Chapter 22: Exorcize the Evil

Clang!

A wicked-looking longsword appeared in the scholar’s hand, parrying Li Yanchu’s strike. The moment they exchanged blows, the looming blade-wielding ghost that had hovered in the air vanished into thin mist.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Their blades clashed again and again, ringing with the sound of metal upon metal. Sparks were flying with every strike.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Li Yanchu was pushed back three steps, while the seemingly frail scholar only took one step back.

“You’ve got some skill, young Daoist,” the scholar remarked, feeling surprised.

Li Yanchu frowned. He could feel a chilling qi invade his body, wreaking havoc through his meridians. But in the next instant, the spirit qi he had cultivated from the

Yellow Court Classic

activated on its own, flushing out the invading yin qi with a surge of warmth.

His blood and vitality were like a roaring furnace.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two clashed as fast as lightning. At first, Li Yanchu was at a disadvantage, but once the spirit qi within his body began to circulate, he felt a continuously flowing, inexhaustible energy surging inside him, driving him to fight with greater strength the longer the battle went on.

“Come!” Li Yanchu shouted.

Even though he was just forced back again, his fighting spirit only grew fiercer. He was growing stronger as he fought!

The power of the Six Yang Force surged into the short blade in Li Yanchu’s hand, making it burn with intense heat.

Ssssss...

The very air around it seemed to ignite.

The scholar’s wicked longsword glowed with a sinister red hue, but it was clearly suppressed by Li Yanchu’s blade. Though the Six Yang Saber Art was technically a third-rate martial art, its pure yang qi was especially effective against malevolent spirits. In Li Yanchu’s hands, having trained it to such a level, it now completely overwhelmed the evil force.

Meanwhile, Song Sanlang stayed to the side, not daring to join in recklessly.

Li Yanchu’s movement was like a flash of lightning. His muscles bulged, veins protruding, the blood in his body surging faster and faster!

Boom!

The scholar was struck by Li Yanchu’s blade and sent flying, tumbling through the air. Ripples spread across the air like waves in water.

“Come on! Weren’t you putting on a show just now? Keep acting suave!” Li Yanchu’s words were as sharp as his blade, aiming straight for the heart.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

He then charged forward like a battering ram, momentum unstoppable.

Seeing this, the scholar's eyes were filled with venomous resentment. He hadn't expected this young Daoist to be such a formidable fighter! And he could even summon lightning with his fists? He was practically a martial thug wrapped in Daoist robes. But how could a mere martial brawler remain unaffected by his ghostly qi?

Yet, the more Li Yanchu fought, the stronger he became. He even broke through another stage of the Six Yang Saber Art mid-battle! Some of the potent medicinal qi he’d previously stored in his meridians was now spontaneously activated. With no fear in his heart, his fighting spirit surged endlessly. His qi and blood grew even more thick and powerful, and divine light shone in his eyes.

In a burst of speed, he slashed directly at the scholar.

Sssss!

The Six Yang Force striked again! A crimson arc sliced through the air, and the killing blade cut down nearly half of the scholar’s body. Its ominous qi was thick and oppressive, devastating to the evil spirit.

The Thirty-Six Divine Astral Hands! Emerging Tiger!

Li Yanchu launched a devastating punch that shattered the scholar’s ghostly form completely. How dominating and fierce!

The ghost that had disguised itself as a scholar finally showed its true colors. With a sharp, shrill screech, it turned and fled into the distance.

Seeing this, Li Yanchu’s gaze turned cold as he immediately gave chase. Zhang Family Village was the ghost’s home turf, and ghosts had the ability to pass through walls at will. For cultivators, that required either an astral projection or mastery of special phasing techniques, neither of which Li Yanchu currently possessed. But what he did have was guts. Plus, Li Yanchu’s movement technique was even faster than the ghost's escape.

Boom

!

The front door shattered into pieces beneath a single slash of Li Yanchu’s blade. The ghostly scholar, dragging its broken form, phased straight through a wall.

Crash

!

A human-shaped hole exploded through the wall as Li Yanchu blasted through, wielding his sharp Sinreaper, like a raging beast from a savage wilderness.

The ghost was terrified.

What kind of madman have I provoked!?

Behind them, Song Sanlang’s eyes gleamed oddly, his thoughts unreadable. Meanwhile, Li Yanchu, radiating an overwhelming qi of qi and blood, continued his relentless pursuit.

Finally, in the courtyard of an old home, he caught up.

“Got you,” Li Yanchu sneered coldly.

Shing

! His blade flashed, and the eerie scholar was instantly cleaved in two. He was reduced to a swirl of black mist that quickly thinned and vanished into the air.

Suddenly, Li Yanchu heard the distinct sound of something shattering. Then, the world around him shifted once again. In the blink of an eye, he was back at the original ruins of Zhang Family Village, where he had first entered.

The skies were clear, and the atmosphere was calm. Song Sanlang soon caught up behind him. “Daoist Master Li, are you all right?”

Li Yanchu shook his head. “I’m fine. Come on, let’s go find your third uncle’s corpse.”

His expression remained calm as ever. This young corpse-bearer had clearly stood by and done nothing during the entire encounter.

Li Yanchu didn’t press the matter. Instead, he turned to leave and rejoin Head Constable Wang and the others. Thanks to Li Yanchu’s caution, the investigation at Zhang Family Village ended without incident. When he recounted what had happened, Head Constable Wang and the others were wide-eyed in shock.

“If not for Daoist Master Li,” Wang said, still shaken, “I likely wouldn’t have made it out alive.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. Had he not asked Li Yanchu to help from the start and instead led his men in alone, he might have become one of the many resentful spirits haunting Zhang Family Village.

They quickly found the body of Song Sanlang’s uncle, and his head had been cleanly severed, just as described. But the bizarre bisected corpse the uncle had been carrying was nowhere to be found.

And that wasn’t all.

Zhang Family Village was littered with numerous other skeletons. Earlier, when they’d first entered the village, they’d been caught in a ghost’s illusion, the classic “ghost building a wall[1]” phenomenon, and had been unable to see them.

Now that the ghost haunting the village had been destroyed by Li Yanchu, the hidden corpses were fully exposed.

Head Constable Wang sucked in a sharp breath. He never could’ve imagined such a murderous place existed so close to Wei City.

Everyone spread out to search for clues among the corpses. Judging by their remains, there had been passing merchants, wealthy young nobles, even roving martial artists. All of them had been decapitated.

Li Yanchu, meanwhile, quietly discovered two thread-bound booklets on one of the skeletons. Without drawing attention, he tucked them away into his robe.

An officer was sent galloping back to the

yamen

to report the discovery. Magistrate Xu quickly dispatched a large contingent to take over the scene.

As for Li Yanchu, he rode a carriage back to Wei City. From here on, the matter was the authorities’ responsibility.

Naturally, Li Yanchu would soon receive official commendation from the yamen. And Qingyun Temple would once again make a name for itself in Wei City.

***

Back in Wei City...

After washing up, Li Yanchu changed into a clean set of Daoist robes. Back when he had followed His master, life had been nothing short of austere. It was true ascetic living.

Even the temple land hadn’t belonged to them. Had it not been for the innkeeper lady’s sharp tongue but soft heart, they might’ve been driven out long ago.

Meals consisted of little more than greens and tofu, radish and pickled vegetables. He had eaten so blandly his taste buds were practically dead. As for clothing... Well, nothing had patches, but everything was terribly worn. Now that Li Yanchu had made his fortune, he’d bought several new outfits. If nothing else, the new Daoist robe he changed into was clean, soft, and made of fine material.

With rosy lips, white teeth, and refined brows and features, he looked every bit the image of a youthful, handsome Daoist.

1. In Chinese folklore, ghosts building a wall (simplified Chinese: 鬼打墙; traditional Chinese: 鬼打牆; pinyin: Guǐ dǎ qiáng; lit. 'ghosts beating the wall') refers to ghosts trapping people in a certain area at night. There is a folktale about a traveler who walks in circles, as if ghosts continually built walls to block his intended path. ☜