Chapter 166: Different Paths for Humans and Ghosts

Sensing the intentions of Cao Meng and Ma Chulong, Sun Mang immediately rushed in front of the two, his eyes glaring with fury.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Sun Mang, get out of the way. Su Yan has already been possessed by that scourge; we have to beat that scourge out of her!"

Cao Meng had already taken a combative stance, prepared for a fight to the death.

"No! Even if Su Yan is possessed, she is still Su Yan. If you want to hurt her, I won't allow it!" Sun Mang shouted, exerting every ounce of his strength.

He had thrown caution to the wind; if anyone wanted to harm Su Yan, they would have to step over his corpse first.

"Sun Mang, now is not the time to act on impulse. Get out of the way, quickly!" Ma Chulong urged him in the same manner.

Yet, Sun Mang was determined to stand his ground before them.

Yuan Jing's entire face had turned a purplish-blue due to the lack of oxygen; he looked as though he could suffocate to death at any moment.

"Is that so?" At this critical juncture, Su Yan's voice suddenly rang out, and immediately following, the power imprisoning Yuan Jing vanished.

Whether it was Sun Mang, Cao Meng, or the Ma siblings, everyone's expression turned to one of excitement.

Su Yan had not lost consciousness—this was simply too good.

Ma Chulong and Cao Meng first moved quickly to catch the collapsing Yuan Jing. After confirming he was not in serious danger, they immediately looked toward Su Yan.

At this moment, two completely different voices were in confrontation within Su Yan's body.

It was eerie and absurd.

Yuan Jing's face was ashen. "At that time... *cough, cough, cough*... Rong'er, it was the same situation..."

His fragmented words caused the hearts of those who had just begun to settle to tighten once more.

"Be good, stop struggling. I can still preserve a sliver of your soul, otherwise, Li Rong will be your fate."

The monster inside Su Yan was attempting to persuade him while simultaneously fighting for control of the body.

It would absolutely not allow a mistake like Li Rong's to happen again.

But to its surprise, no matter how it attacked Su Yan's soul, it was to no avail.

Finally, it realized something was wrong.

Su Yan's voice rang out again, "I am not Li Rong, but the things Li Rong failed to do, I will do them for her!"

"You... you... what are you trying to do? I'm warning you, I am inside your body right now and can self-detonate at any time to take us both down with me!" This time, it was the monster's turn to be struck with terror.

"How do you think you entered my body in the first place?" Su Yan retorted with a contemptuous tone.

After a brief silence, the only response was the monster's frantic struggling.

"You did it on purpose! You let me succeed on purpose?!"

"Correct."

Even though this monster had previously taken on Li Rong's appearance, how could Su Yan easily allow her soul and spirit to remain within her body? The reason she hadn't taken further action was that she wanted to see exactly what this thing was trying to do.

Now that the mystery was solved, it was indeed not Li Rong!

And it deserved to die!

"Exorcist, listen to me..."

Feeling an unprecedented sense of crisis, even its voice began to tremble.

Su Yan gave it no chance to speak. The energy in her eyes instantly surged through every part of her body.

"AHHH!!"

The devil's wail was so piercing that everyone present turned pale.

However, after only a few breaths, silence returned.

Not even a trace of Yin energy leaked from Su Yan's body.

What followed was a deathly silence.

They could not see what Su Yan had just done; the only thing they had heard was that monster's final, shrill scream and plea for mercy.

"Su... Su Yan?" Cao Meng suppressed the surging blood in his body, trying to ascertain Su Yan's condition.

Su Yan responded calmly, "It's me."

"That... that thing? Is it gone?"

"Resolved," Su Yan said, before looking toward the barely breathing Yuan Jing.

Compared to the physical damage to his body, the mental torment inflicted upon Yuan Jing was far heavier.

Cao Meng, Ma Chulong, and his sister all gasped, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Resolved?

They hadn't even seen her use any talismans; she had simply spoken to the monster, and then it was resolved?

Furthermore, they hadn't seen the monster emerge from her body.

"Are you really Su Yan?" Ma Chulong had clearly thought of this as well, and he continued to eye her warily.

After all, that monster had been far too cunning.

Su Yan naturally knew what they were nervous about, so she explained casually, "I set a restriction within my body. As soon as it touches that restriction, it will vanish into nothingness."

Hearing this, Cao Meng and Ma Chulong had a sudden realization.

In an instant, their expressions relaxed.

"You certainly thought of everything. That scourge has reaped what it sowed."

Sun Mang immediately rushed to Su Yan's side, looking her up and down from every angle.

"Su Yan, I knew you would be fine!"

Su Yan gave no particular reaction, keeping her gaze fixed on Yuan Jing.

The others noticed this as well and fell silent once more.

"Rong'er... is she really gone?" Yuan Jing's speech was incredibly slow. The way he looked at Su Yan was like a drowning man grasping at his last straw of life.

Even though Yuan Jing's emotions were on the verge of collapse, Su Yan still said coldly, "She has been dead for a long time."

Yuan Jing slumped to the ground, tears streaming down his face.

"I would rather... I would rather the one who died... was me."

Everyone present, except for Su Yan, could feel his profound grief.

Ma Chulan's eyes even turned red in sympathy.

Though they didn't know exactly what had happened between the two, or if Yuan Jing had truly failed Li Rong, at least Yuan Jing's tears and guilt were real.

"It was your own choice." Looking at his agonizing state, Su Yan still felt it was not worth it for Li Rong.

Late affection is cheaper than grass.

Though it wasn't worth it, after a moment of hesitation, Su Yan made her choice.

"Mr. Yuan."

As her voice fell, a wisp of a remnant soul appeared before everyone with a wave of her hand.

"Brother Yuan."

Yuan Jing's body shuddered violently, and he lifted his head in disbelief.

Through the tears, he finally saw once more the girl who had appeared countless times in his dreams.

"Is this the real Li Rong?" Ma Chulan cried out in surprise.

The remnant soul before them appeared to be around their age, looking gentle and kind, making one instinctively want to draw near.

Su Yan: "Yes, this is the real Li Rong."

This wisp of a remnant soul had been hidden within the monster's soul all this time; that was why, despite the monster possessing Yuan Jing for all these years, it had not caused him any harm.

Even in death, Li Rong was still protecting this man.

The remnant soul only revealed itself at the same moment the monster dissipated.

But she could not maintain her form for long; she would soon vanish into the heavens and earth.

Su Yan knew she had a few final words for Yuan Jing.

"Rong'er, it really is you! Rong'er!" Yuan Jing stepped forward excitedly to embrace her, but his hands passed right through her body.

He froze.

"Brother Yuan, it's no use. I am already dead." Li Rong smiled, just as she had the first time they met.

(End of Chapter)