PD -Chapter 111 Two Shentu

I looked at Liu Xiaopeng beside me and signaled for him to lend me a hand so we could deal with the fake Tang Shanshan together.

I reached into my chest and pulled out a yellow talisman I had prepared long ago. On it was drawn, in cinnabar, an extremely rare and special sigil.

This talisman was called the Earth Deity Dougang Evil Subduing Talisman. I immediately poured two-thirds of my spiritual energy into it, while Liu Xiaopeng placed his hand on my shoulder and, in an instant, transferred half of his own spiritual energy into me.

“Lords of the Six Jia, generals of the Jade Emperor, the most spiritual of all dharma—none surpass Wen Qiong!”

The talisman in my hand erupted with blinding golden light. I immediately threw it into the air and, at a speed almost impossible for the naked eye to follow, formed hand seals.

“Earth Deity of Mount Tai, Marshal Wen Yuan—heed my command!”

As my voice fell, the talisman in the air flared with golden brilliance… Within that light, a towering, imposing figure seemed to step through a spatial gate and appear above us.

Green-faced and fierce-eyed, red-bearded and crimson-haired, holding a jade ring, standing upon the Dougang formation, summoning the Five Thunders—he descended before us, though his massive divine form did not touch the ground.

This was Marshal Wen Qiong, one of the Four Dharma Protecting Marshals of Taoism, a general under the Eastern Peak Great Emperor.

This talisman was the most difficult summoning spell recorded in the Record of Profound Heavenly Mysteries. Its principle was to use immense spiritual power to tear open space itself and, through the natural laws of Dao, summon a manifested divine avatar to aid the caster.

To summon Marshal Wen Qiong, I had just consumed two-thirds of my spiritual energy—plus half of Liu Xiaopeng’s.

The red-haired, green-faced guardian marshal stood protectively before us, glaring at the fake Tang Shanshan. Without hesitation, he raised his jade ring weapon and smashed it down toward her head.

“Interesting,” the fake Tang Shanshan said, her expression turning more serious than before. She raised both hands and actually caught the strike head-on.

Bang!

The collision between the marshal’s jade ring and her hands sounded like it had struck solid rock, producing a deafening impact.

The fake Tang Shanshan frowned slightly and was forced back two steps before stabilizing herself.

Marshal Wen Qiong’s avatar paused as well, fury blazing in his eyes. His body suddenly expanded, punching a hole straight through the ceiling of the room…

But he paid it no mind. His enormous left hand swept out, trying to grab the fake Tang Shanshan, now tiny compared to him.

She flashed aside and dodged the grab, then suddenly appeared right in front of me.

“Are you planning to tear down your little girlfriend’s house?” she said, blinking her big eyes and feigning innocence.

Her words made me hesitate for a moment. Influenced by my intent, the rapidly enlarging Marshal Wen Qiong immediately returned to a slightly larger-than-normal form.

“Alright, alright, I won’t play anymore,” the fake Tang Shanshan said with a faint smile. “I didn’t come here to fight. I have something important to tell you.”

As she spoke, she flashed again and appeared before the marshal, even reaching out to tap his jade ring weapon.

The marshal instantly erupted in rage and grabbed her by the neck. The jade ring blazed and locked itself around her body in an instant.

“Aren’t you going to save your little girlfriend?” she said calmly, not struggling at all.

I froze. The marshal’s fist, which had been about to strike, also halted in mid-air.

“What did you say?” I asked coldly.

“Put this thing away first. It’s ugly,” she said, gesturing at the marshal with her chin.

“Brother Han…” Liu Xiaopeng looked worried, as if trying to stop me.

But right now, Tang Shanshan had already been taken over for too long. If her soul could be rescued even a minute earlier, it meant one more chance for survival.

I couldn’t afford to miss any clue. This woman was strange, but she clearly knew something—and knew it in detail.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known about the time the Ghost King had thrown a short spear at me, trying to kill me.

I nodded at Liu Xiaopeng, signaling I knew what I was doing.

Then I cupped my hands and bowed toward Marshal Wen Qiong. Sensing my intent, the marshal immediately released his grip. The jade ring returned to his other hand, and his figure began to fade.

A moment later, he turned into a streak of golden light and vanished.

The fake Tang Shanshan rubbed her neck. In that instant, her appearance began to change.

She grew taller than Tang Shanshan, her figure more pronounced, her facial features sharper and more mature. The playfulness of the girl was gone—replaced with a seductive, mature allure.

Yet there was still a faint resemblance to Tang Shanshan.

“Who exactly are you?” I asked coldly again.

The woman walked toward me with deliberate interest, swaying slightly as if intentionally making her curves more noticeable. She smiled at me seductively.

“I am Shentu,” she said.

She reached out and lightly stroked my face with her slender fingers. “Surely you’ve heard of that name?”

A strange numbness spread across my face, making me slightly flustered.

I took a small step back, but I clearly heard her introduction.

“You are… the Ghost Emperor!” Liu Xiaopeng reacted strongly and immediately retreated, pulling out his talismans again.

“Yes, and no,” the woman said, glancing at him with a mischievous smile.

“Young man, you’re interesting too.”

She walked around me toward Liu Xiaopeng. “So you are a descendant of the Liu family…”

“You—” Liu Xiaopeng glared at her, but for a moment couldn’t find the words.

“What, what? That foolish look of yours is exactly like your ancestor back then,” she said disdainfully, rolling her eyes.

The implication in her words suggested she seemed to know the legendary sage Liu Bowen.

“You say you are Shentu, then who is occupying Tang Shanshan’s body?” I frowned and asked.

“We are both Shentu,” she said, then added after a pause, “That should be a fair way to understand it.”

Seeing that I still didn’t understand, she thought for a moment, then walked a short distance ahead of us and tapped her brow.

I saw a surge of black energy begin to spread out from the center of her forehead.