Xuan Wuliu swallowed in tandem, then said to the Ghostly Man, "I told you we have no relation to him, do you believe me?"
The Ghostly Man sneered and clenched his open hand into a fist.
The monstrous shadow beast split in the middle, separating into four equally sized monsters.
The four behemoths charged towards Xuan Wuliu and the others.
Xuan Wuliu brandished his sword, which passed through the bodies of the shadow monsters. The insubstantial shadows then enveloped the sword the moment it passed through, and like poisonous snakes, slithered along the blade towards Xuan Wuliu.
Xuan Wuliu was forced to relinquish his weapon, retreating.
However, Xuan Wuliu also had a shadow. The shadow beneath him suddenly grabbed his feet, and Xuan Wuliu, losing his footing, was hung upside down.
Almost simultaneously, the Xuan Guard was wiped out.
When Nan Shiying and Ji Jinmo arrived, they saw a group of people hanging upside down. The scene was so spectacular it was like seeing a devil tree covered with human-shaped fruits.
Ji Jinmo pulled Nan Shiying behind him.
Nan Shiying poked her head out to look at the old man controlling these shadow monsters, her eyes shining brightly: "What kind of ability is this? Shadow manipulation?"
The response to Nan Shiying was a sudden surge of shadows.
Ji Jinmo waved his hand, and the moisture in the air instantly condensed into a giant that pressed down on the shadows, as if a hand had instantly gripped a snake by its vulnerable spot.
The golden light in Nan Shiying's eyes was almost palpable. Her pupils seemed to be splitting into double pupils. From within the shadows, she saw strands of black threads.
The Ghostly Man's pupils contracted instantly. These two were also ability users?
"Elder, I am Feng Luan, and this is the renowned Regent Ji Jinmo of Linyuan. We are here today concerning the kidnapping of Feng Quan. Of the seven missing people, six have been found, one is severely injured, and five are dead. Only Feng Quan's whereabouts are unknown."
"According to the sole survivor, the perpetrators drugged Feng Quan and the other six, traveled for a hundred li, and then threw the other six off a cliff. We believe that the captors going to such lengths solely to abduct Feng Quan is illogical. Therefore, after reviewing Feng Quan's information, we concluded that Feng Quan is merely a bargaining chip, and the people behind Feng Quan, that is you, are their true target."
"It now appears that this is indeed the case."
"However, due to the death of Liu Ling, you were placed on our blacklist, which is why we directly resorted to kidnapping this time. And..." Nan Shiying gestured to the black-clad man whose limbs were bound and continued, "We are not at all affiliated with this person."
"So, sir, shall we have a great battle, or shall we call a truce and have a talk?"
Nan Shiying was not afraid to fight, but not fighting would be better.
The Ghostly Man looked at Nan Shiying.
Nan Shiying felt the old man's gaze was somewhat strange. It seemed that after hearing her name, his malice intensified.
Nan Shiying scratched her head and asked, "Elder, did my master offend you in the past?"
The Ghostly Man shook his head: "Never!"
"Then..."
"Why did your master leave Medicine King Valley?" the Ghostly Man suddenly asked.
Nan Shiying looked at the Ghostly Man and replied, "Because he wanted to find a successor without precedent, ancient or modern."
The Ghostly Man remained silent for a second. Xuan Wuliu and the others, still hanging upside down, pursed their lips. Madam, please get to the point at this time!
"Do you have an enmity with Medicine King Valley?" Nan Shiying asked tentatively, then explained, "There are some matters I cannot elaborate on."
"In other words, your master left Medicine King Valley for other reasons." The Ghostly Man understood the implied meaning of Nan Shiying's words. He waved his hand, and the shadows released the ankles of Xuan Wuliu and the others, who fell like dumplings.
After landing, Xuan Wuliu and the others quickly retreated, moving to the side of Ji Jinmo and Nan Shiying, assuming a defensive posture.
"Then let's talk."
The Ghostly Man ignored Xuan Wuliu and the others, making a gesture of invitation to Nan Shiying and Ji Jinmo.
"Master, Madam..."
Nan Shiying raised her hand, stopping Xuan Wuliu's cautious dissuasion, and stepped into the house. Ji Jinmo followed closely. The moment they entered the room, the door suddenly closed.
The room was sparsely furnished with only a bed, a table, and a wardrobe. The Ghostly Man waved his hand, moving the black-clad man suspended in mid-air to the side.
Nan Shiying pulled out a stool, sat down, and looked up at the person above. Shadow-formed tentacles were stuffed into his mouth, preventing him from making any sound, let alone biting his tongue or committing suicide by poison.
Nan Shiying exclaimed, then looked down at the Ghostly Man, only to notice the severed finger he clutched in his hand. Her expression immediately turned cold: "Is this Feng Quan's?" she asked.
The Ghostly Man nodded.
"So who exactly are you?"
What did the other party want from him?
The Ghostly Man asked Nan Shiying again, "Why did your master leave Medicine King Valley."
Nan Shiying pondered for a moment. She had a hunch that this answer was very important, but Nan Shiying still did not reveal too much, merely saying, "Because of a medicine boy."
"Did he also discover..." the Ghostly Man murmured. He was certain that besides himself and the former Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, no one knew that Feng Quan had once been a medicine boy. Therefore, the medicine boy she mentioned must not refer to the batch he had rescued back then.
He still hadn't stopped, he was still doing that thing!
A flame of anger flashed in the Ghostly Man's eyes, but the anger came and went quickly. He pulled over a stool and sat down opposite Nan Shiying and Ji Jinmo, placing the severed finger on the table.
"You came too early. I haven't found out what they want me to do!" The Ghostly Man still did not reveal his true identity, being very secretive about it.
Nan Shiying did not press further, instead asking, "May I question him?"
"Of course!"
The Ghostly Man waved his hand, handing the black-clad man over to Nan Shiying. Nan Shiying drew the silver needle from her waist and directly sealed the man's meridians. Seeing this, the Ghostly Man dispersed his shadows.
Nan Shiying reached out, intending to check if there was any poison hidden in his teeth. Ji Jinmo grabbed her wrist and, condescendingly, investigated it himself.
Seeing his furrowed brows, it was clear he was utterly disgusted.
After digging the poison out of the black-clad man's mouth, Nan Shiying picked up the teapot on the table. The teapot contained clean water, perfect for Nan Shiying to wash Ji Jinmo's hands.
The Ghostly Man watched the two, his expression growing increasingly strange.
Although love between men had existed since ancient times, this was the first time he had witnessed it in reality, and he found himself at a loss for words as to how he felt!