Taboo Mage - Chapter 200 - Braving the Illusion Alone

Peach blossom tree branches are perfect for warding off evil, making them just right for dealing with someone like Pan Yuzhi.

That night, after Zhou Qifang fell asleep, I planned to venture into the theater stage illusion once more. This time, with the magical artifact in hand, I wasn’t afraid of that hideous mummy; I wondered what other tricks I might pull.

As for Jue Chi, even if he refused to leave with me and preferred to remain with the ugly creature in this illusory place, I couldn’t just sit by and watch him fall further into decay.

Zhou Qifang had always been the one to drive the car, and the keys had always been in his possession. I turned off the lights and lay down in bed.

I waited until I heard his faint snoring from the bed behind me before I quietly rolled over, grabbed his jacket, and searched through the pockets for quite a while until I finally found the car keys.

The drive was smooth, and I reached the old theater stage without any issues. Once there, I used the red string to create the array, placing a puppet in the center of the dharma array. Then, I sat cross-legged in front of it, silently reciting the incantation.

Thanks to my prior preparations, even with my eyes closed, I could still clearly feel the air around me gently flowing and gradually condensing beside me.

Finally, when I suddenly opened my eyes, I found myself staring at a brand-new theater stage, identical to the previous scene, except for the absence of the female lead who had sung in the “Peony Pavilion.”

Once I confirmed that I was indeed in the illusion, I didn’t hesitate any longer. I put my backpack on my back and followed the same route as before to locate that small courtyard.

The small courtyard was still there. Standing at the entrance, I gritted my teeth and pushed open the door. It was the familiar corridor and courtyard, but Jue Chi and Pan Yuzhi were nowhere to be found beneath the corridor.

I suspected that if this illusion had indeed been created by Jue Chi, then once I entered, he must have been aware of it.

But now, I couldn’t find him. Had he really left with that mummy?

That damn monk! Always causing me trouble!

As I gazed at the vibrant flowers in the courtyard, a surge of anger rose within me. Here I was, going to so much trouble to save that annoying monk, and he had the audacity to be ensnared by an ugly creature!

I snorted coldly, rummaged through my backpack for the yellow talisman paper and the copper coin sword, sprayed black dog blood on the sword, lit the yellow paper, and then set the flowers and plants in the courtyard ablaze.

In an instant, flames erupted into the sky from the courtyard. Watching the inferno unfold, I let out a cold laugh and backed away, clutching my backpack.

Not finding Jue Chi in the courtyard and with no idea how vast this Illusion was, I wandered aimlessly down the street, eventually ending up on a hillside for reasons I couldn’t quite understand.

Sitting on the slope, I gazed down at the entire Illusion and realized that the place resembled a half-domed structure, with the sky above seemingly close enough to touch.

I reached out, and the air in front of me bulged outward like a bubble. I was momentarily stunned, but then I extended my palm over the air above my head.

A chill coursed through my hand, and after a moment’s thought, I pulled out the copper coin sword, reciting a few incantations under my breath. Then, I thrust the sword toward the dome before me.

The once intact dome split open along the blade of the copper coin sword, revealing a large gash where the black night sky twinkled beyond.

Had such a sturdy barrier really been sliced open by me just like that?

This process felt almost too easy. I could hardly believe it.

Taking a deep breath, I cautiously peered inside. Suddenly, I caught a heavy breathing sound in my ears, and I spun around to face an extremely ugly face before me.

With bulging eyes, gaping lips, and a bald head, it looked like a decayed corpse.

“Pan Yuzhi?”

I widened my eyes and stumbled back a few steps, instinctively thrusting the copper coin sword forward.

Pan Yuzhi dodged quickly. Despite her withered appearance, she moved faster than I had anticipated.

I twirled the sword, charging toward Pan Yuzhi once more. She swung her shriveled hands in response, and we engaged in a fierce struggle.

However, this mummy was far more difficult to deal with than I had imagined. Perhaps her lingering resentment from her life was too strong. The longer this went on, the more withered she became, and her resentment grew more powerful.

As I thrust the copper coin sword left and right, I only managed to cut a few gashes into Pan Yuzhi’s form. Her hands gripped like iron claws, and I struggled to keep my neck out of her reach.

Suddenly, Pan Yuzhi let out a shrill scream, her raspy voice sounding as if someone had her throat in a vice.

Seizing the moment while she was in a frenzy, I thrust the copper coin sword forward. Just as the sword was about to pierce her chest, a pair of hands suddenly reached out, grasping my copper coin sword.

“Jue Chi? You worthless monk! I was trying to save you!”

Seeing the newcomer was Jue Chi ignited a fire of anger within me. Without hesitation, I lunged the copper coin sword toward him.

Jue Chi dodged gracefully but did not fight back at all. His cowardly demeanor only fueled my rage, and my attacks with the copper coin sword grew more aggressive, even tearing through his clothing several times.

Pan Yuzhi, who had already been injured by me, observed my fierce assault on Jue Chi with an eerie expression on her face. Just as I was about to stab Jue Chi in the chest, she suddenly lunged forward, positioning herself between us.

I was startled, unable to pull back the copper coin sword in time, and it drove directly into Pan Yuzhi’s chest.

“Yuzhi!”

Jue Chi cried out in shock, cradling Pan Yuzhi’s limp body as he slid down the hillside.

I stood there, holding the copper coin sword as blood dripped from its blade. Glancing back at Jue Chi cradling Pan Yuzhi, I noticed her once withered face had returned to its original beauty.

She lay in his arms, delicate and fragile, with the two of them pressed against each other tightly, resembling a pair of ill-fated mandarin ducks torn apart, while I felt like the one swinging the stick that broke them apart.

An unexpected surge of guilt washed over me.

“Yuzhi, don’t worry, you’ll be okay,” Jue Chi reassured her, one arm around her shoulders while the other gently caressed her cheek, his voice tender.

Despite the large wound in her chest, no blood oozed out. Pan Yuzhi covered the gaping hole with her hand, her eyes filled with affection, fixated on Jue Chi without blinking.