"Ah, so Sister Qingmei is just like me, also a person of misfortune. Since you don't mind, sister, you can stay in my courtyard tonight."
Xu Taiping nodded with apparent sympathy.
Hearing this, Liu Qingmei's face immediately lit up with joy, and a flicker of excitement flashed through her eyes.
"Thank you, Young Master Taiping. Once my injuries heal, I will surely bring a generous gift to repay your life-saving grace."
Liu Qingmei spoke with tear-filled eyes, her face brimming with gratitude.
"Sister Qingmei, that demon wolf might still be lurking nearby. If I rashly open the courtyard gate, it might take the chance to rush in. It would be safer if you first turn around and keep watch while I open the gate. Once it's open, you can quickly dash inside."
Xu Taiping spoke cautiously.
Liu Qingmei was momentarily stunned upon hearing this but quickly nodded repeatedly.
"Taiping, you're absolutely right. I will keep watch for you. Let me know once the gate is open."
With that, Liu Qingmei swiftly turned around.
But the moment she turned her head, the gentle expression on her face vanished like a mask being torn away, replaced by a look of ferocity. A sneer curled on her lips as she whispered almost inaudibly:
"Appearing cautious but actually a fool. Death is at his doorstep, yet he remains oblivious. How ridiculous."
However, just as she uttered these words, her ears twitched slightly—a crisp sound of a bowstring being drawn tight reached her ears.
"You!..."
"Whoosh!"
Before Liu Qingmei could react, the sharp sound of an arrow breaking through the air exploded behind her. A frost-covered arrow shot straight through her chest.
"You dare—"
"Whoosh!"
Just as Liu Qingmei furiously roared while staring at the arrow lodged in her chest, another sharp arrow whistled through the air and pierced her throat entirely.
Now facing Xu Taiping, who stood atop the courtyard gate, Liu Qingmei's eyes met his, filled with disbelief. She struggled to ask,
"How… did you see through me?"
"Whoosh!"
Xu Taiping raised his bow and loosed another arrow. The arrowhead pierced through Liu Qingmei's forehead, leaving a gaping, fist-sized hole.
"Sister, next time you go out to pick herbs, remember to wear suitable shoes."
As Liu Qingmei's furious gaze dimmed, Xu Taiping continued to nock another arrow, his expression calm.
As if utterly humiliated, Liu Qingmei suddenly roared in fury. Ignoring her injuries, she leaped into the air, her claws growing abnormally long as she swiped at Xu Taiping atop the courtyard gate.
"Bang!"
Before Xu Taiping could make a move, a green light erupted from the courtyard's protective barrier, slamming into Liu Qingmei like a heavy slap, sending her flying backward.
"Ah!..."
Liu Qingmei let out a shrill scream as she crashed to the ground.
Then, a wisp of black smoke spewed from her mouth, morphing into a dark whirlwind that stirred the dust in front of the courtyard.
"Boy, unless you stay inside this courtyard forever, you will fall into my hands sooner or later. When that time comes, I'll make sure you beg for life yet be unable to live, beg for death yet be unable to die!"
From within the black whirlwind, a sharp, venomous male voice roared.
"I don't believe I've ever wronged you. Why do you seek to harm me?"
Encountering such a creature for the first time, Xu Taiping struggled to keep himself composed. As he questioned the entity, he once again drew back his bowstring.
"You'll find out soon enough!"
With a burst of eerie laughter, the black whirlwind howled into the distance, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"Could that be the spirit-possessed entity described in the jade slip?"
Xu Taiping murmured as he watched the direction in which the whirlwind disappeared.
According to the jade slip, the forest where the outer disciples resided harbored not only deep-mountain beasts but also wandering spirits and ghostly entities.
These entities often possessed the bodies of wild beasts or corpses, luring the living into their traps to consume their blood and vitality for cultivation.
Since they were spirit-based beings without physical bodies, they could only be truly vanquished by certain specialized spells.
"With such a monster lurking in the shadows, hunting in the surrounding area will be troublesome. More importantly, I know nothing about it."
Xu Taiping glanced at the corpse on the ground, his brows furrowing slightly.
Under normal circumstances, he could report this to the sect, but after spending some time here, he was well aware that the sect would not bother investigating.
In their eyes, outer sect probationary disciples like him were insignificant and not worth their attention.
"Hu…"
Just as Xu Taiping was contemplating how to defend himself against the ghostly entity, a chilling gust suddenly swept through the courtyard gate.
By now, the sky had turned completely dark, making the eerie wind feel especially unsettling.
"Could that ghost have returned so soon?"
Xu Taiping immediately became alert, nocking an arrow as his sharp eyes scanned his surroundings.
"Young man, I am here."
Just then, faint green wisps of light floated up from the female corpse near the gate, gradually coalescing into a translucent female figure.
This phantom bore the exact same appearance as the corpse on the ground.
"You dare show yourself again?"
Xu Taiping immediately aimed his arrow at the ghostly woman.
Before reaching the Qi Condensation stage, ordinary weapons could not harm spirits. However, arrows imbued with the lingering aura of the Scarlet Dusk True Energy could still cause some damage—this was something the Ziyang True Monarch had mentioned during lectures.
"Spare me, young master! Spare me! I was merely coerced by that vengeful ghost, forced to lure you outside!"
The woman's spirit pleaded repeatedly.
"A vengeful ghost?"
Hearing her words and noticing that her tone lacked deceit, Xu Taiping slightly relaxed his grip on the bowstring.
"Yes, that was indeed a vengeful ghost. I fell victim to it and was enslaved as its spectral servant, suffering its torment day and night."
The female ghost spoke through gritted teeth, her eyes brimming with hatred and remorse. She seemed to truly loathe the vengeful ghost.
However, after what had just transpired, Xu Taiping would not trust her words so easily—nor would he step outside the courtyard.
"Young master, fear not. I mean no harm. My soul was already incomplete, and after taking three arrows imbued with true energy, I have at most a cup of tea's time before I completely dissipate."
The ghostly woman explained hastily, her voice carrying a deep sorrow as she spoke the last words.
4o