Chapter 734: The Trap
At this moment, the item Zhang Changchun took out was a wooden box. The box was not large, only about the size of an adult's palm. A talisman was affixed to this wooden box.
No one present, apart from Zhang Changchun, knew the origin of the wooden box. As for what kind of talisman was on the wooden box, it was impossible to discern its full details because it was stuck flat against the box, preventing those present from identifying it. However, given that Zhang Changchun chose to produce this wooden box at such a moment, it was clear without a doubt that something extraordinary must be contained within it. Consequently, everyone's gaze converged on the wooden box in his hand.
As his laughter faded, Zhang Changchun abruptly wiped the smile from his face, his expression turning serious. Then, under the watchful eyes of the others, he tore off the talisman affixed to the wooden box.
The moment the talisman detached from the wooden box, it instantly turned to ash, which was then scattered by the mountain wind. The wooden box, meanwhile, began to tremble violently, as if something inside were trying to burst out. Evidently, the talisman previously affixed to the wooden box must have been used to suppress it—or, more accurately, to suppress whatever lay within. Thus, with the talisman gone, the wooden box reacted with such intensity.
Seeing this, Zhang Changchun quickly waved his hand and opened the trembling wooden box. A powerful surge of Yin Qi instantly gushed forth from within the box the moment it was unsealed.
This sight caused everyone present to change color, and even the ghost, which had been poised to enjoy the spectacle, underwent a drastic shift in expression. Given their experience, they naturally understood that this powerful Yin Qi emanated from a ghost. Any ghost capable of emitting such intense Yin Qi was undoubtedly terrifyingly strong.
The Yin Qi, like a swirling dark cloud, churned and coalesced overhead, then transformed into the figure of an old man.
The old man's spirit body was remarkably solid, appearing not much different from a living person, and powerful energy fluctuations emanated from it. Compared to the spectating ghost, the old man's spirit body was not as substantial, nor did the power fluctuations he emitted surpass those of the former—but this comparison referred to the state of that ghost immediately after emerging from the Town Soul Tower. Now, however, compared to this old man, the other ghost's spirit body, in terms of solidity and emitted power fluctuations, was inferior to the elderly figure who had just appeared. Had it encountered this old man immediately after escaping the Town Soul Tower, it would undoubtedly have been overjoyed, for devouring him would have dramatically boosted its power, perhaps even allowing it to break through to the Ghost King realm. Yet, witnessing this old man's appearance now, it felt no joy whatsoever. Instead, its face was utterly grim, for it knew full well that at this moment, it was no match for this old man. If a battle were to ensue, the one devoured would not be the old man, but itself!
Zhang Changqing stood dumbfounded, gazing at the old man in disbelief, his face a canvas of shock and incredulity, as if an ordinary person had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.
"Father!"
Zhang Changchun addressed the old man, his demeanor deeply respectful.
That single word, "Father," caused everyone else present, save for Zhang Changqing, to change expression once more.
Zhang Changqing snapped out of his shock, his face turning incredibly ugly—even more so than that of the spectating ghost.
The old man nodded slightly, then swept his gaze over the few people present. When his eyes landed on Zhang Changqing, a meaningful smile appeared on his face.
"Heh heh, Changqing, long time no see."
The old man proactively greeted Zhang Changqing. The latter, face grim, grabbed Wang Yiming beside him and slowly retreated backward.
"What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see your paternal elder uncle?"
The old man spoke with a smile that was kind and seemed amicable, yet Zhang Changqing reacted as if he had encountered a venomous snake. Not only did his expression remain grim, but his eyes even betrayed a hint of panic.
"I never imagined that after your death, you would actually cultivate the Ghost Dao."
Zhang Changqing, still pulling Wang Yiming as he slowly retreated, spoke in a low voice. The old man watched this scene unfold but did not intervene.
"There's too much in this world that I couldn't let go of, so I had no choice but to cultivate the Ghost Dao, and resort to such desperate measures, you see."
The old man spoke with a smile, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"Today, you set this trap precisely to obtain this ghost. Knowing your own strength was inferior to this ghost, you used deception to gather us here, to weaken this ghost's power on your behalf, so you could then reap the fisherman's reward!"
Zhang Changqing spoke in a deep voice. Combining this with what Zhang Li had said earlier, he suddenly understood many things at once.
The old man's expression remained unchanged as he gently shook his head at Zhang Changqing.
"You're only half right. I do indeed wish to obtain the ghost suppressed beneath the Town Soul Tower. As long as I acquire it, I have a great chance of advancing to the Ghost King realm. Once I break through to the Ghost King realm, my strength won't just increase significantly; I'll also be able to reform a physical body. But that's only one reason. There's another: I want to reclaim the Town Soul Tower."
After a brief pause, the old man continued, smiling.
"You were once a member of our Zhang family, so you should know what the Town Soul Tower means to us. With the world now in chaos, possessing the Town Soul Tower gives our Zhang family a powerful trump card, which is why I've decided to reclaim it."
At this point, the old man shook his head with a look of helplessness.
"The ghost suppressed beneath the Town Soul Tower is too formidable. Its power far surpasses mine. Without powerful assistance, our Zhang family's strength alone simply couldn't deal with it. If I had rashly opened the Town Soul Tower without preparation, not only would I have failed to obtain this ghost, but it would have brought utter catastrophe upon our Zhang family. Thus, to safely achieve my objective, I had to resort to this strategy."
The old man spoke with great helplessness, but Zhang Changqing listened with immense fury.
"So you just used us as pawns?"
Zhang Changqing demanded furiously, the anger in his heart making him halt his steps, and the panic in his eyes receded accordingly.
"Heh heh, why must you put it so harshly? This isn't 'using you as pawns'; this is simply everyone getting what they need. You help me, and I pay you for your efforts. That's perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"
The old man cast aside his helpless expression, a smile returning to his face. While his words seemed directed at Zhang Changqing, they were, in truth, spoken for everyone present.
"Very well then. Now that your objective has been achieved, why have you still set up a restrictive barrier, preventing us from leaving?"
Zhang Changqing suppressed the fury in his heart and continued to question. In his current state, breaking through the restrictive barrier here was clearly impossible; he simply didn't possess that kind of power. Therefore, he could only place his hopes on others. However, with the appearance of his elder uncle, even his hopes of relying on others vanished. For his elder uncle's power was evident, and in Zhang Changqing's estimation, he was undoubtedly the strongest presence among them, with no one capable of shaking his power. Therefore, if he wished to leave this place, he could only start with his elder uncle!
Hearing this, the old man let out a hearty laugh, then shook his head at Zhang Changqing with a smile.
"Changqing, you've got that wrong. This restrictive barrier was set up by Changchun, and it's Changchun who wants to keep you here. This is purely a matter between you two brothers; it has nothing to do with me."
The old man explained unhurriedly, an explanation that nearly infuriated Zhang Changqing to death!
It was true that Zhang Changchun had set up the restrictive barrier, and it was indeed Zhang Changchun who wished to keep them. But if these actions weren't sanctioned by his elder uncle, Zhang Changqing wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death. Just look at Zhang Changchun's respectful demeanor at this very moment, not daring to utter a single word, as if everything was decided by his father. He hardly seemed like someone who would dare to make decisions on his own. Therefore, Zhang Changqing utterly disbelieved the old man's words.
Not just Zhang Changqing, but everyone else present also disbelieved him. In such a situation, with words like these, probably few would believe.
"Regardless, I was once a member of the Zhang family, and you, venerable elder, were once my most respected elder uncle. This time, when I learned of the Zhang family's plight, I still put aside my biases against the Zhang family and rushed here to lend my support. From this, it's clear that the Zhang family still holds great importance in my heart!"
Zhang Changqing forced down the anger within him, trying his best to make his tone and demeanor more respectful.
The old man's expression remained unchanged as he smiled and asked Zhang Changqing,
"Heh heh, Changqing, what is it you wish to say?"
Zhang Changqing took a deep breath, then replied in a low voice.
"I only wish to leave this place immediately, with my disciple."
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