The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

Yun Yanshuang retrieved a black treasure gourd, her fingers deftly forming a seal as she uncorked it.

From within the gourd, a wisp of a ghost emerged.

The ghost took the form of a woman in white, her ethereal figure hovering in midair. In life, she had been a beautiful young woman, desired by a wealthy landlord in Yunzhang County. After being cruelly violated, she was dismembered on his orders and discarded in a mass grave outside the county. The torment she endured had left her soul consumed by rage, transforming her into a vengeful ghost.

On the seventh night after her death, she returned to exact her revenge, slaughtering the landlord and his entire household of dozens.

After absorbing the essence and vitality of her victims, her ghostly power grew, and she began preying on the young and strong in Yunzhang County.

It was during this time that Yun Yanshuang, acting on a tip from Lord Lu, led Yun Wenyu and her sisters on a mission to subdue the ghost. After a fierce battle, they sealed her within the treasure gourd, intending to use her to practice the ghost-controlling techniques in the Hundred Ghosts Night Walk.

"Immortal!"

The ghost in white floated lightly in the air, her once-beautiful face now tinged with fear as she noticed Yun Yanshuang holding the gourd. Bowing deeply, she greeted her captor with deference.

"I need your help with something," Yun Yanshuang said, her expression cold and detached.

"Immortal, command me as you will. Whatever I can do to assist, I shall do without hesitation," the ghost replied, her voice trembling with forced obedience.

She knew all too well the power of cultivators like Yun Yanshuang—beings whose strength and methods far surpassed her own. Resistance was futile.

"In a moment, I need you to possess that man," Yun Yanshuang said, pointing to Wang Liyuan, whose bloodied face was ashen with pain. "Search his spiritual imprint and uncover the secret behind his resurrection."

"A… cultivator?"

The ghost in white followed Yun Yanshuang's gaze, her eyes falling on the injured Wang Liyuan. Recognizing his status as a powerful cultivator, she shuddered visibly.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid?"

"Immortal… I am but a lowly ghost of no consequence. The qi and blood of a cultivator are far too powerful for me to approach safely. If I attempt possession, his energy could scatter my soul, and I would vanish entirely!"

The ghost's voice trembled with genuine fear.

Her concerns were not unfounded. As a ghost with limited power, she could not withstand the overwhelming vitality of a cultivator's qi and blood. It was like trying to stand under the blazing sun—an impossible feat for her kind.

"Rest assured. I will aid you," Yun Yanshuang said, her tone cool yet resolute.

Hearing this, the ghost in white finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"My gratitude to you, Immortal."

Yun Yanshuang formed another seal, channeling the energy of the Lunar Ascent from her dantian into the ghost's ethereal form.

The Lunar Ascent, an energy of pure yin, was highly nourishing to ghostly entities. It was for this reason that ghosts and other such beings preferred the cover of night, when yin energy was at its peak—especially during the midnight hour.

As Yun Yanshuang's energy flowed into her, the ghost's once-translucent form began to solidify, her features gaining definition. A faint smile of satisfaction crossed her face as she felt herself grow stronger.

"What are you waiting for? Go!"

Yun Yanshuang's sharp command snapped the ghost back to reality.

"Yes, Immortal!"

With Yun Yanshuang's support bolstering her courage, the ghost darted forward, transforming into wisps of smoke that spiraled toward Wang Liyuan's body.

The smoke slipped into his mouth and nostrils with alarming speed.

Wang Liyuan shivered violently, his pale complexion turning a ghastly shade of blue and purple. His eyes rolled back, their light extinguished as his pupils faded to a dull gray.

To anyone else, it would appear as though Wang Liyuan had died.

But Yun Yanshui knew better. He stood watching silently, fully aware that his sister's forbidden art, Possession by Ghost, was now in full effect.

Yun Yanshui turned and sat quietly in the corner of the chamber, waiting patiently.

Time passed.

Finally, the wisps of smoke that had entered Wang Liyuan's body began to emerge once more, escaping through his nose and mouth.

The ghost in white reappeared, her figure reforming before Yun Yanshui and Yun Yanshuang.

Yun Yanshui immediately noticed her weary expression. She seemed utterly drained, which wasn't surprising. After all, she was just a weak ghost. Even with the support of Yun Yanshuang's Lunar Ascent, forcibly possessing a cultivator like Wang Liyuan—a Qi Refining realm powerhouse with robust qi and blood—was no easy task.

"What did you do? What have you done?!"

Wang Liyuan's gray pupils slowly regained clarity, and his expression twisted into one of rage and fear as he roared at the siblings.

"Shut the hell up!"

Yun Yanshui strode forward and delivered a sharp kick to Wang Liyuan's face, sending blood spurting from his nose. The pain left him groaning and trembling on the floor.

"Speak. What did you find?"

Yun Yanshui shifted his piercing gaze to the ghost in white, who was visibly struggling to stay upright.

"I… I discovered the secret behind his resurrection," the ghost said weakly, panting heavily.

"What is it?"

"This man obtained an immortal artifact… a Life-Death Cicada. This artifact has the power to bring someone back from the dead."

The ghost's voice quivered as she revealed the truth, not daring to withhold anything from the siblings.

"The Life-Death Cicada? Where was it found?"

"W-Wanlong Mountain…"

As the ghost finished speaking, her form began to dissipate. Unable to maintain her physical presence any longer, she reverted to wisps of smoke and retreated into the treasure gourd in Yun Yanshuang's hand.

"Brother, it seems Wang Liyuan must have come across this immortal artifact while exploring Wanlong Mountain during the Hundred Clans Gathering ten years ago," Yun Yanshuang said, piecing the puzzle together.

"This man's fortune truly is extraordinary. Even after being killed once, he managed to revive himself with such a miraculous artifact!" Yun Yanshui's voice was laced with frustration as he glared at the battered Wang Liyuan.

"Our master once said that cultivating the Dao requires not only great perseverance but also immense fortune," Yun Yanshuang mused, her gaze falling on Wang Liyuan's frail form.

"If it weren't for you, Brother, with his talent and fortune, Wang Liyuan's achievements would have been far greater than this."

She couldn't help but marvel at Wang Liyuan's luck. Compared to most cultivators in Yue Kingdom, he stood head and shoulders above them in terms of fortune. Even she had to admit that his luck surpassed hers.

But against her brother, even Wang Liyuan's fortune fell short.

After all, her brother had found that mysterious ancient bronze mirror as a child—a discovery that allowed him, a rootless mortal, to step onto the path of cultivation. That level of fortune was unparalleled.

No matter how lucky Wang Liyuan was, he couldn't outmatch Yun Yanshui in this lifetime.

Yun Yanshui offered no response to his sister's remark, but his expression reflected his agreement.

In the ruthless world of cultivation, perseverance and hard work were not enough. One also needed fortune—an intangible blessing that allowed cultivators to ascend to greater heights and stand above the masses.

It was no wonder that as cultivators grew stronger, the struggle for fortune and destiny became fiercer.

Without fortune, how could one ever hope to reach the pinnacle of the Dao?

"Once we return, investigate this Life-Death Cicada thoroughly. If possible, we should consider exploring Wanlong Mountain again," Yun Yanshui said, his tone measured.

"Wanlong Mountain holds secrets worth uncovering. Even the royal family's ancestor found a fragment of a broken ancient bronze mirror there.

"Now, Wang Liyuan has found an immortal artifact capable of defying death. Who knows what other treasures might lie within?

"If we're lucky, we might even acquire another Life-Death Cicada.

"And if not, we'll need to find another way to bring Yun Yantian back, just as Wang Liyuan returned."

As he spoke, Yun Yanshui summoned his Golden-Eyed Beast from his storage pouch.

Over the years, the creature had grown significantly, now as large as a bull. Its imposing form was fearsome to behold, but it was as docile as a lamb in the presence of Yun Yanshui and Yun Yanshuang.

"This is for you. Take your time eating it. If you swallow it whole, I'll beat you senseless," Yun Yanshui warned the beast with a cold glare before turning his attention back to Wang Liyuan.

Looking at the dying man, Yun Yanshui's expression darkened.

"Hmph. Let's see how you'll manage to resurrect yourself when you've become the Golden-Eyed Beast's dung!"