Teaching by Precept and Example

Looking at Liu Ruyan's cowardly and timid appearance, Qin Hao found it truly difficult to connect the person before him with the legendary Fairy Miejue of the future.

"Soul Devouring Banner!"

Qin Hao opened his hand. In the next second, a pitch-black banner enveloped in a dark red demonic aura appeared in his grasp.

The banner fluttered without any wind, its surface covered with twisted, agonized ghostly faces. Desolate, despairing wails and the sobbing of sinister winds echoed from within, sending shivers down one's spine.

"It doesn't matter if you don't know what to do; I will teach you."

Before his voice faded, Qin Hao flicked his wrist. The Soul Devouring Banner expanded against the wind, instantly transforming into a giant banner ten zhang tall. It flapped wildly, and the ghostly faces on its surface seemed to come alive, letting out shrill roars.

A dense aura of death and yin energy spread out, and a massive black hole appeared in the sky.

"Devour!"

Qin Hao shouted loudly. In the next moment, the Soul Devouring Banner erupted with intense blood-red light. Countless blood-red threads shot toward the crowd below the altar like living creatures.

The threads shot from the banner were like chains from hell. Ignoring physical barriers, they directly pierced through these people's bodies, accurately stabbing into and entangling their fragile soul origins.

"Ah—"

With their souls forcibly extracted, everyone simultaneously let out shrill wails of extreme agony.

"Daoist, spare our lives! We know we were wrong! Please give us another chance!"

Faced with the threat of death, these people begged for mercy continuously. Qin Hao's expression remained unchanged; he merely sneered:

"Give you a chance? If I hadn't come today, would you have given her a chance? Even death is too good for you!"

Saying that, Qin Hao injected more spiritual energy into the Soul Devouring Banner. The bodies of these people began to twitch and twist violently.

Finally, their expressions froze in ultimate fear and pain. Their eyes bulged, and traces of black-red souls began to seep out from their seven orifices.

Drawn by the Soul Devouring Banner, these souls swiftly flowed back into the banner along the blood-red soul threads.

In the plaza, swaths of people fell like harvested straw. Their physical bodies did not perish immediately, but their divine souls had been forcibly extracted, leaving behind only slightly twitching empty shells.

Having absorbed thousands of people, the surface of the Soul Devouring Banner gained thousands of more agonizingly wailing ghostly faces. Qin Hao merely cast a cold glance before putting the banner away.

Liu Ruyan, who had witnessed the entire process from the side, shifted her gaze. She looked up at Qin Hao blankly:

"Are... are they all dead?"

Qin Hao chuckled lightly and rubbed Liu Ruyan's head:

"Those who bullied you, why keep them alive instead of killing them?"

Qin Hao's words made Liu Ruyan's heart suddenly constrict, as if something had gently bumped into it. It felt sour and astringent, yet carried an unfamiliar warmth that she almost dared not touch.

Her grandparents, who depended on her for survival, also loved her. But whenever trouble arose, they always told Liu Ruyan to endure it, not to cause trouble, because she could not afford to provoke anyone.

However, the man before her offered a protection that was so brutal, so unreasonable. Those who bullied you, why keep them alive instead of killing them?

This was a kind of absolutely biased care that she had never experienced before.

"Ruyan, remember this. It doesn't matter if you don't know how to treat others. Just wait and see how they treat you. If they are good to you, be good to them. The moment they show malice toward you, do not hesitate, use everything you have to kill them."

"Either you don't kill, or you pull up the weeds by the roots, killing them without leaving any hidden dangers behind. Do you understand?"

Liu Ruyan nodded blankly. In her eyes, Qin Hao was a rare good person, so whatever he said must be right.

Qin Hao probably never expected that an ignorant young girl, precisely under his teaching by words and deeds, would become the Fairy Miejue who reigned supreme across the Three Realms and Nine Heavens in the future.

Qin Hao took Liu Ruyan's hand, left the plaza, and walked toward the streets. Seeing that her tattered clothes really affected her temperament, he decided to buy her some new outfits.

The streets inside the city were wide, lined with shops and bustling with crowds, with the sounds of peddlers crying out their wares echoing endlessly.

Led by Qin Hao, Liu Ruyan walked on the bustling street, appearing exceptionally nervous and uneasy. She was used to hiding in the shadows, and being exposed to so many gazes made her instinctively want to shrink behind him.

Sensing her nervousness, Qin Hao squeezed her hand and said softly:

"Keep your head up and your chest out. From now on, you don't need to hide from anyone."

Qin Hao's figure was not large, but it carried a warm strength that made Liu Ruyan feel at ease. She took a deep breath and tried hard to do as he said. Although she still didn't dare to make eye contact with passersby, her back was finally a bit straighter.

"Isn't... isn't this that jinx from the Liu family? Weren't they supposed to execute her today? Who let her out?"

"Heavens! How is she not dead yet? What is the Liu family doing? They agreed to execute her, so why let her out to plague people?"

"This jinx who cursed her own parents to death and caused the spiritual energy of the entire Starfall City to deplete didn't just die properly. Why did she run out to harm people? Stay away from her, and absolutely do not get infected by her bad luck."

Upon seeing Liu Ruyan, voices of disdain immediately rang out all around. A few women dressed like noble ladies even exaggeratedly covered their mouths and noses, as if the air in the places she had been became filthy and unbearable.

The color instantly drained from Liu Ruyan's small face, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. That familiar malice and rejection, like maggots attached to the bone, enveloped her once again.

She instinctively wanted to pull her hand back from Qin Hao's palm, wanting to hide herself and escape these gazes.

Qin Hao's face darkened completely. He shot a cold glance at these people and then, without any unnecessary words.

"Soul Devouring Banner!"

With a flick of his wrist, in the next second, a sinister and terrifying Soul Devouring Banner appeared in his hand.

"Devour!"

Qin Hao swung it forcefully. In the next moment, everyone in the entire alley went black in the eyes and fell to the ground, and all of their divine souls were collected into the Soul Devouring Banner by Qin Hao.

After doing this, Qin Hao patted Liu Ruyan's shoulder:

"Don't always think about escaping. Whoever makes you uncomfortable, just kill them."

A flicker of light appeared in Liu Ruyan's hollow eyes. So, could things really be this simple?

"Just kill them? I'll remember that."

Qin Hao patted her small head in satisfaction. "That's the right way. I'll take you to change your clothes first, and then I'll teach you how to cultivate."

Qin Hao led Liu Ruyan straight toward the most imposing silk and clothing shop in the city.

This Neon Garment Pavilion had a massive storefront and exquisite decor. Various silks and satins shimmered with radiant colors, and the hanging ready-made clothes were of novel designs. Qin Hao was very satisfied.

Just as he was about to enter, he noticed that Liu Ruyan was still standing frozen in place:

"What's wrong?"

Liu Ruyan gently shook her head at Qin Hao. "This shop is too expensive. Let's... let's go to another one."