Chapter Forty: Initiation into the Path of the Sorcerer

“An ant? Ha! You think just because you have a loud mouth, flapping back and forth, that you’re some immortal, a celestial sage of the land? What a ridiculous fantasy! Someone, break this mad dog’s legs and throw him out!”

Liu Ke, emboldened by his status as a native of Chu Prefecture, ignored Old Tang entirely, waving his hand for his guards to surround Lin Feng.

As the bodyguards closed in, Wang Yun adopted a pose of mournful compassion, sighing softly:

“Supreme Taiyi Heavenly Lord.”

“Heaven cherishes all living things, Mr. Lin. If you kneel, bow your head, and sincerely repent, I’ll let you off today. What do you say?”

“Let me off? You’re not qualified for that.”

Lin Feng spoke calmly, his right hand flashing as he seized the Buddha statue, smiling faintly:

“Taoist Wang, you should know better than I what’s really hidden inside this statue. Why don’t I open it and show everyone?”

“Stop, you wretch!”

Wang Yun had never anticipated Lin Feng would dare lay hands on the Buddha statue. His heart skipped a beat as he lunged to snatch it back.

His eyes reddened, murderous intent flashing.

Right hand transformed from palm to claw, slicing through the air straight for Lin Feng’s throat.

This move was wholly merciless, clearly meant to kill Lin Feng in one blow.

“Hurry up! Get rid of this bastard!” Seeing Wang Yun act, Liu Ke urged his men forward.

But they were too slow.

Lin Feng let out a cold chuckle, his palm tightening, and in an instant, he crushed the Buddha statue completely.

With a sharp crack, the statue shattered, releasing a wave of foul, bloody stench that assaulted the senses. From the debris, a black chunk of flesh emerged, lying in Lin Feng’s hand.

A shrill, eerie squeal echoed.

The black flesh in Lin Feng’s palm squirmed with blood vessels like worms writhing across its surface, trembling and twitching.

It oozed revolting black slime, shrinking and stretching as it cried out in strange, infant-like wails.

“Mr. Feng, take a good look. This is the true form of the so-called ‘Treasure-Buddha of Deliverance from Disaster’ you worship.”

“Ugh—”

Seeing the vile contents inside the statue, Old Feng turned green, vomiting violently.

“What is that… How disgusting…”

“What the hell is this thing?”

The wealthy onlookers could hardly conceal their fear and revulsion at the statue’s true nature.

“In this world, where there are gods there are devils, where there are Buddhas there are demons. You cultivated this ‘Heart Demon Gu’ through special means, using the so-called ‘Treasure-Buddha of Deliverance from Disaster’ and the mother Gu to cast illusions, sowing child Gu worms and manipulating the upper echelons of Chu Prefecture and Binhai City, all to seize control of both cities. Am I right, Taoist Wang?”

Lin Feng spoke steadily, revealing the truth, and with the Heart Demon Gu in his palm, the evidence was irrefutable—Wang Yun had no room to deny it.

“Heart Demon Gu! Liu Ke, how could you be so sinister, using such trickery? The two of you are wolves in sheep’s clothing!”

“There’s child Gu worms? No wonder Liu Ke seized Chu Prefecture so quickly! We must not let these two go!”

“Bodyguards! Move, capture these two scoundrels!”

The wealthy finally awakened, recognizing the truth. Faces pale, they waved their hands, ordering their men to surround Liu Ke and Wang Yun.

Seeing his cover blown, Wang Yun dropped his horsetail whisk and flung aside his Taoist robes, revealing his true form.

His crimson cloak billowed without wind, radiating a chilling aura so cold it made one’s flesh crawl; he resembled a fiend risen from hell, shrouded in a foul, demonic wind.

Lin Feng looked closely and saw his entire body was covered in countless blood-red resentments—the deaths of at least a thousand souls stained his hands.

He was a bloodthirsty executioner, a ruthless butcher.

Wang Yun gently rubbed his hands, clapping softly as he gazed at Lin Feng with icy malice, speaking in a cold voice:

“Well done, well done. Who would have thought a mere down-and-out son-in-law could see through my tricks and recognize the Heart Demon Gu. Since persuasion fails, I’ll have to use force.”

With that, Wang Yun darted straight for Lin Feng, aiming for the Gu worm in his palm.

“Hurry! Protect Mr. Lin!”

Old Tang growled, and a dozen Binhai City bodyguards rushed forward, knives in hand, fierce and determined, surrounding Wang Yun tightly.

“You think a handful of ordinary guards with no martial prowess can handle me, Wang Yun? Very well, today I’ll show you the power of a Daoist adept!”

Wang Yun glanced at the guards before him, then stood still and formed seals with his hands.

Immediately, a cold wind swept through the room. He rubbed his palms together, and two jet-black flames ignited in his hands with a hiss, enveloping them.

The flames were bizarre—within their flickering, twisted ghost faces howled, emitting shrieks and wails like ghostly fire, enough to make one’s skin crawl.

Wang Yun’s lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile as he ignored the advancing bodyguards.

One guard summoned his courage, raising his knife for a precise, vicious strike.

But Wang Yun did not dodge—he caught the blade barehanded.

The steel blade entered his grasp, and the black ghost fire crawled up it like a living thing, consuming and dissolving the metal.

Within seconds, it spat out a pool of molten iron, deadly and dangerous.

The bodyguard was stunned, unable to escape as the ghost fire leapt onto him, feeling as if his flesh was being gnawed by hungry ghosts. He rolled on the floor, screaming in agony. Even fire extinguishers could not smother the flames.

They could only watch as he was burned away, his corpse left covered in bite marks.

In less than thirty seconds, an elite guard fell to Wang Yun, and he hadn’t even used his full strength.

This was the power of a Daoist adept.

The wealthy guests recoiled in terror, retreating again and again, terrified the ghost fire might ignite them next.

“Everyone, calm down! Don’t act rashly!”

When Old Tang heard the words “Daoist adept,” his eyes widened in shock. In this era, martial artists are rare, but Daoist adepts are rarer still.

It is said that a Daoist adept can wield spiritual energy, kill with a flick of the finger, command the elements, and slay unseen.

Their methods are mysterious, and even martial artists of equal strength cannot compete.

Such people far exceed ordinary limits—no matter how many guards you throw at them, it’s useless.

Wang Yun’s black ghost fire was likely his mastery of the “fire element.”

Ordinary firefighting methods would be futile, and might even worsen the blaze.

Wang Yun alone suppressed all the wealthy of Binhai City, their faces ashen, hands and feet tied, shivering like lambs awaiting slaughter.

This is the power of a Daoist adept.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Daoist Wang and I are not villains. If you accept the child Gu worms of the Heart Demon Gu, just as Chu Prefecture has, and accept the rule of the Demon Luo Society, I promise you’ll prosper together.”

Liu Ke waved his hand, and his guards quickly subdued the wealthy and powerful of Binhai City.

Old Tang bit his lip, trembling with rage, gripping his cane as he glared at Liu Ke.

Demon Luo Society!

Liu Ke, that scoundrel, colluded with the Demon Luo Society just to seize power!

He had invited the wolf into the house.

Seeing Liu Ke in control, Wang Yun turned to Lin Feng, grinding his teeth:

“Boy, hand over the mother Heart Demon Gu and I’ll consider giving you a quicker death. Otherwise, I promise you’ll suffer the flames of hell and the agony of a thousand ghosts gnawing at your flesh.”

“That’s right, boy. You’d better behave, or your death will be miserable indeed!”

Liu Ke grinned like a smiling tiger, closing in on Lin Feng, forcing him to surrender the Gu worm.

Old Feng, Feng Jing, and Luo Jiale, each with their own agenda, stepped forward to surround Lin Feng, “kindly advising”:

“Lin Feng, things have come to this point. Even if you don’t want to bow, you must. If not for yourself, then for your family!” Old Feng, thoroughly bewitched, threatened in a gentle tone.

“Lin Feng, you’re nothing but a lowborn, useless son-in-law. Stop pretending—hand over the Gu worm and die with some dignity,” Feng Jing said threateningly.

“Kid, if you want to die, don’t drag others with you. Hand it over and meet your end quickly,” Luo Jiale laughed.

Facing this group of “well-meaning” tycoons, Lin Feng only smiled calmly:

“Want the Heart Demon Gu? Go to hell and ask for it!”

Before everyone’s eyes, Lin Feng clenched his fist, crushing the mother Gu worm in his palm with a crisp snap.

Wang Yun had expected Lin Feng to collapse under pressure and obediently surrender the Gu worm.

But to his shock, Lin Feng broke all expectations, crushing the Gu worm with his own hand.

Instantly, fury consumed Wang Yun, the black ghost fire on his palms surging wildly as he screamed in rage:

“You bastard!”

“I, Wang Yun, swear I will flay you alive, roast you for forty-nine days, hang lanterns on your flesh, boil you in oil, and make you beg for death yet find none!”