The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 730: So There Are Benefits to Being a Ghost!

Chapter 730: So There Are Benefits to Being a Ghost!

Qiao Dabao was anxious and said, "Although the Meng family brought this upon themselves, you’ve destroyed the city’s protective array. Now, everyone in Jade Wolf City is in danger. You’ve achieved your goal of revenge and intimidation, but you can’t disregard the innocent citizens of Jade Wolf City! If you do, how are you any different from the Meng family?"

Cinian paused and then looked toward Nanli.

Nanli sighed in resignation, saying, "I already told you I would help you set up a new protective array for Jade Wolf City. I promise it will be sturdier than the previous one."

Qiao Dabao immediately sighed with relief and bowed to Nanli, "Thank you so much, Daoist."

However, Nanli, despite being in the early stages of Golden Core, was still considered too weak to perform such a large-scale array without enough spiritual energy. Qiao Dabao thought this through and said, "How many Spirit Stones do you have in Jade Wolf City? I need to gather more spiritual energy while setting up the array, or I won’t be able to form such a large one."

Qiao Dabao hesitated for a moment but still replied, "Of course, we’ll provide what we can. Thank you for helping Jade Wolf City."

The city gates opened.

The Qiao family spent some time searching inside the City Lord’s mansion, and when they returned, they brought only three thousand low-grade Spirit Stones.

Nanli glanced at them and said, "This definitely isn’t enough."

She needed Spirit Stones for her little ones as well, and there was no way she would pay out of pocket.

Qiao Dabao sighed and then said, "Go, take all of Qiao family’s Spirit Stones."

The members of the Qiao family hesitated at first, but eventually, they agreed with a bow, "Yes."

After all, they had been exploited by the Meng family for years, and the Qiao family’s reserves of Spirit Stones were barely enough to keep them afloat. With the entire family now forced to offer their Spirit Stones, their power would be significantly diminished.

But when news of the Qiao family offering all their Spirit Stones to help Nanli set up the array spread throughout Jade Wolf City, everyone in the city came to the gates. Whether they were wandering cultivators or members of other families, everyone took out what little Spirit Stones they had left.

Qiao Dabao was deeply moved, "Thank you all! Thank you so much!"

"Lord Qiao, no need for thanks. We all live in Jade Wolf City as well," said another family head. "The monster is to blame for this tragedy. Lord Meng slaughtered innocents and brought this disaster upon us."

Despite the destructive nature of the protective array, its collapse was not entirely bad news, for now the citizens were free from the Meng family’s exploitation.

However, when Nanli glanced at the pile of Spirit Stones, she frowned, "This isn’t enough."

Cinian, surprised, said, "This is about five thousand middle-grade Spirit Stones and ten thousand low-grade Spirit Stones. Did you really gather all your reserves?"

The Bai family had casually taken out three thousand middle-grade Spirit Stones earlier. Jade Wolf City, being one of the Ten Great Cities, was ranked fourth. How could the entire city have so few Spirit Stones?

The city’s leaders all looked embarrassed.

Qiao Dabao explained, "Zen Master Cinian, you may not know, but the taxes in Jade Wolf City are extremely heavy. For families like ours, we have to pay thirty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones every month."

Cinian and the others furrowed their brows.

The tax rate was more extreme than anything they’d seen in the Upper Realm. It was no wonder they were nearly out of Spirit Stones.

Nanli turned to grab the Qiankun Bags from Lord Meng and Bai Xiuzhi, "Since the city lord’s residence doesn’t have much Spirit Stones, they must be carrying some on them."

But when she opened the bags, she found they didn’t contain many Spirit Stones either.

Her face fell.

Was she really going to have to cover the difference herself?

This was a serious loss!

"Ahem, Nanli Daoist," Meng Lianfeng floated over.

Nanli, her mood sour, turned to glare at him, her voice dark, "What now?"

"Actually... my mother had a treasure vault, and only we knew where it was. If I tell you, can I redeem myself?" Meng Lianfeng spoke quickly, desperate to avoid further punishment.

Nanli’s expression brightened instantly, "How many Spirit Stones are we talking about?"

"Uh, well... I can’t count them all," Meng Lianfeng stammered. "But all the taxes collected in Jade Wolf City were kept in my mother’s treasure vault."

Nanli raised an eyebrow, "Well, at least you’re showing some initiative. Since you’re turning over a new leaf, I’ll send you to the Netherworld—no need for talismans to bind you anymore."

Meng Lianfeng was overjoyed, "Thank you! Thank you! You’re such a kind person! But my mother’s dead... her soul shattered. The treasure vault... seems like it can’t be opened anymore."

"You’re playing with us, aren’t you?!" Qiao Dabao roared.

The mood quickly soured.

She took a step forward, ready to strike Meng Lianfeng, but he was unbothered.

Qiao Dabao shouted, "Damn it, I forgot you’re already dead!"

To her surprise, Meng Lianfeng chuckled.

"Looks like being a ghost has its perks! You can’t hit me!"

Nanli, not in the mood for his antics, slapped him across the face. "Stop gloating! Where is the vault?"

Meng Lianfeng winced from the slap, his teeth gritted in pain.

Looking at Nanli in surprise, he muttered, "You didn’t even use the Peachwood Sword, but you still hurt me?"

"There’s a lot you don’t know," Nanli replied coolly. "Lead the way, now."

Meng Lianfeng, his ghostly body trembling, quickly stopped his gloating and floated ahead to guide them.

The treasure vault was indeed located in the City Lord’s mansion.

However, Bai Xiuzhi had deliberately designed it to be underneath the garden pond, an area dark and damp.

Qiao Dabao moved quickly, but as she approached the area, poisonous needles suddenly shot out from both sides!

Nanli shouted, "Watch out!" and immediately sent a few copper coins flying, knocking the needles down.

Qiao Dabao recoiled in alarm, her face pale. "These poisons are very powerful. They can destroy a cultivator’s Dantian, draining all their spiritual energy in an instant."

She looked around cautiously, "Did I trigger any mechanisms?"

Nanli narrowed her eyes, "It’s a talisman array. If someone who isn’t authorized enters, various traps will activate."

She turned to Meng Lianfeng.

He quickly waved his hands, pleading, "I don’t know! I always followed my mother here; I had no idea the talisman array was this dangerous!"

Qiao Dabao, distressed, said, "If the talisman array is this dangerous, it looks like we won’t be able to open the vault..."

That vault contained all the hard-earned Spirit Stones of the citizens of Jade Wolf City!

"It’s not that difficult," Nanli said as she took a step forward.

"Wait—"

Before Qiao Dabao could finish her sentence, Nanli’s figure darted forward. With one hand, she struck the copper coins to knock away the poisonous needles, and with the other, she summoned a talisman, instantly breaking the array’s focal points!

The shockwave caused a gust of wind to rise.

As Nanli advanced, any protective talismans in her path were swiftly dispelled.

Just as she opened the vault door, her expression suddenly changed. "Get out of here!" she shouted.

Everyone was confused, not understanding why she was suddenly acting this way. But they didn’t question her and quickly turned to leave the dark passage.

Nanli moved quickly and activated a Teleportation Talisman, disappearing without a trace.