"Then it seems to have no ability," Chen Xiao said dismissively.
He flicked his finger, and a wisp of Qilin Fire flew from his fingertip, heading straight for the faceless ghost. After the Canglan Six Revolutions, the divine abilities of the Quenched Fire Qilin Pupil had spread throughout Chen Xiao's body. He could unleash them not only with his eyes but with any part of his body, as easily as moving his arm.
The Qilin Fire struck the faceless ghost, and flames surged into the sky. The faceless ghost let out two strange cries before vanishing from its spot. It did not, like others, turn to ashes when burned by the Qilin Fire.
Chen Xiao walked over and saw a small paper figure cut from white paper on the ground.
"Master, this is a Shikigami!" Gu Yutong explained. "It's a spiritual entity manipulated by Eastern Onmyōji!"
"Did you learn this in the game too?" Chen Xiao asked.
"Mm…" Gu Yutong nodded, a little embarrassed. She then added, "If I'm not mistaken, there must be an Onmyōji manipulating this faceless ghost from behind the scenes!"
"Yes, Dr. Chen, I think this young lady is right. There must be someone else behind it," Liu Yingluo said, walking over. She spoke with a hint of reproach, "We still have too many mysteries to unravel, and you killed it just like that. It was too reckless!"
Chen Xiao smiled faintly and looked at Liu Yingluo with a playful expression. "What does it matter if it's dead? Aren't you still here!"
"Huh?" Liu Yingluo was startled. She then said evasively, "What use is it if I'm here? What do I know? I've told you everything I know…"
"Are you going to keep playing this act with me?" Chen Xiao sneered at Liu Yingluo.
"What act? I don't know what you're talking about…" Liu Yingluo continued to feign ignorance.
"We've been playing along with you for so long, and you're still not satisfied?" As he spoke, Chen Xiao grabbed Liu Yingluo's hair. With a strong tug, all of Liu Yingluo's hair was pulled off by Chen Xiao. Not just the hair, but Liu Yingluo's scalp, facial skin, and all the skin on her body were ripped off by Chen Xiao.
Gu Yutong stared in disbelief. After the entire layer of skin was removed from Liu Yingluo, a handsome man over 1.8 meters tall was revealed. He had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, thin lips, and an incredibly delicate face. His skin was as white as snow, so fair it seemed to be made of porcelain, looking almost like a young girl.
"You, you, you… are an Onmyōji?" Gu Yutong stammered. The handsome man was wearing a white *kariginu*, the traditional attire of an Onmyōji, which Gu Yutong recognized immediately.
"That's right. I am the eighteenth-generation descendant of Abe no Seimei, an Onmyō Taifu under the Emperor, Abe no Fuyoshi, and the only great Onmyōji of this era!" Abe no Fuyoshi, his identity exposed, crossed his arms behind his back, tilted his chin up, and spoke with arrogant pride. He then raised an eyebrow and asked Chen Xiao, "Chen-san, when did you discover my true identity? And where did I slip up, allowing you to find a clue?"
Chen Xiao snorted disdainfully. "From the moment I saw you, I knew."
"What? How did you find out?" Abe no Fuyoshi was suddenly filled with surprise. He thought his performance had been flawless, with every detail meticulously controlled. Little did he know that under Chen Xiao's divine sense, he was completely exposed.
Chen Xiao chuckled, "Isn't it obvious? You reek of dog odor; I could smell it from eight hundred meters away!"
"Baka yarō!" Abe no Fuyoshi gritted his teeth, enraged, and swore directly. "You scoundrel, daring to speak such obscenities in front of me! You're seeking death!"
"How can this be considered obscenity? At most, it's speaking the truth. You're clearly a lapdog raised by the Emperor, and you won't even let others say it?" Chen Xiao said mockingly.
"You scoundrel, it seems you don't understand how powerful a great Onmyōji is until I show you!" Abe no Fuyoshi said with a sinister tone. As he spoke, he brought his hands together, forming a mudra, and pointed at Chen Xiao. A white light immediately shot out.
"Five Ghosts Locking Mountain Array! Form!" Following his roar, five green-faced, fanged imps appeared beside Chen Xiao. Each carried a heavy chain on its back. The other end of the chains was locked onto Chen Xiao's limbs and neck.
"Master!" Gu Yutong cried out and rushed towards Chen Xiao, wanting to help him break free from the chains. However, the chains seemed to be welded onto Chen Xiao; she couldn't break them.
"Little sister, don't waste your effort. My Five Ghosts Locking Mountain Array can simultaneously lock down five cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage. A mere cultivator at the Golden Core stage like you cannot break it!" Abe no Fuyoshi said with a forced smile. Gu Yutong refused to believe him and used her magic to attack the five imps, but it had no effect, as if she were striking air.
Chen Xiao remained unhurried and said calmly, "I didn't expect you to know about Golden Core and Nascent Soul. It seems you know quite a bit about cultivators!"
"Naturally. For hundreds of years, the disputes between our Onmyōryō and your country's cultivators have never ceased. Your China has an old saying: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.' This is great wisdom. It's a pity that most Chinese people are arrogant and have forgotten their roots, casting this wisdom into the dustbin of history," Abe no Fuyoshi said with contempt, his eyes full of disdain.
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xiao asked, "So, you mean you understand my strength well?"
"Of course. I witnessed your battle by the river against several S-class ability users. Frankly, you are strong, but compared to me, you are not worthy!" Abe no Fuyoshi said arrogantly, as if he had completely grasped Chen Xiao's background. Unfortunately for him, his understanding of Chen Xiao was still stuck at over a month ago. And the current Chen Xiao was far stronger than he was back then!
Chen Xiao chuckled self-deprecatingly, "So you were by the river then too? I didn't notice you."
"You are mistaken. It wasn't me by the river, but it." Abe no Fuyoshi extended his slender, fair fingers, and a white butterfly landed on his fingertip. The white butterfly had no aura, just like the faceless ghost before. It made sense; they were all cut from white paper, so they naturally wouldn't have any aura.
"Since you are so strong, why did you bother a normal person? Do you know that children are the greatest hope for a family? You personally destroyed a fetus in the womb. Don't you feel any guilt?" Chen Xiao asked coldly.
"Well, initially, Liu Gang accidentally stepped on me without apologizing, so I turned his child into a ghost fetus. Besides revenge, it was also for fun," Abe no Fuyoshi said dismissively, as if discussing an insignificant matter. He then changed the subject, a sinister smile appearing on his lips. "As for guilt, you Chinese are just a bunch of piggies. I wouldn't feel guilty even if I killed many more of you."