Chapter 64: Reinforcements

"Walk faster—"
"Faster still—"
Li Qingqing walked in the very front, continuously urging them in a low voice.

Jiang Yunyi asked with a puzzled expression, "Miss Li, didn't we trap them inside the ghost city? Why are we still in such a rush?"

Li Qingqing let out a cold snort and said, "Do you think I don't know Su Xiuyan's methods? He holds a jade talisman carved with the image of a Vajra. If those ghosts push him to the limit, Su Xiuyan will certainly summon the Vajra to smash his way right out of the ghost city."

"Can his Vajra destroy the ghost city?" Shen Chang'an inquired.

Li Qingqing nodded and replied, "Though it cannot completely destroy it, blasting a hole to escape through won't be a problem. Moreover, given the nature of the scoundrels in the Yuyang Ghost City, the moment they sense the Vajra jade talisman, they will surely quit while they are ahead and not dare to push him too far."

"Even so, they shouldn't be able to catch up to us, right?" Jiang Yunyi asked, unconvinced.

Li Qingqing sneered. "Under normal circumstances, they certainly wouldn't be able to catch up. But alas, we have only just run out of the borders of Yuyang City; only now can we be considered truly out."

Shen Chang'an's eyebrows arched slightly as sudden realization dawned on him. "You mean those ghosts will help him close the distance between us quickly?"

"Exactly, those beasts..." Li Qingqing's expression turned gloomy, clearly recalling some unpleasant memory. "They were drowned alive in there by the Dragon Emperor, denied reincarnation for eternity, and trapped in endless suffering. Therefore, their favorite pastime is watching others suffer."

"When I tricked Su Xiuyan earlier, I merely wanted to humiliate him. Those creatures willingly helped me precisely because they also wanted to see Su Xiuyan make a fool of himself."

"And now, they have finished enjoying Su Xiuyan's misery, so naturally, it's time to enjoy the misery of another group of people."

Jiang Yunyi shuddered slightly. Although she was a dragon maiden, when it came to such dark and vicious tricks, her experience still fell short of Shen Chang'an's—let alone that of Li Qingqing, the Saintess of the White Lotus Sect, who possessed every conceivable vice.

"They should be coming out soon. We must quicken our pace," Li Qingqing said in a low voice.

Shen Chang'an could not help but feel somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Where on earth are you taking us? We've already borrowed the power of this ghost city; if we keep going, what other place's power can we possibly borrow?"

Li Qingqing shook her head. "We've pretty much used up all the tricks we can employ. From here on out, it's going to be a head-on, no-holds-barred fight."

Shen Chang'an raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "The three of us against dozens of his elite fighters—how many do you think you can take?"

Dealing with dozens of people was by no means as simple as handling a few individuals earlier. In terms of individual combat strength, Shen Chang'an was unquestionably far superior to them, but facing overwhelming numbers meant nothing left to do but flee in panic.

The reason they had previously managed to kill the Five Scatterers and their gang was partly because those men had been far too careless, and partly because their actual combat prowess was truly mediocre.

Now, Su Xiuyan alone possessed strength comparable to Shen Chang'an's, and with dozens of elite fighters backing him up, Shen Chang'an could at best drag Su Xiuyan down with him or kill a few others, nothing more.

And that was assuming his divine sword displayed peerless might; someone of normal strength like Li Qingqing couldn't even dream of taking Su Xiuyan down with her.

"The three of us certainly can't handle them alone, but who said there are only three of us?" Li Qingqing sneered.

Shen Chang'an frowned. "You still have hidden reinforcements?"

Li Qingqing shook her head and continued, "My subordinates who didn't betray me were long since killed by them. I can't spare a single person from my side."

"Then who is going to fight them with us?"

Li Qingqing chuckled softly. "What did you think I was trying to achieve by dragging you around on a wild goose chase for so long? I was sending out a signal."

Shen Chang'an asked dubiously, "Sending out... a signal?"

A hint of a cruel smile played across Li Qingqing's face as she said coldly, "That Su Xiuyan wiped out my subordinates, acquired massive wealth and influence, and his ego has inflated to the absolute extreme."

"He dreams of ascending to the heavens in a single bound, becoming a master above men, and even dared to boast that he would fight the Dragon Emperor. Tsk tsk, yet he fails to consider why Great Qian has rotted away to this state, while the White Lotus Sect remains merely the White Lotus Sect..."

"In his arrogance and delusion, he naturally forgot the days when we had to hide everywhere like rats."

At this, a note of mockery crept into Li Qingqing's voice. "Scabs forgotten once the wound has healed, he gained just this tiny bit of strength and thought himself invincible under heaven, acting like an absolute fool. He forgot that the White Lotus Sect is nothing more than a rat scurrying across the street... Once it dares to show its face in the open, everyone will shout for its beating..."

Mid-sentence, Li Qingqing suddenly halted. From out of nowhere, she produced a thin mask and pressed it against her face, instantly casting an ethereal, illusory aura over her.

Had Shen Chang'an not kept his attention fixed on her the entire time, he feared he might have forgotten Li Qingqing's appearance right then and there.

"What are you planning to do?" Shen Chang'an asked.

Li Qingqing snorted. "Someone is approaching. Let's turn around and make it look like we are advancing toward the ghost city."

Shen Chang'an frowned, channeling his spiritual power into his ears, and sure enough, he heard the faint sound of approaching footsteps.

The three of them instantly turned around, assuming the posture of people preparing to march toward the ghost city.

"Oh? Which faction do you belong to?"

A soft male voice rang out. Shortly after, Shen Chang'an and the others saw a Daoist-robed man walk out from the shadows.

Li Qingqing gently nudged Shen Chang'an, signaling him to step forward and speak.

Shen Chang'an stepped out, cupped his hands slightly, and said, "I am Lingxiaonzi of the Qingping Palace. These two are Miss Li and Miss Jiang, whom I met along the way."

It had to be said that Xue Lie's coordination with the White Lotus Sect regarding Jiang Yunyi's identity was flawless; even now, no one knew that Su Xiuyan's purpose in coming out was to snatch the dragon maiden and kill Shen Chang'an.

"Oh? To think it is Daoist Lingxiao! I have heard whispers of the Daoist's recent deeds. That court running dog of the Ziwu Palace actually constructed a formation using the flesh and blood of commoners—no better than those demonic villains!"

"The Daoist's righteousness is renowned among us all. If the souls of those villagers in the netherworld have any awareness, they will surely be grateful to you."

Unaware that he had acquired such a fine reputation, Shen Chang'an merely cupped his hands again and said, "You flatter me, friends. But I wonder, what brings you all here today? How is it that I get to meet so many fellow practitioners at once?"

"Ah? Does the Daoist not know? I assumed you were like the rest of us, here to exterminate the White Lotus heretic saint, Su Xiuyan."

The reinforcements... had arrived.