Chapter 158: A Difficult Choice

"Ah!" I couldn't help crying out in surprise. "How could this be?" I still believed what Zuo Zilong said; if he didn't possess genuine skills, the father of the Ghost King wouldn't have come to seek him out in person.

"Child, that is simply how it is. I can only tell you this much, and I cannot help you with anything else. Please leave?" Zuo Zilong stood up and made a gesture for me to leave.

"Uncle Zuo, besides killing people to harvest their souls, is there any other way?"

"It doesn't necessarily have to be killing someone. As long as it is a clean soul, it will suffice. An unclean soul will taint your wife, so you must be cautious," Zuo Zilong instructed.

"Oh! Very well then. Take your rest, Elder Zuo, I'll be leaving first." Since Zuo Zilong had washed his hands of the underworld and told me so much, he had already been more than accommodating, so there was no need for me to disturb him further here.

"Child, take this with you." Zuo Zilong picked up the gift I had bought, which was resting on the stool.

"Uncle Zuo, you are being too formal. You are an elder, and I bought this out of filial respect for you."

"Child, I really dare not accept this. If your father found out I took your gift, I wouldn't even know how I died. Child, I beg you, take it with you. Remember, if you happen to see your father, put in a good word for me and tell him that I have truly washed my hands of the underworld!" Zuo Zilong's gaze was desolate and helpless. Seeing him like this, I didn't say anything more.

"Child, there is a Taoist priest named Mo Shaobai in Jiuxian Mountain, Wulian County. You can go and consult him. What I said might not necessarily be the only way," Zuo Zilong said as he escorted me to the door. Without giving me a chance to reply, he closed the main gate.

I bowed toward Zuo Zilong's closed door before riding my bicycle back to Wangjiapu. After briefly explaining the situation to Wan'er, I headed straight for Jiuxian Mountain in Wulian. Since it was daytime, I couldn't let the Purple-Gold Colt transport me, so I took a regular bus to Wulian.

When I arrived at Jiuxian Mountain in Wulian County, it was already dark. People at the foot of the mountain actually all knew about the old Taoist priest Mo Shaobai, who lived in Kunlun Temple on the seventh peak of Jiuxian Mountain.

Seeing that it was dark and not wanting to climb the mountain on foot, I found a deserted spot, summoned the Purple-Gold Colt, mounted it, and reached the destination in a matter of seconds. Sitting on the back of the Purple-Gold Colt, I thought to myself: riding a bus all the way there had made my backside sore, so I should have just waited until dark to ride the Purple-Gold Colt over! It only took a few minutes! I really had been foolish.

Standing at the entrance of Kunlun Temple, a young Taoist priest was waiting there for me. Seeing me, he walked over with a smile. "May I ask if you are Master Wang?"

This question startled me, and I quickly replied, "I am no Master Wang. My name is Wang Dachuan, and I am here to see Taoist Priest Mo. Is he in?"

"The Taoist priest is waiting for you in the Qingxu Pavilion. Please come in!" the young Taoist priest said politely.

I was greatly surprised and followed the young Taoist inside, thinking along the way that this scene was somewhat similar to the first time I met Xingyun!

Passing through the front courtyard, I reached the back courtyard. On one side of the back courtyard stood the Qingxu Pavilion. Before even entering, I caught the scent of sandalwood. It seemed that Taoist priests burned incense after all!

Walking inside, I saw an old Taoist priest sitting on the floor. Next to him were a black teapot and two teacups already filled with yellowish tea.

"Taoist Priest, the person you were waiting for has arrived," the young Taoist said respectfully to the old priest.

The old priest flicked the horsetail whisk in his hand and slowly stood up. "Wang Dachuan, I have finally waited for you."

I was startled once more. What was going on here? How did he know I was coming? Could it be that Zuo Zilong had called him? So I said, "Greetings, Taoist Priest Mo. I have a request to make of you. Did Uncle Zuo Zilong call you?"

Mo Shaobai shook his head. "Everything is predestined by fate, and it is time for you to arrive."

I was taken aback. What was this about? Surely there wasn't another Xingyun. Still, I had to be careful this time. "Master, I have an urgent matter to discuss with you!"

Mo Shaobai smiled slightly. "You don't need to say it, I already know everything. Now, I will give you a choice, and your wife will soon recover as before."

I was shocked. He truly was a remarkable person! He even knew about this. I quickly said, "Please tell me, Taoist Priest, as long as my wife can be saved, I'll do anything."

"Actually, for you, it is very simple. As long as you do not quit the Yin-Yang underworld, I can cure your ghost wife in a matter of minutes." Mo Shaobai's words were calm, unhurried, and carried an air of absolute confidence.

"This..." I fell silent. I never imagined that Mo Shaobai's condition would be this.

If he had asked me to slice off two pounds of flesh from my own body, I wouldn't have blinked an eye, but I had already decided to quit the Yin-Yang underworld! If I stayed in the Yin-Yang underworld, the people I would ultimately face were either my second uncle or my father. Let them make all the noise they wanted; it had nothing to do with me. They had their ambitions, and they had their lives—I had no way of stopping them. In the end, if father and son, uncle and nephew, were to turn weapons against each other, it would be a heartbreaking choice to make. Therefore, I could no longer step foot into the Yin-Yang underworld.

Yet, could I just leave Wang Ying unsaved? How I longed to return home and see her smiling warmly to welcome me!

"How about it? Such a simple matter shouldn't put you in a difficult position, right?" Mo Shaobai picked up a cup of water while gesturing with his eyes for me to drink the tea.

"Taoist Priest Mo, I don't understand. Why must this be the condition? Why must I quit the Yin-Yang underworld?" I truly could not comprehend it.

"Let me put it this way. Although the world currently appears peaceful, it is far from peaceful underneath. Undercurrents are surging, and many factions across the seven parallel realms are growing restless. Once a chaotic war breaks out, the ones who will suffer are inevitably ordinary people. And you! You are the savior." Mo Shaobai looked at me with a sincere gaze.

I hurriedly waved my hands. "Taoist Priest Mo, please don't say that. I am just a kid."

"You cannot fool me about this. The Seven Stars of Heavenly Punishment, the Ultimate Yin physique, the Phoenix Pond Divine Weapon, and the Purple-Gold Colt. Furthermore, you were able to filter the Soul-Sucking Technique and turn it into the Essence-Sucking Technique, which shows that you are indeed a prodigy seen once in a millennium. You must shoulder this responsibility."

I felt dizzy! Was I really that powerful?!

"Taoist Priest, stop joking with me. How could I have such abilities?!"

"Wang Dachuan, I actually know that you are Wang Liang's son, and your father is the Ghost King of the Ghost Realm. You do not wish to turn weapons against him, so you chose to escape. Am I right?" Mo Shaobai's eyes locked onto mine. Every single word he spoke struck at the very core of my mind and precisely mirrored my concerns.

"Taoist Priest Mo, you have spoken the deepest thoughts of my heart, but I still cannot enter the Yin-Yang underworld. I have quit, and that is that; I no longer wish to concern myself with those affairs." A deep sorrow filled my heart. Subconsciously, I still wanted to deal with those fierce and malevolent ghosts—after all, since I possessed such equipment, what was the use of keeping it unused? Yet, the stronger my abilities became, the clearer I could see my opponents. If I were a mediocre person, the ghosts and evils I faced would likely just be ordinary souls. But when I grew so powerful that there were no rivals left in the mortal world, the ones I would face would be my father, my second uncle, or the rulers of the other realms.

This, I could not bring myself to do.

"Very well then. Since you refuse to re-enter the Yin-Yang underworld, I will say no more. Your wife's soul will not disperse, but her recovery will take time. It depends on fate!" A trace of disappointment appeared on Mo Shaobai's face.

Before I left Kunlun Temple, Mo Shaobai escorted me out. He said with a hint of disappointment, "Wang Dachuan, whenever you have unresolved troubles in your heart, you can come find me. And whenever you wish to re-enter the Yin-Yang underworld, you must also come find me."

I nodded and then descended the mountain.

Returning to Wangjiapu, my mind was in turmoil. What should I do? What on earth should I do?

I recounted everything to Wan'er. After listening, Wan'er knitted her brows tightly, saying that the situation was indeed a difficult choice. Stepping back into the Yin-Yang realm just to save Wang Ying was inappropriate, but watching Wang Ying remain in this state was equally unacceptable.

"Wan'er, don't worry, we'll think of another way." Didn't Zuo Zilong say that we could use other souls to repair Wang Ying's soul? We could take that route. I was ostensibly comforting Wan'er, but in reality, I was comforting myself.

Wan'er had nothing more to say and went to take care of Wang Ying.

That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. My mind was filled with overlapping and intricate images of Wang Ying, my father, and my second uncle, keeping me awake through the greater part of the night.

At daybreak, Wan'er shook me awake. "Brother! Something terrible has happened—someone is dead!"

Ah! I sprang up in one swift motion. The mountain village was small, and a death was a major event.

"A family of three in the western part of the village are all dead. The woman's head was severed, and the man's and the child's hearts were dug out," Wan'er said with a furrowed brow.

Ah! Their hearts dug out again. Suddenly, Xingyun flashed into my mind. Could it be? Could it be that he wasn't dead? Impossible, it shouldn't be him. Even if he had survived, he wouldn't come all the way here to kill people; it was much too far.