Chapter 107: Snowflakes Flying Like Paper Scraps

Ming Han's sneak attack had failed, and it was too late for him to retreat. So he said, "You two played me for a fool with your tricks. Fine, I admit my defeat willingly. Let me offer my head to the Imperial Lord as an apology!"

As he finished speaking, he reversed his arm towards his own forehead. This man's actions were truly despicable and shameless. Since this body was not his own, it would be Lin Changming who would die from this blow.

Luo Xu flipped the copper coin between his fingers and flicked it like dust, saying, "To atone for your sins towards me, offering just your head won't suffice."

The copper coin emitted a "dīng" sound, sending a streak of silver light straight into Ming Han's chest. Ming Han staggered, his actions interrupted, and said, "Imperial Lord, you are truly bold. If others outside heard this, they might think the Luo Clan of the Heavenly Sea does not value Ruyi Lang and wouldn't even want his head."

Luo Xu replied, "What do I want with his head? It's your head I want."

Ming Han clutched his chest and said, "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Imperial Lord. My head just moved to a new place and hasn't even warmed up yet. I don’t want to give it up to anyone."

"Don't want to give it up?" Ming Zhuo stepped on the remaining mud of from Da’a and summoned thunder again. "Then I'll take it myself."

The thunder whip lashed out, and the surrounding area exploded in a burst of purple lightning. Ming Han retreated repeatedly, saying, "Look at yourself. Aside from this skin, what part of you still resembles a human? This raging and frenzied appearance is just like your beast of a father. I told your mother back then that even if a beast's child is born, it's still a beast. Instead of feeling sad and regretful later, she should have let me handle it while you were still unformed. But she insisted on going against the natural order and gave birth to you—"

Ming Zhuo's mother was a princess,(1) and the princess was blind. Her union with the Moon God Hui Mang was orchestrated by Ming Han, and the decision to have children was not hers. Ming Han's words at this moment were merely meant to provoke Ming Zhuo.

Luo Xu interrupted Ming Han, flipping the copper coin again. It emitted a second "dīng," and four manji-shaped rings of light appeared at Ming Han's feet, head, front, and back.

Ming Han had no escape route and laughed, saying, "Imperial Lord, you're afraid of revealing your true nature. Ming Zhuo, why don't you remove that necklace of jewels and let the Imperial Lord see the blood-shackle curse on you? When that curse acted up, you would hide in a cabinet in the bed chamber. Oh, I almost forgot. The first time the blood shackle curse acted up, you were just a child, crying incessantly in front of me. I got annoyed and stuffed you into a wooden bucket not even half your height, then sealed the lid—"

Luo Xu coldly said, "Shut your mouth."

The manji symbols began to spin, and silver light surrounded Ming Han. It looked as if an invisible hand had grabbed him, lifting him off the ground. This was one of the punishments of the manji curse, rumoured to extract the souls of humans and gods alike. Luo Xu was now using this punishment on Ming Han to pull him out of Lin Changming's body!

The manji symbols turned golden, and Ming Han's expression changed dramatically as if a force was extracting his soul. His face twisted, half smiling and half in pain, his voice hoarse: "You cried in that bucket while I drank tea. Sometimes you called for 'mother,' sometimes for 'Jiùjiu.' I told you no, all wrong. You could only call for 'father!' You were so scared you really started calling 'father.' Haha! That cry made Hui Mang restless and violent—"

Ming Zhuo listened, seemingly enraptured. He had a mocking smile on his lips but said nothing as if he had truly forgotten these things or no longer cared.

The manji curse suddenly intensified, and Ming Han was struck heavily, curling up instantly. He coughed up blood, his face alternating between that of a young man and an old one. The pain from this punishment was unimaginable, yet he tried to speak again, but Luo Xu sealed his mouth, silencing him.

Golden light flourished, and a black mist was pulled from Lin Changming's body. However, this mist was tenacious, clinging tightly to Lin Changming's body, refusing to leave. Lin Changming's eyes widened, regaining a semblance of consciousness.

Luo Xu's eyes turned icy, and the golden light of the manji curse intensified. Lin Changming, connected to the black mist, suffered, coughing up blood repeatedly. He clutched his throat, his eyes rolling as if he wanted to speak.

At that moment, Ming Han's voice came from the other side and said, "Weren't you looking for my true body? Here I am."

In the dissipating lightning, a figure stood. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a paper effigy of Ming Han!

The paper effigy moved its sleeves slightly, its face pale and thin. It smiled and said, "Since I 'died' once, I no longer act rashly. Unfortunately, despite my careful plans, I still fell into your hands. But I was prepared, Imperial Lord. I knew your Yin Yang Coin could trace souls, so I made the most realistic paper effigy for you. Your Yin Yang Coin was deceived. My true body is attached to Lin Changming."

This was unbelievable, but Ming Han, familiar with various secret arts, had already been decapitated by Ming Zhuo and could no longer be considered entirely human. The black mist had no form as if Lin Changming had been born with it.

Ming Zhuo said, "You said so much just now to forcibly take over his body? Is your own body already rotten?"

The paper effigy's smile was eerie: "That's hard to say. Just know that at this moment, Lin Changming and I are one. Killing me means killing him."

The array shifted again, as if confirming his words.

Lin Changming's voice emerged weakly, "Open...open the array..."

Suddenly, the paper money turned to flying snow, a sign that Ming Han was gaining control of the body. The paper effigy caught some of the snowflakes, saying, "The manji curse has subdued Lin Changming. Now I call the shots here. Opening the array is easy, but you must return the spiritual energy to me and leave your lives behind!"

As he finished, Ming Zhuo and Luo Xu felt their spiritual energy being drained. The situation had reversed, with Lin Changming now the key.

Ming Zhuo plucked his pipa strings without hesitation: "In that case, I'll kill Lin Changming. You can go down together!"

Lightning flashed towards the manji curse on Lin Changming. Ming Han said, "You shouldn't be 'Ruyi Lang' in this array. You should be 'Jiang Linzhai,' because when it comes to killing, neither of you shows mercy. But I don't want to die yet. I still need his body!"

He tried to cast a spell to stop them, but a strong wind scattered him into pieces of paper. The paper fragments floated, and Ming Han's voice persisted: "Even if you burn this paper effigy to ashes, you can't stop what I'm about to do. My true body is with Lin Changming. No matter how many puppet paper effigies die, it's useless."

The scene within the array was changing rapidly. Amidst the ceaseless wind, the black mist above Lin Changming began to form a shadow. Ming Han said, "Even if you two get out of the array, what then? Outside, there are clans and sects seeking revenge. As Lin Changming, all I need to do is raise my arm, and none of you will escape."

Snow filled the sky. Ming Zhuo and Luo Xu couldn't kill Lin Changming, nor could they let his body leave the array. With Ming Han's abilities, once outside, he would undoubtedly have more tricks waiting, making it nearly impossible to trap him again.

The two moved simultaneously. Just then, Lin Changming in the manji curse made a move.

Ming Zhuo said, "Ruyi Lang!"

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Foot Notes

1. 公主 (Gōngzhǔ) is the term used here.