Chapter 120: Meetings Are Not Easily Come By

The rupture of the battle formation caused an explosion, and it wasn't just Aunt and the others who were injured; Yueyue was also hurt. She lay on the ground like a wounded little bird, her hair disheveled and a pool of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

I ran straight toward Wang Ying. This time, no matter what, I could not let her escape. "Wang Ying, Wang Ying, is that you?" We were in the plaza, and the lighting was bright enough for me to see clearly. The person descending from the air and standing there was indeed Wang Ying. She held the Cloud-Walking Pestle, looking heroic and valiant, yet her face bore a malevolent air—a sinister sharpness I had never seen before.

"Wang Ying, Wang Ying." No matter how sinister she appeared, and no matter how heavy the malice upon her, she was still my wife. I had to help her; I could not let her continue to be manipulated, enslaved, and made an enemy of the world. In the eyes of others, she might have been no different from Yueyue—a fierce ghost or demon—but to me, she was my wife. Regardless of her ferocity, all I remembered was her tenderness, her kindness, and the days we had spent together.

However, while I clung to the memory of her beauty, she had forgotten everything. Just as I was about to reach her, she suddenly swung the Cloud-Walking Pestle, aiming it straight at my body. I never expected her to attack me, and I was so stunned I forgot to dodge.

Bang! My body was sent reeling, and I was knocked aside. As I fell, I saw Wan'er also collapsing to the ground nearby. The force from Wang Ying’s strike had hit a nearby lamppost, snapping it in two.

"Brother, are you alright?" Wan'er drifted to my side and pulled me up.

I felt such a sense of grievance. Wang Ying, how could you really attack me?

What should I do? What could I do? No matter what, I had to keep Wang Ying and Yueyue here today. I pushed Wan'er aside and drew my Fengchi Sword. My heart ached; I was facing Wang Ying in battle. Could I bring myself to strike her? I couldn't—I truly couldn't. But if I didn't, the consequences would be dire. Yueyue would be taken away, and Aunt and the others might fall into danger.

"Who are you? If you don't want to die, get out of the way. I don't want to kill," Wang Ying said, her hand trembling as she walked toward me with the Cloud-Walking Pestle.

A glimmer of hope rose in me. She didn't want to kill; this meant she was different from Yueyue—her conscience was still intact. That was good. "Wang Ying, Wang Ying, do you really not recognize me? I am your husband!" I looked at her, feeling deeply moved.

"Husband? Liar. I am a ghost; what husband could I have? And my name is not Wang Ying. Get out of the way, I am taking her," she said, pointing to the unconscious Yueyue.

I gritted my teeth. "Not only is she not leaving today, but you aren't either." I brandished my Fengchi Sword, deciding to risk everything—even if it cost me half my life—to keep them both here.

"Then let's see if you have the ability!" Wang Ying swung the pestle and charged at me again. I was anxious; she held Wei Qi’s weapon, and if I could keep her, I might learn something about his whereabouts. I had no choice but to strike, raising my divine Fengchi blade to parry.

Boom!

The two weapons collided with a force that defied description. After a blinding flash of light, both Wang Ying and I were thrown back to the ground. The Cloud-Walking Pestle in her hand had been split in two. I felt as if my entire body were shattering. In truth, I hadn't used my full strength; I couldn't bring myself to truly strike her, aiming only to defend. It was simply that both items were legendary artifacts, which caused such a massive discharge of energy.

The Cloud-Walking Pestle was inferior to the Fengchi blade, and combined with Wang Ying’s malevolent energy, it had snapped. Seeing Wei Qi’s weapon broken, my heart felt heavy.

My biggest concern was Wang Ying. Like me, she lay on the ground for a moment before slowly pulling herself up. Clearly, she was severely injured. I regretted using so much force; I should have dodged or parried more gently.

As Yueyue stood up unsteadily, Aunt and the others surrounded her, trapping her within the same net-like formation they had used earlier. Poor Wang Ying, already tottering, was caught in the formation and lifted into the air. I didn't know what kind of technique this was, but it was clearly tormenting her. She struggled in vain, her face contorted in extreme pain.

I wanted to keep her, but I didn't want her to suffer. I staggered over to Aunt. "Aunt, please, don't do this to her. She is my wife."

Aunt, palms pressed forward, glanced at me sideways. "Dachuan, get back. She isn't human; she’s a ghost, and she is filled with malice. If we let her go, the consequences will be endless. We must scatter her soul today."

I was stunned. I couldn't let them scatter Wang Ying's soul—I would rather have my own soul scattered than hers. In this world, few people had been good to me, and she was the best of them. Even if I died, I couldn't let her die. Besides, she wasn't truly evil; she had just told me she didn't want to kill.

"Aunt, she really isn't a bad person. She's being controlled. Please, let her go." I crouched beside Li Jinglian, pleading.

"Dachuan, you are so foolish! You have Wan'er—you can marry a living woman. Don't interfere with our work," Aunt said, growing impatient.

"Aunt, please spare Sister Ying. They are truly in love. If you destroy her, Brother will be heartbroken," Wan'er added, kneeling beside me.

"You too, Wan'er? You're both confused! This girl is full of malice. If we lose this chance, we'll never catch her again." Although she spoke these words, I could clearly see her resolve wavering.

"Aunt, I beg you, don't hurt her. Let me take her home," I said, on the verge of tears.

Aunt looked at me and sighed. "You living people are such a nuisance. You are your uncle's nephew, so infatuated... why couldn't he have been like you? Fine, I will let her go. See if you can redeem her and take her away." With a flick of her hand, the web-like formation vanished, and Wang Ying slumped to the ground.

Feeling a wave of relief, I rushed toward her. But before I could reach her, Wang Ying suddenly sprang up—a move I never anticipated. Before I could react, she blurred and vanished into the night.

I stood there, stunned. How had she become so powerful? Even with such severe injuries, she had escaped so easily. I followed, but there was nothing to be seen.

"Brother Wang, is that you?" A voice came from behind me. I turned to see Yu Fang standing there in her police uniform, looking sharp and capable. It seemed she had come tonight to apprehend Yueyue.

"It's you!" I recognized her instantly.

"Brother Wang, you've become so powerful!" she said with a smile.

I was in no mood to reminisce. After a brief exchange, I walked over to where Aunt and the others had cornered Yueyue. She lay motionless, her clothes stained red with blood.

"Brother Wang, even though you defeated her, this is official business. We have to take her in." Yu Fang approached, handcuffs in hand. Yueyue was human; regardless of who controlled her or what dark arts she practiced, she was subject to the law. However, I knew I couldn't let them take her. First, she possessed the Soul-Sucking Art; if she regained consciousness, her power could be devastating to the officers. Second, I needed to bring her back to learn the truth about Wang Ying and Wei Qi. If Wang Ying had Wei Qi’s weapon, where had he gone?

The more I thought, the more afraid I became. I could not let them take her.

"Sister, I'm sorry. You can't take her."

"Why not? We've been staking this out for a long time. She's a murderer." Yu Fang reached for the handcuffs.

I grabbed her wrist. "I said no. She can kill a mortal just by looking at them. Do you believe me?" It was an exaggeration, but grounded in truth—she could easily consume a living soul.

Yu Fang hesitated. One of the officers behind her nudged her. "Captain Yu, I think we should let this go. I recorded the whole thing—they can fly and vanish. It's normal that we couldn't catch them."

Yu Fang bit her lip, looked at me, and sighed. "Brother Wang, take care of yourself. We're leaving." She led her team away in their police cruiser.

"Dachuan, what are you going to do now?" Aunt asked.

"Aunt, I want to take her back, treat her, and drive out the dark poison within her," I said firmly.

"Dachuan, saving her will be harder than ascending to heaven. Are you sure you want to do this?" Aunt asked, her expression grave.

"Aunt, no matter how hard it is, I have to try. Only by saving her can I learn the truth about Wang Ying and Wei Qi. For the sake of love and friendship, I have to do this."

Aunt nodded. "Dachuan, you are much better than your heartless uncle."