Chapter 1 "Reincarnated?"

This single sentence instantly plunged Hu Ma's heart into the abyss.

No matter what, before truly seeing this person, he had held onto some hope. But all those expectations and desires vanished when he heard those words.

He slowly walked into the main room, each step heavy.

Now that things had come to this, there was no need to rush. If a fierce battle was inevitable, then as a Shousui (Night Watcher), with each step he took into the room, he gained a bit more advantage. Even if the other party had set some kind of trap, he needed to get closer.

Distance was the Shousui's advantage.

As he entered the main room step by step, his eyes carefully observed everything.

He saw that the person's white robe was spotless, giving off an otherworldly elegance in this dim and gloomy Wangsi City (City of the Dead).

He saw a gramophone placed next to a potted plant in the corner of the antique and exquisite hall. He also saw the person's face: a refined and melancholy middle-aged man with many strands of white hair at his temples.

He certainly possessed the detached and distant aura of a reincarnated individual, though one thing was different from what he had expected: he had assumed that "Tieguanyin" (Iron Guanyin) would be a woman.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hu Ma approached him step by step, speaking slowly.

This sentence had to be uttered first, even if neither speaker nor listener believed it.

After saying that, he scrutinized the man and whispered, "Are you the one helping the Meng family build the Monster-Revealing Mirror?"

The refined man slowly turned his head. While Hu Ma carefully examined him, he also looked at Hu Ma earnestly, with a hint of sorrow in his eyes. He sighed softly, "Of course, it's me."

"Only a reincarnated individual can find another, isn't that right?"

"Now, under my guidance, the esteemed Zhang family and the Tongyin Meng family have joined forces to build an Yin energy interaction matrix in this Wangsi City... You can also think of it as a platform to hold the Monster-Revealing Mirror."

"Right now, only one crucial element is missing. Just like reincarnated individuals can connect with each other through their Benming Lingmiao (Soul Sanctuaries), this matrix can connect to the earth's veins, open up the netherworld, and reflect from the Yin realm to the Yang realm. Those who possess Benming Lingmiao will naturally be revealed in the mirror. There will be nowhere to escape, neither in heaven nor on earth."

"..."

Listening to his words, even Hu Ma's heart felt heavy.

Everything was the worst-case scenario that a reincarnated individual could imagine, so the only way to respond was with the most decisive method.

However, in this worst-case scenario, there was also a stroke of unexpected luck. He had already approached this person within seven steps. For a Shousui, that was enough to ensure that he could kill the person with a single blow.

The crucial point, which also surprised Hu Ma, was that even though he was so close, the person hadn't reacted at all. There were no unusual arrangements around him, and he didn't sense any cultivation power on the person's body... He was just an ordinary man.

Of course, Hu Ma didn't dare to relax.

If he could kill him with a single knife, using the skills of a Shousui, that would be the most direct method.

Otherwise, he could stick the red talisman on him or directly summon the Zhensui (Town Destroyer) golden mace to beat him to death.

These three backup plans were the only way to ensure that this matter was handled securely, which was why Hu Ma had been willing to enter proactively.

After all, he was facing a reincarnated individual. Hu Ma had already made his decision, but before making a move, he took a deep breath, calming down a bit. He looked at him calmly and said, "So, you're Tieguanyin?"

The refined man nodded gently, a self-mocking smile on his face. "You even know my codename?"

Hu Ma didn't follow his lead. He simply said, "I'm just here on official business, to kill someone named Tieguanyin."

"However, before I act, someone asked me to pass on a message to you."

"..."

The refined man was slightly taken aback. "What is it?"

Hu Ma slowly said, "They said, there's no disrespect intended. Although they do have to kill you, they also understand that these past twenty years must have been difficult for you."

"Hmm?"

The refined man's expression suddenly froze, and a strange emotion seemed to flicker in the depths of his pupils.

Hu Ma took a deep breath. Some things couldn't be said without ensuring it was safe.

But he believed the other person understood.

Whether it was a person or an evil spirit, anyone who fell into the hands of the esteemed Zhang family and suffered for twenty years would certainly not have an easy time.

They were all ordinary people, and they couldn't expect everyone to have such strong bones.

And deep down, they both knew that if they were in the other's shoes, they might not have been able to hold on, or might have broken down even sooner...

So...

...Thank you for your hard work, brother. You must have suffered a lot these past twenty years.

...

After saying that, Hu Ma prepared to act.

Now that he had confirmed that he had found the reincarnated individual and determined that the person had betrayed them, he only had three options: one was to capture him, wrap him in a black robe, and take advantage of the chaos in Wangsi City to take him out.

The second was to borrow the power of the Zhensui government to summon a golden armored warrior to capture him, send him back to the Yang realm, and slowly ask him for information.

After all, Tieguanyin was the key to many things, and he needed to get some information from him.

And the third was the worst option: if he didn't have the confidence to take him away, then he had to kill him on the spot.

Even if it meant that the reincarnated individuals lost an important clue, he couldn't let him stay here.

But just as Hu Ma was considering what to do, Tieguanyin, who had just heard those words, gently nodded after his pupils slightly trembled. The serene smile on his face seemed to melt away at that moment, and he sighed softly,

"I haven't had any emotional fluctuations in twenty years."

"But I've had two in this short while."

"One was when you came in, and the second was just now, when I heard what you said."

"..."

As he spoke, his smile became somewhat bitter. He gently waved his hand and said, "However, whether you want to kill me or capture me, there's no need to rush.

"You can see that I'm just a useless man. And you should be a Shousui. Killing me at this distance is as easy as killing a chicken. Besides, the people in this city won't react so quickly. We still have time to talk."

"I know you must have many things you don't understand."

"..."

His words struck a chord with Hu Ma. Although he didn't drop his guard, he did focus his attention on him.

"You said I've had a hard time..."

Tieguanyin sighed softly and said, "Indeed, only one of us could say that."

"However, my bones aren't as tough as you think. I fell into the hands of the esteemed Zhang family, and they had many methods. But the reason I was able to endure wasn't because I was so capable.

"It's just that my body had already lost all sensation, so there was no point in torturing me. And I could hide in my ruined Benming Lingmiao. They couldn't torture my soul or figure out my secrets."

"..."

As he spoke, he smiled and said, "It's not like they don't know how to extract a Benming Lingmiao."

"But once they did that, the Benming Lingmiao would be destroyed, and they would have gained nothing."

"..."

Hu Ma listened, already somewhat surprised. "Then why..."

"Because they used a beauty trap..."

Tieguanyin actually laughed when he said that. "The people in this world aren't stupid..."

"In fact, they started using a beauty trap on me in the third year."

"They not only did everything they could to heal my already broken body, but they also sent all kinds of women over, tall and short, fat and thin, all to find a type I liked, to take care of me, comfort me, and even give me a son."

"Who the hell could resist that?"

"..."

Hearing him say this, Hu Ma's heart sank slightly.

Children were the biggest weakness of reincarnated individuals. It was the thing that allowed reincarnated individuals, who were out of sync with this world, to take root.

This wasn't exactly a secret, but reincarnated individuals sometimes subconsciously avoided mentioning it.

Because there was no solution to this weakness.

"If..."

He slowly said, "If you had already joined the Zhang family, then why haven't you helped them kill other reincarnated individuals all these years..."

"I've done a lot of things for the Zhang family over the years."

Tieguanyin smiled and said, "I taught them nightmare techniques, trained good seedlings for the Zhang family, and passed on everything I had learned."

"I even taught them knowledge from my previous life, told them about our world, about our understanding of things, about what we believed in. Alas, sometimes I only hate that I didn't learn more in my previous life, that I didn't understand those things more thoroughly..."

"Because I clearly saw that when they were listening to my stories, they were moved, they were afraid..."

"If I had learned more, understood more thoroughly, maybe I could have used these things to destroy their confidence."

"..."

"But..."

Listening to his story, Hu Ma was also slightly shaken, but that wasn't what he wanted to ask.

"But why haven't I helped them kill other reincarnated individuals in the past twenty years?"

Tieguanyin laughed. "That requires someone with a complete Benming Lingmiao. I can't. When I was captured by the esteemed Zhang family twenty years ago, my Benming Lingmiao was already destroyed."

"I can hide inside, but I can't contact anyone else at all."

"And that's also why I've already helped the esteemed Zhang family and the Tongyin Meng family build that altar, but I still haven't been able to successfully create the Monster-Revealing Mirror..."

"..."

"The Benming Lingmiao is destroyed?"

Hearing this news, Hu Ma's heart suddenly trembled.

Suddenly, he thought of some bad and dangerous things, and his gaze suddenly turned to his face.

"If that's the case, then this Monster-Revealing Mirror..."

"..."

"It's obvious, isn't it? This is just a conspiracy."

Tieguanyin smiled and slowly said, "They're waiting for someone with a complete Benming Lingmiao to come over. Now, haven't you already arrived?"