The Unruly Immortals

Seeing the last Bai Family member, Bai Sai, enter the dense Reed Marshes, Li Huowang lifted his foot to pursue. "Hold on!"

A gigantic hand, larger than his own body, suddenly grabbed him, but when Li Huowang looked down, he found absolutely no giant claw on him.

He whipped around sharply, glowering at the Astrological Bureau agent beside him wearing a wooden mask—it was this person's trickery again.

Witnessing Li Huowang, who was filled with evil Qi, the other person held up their hands high and retreated several steps. "Brother, I'm trying to help you here."

"Those people now all know your identity, if you charge in alone, you're only seeking death."

An irritated Li Huowang shook his head vigorously, remembering the details Bai Lingmiao had described about her family members.

In her words, her parents and her clan were all kind-hearted and benevolent, completely different from what this person had described.

"Could it be... Bai Lingmiao lied to me? No, she couldn't possibly deceive me!" Li Huowang's hesitant eyes instantly firmed up.

From his previous encounters with the Bai Family members, they definitely did not seem like what this person had said.

"There must be some misunderstanding, I need to ask them face to face and clear things up!"

Having said that, Li Huowang threw the masked Astrological Bureau agent aside and marched towards the Reed Marshes amid his calls.

As soon as Li Huowang walked into the Reed Marshes, the sky instantly darkened, and the reeds overhead, which resembled wax sausages, squeezed out almost all contact with the outside world.

Glancing at the footprints on the ground, Li Huowang stepped forward slowly and called out, "Bai clan leader! It's me! Come out! Let's talk!!"

After shouting for a while and receiving no response from inside the Reed Marshes, Li Huowang first glanced over his shoulder at the connected swathes of wax-yellow reeds, then spoke out again, "Rest assured, I have a sworn relationship with the second miss! If the Bai Family faces unspeakable difficulties, I will surely lend all my support!"

"I'm on your side! That person with the wooden mask, I've seen him for the first time today; as long as I'm here, he wouldn't dare to harm you!" Li Huowang's voice carried far across the Reed Marshes.

Just as he had finished speaking, two sturdy Bai Family youths leapt out from the reeds ahead, silently staring at Li Huowang.

Relieved to see someone emerge, Li Huowang continued, "I know you now think I'm from the Astrological Bureau and don't trust me, but in truth, my involvement with this organization isn't as deep as you think. How about this, let's go back to Ox Heart Village? The second miss is there; you can let her clarify for you."

The two youths didn't say a word. Instead, they stepped wide left and right, and with a tug on their clothes, they were naked and began performing a series of poses.

Li Huowang didn't understand what they were doing; their movements couldn't be called boxing as there were no fists, nor could it be called spellcasting, as there were no incantations.

With their hands sketching shapes in the air, they muttered, "Divine Skills bestowed by the Immortals, celestial soldiers and generals reveal their powers. All deities heed my command, swiftly enter my mortal frame!"

The next moment, Li Huowang saw a tall, thin figure wrapped in black bands and glowing eerily emerge from the ground and move towards their bodies.

"What is that Evil Spirit!" Li Huowang quickly drew out the Copper Coin Sword, ready to drive that thing away.

Before he could approach them, the two Bai Family youths glared at Li Huowang with a chilling look.

A shocked Li Huowang halted in his tracks, looking at the two whose demeanor had completely changed. "What is this... Divine Strikes? Inviting Evil Spirits into their bodies?"

If Li Huowang previously harbored some disbelief towards the words of that Astrological Bureau agent, upon seeing these two's appearance, his suspicions began to surface.

"Listen, I genuinely don't want to fight you, and whatever you have done in the past doesn't concern me, it's for the other Astrological Bureau agents to handle!"

With a "swoosh", the two naked youths, almost with blurred afterimages, suddenly lunged towards Li Huowang.

They seemed possessed by some unknown evil spirits, with every part of their bodies acting as if they were independent entities.

Fingers separated from each other like the twitching heads of snakes, stabbing towards Li Huowang's neck.

These two did not appear strong, but Li Huowang did not make a move, knowing all his learned techniques were deadly.

If he truly fought back, the two men would either be dead or injured, and this was not what Li Huowang wanted to happen.

Amidst the reed marshes, Li Huowang twisted and turned his body, continuously dodging the attacks of the two men.

He didn't know what kind of evil spirit had possessed them; their agility was unexpectedly swift, forcing Li Huowang into a very passive position.

"Snap!" Li Huowang stumbled, and the two men pounced on him, not attacking directly but instead going for the copper coin sword in Li Huowang's hand.

Li Huowang pressed with his hand, and the next instant, with a "clang," he felt his back lighten. "Damn it!"

As Li Huowang turned around, a cold glint flashed by, and the purple tassel sword, oozing with evil Qi, stabbed viciously towards his face.

He wanted to counter or block, but both his hands were gripped by the two young Bai family members.

In this critical moment, Li Huowang instantly shifted, forcefully moving his body a few inches to the left.

"Azna Ling Guang Da She!" Li Huowang's copper coin sword exploded violently, and with a red tethering force, it effortlessly severed the fingers closing in on him.

Then with a fierce kick, he pushed the person in front of him away and quickly created distance from the others.

At the moment their eyes met, the man clutching the purple tassel sword suddenly knelt on one knee with a distorted expression, the sinister look on his face rapidly fading.

As the purple tassel sword was weakly thrust into the ground, his expression grew furious, and he bellowed madly while kneeling down.

Looking at the two youths whose fingers had been severed, and at another Bai family member possessed by evil Qi, Li Huowang let out a light sigh. "Did it really have to come to this? Couldn't we have talked this out?"

No sooner had he spoken than the reeds around him began to shake, and the chilling faces of men faintly appeared amidst the waxen yellow reeds.

The emotionless faces made Li Huowang shiver; almost half of the Bai family members were possessed by evil spirits.

Amidst the crowd, the old man with one tooth, sustained by Bai Sai, emerged, and the trembling figure began to speak.

His mouth with only a single tooth opened and shut rhythmically, singing something while a stench-ridden, dark mud oozed from the corner of his mouth.

"Huē—huán—tiě—ro!"

As these familiar yet alien sounds rang out, several familiar figures appeared before Li Huowang.

It was You Laoye. Though devoid of the trembling bell sound, its presence congealed vaguely, but having used You Laoye so many times, Li Huowang could still recognize them.

Seeing the ghostly presence of You Laoye that faded in and out midair, Li Huowang recalled the information Bai Lingmiao had shared with him back at the Qingfeng Taoist Temple.

Why would she, a seemingly ordinary girl, know of an evil spirit like You Laoye?

Now, seeing the scene before him, everything was clear—this old man must be the grandfather who told her the stories.