Chapter 115: Both Righteous and Wicked

"Wang Dachuan, don't say I didn't warn you. If you don't get rid of that Palm Thunder inside you soon, the burden on you will become incredibly heavy. It is extremely detrimental to your well-being," Li Jinglian said with a sincere expression.

I felt conflicted and a bit depressed. Although the Palm Thunder was passed down to me by that scoundrel of a monk, Xingyun, it had helped me out of many tight spots and had served me well during my most critical moments. Now, being asked to discard it, I truly couldn't bear to part with it. "Auntie, is it possible not to get rid of the Palm Thunder? Can't I just keep it in my body and simply choose not to use it?"

"Don't call me 'Auntie'—I'm not that young, and there's no need to pretend to be youthful. Call me 'Aunt'—I'm nearly a decade older than you." Li Jinglian shot me a glare. I felt mortified. Isn't it common knowledge that women prefer to be called younger? Is 'Big Sister' not allowed? And 'Aunt'? What does that even mean? Is she my Second Uncle's sister? It seems my guess was right; this woman really does have a history with my Second Uncle. It's just that my uncle never mentioned her to me!

"Aunt, I really don't want to get rid of the Palm Thunder." Why must I remove it? I could just not use it, couldn't I?

"Dachuan, let me be clear with you: the Palm Thunder is neither purely righteous nor purely evil. Since it was passed down from Xingyun, it is filled with malevolent energy that is extremely bad for your body. You can keep it if you insist, but the consequences will be severe."

"Aunt, tell me then! How severe?" I asked, feeling anxious.

"Extremely severe. Come with me, and within a year, I can bring your cultivation to a certain level. While you might not surpass your Second Uncle, ordinary malevolent beings will be no match for you. Coupled with your Three-Foot Longyuan, the Phoenix Pool divine weapon, and your Purple Gold Colt, your power will absolutely exceed Xingyun's. However, the greater your power becomes, the stronger the Palm Thunder's influence grows. If you use it, it will drain a massive amount of your energy. To put it bluntly, its limit might be comparable to a crate of TNT."

I understood Li Jinglian's point. The Palm Thunder is a double-edged sword; the greater the power, the deeper the harm. But I still couldn't bring myself to give it up.

"Aunt, please, I don't want to discard it. I've developed an attachment to it." After much thought, I still couldn't bring myself to throw the Palm Thunder away.

"Fine. It's just a Palm Thunder, not a wife; why are you acting like this? It seems you are quite a sentimental fool, much better than that heartless Second Uncle of yours. I will warn you one last time: under no circumstances are you to use the Palm Thunder again. Just keep it as a memento. It will remain a powerful force within your body, and as your cultivation deepens, if you ever trigger it, it will bring you great consequences—perhaps even catastrophic ones," Li Jinglian cautioned once more.

I agreed hastily. To be honest, I had mixed feelings about the Palm Thunder. It had helped me in crises, but seeing it reminded me of Xingyun, which made me uncomfortable. Regardless, I decided to put it aside and focus on my training.

"Are you two a couple?" After settling that matter, Li Jinglian asked.

"Well, yes! We are, I suppose. Does that have anything to do with my cultivation?" I felt a bit embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter. I was just wondering about sleeping arrangements! If you're a couple, it's easier; I can put you in the same room." As she spoke, Li Jinglian kept her eyes on Wan'er. Perhaps she had already seen through something. Given her abilities, she likely knew at a glance that Wan'er was a spirit.

Li Jinglian had held my hand earlier, and I noticed her skin felt exceptionally cold. I wondered if she was even human. I also wondered what her relationship was with my Second Uncle. I felt it must be a good one; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so quick to let me stay. I worried that Wan'er and I staying at her home would cause a lot of trouble, and I wondered how I could repay her. Perhaps I could help with chores to feel at ease staying here. Still, I was skeptical—she looked refined, so how could she be living in a village? And what kind of cultivation could a villager possibly possess? I remembered that in books and movies, those with profound skills always lived in deep mountains, ancient temples, or ethereal wonderlands.

Regardless, I chose to trust my Second Uncle's word.

"Aunt, Dachuan and I are lovers, but we haven't reached that stage yet, so it’s best if we sleep in separate rooms." Before I could speak, Wan'er—that little spirit—piped up. Her words left me incredibly embarrassed. It’s not as if we hadn't spent time together before; she was playing with me, making it look as if I were the one desperate to get into her bed.

I pulled her aside. "Wan'er, what are you doing?"

"Brother, didn't I tell you? I want to wait for Sister Ying to return. Once she agrees to let me be with you, then I will be with you. I know you're a gentleman and I'm not afraid of you bullying me; I'm afraid I might bully you instead!" Wan'er giggled mischievously and stroked my arm in a show of affectionate comfort.

"Alright, alright. You always have your way."

Li Jinglian tilted her head as if considering the situation, then said, "Very well. There are two rooms on the west side facing east. One has a bed, and the other doesn't. You two can tidy things up; I’m going out to find someone to buy a bed." With that, she left.

Seeing that only Wan'er and I were left, I said, "Wan'er, your comment made Aunt have to go buy a bed. How embarrassing!"

Wan'er gave a ghostly smile. "Brother, I'm just shy! Actually, I really want to be with you too."

Thinking it over, Wan'er was right. This was better for everyone. Wang Ying’s fate was still unknown, and I didn't even know where she was. If I were acting all lovey-dovey with Wan'er, how would that look? In my heart, I still felt that Wang Ying weighed more than Wan'er. For Wang Ying, it was love; for Wan'er, it was a debt.

After a 2,000-year wait, I had no reason to ignore her, especially since she was gentle, affectionate, and so good to me. Therefore, there was no need to rush for results; perhaps time was the best way to resolve this.

We spent the afternoon setting up the bed Li Jinglian bought, complete with sheets and a mosquito net. By the time we finished, the mealtime had passed, and I was quite hungry.

"Dachuan, I don't need to eat. If you're hungry, you can cook something yourself. I can't provide you with food, but I can provide you with money." As she spoke, Li Jinglian led me into an inner room and opened a drawer. I was shocked to see it filled with stacks of red banknotes.

"Aunt, why don't you eat?" I knew she wasn't human, and spirits didn't need to eat, but I asked just to confirm.

"Don't play dumb with me, kid. Isn't your girlfriend a spirit too? Have you ever seen her eat?" Li Jinglian shot me a playful glare. I could only scratch the back of my head and laugh.

Li Jinglian generously pulled out a stack of cash and handed it to me. "Go on. There's a supermarket on the west side of the village that has everything. You can take your girlfriend to pick out some clothes, too."

I took Wan'er and headed straight for the village entrance. Because the village was close to Luohe Town, it was relatively bustling. Still, I didn't understand—if Li Jinglian wasn't human, where did she get all this money? It reminded me of when Wang Ying went to the village chief's house to get money. Could Li Jinglian be doing the same? I quickly dismissed the thought; she was too capable to resort to such things.

This made me think of Wang Ying. Back then, she had just merged with the spirit—naive and dazed—a feeling that made one both love and yearn for her.

It was a pity I didn't know where she was now. Fortunately, my Second Uncle had given me his word: he wouldn't just help me find Wang Ying, but also help drive the malevolent spirits out of her. All I needed to do now was focus on my training so I could seek revenge on Xingyun as soon as possible. Li D Nian and the others could not have died in vain.

At the supermarket, I bought some food and clothes for Wan'er. Even though it was a township, it was still in the countryside, so I couldn't find anything particularly trendy, but the clothes fit her well enough.

On the way back, I held Wan'er’s hand. The girl was giggling and seemed quite happy. Just then, a whistle sounded from behind us.

I turned around and saw a familiar figure standing under a willow tree not far away—a chubby man. The willow branches obscured half his face. I was stunned. How did this guy end up here? What was going on?

"Seventh Uncle, you... how are you here?" I hurried toward him.