Chapter 8, to eradicate completely

After seeing it clearly, my gaze could not be averted from it. Perhaps at that moment, I did not truly see its appearance, but no matter which part of it I looked at, I found it beautiful; every movement was pleasing to the eye. I developed a strong sense of sympathy for it. Such a peerless beauty, to be killed, is it not akin to burning a lute and boiling a crane?

I finally understand why Lu Chengshan had previously kept silent about the matter of exorcising demons. It turns out he had long anticipated that the demon was cunning and suspicious, making it difficult to capture. Therefore, he quietly set up a formation near the teaching building during the day, but did not activate it. With his strength, dealing with vengeful spirits is a simple task, yet he deliberately went to great lengths to bring the coffin here, making it seem significant. His purpose was to pique the curiosity of that demon, prompting it to hide nearby and watch the spectacle. Since he had not displayed his strength before, the demon did not harbor much wariness towards him, ultimately falling into his trap.

However, Lu Chengshan did not stop; instead, he rushed to the incense table and began to perform a strange set of steps, simultaneously forming hand seals and reciting incantations. I did not know what he was doing, but it was evident that each of his movements was executed with precision, accompanied by fluctuations of spiritual energy. As he chanted, his teeth were clenched, and his voice thundered, entirely different from the charlatans jumping and singing on television. In the blink of an eye, a powerful and imposing aura emanated from Lu Chengshan, exuding divine might, as he thrust his sword into the ground.

Lu Chengshan sneered: "Do not try to intimidate me with the Buddhist wheel of cause and effect. I am an orthodox Taoist, and it is my duty and obligation to eliminate demons and monsters. Eradicating a fiend like you brings only merit, not sin. Moreover, I am serving the country and acting on behalf of heaven, so there is no need to worry about any cause and effect!"

I saw a human-shaped shadow suddenly leap onto the body of the fox spirit, rushing towards me. I hurriedly tried to dodge, but I couldn't escape. I felt that shadow pounce on me, rendering my entire body immobile, my mind clouded and dizzy, as if my body no longer belonged to me

The white fox continued to move forward. Lu Qingwen, a young person, was ambitious and eager for success. When she saw the妖狐 pass by her, she couldn't help but draw a small dagger and stab at the妖狐's neck. Her sudden movement caused fluctuations in the formation's spiritual power, creating a slight gap, and the妖狐's eyes immediately flashed with a bright light

Lu Chengshan saw the vengeful spirit rushing towards him and calmly drew out the Seven Stars Peach Wood Sword. With his left hand, he formed a seal and pressed it onto the sword, then slashed forward. The ethereal light formed by the spiritual energy resembled a giant flaming sword cleaving through the air, splitting the swirling black mist and the vengeful spirit in two. The black mist quickly dissipated, and I heard a piercing scream.

Lu Chengshan ignored her, his thick brows furrowed, gripping the Seven-Star Peach Wood Sword, wanting to strike but hesitating. Clearly, he had already used talismanic magic to trap the fox demon, preventing its escape, yet he was reluctant to act hastily, fearing that in killing the fox demon, he might also end my life. However, if he did not act immediately, the longer the delay, the more firmly the soul of the fox demon would merge with my body, leading to a successful possession, which would mean my death as well

Despicable and shameless! Lu Chengshan was furious, but he did not dare to unleash the hand gesture he had formed. Given his profession and status, he could eradicate demons and monsters without mercy, but he could not harm ordinary people, as neither the way of heaven nor the laws of the nation would permit it

Although I am an outsider, I can see that the strength of the demon fox is formidable. In a one-on-one confrontation, Lu Chengshan may not be its opponent, let alone capture it. Currently, although the formation is continuously bombarding it, it merely weakens its abilities and cannot directly kill it. Of course, it is also possible that the power of Lu Chengshan's formation is not as strong as I imagined; without the Heavenly Eye, nothing can be seen. Currently, although the formation is continuously bombarding it, it merely weakens its abilities and cannot directly kill it. Of course, it is also possible that the power of Lu Chengshan's formation is not as strong as I imagined; without the Heavenly Eye, nothing can be seen.

If the fox spirit should not be killed, then it is Lu Chengshan who is in the wrong? Suddenly, I woke up, hurriedly closing my eyes, afraid to look again. Even with my eyes closed, I could still "see" its appearance, but the allure that had once captivated the masses and scholars was no longer there. Moreover, it was enveloped in a thick white mist, something that no human possesses.

The silver corpse and the vengeful spirit appear formidable; however, as they have not yet fully formed and have not merged, they are actually quite powerless. In the presence of Lu Chengshan, they are easily defeated without any effort on his part.

Lu Chengshan looked up to the sky and laughed heartily, extremely pleased: "Haha... you demon, you have already been trapped by my Seven Star Flying Hammer Formation, with no way to escape!"

The shadow remained silent for a moment and then said: "I have only recently passed through here, I have never harmed anyone, let alone killed anyone. My crimes do not warrant death. I beseech the true person to consider that I have endured nearly a thousand years of arduous cultivation. Please show me some leniency, and I promise I will never dare to indulge in mischief again in the future"

The dark figure furiously exclaimed: "You traitors of the Daoist sect, the hounds of the court, devoid of any compassion or mercy; even in death, I will ensure that you suffer!"

The fox demon, unable to discern direction within the formation, gradually approached Lu Chengshan. The closer it got, the greater the power of the attacks Lu Chengshan unleashed, effectively walking to its own demise. After a few minutes, it began to struggle, and was struck by a spell from Lu Chengshan, collapsing to the ground and transforming into an exceptionally large white fox, its fur glossy and smooth, with two eyes that glimmered green like gemstones

A shadow flickered in the classroom, and a somewhat panicked young girl's voice rang out: "Daoist, I have no grievances or enmity with you, why have you plotted to harm me?"

In that moment, I saw the areas around the teaching building illuminated by dazzling lights, with colors of red, black, white, green, and yellow, among which yellow was the most prominent. These glowing spots were where Lu Chengshan had secretly buried colored stones, black jade, coins, talismans, and other items.

The fox spirit hurriedly moved east, then suddenly west, constantly changing direction, yet no matter which way it went, it would encounter attacks. In fact, if it had taken a few more steps towards the southeast, it could have broken through the light net and escaped through the window. However, being within the formation, it was unaware of this and instead headed towards Lu Chengshan at www.hetushu.com.

Do not engage in a battle of wills with it; it is already doomed! Lu Chengshan quickly formed a seal and recited an incantation to activate the formation

Lu Qingwen realized she had caused trouble, her face turning pale with fear, while Ah Liang was also at a loss. It turned out that at the moment the demon fox's true body was killed, its spirit attached itself to me. It possessed nearly a thousand years of cultivation, while I was merely a mortal, thus I was immediately controlled by it. It acted with impunity, controlling my body to turn and leave. Although I understood everything, I felt like a bystander, unable to make any further movements.

Not good! Lu Chengshan arrived like a gust of wind, striking the top of the demon fox's head with a palm. Ah Liang was also quick to act, simultaneously lunging forward, driving a military dagger into the demon fox's chest cavity. The demon fox's massive body tumbled to the ground, its four limbs twitching, clearly on the brink of death

Lu Chengshan swung his sword down, unable to stop the phantom, and roared, "Bold demon, leave him at once!"

What is this supposed to be? I feel waves of despair and panic in my heart, hoping that Lu Chengshan will release the fox spirit and not implicate me, but I cannot speak or move, not even able to turn my eyes.

Haha... the fox spirit controls my laughter, "If my soul were to scatter, he would not survive either. He is a virtuous man, having never committed any wrongdoing. Are you really going to kill him as well?"

Lu Chengshan shouted angrily: "The devil may be one foot high, but the way is ten feet tall; how could this poor Daoist be at your mercy!"

After that, I fell into a state of alternating between unconsciousness and wakefulness, but even when I was awake, I could only hear sounds, unable to see anything or do anything.

Lu Chengshan sneered: "You harass the villagers and disrupt the world; you have already violated the law of the state. The heavens' net is vast and nothing escapes its grasp. Why not surrender yourself willingly?"

I thought he would show mercy and release the fox spirit, but his expression grew increasingly fierce and resolute. I felt a bone-chilling coldness; I could not comprehend his thoughts. Why must he annihilate a demon that is not too bad, even at the cost of my life? Just not long ago, he even wanted to take me as his disciple!

You... you heartless and ruthless person, that female ghost just now suffered in silence; not only did you refuse to help her resolve her grievances, but you also cruelly sought to eliminate her completely! Although I am mischievous and have made some minor mistakes, even according to your laws, they do not warrant the death penalty. You kill the innocent without fear of retribution, do you not fear the consequences of your actions?

I, Lu Chengshan, am never threatened! Lu Chengshan shouted angrily, suddenly made a move, and jabbed my back seven or eight times in one breath, causing my body to lurch forward. He picked me up horizontally and placed me in front of the incense altar, quickly cutting the middle finger of his left hand, letting his blood drip into a dish filled with cinnabar. He then picked up a brush, mixed the cinnabar with his blood, and began to draw talismans. The brush moved like a dragon and snake, and in one go, he completed eight talismans. One was affixed to the Baihui point on my head, one to the heart area on my chest, one to the lower dantian, and one was placed on each of my palms and soles. Finally, he burned one and poured it into my mouth. He picked me up horizontally and placed me in front of the incense altar, quickly cutting the middle finger of his left hand, letting his blood drip into a dish filled with cinnabar. He then picked up a brush, mixed the cinnabar with his blood, and began to draw talismans. The brush moved like a dragon and snake, and in one go, he completed eight talismans. One was affixed to the Baihui point on my head, one to the heart area on my chest, one to the lower dantian, and one was placed on each of my palms and soles. Finally, he burned one and poured it into my mouth.

Lu Qingwen could not help but angrily curse, "You foul vixen, how dare you insult my grandfather! I will skin you alive!"

I uncontrollably emitted a sharp female voice: "You want to put me to death, but I will make sure you don't have it easy. Now let's see what you can do to me!"

Lu Chengshan began to cast his spell, first praying to the heavens, then reciting: "The laws of the Supreme receive me, according to the will, I act as I please. I beseech the gods to gather and protect my body, in accordance with my transformations, responding to my path, concealing me as I wish, swiftly and as commanded!" After finishing the incantation, he formed seals and struck the air above my head, at my third eye, throat, navel, palms, and soles...

I cannot judge whether Lu Chengshan's actions are right or wrong, but he is entirely different from the virtuous person I had imagined; he resembles a stern and impartial enforcer. Similarly, I cannot comment on whether the fox spirit deserves to die, as these are all matters I have never encountered or contemplated before.

The fox spirit walked outside the classroom, and with the light of a few candles borrowed from the *picture* book, I saw that it was wearing a rather plain plaid shirt and loose dark trousers, tied with a thick long braid, resembling a rural woman. However, as it approached, I realized she was extraordinarily beautiful, to the point that even the stunning beauty Lu Qingwen paled in comparison.

I saw various beams of light emitted near the school, interweaving, connecting, and gathering, resembling a network of electricity, completely unobstructed by the buildings—this must be some form of magnetic or force field energy. The shadow inside the classroom began to rush outward; as it moved, watermelon-sized orbs of light shot towards it from all directions, exploding into dazzling colors upon impact. Although it tried its best to evade, it was still struck by numerous light clusters, but it appeared not to be seriously injured. The shadow inside the classroom began to rush outward; as it moved, watermelon-sized orbs of light shot towards it from all directions, exploding into dazzling colors upon impact. Although it tried its best to evade, it was still struck by numerous light clusters, but it appeared not to be seriously injured

At that time, the fox spirit did not intentionally seduce me; rather, it was her innate charm that naturally captivated men. The name "fox spirit" is not given without reason.

Lu Qingwen asked with a sobbing tone, "Grandfather, how are you?"

At this moment, he was possessed by a spirit, exuding an astonishing aura. His movements were as swift as lightning, unmatched in power. Each feigned strike felt like a heavy blow to my head, causing my entire being to tremble.

After Lu Chengshan struck with his sword, he immediately darted towards the coffin, swiftly running around it in a circle. His movements were as quick as lightning as he thrust four willow branches, each affixed with a talisman, into the corpse. I saw the willow branches emit a bright red light, while the points where the corpse was pierced erupted with a large amount of black mist and a small quantity of black blood. The corpse trembled violently, attempting to sit up, but no matter what, it could not rise, rapidly withering away.

Lu Chengshan's face showed a hint of hesitation, but soon became resolute: "You have not committed more evil deeds, not because of your inherent goodness, but because you lack sufficient strength. If you were not trapped by me, would you be so humble? Today, the world is at peace, and the country is prosperous and the people are safe, allowing no room for your kind of demons to stir up trouble. Show yourself and meet your end!"