Chapter 271: The Bai People’s Kingdom, and the Chenghuang Beast

All of the dark and evil artifacts on Duku were destroyed by Li Yanchu. Such items, if used too much, could corrode the user’s mind, luring them into the Demonic Dao.

They were forged by harming living beings, and the heavier the resentment and the more tragic the victim’s death, the more powerful the artifact would become.

However, Duku carried with him a fragment of a map. It seemed that originally there should have been three pieces. The map was made from the hide of some exotic beast, and it was impervious to fire or water and very difficult to damage.

Even the old Daoist could not identify where the map came from.

In his words, the world hid crouching tigers and hidden dragons[1]; many Land Immortals of great power lived quietly in the mountains with their names unknown. It was not unusual for them to leave behind treasures or inheritances.

And it wasn’t just orthodox masters and eminent monks who did so, many powerful figures of the Demonic and Ghost Daos did as well.

But the old Daoist warned Li Yanchu that such maps, while they might seem to point to tempting treasures or inheritances, often held more traps than fortune.

When he was young, he too had once acquired an ancient map. It was said to lead to the ruins of an ancient nation, the Bai People’s Kingdom.

According to legend, in the Bai People’s Kingdom there dwelt the auspicious beast

Chenghuang

from the

Classic of Mountains and Seas

. It resembled a fox, bore a horn upon its back, and riding it could extend one’s lifespan by two thousand years[2].

But when the old Daoist went there, he discovered it was no ancient kingdom at all. Rather, it was the former headquarters of the Nine Nether Demonic Sect.

This sect worshiped and offered sacrifices to a great demon of the nether realm. It had been destroyed as far back as the Great Xia dynasty, supposedly by the hand of a Land Immortal.

Later, in his youth, the old Daoist had stumbled upon an ancient map and plunged headlong into the old mountain gate of the Nine Nether Demonic Sect. He had nearly been possessed by something lurking within, and only barely managed to escape.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Hearing this story immediately made Li Yanchu lose interest in the tattered map fragment in his hand. And a faint trace of worry flickered between his brows.

Why does this method sound a little too similar to what happened in the Blissful Land of Mount Jinting?

the thought flashed briefly through his mind.

Sitting at his desk now, recalling that matter, he couldn’t help but feel a prickling at his scalp.

“Could there be... filth leaking out from Mount Jinting’s Blissful Land as well?”

He gave a small shake of his head and a self-deprecating smile. “Whatever. If the sky falls, there’s always someone taller to hold it up.”

With that, he stopped dwelling on the matter and tucked away the map fragment taken from Duku.

As for the Lord Corpse Matron, he was dirt poor and had nothing of value on him, offering not a shred of leftover value.

This battle could be said to have shattered half the Bare Body Sect’s foundation in one stroke. The remnants of the Bare Body Sect hiding in the Kingdom of Qian’s underground likely had no idea yet that three of their Four Heavenly Kings had already perished.

***

Qingyun Temple had always been sparse in incense offerings. Even though Li Yanchu was now famous throughout Wei City, welcomed by the government and great families alike. And even though he had eradicated blood-debt yin qi and saved the common people, the Qingyun Temple still hadn’t become famous. It seemed that people only remembered the name

Li Yanchu

.

Previously, Li Yanchu hadn’t given the matter much thought, but later he realized it belatedly that most likely, Qingyun Temple had been obscured from heaven’s sight by someone wielding great magical power.

It was just like his own Sun Veil, which could make people ignore or completely forget a person or even an entire place.

As a result, business at Qingyun Temple had never been very good. For weddings, funerals, grave relocations, ground-breaking ceremonies[3], feng shui readings, or fortune-telling, the locals basically wouldn’t come to Qingyun Temple.

But this strange phenomenon began to change gradually after the old Daoist from Mount Longhu moved in. Although the old Daoist didn’t look like some ethereal immortal master, he was still white-haired, and in this trade that alone gave off a feeling of steadiness and reliability. With him holding the fort at Qingyun Temple, quite a bit of work came in.

Whenever a family was marrying off a daughter, having a child, or suffered a death, they would come looking for the old Daoist. And he didn’t carry the arrogance typical of Mount Longhu Daoists. Instead, he acted like an ordinary traveling priest, cheerfully going about these matters.

When visiting wealthy households, he would eat, drink, and take a few things home, living quite a carefree life, though entirely without the airs of a lofty master...

About two hours after the old Daoist and Li Yanchu returned to Wei City, a young maid in a green dress arrived at the temple. She had come looking for the old Daoist, but upon seeing a handsome young Daoist emerge into the snowy courtyard, she covered her small mouth in surprise with her sleeve.

“D-dare I ask, Daoist Master, you are...?”

Li Yanchu gave her a gentle smile. “I’m Li Yanchu, a Daoist priest of Qingyun Temple. What matter brings you here, young lady?”

“I’m here to find Daoist Master Zhang. My household hears ghostly wails every night, and my mistress sent me to invite him to drive away the evil and capture the spirits.”

“Daoist Master Zhang? Alright, I’ll take you to see him.” Li Yanchu turned and knocked on the old Daoist’s door.

The old Daoist opened it. “I heard you. Let’s go to your residence at once.”

At the moment, the old Daoist was fully dressed, carrying a peachwood sword and a soul-summoning bell, with his Eight Trigrams satchel stuffed with incense and yellow talismans.

Now he did have a bit more of a master’s presence. He looked the very picture of professionalism.

Li Yanchu hadn’t expected that after only three months away, Qingyun Temple’s business had become so lively, and that there were even people who didn’t recognize him.

Watching the old Daoist’s departing figure, so full of masterly dignity, he couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile.

“I’m the actual abbot of Qingyun Temple, you know...”

Since the old Daoist was so professional and even took the initiative to drum up business, Li Yanchu was more than happy to enjoy some leisure time. After a session of meditation and breath cultivation, he began training with the three martial arts manuals he obtained through the Decree of Bestowal.

With the aid of the Blood-Replenishing and Qi-Booster Pills, his martial cultivation advanced at an astonishing pace.

Compared to his aptitude for qi cultivation, his talent in martial arts was top-tier, and he would fall into a state of enlightenment with the slightest trigger. That day alone, he entered enlightenment four times.

For ordinary martial artists, a single such enlightenment might be an unattainable dream for a lifetime. For Li Yanchu, it was as natural as eating or drinking.

The Divine Astral Hands encompassed the essence of punches, kicks, palms, elbows, and knees. After the latest enhancement, even the original moves had been upgraded.

Take the Void-Splitting Palm, for example. Originally, it was just a third-rate martial art from the

jianghu

, with palm force that could at most extend three chi from the body, its power limited.

But when Li Yanchu used the Void-Splitting Palm from Divine Astral Hands, a single strike could shatter

jiangshi

with iron-hard bodies or martial artists who had undergone body-hardening training.

After the new enhancement, the move’s name hadn’t changed, but its upper limit of palm force had been raised. Now, a single strike’s force surged like a mountain crashing down, and it could even be stacked up to three palms in one!

Through repeated moments of enlightenment, Li Yanchu fully grasped the subtle essence of the Void-Splitting Palm of Divine Astral Hands.

I used to think martial arts were at a disadvantage against demons and monsters. But now, it seems that as long as the enhanced martial art is of a high enough level, no demon can withstand it.

***

The next day, a young, handsome Daoist priest set out from Wei City riding a mule early in the morning. On his back was a coarse cloth bundle.

If not for the straight, ancient saber hanging from his waist, he would have appeared entirely without a hint of killing aura.

It was none other than Li Yanchu, heading toward Donglin Prefecture.

In the worn bundle on his back was a wooden box, and inside lay the relic of a high monk, brought back by the old Daoist.

1. 卧虎藏龙 (wò hǔ cáng lóng) is a Chinese idiom that literally means “crouching tiger, hidden dragon.” It refers to powerful or talented individuals who remain unseen or unrecognized, suggesting that a place may contain many hidden masters or geniuses. The phrase emphasizes humility and the idea that extraordinary ability often lies beneath ordinary appearances. It became widely familiar in the West through Ang Lee’s 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. ☜

2. Here is a reference

image

. ☜

3. The literal meaning of “动土” (dòng tǔ) is to break ground and begin construction, marking the initial procedure in civil engineering projects. In a broader cultural sense, it also refers to holding a ritual to inform the earth deities, praying for smooth progress in the work, and driving away inauspicious influences. This term is often associated with the building or renovation of dwellings (yángzhái, residential houses) and, in modern engineering, it is still used in its original sense to signify the official commencement of a project. ☜