Chapter 270: The Daoist Chilong, Lady Bai

The two of them returned together to Wei City.

To have slain three of the Bare Body Sect’s Four Heavenly Kings in one day was something that would shake the world’s reputation. But to Li Yanchu, it was no more than striking down a few petty street thieves, as easy as chopping melons and slicing vegetables!

This extraordinary composure earned the old Daoist’s deep approval.

“Yanchu,” the old Daoist asked, “that Hong Baiwei from Mount Mao is arrogant by nature. Word is he died in the Blissful Land of Mount Jinting. That was your doing, wasn’t it?”

Li Yanchu nodded slightly. “Indeed. I also slew all of Mount Mao’s men there. They were nothing but a pack of filthy, third-rate scum.”

The old Daoist said mildly, “Mount Mao’s influence is great. Though it can’t compare with Mount Longhu’s current flourishing incense and the Emperor’s deep favor, it is still a major Daoist sect. Aren’t you afraid of trouble?”

Li Yanchu snorted. “If Mount Mao allows people like Hong Baiwei to lead such a pack of crooked cultists and run amok, then those four words ‘major Daoist sect’ are undeserved. Afraid? I’m afraid of nothing!”

The old Daoist was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing.

“Do you know who Hong Baiwei’s father is?”

“I’ve heard he’s a high-ranking elder in Mount Mao?”

“The Grand Elder of Mount Mao, the Daoist Chilong[1] already one hundred and sixty years old. Hong Baiwei was his only son, born late in life.”

Li Yanchu paused mid-step, glancing at the old Daoist in surprise. “That Daoist Chilong must have quite the temper.”

The old Daoist smiled. “This matter is a secret. If it weren’t for a friend of mine in Mount Mao telling me, outsiders would never know.”

“If Hong Baiwei has been dead this long, wouldn’t the Daoist Chilong have already made a move for revenge if he wanted it?” Li Yanchu asked.

“That’s right.” The old Daoist gave a slight nod. “After hearing the news of Hong Baiwei’s death, the Daoist Chilong went into seclusion. But I’ve dealt with the Daoist Chilong before. His nature is arrogant, domineering, and steeped in bloodlust. If it weren’t for the previous Mount Mao Sect Master, his teacher, keeping him in check, he’d probably have already fallen into the Demonic Dao and become a scourge. You killed his only child, and he will never let you off the hook. The only question is what action that old man will take.”

Li Yanchu’s eyes showed a trace of thought. “Do you know how strong this Daoist Chilong is?”

“When I first started out, he was already a top expert in the advanced second realm. He had mastered Mount Mao’s Mystic Divine Flame, and when he descended the mountain to slay demons, he refined countless demons. His reputation was immense. I don’t know how strong he is now. It’s possible he has already broken through the shackles of the third realm.” The old Daoist offered his analysis.

“Senior Uncle, how old were you when you first started out?”

“Twenty-four.”

“And now?”

“I’m eighty-four.”

Li Yanchu fell silent.

Sixty years.

That Daoist Chilong couldn’t possibly have been stuck in the advanced second realm all that time...

He shot the old Daoist a glance, unable to stop himself from muttering inwardly,

Normally, you’re so precise with your calculations, yet now you give me such a vague answer.

The old Daoist said with frustration, “Don’t think that just because I can read fortunes and divine omens, I know everything, all right?”

Li Yanchu’s eyebrows rose.

Mind-reading!? Senior Uncle can read minds!?

The two continued talking on their way to Wei City. From the old Daoist, Li Yanchu also learned some secrets of the Bare Body Sect. For example, the Lord Sudu acted without scruples and had never maintained any direct subordinates. Among the Four Heavenly Kings, his strength was the most unfathomable. Moreover, he was not a cultivator of human origin, but a demon creature that had gained sentience and absorbed spirit qi. As for exactly what kind of demon beast he was, no one knew.

There was also the matter of the Bare Body Sect’s leader. She was called Madam Bai, a stunningly beautiful woman who had killed countless people. The chief disciple of the Precepts Hall[2] at Great Xiangguo Temple had once been seduced by her.

That disciple, originally a gifted and promising young master of the Buddhist order, fell into the Demonic Dao and became a protector of the Bare Body Sect. He slaughtered the common people and refined blood pills. In the end, he was personally executed by the head of the Precepts Hall.

However, Madam Bai herself had not been heard from in many years, and the Bare Body Sect was now administered by its Four Heavenly Kings.

Do all these demonic leaders like to vanish?

Li Yanchu thought to himself.

The Shaman Sect beyond the pass was the same. Yelu Jinke, who inherited the Ba snake legacy, outwardly pretended to be missing, yet in truth had been hiding within the sect the whole time.

Li Yanchu suspected this Madam Bai was doing the same.

After all, the old Daoist had mentioned that Madam Bai was a master of curse magic and counter-charms, able to transform beans into soldiers and command the wind and rain.

She was a third realm powerhouse, having achieved the Yang Spirit Realm. Unless struck by Heavenly Tribulation[3], she would never be killed easily.

The Bare Body Sect was powerful and had long been preaching among the people. The imperial court has attempted to eradicate it many times, yet it has always been like wild grass; no matter how much you tried to cut it down, it would spring up again with the spring wind. It was a constant headache for emperors throughout the ages.

Li Yanchu, however, had a sharp take on the matter.

When discussing it with the old Daoist, he voiced his opinion, “If the Bare Body Sect is this hard to wipe out, there must be a huge organization secretly backing them! And it has to be from the upper echelons of the court, at least of prince or noble rank!”

Upon hearing this, the old Daoist remained silent, only smiling faintly.

When he was younger, he had suspected this as well, and had even personally used Daoist divination techniques to deduce the true mastermind behind the Bare Body Sect. But that time, he suffered a backlash so severe that his very foundation was nearly destabilized. That meant the one he had divined was of tremendous importance, as an ordinary prince or high minister would never cause such a violent backlash.

The mastermind was certainly someone from the royal family!

Before long, the two of them returned to Wei City.

Seeing the quiet city, which still showed traces of human bustle, once more, the old Daoist felt as if an age had passed.

“Previously, taking the risk of exhausting my energy, I cast a divination for myself. Even the divination plate shattered, and it foretold a great misfortune. And yet, here I am, having returned alive.”

He truly hadn’t expected that Li Yanchu, the young junior he had taken such a liking to, would turn out to be so fierce and domineering.

Back at his own room in Qingyun Temple, Li Yanchu began to examine the spoils from this battle.

First, he examined his merit points. Slaying the Bare Body Sect’s Three Heavenly Kings had earned him a total of twenty-five thousand merit points!

As for Duku’s chant, it could manifest ferocious ghostly wraiths and fling wide the gates of the underworld. But in truth, those were not real spirits, but merely a high-level illusion technique.

Thus, killing him had not yielded any merit.

Next, he examined his items. One was a bead, engraved with ancient characters; this had been the treasure of Lord Gufeng, the

Dao Dust Bead

.

This was not some wicked artifact steeped in blood-debt and resentment; it was actually a magical artifact of Mount Qingcheng. It had only one property, blessing. It could grant oneself good fortune, increasing the chances of success in any endeavor, or it could diminish an opponent’s fate, causing misfortune in all things.

Earlier, the old Daoist had been struck by the Dao Dust Bead’s curse, and his fortune diminished. Were it not for his deep reserves of virtue, he might have suffered far worse than simply being caught off guard.

When Li Yanchu had cleaned the battlefield, he had picked up this Dao Dust Bead, though he had not recognized it.

But the old Daoist, once a man who stood at the very pinnacle of the Kingdom of Qian, was well-traveled and knowledgeable. He had immediately recognized it.

As for how a Mount Qingcheng treasure had ended up in the hands of Lord Gufeng, no one knew.

1. The name 赤龙 (Chìlóng) literally means “Red Dragon.” In Chinese symbolism, 龙 (dragon) represents supreme power, spiritual authority, and auspiciousness, often associated with the emperor, divine forces, or transcendence. The 赤 (red) adds layers of meaning: red is traditionally linked to fire, vitality, courage, and in some contexts, danger or fierce energy.

To me, the name evokes both spiritual potency and martial strength, suggesting someone who embodies dynamic, transformative energy. It can also imply a fiery temperament or the ability to wield elemental or supernatural power. The name balances a sense of reverence (through the dragon) with immediacy and intensity (through the color red), making it memorable and imposing. ☜

2. 戒律院 is a Buddhist monastic institution or hall dedicated to teaching, enforcing, and maintaining the precepts. ☜

3. Tiānjié (天劫) is a heavenly calamity or tribulation: when a Daoist cultivator attempts to become an immortal in violation of the natural order, Heaven will impose punishment or disaster. In other words, if a cultivator defies Heaven, seeking to attain true immortality with a mortal body, a heavenly tribulation will descend upon them. ☜