"Don't worry, I will definitely bring your father back!"
His words were powerful and reassuring, instilling confidence in those who heard them. As expected, Liu Jin's mood improved.
Qin Jiujiu, who had initially held Liu Jin's hand to comfort her, now felt her grip loosen after hearing Xie Yun's declaration.
She glanced at Xie Jing, wondering if he would still fall in love with the female protagonist without hesitation, eventually turning to darkness and causing the world to collapse.
Strangely, this time, the thought of what Xie Jing would experience later brought a pang of sorrow.
Xie Jing had been appearing in her mind too frequently these days, causing her a great deal of vexation.
"Let's go back to the cave we were at before. Those screens were his life's work; he wouldn't abandon them so easily!"
Xie Yun's words interrupted her thoughts, and the group immediately found a direction. Everything seemed to be coming together. All that remained was to rescue the City Lord, apprehend the real culprit, and the case would be closed.
But why would he capture the City Lord?
As they were about to leave, Xie Jing suddenly said, "That painting must be a key. I'll get it!"
Without waiting for Xie Yun's response, he went upstairs alone.
The others didn't think much of it, assuming Xie Jing was simply eager to solve the case. Only Qin Jiujiu knew that Xie Jing was not usually so concerned with such matters. If he showed such interest, it was either related to the female protagonist or something connected to his eventual descent into darkness.
People said a woman's heart was as unfathomable as the deep sea, but Qin Jiujiu felt that compared to Xie Jing's heart, a woman's heart was nothing.
Xie Jing quickly retrieved the painting and stored it in his Qiankun Bag. Qin Jiujiu observed him for a few more moments. His expression was unchanged, appearing as usual.
But who could know the true intentions of this disingenuous villain's scheming mind!
With a single teleportation talisman from Xie Jing, the five of them arrived at the entrance of the stone cave outside the city. However, the cave was now a pile of rubble, no longer existing.
Thirty souls were trapped beneath the stones, but moving such a large pile was no easy feat, and even Xie Yun couldn't accomplish it with talismans.
"What should we do?" Liu Jin asked, her anxiety growing as she looked at the ruins.
"Don't we still have the painting? Perhaps we can use it to lure him out! This should be his lair, and even if it's destroyed, he should still be nearby!"
Qin Jiujiu casually glanced at Xie Jing's waist. She knew the painting in his Qiankun Bag had to be produced, otherwise, she had no idea what wicked deeds he might commit with it.
Xie Jing looked at Qin Jiujiu upon hearing her words.
He saw the seriousness on her face. It was the first time he had seen her speak so earnestly. Usually, she was either joking around or up to some mischief behind the scenes. She had never appeared so focused on a task.
In truth, Qin Jiujiu was indeed diligently working, but it was to meticulously plot against him!
Everyone's gaze shifted to Xie Jing. He calmly took out the painting. Qin Jiujiu, seeing his expression, couldn't help but feel a smug satisfaction of success.
"Will this work?" Liu Jin asked, incredulous. Would such a ferocious ghost be lured out by an ordinary painting, only to be captured?
"A painting ghost is still a ghost, and ghosts naturally have things they fear!"
Xie Yun said slowly. He then took the painting from Xie Jing. Holding the painting in his left hand, he moved his right hand in the air, as if writing. Soon, a white light emanated from where his hand had passed, forming not words, but a pattern, like a talisman.
As soon as the talisman was complete, he threw the painting into the air. Strangely, the painting didn't fall to the ground but was absorbed by the talisman, disappearing without a trace.
Qin Jiujiu and Liu Jin, having never witnessed such a magical artifact, stared with wide eyes at the strange pattern, utterly astonished.
Xie Yun explained, "This is the Earth Prison Talisman. Once he enters, it will trap him within!"
"And this painting is the bait."
Although the painting was important, would that so-called painting ghost truly be willing to fall into the trap so easily?
Qin Jiujiu did not expect that the moment Xie Yun threw the painting, a strange phenomenon occurred.
The silence of the deep forest was instantly broken. The azure sky was suddenly invaded and stained by dark mist, becoming somber as if pressing down on them. From afar, countless sounds of crows and cicadas could be heard. The wind, cold and biting, rustled the leaves. The roars of wild beasts echoed faintly, rising and falling, drawing near and then receding in the night wind.
The wind carried sharp shrieks, like the wails of demons, assailing them, causing Qin Jiujiu to break out in a cold sweat.
Suddenly, the spectral wind intensified, accompanied by a piercing cry.
"He's here!"
Xie Yun announced, observing the surroundings.
Qin Jiujiu instinctively retreated behind Xie Yun. She hunched her body but stretched her neck, peeking out from behind him.
Bai Qianluo gripped her Qingjue Sword, carefully observing the situation. Once the painting ghost appeared, she could react swiftly.
Qin Jiujiu looked at Liu Jin. She was truly a beloved character in the original novel. Although she possessed a mortal body like Qin Jiujiu, compared to her, Qin Jiujiu felt like a mere weakling.
She, like Bai Qianluo, held a sword and adopted a defensive posture, appearing as valiant and heroic as described in the novel.
These two women presented two entirely different scenes: one ethereal and graceful, the other bright and resolute!
The spectral wind suddenly converged, changing direction and flowing towards the center of the formation created by the Earth Prison Talisman.
In an instant, the formation emitted a powerful shockwave, so strong it felt as if it would blow people away. Qin Jiujiu struggled to remain standing.
However, her hair and clothes were in disarray.
She could barely stand, yet the other four were in stark contrast. Their sleeves fluttered, and their wind-blown hair possessed a messy beauty.
This was such unfairness!
Was she just a cannon fodder? Did it warrant such a stark difference?
Suddenly, her hand was grabbed with such force that it nearly shattered her wrist bones.
Pulled by that immense strength, she was moved from her original spot, thus not enduring such a significant impact.
The figure in front was none other than Xie Jing.
His hand, outstretched from the front, pulled her from behind. Perhaps it was the villain's innate defensive system, but standing in front, he greatly reduced the impact she felt.
Qin Jiujiu gazed at the back of his head and felt an unexpected surge of emotion. She stared blankly at his retreating figure, a strong sense of security welling up within her, completely dispelling her fear of the painting ghost.
Xie Jing silently channeled his spiritual energy from his palm into Qin Jiujiu. His expression remained unchanged, his gaze fixed on the center of the formation, just like everyone else.
After about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the dark clouds suddenly dissipated, the sky cleared, and the spectral wind receded. The eerie sounds ceased, as if everything had instantly returned to peace.