slightest hesitation; it was swift and decisive.

The woman was already pinned to the ground by Zhao Yunshu with her hands behind her back, so the sword tip pierced into the sole of her foot and came out through the instep, making the pain even more intense.

Moreover, Zhao Yunshu's strike was very precise. The tip of the sword did not collide head-on with the floor tiles, but instead pierced through the crack between the tiles, with half of the sword inserted into the ground, reaching a length of about one and a half feet.

This was so painful that it made one's toes clench, let alone bear it. Even the toughest woman would instinctively scream when the excruciating pain struck, so she opened her mouth to howl in agony.

However, before the sound even reached his throat, Zhao Yunshu had already swung his arm and delivered a slap to the face.

The slap was clean and crisp, the scream abruptly cut short. The breath that was about to escape was suddenly forced back into the throat by the force, turning into a sob, and tears and snot rushed out together.

"Don't scream, crying counts as time." Zhao Yunshu squatted down in front of her, shaking her throbbing hand, her tone showing no pity whatsoever.

With that sword strike and that slap, he completely lost his previous carefree and jovial demeanor, as if he had become a different person.

What else could it be? This woman climbed over the wall into the courtyard in the middle of the night, secretly set up her crossbow and fired arrows, and even drew her knife and rushed in front of him to slash. She didn't care about the young Taoist's life at all. If I were a coward, she definitely wouldn't be polite to me now.

If he were still concerned about the difference between men and women at this point, or showing mercy to women, he would truly deserve to lie dead in the courtyard.

"I ask, you answer." Zhao Yunshu moved the hilt of his sword, pushing it forward like a joystick, widening the wound slightly.

The woman was in excruciating pain, her body covered in cold sweat, and she glared at Zhao Yunshu. Zhao Yunshu didn't even look at her, and only said, "If you answer correctly, you can still live. Besides, you practice with a knife, right? If I find out something is wrong, then I'll cut off both of your hands, so that you won't be able to take off your pants by yourself when you need to urinate or defecate in the future. So you'd better think carefully before you speak."

The woman bit her lower lip so hard that it bled, but she did indeed fall silent and never made a sound again.

She raised her eyes and looked at Zhao Yunshu with hatred, seemingly still a little afraid.

The young Taoist priest in front of her looked a few years younger than her, and was so handsome, yet he was incredibly ruthless and his swordsmanship was frighteningly high.

I was overwhelmed and unable to get up after only a few exchanges, forced to disarm. Such swordsmanship… how come I've never heard of it before? It has absolutely no reputation in the martial world…

Now, he's in a state where he can't run away, can't fight back, and can't even die. He's truly a fish on a chopping board.

She opened her mouth and made a sound, soft and somewhat hoarse: "Just kill me."

Zhao Yunshu smiled upon hearing this.

His smile didn't reach his eyes at all; it was clear that his smile was forced and insincere, giving off a sinister vibe.

So, at this moment, he simply pulled out a talisman from somewhere and said in a nonchalant tone, "No rush. Whether I kill you or not depends entirely on my mood. Besides, you don't think I've run out of tricks up my sleeve, do you?"

This talisman, combined with his expression, looked extremely sinister, somewhat resembling the Lushan Black Head.

But what kind of talisman did the young Taoist priest draw? Haha, what kind of strange talismans could he possibly use? Actually, it was a protective talisman he drew during the day.

But how could the other party possibly recognize them?

As I mentioned before, there are countless variations of talismans in this world. Unless one is deeply immersed in them and has studied them, it is absolutely impossible to figure out what they are.

But the other party is a martial artist, how could he possibly have any in-depth knowledge of talismans?

If she really exists, then she should be someone sent by Anhe Demon Path and Lushan Black Head's gang. The part she studies and the things she usually comes into contact with are probably some kind of cunning and evil magic, not this kind of orthodox talisman magic.

Give her a scare!

Even if they do recognize me... so what? They can't help but bite me.

Then, Zhao Yunshu stretched out two fingers, holding the yellow talisman between them. He then pretended to deliberately hide the back of the talisman from the woman, and waved it in front of her.

He didn't rush to speak, but slowly and deliberately used the Seven Star Yu Step to walk around her once.

As expected, Zhao Yunshu was right. How could that woman possibly understand these professional matters? It's like an athlete looking at a circuit diagram. She's lucky if she knows Abe's Law; she can't possibly understand that series of switches and valves.

At this moment, the woman was pinned to the ground, beads of cold sweat the size of soybeans dripping down her skin. As she looked at the talisman, the fear in her eyes became increasingly unconcealable.

Zhao Yun's smile vanished, replaced by a calm expression. He held the talisman close to her cheek and wiped it. "You just told me to kill you, but little girl, have you considered that in the hands of cultivators like us, what is death? If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need a talisman, but if I wanted to interrogate you, this talisman will put down, and we'll see how tough your mouth is!" Lu Shan Hei Tou must be quite skilled in torturing people. Zhao Yun wasn't sure how deep their research was, but given their current pretense of power, the closer the other party was to Lu Shan Hei Tou, the more they knew about him, the more afraid they should be, right?

When the woman saw what Zhao Yunshu did, she immediately turned her face away, biting her lower lip until it bled.

However, although she was terrified, whether it was due to her loyalty and righteousness, her fear of some means, or her fear that once she opened her mouth there would be no turning back, she still clenched her teeth tightly even at this moment, her lower lip bleeding profusely, without uttering a single word.

Seeing that she was trembling with fear and her mouth was full of blood, Zhao Yunshu began to look at her with new respect.

When it really came down to it and she was asked about serious matters, this woman suddenly became quite assertive.

Whether it's fear or loyalty, it shows that you can't get much out of this person by threatening them. So why not try the same trick again?

What old trick? It's obviously the same method used to scare He Wulang and Sun Meng. However, she should know that An He is dead, so she has to change the approach, but the essence is the same.

The young Taoist priest then picked up a stool, sat down, and did not rush to get angry or continue to threaten her, but simply sat down opposite her.

Then, he said slowly, "Even if you don't say it, I can guess pretty much what's going on. The person who sent you must have something big to plan, so they can't... or rather, they don't dare to show themselves."

"He's helpless now because he's at his wit's end. All he can do is hide behind his spells. You were sent here to kill me, and you think it's the same as the previous missions. But have you ever thought that he might have sent you here to die?"

The woman remained silent, turning her face away as if to say, "I'm not listening."

Zhao Yunshu continued, "You don't believe me? Then why can't you beat me? That 'higher-ups' should know my abilities. If he really wanted to kill me, why didn't he send someone capable of fighting? Why didn't he send someone skilled in sorcery to provide support? Why only send you?" "I think he's certain you'll die at my hands, paving the way for their next plan. You risk your life for them, yet they treat you like a pawn. What are you doing this for?"

"The people of Dingzhou live in peace and prosperity, with plenty of food and clothing. These villains are after this life, but why would you risk your life for these ruthless villains who wantonly harm the people?"

Upon hearing these words, the woman suddenly raised her head, as if she felt that Zhao Yunshu's words had insulted her.

She glared at Zhao Yunshu, her eyes filled with malice, and shouted angrily, "So, after hearing what you're saying, you're just a petty person who only cares about personal gain? What kind of good person is Wang Chuzhi? And what kind of benevolent place is Dingzhou City? You work for them and you still tell me these things?"

Zhao Yunshu heard her say more, but did not interrupt, and just listened quietly.

That's good.

The woman spoke angrily, her voice and eyes filled with hatred: "You talk about living in peace and prosperity, but do you know how many people starve to death in Dingzhou every year?!"

"Even so, so many refugees are still flocking here in waves. Has Wang Chuzhi, who guards this impregnable city of Dingzhou, ever provided them with a single bowl of porridge? He only sends troops to drive them away, letting them fend for themselves. He doesn't offer sacrifices to the underworld or worship the city god, allowing ghosts and monsters to multiply. These people are not related to you, but have you ever seen them die in droves?"

She became increasingly agitated, her voice rising: "You say we've harmed the people, but do you know why we resort to witchcraft? Because there are too many dead people inside and outside this city, their resentment is too heavy. If we don't suppress them with the law, tens of thousands of vengeful spirits would have already been causing chaos in the city! Even if we did some dirty things, our purpose was only to open the Dingzhou granary. After it's done, we'll lift the suppression, set up an altar at the City God Temple, and hold a grand water and land ritual to help them pass on!"

"If this succeeds, it will be far better than those who sit in their governor's mansion feasting on meat and fish while ignoring the lives of the common people! If you think I'm wrong, then kill me and see if you can kill all the righteous men in the world!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunshu abruptly pinched the other woman's mouth shut, preventing her from continuing. His expression was grim: "So you admit that you were indeed responsible for those many places where souls were suppressed, right?"

The woman paused, then turned her face away and said nothing more. (Search "Germany" on Bing to see the latest chapter!)

Seeing her like this... Zhao Yunshu couldn't hold back and laughed in exasperation.

The young Taoist priest couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed her head, pressing it directly to the ground: "Idiot, I've personally seen the wandering ghosts you're talking about."

Before he finished speaking, he pulled the sword that had pierced the sole of his foot out of the ground with his right hand.

The woman was in excruciating pain and sprang up, arching her back as if to cry out. But as she bent over and opened her mouth, a flash of sword light swept across her neck without hesitation.

A flash of sword light streaked across the night sky, leaving a silvery-white ring. A head flew up from the ring, landed on the ground, spun twice, and rolled away.

The corpse, which was already lying face down, collapsed again, blood gushing out like a fountain, staining the area a dark red.

Zhao Yunshu flicked his sword, then wiped the blood off the other person's clothes before sheathing it.

He didn't sit still either. He glanced down for a moment, then immediately sat down, placed his hand on the other person's back, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on the inner world of the female assassin's corpse.

This mentally challenged person must have something wrong with their body.

Upon closer inspection, he was right; his guess was absolutely correct.

This woman's seven souls have clearly been enhanced. No wonder she can achieve the level of "first-class swordsmanship" at her age. Where are there so many geniuses? It must be that An He used the Soul Control Technique to combine the instincts of the other seven souls with her own, which is why she has such outstanding swordsmanship.

After this refining process, her seven souls were no longer ordinary. They were wrapped with a black mark that looked like filth in her inner vision. It was of the same origin as what she had seen in He Wulang and Sun Meng's bodies, but it was thicker and clearer, like a black snake coiled inside her seven souls.

She was able to find Zhao Yunshu's residence and this secluded courtyard. Her Seven Souls Body had been refined by Lushan Blackhead, making her far superior to ordinary assassins. She must be a useful pawn in the hands of those Blackhead mages. It's probably a bit strange that she was sent to assassinate him. Those mages aren't stupid; they were probably prepared for her failure.

As expected, with her death, the curse within her body was activated through her departed physical form.

Zhao Yunshu felt as if the interior scene before him had been pinched by something, and the female assassin's seven souls, like bean pods, were squeezed out of her skin and left her body.

Anyone who has eaten bean caterpillars knows that after the bean caterpillars are cooked, they can be rolled out with a rolling pin or squeezed by hand, and everything inside the skin will be squeezed out from the top, leaving only the caterpillar skin on the outside.

The female assassin in front of us was the same. Her three souls and seven spirits were forcibly squeezed out of her body by something, turning into a chaotic phantom. However, she did not go towards the underworld, nor did she summon any underworld officials. Instead, she rushed headlong in a certain direction on her own.

Zhao Yunshu opened his eyes, abandoned his introspection, and immediately became alert.

He guessed that was it! There must be a backup plan!

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Although the woman is dead, she can still guide him!

Ignoring the corpse on the ground, he pulled a piece of yellow paper from his pocket, dipped his finger in the still-warm blood, and swiftly drew a guiding talisman on the paper. Using the woman's flesh and blood as a guide, he would track her soul!

This method has many applications; even with a physical body, or even just a single hair, it is possible to track it.

After drawing the talisman, he tossed it into the air. The talisman ignited without wind, turning into a spark that followed it away.

Zhao Yunshu took off chasing after him and followed him all the way.

It was too late to go find Young Master Wang, and he didn't intend to go find him either.

As Young Master Wang already mentioned...

"No matter where you are, it's impossible to work together wholeheartedly." (See Chapter 78 for details)

The fact that this was said already made it clear.

He was unwilling to let the local high priests of Dingzhou City investigate the matter, probably for this very reason. If he rashly reported it himself, the person behind it might get the news and run away.

Only by chasing after them alone can you possibly obtain something useful.

The tracking talisman's flame flew extremely fast. Zhao Yunshu quickened his pace, scaling walls and walking in a straight line through the city. Sometimes he strode across rooftops, sometimes he climbed over walls, startling several yellow dogs into barking.

They continued their pursuit out of the city for about half an hour, until they landed in a mountain forest about twenty miles outside the city.