Chapter 209

“You both seem to be sword cultivators, so you might not know much about spells,” the young man said politely, grinning at Ning Ning.

“Evil arts are often related to curses, restraints, and souls. They can take a person’s life from a thousand miles away or turn others into controllable puppets. There are no limits to what they can do.”

Ning Ning replied earnestly, “That does sound quite sinister.”

“There are even more sinister things!” The man grew enthusiastic.

“I’ve heard that in ancient times, the Demon Clan had a life-substitution technique. It could use someone else’s fortune to offset one’s own misdeeds. If successful, it could deceive even the heavens, and the heavenly law couldn’t touch you. And that’s not all—”

Noticing Pei Ji’s impatient gaze, he realized he had gone off-topic and coughed awkwardly.

“Back to the point, Madam Song came to me to ask about soul-swapping.”

Ning Ning’s heart tightened as he continued, “At that time, her relationship with the city lord wasn’t good. When she came to me, she looked very pale. But soul-swapping is a grave taboo that defies the natural order. Although there are records of it in ancient texts, I’m just a small shop owner. I couldn’t possibly know the specifics, so I had to tell her I couldn’t help.”

Ning Ning responded thoughtfully, “Did she ask about anything else?”

“She seemed hesitant to say more, but in the end, she didn’t ask anything else. A few days after leaving, she suddenly fell seriously ill.”

The young man’s eyes shifted, and he leaned forward, lowering his voice. “And that’s not the strangest part—shortly after Song Xianning died and before Luan Niang married the city lord, Luan Niang came to my shop one day asking if there was a way to reshape her body and nurture spiritual energy.”

He paused to take a gulp of tea.

“Isn’t that odd? My shop is discreet, with most patrons being high-ranking officials. Ordinary people rarely know about it. But Luan Niang, who grew up in the Nuanyu Pavilion and rarely went out, somehow knew.”

Ning Ning nodded. “This ‘body reshaping’—”

Clearly hitting the mark, the young man smiled, leaned closer, and whispered, “It’s a soul-refining art! Using the soul energy of others to nourish one’s body not only maintains youth but also greatly enhances cultivation.”

He chuckled sinisterly a few times.

“Don’t you think it’s very similar to the recent disappearance cases?”

Pei Ji gave him a cold look.

“You think the disappearances are related to Luan Niang.”

He stated this with certainty, and the young man didn’t refute, shrugging.

“You’re investigating this, aren’t you? That’s just my opinion. Believe it or not.”

Concerned for her senior sister’s safety, Ning Ning didn’t waste words.

“Do you think… Luan Niang could be the deceased Song Xianning?”

“Why else would she ask about soul-swapping? And how did Luan Niang find this place?”

The young man glanced outside, ensuring they were alone before continuing.

“I also heard Luan Niang’s personality change drastically. Isn’t that a complete transformation?”

No one had ever discussed this with him, so he became more animated.

“I think it happened like this: Song Xianning loved the city lord but couldn’t win his heart. Facing a terminal illness, she decided to use the secret soul-swapping art to possess Luan Niang’s body.”

He drank more tea.

“Luan Niang was the city lord’s type, but she hadn’t practiced immortal arts and would eventually age. So, Song Xianning used soul-refining to maintain her appearance and improve her cultivation, making the city lord increasingly infatuated with her.”

This reasoning seemed quite plausible.

However, the shadow in Ning Ning’s eyes remained.

She asked sternly, “Shopkeeper, have you heard of the ‘Ziwei Spells Record’?”

“Madam Song bought a copy. Immortal Ziwei is a master of evil arts,” the young man said with a faint smile.

“That book mentions soul-swapping, but not in detail.”

The conversation seemed to clear up many things, leaving little more to discuss.

Ning Ning, worried about the missing Zheng Weiqi, frowned and asked, “How exactly is soul-refining performed?”

“It’s simple, really. You need living people, spells, and a formation.”

The young man glanced at her as if remembering something and showed a slightly mysterious expression again.

“Soul refining is fascinating. The more living souls sacrificed simultaneously, the greater the reward. The effect of refining one soul after another is far inferior to a mass sacrifice—maybe those missing girls aren’t dead yet. The perpetrator could be waiting for the perfect moment for a grand ritual.”

This reminded Ning Ning of the Goose City in the Floating Tower.

Back then, demon cultivators had gathered the souls of the entire city, waiting to refine them all at once. If the shopkeeper was right, the missing girls might still be alive…

If they could uncover the truth quickly, they might save everyone, including Zheng Weiqi.

“Have you two enjoyed the story?”

The young man nervously glanced at Pei Ji and pointed to the shelves beside him.

“Since I’ve been talking for so long, how about buying something?”

The disciples of the Xuanxu Sword Sect weren’t demons.

Ning Ning politely thanked the shopkeeper and selected a few possibly useful trinkets before leaving with Pei Ji.

The atmosphere between them had been tense since that confusing hand-holding incident.

Listening to the shopkeeper’s tales had been a distraction, but now, in the quiet night, they could hear their own footsteps and breathing.

The blend of darkness and faint light added a touch of intimacy.

Ning Ning walked toward the inn, head down, trying to sort out her thoughts.

Why did Song Xianning inquire about soul-swapping?

Was Luan Niang’s change in personality truly connected to her?

And, had she really held Pei Ji’s hand voluntarily?

The last thought came unexpectedly, halting her reasoning. Ning Ning awkwardly moved her left fingertips, still feeling the firmness of his hand, as if in a dream.

She couldn’t understand why she had instinctively done that, and what about saying, “This is how you hold hands…”

That’s a bit too proactive!!