Chapter 93: Jiang Zhen and Yu Yue
The sword encountered a little resistance from the man’s clothes, but it was no use.
As soon as the clothes touched Yu Nianzhen’s sword intent, they disintegrated, and the blade was buried in the man’s heart.
After that, there was no way for the evil cultivator to survive, and his body fell to the ground.
’I need to strengthen my intent.’
Since arriving at the thousand herbs garden, Yu Nianzhen had used his sword intent more than his sword arts.
This allowed him to feel the difference between the two and comprehend sword intent at a deeper level.
"Are you okay?" His thoughts were dragged back by Jiang Yue’s voice.
"En."
"This Corpse Yin sect is too evil."
Jiang Yue looked at the five corpses in the corner, and his face wrinkled.
From his surface observation, the women had been dead for many days, but their bodies had not rotted.
Instead, they had turned a ghastly shade of grey, and their stomachs were squirming as if harbouring giant worms.
"What should we do with them?"
Yu Nianzhen looked at the five corpses and also didn’t know how to deal with them.
In normal situations, they would just burn or bury the five, but he didn’t think that was enough in this case.
After all, a corpse infant was growing in their wombs, and their bodies held a lot more corpse yin than usual.
If the group was not careful, they would not only harm themselves when dealing with the corpses, but they could also infect the ground with the corpse qi.
After that, the affected area may no longer produce herbs in the future, or it would produce herbs with evil intent.
Although poisonous herbs could cause death, they were different from herbs carrying an evil intent.
This was because the effects of poisonous herbs could be harnessed by an alchemist and even turned into medicinal pills.
However, there was no way to redeem herbs that had evil intent.
Their sole purpose was to destroy, and pills made from them would harm the body.
"Let’s wake them up first. They may have a way." Yu Nianzhen said and pointed to the two women who were still unconscious.
"Good."
After deciding that, the two went to work.
Jiang Yue went to Wang Xue’er, and Yu Nianzhen went to the unknown woman next to her.
A moment later, both women were up.
"He is dead." Wang Xue’er stated as soon as she woke up.
She could see the man’s corpse in front of her, and her body relaxed.
Since she was abducted, what she felt most was despair.
The secret realm was large, and the chance that someone would happen upon the cave was infinitely small.
Even if someone did find the cave, there was no guarantee they would put themselves at risk to save two random women.
Most of all, they could jump from the frying pot and into the fire.
’If we were found by someone from the evil blood sect or the ghost valley..." Wang Xue’er shuddered at her thought.
It wasn’t by much but if she had to make a choice, she would rather be killed by the Corpse Yin sect than the other two.
At least then, she would only suffer for a few months and not face an eternity of suffering.
"May I know the fellow cultivator’s name?" Wang Xue’er turned to her right when she heard the other female cultivator questioning Yu Nianzhen.
"He is Jiang Zhen, and I am Yu Yue." Jiang Yue answered before Yu Nianzhen could speak.
The female frowned at his interruption and then turned back to Yu Nianzhen.
"I am Bai Ruyue." She said and looked at Yu Nianzhen expectantly.
However, Yu Nianzhen didn’t show whatever expression she expected.
Instead, he turned to Wang Xue’er as soon as the introductions were made.
"My name is Wang Bing." She also lied.
Although she was sure that one of the two in front of her was Yu Nianzhen, she didn’t mention it at this time.
After all, this was the thousand herbs garden.
There were seven months before the secret realm closed, and many things could happen within that time.
If possible, it was best not to disclose one’s true identity to avoid consequences outside the secret realm.
"Do the two fellow cultivators know how to deal with the corpses?"
Wang Xue’er looked over and sighed at the five corpses.
Now that the evil cultivator was dead, whatever arts he performed would soon come undone.
She didn’t know what would happen then, but she didn’t expect it would be good for them.
’We have to leave this place.’ She thought and then turned to Jiang Yue.
"The corpse qi can be dealt with by using fire. However, we need a Buddhist monk to purify the evil intent of the ritual."
Jiang Yue frowned when he heard that.
In the Cangxing world, most cultivators were Taoists, who followed the tao to achieve immortality.
Even the evil cultivators tried to achieve immortality and could be considered orthodox.
However, the Buddhist monks weren’t orthodox.
Rather than pursue immortality, they pursued reincarnation.
Their purpose was to ensure a good reincarnation in their next life, while orthodox cultivators wished to endlessly continue their current life.
Because of the ideals and difficulty of cultivating Buddhism, there weren’t many Buddhist monks compared to Taoist cultivators.
’It won’t be easy to find a monk in the thousand herbs garden. Even if we find one...’ Jiang Yue looked at the corpses and frowned.
There was no telling where or when they would come across a Buddhist monk.
If luck was not on their side, they wouldn’t have time to return to the cave to deal with the five corpses.
Jiang Yue was still wondering what to do when the woman named Bai Ruyue spoke.
"I have evil seal talismans."
It was clear she didn’t want to offer the talismans, but the circumstances forced her to.
Rather than stay in the cave that was beginning to fog with corpse qi, it was better to offer the talismans and get away from the place.
"Evil seal talismans should hold them for a while."
"How many do you have?"
"I have five."
Jiang Yue sneered meaningfully but didn’t say anything else.
He took the five talismans and walked toward the five corpses.
"Let me do it."
Yu Nianzhen made to grab the talismans, but Jiang Yue side-stepped to avoid him.
"I will do it quickly."
Before the other could say anything else, he rushed ahead as he injected qi into the five talismans.
When he was close to the five corpses, he released the talismans, and they flew to the foreheads of the five women.
A moment later, all the corpse qi was sucked back into the women’s bodies, and Jiang Yue retreated backwards.
The five corpses stiffened, and their greyish colour receded.
If someone didn’t know, they would think the women were just sleeping.
However, Yu Nianzhen and his companions knew this suppression wasn’t permanent.
Before the talismans lost their effect, they needed to find a Buddhist monk to purify the corpses.
"Check if you have inhaled some corpse qi." Yu Nianzhen said when Jiang Yue returned to his side.
"You should do the same."
"En."
Just as the two were about to sit at the side to cultivate, Wang Xue’er turned to them.
"Fellow Daoists, do you mind if I retrieve my storage ring from him?"
She pointed at the evil cultivator, and the two realised they had yet to deal with him.
In such a situation, Yu Nianzhen and Jiang Yue were entitled to everything on the evil cultivator’s body since they were the ones to defeat him.
"I am willing to give up all the herbs I harvested in the thousand herbs garden as compensation for saving my life."
Wang Xue’er was conscientious, but she didn’t want to give up her entire storage ring.
After all, the ring not only contained herbs, but also everything she brought into the secret realm.
Jiang Yue wanted to say that there was no need for that but remembered that every interaction carried a cause and effect.
The repayment of cause and effect depended on the owed, and in this case, Jiang Yue and Yu Nianzhen were owed.
If they accepted something from the female cultivator surnamed Wang, they could eliminate this cause and effect.
"We won’t take everything. Allow us to choose ten herbs." Jiang Yue finally said.
When she heard that, Wang Xue’er sighed in relief and nodded to accept the deal.
Jiang Yue then turned to the other female cultivator and implied that he wanted the same repayment.
"I offered the evil seal talismans." She argued.
"We can give you spirit stones for that." Wang Xue’er stepped in.
Evil seal talismans were just resources that could be bought with spirit stones.
In that case, to eliminate the cause and effect arising from them, the other three only needed to repay their value in spirit stones.
