Chapter 24: The Jiao-Slaying Saber and the Elixir of Immortality

At first, he was stunned, then his eyes lit up with uncontrollable joy.

That means, if I fully master these martial arts techniques, I’ll definitely be able to break into the second-rate martial artist realm

, Li Yanchu thought to himself.

A second-rate martial artist was already someone capable of founding a sect in the martial world and a renowned expert no matter where they went. How could Li Yanchu not be thrilled?

The string of recent encounters with dark, malevolent forces had made him deeply aware of just how dangerous this world truly was. Since his Daoist cultivation wasn’t yet advanced enough, martial arts were, for now, his greatest source of strength and protection.

***

As the Qingyi Temple Festival drew near, all sorts of people from across the social spectrum had gathered in the small city of Wei.

At this time, the innkeeper of the Taiping Inn was grinning from ear to ear. Business this year was even better than usual.

Whether it was thanks to the booming trade or because Li Yanchu had said yesterday that he liked older women more, no one knew. But today, she personally went into the kitchen and cooked a few small dishes just for him.

Her actions earned the admiration of the inn’s staff.

“As expected of Daoist Master Yanchu, he actually got the boss lady to cook for him personally.”

“If you ask me, the boss lady and Daoist Master Yanchu make quite the pair.”

Ever since Li Yanchu stood up for them last time, the staff at the Taiping Inn had held deep respect for Daoist Master Yanchu from the bottom of their hearts. In their eyes, the young and handsome Daoist Yanchu ending up with the inn’s innkeeper would truly be a wonderful match. And besides, it would mean someone powerful was watching over the inn.

To them, Li Yanchu wasn’t just highly skilled in martial arts, he also had close ties with Head Constable Wang of the

yamen

. In truth, his standing was even greater than they realized: Head Constable Wang had long been eager to build a good relationship with Li Yanchu.

Even Magistrate Xu, the top official in Wei City, had shown him special favor. Not to mention the city's most prominent merchants, who treated Li Yanchu as an honored guest.

With a background like that, how could the inn’s staff

not

want something to happen between him and their boss lady?

But just as they were joking and chatting, one of the staff suddenly felt a chill run down his neck. He turned around and saw Fang Qinglan standing right behind them, iron sword in hand.

“Oh, it’s Miss Qinglan!” the staffer greeted her warmly.

However, Fang Qinglan gave a slight nod, then walked off without another word, leaving the two inn workers staring at each other in confusion. Normally, though Fang Qinglan was cool and reserved, she would at least exchange greetings with them.

She had always been polite and kind. But today... what was that about?

Meanwhile, as Li Yanchu was eating, he suddenly sensed a flicker of sword qi. With his current level of martial arts cultivation, his senses were extremely sharp. But when he looked up, that intense sword qi had vanished without a trace.

All he saw was Fang Qinglan’s figure walking away, iron sword in hand.

“Strange... Did I imagine it?” Li Yanchu shook his head.

In recent days, Wei City had become a gathering place for all kinds of people, such as young nobles, wandering sabersmen, scholars, poets, gentry, and wealthy merchants. It wasn’t surprising if one or two martial experts had slipped in among them.

Especially those dashing young heroes in fine robes and riding spirited horses, more and more of them were showing up in Wei City now that the Qingyi Temple Festival was approaching.

Head Constable Wang had been swamped with official duties lately. Not only was he responsible for the city’s security, but he was also still troubled by the mass grave uncovered in the Zhang Family Village incident, so much so that he felt like his hair was about to start falling out.

And as if that weren’t enough, just last night, a monk’s corpse was discovered in the mountains. Half his body appeared to have been torn apart by some kind of terrifying beast. When the hunters found him, all that remained was a travel bundle and half a corpse.

Yet another murder to deal with. Head Constable Wang was running himself ragged. It wasn’t until just before curfew that he finally arrived at Qingyun Temple.

“Head Constable Wang, what brings you here?” Li Yanchu asked.

“Daoist Master Yanchu, I’ve been swamped with work these days. Otherwise, I would’ve come to visit much sooner. I’m here for two reasons: first, to offer my thanks; second, to deliver the magistrate’s reward.”

Li Yanchu smiled and said, “Demon-slaying is my duty. No need to thank me. As for the reward, surely you didn’t need to come in person.”

Head Constable Wang shook his head, then took a few silver notes from his coat and handed them over. “These are five hundred taels in silver notes, a special commendation ordered by Magistrate Xu.”

Li Yanchu accepted them quite naturally, like someone grounded in the real world. Head Constable Wang then took out a long bundle from his side and placed it on the table. The bundle was quite long and looked fairly heavy.

“What’s this?” Li Yanchu asked.

As Head Constable Wang untied the bundle, he explained, “This is a weapon left behind at the constabulary by a wandering sabersman. That renowned saber master died here in Wei City, with no family or kin. So the saber was taken into official storage.”

Li Yanchu looked at the weapon with interest, his curiosity piqued.

Wang continued, “This saber is called

Jiaoslayer

[1]. It’s incredibly sharp and brimming with murderous qi. To be honest, Daoist Master Yanchu, I know I’m not capable of wielding it. I saw you using a short saber before. While sharp, it was chipped during the last battle, so I retrieved this saber from the armory for you to try. Feel free to test it. If it doesn’t suit you, don’t force it.”

The butcher’s knife at Li Yanchu’s waist had taken quite a beating during his duel with the beheading ghost at Zhang Family Village. It had become noticeably worn and jagged. But he had kept using it anyway, never bothering to find a better weapon.

Now, hearing Wang’s words, Li Yanchu was intrigued. He reached out and took the Jiaoslayer. The saber was three chi long and simple in design, but exuded an unmistakable qi of deadly intent.

As he drew the saber from its scabbard, the saber gleamed with a piercing, silvery light, looking cold and intimidating. A chill shot up from the hilt the moment he touched it.

Just then, Li Yanchu gasped sharply.

So cold!

Head Constable Wang sighed softly, assuming even Li Yanchu couldn’t handle the saber. But in the next moment, Li Yanchu suddenly felt a strange sense of connection with the Jiaoslayer, as if the weapon understood him. The saber let out a crisp ring, like a dragon’s cry, then brilliant light flared from the saber!

When the light finally faded, the saber no longer felt icy in his hand. Instead, it moved as if it were an extension of his own body.

“What a saber!” Li Yanchu couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Wang Chongshan was equally impressed.

“This saber had been stored in the constabulary for many years without ever showing any signs of unusual activity. For it to let out a dragon’s cry today is proof enough that you’re its true master without a doubt,” Head Constable Wang said.

Li Yanchu was overjoyed and smiled. “Thank you for this generous gift.”

With this saber, his personal combat strength would rise to a whole new level. It was clear that this saber was no ordinary iron.

Head Constable Wang then took a letter from inside his coat and handed it to Li Yanchu.

“Daoist Master Yanchu, have you heard about the monk who died in the mountains a few days ago?” he asked.

Li Yanchu nodded. Ever since the incident, rumors of a vicious beast haunting the mountains had begun to spread. Many hunters now feared going up the mountain to hunt.

“This letter was found on that monk,” he said, gesturing for Li Yanchu to take a look.

Li Yanchu opened the letter and skimmed through it briefly, letting out a soft sound of surprise. He looked up at Head Constable Wang and asked, “Could there really be such a divine thing as an Elixir of Immortality in this world?”

1. Jiaolong or jiao is

a

dragon in Chinese mythology, often defined as a "scaled dragon"; it is hornless according to certain scholars and said to be aquatic or river-dwelling. It may have referred to a species of crocodile. ☜