The yellow gourd was only the size of a palm, with a smooth and translucent surface. The mouth of the gourd was sealed with a wooden stopper, and when held in hand, it felt delicate and jade-like.
"The stopper is made of Soul-Suppressing Wood. It seems that Wu Ruqiu used this item as a Soul-Nurturing Gourd," Su Yi thought, his eyes showing a hint of curiosity.
With a flick of his fingertip, Su Yi removed the wooden stopper sealing the gourd's mouth, and immediately a surge of crimson ghostly mist burst forth.
Woo, woo, woo~
The eerie mist emanated a sinister aura, oppressing the mind.
A baby appeared within the ghostly mist, only three or four years old. Its skin was pale, with crimson red eyes. The once innocent and cute face seemed to be smeared with a layer of blood-red rouge, giving it a creepy and chilling appearance.
As the child appeared, a terrifying aura spread like a tidal wave, causing the plants in the courtyard to wither and decay in an instant.
On the old locust tree nearby, the female ghost in the red dress exclaimed in fear, "Ghost Infant! This is the Ghost Infant that Taoist Wu has nurtured for six years!"
Almost simultaneously, the Ghost Infant let out a howl-like screech from its lips, and its mouth suddenly split open, revealing two rows of narrow, razor-sharp fangs.
It viciously lunged towards Su Yi, who was within arm's reach!
But faster than that was the sword thrust out by Su Yi's right hand.
Pfft!
The peach wood sword forcefully pierced into the open mouth of the Ghost Infant, piercing through its body and impaling it on the sword.
Peach wood naturally restrains ghosts.
This section of green peach wood carefully selected by Huang Qianjun for Su Yi had been tempered for twenty years, containing pure yang energy.
Hiss, hiss!
The Ghost Infant's body emitted bursts of black smoke, causing its cheeks to contort in pain. It screamed ferociously, struggling wildly in an attempt to kill Su Yi.
However, it was in vain.
In the blink of an eye, the Ghost Infant's soul was incinerated into nothingness, dissipating into smoke and vanishing.
Looking at the peach wood sword again, its color was dim, with faint traces of corrosion. It was obviously unusable.
Su Yi tossed the sword aside and turned his gaze back to the yellow gourd. "Not bad, this item obviously originated from a spiritual place and already possesses a trace of spirituality. It is extremely rare in this mundane world."
He had already figured out that this yellow gourd was Wu Ruqiu's trump card.
If Wu Ruqiu had immediately used this item when they first fought, it might have caused him some trouble.
"Come out."
Su Yi sat back in the bamboo chair, casually playing with the sparkling and translucent yellow gourd.
Red-dressed female ghost, Qing Wan, flew over from the old locust tree, trembling in the air. She lowered her head and spoke in a weak voice, "Immortal Master, I beg you, please don't kill me. I... I can serve you."
"What can you do?" Su Yi asked with interest.
Qing Wan pondered for a moment and timidly replied, "I know how to sing, dance, play musical instruments, paint, and play chess... I have some knowledge in these areas."
Su Yi was taken aback. What was this? A multi-talented female ghost?
Qing Wan wore a blood-red dress, her figure petite, with snow-white, almost translucent skin. Her delicate features had a hint of baby fat, adding a touch of charm and cuteness.
She appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, in the prime of her youth.
Unfortunately, she was ultimately just a wandering spirit, not a living person.
Seeing Su Yi remain silent for a long time, Qing Wan became even more anxious and nervous. She anxiously said, "Immortal Master, as long as you spare my life, I can do anything for you. I can even help you scare people."
Her soft and sweet voice had a faint sobbing tone, making her seem pitiful and innocent.
Su Yi let out a sigh and said, "If I had the cultivation level of a Yuan Dao realm, I could help you transcend and free you from this world. But now, I'm afraid I can't help you."
Qing Wan was stunned and pleasantly surprised. She exclaimed, "Immortal Master, so you don't intend to kill me! That's great!"
She smiled, her big eyes narrowing slightly, revealing an astonishing seductive charm. Combined with her beautiful appearance and innocent temperament, it created a unique allure.
Su Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. If this girl understood the methods of cultivating and refining ghostly spirits, she could easily become a monstrous calamity for the country...
"Do you really not remember anything from your past life?" Su Yi asked.
Qing Wan's eyes became distant, her small face filled with worry and distress. She said with a hint of grievance, "I don't hide it from Immortal Master, but even now, I still don't know how I ended up like this..."
Su Yi stared at Qing Wan for a long time and said, "Now I can be certain of one thing. Either you're lying, or there's something wrong with your wandering spirit."
Qing Wan's figure trembled, and she hurriedly said, "Immortal Master, I would never dare to deceive you. I can swear to the heavens."
Su Yi calmly said, "Regardless of which situation it is, it doesn't concern me much. However, even though I won't kill you, I won't just let you go like this either."
Qing Wan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "As long as Immortal Master spares my life, I am already grateful."
Su Yi raised the yellow gourd in his hand and said, "This is the Soul-Nurturing Gourd. If you enter it, you won't fear the daylight. Come inside on your own."
Qing Wan hesitated and said, "Immortal Master, then... will you let me out later?"
Su Yi sneered and said, "You underestimate me, Su Yi. I won't seal this object. On the contrary, when the time is right, I might even teach you a secret method of ghostly cultivation."
Qing Wan was delighted and nodded repeatedly, "I'm willing!"
As she spoke, her figure transformed into a red light and flew into the yellow gourd.
"A wandering spirit possessing such a pure and rare spirit body, yet forgetting her memories from her past life. This itself is a problem..."
"However, with my abilities, I will have the chance to find the answers in the future."
While Su Yi pondered, he got up and started to busy himself.
Soon, all the corpses and blood in the courtyard were cleaned up.
Then, Su Yi returned to his room.
After casually hanging the yellow gourd on the side of the desk, he comfortably lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, before dawn, Su Yi got up from bed.
He glanced at the yellow gourd on the bookshelf, but paid it no mind and walked out of the room directly.
The Soul-Nurturing Gourd was not sealed, so Qing Wan, hidden within it, could leave at any time if she wished.
However, this beautiful and simple-minded female ghost had been quiet and obedient throughout the previous night, without making a single sound.
After washing up, Su Yi chewed on a leaf of Jiuye Ginseng, then stood under the locust tree in the courtyard and began practicing the Songhe Forging Body Technique.
By the third repetition of the practice, Su Yi felt his muscles and tendons stretching, and his body became slightly lighter, giving him a sense of floating. This was a sign of entering the "Muscle Refinement" stage!
With his cultivation reaching such a level, Su Yi's qi and blood converged, his internal energy surged, and his strength was as powerful as that of a tiger or leopard. His movements were as agile and nimble as a lynx.
"Master, this is a medicinal meal personally prepared by Old Wu for you."
Not long after, Hu Quan, the manager of the Apricot Yellow Medical Hall, arrived carrying a food box, smiling as he presented it.
Su Yi nodded and said, "Please convey my thanks to Old Wu."
He glanced at the medicinal meal in the food box, which contained many precious herbs and was richly prepared, making it suitable for replenishing a martial artist's body.
"Master, please enjoy your meal. I'll go back to the medical hall and attend to my duties."
Hu Quan smiled and left.
"Living here is indeed much better than living at the Wen family's place."
Su Yi thought to himself.
Just after finishing his meal, a voice came from outside the courtyard:
"Brother Su, I have already informed Senior Wang Tianyang, and we can go now."
Huang Qianjun walked in eagerly, his gaze filled with enthusiasm.
Suddenly, his nose twitched, and he asked in confusion, "Why is there a hint of a bloody smell in the courtyard?"
This kid does have a sensitive nose.
Su Yi glanced at the dandy young man and casually said, "There was a ghostly disturbance here last night."
"A ghostly disturbance?"
Huang Qianjun was startled, and images of horrifying ghostly scenes instantly flashed through his mind, remembering the rooster blood, willow branches, and peach wood he had prepared for Su Yi yesterday. He shivered all over.
"Let's go."
Su Yi lifted his foot and walked towards the courtyard.
Huang Qianjun immediately stopped his wild thoughts and hurriedly followed.
In a street on the east side of Guangling City, there was a swordsmith workshop belonging to the Huang family.
When Su Yi and Huang Qianjun arrived, they found a long line of young men and women waiting outside the workshop.
"Business is so good?" Su Yi was surprised.
Huang Qianjun quickly explained, "Business has always been good, but it has been exceptionally booming in recent days. The reason is that in half a month, there will be a 'Dragon Gate Banquet' held on the Great Cang River."
"At that time, the young elites from Guangling City and the neighboring Luoyun City on the other side of the Great Cang River will all participate. They will compete and compare their skills, seeking to establish their ranks."
"If the martial artists from Guangling City rank first, they will receive a reward of a thousand gold taels, three spiritual herbs, ten bushels of pearls, and a top-tier Yellow-grade secret technique from the Luoyun City Lord's Mansion."
"On the other hand, if the martial artists from Luoyun City rank first, the Guangling City Lord's Mansion will also offer the same rewards."
After listening, Su Yi remarked, "The rewards are quite generous."
Huang Qianjun's eyes revealed yearning as he said, "Apart from the rewards, the most important thing is the reputation! Every year at the Dragon Gate Banquet, the first-place winner not only becomes renowned in the two cities but also gains easy access to the Inner Sect of the Qinghe Sword Sect for cultivation!"
Su Yi nodded.
Having cultivated at the Qinghe Sword Sect for three years, he was well aware that for all the young people in the nineteen cities of the Yunhe County, being able to enter the Qinghe Sword Sect for cultivation was extremely rare.
Becoming an Inner Sect disciple was like leaping over a dragon gate.
Back then, Su Yi had worked hard for three years and became the Chief Disciple of the Outer Sect of the Qinghe Sword Sect. He already had the qualifications to enter the Inner Sect. However, due to an unexpected event, he ended up being abandoned by the sect...
Of course, fortune and misfortune depended on each other, and it was because of that event that he awakened the memories of his past life.
Su Yi asked, "So, are all these people in line here to purchase a suitable weapon to participate in the Dragon Gate Banquet?"
"That's right."
As Huang Qianjun spoke, he suddenly remembered something and whispered, "Su Brother, Wang Tianyang has a hot temper and a fierce disposition. Even my father shows him deference. If he says something unpleasant when we meet him, please don't mind."
"Lead the way," Su Yi said.
Huang Qianjun quickly stepped forward. As the legitimate son of Huang Yunchong, he didn't need to wait in line.
However, just as they were about to enter the swordsmith workshop, a group of people happened to come out from within.
At the forefront was Wen Jueyuan, the leader of the young generation of the Wen family, followed by other young members of the Wen family.
Wen Shaobei was among them.
When Wen Jueyuan saw Su Yi and Huang Qianjun, he couldn't help but pause, his face showing disdain. He shook his head and said, "A useless son-in-law and a dandy, a pair of hooligans!"