The Mirror Master

Lu Bai used his Eye of Illusion to follow the trail of Ghost Qi, which led him to the base of a rock wall.

The trail abruptly ended here.

The rock wall ahead was covered in a dense thicket of vines that shimmered eerily in the moonlight.

Grasping his Peach Wood Sword, Lu Bai carefully parted the vines.

A deep, dark cave appeared before him.

The cave entrance was a horizontal fissure in the rock wall, so narrow one had to stoop to enter.

"Young Master Lu, wait!"

Li Yue’er hurried to catch up, but by the time she arrived, Lu Bai had already squeezed inside and vanished from sight. It was too late to call him back.

The entrance in the rock wall resembled the gaping maw of an abyss hidden in the darkness, and gusts of chilling wind blew out from it.

In the cold breeze, the vines seemed to come alive, swaying gently.

Xiaodie and Li Yue’er’s faces turned pale.

In the pitch-black wilderness, neither of them would have dared to enter such a cave on their own.

Especially not a cave that might harbor that Ghostly Creature.

"Let’s go. We can’t let Young Master Lu face the danger alone!"

After a moment of hesitation, Li Yue’er mustered her courage. Clutching the Exorcism Talisman tightly in her left hand, she stooped and entered the cave.

’Sigh... I wonder if I’ll ever see the Young Miss again.’

Xiaodie sighed, braced herself, and followed.

The cave was pitch-black, so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

Xiaodie’s eyes were wide open, but she still couldn’t see a thing. There was only an inky void ahead.

Not daring to move, she quickly took out her flint and steel, blew on it a few times, and lit it.

But the light from the flint and steel was faint, only illuminating a one-foot radius around her.

"Daoist Li? Daoist Li?"

Xiaodie took a few tentative steps forward, calling out softly.

Li Yue’er had just entered right before her, but she was already gone.

The surroundings were dead silent. There was no sound at all.

Alone in the darkness, Xiaodie was terrified and instinctively backed away.

But after just a few steps, her back hit a hard, cold stone wall.

Xiaodie quickly turned to look.

The way was blocked.

She clearly remembered entering the cave and taking only a few steps forward. Now, after backing up, she could no longer see the entrance!

"How can this be?"

Panicked, Xiaodie reached out and touched the stone wall in front of her. It was cold, hard, and damp, covered in slimy moss.

"Why did you come in too?"

Just then, a familiar voice sounded out.

Xiaodie whipped her head around.

In the faint light, she saw Lu Bai walking toward her out of the darkness, his face full of concern.

"Young Master Lu!"

In her state of extreme terror, the sudden sight of Lu Bai made Xiaodie feel as if she had found her pillar of support. Her Heart and Spirit stirred with emotion.

"It’s dangerous here. Let me get you out first."

Lu Bai said softly, reaching for Xiaodie’s hand to lead her away.

"Xiaodie, get back! Stay away from him!"

At that moment, Li Yue’er’s voice suddenly rang in her ear.

She snapped back to her senses, the hair on her body standing on end, and goosebumps erupted all over her skin.

’That’s not Lu Bai!’

’It’s an Illusion Technique cast by that Ghostly Creature!’

Xiaodie quickly backed away in the direction of Li Yue’er’s voice and looked back at where ’Lu Bai’ was.

The hand ’Lu Bai’ had extended to her was gone. In its place were several bizarre, twisting vines that had almost entangled her!

The vines seemed startled and quickly retreated into the darkness, disappearing from sight.

Xiaodie turned her head and saw Li Yue’er standing not far away, and her heart eased slightly.

Just then, the flame from the flint and steel in her hand flickered, almost going out.

In her tense state, Xiaodie didn’t think much of it. She hurried toward Li Yue’er, saying, "Daoist Li, thank you for the warning."

Li Yue’er comforted her softly, "It’s alright. This Ghostly Creature’s Illusion Technique is very powerful. Be careful, and don’t stray too far from me."

"Mm-hm."

Xiaodie nodded repeatedly, pressing close to Li Yue’er. "Daoist Li, the entrance is gone, and Young Master Lu has disappeared."

Li Yue’er seemed much calmer. "Don’t panic yet. If we follow the wall, we’re sure to find a way out."

"Okay."

Xiaodie nodded.

The two of them walked along the stone wall.

For some reason, after walking for quite a while, the cave seemed to have no end.

Meanwhile, Xiaodie felt her body growing colder and colder. Her qi and blood felt sluggish, her hands and feet were frigid, and she became drowsy.

Xiaodie shook her head, but the feeling didn’t subside.

"Dao... Daoist Li..."

Xiaodie turned her head, about to ask a question, only to see Li Yue’er tilting her head, staring straight at her with a bizarre smile on her face.

In the dim firelight, Li Yue’er’s smiling face looked exceptionally terrifying!

"AHH!"

Xiaodie’s scalp tingled, and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She let out a terrified scream, almost fainting on the spot.

Suddenly!

A soft, golden light flared up and spread toward them.

"JIE JIE JIE!"

’Li Yue’er’ suddenly vanished, replaced by a frail, ghostly silhouette wreathed in green flames. Its deathly-pale face split into a grin.

Before the light could envelop it, the ghostly silhouette flickered and once again melted into the darkness.

Xiaodie trembled all over, terrified beyond measure.

Even when she saw the real Li Yue’er, enveloped in golden light, walking toward her, she was still shaking like a leaf, her face ashen, and she instinctively backed away.

’Which one is real?’

’Which one is fake?’

’I can’t tell at all!’

She wouldn’t have been this afraid even if she were facing a powerful Martial Artist.

At least they were living people, flesh and blood, something tangible.

But now, she was facing a malevolent entity hidden in the darkness, one with countless bizarre tricks up its sleeve!

Her mental defenses were on the verge of collapse.

The thought that the evil spirit had just been right beside her...

...that she had willingly approached it and walked with it for so long, made her shudder with lingering fear.

In her daze, a small, warm hand grasped her own.

"Xiaodie, it’s me."

Li Yue’er’s voice sounded. "I’ve activated the Exorcism Talisman. With this protective light, that evil spirit won’t dare to come near."

Feeling the warmth of Li Yue’er’s palm, Xiaodie gradually began to calm down.

This was completely different from the ’Li Yue’er’ from before.

When she walked side-by-side with ’Li Yue’er’ earlier, all she had felt was a penetrating chill.

Looking at the trembling Xiaodie, Li Yue’er was filled with both anxiety and worry.

Xiaodie’s face was deathly pale and her lips were blue—clear signs of Yin Qi invading her body.

’Even if we get out of here alive today, she’s probably going to fall seriously ill.’

’Besides, it’s obvious Xiaodie is terrified out of her wits; she’s not in her right mind.’

’Master once said that when some people suffer a great shock or fright, one of their three spiritual souls can be scared away. This is what it means to "lose one’s soul."’

’Afterward, they can’t eat or sleep, their minds become disturbed, and some even become dazed and unresponsive.’

’That’s why there are folk rituals for "soul-calling."’

’And in Xiaodie’s current state—mentally collapsed, her qi and blood depleted, her soul unstable—she’s even more susceptible to possession by an evil spirit.’

’This Exorcism Talisman of mine won’t last much longer.’

’Once the talisman’s light fades and darkness returns, even I won’t be spared!’

Just then, Li Yue’er sensed something at her feet and quickly looked down.

She saw the Black Dog that had been following Lu Bai. It had appeared beside them at some point and was now staring quietly into the darkness ahead, though at what, she couldn’t tell.

’There’s been no sign of Young Master Lu since he entered the cave, and now this Black Dog has found us. I’m afraid Young Master Lu has already met a grim fate.’

At this thought, Li Yue’er’s heart filled with regret, but also a greater sense of urgency. She took Xiaodie and tried to leave the cave as quickly as possible.

But after walking for some time, they still couldn’t find the exit.

The talisman’s light grew dimmer and dimmer.

Li Yue’er was burning with anxiety.

If this continued, the two of them would likely be trapped here until they died, their bones turning to dust, never to be discovered.

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