The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 420: Only the Destined Can Draw the Blade

Chapter 420: Only the Destined Can Draw the Blade

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Qi Mu’s mouth. She gripped her great axe firmly, and with a swift movement, she turned, her skirts billowing as she cleaved through the encircling evil spirits!

The spirits, realizing too late that her earlier exhaustion was an act, were stunned. They were now unable to reassemble their forms!

Qi Mu understood the principle of "cutting the weeds and digging up the roots." She continued to swing her great axe, wiping out all the evil spirits in the courtyard, leaving only traces of ghostly energy.

"Heroine!" Lord Xue, seeing the tide turn, stopped in his tracks with tears in his eyes. "You’re incredibly powerful! I can’t ever repay you for saving us!"

Qi Mu raised an eyebrow. "How could you not repay me? Do you plan to take your money with you to the grave?"

Lord Xue’s face stiffened. Since when did heroes of the martial world speak so bluntly about money? They used to be known for their righteousness and chivalry.

However, with the danger from the evil spirits not yet over, he was afraid that if he refused, Qi Mu might withdraw her protection. He forced a smile. "As long as I’m alive, money is a small matter."

A thousand taels, a hundred taels, ten taels--money was money. Once he was safe, he would determine how much to give.

Qi Mu, catching his drift, curled her lips in disdain. "Then follow me."

She couldn’t ignore the others in need of help, which was against the teachings of Qi Castle.

Lord Xue felt disgruntled but dared not refuse.

In a corner, Cangsheng and the others, using their Invisible Talismans, watched in disbelief as Qi Mu turned the situation around with her strategy. With the formation gone, the evil spirits would soon need to seek out new prey. They could no longer just wait around.

Cangsheng quickly drew a talisman. The other young Taoists’ expressions changed. "Senior Brother, must you be so ruthless?"

They had hoped to stay hands-off, avoiding bloodshed. But using the talisman meant they would bear karmic consequences!

And it was a girl they were dealing with!

Cangsheng glared at them. "How can one achieve great things by being indecisive? No one will take that blade from me!"

Seeing his bloodshot eyes and evident madness, the others hesitated to stop him. After all, whoever used the talisman would be responsible for its consequences.

Cangsheng did not hesitate and used the Conjuring Talisman. This talisman, usually employed for trapping and dealing with evil spirits, was now being used to harm others--a first for him.

As the talisman’s aura spread, drawing all the spirits in the mansion, Cangsheng felt a twinge of fear. But his excitement quickly overpowered his anxiety. Without this, he’d never rise above Cangan, who was favored by the Ninth Princess. Cangsheng despised the thought of always being inferior to Cangan.

The thought of Qi Mu’s soul being consumed by the spirits thrilled him.

Meanwhile, Qi Mu, though lacking the ability to see spirits, sensed a sinister aura around her. The coldness was overwhelming, and the sunlight had no effect. She shivered uncontrollably.

Lord Xue, panicked, hid behind Qi Mu, his voice trembling. "What’s happening? What’s going on?"

He regretted not dealing with his daughter, Xue Shengnan, when she was born.

Before he could finish his thought, seven or eight evil spirits surged forth. Lord Xue and his companions trembled, unable to even speak clearly.

Qi Mu’s arms were growing sore. She had planned to take down the spirits one by one, but now they were all attacking at once. She only had two hands and one blade!

Determined to face the challenge, she thought bitterly about her misfortune. Fleeing was no longer an option; she had to press on.

However, these spirits were well-fed and much stronger than before, making their attacks increasingly difficult for her to handle.

In a brief stalemate, the spirits realized that Qi Mu had no Taoist powers and was merely relying on her great axe. They coordinated their attack, using their claws to knock the axe away.

Qi Mu’s heart sank. The great axe had embedded itself partially in the ground, and the golden light on the blade was fading.

Desperately trying to retrieve the Heaven-Shocking Blade, she found her path blocked by the spirits, who aimed to extract her soul.

Having traveled with her parents as a wandering hero, Qi Mu had encountered many strange events. She quickly steadied herself, reciting the golden light incantation: "Heavenly Sovereign of the Mysteries, the source of all energies. Cultivate through endless tribulations, prove my divine power. Within and beyond the Three Realms, only the Way is supreme. My body is surrounded by golden light, impervious to sight and sound..."

With her mind focused and her spirit resilient, the spirits struggled to extract her soul.

The spirits, however, were relentless, surrounding her with chilling laughter: "Stop struggling and surrender your soul."

"No one will come to save you. You might as well end it now."

"Are you scared? Your mind is already in turmoil..."

In the face of death, Qi Mu could only hold on to a single belief. She looked towards the Heaven-Shocking Blade. Her father had once told her that a soothsayer prophesied that someone destined would one day draw the blade to save her from peril.

She had believed it wholeheartedly. But now, in her dire situation, she cursed the soothsayer. Where was the destined savior? Her life was hanging by a thread!

Suddenly, a figure appeared and rushed towards her. Qi Mu’s heart leaped with joy, but then she saw it was one of the young Taoists from earlier.

Frowning, she muttered, "A Taoist? Can a Taoist draw the blade?"

The Taoist was Cangsheng. His eyes were filled with excitement as he gripped the blade’s handle, trying to draw the great axe.

However--

Despite his efforts, the axe remained immovable.

"What’s going on?" Cangsheng grew frustrated and anxious. He used both hands, putting all his strength into it, but the blade wouldn’t budge.

After much exertion, his hands were almost blistered, yet the great axe didn’t move an inch.

Qi Mu understood immediately that Cangsheng was not the destined one. She shouted, "Taoist, only I can lift this blade. You can’t draw it. Quickly use a talisman to save me!"

Cangsheng realized the blade was likely bonded to its rightful owner like a magical artifact. His frustration boiled over, and he thought of how his plans had failed spectacularly.

With a fierce glare at Qi Mu, he spat through gritted teeth, "You might as well die!"