Chapter 77: Leopard Was Bewitched

Swish! Swish! Swish! Three sharp bursts of sword energy sliced through the air, striking the three gunmen. The sound of three consecutive cracks echoed through the night.

“What is this—?” Strong Brother had barely reacted before a flash of white light crossed his vision; the gun in his hands was suddenly split in two!

“This kid isn’t human!” he exclaimed in terror.

“You’re the one who’s not human. Now get lost, and tell Li Shihao: if he dares provoke me again, I’ll take his life sooner than he expects,” Qin Xuan said coldly.

“Go, go, go! Get out of here!” Strong Brother, though reluctant, gritted his teeth and ordered everyone to leave at once. He was clearly flustered—if even the three gunmen couldn’t handle this young man, what chance did they have?

The members of the Black Wolf Gang hurriedly turned to flee, but as they spun around, something felt off. There, blocking their way, stood Leopard Brother with his head lowered, his chest tattooed with a fierce leopard. He looked eerily lifeless, unnerving everyone.

“Leopard, hurry up and move!” Strong Brother snapped.

“Hiss... Get... out of the way...” Leopard Brother’s raspy voice sent a chill through the group. Something was definitely wrong. Leopard Brother was usually bold and swaggering, never once showing such a sinister demeanor.

“Are you looking for death, Leopard?” Strong Brother glanced at Qin Xuan, anxiety creeping into his voice.

But Leopard Brother did not lift his head. Instead, he stepped forward, his movement making every member of the gang’s heart skip a beat.

His stride was nothing like a normal person’s walk; his body twisted awkwardly, as if he might collapse at any moment.

“Leopard, are you possessed?” Strong Brother hastily waved, signaling his men to drag Leopard Brother away.

Yet as soon as two men touched him, an icy chill swept over them, making them shiver uncontrollably. Suddenly, Leopard Brother shoved his hands outward, sending the two men tumbling to the side with surprising force.

“Leopard—damn it!” Strong Brother cried out in terror, abandoning all else as he bolted. The Black Wolf Gang scattered like they’d seen a ghost, vanishing without a trace in moments.

Now, Qin Xuan finally noticed Leopard Brother’s strange condition, and his heart tightened. Leopard Brother’s eyes were glazed, his forehead veins bulged, and his limbs alternately stiff and twisted as he staggered toward the villa. Anyone witnessing this would think they’d seen an apparition.

“This is bad—a genuine ghost cultivator!” Qin Xuan’s expression changed drastically.

Leopard Brother had been possessed by a ghost cultivator!

Since descending the mountain, Qin Xuan had never encountered a worthy adversary. That night at Qixia Manor, he’d only sensed wandering spirits gathering nearby. Such spirits lacked consciousness, drawn purely by the energy of the dark, and soon faded into reincarnation.

He never expected that on the very first night Dongfang Qingwan moved into his villa, he would encounter a true ghost cultivator.

Unlike wandering spirits, ghost cultivators were true members of the cultivation world. They had comprehended cultivation laws from heaven and earth; unless their souls were utterly destroyed, they would not reincarnate for a long time.

Most importantly, ghost cultivators possessed self-awareness, making them exceptionally difficult to deal with.

At this moment, the entire villa was protected by a barrier; not even a ghost cultivator could enter. But there was one exception—a ghost cultivator possessing a human body.

One step.

Two steps.

Leopard Brother finally crossed the villa’s threshold, letting out two harsh, guttural laughs.

“Ha... ha... A body of pure yin...”

He looked up into the villa’s hall, his eyes gleaming with greed, not even sparing a glance at Qin Xuan. Drool trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“Girl! Protect Qingwan!” Qin Xuan gripped his Taiqing Sword tightly, shouting into the hall before fixing his gaze on the ghost cultivator.

“Sword... cultivator...” The ghost’s raspy voice, borrowed from Leopard Brother, uttered two words, then stepped forward again.

“So you know, yet you dare invade.” Qin Xuan snorted coldly, unleashing a “Celestial Sword” strike toward the ghost cultivator from afar.

Though ghost cultivators could possess humans, there was a fatal flaw—if the host died, so did the ghost cultivator!

For this reason, most ghost cultivators rarely possessed humans, as it was an irreversible process, akin to forcibly taking over a body in the cultivation world.

“Gah... gah...” Leopard Brother cackled, swiftly pressing his palms together. Suddenly, a thick blood-red mist billowed out around him.

Hiss—

The silver-white sword energy entered the blood mist and disappeared without a trace, accomplishing nothing!

At that moment, Liu Qianqian, hearing the commotion, rushed out from the kitchen. Seeing Qin Xuan’s attack neutralized, she cried out in alarm, “That’s a ghost—”

“Don’t shout! Girl, keep Qingwan safe. Leave this one to me,” Qin Xuan barked, his gaze locked onto the ghost cultivator. From that probing strike, Qin Xuan realized the ghost’s power was equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage.

In other words, their strengths were evenly matched.

However, Qin Xuan, as the heir of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, possessed the Taiqing Sword—an advantage far greater than his opponent’s. Not to mention the countless unique sword techniques he had learned from his master.

“You... brat... die...” The ghost growled menacingly, suddenly lunging toward Qin Xuan, moving with unexpected agility—nothing like the earlier stiffness.

Qin Xuan understood: the ghost cultivator was growing accustomed to Leopard Brother’s body, becoming increasingly nimble.

“Qin Xuan!” Liu Qianqian called out anxiously from the side. She could see clearly that the ghost cultivator was as powerful as a Foundation Establishment practitioner, and Qin Xuan was barely his equal.

Should she really let him face this alone?

Liu Qianqian gritted her teeth and drew a silver flexible sword from her waist. “Qin Xuan, let me help you!”

As the sword left her waist, it radiated a frosty chill, reflecting the pale moonlight, its aura no less fierce than the Taiqing Sword.

With a cry, Liu Qianqian darted forward like a black butterfly patterned with flowers.

“Damn! I told you to watch Qingwan!” Qin Xuan exclaimed in alarm.

But with the ghost cultivator charging in, Qin Xuan had no time to worry about Liu Qianqian’s actions. His Taiqing Sword traced several marks through the air as he softly intoned, “Eight Sword Seals—Demon Subduing Seal!”

A golden sword light shot skyward.