Chapter 27: The Water-and-Fire Judge Is Captured

Zhong Xiaokui wielded the weapon known as the Abyssal Water Silk—soft yet resilient, capable of both offense and defense, ever-changing in form.

She appeared as a delicate young girl, her features exquisite and charming, seeming utterly innocent and guileless. Yet beneath that facade lay a calm and shrewd mind; when faced with complex situations and sudden emergencies, she always maintained composure, swiftly making judgments and reacting accordingly.

The followers of the Xuanming Sect had originally believed their strongest warrior to be the white-clad Little Dragon Maiden. However, they never expected that the sudden appearance of a woman in red could hold her own against Zhu Youwen without losing ground!

Not only was she armed with a divine weapon, her swordsmanship was sharp and relentless, and her claw techniques were ruthless—more vicious than those of the demon sect members themselves.

Zhong Xiaokui made an instant decision: if she were to confront the Little Dragon Maiden, both the Ghost King and she would likely be defeated. Her choice was to flee—and to do so by luring the Water and Fire Judge into a confrontation with the Little Dragon Maiden, creating an opening for their escape.

This was her plan, and she executed it flawlessly.

Silently, the Abyssal Water Silk slipped into the black mist, shooting toward Zhou Zhiruo.

By the time Zhou Zhiruo noticed the Water Silk, it was too late to block; she could only try to evade it.

A faint sound—a sharp swish—came as the silk grazed Zhou Zhiruo’s arm, a trickle of blood flowing along the thread.

“Master Ghost King, flee quickly!” Liu Yifei called out, having just shaken off the Water and Fire Judge and flying toward them.

The Ghost King roared in anger, summoning a ball of black mist before hastily retreating with Zhong Xiaokui.

“Yuan Yuan, are you hurt?” Liu Yifei asked.

“It’s nothing, just a minor wound,” Zhou Zhiruo replied with a slight frown. Her complexion darkened, her brows knitted, and a heavier aura of阴气 descended upon her.

The Water and Fire Judge also attempted to flee but was tightly entangled by the Beauty Beyond Comparison. The four Gaowu warriors formed a perimeter, preventing their escape.

Once the two were subdued, Beauty Beyond Comparison stepped forward, yanking off their cloaks. “Let me see what you really look like, all high and mighty!”

Yang Yan and Yang Miao, twin brothers, stood with them. Unlike the strikingly different-looking Beauty Beyond Comparison and her twin, these two were like mirror images—equally fierce in appearance. Yang Yan’s fiery red hair stood upright, while Yang Miao’s blue locks flowed gracefully.

“You damned Zhong Xiaokui, how dare you trick me! I will tear you limb from limb and shred you to pieces!” Yang Yan seethed after being captured. His hatred was not for their captors but for Zhong Xiaokui, who had betrayed them.

After this ordeal, no one felt like continuing their escapades and reluctantly made their way home.

---

Yang Yan and Yang Miao were temporarily confined within the prison of the Outlaws.

Zhou Zhiruo’s wound was superficial, but Liu Yifei still took her to Doctor Sun for treatment and dressing.

Unaware that Zhou Zhiruo was the newly appointed Yin Immortal, Doctor Sun casually tended to her injury, then boasted, “Celestial Lady, your subordinate is quite careless. This wound is not too severe, but not trivial either. If left untreated, it could be fatal!”

Zhou Zhiruo closed her eyes, ignoring him, while Liu Yifei rolled her eyes and snapped, “Enough!”

“If I hadn’t treated it in time, the arm might have been lost!” Sun Simiao muttered, packing up his medicine chest.

“By the way, are you still in contact with the other hall leaders?” Liu Yifei asked.

“No. The sect forbids any unauthorized communication between halls. All matters must be coordinated through the Six Immortals,” Zhou Zhiruo replied.

“Oh? Which Immortal oversees you?”

“Yang Immortal Doujiu Monk. But that old monk never bothers with us. We’re left to fend for ourselves,” Zhou Zhiruo sighed, recalling the previous generation’s Yang Immortal with melancholy.

“Have you ever been to the Ghost Realm Sect’s headquarters? Do you know where it is?”

Sun Simiao paused, a look of recollection crossing his face. “I have been there once, but I don’t know its exact location.”

“You’ve been but don’t know where?” Liu Yifei exclaimed, unwilling to believe it. Zhou Zhiruo opened her eyes, her cold gaze fixed on Sun Simiao.

“Yes. The headquarters is a remarkable place—not shrouded in阴气 as you’d expect, but filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, the air crisp and fresh. People call us a demon sect, but our Ghost Realm Sect is far more righteous than those so-called honorable orthodox sects!” Sun Simiao’s face brightened with reverence when he spoke of the headquarters. The two women fell silent, waiting for him to continue.

“Oh, pardon me, Celestial Lady. I traveled there via a formation to an island.”

“A formation?”

“An island?”

“Yes. The Ghost Realm Sect’s headquarters lies on a secluded island, renowned for its breathtaking scenery and pleasant climate. I was fortunate to reside at the headquarters for some time.”

Each revelation about the Ghost Realm Sect only deepened their intrigue and altered their understanding of this mysterious organization.

“But if the Ghost Realm Sect is on an isolated island, how did the enemy manage to reach it and annihilate the entire sect?” Zhou Zhiruo murmured.

Sun Simiao froze, a pang of regret striking him. ‘Why didn’t I think of such a simple question?’

---

“A traitor?” “A spy?”

Both women spoke simultaneously, their words differing but meaning the same. In the adjacent room, Gao Wu’s mind also flashed with the word ‘traitor’.

All three had been shaped by countless films and novels, and immediately grasped the answer.

Who could the traitor be?

It had to be someone high-ranking! Gao Wu silently concluded.

Moreover, shortly after the Ghost Realm Sect’s destruction, the Xuanming Sect was established and rapidly grew strong. It was hard not to suspect the Iron-Blooded Heavenly King, Zhu Wen.

Yet Zhu Wen alone couldn’t have challenged the Ghost Realm Sect at its height. Other powerful forces must have been involved—great powers indeed.

Gao Wu’s thoughts raced, strengthening his resolve to seek out the Xuanming Sect’s main altar and confront the Nether Emperor, Zhu Yougui.

Bianzhou, Ghost Gate Mountain.

Once inside the mountain, one quickly loses their way among the peaks. Two figures, one tall and one short, darted swiftly into the mountain and soon vanished.

In a hidden valley, the Ghost King and Zhong Xiaokui finally returned to the Xuanming Sect’s main altar.

Upon arrival, the Ghost King erupted in rage, smashing objects with a face flushed as red as his hair.

“Damn it! That witch’s cultivation method is even more sinister and vicious than the Nine Nether Mysterious Heavenly Art!”

With a crash, another teacup shattered on the ground.

“How can such a woman walk openly in the martial world? Why is there no righteous person to eliminate this evil and uphold the Way?”

Having suffered a humiliating defeat at Zhou Zhiruo’s hands and lost the Water and Fire Judge, the Ghost King now found himself begrudging Zhou Zhiruo. Both practiced forbidden arts, yet he was despised and hunted like a rat, while Zhou Zhiruo traveled the world unscathed.

After venting his fury, the Ghost King calmed down. Meng Po then spoke softly, “Master Ghost King, since the Water and Fire Judge has been captured, we must report this to the Nether Emperor.”

The Ghost King’s expression darkened, but he could not argue.

“What is it that you wish to report to me?”