Chapter Twenty-Five: Accepting a Master

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Yao Zhimei slowly opened her eyes.

“How do you plan to deal with him?” she asked.

Qu Yiqiu paused, then replied, “Are you going to kill him yourself, or wait for the Fire Tin Dome to slowly drain him to death?”

Although the Golden Ghost King was suffering unbearable agony under the torment of the Fire Tin Dome, his soul nearly torn apart, he still managed to overhear their conversation.

“Mercy! Immortal, have mercy! I am willing to submit to you, serve you as a beast of burden, I beg you, spare my life!”

Qu Yiqiu had considered making him her servant, but with her current strength, she simply could not control him.

Yao Zhimei’s lips curled into a subtle smile. With a flick of her two fingers, she produced a tiny flag, no bigger than a palm, twirling it between her fingers.

“What is that?” Qu Yiqiu noticed the meaningful look on her face.

Yao Zhimei smiled, raising her eyes to gaze at the Golden Ghost King within the Fire Tin Dome.

“You’ve saved me once more. This Soul-Suppressing Banner is a ghostly artifact I snatched from his storage pouch. Whoever possesses it can suppress and control the ghosts sealed within, even beyond their own cultivation level.”

“In other words, if you were at Foundation Establishment, you could use the Soul-Suppressing Banner to control the Golden Ghost King and command him!”

At that moment, Yao Zhimei seemed to recall something Qu Yiqiu had once said, and she refrained from referring to herself in the arrogant manner she usually did.

The Golden Ghost King’s narrow, sharp eyes darted to the little flag in her hand, and a flash of fear appeared.

Qu Yiqiu caught his expression and said calmly, “But I’m not at Foundation Establishment. The Soul-Suppressing Banner isn’t very useful to me, is it?”

Yao Zhimei grinned, her teeth shining. “If you trust me, I can devour half the Golden Ghost King’s cultivation, reducing him to the peak of Foundation Establishment. Of course, when you reach Foundation Establishment, I’ll return his cultivation, restoring him to the late Core Formation stage!”

Qu Yiqiu was weighing the feasibility of this plan when she heard a new form of address and looked at her in confusion. “What did you call me?”

Yao Zhimei’s wide grin faded, her expression turning solemn as she knelt before Qu Yiqiu. “You possess boundless potential and unfathomable power. I, Yao Zhimei, willingly pledge myself to you as my sovereign, hoping that one day I may ascend to the Upper Realm by your side!”

Yao Zhimei bowed her head in earnest, thinking to herself: I was too careless before. This woman is shrouded in a subtle, mysterious light; how could she be ordinary?

She had often heard tales of immortals and great beings reincarnated into the mortal world, but had never seen it for herself. Perhaps this woman truly possessed some wondrous secret.

Now, with her own cultivation hovering between stages, even if she managed to break through to the late Form Condensation stage, she could not form a Nascent Soul or regain a physical body. The method of taking over another’s body was fraught with dangers and restrictions. It would be better to stake her fortune on this woman, perhaps gaining some celestial luck and a new way to form her Nascent Soul.

Qu Yiqiu was both surprised and astonished.

Yao Zhimei seemed like a completely different person, her current demeanor even bearing a hint of a female general’s bearing.

But on second thought, it was clear Yao Zhimei had her reasons for pledging her loyalty. With her pride, she would never bow her head without a purpose.

Qu Yiqiu considered for a moment, then calmly helped her up.

In the path of cultivation, wealth, companions, methods, and territory were all essential. With her mediocre talents, advancing to higher realms would require ever more resources.

No matter Yao Zhimei’s true motives, as long as she remained useful, their cooperation could continue.

And in time, her own cultivation might not remain below Yao Zhimei’s.

Yao Zhimei lifted her head, trying to gauge Qu Yiqiu’s thoughts.

“You helped me subdue the Golden Ghost King. The matter of your being sovereign must not reach outside ears; I need to act with discretion,” Qu Yiqiu whispered, affecting an air of mystery.

If she took this body back to Blue Star and entered the entertainment industry, she’d surely win Best Actress!

Yao Zhimei was delighted. The Soul-Suppressing Banner in her hand suddenly enlarged, nine skeletal skulls circling its surface, clattering against each other as she waved it.

Seeing this, the Golden Ghost King realized the two women had reached an agreement. He felt as if plunged into an icy abyss, seething with resentment.

He had ruled here for centuries; how could he possibly submit to another’s will? If not for this woman’s sudden appearance, he would have devoured Yao Zhimei and broken through to Nascent Soul!

But now, it was too late for regrets.

Yao Zhimei pressed a finger to her brow, summoning a drop of pure soul power. She released it into the air, her hands forming rapid, intricate seals, drawing out a complex soul contract.

Qu Yiqiu watched her movements carefully, keeping her guard up as she received the soul contract, binding it with a strand of her own consciousness and storing it away.

Afterwards, Yao Zhimei seemed somewhat weakened, but she didn’t pause. With a flick of her right hand, she shook the Soul-Suppressing Banner, sending out a stream of black mist from the staff, which swallowed the Golden Ghost King whole.

His wailing ceased abruptly.

Then, Yao Zhimei breathed a mouthful of ashen-white energy towards the banner.

From within, Qu Yiqiu heard more pitiful shrieks. When Yao Zhimei retracted the enlarged, ashen energy, the space grew quiet.

Qu Yiqiu relaxed. “He’s finally dealt with. How did you provoke him, and why did you steal his things?”

Yao Zhimei pouted. “I didn’t provoke him—he deliberately lured me here!”

Unconsciously, she slipped back into her usual self-referential slang.

Qu Yiqiu ignored it and asked, “Didn’t you come to Twin-Dyed City of your own accord? How did he lure you here?”

Just thinking about it, Yao Zhimei grew annoyed.

“That old bastard sent his little ghosts out to spread rumors, saying the Scarlet Leaf Valley here was a paradise for ghost cultivators—a perfect cultivation sanctuary, no enemies, rich with yin energy!”

“But I hadn’t even enjoyed a few days here before they ambushed me. Luckily, I grabbed something from Lyu Color Ghost’s storage pouch, stole his Soul-Suppressing Banner, and managed to escape!”

As she spoke, Yao Zhimei angrily shook the banner, causing the weakened Golden Ghost King within to suffer excruciating pain and beg for mercy.

Qu Yiqiu’s lips twitched.

Such a simple trap—and she’d fallen right into it!

Scarlet Leaf Valley lay between Twin-Dyed City and Qu’nan City, both affluent centers. If there really were a ghost cultivator’s paradise here, the passing cultivators from both cities would have destroyed it long ago.

“But, to be fair, there’s some valuable stuff in that ghostly paradise—maybe even useful for you human cultivators!” After tormenting the Golden Ghost King, Yao Zhimei flashed Qu Yiqiu a sly smile.

Qu Yiqiu was intrigued. “What about the Golden Ghost King’s followers? How strong are they? Can the two of us handle them?”

Now that the Golden Ghost King was confined and his cultivation reduced to the peak of Foundation Establishment, there was no guarantee his subordinates would obey him.

Yao Zhimei was still wounded and not at her full strength.

“Hahaha, Sovereign, don’t worry! With me here, I guarantee they’ll be as meek as rabbits!”