Chapter 18: Somewhat Skilled in Martial Arts

Zhao Wuzhu never expected that this young Daoist would possess such formidable martial strength.

Bang

!

Li Yanchu charged forward and smashed directly into Zhao Wuzhu, forcibly knocking a man with unnaturally white skin and bright red rouge smeared on his cheeks out of his body. It was clear that he couldn’t withstand the searing yang qi pulsing through Li Yanchu’s body.

Wang Chongshan’s eyes widened in shock as he watched the figure being violently expelled. It was just as he feared; a malevolent spirit had taken possession!

Zhao Wuzhu’s body immediately broke out in corpse decay, releasing a foul, putrid stench like a body that had been rotting for days. The rouge-faced paper effigy spirit was clearly stronger than the one from the inn.

He let out a furious roar, “Just a young Daoist who’s learned just a bit of petty martial arts... and you dare ruin my plans?!”

He had thought Li Yanchu was just a Daoist, but once they were up close, he realized he’d clashed with a third-rate martial master. The impact had been enough to force him out of Zhao Wuzhu’s body.

The sinister paper effigy spirit then bared his hooked fingers like claws and lunged straight at Li Yanchu. Still, Li Yanchu didn’t back down; he met the charge with a straight punch.

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

“Thirty-Six Divine Astral Hands!”

Bang

!

With a single strike, he sent the paper effigy spirit flying backward.

“AAAHHH!” the creature shrieked in agony as flickers of lightning danced across its body. He couldn’t believe it; this young Daoist not only had brute strength, he could also summon lightning techniques!

Wearing lightning-struck wood knuckle dusters, Li Yanchu pressed the attack without hesitation and charged after him relentlessly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Li Yanchu’s blazing-hot qi and blood, combined with the baneful properties of lightning-struck wood and black dog blood, completely overwhelmed the sinister, eerie paper effigy. The creature was beaten into a pathetic mess.

Wang Chongshan watched wide-eyed, stunned at what he was witnessing.

Daoist Master Yanchu’s martial arts are downright tyrannical... and he can even summon lightning? Is this... true Daoist art?

The paper effigy, stunned and furious, cried out, “What the hell are you using?!”

The peachwood sword and talismans Li Yanchu had brandished earlier were mere distractions. Once he attacked, he unleashed the full power of martial arts.

“Something that'll kill you,” Li Yanchu growled coldly.

Bang

!

He punched the effigy squarely to the ground. By now, the thing’s body was charred black, scorched and smoking. The qi and blood of a martial artist, combined with Daoist lightning arts... How was a thing like this even supposed to fight back?

The paper effigy didn’t move its body. Instead, it shot out, skimming just above the ground in a way that completely defied the laws of physics. The main door was tightly shut, but that seemed to pose no obstacle to it at all, and it passed straight through.

This kind of malevolent spirit was extremely difficult to deal with, and that was precisely why martial artists in the

jianghu

found them so troublesome. But Li Yanchu chased after it without hesitation.

BOOM

!

With an explosive force, he smashed through the door, shattering it into splinters.

The armed officers waiting outside were just in time to witness a stunning scene: a bizarre, red-cheeked paper effigy spirit had just phased through the door, only to be crushed underfoot by a young Daoist who came bursting through the wreckage like a god of war!

As soon as the paper effigy emerged, a wave of icy cold washed over the officers, sending chills down their spines. But the moment the young Daoist stepped out after it, that bone-deep cold vanished instantly.

Li Yanchu stepped down on the effigy with brutal force, raining fists upon it, one after another. At this time, the creature's former arrogance had completely disappeared, and its qi had begun to weaken. It let out a furious roar toward the temple door, “You just stood there and watched?! You're trying to use this brute to get rid of me!?”

Clearly, the paper effigy was shouting at someone unseen.

Li Yanchu's current level of Daoist cultivation wasn’t high enough to fully subdue a powerful, unknown spirit like this.

Even if he wanted to keep it alive for interrogation, he lacked the means.

“There’s another creature hiding in Wei City?” Li Yanchu’s gaze turned razor-sharp, sweeping over the temple gates like lightning.

But, he saw nothing. Still, the lightning force infused in his lightning-struck wood weapon continued to weaken the effigy’s yin qi.

And right there, under the stunned eyes of armed officers, the bizarre, rouge-faced paper effigy was stomped beneath Li Yanchu’s foot and beaten to death on the spot until it dissipated into the air. The calm yet deadly qi radiating from Li Yanchu shook even the hardened officers, men who dealt with violent criminals year-round.

“Daoist Master Yanchu truly is a divine figure!”

“Who would’ve thought Daoist Master Yanchu was so fierce in combat!”

“To slay a malevolent spirit so calmly... what courage and skill!”

He was the current abbot of Qingyun Temple, personal disciple of Daoist Master Xuancheng, and a formal heir of the Zhengyi Dao, yet he had gained renown through sheer, devastating martial strength!

For now, the matter with Zhao Wuzhu was settled, but the incident deeply rattled Magistrate Xu. Who could’ve imagined that Zhao Wuzhu, a battle-hardened constable who had undergone body-hardening training, would fall prey to a malevolent spirit?

Even more terrifying, the thing had used his corpse to hide in Qingyi Temple all this time. It was beyond belief.

And according to the intel Li Yanchu provided, there were still remnants of the paper effigy faction hiding within Wei City. Yet, the county office had no leads. They had no idea where this enemy had come from, nor what foul sect or cult they belonged to.

With the Qingyi Temple Festival approaching, Magistrate Xu ordered a tightening of security, and a strict screening of all suspicious persons within the city. That was all they could do for the time being.

That very day, Li Yanchu accompanied Wang Chongshan to Wei City Prison, hoping to investigate the cause of death of Liang Qi. But all they could determine was that some malevolent force had been involved, and any trace of the perpetrator had already vanished without a trace.

Even so, Li Yanchu’s reputation within the Wei City county office skyrocketed.

***

After dealing with the corpse of the possessed Head Constable Zhao and inspecting the prison, where many criminals had perished, Li Yanchu returned to Qingyun Temple.

Each day, he cultivated using the methods in

The Yellow Court Classic

, practicing meditation and breathing techniques. His spirit qi grew steadily stronger, though the progress was quite slow. In contrast, his martial cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

His Six Yang Saber Art had broken through to yet another level, and his Thirty-Six Divine Astral Hands had progressed to the eighteenth form. His skin, muscles, and bones had been further refined and tempered.

After enhancing the century-old spirit herbs, he still had 481 points of merit remaining.

Two days later, after wrapping up various matters, Head Constable Wang Chongshan once again invited Li Yanchu to a banquet at Wangyue Pavilion. It had to be said that Head Constable Wang Chongshan truly knew how to treat people right.

“Daoist Master Yanchu, you're truly a standout among men! Daoist Master Xuancheng clearly had a discerning eye,” Wang Chongshan said with a wide smile, raising a cup of wine.

“You flatter me, Head Constable,” Li Yanchu replied with a wave of his hand.

He thought to himself,

If Master knew his only disciple had made his name with fists and blades... he would probably have mixed feelings about it.

Wang Chongshan chuckled, “For someone so young, your martial arts are already this advanced. You’re truly a rare talent in the world of combat.”

You should try a little hundred-year-old spirit medicine and see for yourself...

Li Yanchu replied modestly, “It’s all thanks to my master’s teachings.”

Hearing this, Wang Chongshan nodded. “Daoist Master Xuancheng isn't just a master of Daoist arts, he also excels in martial arts. He’s truly a hidden master of Wei City.”

In truth, Wang Chongshan had only met Daoist Master Xuancheng twice, and always thought he was simply a skilled exorcist. But who would have thought... his disciple would be this extraordinary?

The two clinked cups and exchanged drinks, the conversation flowing with ease.

Then, mid-meal, Wang Chongshan suddenly asked,“Daoist Master Yanchu, have you ever heard of a corpse bearer?”

Li Yanchu glanced at him and replied, “My master mentioned them before. It’s a rather unique folk profession. They’re people who work closely with the dead all year round.”

Wang Chongshan’s eyes lit up. “Do you know much about them?”

Li Yanchu said calmly, “Among the common folk, there were many who died unjustly, some met violent deaths before their allotted lifespan had ended, while others were persecuted to death through clan-enforced vigilante punishments...”