The middle-aged man treated her as if she were no more than a stray dog on the roadside, cruelly tormenting her. Red Yanxun's appearance was pitiful; her disheveled hair stained with her own blood.
Mo Lin was bewildered—how could a formidable Fourth-level Ghost Master be reduced to such a state? Red Yanxun was no ordinary individual. She was a Fourth-level Ghost Master. With such strength, even if she couldn't win, she could have easily escaped.
Unless, of course, she had encountered someone like Mo Lin.
But such a scenario seemed nearly impossible. After all, it was highly unlikely anyone could obtain a position in the Underworld while still alive, as Mo Lin had.
When Red Yanxun raised her head and locked eyes with Mo Lin, her body trembled slightly. Her eyes instantly reddened. Despite enduring all the torture, she had not once pleaded for mercy. She had gritted her teeth when the middle-aged man stabbed her with a knife, not even uttering a single cry of pain. When she was whipped with an iron lash, the strikes dulled her senses, and she remained silent, as if numbed by the agony.
But now, her tears flowed uncontrollably.
Mo Lin's heart ached at the sight.
The middle-aged man grabbed Red Yanxun's hair, lifting her head cruelly.
"Oh, so you can cry now? I thought you were already dead," he sneered.
He then turned to face Li Yuemei, his tone cold and mocking. "Miss Li, is there something you need?"
"Give me this woman," Li Yuemei said with an icy resolve, "As for the matter with the Third Master, you need not concern yourselves any longer."
The middle-aged man immediately balked. "Miss Li, you think you can take this matter with just a word? Isn't that a bit absurd?"
"This matter is currently under the care of the Young Master," the man added, clearly dismissive of Li Yuemei's authority.
Just as Li Yuemei was about to speak, Mo Lin interjected, his voice cold with fury. "Did you do this to her?"
Unlike Li Yuemei, who was concerned with the power struggle, Mo Lin was fixated on one thing: Who had inflicted this cruelty upon Red Yanxun?
"None of your business!" the middle-aged man snapped, irritation evident in his voice. "Who do you think you are, speaking out of turn?"
Boom!
A thunderous crash echoed, and Chen Xi appeared before them, her hand seizing the middle-aged man and smashing him into the ground. The floor cracked beneath the impact.
The middle-aged man coughed up blood, completely caught off guard by the sudden attack. In a panic, he summoned his contracted ghost.
But before the ghost could fully materialize, Chen Xi consumed it in an instant, swallowing it whole. From the moment it appeared to its devouring, less than ten seconds passed.
When the middle-aged man saw the ghost, his face drained of color.
"A Nightmare-level ghost!" he gasped.
This ghost was of the same rank as the Young Master of the Li family's ghost.
"Brother... Let's talk this over," the middle-aged man muttered, now in full retreat.
Li Yuemei did not intervene. She could feel Mo Lin's anger, and at this moment, stopping him would only make things worse. Besides, one of his friends had already been reduced to this state. Any normal person would be enraged.
If Mo Lin didn't lash out, she might even consider him cold-blooded.
Mo Lin's voice cut through the silence again. "Answer me. Who did this to her?"
"It was me... I just..." The middle-aged man began to explain.
But before he could finish, Chen Xi's hand pierced his chest, ending his life instantly.
Since he had confessed, there was no more to be said.
Li Yuemei remained silent. The man was dead; what did it matter now?
"His death is on me," Li Yuemei said slowly, her voice calm. "I'll bear the consequences. But you, don't run off now!"
"If you leave, I'll be in trouble," she added, her concern clear. She hoped Mo Lin would help her, but if he fled, she would be left to face the consequences alone. She did not have the means to contend with her older brother.
"I won't run. I still haven't obtained the Ghost Fire from Youdu," Mo Lin reassured her, his tone steady. The lure of the Ghost Fire from Youdu was more than enough to keep him rooted here.
Li Yuemei was relieved by his promise. "Good."
Mo Lin moved forward, gently helping Red Yanxun to her feet.
"Thank you..." Red Yanxun whispered, gratitude in her eyes.
"There's no need to thank me. I'm the one who got you into this mess," Mo Lin said, his voice tinged with regret.
To say Mo Lin had caused Red Yanxun's suffering wasn't entirely accurate. After all, had he not intervened when they faced the Third Master of the Li family, she would have already perished.
"It's not your fault... Don't feel guilty," Red Yanxun said, trying to lighten the mood.
"How did this happen to you? Who did this?" Mo Lin asked, his brow furrowing.
The middle-aged man had been merely a Third-level Ghost Master. Mo Lin didn't believe he could have caught Red Yanxun.
Let alone capture her, he couldn't even be her match.
Red Yanxun gave a bitter smile. "I was set up... Sigh... It's my own fault for not being more vigilant."
Mo Lin could feel no trace of ghostly energy in Red Yanxun, as if her contract ghost had been sealed away.
He gently lifted her arm and saw a copper coin affixed to it, bound by a red string.
As expected... The contract ghost had been sealed. No wonder she had been captured.
Mo Lin hesitated, unsure whether meddling with the seal might cause irreversible damage to her ghost. His knowledge of Taoist techniques was limited—he only knew how to use thunder talismans.
"Who did this to you?" Mo Lin asked again, his voice low.
"It's nothing..." Red Yanxun murmured, clearly reluctant to trouble him further.
"Is it because you're worried about getting me into trouble?" Mo Lin's voice was firm.
"Do you underestimate me so much? I can handle a little matter like this."
Having dealt with the ghosts of the Naihe Bridge, Mo Lin was not afraid of this.
Couldn't handle such a small issue? What did they take him for? Just another nobody?
Mo Lin had a favorable impression of Red Yanxun. For example, when Liu Feng's daughter was captured in the suburbs, Red Yanxun had given him face and avoided causing trouble. Later, when they were at the Li family, she had been thoughtful, always putting Mo Lin's safety first, urging him to leave when danger approached. Though it may have seemed like nothing, it spoke volumes about her character.
After the incident with the Li family, Red Yanxun had kept him informed, warning him of potential dangers, showing concern for his well-being. They had built a relationship based on mutual respect, and Mo Lin would never stand idly by while she was mistreated.
This wasn't about rescuing a damsel in distress—it was simply standing up for a friend.
"Looks like the Copper Coin Taoist Master's methods are at work again," Li Yuemei said, adding to the conversation.
"Once again, the Copper Coin Taoist Master's Manor..." Mo Lin's anger flared, his chest tightening as fury coursed through him.
Yesterday, it was the Copper Coin Taoist Master who had stirred trouble with Gong Xiu.
Hearing the name again only made Mo Lin more irate.
"I'm going to see just how powerful this Copper Coin Taoist Master's Manor really is... This is the third time they've provoked me."
"What's the deal? Do they think I'm easy to bully?"
"Or do they think I have no temper?"