Yellow Skinned Taoist Master

Chapter 158: A Traitor Has Appeared Among Us

Song Yuzhang was too bizarre and wicked.

Integrated as one with Xuzhou City, he already inherently occupied the advantages of timing, terrain, and harmony.

Adding onto that, the paper man had also been completely devoured by him.

Misfortunes were inherently terrifying to begin with, possessing extremely bizarre traits.

And Song Yuzhang was even different from ordinary Misfortunes.

Actually, the brass oil lamp had thought of a method to break the deadlock long ago, which was for it to transform into an evil spirit. At that time, setting everything else aside, taking Chen Huangpi out of Xuzhou City would be extremely effortless.

However, Chen Huangpi was very curious: "Huang Er, you are perfectly fine, how can you transform into an evil spirit?"

The previous time Huang Er transformed into an evil spirit.

That was because in the Underworld Yellow Spring, it absorbed the power of another Nine Nether God Lantern, namely the lamp oil of its clone.

That lamp oil had long been polluted.Therefore, Huang Er turned into an evil spirit.

Right now, here there was neither polluted lamp oil nor its clone.

How could it transform into an evil spirit?

"Boss, you don't understand."

The brass oil lamp said earnestly, "I am the Nine Nether God Lantern, inherently the most Yin and the most evil entity to begin with. If the Guanzhu hadn't split me into countless portions and had my clones suppress the Old Temple, I would have transformed into an evil spirit long ago."

"Furthermore, unfamiliar the first time, well-acquainted the second time."

"Since I have transformed into an evil spirit once, I can transform into one a second time."

The brass oil lamp's tone was extremely certain.

What it spoke was the truth; as long as it wished to, it truly could transform into an evil spirit right on the spot.

Or perhaps, it wasn't that 'it wished to'.

Relatively speaking, after becoming an evil spirit once, that sensation had always been deeply rooted within its mind, as if constantly tempting it to become an evil spirit again.

Merely, when it came to wicked nature, the brass oil lamp was naturally even more wicked than evil spirits.

It didn't want to become an evil spirit, so naturally it could resist that temptation.

Now it only needed to respond to that temptation, and naturally, it would be able to become an evil spirit.

Chen Huangpi understood the brass oil lamp's meaning.

He once again manipulated the Magic Tree, smashing Song Yuzhang's giant palm reaching into the painting.

Then, enduring the severe pain, he spoke to the brass oil lamp: "If you can turn into an evil spirit whenever you want to, then doesn't that mean your fundamental nature is an evil spirit?"

The brass oil lamp subconsciously retorted, "I am the Nine Nether God Lantern; what relationship do I have with evil spirits?"

Chen Huangpi said, "You are more wicked than evil spirits, and you can transform into one whenever you want, yet you still say you aren't an evil spirit?"

"I suspect when Master created you, he probably wanted to create an evil spirit from the start!"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible."

The brass oil lamp denied it without a second thought.

If it were in the past, it might have been swayed by Chen Huangpi's words, because it wasn't as if such a possibility didn't exist.

But ever since knowing it somewhat possessed the ability to consecrate Yin Gods.

The brass oil lamp had long ago become arrogant and floated away.

It was the Nine Nether God Lantern, an important treasure of the Pure Immortal Temple possessing infinite potential on par with the Golden Top Heavenly Lamp.

Its origins were grand, and its background was extraordinary.

Moreover, when it was created, the mutation of heaven and earth had just begun; things like evil spirits hadn't even appeared yet.

"Boss, I won't waste words with you anymore."

The brass oil lamp took a deep breath, and said with profound earnestness: "After I transform into an evil spirit, you must definitely use the Dog Rearing Scripture, along with your Calamity Eyes, to immediately control me at the very first instant. Otherwise, I might..."

"Wait, since when did so many Calamity Eyes pop up on my body?"

The brass oil lamp made the astounded discovery that, at some unknown point in time, dozens of Calamity Eyes had actually sprouted on its own body.

Quiet and soundless, it only discovered them just now.

"Right when you said you were going to turn into an evil spirit."

Chen Huangpi said consolingly, "I understand you too well. If you turn into an evil spirit, you will definitely become a traitor at the very first moment; perhaps you might even join forces with Song Yuzhang to deal with me. Rest assured, I won't give you this opportunity."

"You're still the one who understands me best."

The brass oil lamp said emotionally: "Remember to tell the Guanzhu to go easy on me later. The venerable old man could clearly change me back with just one word, but he insisted on using a bamboo strip to whip me. The Guanzhu is too petty-minded."

Chen Huangpi said, "If Master beats you, I will definitely fiercely argue on your behalf and protect you."

He said the words, but Chen Huangpi was secretly pondering in his heart: "If I can't protect you, then I just won't be able to protect you. Huang Er, you wouldn't want me to get a beating alongside you either."

Fortunately, the brass oil lamp was also secretly pondering in its heart: "Once I return to the temple and change back, for today's matter in Xuzhou City, I, Huang Er, will definitely report to the Guanzhu adding oil and vinegar, fiercely filing a minor report against you, Chen Huangpi! You forced me to do all this."

While speaking, the slightly yellow, bright lamplight inside the brass oil lamp suddenly grew unsteady and flickering.

Ever since it proposed transforming into an evil spirit, it had already begun the metamorphosis.

At this moment, an even more bizarre and chilly aura slowly surfaced upon the brass oil lamp's body.

Hoo...

A gust of cold wind blew past.

That bright lamplight instantly dwindled into a dreary and desolate patch, turning into a grimly green netherflame.

Following closely, the battered, potholed lamp body of the brass oil lamp—one that nobody would even spare a glance at if thrown onto the street—also instantly became completely covered with the color of verdigris rust.

But this wasn't all yet.

The brass oil lamp, or perhaps the Nine Nether God Lantern.

This was inherently what it originally looked like to begin with.

That netherflame burned boundlessly and fiercely.

Gradually, a smear of a black dot unexpectedly appeared at the tip of the lamplight.

The fiercer the netherflame burned, the faster the black dot appeared.

...

Xuzhou City had already turned into a painting scroll.

That was the paper man's divine ability.

All the living creatures still inside Xuzhou City entirely became miniature people inside this painting scroll.

And outside this painting scroll stood an incomparably gigantic evil god.

That evil god was Song Yuzhang.

His face covered the upper part of the painting scroll.

A pair of eyes continuously brewing gray fog were even more icy cold and cruel to the extreme, carrying not the slightest trace of emotion.

When he was alive, he was the City God of Xuzhou City.

After his death, he transformed into an evil spirit, furthermore becoming the Heavenly Principle of this Xuzhou City. Although Chen Huangpi was a thorny issue, since he was locked inside the painting, it was naturally impossible for him to escape again. He had plenty of time and patience to integrate him into one.

Yet now.

A trace of alarm and bewilderment flashed through Song Yuzhang's eyes.

He sensed that aside from Chen Huangpi inside this painting scroll.

It seemed that another extremely powerful evil spirit had appeared.

However, what surprised him was that this evil spirit was newly born. And moreover, it was the evil spirit transformed from that most inconspicuous, easily overlooked battered oil lamp beside Chen Huangpi.

Song Yuzhang knew everything happening inside Xuzhou City clearly down to the last detail.

But he had never noticed the brass oil lamp's existence.

Because for the vast majority of the time, the brass oil lamp hung upon Chen Huangpi's body, just like it was dead. Even its speech was transmitted via the mind. Anyone seeing it wouldn't have thought this thing actually possessed this degree of strength.

What truly made Song Yuzhang somewhat unable to comprehend was.

He actually instinctively desired to obtain that oil lamp.

It felt as if, as long as he obtained that oil lamp, he would be able to possess heaven-defying good fortune and become even more extraordinary.

"I want this oil lamp!"

Song Yuzhang spoke to Chen Huangpi inside the painting for the very first time: "Give it to me, and I will let you go."

That voice resounded like thunder.

Chen Huangpi couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to Song Yuzhang.

Treating it entirely as if he were simply releasing a fart.

Huang Er had said long ago that when deities saw it, they would desire to obtain it like dogs seeing shit.

Therefore, as long as there were deities around, Huang Er basically always played dead.

Now that this Song Yuzhang had transformed into an evil god, he actually stubbornly desired to obtain Huang Er.

Seeing this, Song Yuzhang said somewhat impatiently: "Give it to me! Do not let it transform into an evil spirit, and I will let you go! I will give you good fortune!"

He could visibly sense that as that brass oil lamp metamorphosed into an evil spirit.

That extreme thirst to obtain it, that immense good fortune he incomparably desired to obtain, were progressively fading away.

Yet Chen Huangpi simply wouldn't pay any attention to him.

This made him ultimately unable to sit still any longer.

"Go, snatch it for me!"

Song Yuzhang furiously rebuked, and thunder exploded within Xuzhou City.

Endless, inexhaustible gray fog frantically spread.

Just like terrifying stormy waves, they violently smashed towards the protective dome formed by the black smoke.

Rumble, rumble, rumble...

When the gray fog collided with the black smoke, it emitted intense explosions.

Yet within that gray fog, there were countless figures blotting out the sky and covering the earth, charging forward.

Those figures included deities that had transformed into evil spirits, and also cultivators. All of them were puppets, serving as the extensions of Song Yuzhang's will.

"Mere evil spirits, what can you do to me?"

Chen Huangpi sat cross-legged, his two hands forming hand seals. The billowing black smoke encircling his entire body instantly surged toward those evil spirits to slaughter them.

The black smoke was extremely bizarre—so bizarre that it devoured everything without exception.

When those evil spirits were tainted by the black smoke, they were instantly devoured by it.

No matter how many more evil spirits came, it was nothing more than throwing their lives away.

Furthermore, Chen Huangpi wasn't merely sitting waiting for death; he was also attempting to use his Calamity Eyes to control these evil spirits summoned by Song Yuzhang. However, progress was slow, because Song Yuzhang would also wrestle for the control of these evil spirits against him, forcing the evil spirits to dive forward one after another to throw away their lives.

For a time, the past events of the Song family reproduced themselves.

"Huang Er, how much longer do you need?"

The Nine Nether God Lantern didn't respond, only its entire lamp body was gradually turning pitch-black.

Its transformation into an evil spirit this time seemed to be somewhat different from previously.

The last time was passive; this time was active.

It didn't grow ferocious and sharp teeth, nor did it frantically scream 'kill kill kill'.

Instead, it seemed as if it merely changed a color.

At this moment, the Life-reaping Ghost, who had been observing the surroundings' movements all along, abruptly spoke: "Contract Master, do you still remember the matter of the Yellow Peril from back then?"

"Yellow Peril?"

Chen Huangpi frowned and said: "Naturally I remember it. A Gui, why do you bring it up... I understand what you mean now."

Saying so, Chen Huangpi vigilantly looked towards those surrounding evil spirits.

The evil spirits didn't understand the reason behind this.

Yet Chen Huangpi didn't relax his vigilance.

At that time, when that Yellow Peril struck, adding the Fox Mountain God, there were a total of four deities protecting them.

Everyone thought that the Yellow Peril couldn't possibly succeed, and that holding out until daybreak would be enough.

Yet who would have thought, Twelfth Madam was tainted by the Yellow Peril. Although she used the death-substitute peach wood doll, she actually inevitably became a flaw.

If the fortress is sturdy, then breach it from within.

This was merely the tactic of the Yellow Peril. Meanwhile, Song Yuzhang had been a City God for so many years; he was definitely an old schemer with deep foresight. Meaninglessly throwing evil spirits' lives away like this was definitely only to disguise his true purpose.

However, the evil spirits didn't display any issues whatsoever.

Chen Huangpi was confident that the Calamity Eyes could see through all falsehoods.

Therefore, he shifted his gaze towards those people who had escaped from Dingxiang Restaurant alongside him.

"A traitor has appeared among us."

"This traitor isn't an evil spirit."

These people lowered their heads in terror.

Not a single one dared to lock eyes with Chen Huangpi.

Seeing this, the shadow evil spirit couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, that Song Yuzhang uses human qi as a conduit. Anyone who has absorbed human qi will be influenced by him. However, these mortals are the source of human qi; although they are as weak as grass, they, on the contrary, won't be reduced to puppets."

"They are not the traitor."

"Beloved Minister Yang, what you say is extremely correct."

Chen Huangpi drew out the Void-Piercing Sword, coldly stating: "They indeed are not the traitor, because you are the one."

Saying so, he stabbed a sword right into the shadow evil spirit's body.