Chapter 67: A Cruel Trick

"Who... who is your father?" Ji Liehuo was taken aback when Ou Xinlai suddenly mentioned her father. He still had no idea whose child this ugly little girl actually was. What if... No, surely not?

"Hehe, my father is just a minor figure, perhaps the hero has not heard of him," Ou Xinlai replied bashfully, scratching her head.

Hearing this, Ji Liehuo breathed a sigh of relief. Just a nobody, then—he needn't worry any further.

"My father's name is Ou Chenfeng," Ou Xinlai continued.

There was a strange sound as Ji Liehuo felt his jaw stick for a moment. "Ou... Ou... Ou Chenfeng?" Though Ji Liehuo was not from the land of Xuanwu, he had indeed heard those three characters before. Could this ugly child really mean the Ou Chenfeng he was thinking of? "Where are you from?"

"Xuanwu." Ou Xinlai, ever obedient, answered every question.

"Then what is your father's relation to the largest Ou family in Xuanwu?" Cold sweat prickled Ji Liehuo's back.

Before Ou Xinlai could answer, the trio of Ou Jinshen, who had previously split up, arrived. They, too, had heard that the demon sect’s Li Chengfeng had acquired a treasure, and so the righteous had gathered to confront him.

The three were still young, but joining in such activities was a valuable experience for them, so they had hurried over. Little did they expect to find Ou Xinlai here.

"Are you alright?" Ou Jinren examined Ou Xinlai carefully. "If anything happened to you, how would we answer to the clan leader?" After Ou Xinlai had saved them, the three had discussed it. No matter how unpromising Ou Xinlai might seem, what mattered was that the clan leader had never given up on her.

As long as Ou Chenfeng remained the leader of the Ou clan, they could not neglect Ou Xinlai. Should anything happen to her, how could the clan leader, her father, not hold them accountable?

By now, Ji Liehuo needed no confirmation: this Ou Chenfeng was indeed the one he had feared.

Ou Xinlai, innocent and straightforward, turned to Ji Liehuo and said, "Hero, the Ou family you mentioned must be mine. Thank you so much for your care today. I will tell my father everything that happened exactly as it occurred. Someday, he will visit you in person to express his gratitude for your guidance."

Ji Liehuo's face twitched. "No, no need—really, I did nothing, it was nothing, please don't mention it to the clan leader." He'd sent Ou Chenfeng’s daughter to her death with righteous justification, and she had even led the charge herself. If Ou Chenfeng found out, would the Ji family ever see peace again?

"My father always taught me that even a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring. Today, the hero acted with such generosity and spirit—if I do not let my father know, I would be ashamed of my heart. You need say no more; though you do good deeds and wish to remain nameless, I cannot agree to that," Ou Xinlai insisted, with the fervor of a righteous youth.

"Alright, let's go," Ou Jinshen sensed something odd between Ou Xinlai and Ji Liehuo. Ji Liehuo clearly wanted to avoid discussing what had just happened—he must have taken advantage of Ou Xinlai and feared retribution from the clan leader.

Ou Xinlai nodded obediently and followed behind the three.

Suddenly, she asked, "Do you know an elder dressed in green robes, with a pale face and greenish skin?"

"You mean the Old Ghost in Green?" Ou Jinyun was startled. "You saw him?" If that was really the case, and Ou Xinlai was unharmed...

"I only caught a glimpse. He was so distinctive, I was curious," Ou Xinlai replied.

Ou Jinren gave her a cool look. "The Old Ghost in Green is a disgrace among the cultivators of special abilities. He practices by stealing women's vital yin. Any woman who encounters him cannot escape his clutches, and his abilities have reached level seven. Regardless of age or gender, anyone who stands in his way is killed without mercy."

Ou Xinlai nodded. Indeed, when the Old Ghost in Green had seen that silver needle, he'd seemed almost crazed, nearly breaking her neck. Vital yin? Ou Xinlai frowned. A woman, in her lifetime, actually has three instances of vital yin blood: first, the blood of menarche as a girl becomes a maiden; second, the blood of losing virginity; third, the blood of childbirth.

If the Old Ghost in Green used these three types of yin blood as keys for cultivation, it was no wonder his body exuded such intense coldness. By touching such extreme yin, he had, as his name suggested, left the realm of humanity and entered the path of the ghost!

"Is level seven very powerful?" Ou Xinlai asked again. She only knew she was considered useless, while Xuan Ye was a dual earth-water cultivator: earth at level four, water at level three, which together made seven. Of course, ability levels were not so simply summed.

Ou Jinshen glanced at her; Ou Xinlai cared little for cultivation matters. "This time, in Chiyou’s ancient cave, anyone at level seven is considered a top master. If you meet such a person, even if you discover treasure, you must let it go—nothing is more important than your own life."

He was teaching Ou Xinlai: should she encounter a formidable opponent, never confront them head-on.

"What about level eight? Wouldn’t that sweep everything before it?" Ou Xinlai thought of Li Chengfeng.

Ou Jinyun understood and looked at her. "Exactly. At Li Chengfeng’s level, none of us here is his match. If he wished, we’d all be corpses by now."

Hearing this, Ou Xinlai touched her neck, realizing she had nearly become one of the corpses Ou Jinyun spoke of.