Chapter 36 - The Village’s Fog and Rumors

On the way, Li Guanqi observed many people, his brows gradually furrowing.

Suddenly, an old man’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Esteemed Cultivator, this is where Wang Ergou lived. He died two days ago, and no one has had time to clean up yet.”

Li Guanqi nodded, then he walked straight to the door and gently pushed it open.

Creak!

The dilapidated wooden door let out a chilling creak, sending shivers down one’s spine. The sight inside made Li Guanqi take a sharp breath.

A strong stench of blood rushed toward him, and the room’s temperature seemed to plummet. The sight before him sent a chill down his back.

A burly man hung upside down from a ceiling beam, bound tightly by a thick rope. In one hand, he clutched a pair of scissors—its blade impaling a chunk of flesh.

His eyes had been gouged out, leaving behind two bloody holes. All of his toes had been brutally cut off. But the fatal wound was the long, deep gash across his throat. It was surrounded by numerous smaller slices, as if the blade had been too dull, requiring multiple attempts to sever the flesh.

Blood covered the entire floor, now thick and coagulated.

This was Li Guanqi’s first time witnessing such a gruesome scene. He had initially assumed this mission was just about capturing a vengeful ghost wreaking havoc.

Now, it seemed far more complicated than he had imagined.

He got up and scanned the chaotic and cluttered room, but found nothing particularly unusual apart from the mess.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

He pulled out a Purification Talisman and channeled his vital qi into it. The talisman instantly ignited. When the Purification Talisman touched the blood on the floor, it exploded.

As the flames burned, a thick black smoke billowed into the air from the center of the blood. Moments later, the smoke dissipated, and the chilling presence in the room faded.

The onlookers nodded in approval.

At first, they had thought the Daxia Sword Sect had sent a mere novice to handle this matter, Li Guanqi was doing much better than the previous investigators. They had only examined the scene and hadn’t been able to find anything of value.

Li Guanqi stood on the spot and frowned at the density of the black smoke.

This is going to be a tough one.

He turned and spoke, his tone measured. “Have someone clean up the body and arrange for burial as soon as possible. The weather is hot. If we wait too long, the corpse will start rotting.”

The old man quickly called for help to take care of the body.

Afterward, he approached Li Guanqi uneasily and whispered, “Esteemed Cultivator, do you have confidence in dealing with this evil ghost?”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly. “Whether I am or not, I have to try. I plan to stay here for a few days. Yang qi is strong during the day, so the ghost won’t act until nighttime. Tonight, I will lure it out.”

His words were meant to reassure the villagers, though he wasn’t entirely confident.

He turned to the sword box and asked,

“Sword Spirit, do you have any ideas?”

After a brief silence, a voice echoed in his mind.

“Tsk, I thought you were more capable. Turns out you were just putting on a brave face.”

Sword Spirit continued,

“It’s simple. At exactly thirty minutes past the hour of the ox,[1] sit by the south-facing window and cultivate. That will lure her out.”

Li Guanqi frowned slightly.

“Why the hour of the ox?”

Sword Spirit’s voice was filled with impatience.

“The hour of the ox is the time when the concentration of yin qi in the air is at its peak. The window is the most straightforward access point for her to strike. As for cultivating... you’re already like a lantern in the night. Doing so will just make you shine brighter.”

After a pause, Sword Spirit added, “

But don’t worry. This time, I can intervene.”

Li Guanqi was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected Sword Spirit to offer assistance.

He chuckled.

“What? Worried about me? So much so that you’ll make a move yourself?”

There was silence.

After a long pause, Swore Spirit's voice echoed once more, her tone a blend of disdain and arrogance.

“You must be blind if you can’t recognize your own limits. Worried about you? I just don’t want to lose my source of vital power. I can absorb some of the resentful energy from this ghost. Before you reach the Foundation Building Realm, I still need to absorb power from other sources.”

With that, she fell silent again.

Li Guanqi smiled slightly and murmured, “Looks like we got this.”

As nightfall was still some time away, Li Guanqi joined the villagers for a local meal. The spicy flavors whet his appetite.

Cloud Town lay in a valley, surrounded by mist-laden mountains. The air was humid, so the locals favored spicy food to induce sweating and dispel internal coldness from their bodies.

By the afternoon, Li Guanqi was leisurely strolling through the village.

The villagers had been too afraid to get caught out of their homes at night, so they always went home early. Now, with his presence, they dared stay outside while the sun was still up.

During this time, he gathered bits and pieces of information from the townsfolk. Squatting by the roadside, he frowned, feeling like the entire situation was a tangled mess.

The first victim was a man named Zhang Daniu. He once had a mute wife who mysteriously disappeared years ago.

Afterward, he took in a widow from the village, and they lived together. When Zhang Daniu died, the widow also vanished.

The subsequent victims were all men—some single, some married.

Li Guanqi furrowed his brows.

What exactly is the connection between these people?

Not far away, two middle-aged women were cracking melon seeds, glancing around as they whispered animatedly.

Even from a dozen meters away, Li Guanqi could tell they were discussing something significant.

He reached into his storage bag, pulled out some mountain pastries, and strolled over casually. He handed them the pastries with a smile. “Elder Sisters, what are you talking about? I have a couple of extra snacks. I can’t finish them. Why don’t you have some?”

The plump woman beamed as she accepted the gift. “Oh my, young Esteemed Cultivator, you’re too kind!”

Li Guanqi chuckled, seizing the chance. “I saw you two chatting really excitedly. Care to share the story with me?”

The thinner woman glanced around cautiously before leaning in and whispering, “What else could we be talking about? It’s about those who died, of course!”

Li Guanqi’s expression sharpened, and he instinctively lowered his voice. “Do you have some inside information?”

The plump woman glanced around, making sure no one else was listening. Then, she leaned in even closer and whispered, “Retribution!”

1. Between 1:00 and 3:00 AM. ☜