Chapter Forty-Two: The Primal Armor Spirit

Seeing Liu Ji’s heavy expression, Xiao Mei’s heart skipped a beat and her face grew even paler. She stammered, “Terrifying... you, you’re not just trying to scare me, are you...?” Of all things, she was most afraid of such eerie matters. Just last night, she had been haunted by the image of that eyeball behind the door crack and the shadow, leaving her sleepless till dawn. Every time she closed her eyes, that eyeball would appear in her mind.

“Why would I lie to you?” Liu Ji leaned closer to Xiao Mei, glanced around, and then whispered conspiratorially, “Do you know why my father and I didn’t leave the city yesterday?”

“Why?” she asked.

“It was because of vengeful spirits!” Liu Ji’s face was grave as he spoke softly, “Just the night before last, the villagers of a village not far outside South King City suddenly vanished! It was as if they’d evaporated into thin air—not a single trace left behind!”

“Why would that happen? It’s because of the vengeful spirits!” At this, Xiao Mei’s face turned even whiter.

Liu Ji sighed. “And those marked by vengeful spirits never come to a good end—their brains are devoured, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell, a walking corpse!”

Watching Xiao Mei tremble in terror, Liu Ji smiled inwardly, patted her shoulder, and sighed, “As your cousin, I can’t just stand by and do nothing. Here’s what you should do—find a good spot with auspicious feng shui and lie down.”

“Just lie down and I’ll be fine?” Xiao Mei asked.

“That way, at least you’ll die with some dignity,” Liu Ji replied.

Xiao Mei was speechless.

But the next moment, she seemed to detect a glint of mischief in Liu Ji’s eyes, and suspicion clouded her pretty face before her expression turned stormy.

She realized then—this scoundrel was making fun of her!

“You’re asking for it!” In the blink of an eye, she swung her fist at Liu Ji’s face.

A fragrant breeze fluttered past as Liu Ji ducked his head, and her small fist crashed, with a bang, into the door post instead, sending a jolt of pain up her arm. She let out a sharp yelp, tears welling in her beautiful eyes.

Dodging her punch, Liu Ji folded his arms across his chest, looking at Xiao Mei with a half-smile. “Tsk, you couldn’t even hit me—your speed really is too slow.”

“You!” Furious at Liu Ji’s mocking, Xiao Mei’s rage boiled over. She lunged at him again, throwing another punch at his face.

Liu Ji sidestepped easily. Xiao Mei was surprised, but then she swept her fist sideways toward him—but Liu Ji leapt lightly backward and dodged once more.

With a whoosh, Xiao Mei, undeterred, spun around and kicked out with her long, slender leg—a faint whistle slicing through the air.

As that long leg came arching toward him, Liu Ji suddenly crouched, letting her leg graze the top of his head.

“Tsk, your taste is really something—so old-fashioned!” Liu Ji teased.

“You... you... Shameless!” Realizing Liu Ji had peered under her, Xiao Mei flushed crimson with anger and embarrassment.

She swung another fierce punch at Liu Ji’s face, this one whistling through the air—she was clearly holding nothing back.

Liu Ji flipped backward, dodging with ease.

“Don’t run!” Xiao Mei’s chest heaved with fury as she chased after Liu Ji, clearly determined not to let this shameless rogue off lightly.

Punch after punch flew at Liu Ji, her speed remarkable and her moves executed with full force—kicks, strikes, charges, and more.

Yet, to her growing annoyance and astonishment, no matter how fierce her attacks, she couldn’t lay a finger on Liu Ji! He seemed to weave through her onslaught like a fish in water, avoiding every blow with practiced ease—as if it cost him no effort at all.

It left her with the helpless sense of punching at nothing but air.

Yet the rumors outside claimed Liu Ji was nothing but a good-for-nothing. But how could that be? No ordinary person could possibly dodge her attacks!

Liu Ji, for his part, was surprised as well. To be fair, this girl’s combat skills and experience were quite impressive—her moves flowed seamlessly into one another, her offense relentless, and few ordinary people would stand a chance.

With a single powerful leap, Liu Ji landed atop a distant rooftop. Hands clasped behind his back, he gazed down at Xiao Mei with the calm air of a master and smiled, “Your moves aren’t bad, but your speed is far too slow.”

“If you’ve got guts, stop dodging!” Xiao Mei retorted with a furious laugh. “Hiding like a rat—are you even a man? Do you dare face me head-on?”

Liu Ji only chuckled and shook his head.

“What are you laughing at?” Xiao Mei demanded.

Liu Ji looked at her as if she were a fool, his face full of pity. “I’m laughing at your naïveté. Do you really think your enemy will use his weakness to attack your strength? For instance, would you ever compete with me in speed?”

“You!” Xiao Mei’s whole body shook with rage, her one thought being to give this infuriating man a real beating. She was so angry she was no longer the least bit sleepy.

“Farewell, then.” Without waiting for another word, Liu Ji bounded away in a series of swift leaps, vanishing from Xiao Mei’s sight. He had something to ask Liu Heng.

Moreover, the matter of the eyeball Xiao Mei mentioned, and the shadow she saw in the bronze mirror, had to be reported to Liu Heng. The infiltration of a vengeful spirit into the prestigious South King’s Palace was no small matter—it demanded utmost caution.

Arriving at Liu Heng’s door, Liu Ji knocked.

“Come in,” Liu Heng’s voice called from within.

Liu Ji entered to find Liu Heng busy with his work.

“Oh, Ji’er, is something the matter?” Liu Heng asked, glancing up before returning to his documents.

Liu Ji recounted everything Xiao Mei had told him. Hearing this, Liu Heng’s expression darkened.

He set aside his jade brush and, his face grave, looked at Liu Ji. “Are you certain she saw what she claims? There was no mistake?”

Liu Ji thought for a moment. “Whether Xiao Mei was mistaken or not, I think we cannot afford to take this lightly. We must be vigilant!”

“That’s impossible...” Liu Heng muttered, brows furrowed.

“What is it?” Liu Ji asked, puzzled.

“The city walls of South King City are embedded with ghost crystals—how could a vengeful spirit possibly enter?” Liu Heng said in a low voice. “If what Xiao Mei saw is true, doesn’t that mean...the ghost crystals in the walls have failed? No, no, no—or perhaps...someone sabotaged them!”

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Liu Ji’s face suddenly changed.

If his father was right, and the ghost crystals that repelled vengeful spirits had been sabotaged, didn’t that mean...the vengeful spirits could now enter the city?

At the thought, his heart pounded violently, and goosebumps prickled his skin. He couldn’t imagine the consequences if hordes of vengeful spirits invaded the city.

“Guards!” Liu Heng suddenly called out in a commanding tone.

A black-armored officer—one of the Sergeants of the Southern Tiger Cavalry—entered. Liu Heng ordered, “Relay my command: Liu Ming is to immediately lead a team to thoroughly inspect every ghost crystal in the city walls. Not a single one is to be overlooked! If any are found damaged, they are to be replaced at once!”

He paused, then added, “Also, post ten more Southern Tiger Cavalry at each of the four city gates. If anyone suspicious is found, arrest them immediately!”

“Yes, sir!” The sergeant saluted and left.

As Liu Heng’s grim expression lingered, Liu Ji felt a sudden, inexplicable tension. “Father, what exactly are ghost crystals?”

Liu Heng explained, “Ghost crystals are a special kind of crystal found in the western regions of the Empire. They possess the remarkable ability to repel vengeful spirits. If a vengeful spirit approaches, the crystal turns from blue to black.”

As he spoke, he took a red-threaded bracelet from a drawer, its pendant a diamond-shaped blue crystal. He handed it to Liu Ji. “Take this ghost crystal—it will help you sense vengeful spirits. Remember, if it turns black, that means there’s a vengeful spirit nearby. Be careful, understand?”

Liu Ji nodded.

Suddenly he asked, “Oh, right—Father, I wanted to ask you something. How exactly does one summon an Armor Spirit?”

“Speaking of Armor Spirits, I heard from Rain City’s men that you managed to summon yours in a moment of crisis two days ago?” Liu Heng asked. Liu Ji nodded.

“I don’t know how it happened—the Armor Spirit just appeared out of nowhere. But last night, no matter what I tried, nothing worked. I tried every method I could think of, but I couldn't summon it again.”

Liu Heng asked, “Think carefully—how did you summon the Armor Spirit the first time? What was on your mind at that moment?”

“What was I thinking?” Liu Ji pondered. “Killing the assassin. At that time, I had only one thought: kill the assassin. And then the Armor Spirit appeared...”

He suddenly stopped, looking up in surprise. “Could it be...?”

Liu Heng nodded with a smile. “Exactly. In fact, summoning an Armor Spirit is very simple. You need to clear your mind and form a single goal—focus on fulfilling it—and then you’ll succeed in summoning your Armor Spirit.”

He added, “Remember, you must truly, deeply desire it!”

Liu Ji nodded in understanding.

He closed his eyes, beginning to form in his heart a goal he longed to achieve. In the endless darkness, suddenly, a golden light burst forth ahead...

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