World's No. 1 Swordsman

Chapter 82: The Yin-Harvesting Corrupt Daoist

A corrupt cultivator in the bar?

Since when did corrupt cultivators become so brazen? They even had the leisure to hang out in bars now.

Following Jingyun's instructions, Wang Sheng waited at the bar entrance. Glancing at Shen Qianlin, he lowered his voice. "Senior Sister, take a taxi back to school first."

Shen Qianlin looked at him with concern and quietly reminded, "Alright... Be careful."

She then pursed her lips, clutched her small purse, and walked toward the street corner.

"Send me a message when you get back," Wang Sheng said from behind her.

"Yeah." Shen Qianlin chuckled softly. She looked over her shoulder, only to blink in surprise. Wang Sheng was already nowhere to be seen, having concealed himself in a corner.

Sweeping his spiritual consciousness through the bar, he detected nothing unusual.

Inside, the atmosphere was rather peaceful, with soft piano music playing in the background. Many customers drank alone in their respective corners, but even more gathered in groups, chatting and laughing.

It had a harmonious ambiance. Even the restroom was quiet, devoid of any indecent sounds. However, that was only natural. They were in a well-known food street. The authorities would have long shut down any shady establishment operating here.

After waiting for a few minutes, Wang Sheng heard Jingyun again.

—You'll see a man and a woman exiting the bar. The man is dressed rather flamboyantly. Keep an eye on them.

Wang Sheng perked up. Using his spiritual consciousness, he caught sight of a young couple walking out of the bar. He casually glanced at them, immediately noticing the thick gold chain around the man's neck.

Does his family own a mine, or does he live in one? His outfit alone has to be worth at least a hundred thousand...

The man was undeniably handsome, but he was unusually pale, making him look unsettlingly delicate and androgynous. If he became an actor, he'd probably rise to fame quickly.

He had his arm wrapped around a girl who seemed intoxicated. Though her face was caked with heavy makeup, her beauty still paled compared to the man's looks.

At first, Wang Sheng detected no cultivation from the man. However, when he focused on the girl, he sensed a thread of yin-infused primal qi coiled around her forehead, clouding her consciousness.

A mind-control spell?

Wang Sheng had heard of sinister techniques that allowed a cultivator to manipulate ordinary people at will, but this was his first time encountering it. Hence, he couldn't help but be intrigued.

Just as he was about to draw his sword, Jingyun talked to him telepathically once more.

—Be patient. I overheard his phone conversation just now. It seems he's planning to bring the girl back as an offering to his master. His Daoist art is extremely insidious, and his cultivation has already reached a formidable level. There's no telling what kind of demonic being he serves.

—Still, now that we've witnessed it, we can't just ignore it. Who knows how many women they've already abducted? Follow him. We'll take him and his master down together.

Jingyun sounded truly angered.

Wang Sheng dared not disobey. He glanced at the wristband on his arm, then pulled out his phone and sent Mou Yue a few brief messages.

As the couple headed toward the street corner, he deliberately trailed them from a distance. To avoid suspicion, he casually started texting with Mu Wanxuan after messaging Mou Yue.

Compared to him, Jingyun was far more direct. Wang Sheng's spiritual consciousness detected her drifting over the rooftop to his left.

At the street corner, the young man hailed a taxi and got in with the girl, making Wang Sheng frown a little. Unlike Jingyun, who could follow them unnoticed, he would blow his cover if he ran after them.

Hence, he instead memorized the taxi's license plate and sent it to Mou Yue, instructing her to track its passengers. He then walked to the corner and waited for the next available cab. Soon, his phone vibrated, notifying him that he had received a text message.

Mou Yue: Got it.

"Wang Sheng! Over here!"

Wang Sheng looked up and to the side, finding Shen Qianlin on the opposite side of the road. She was standing by the open door of a taxi, waving at him energetically.

Before he could react, Jingyun had already appeared beside him and dashed across the road. Wang Sheng shook his head and followed her, jaywalking across the street. Though they earned a few curses from irritated drivers, they thankfully didn't cause any traffic incidents.

Ten minutes later, the three arrived at a five-star hotel.

Just as they got out of the taxi, a police car pulled up nearby, and Bulldozer stepped out, leading a squad of burly armed policemen.

"Martial Aunt, they're here to assist us."

"They won't be of much help," Jingyun said in a hushed tone. "The young corrupt cultivator has already reached the Seed Formation Realm. If I'm not mistaken, his master will be even more formidable. I'll handle them when the time comes."

The young corrupt cultivator is already at the Seed Formation Realm?

Wang Sheng frowned. He couldn't help but feel that cultivators at his level were far too common.

Bulldozer and his team still proved useful. After showing their IDs to the reception desk, they quickly obtained the room number of the young man who had gone upstairs earlier.

"Only Martial Aunt and I will head up. I need you guys to stay here and keep watch," Wang Sheng instructed. "Make sure my senior sister is safe."

Bulldozer nodded firmly and raised his hand. Two armed policemen immediately stepped forward, positioning themselves protectively in front of Shen Qianlin.

"Do you need anything else, Daoist Master Wang?" Bulldozer asked.

"Give me a radio and wait for my signal. They've got a hostage with them."

After taking the keycard and radio, Wang Sheng and Jingyun stepped into the elevator and headed for the eighteenth floor.

Peeling away the layers of black cloth covering Abyss Listener, Wang Sheng grasped the hilt and adjusted his entire being to its peak state.

"No need to be nervous," Jingyun gently reassured. "Just use what you know and focus on rescuing the hostage. I will handle everything else."

Wang Sheng faltered slightly. Nervous? Hardly. Corrupt cultivators are nowhere near as terrifying as vengeful ghosts.

In truth, though, corrupt cultivators caused far more harm.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened slowly. Wang Sheng and Jingyun stepped out, walking side by side toward a room.

A faint light gathered at Jingyun's fingertips, and the short sword she carried emitted a soft jade glow. Tracing a simple talisman in the air, she made Wang Sheng listen in on a conversation in his ears.

—Master, are you satisfied with this one?

—This one is acceptable. The yin essence has not been depleted too much. What were those you brought before, though?

—I had no idea how those lived, Master. They approached me on their own, so I thought it would save some effort.

—Enough. Wait in the next room. Once I have finished harvesting, I will grant you a reward.

—Thank you, Master... On another note, when will you teach me the complete cultivation method? Every time I do anything, you stand there and watch. Surely that sullies your eyes...

—Hmph. Are you thinking of betraying your master?

—What? I would never dare.

Harvesting?

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow, finally understanding why his martial aunt had said their opponent practiced a sinister and ruthless Daoist art. The two inside were among the more traditional types of corrupt cultivators.

Something like harvesting yin to nourish yang?

As he pondered, they reached the door and came to a silent stop.

Jingyun's gaze seemed to penetrate the walls, her delicate brows knitting deeper. Distracted by his impatience, the so-called master, whom they assumed had a high level of cultivation, had let his guard down.

After waiting for about ten seconds, Jingyun flicked her left wrist lightly. The short sword at her waist slid half an inch out of its sheath.

Inside the room, the Daoist elder, who had been preparing to commit a crime, raised his head. In a hoarse tone, he shouted, "Who goes the—"

Jingyun raised her right hand and struck forward, interrupting the old man. A loud bang echoed through the hallway as the reinforced security door was blasted into the room.

"Do not let a single one escape!" Jingyun sharply commanded as she drew her sword and rushed in. A gray shadow sprang from the bedside, its bare feet silent against the floor. Instead of cowering in fear, the shadow charged at her and launched a flurry of palm phantasms.

Waves of chilling wind swept through the spacious suite!

With Abyss Listener drawn, Wang Sheng followed right behind. As he charged in, the young corrupt cultivator opened the door of the next room, looking completely bewildered.

Jingyun had emphasized twice that his opponent was already at the Seed Formation Realm. Hence, Wang Sheng dared not be careless. Going all out right from the start, he sent dazzling starlight streaks made of Seven-Star Sword Intent toward the young man!

In preparation to subdue his enemy as quickly as possible, he had even mapped out how to adjust his attacks. He had also formulated ways to counter any resistance and incorporate the Dual-Polarity Sword Intent, which he had yet to fully master, into his techniques.

The moment Wang Sheng swung his sword, the young man froze for a moment, and his blood splattered right after. He sustained deep wounds on his shoulder, chest, abdomen, and thigh, arranged exactly like the Big Dipper.

Wang Sheng was rendered speechless as his true essence surged into the man's meridians, gravely injuring him. Had he not reined in his killing intent at the last moment, his opponent would have lost his head.

What the heck?

He couldn't help but feel that his martial aunt had exaggerated the threat. On the other hand, the resistance he had felt when Abyss Listener had pierced into the man confirmed that his true essence and spiritual consciousness were at the Seed Formation Realm.

There was no time to dwell on it. With his opponent critically wounded, Wang Sheng pressed his sword against his neck before looking toward the master bedroom.

An old Daoist elder with graying hair and a Daoist crown was inside, wielding nothing but his bare hands. He could barely fend off Jingyun's short sword. A terrifyingly cold true essence emanated from him, and his attacks were brutal and ruthless. Nevertheless, he was losing ground.

What surprised Wang Sheng the most, however, was his martial aunt. Watching Jingyun's somewhat stiff swordplay and slightly clumsy footwork, he finally realized that the one who had been nervous in the elevator was not him—it was his martial aunt.

She had spent years cultivating in the mountains, likely practicing swordsmanship only occasionally. Her daily focus was on comprehending the Great Dao. Hence, though she had reached an advanced Daoist realm and cultivation, she had little experience in real combat. She could only overpower the old Daoist because her cultivation level far surpassed his.

Wang Sheng felt unsure of where to even begin criticizing this situation. Apparently, fighting also required natural talent.

"P-please, great hero, spare me... I have never done anything truly wicked," the young corrupt cultivator at his feet whimpered amid his own pool of blood. With a trembling voice, he added, "The women who were with me came willingly. I don't even have the full cultivation method—"

Wang Sheng knocked him unconscious with a casual strike of his sword. He then fixed his gaze on the Daoist elder, who was inching toward the door. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself for battle.

Sure, among the three in the room, he had the lowest cultivation. However, when it came to combat abilities, that was an entirely different discussion.