"Not really."
Cheng Jiangjian shook her head gently. She went up to the still twitching Yu Shang on the floor.
She brought her sword down and pinned it against the floor.
After that, Cheng Jiangjian gently patted the brocade bag that she wore on her waist. Five pieces of yellow chinese talismans attached themselves to Yu Shang's eyebrows and its limbs.
Yu Shang stiffened up and froze as if it had been spellbound.
Cheng Jiangjian stood there, both hands and ten fingers working to form a seal in front of her chest.
After that, pieces of seal symbols were formed from her hand. A pale, clear light emanated from her body. Even stars appeared amidst the once-empty night sky.
"You're watching Cheng Jiangjian apply the Broken Piece of Heavenly Third-Class Stardust Divine Punishment Technique. An inexplicable understanding emerged within your heart. You seem to have been enlightened, but without complete comprehension. No progress in level of proficiency."
Zhou Heng was a little stunned. This was his first time hearing such a notification.
He did not gain a single point for his level of proficiency.
Just now, he felt that he had gained something from it, only to realize that it was only an illusion. He did not know what was going on at all.
He had only learned of its name and rank.
Besides, it was his first time discovering that there were not only martial arts in this world, but also Daoism techniques.
More so it was a heavenly third-class ultimate technique!
Although Cheng Jiangjian was only a seventh-class martial artist as well as a disciple from Pious Sun Palace who just descended from the valley, she actually knew a heavenly third-class ultimate technique!
'How did she practice it?
'Could this be related to the Heavenly Circulation Guardians?'
Zhou Heng was puzzled. At that moment, a flash of white suddenly appeared before his sight.
A single beam of cold starlight arched across the night sky, illuminating heaven and earth. It eventually converged into a pillar of light that shone on Yu Shang's body like a spotlight.
"Ah!"
Miserable and excruciating screams were heard from the starlight. The so-called undead and indestructible ghost, Yu Shang did not even have the slightest chance of survival. Within a second, it turned into nothingness!
As the starlight faded, not even the slightest traces of it were left on the floor!
Not even ashes were left behind!
It was as if it had been completely and utterly purified!
Its form and spirit were destroyed!
It simply no longer existed!
"What… What kind of martial art skill is that?" Zhou Heng could not help but ask.
With his identity, he should not know of the existence of Daoism technique. That was why when he asked the question, he used the phrase "martial arts" instead.
"This is not a martial art," Chen Jiangjian shook her head gently. She took off her mask, revealing her clear and beautiful face. She smiled and said, "This is a Daoism technique, which is said to be an ultimate technique inherited from the ancient era of the immortals and divinity, a completely different field from martial arts."
"Unfortunately, the existence of Daoism technique is extremely rare. Even for those prestigious sects and families, very few of them had inherited Daoism technique. Moreover, most of them are high-class broken pieces.
"As a result, there are not many traces of it left in the world of martial arts. Naturally, the general population is not aware of it."
"So, that's how it is." Zhou Heng was enlightened as he heard the words and said, "Is Daoism technique the only way to kill a ghost?"
"Not all Daoism techniques can be applied to kill a ghost," Cheng Jiangjian shook her head, sighed and continued, "In a sense, ghosts are indeed undead and indestructible.
"Unless a third-class Deva hunts them, otherwise, not even a fourth-class ultimate expert is able to exterminate a ninth-class ghost with martial arts alone. It must be destroyed using Daoism techniques.
"Even if one uses Daoism techniques, only a few types can result in the effect of exterminating ghosts. The Daoism technique I applied just now is one of them."
"It sounds like the level of Daoism techniques is above martial arts, right?" Zhou Heng asked carefully.
"Not really," Cheng Jiangjian shook her head and continued, "To us, Daoism technique and martial arts are of the same level.
"Some of the Daoism techniques are just more effective on ghosts.
"Mister, in fact, you can also treat part of the Daoism techniques specialized on ghosts as the ultimate technique in martial arts."
"So, that's how it is." Zhou Heng was enlightened. He smiled and said, "It's very impressive of you to have acquired such a powerful Daoism technique at such a young age, Ms. Cheng."
He praised her from the bottom of his heart. A seventh-class martial artist who was able to cultivate a heavenly third-class Daoism technique was indeed incredible.
"Mister, you've misunderstood." Cheng Jiangjian smiled gently and shook her head. She continued, "I did not learn that Daoism technique you saw.
"To be frank, a martial artist in the bottom three classes can learn at most only one Master Fifth-Class martial arts or Daoism technique.
"I was simply granted the right to apply that Daoism technique by the organization to exterminate that ghost."
"The Heavenly Circulation Guardians?" Zhou Heng asked.
"That's right," Cheng Jiangjian graciously admitted and said, "Mister, you can interpret it as an organization that patrols around the globe, hunting for ghosts and evil creatures to exterminate them.
"Well, we also have the duty of concealing the existence of ghosts and evil creatures from the vast majority of people. But they can wait for a later conversation. Right now we have to talk about your Supreme Yang Divine Soul, Mister."
"What's wrong with the Supreme Yang Divine Soul?" Zhou Heng asked worriedly.
He realized that Cheng Jiangjian did not actually want to further dwell in the topic of the Heavenly Circulation Guardians. He followed suit and switched the topic. Furthermore, the Supreme Yang Divine Soul intrigued him.
'Is it a manifestation of the extra damage against Yin spirits?'
"The Supreme Yang Divine Soul is a special physique, born naturally with the power to restrain ghosts in the bottom three classes. Even a normal person can use his own blood to harm ghosts. However, this doesn't mean that having Supreme Yang Divine Soul is a good thing."
Cheng Jiangjian's expression looked serious, then she explained to Zhou Heng, "If one doesn't have powerful martial arts skills, a person with the Supreme Yang Divine Soul is actually a sumptuous meal in the eyes of ghosts.
"That's because ghosts in the bottom three classes are required to absorb Yang energy to warm and nourish themselves in order to enable the Yin and Yang within their own body to achieve a balanced state. That is the only way they are able to move around under the sunlight.
"As such, Yang energy is a necessity to ghosts in the bottom three classes. They will take the initiative to seek out people with strong Yang energy, then they'll be driven by a thirst to absorb their Yang energy.
"Once a person with Supreme Yang Divine Soul dies, the power of Supreme Yang within his body will turn into a rich source with an incomparably pure Yang energy. To ghosts in the bottom three classes, this is not inferior to a magic pill.
"The absorption of Yang energy from a person with Supreme Yang Divine Soul enables a seventh-class ghost to move freely under the sunlight for a decade. It may even attempt advancing into the sixth-class."
"That's why ghosts seek out people with Supreme Yang Divine Soul and kill them in order to obtain this rich and pure Yang energy?" Zhou Heng frowned as he asked.
'Is this the way of the extra damage against Yin Spirits?'
It felt like something was not quite right about it.
"No, there's no need for them to take the initiative to look for it," Cheng Jiangjian shook her head, then she continued, "There's a mutual attraction between the Yin and Yang energy due to their unique attributes. The strong Yang energy is like a magnet that attracts the ghosts and vice-versa.
"If both of them are out and about, they will find themselves inexplicably attracted to each other.
"A person with the Supreme Yang Divine Soul is one with the purest forms of Yang energy that will easily attract ghost aura and ghosts. Even if he sits at home, ghosts will still be attracted to him."
She paused for a while and smiled as she said, "Perhaps my falling into your house that day was no accident, Mister. It may have been due to the mutual attraction between Yin and Yang.
"At that time, I was contaminated by the ghost aura, as such, I must have possessed certain attributes of Yin energy. I was attracted to your Supreme Yang Divine Soul and fate made me stop on your roof and fall through."
"This seems very logical." Zhou Heng also smiled and continued, "Speaking of which, I really have to thank that ghost for making me earn more than ten taels of silver."
"Mister, you're still that money-obsessed." Cheng Jiangjian smiled gently, then she asked in puzzlement, "Aren't you worried at all that you may attract powerful ghosts?"
"Ms. Cheng, you never held back nor sugarcoated your revelations to me. Therefore, I'm pretty sure you must have a solution for this." Zhou Heng smiled as he said.
Chen Jiangjian fell silent. After that, she puffed up her small face. She seemed to be aware that such an action was inappropriate and hurriedly exhaled as she said, "Was I that obvious?"
"Apparently, yes," Zhou Heng smiled, then he continued, "Ms. Cheng, please continue."
"Of course you must have a Yang energy chinese talisman." Cheng Jiangjian took out a piece of talisman and a vermillion pen from the brocade bag on her waist. She waved her brush and drew a chinese talisman. She passed it to Zhou Heng and smiled as she said, "Mister, please keep this on your person. You'll be able to keep your Yang energy from leaking out, ghosts should no longer converge to you."
'Prevent Yang energy from leaking?
'Why does it sound odd?
'Besides, didn't it look like she scribbled some random stuff on this chinese talisman?!
'Is that all?!'
Zhou Heng took the chinese talisman and kept it securely. He paid obeisance with his hands and said, "Thank you, Ms. Cheng. Well, I'll pay you the money for this chinese talisman and the pill when I'm able to."
"Huh?" Cheng Jiangjian was a little stunned as she heard his words. She had never thought that Zhou Heng would actually say he was going to return the money. She wanted to turn him down but caught herself. On second thought, she did not want to make it sound like a handout. It did not often leave people feeling good. With that, she nodded and said with a smile, "Alright."
'Even if he returns the money, I can use various methods to send it back to him. I'm so smart…' She thought to herself.
"By the way, I need to inform you that the effects of this chinese talisman are temporary." Cheng Jiangjian continued, "It may only last up to three months. If there's any damage to it, you may have to change it after two months. As such, it's best you come to me and change it every two months, Mister."
"How much per piece?" Zhou Heng felt his heart twitching. But this chinese talisman was useful for the sake of his own, as well as for the people around him.
Cheng Jiangjian fell silent. Again, she was a bit stunned by his question. After all, she had very little concept about money. As she recalled the moment she bumped into a charlatan who sold fake chinese talisman at five coins per piece, she said, "I'll sell to you at its cost, one coin per piece."
"That cheap?!" Zhou Heng nearly jumped for joy. He smiled as he said, "Alright, then give me one thousand pieces!"
After all, one thousand pieces cost one tael of silver only!
That was peanuts!
"No way. You can only change once in every two months!" Cheng Jiangjian shot him down.
Meanwhile, the Wang family's private possession of forbidden drugs and also the cruelty of making medicine men was revealed.
Minister Wang and a group of household servants were all arrested by Wu Zhongshan.
The fugitive, Ms. Wang was also taken in by an envoy from the county and was brought back to the city. However, along with her home guards, they resisted violently and thus, were killed on the spot.
Zhou Heng was recruited as a temporary guard and was innocent as he had no knowledge about the Wang family's affairs.
Moreover, when the envoy encountered resistance, he had decisively abandoned the darkness and fought alongside the envoys. After returning to Yellow Wood City, he was also praised and commended by the mayor.
Such was how Chen Jiangjian handled the Wang family's incident.
If not for him to have personally experienced it, he simply would have no idea what had happened.
He might have only felt that the Wang family had committed crimes and thus, they deserved to die.
The people only pitied the beautiful woman, Wang Qingqing. Many people lamented for her and wondered how such a beautiful woman turned to thievery.
Zhou Heng was stunned after learning all this.
He had separated from Chen Jiangjian after returning to Yellow Wood City.
'I didn't expect Ms. Cheng to be able to pull off such operations.
'How could she be that skillful?!'
Nevertheless, they did not really matter. More importantly, Zhou Heng had earned twenty taels of silver from the administrative office.
After all, this was supposed to be the reward promised to him by the Wang family.
Now that the Wang family had been arrested, their properties were confiscated. As such, the administrative office offered a compensation of twenty taels of silver to Zhou Heng on their behalf.
After returning home in a jovial mood, finally, Zhou Heng had time to make preparations.
He washed up, bathed and got dressed. He burned the incense and prayed, then he sat in meditation until reaching the auspicious time a blind fortune-teller had told him as he was on his way home.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived!
He opened the Gold Lucky Bag!
"Gold Lucky Bag is a bag equipped with literally everything. Once you open it, you'll gain rare and exotic treasures."
'Look!
Even the descriptions had fewer words than the Bronze and Silver ones!
'What would fewer words mean?
'It means higher quality!
'Open it!'
"Congratulations! You're very lucky! You've been rewarded…"