Chapter 29: The Remarkable Bewitching Trick, Zhao Yu Takes Action

She looked every bit like an innocent little girl who had lost her way from her family. It was heartbreaking.

Zhao Yu instinctively wanted to call out, "The door is unlocked, hurry inside! There are so many man-eating monsters out there..."

Before he could speak, Tie Shi sneered, "A mere trick of the light, how dare you show off your petty skills before us!"

Zhao Yu was stunned. Wasn't that just an innocent little girl outside? Though her eye sockets were bleeding—perhaps from the trauma of terror—and her gaze held a sickening, cold chill, it could not hide the fact that she was merely a homeless, pitiful child.

"Ignorant evil spirit!" Tie Hu, the bearded man, didn't stop to think; he unleashed a fierce punch.

The force of his strike pierced the air.

*Bam!* The little girl was sent flying instantly, crashing to the ground and coughing up blood.

"Big... big brother, why... why did you kill me..." With a fragmented, dying voice, the little girl stared blankly at the gate, her face frozen in the misery of her passing. She looked even more pathetic now.

Tie Shi frowned instinctively. "What on earth?"

Were the evil spirits appearing now truly this weak? If everything outside was of this caliber, there would have been no need to invite Zhao Yu to anchor their defense.

However...

The bearded man’s pupils suddenly dilated. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and shaking it violently. "How could this happen... I'm sorry... I thought you were an evil spirit... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Tie Shi realized what was happening and barked, "No! That is a Mind-Beguiling Specter! You must not let Tie Hu be deceived, or the Youxiong Tribe will fall today!"

"Tie Hu, calm down!"

"Guard your Golden Core! Protect your Purple Mansion!"

"Let no monkey of the mind arise, and all things shall be at peace. Use the Heart-Calming Mantra!"

Several men rushed toward Tie Hu, pouring their spiritual energy into him frantically.

Tie Hu’s eyes turned blood-red. "ROAR!"

With a roar like a wild beast, Tie Hu unleashed a burst of spiritual energy that forcefully threw everyone around him aside. Then, he struck out into the void.

"ROAR!" Accompanied by the howl of a fierce tiger, a phantom image of a beast lunged forward, sending countless ripples across the protective light barrier of the Youxiong Tribe.

"Hee hee..."

With a strange, mocking laughter, the few evil spirits Zhao Yu had been watching began to lunge at the defensive formation. At the same time, dozens more spirits manifested and joined the assault.

Tie Shi, who had been about to restrain Tie Hu, saw his expression shift violently. "You lot, pin Tie Hu down! Everyone else, follow me to hold off the spirits!"

He dashed out of the protective barrier, amidst swirling sand and stone, unleashing a barrage of techniques at the encroaching spirits.

***

The others poured their energy into suppressing Tie Hu.

"Hee hee..." A strange, inhuman giggle emanated from within Tie Hu.

Suddenly, the "corpse" of the little girl outside melted away and vanished. Simultaneously, the little girl’s face appeared upon Tie Hu’s chest.

The girl’s face sobbed, "You are all so fierce. What did Little Flower do wrong? Please, don't kill Little Flower..."

"I am here, withdraw at once!" A divine voice suddenly boomed from the temple. A beam of holy light pierced through the air.

The pathetic girl’s face tilted, sneering strangely.

"You monster, how dare you occupy the sacred temple!" Tie Hu snarled at the temple.

"ROAR!" The fierce tiger phantom soared into the sky, unleashing a sonic wave that collided with the holy light.

The people remaining behind turned pale. "Tie Hu, calm down!"

The holy light was highly effective against evil spirits, but it had no suppressive effect on humans. Against the attacks of a human cultivator, it was utterly useless. Tie Hu was no match for the Bear God, but for some reason, the Bear God’s divine form was compromised, and most of its power was currently shielding the common folk from the miasma of evil.

*BOOM!*

With a thunderous blast, the tiger’s roar and the holy light were both extinguished.

Seeing this, the crowd looked on in despair. "It’s over..."

Tie Hu was completely controlled by the Mind-Beguiling Specter. If they had time, they could slowly suppress him, but they had none. Could they strike him down? They couldn't. Tie Hu was one of the few Nascent Soul Venerables in the entire tribe.

"Hee hee..."

With a low giggle, the little girl tilted her head. "Big Brother Tie Hu, these people are so mean. Why don't you just kill them all?"

Tie Hu’s eyes grew increasingly ferocious. The experts of the Youxiong Tribe standing nearby turned pale and instinctively retreated. Then, remembering something, they all looked toward Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu, a master, was still right here.

Zhao Yu felt a bitter pang in his heart. *I’m just a mortal...*

Hitting a little girl? He’d be a laughingstock if word got out. And were these cultivators really this incompetent? They needed him to step in for something this trivial?

The men tremblingly pleaded, "Senior, please save us! If not, the Youxiong Tribe will fall today..."

***

Tie Shi, who was the only one capable of suppressing Tie Hu in a short time, was currently occupied at the gate fighting off other spirits and could not pull away.

Zhao Yu’s lips twitched. He had no choice but to nod.

Hitting the little girl was out of the question, but he could just throw her out, couldn't he?

With that in mind, Zhao Yu nimbly approached Tie Hu.

"Hee hee..." The little girl immediately let out a strange laugh at Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu couldn't help but speak up, "Little girl, I've been meaning to say—could you stop laughing so hideously?"

Seeing that Zhao Yu was unaffected, the little girl immediately returned to her tearful expression. "Big brother, are... are you trying to kill Little Flower?"

The controlled Tie Hu’s expression grew even more savage, and the terrifying tiger phantom turned its gaze toward Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu waved his hands hurriedly. "No, no, no. You’re so pitiful, I wouldn't kill you."

Tie Hu’s movements faltered.

The little girl looked even more wretched. "Then, big brother, will you protect Little Flower?"

Zhao Yu thought for a moment and proposed, "You’re so pitiful, why don't you come stay at my place for a few days? But let's be clear—only for a few days. Once we find your family, I’ll send you back."

"Okay! Big brother, where is your home?" The little girl licked her lips.

"My home is just over there, very close."

After saying this, Zhao Yu added earnestly, "First, get out of Tie Hu’s body. A little girl hiding inside a fine man like him is highly inappropriate! It will really affect your prospects for marriage in the future. I, your big brother, am the kindest person you'll ever meet—I would never lie to you."

Before the little girl could react, Zhao Yu reached out and grabbed her face.

In the stunned silence of everyone present, Zhao Yu forcefully yanked the little girl out of Tie Hu’s body.

The little girl, who had been about to sneer, was left with a look of human-like dullness.

"What did I just do..." Tie Hu sat on the ground, trembling with horror.

A moment later, Tie Hu looked at Zhao Yu in disbelief. He knew he had been controlled by the Mind-Beguiling Specter. According to the records, once controlled, one was entirely at the specter's mercy. The only way to break free was through one's own strength of will; external help could only marginally assist.

And yet, Zhao Yu had just... yanked it out?

Just like that?

Was this truly something a human could do?

Zhao Yu waved a hand in front of the little girl. "Little girl, why have you stopped talking?"

The dullness finally vanished from the Mind-Beguiling Specter, and it stared back at Zhao Yu.