This Child of Red Omen… Another warm tear fell down Guang Li’s cheek. So kind… The man gritted his teeth together, feeling a flood of immense guilt. Thank…you, Song Mei Ying…

Meanwhile, outside of the ring of light, the white-robed huntress watched over the imprisoned spirits whose eyes began to show warmth. Their irises became bright. The vexation, any whisper of anger, and the traces of remaining resentment or sadness quickly dissipated. All thirty-three specters had stopped resisting.

Without missing a beat, a huge golden shield emanated from around the cultivator and the substantial crowd of immobilized specters, all of whom were fixated in a successful trance. Setting the barricade in place would ensure no further interference. Not even the other hunters, who are still pursuing the rest, should be able to penetrate the boundary. It was the most delicate part of the process.

Satisfied with the outcome, the young woman then closed her eyes and continued to chant her prayers, “…You who are the bright lights of worlds in ten directions, who have attained a buddha’s omniscience through the stages of awakening…”

The gleaming chains around the ghosts began to loosen as their souls started to fade gently into glistening dust.

“With palms together, I earnestly request: You who may actualize parinirvana, please stay with us for eons numberless as atoms of the world…” murmured Mei Ying, channeling all her focus into the task. “For the happiness and well-being of all wanderers in samsara.”

At long last, the chanting ceased. In one heap, the long, winding silver chains and bells laid flat against the earth and puddles of water.

The small orbs of white light were all that remained, floating in the giant ray of light. Though it was subtle, every one of the souls nodded toward the veiled huntress. They no longer harbored any resentment. Peace filled their beings. They were ready to move onto the Netherworld.

Another flash of light flooded the entire cave vicinity.

Quickly, Mei Ying reined in the scourge toward her way. She shut her eyes from the flying dirt and wind. Once the silver belt encased itself around her waist, she took out a fan and unfolded it to shield her eyes. When it was spread out, the white pristine fan revealed a large red chrysanthemum at its center, beautifully painted there with surrounding greenery and other red flowers.

A cool draft blew back the young woman’s long, dark hair and her half top hair-bun. Ah, it was not easy work, calming the purple yin energy that circulated within the spirits…

But all went well.

The cave went dark again, reverting to its original state. Aside from the large hole in the cave ceiling, not many would have understood what had happened here…

“Mei Ying!”

The voice that called out to the huntress was energetic and light.

From behind the huntress, two young men dressed in silver outer robes, followed by a woman in leaf-green, joined their friend. They all drifted from the darkness with full elegance and smiles.

It could have been worse. Remembering the golden boundary, the veiled maiden closed her fan shut. She whispered an incantation and swiped the air a few times with two fingers. Like glass, the shield instantly shattered, allowing the three hunters to enter the space. If they were here earlier, it would not have been easy to send the spirits all off properly…

Out of the four friends, Mei Ying and one other were the most easygoing. The remaining half were quite short-tempered and would not have been as forgiving. It was understandable because these spirits were truly malicious and blood thirsty.

The three cultivators landed with barely a touch of their boots. There was not a sound to be heard. They stood on either side of the small huntress.

One of the young men dressed in silver reached over to ruffle Mei Ying’s crown of long, dark hair. “Is my Eagle Eyes spell working well with you?” he asked, kindly. He was the one who had called out to her.

Given by his contented nature, the white-robed huntress guessed that the other twenty-two ghosts were sent off successfully. She did not expect to find a large number on this side of the cave when she was chasing Guang Li. However, she did not have time to ask for help with Spiritual Communication. Waiting would have been difficult.

It would have been nearly impossible at her current cultivation rank to maintain all thirty-three spirits in one place if Mei Ying needed to wait for her friends to show up. It was better to proceed with the plan and risk not losing one restless ghost.

Still, at least, everything worked out in the end.

If Mei Ying and the three other hunters had not taken the mission, the nearby cities and villages would have been in serious trouble with fifty-five demons roaming about. Many civilians would, undoubtedly, die.

The young woman nodded at her friend. “Without it, you know this one cannot see well in the dark. Thank you, Li Qin.” Her dark eyes crinkled, curving into a warm pair of smiling, bright crescents.

“I’m glad to know that.” The other scratched at the edge of his high ponytail. He was a handsome young man, with a sincere smile that resembled the first day of sweet spring. “Next time, this one will accompany you.”

From up close, one could see that Li Qin donned a silver outer robe that was like starlight, quietly shimmering at every movement made. It was a magical cloth that reacts to evil and will unleash its power when combating harmful incantations to the wearer. Around his high ponytail was a white ribbon. On both shoulders were silver pauldrons, each engraved with plum blossom designs and tigers.

Despite sharing a history of tragedy with the other two cultivators, Li Qin was a pure-hearted person. They were surviving orphans when their village was raided and massacred by a horde of demons at the bottom of a mountain. As children, both him and the other young man were adopted by the Shan Qing sect that resided in the green, wide-ranging Mount Xue Hua.

Meanwhile the other, the young woman dressed in green, became a disciple of the all-female Shujing Jian sect up in the central region.

Following Li Qin was Nian Zu, another young man, though slightly older by appearance. Unlike his cheery martial brother, the shixiong wore his long, ink-black hair down. However, the top half of his straight hair was up in a tight bun, decorated by a silver tuinga hairpin. He did not carry a friendly air. His was rather stony and frigid, one that was also unwelcoming and biting.

“What’s with this hole?” Frowning, Nian Zu added, “…Mei Ying, this is a mission hazard.”

Being the youngest and least experienced in hunting, the white-robed maiden sighed at the person cocking his head at the horrendous gap overhead. “Ah, it won’t happen again…” She bowed her head.

“So messy.” The older cultivator continued to lecture their friend.

A few pebbles tumbled down from above. Some particles came over Nian Zu’s spotless attire, much to Mei Ying’s horror. Furrowing his brows together, the hunter brushed some dust off his wide shoulders, keeping the silver outer robe clean and crisp.

He asked, “Are all Song cultivators like this?”

The huntress massaged her temple. She went silent.

“Next time, I will teach her better.” Li Qin chimed in between the two. He patted the senior’s shoulder. “Do not worry. She’s a fast learner, Shixiong.”

“What the f*ck is this?” A silvery but hushed voice asked.

From the opposite side of the area, the other huntress had wandered away and was seen, kneeling before an unidentified object. It was too dim for Mei Ying and the young men to see what the cultivator had found.

Raising an eyebrow, the peerless woman leaned in slowly. Her bright green sleeve drifted over the spot in front of her. “It smells…like rotten flesh.”

It was true. Mei Ying, Li Qin, and Nian Zu all exchanged glances with one another. They sniffed the damp air. Yes, the strange, heavy stench was indeed sickening sweet and gut-wrenching at the same time.

Hesitantly, the green-robed cultivator knitted her light brows together. A dark, pensive expression came through her initially calm demeanor. With two fingers, she manifested a small bright red-and-gold flame.

“Don’t!” Before her friend could set the single red flower petal on fire, Mei Ying rushed over like the wind. She carefully seized hold of the woman’s delicate jade-white hand. “Do not burn it, Xia Qi!”

“Be wary!” warned the older huntress. “It seems to be more than just yin.”

Although Mei Ying’s voice was hasty, it was quite pleasant. “Yes, but this…is mine to take.”

Without hesitation, the younger one placed her two fingers, both imbued with bright gold spiritual energy, on top of the red flower petal. It had been dipped in yin. Quickly, the evil had been dispelled from the object.

The fleck was from a real crimson flower, but unlike living, thriving ones, it had long been dead. However, strange as it was, something was struggling to revive it given by the petal’s attempt to hold itself up.

For hundreds of years, as the stories went, chrysanthemums were naturally impossible to find among any places in the Mortal realm. En Lai, the Heaven Immortal shifu, claimed that while it was hard to believe, the blossoms were once abundant throughout the land. They were used for tea, medicinal herbs, and made into charms to repel evil spirits by mortals. Back then, Shifu explained, it was a different time, a much simpler one.

Taking the dab from the cave floor, Mei Ying placed it into a magical storage pouch and returned the small bag into one of her secret inside pockets. She whispered a short incantation, ensuring that it stayed here.

Soon, the others drifted their way over toward the two young women rising to their feet. The senior’s frown deepened. His long black hair billowed back a bit as he glowered at Mei Ying with disapproval. The white-robed maiden, being oblivious, tilted her head innocently.

“…Did you just pick it up?” Nian Zu wanted to scold the naïve huntress. “Just like that?”

Objects that were submerged with yin energy or connected to demonic origins should not be collected so carelessly like a rock collection or some sort! It was a bit tragic to say, but the Song clan seemed to have fallen far behind the present cultivation world’s way of dealing with such things.

Elbowing his shixiong, Li Qin murmured to the older one, “Shixiong, ah…” His eyes darted around, rather awkwardly. “We are with Mei Ying. If anything happens, we will be there to sort it out with her.”

Nian Zu turned to glare at his shidi. When did they start spoiling the young woman?

“Is it…” A thin line slipped into Xia Qi’s red lips. She paused, her dark amber eyes hardening. “…Is it from him, the person whom you are looking for?”

“Yes.” Tightening her jaw, Mei Ying nodded. A shadow casted over her face. “The demon king had passed through here…”

For the third time in twenty years, the Netherworld God had made another move in the Mortal realm.

It was he who was marked for the veiled maiden’s greatest hunt, forcing Mei Ying out of Cheng Xiu Village.

The veiled maiden closed her eyes. What she had collected was a mere fragment though.

In contrast to her last encounter with him, the entity had scattered his foul-scented red petals behind in the wooden-paneled room, smeared along with dark blood.

Mei Ying opened her eyes, feeling her hands tremble. Her blood was boiling hot like red lava under a cool icy surface.

On that day, despite crimson streaming from her mouth, the dying protégé of Shaman Xia had scrawled out the vividly red characters: Demon king!