Chapter 336: Murder and Mayhem! The Earth Lord’s Temple! The Earth Lord of Wei City?

Although Head Constable Wang was both a county officer and a martial expert well-versed in swordplay, he found matters like this truly headache-inducing.

At this time, Li Yanchu’s eyes flickered with divine light as he invoked the Spirit Eyes. What he saw was that beside He Sanhu was a young man in his twenties, who looked exactly the same as He Sanhu, cowering and trembling.

“His soul has been frightened out of his body?” Li Yanchu arched a brow.

Human beings possessed three souls and seven spirits. When suddenly shocked, one might lose a soul, leaving them muddle-headed and dazed. Even a village shaman could call such a soul back.

But He Sanhu’s case was worse; his soul had been startled out and badly shaken, leaving his body sealed in a state of stupor.

“He Sanhu, wake up!” Li Yanchu barked in a thunderous voice. It boomed like a crack of lightning, carrying the resonance of Daoist truth.

Hearing this, He Sanhu, whose eyes had been vacant and dull, suddenly shuddered, and his gaze snapped back to clarity.

Seeing this, Head Constable Wang was left speechless.

***

At the Southern Grove...

This was a dense woodland on the outskirts of Wei City. Though not mountainous, miasma still lingered among the trees.

At this time, three figures moved within the forest. Leading them was the local thug, He Sanhu. He was still somewhat sluggish in response, but far better than his previous state of self-imposed stupor. Meanwhile, Li Yanchu and Head Constable Wang followed close behind.

As for the regular officers, Li Yanchu had not allowed them to accompany. Their destination on this trip was the ruined temple that He Sanhu and his companions had once discovered!

At that time, they had just robbed and murdered a couple in the city. Afterward, the group conspired together in the forest. Later, when heavy rain began to fall, the five of them sought shelter in a ruined temple. Who would have thought that the temple was haunted by something vicious! Two of them died inside on the spot, and the remaining three fled in terror.

Now, He Sanhu walked ahead with a blank expression, stumbling through the mud. The rain had just passed, leaving the ground slick and difficult to walk.

Head Constable Wang grew uneasy.

Why is this place so far out?

What’s more, he couldn’t shake the feeling that a pair of eyes were watching him from deep within the woods... or perhaps someone was blowing cold breath against the back of his neck.

Soon, He Sanhu stopped in his tracks.

“It’s here.” His voice was still somewhat mechanical, which was a lingering side effect of soul fright.

Head Constable Wang frowned. All around them were towering ancient trees. Where was this “ruined temple”?

He turned toward Li Yanchu and said, “Daoist Master Yanchu, what do you make of this...?”

Li Yanchu activated his Qi Sight, and his gaze settled on a giant tree ahead. There he sensed a peculiar aura, and he strode forward, while Head Constable Wang followed close behind. And sure enough, concealed beneath thick overgrowth lay a small shrine. To call it a “temple” was generous, as it was nothing more than four stone slabs: one forming the roof, three for the walls. Inside sat a kindly-faced statue of the Earth Lord.

“This is... an Earth Lord’s shrine?” Head Constable Wang exclaimed in surprise.

So the “ruined temple” that He Sanhu and his companions stumbled into was an Earth Lord’s shrine? Could it be they had unknowingly offended the Earth Lord of Wei City, who then took vengeance on them by digging out their eyes, then forcing them to kneel and die in prison?

The constable’s thoughts raced.

Li Yanchu, however, appeared thoughtful. He had originally assumed this was just an ordinary matter of exorcism, and that he would purge a haunted spot to accumulate a bit of merit. He hadn’t expected it to involve an Earth Lord.

And judging from the state of things, this Earth Lord seemed to be in a pitiful condition... without even a proper temple to his name.

Using the Spirit Eyes, Li Yanchu quickly discerned the true mystery hidden here. “I think I’ve found the two missing men.”

Head Constable Wang let out a startled sound. “Where?”

In response, Li Yanchu pointed at the ground beneath his feet, and Head Constable Wang’s eyes went wide.

“Daoist Master Yanchu, you mean... the two of them are buried here?” Even as a martial expert, he couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart.

Li Yanchu gave a slight nod.

Head Constable Wang muttered in shock, “Surely it can’t be that the Earth Lord himself killed these men...”

Still, Li Yanchu’s expression remained calm. “Why don’t we summon him up here and ask him?”

Head Constable Wang fell speechless at his words. In

Journey to the West

, Earth Lords and Mountain Gods were the lowest-ranking officials of Heaven; not only were they no match for the havoc-wreaking Sun Wukong, but even stronger demons could easily command them.

Li Yanchu had already encountered such beings twice: Once, a gentle mountain goddess who came to take away Feng Jiu, and another time, on the night he slew the twenty-four heretics of Feiyun Prefecture, a fox demon named Hu Jinbao who had taken on the guise of a local Earth Lord, feeding off incense offerings.

One was a true spirit of the mountains, while the other was merely a demon in disguise. This left Li Yanchu with the impression that, in this world, the threshold for becoming an Earth Lord or Mountain God was perhaps much looser.

He himself was deeply curious about these local deities of fortune, guardians charged with blessing and protecting a stretch of land.

Head Constable Wang, however, was astonished beyond words.

How could one summon an Earth Lord!? That is a god, after all!

He held his breath, his heart pounding with excitement. As expected of Daoist Master Yanchu of Qingyun Temple, he could even call forth the local Earth Lord. The look Head Constable Wang gave him now brimmed with admiration.

“Earth Lord, are you there?” Li Yanchu stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice.

However, Head Constable Wang was dumbfounded at his words.

That’s it!?

His expression turned a bit strange.

But then, a gust of chill wind blew past, and even Head Constable Wang, with his vigorous blood and qi, shivered violently. Then, a cold, eerie aura rose from the shabby little Earth Temple.

Seeing this, Head Constable Wang’s eyes went wide.

This actually works!?

Suddenly, his body jolted. The surging heat of his blood abruptly subsided, then his hands and feet turned icy cold, and his mind began to blur.

This is bad!

Head Constable Wang’s heart sank.

Damn it! Am I being possessed by a ghost!?

No, in fact, this was the Earth Lord trying to take over his body. Panic rushed through him, his thoughts scattering in disarray.

But just as his consciousness was slipping, a hand pressed down firmly on his shoulder. A surge of pure yang qi coursed through him, instantly reigniting the heat of his blood.

Whoosh

!

That frigid sensation vanished at once, and Head Constable Wang’s mind cleared again. He turned his head, eyes full of gratitude, to glance at Li Yanchu.

The cold wind whistled a moment longer, almost as if dazed. Then, the local hooligan He Sanhu’s body suddenly began convulsing. His head drooped, and his arms hung limply at his sides.

This time, Li Yanchu did not interfere. Since this Earth Lord wished to take on a host, then surely this local rascal of Wei City was the most suitable vessel!

Murder suspect? This man’s body reeks of blood-soaked baleful qi, haunted by resentful shades; he is clearly a killer!

He Sanhu slowly raised his head. His eyes grew turbid, as though he were some aged elder at death’s door.

“I have seen another Earth Lord before, and his body was steeped in incense and faith. Why is it, Earth Lord, that you have fallen to such a pitiful state?” Li Yanchu sighed in lament.

The Earth Lord fell silent. “Wei City... heh. Best not to mention it. You, little Daoist, have you come here because of the killings I’ve committed?”

The Earth Lord’s aura was faint, his voice weary. The power of incense and devotion upon him was nearly extinguished.

“At first I thought it was some evil spirit harming people,” Li Yanchu said in a low tone. “But these beasts were guilty beyond redemption. They offended the Earth Lord, and so they deserved to die.”

The Earth Lord lapsed into silence once more. He then said, “Aren’t all disciples of the Zhengyi Daoism slayers of demons and exorcists of evil? I, an old deity, have killed men and taken lives, yet you would let me go so easily?”

There was a mocking edge in his words.

“You are an Earth Lord,” Li Yanchu replied calmly. “If you wish to kill, what power do I have to stop you? I am only an ordinary Daoist priest.”

He showed no intention of making a move. Surely he was not expected to avenge murderers?