Chapter 360: Night Raid at Chu River, Wedding Procession! Wealthy Middle-aged Man! Black-and-White Dao Robe!

Night fell, and the prefectural city was under curfew. Earlier that day, a suspected case of live sacrifice had come to light: seven corpses of young women in bright red wedding dresses were dredged up from Chu River.

It caused a great uproar. Instantly, the city was filled with tense and uneasy whispers.

Inside his room, Li Yanchu sat cross-legged, regulating his breath and cultivating qi. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered around him, circulating through his meridians, before finally settling into his dantian’s sea of qi.

At this pace, he would soon succeed in refining the Longhu Golden Alchemy Method. On this journey, whether at Mount Jiuxuan, the haunted Yang Family Town, or deep within Fengdu, he had fought with reckless ferocity.

The fierce ghosts of Yang Family Town, the mysterious Night-Wandering Spirits of Fengdu, the blocking fiends: the sinister old crone, the ghostly couple, the headless corpse, the old farmer of Mount Youming, the old man in a Dao robe, the terrifying giant face in the great ravine, the millennium demon tree, and the eerie eye sealed within the altar were all destroyed; all karmic ties were severed.

His merit points now swelled to seventy-two thousand. In just one incursion into Fengdu, he had gained over thirty thousand merit points. It was truly a windfall, his merit points nearly doubled!

He had also reaped several magical artifacts: a Nine Yao Sword, a Night Watchman token, a mysterious brush imbued with sealing power, three sheets of Yinde Money, and an ancient coin capable of withstanding even his full-strength martial arts strike after manifesting the Martial Dao Manifestation.

He also obtained an immortal jade slip, a piece taken from that Dao-robed elder, recording an ancient alchemical formula, as well as a Spirit-Refining Pill. It used the souls of living beings as its foundation, refining them into a great pill for the primordial spirit, capable of breaking through realms, even allowing one to step into the third realm in a single leap.

But its requirements for souls were exceedingly strict. That Dao-robed elder with unknown origins had actually discovered such a divine pill for breaking into the third realm. Yet, it defied the laws of heaven and nature!

Li Yanchu judged that, of all the spoils, the most valuable was likely that mysterious brush. It was of higher quality even than the Night-Wandering Spirit’s Night Watchman token. At one point, he even suspected it might be the Judge’s Brush.

But before he could return to Wei City and consult the Old Celestial Master about its origins, he was delayed by the sinister incidents breaking out in the prefectural city.

Knock, knock, knock!

A knocking sound came at the door. Li Yanchu opened his eyes, divine light flashing within them. A moment later, he calmed himself again.

His Spirit Eyes, when cultivated to deeper levels, would evolve into the Daoist Heaven’s Eyes, which could not only pierce through illusion, but even capable of slaying foes with a single gaze, like the legendary True Lord Erlang[1] from the myths.

Then, he rose and pushed open the door. Outside stood Fang Qinglan, quietly waiting with an iron sword hung at her waist. Unlike most women adorned with powder and perfume, she carried herself with a bold, heroic aura, tempered with a hint of feminine allure amidst her coldness. A woman like this roaming the

jianghu

would surely draw the admiration of countless young swordsmen, revered as an immortal maiden. Especially with that aura of icy clarity, it perfectly embodied the image of the chivalrous heroine in everyone’s heart.

“Let’s go.” Fang Qinglan’s tone was calm.

Ever since Li Yanchu and the innkeeper became...

close

, Fang Qinglan’s attitude toward him had grown a bit stiff.

However, the innkeeper herself didn’t mind in the least, as she was broad-minded. She was even willing for Fang Qinglan to take the initiative, so that when the time came, the two sisters together could block all those outside orioles and swallows[2].

Both women were profound Daoist cultivators, equally skilled in the

qinggong

of the

jianghu

, their movements ethereal. Li Yanchu, even more so, was a grandmaster of the Martial Dao. The prefectural city’s curfew meant nothing to them in practice.

With one walking ahead and one behind, they quickly left Yinchuan Prefectural City, heading for the Chu River. Ordinarily, leaving their bodies and traveling by primordial spirit would be the fastest way, especially within the city, where they could move completely unhindered. In this way, ordinary folk couldn’t see a thing.

But, with Yinchuan Prefecture currently seething with unrest, the undercurrents surging dark and deep, so they decided to travel by fleshly body instead. If they left their bodies unattended in the city while their spirits roamed, it would feel... far too insecure.

At Chu River...

By nightfall, the river winds howled, cold enough to pierce bone. Blowing straight into their faces, it carried an icy sting.

The crashing of the waves was thunderous. Fortunately, both had come in their bodies; had they gone in spirit-form, even the chill of this river wind would have been an immense hindrance.

Together, the two made their way swiftly along the banks of the Chu River.

When they reached the spot where the bodies had been dredged up earlier that day, Li Yanchu suddenly caught sight of yet another female corpse floating on the river clad in a scarlet bridal gown.

“Hm?” He couldn’t help but let out a soft exclamation.

He had assumed the seven red-gowned brides were the entirety; after all, many feng shui formations and curse techniques often used formations based on

Seven Fiends

or

Seven Slaughters

[3].

But he hadn’t expected to find yet another bride’s corpse drifting downstream. He extended his hand, qi surging from his palm. The corpse was pulled straight out of the water, and landed upon the riverbank.

At this time, Fang Qinglan’s lovely face stiffened, her brows furrowing deeply. “The one behind this is sacrificing young maidens!” Her voice carried undisguised killing intent.

Meanwhile, Li Yanchu’s eyes flashed with radiant light, as he invoked his Qi Sight and Spirit Eyes!

Still, he had no trace of a clue. The handling had been far too clean. Either that, or the deed was entirely man-made, leaving behind no yin qi, demonic aura, or devilish taint.

“Let’s check upstream. The body must have drifted down from there.” Li Yanchu’s voice was low and firm.

The two unleashed their utmost lightness skills, racing along the banks toward the upper reaches of the Chu River.

Upstream was where the waves crashed against the shore, and wild winds shrieked. The waters were ferocious, like a great black flood dragon charging through the night. Each strike of the river against the banks sent vast and overwhelming waves surging several zhang high.

Just days ago, this torrent had nearly burst its banks and flooded Yinchuan Prefectural City, turning a thousand li of land into a great swamp.

Fortunately, it had been a narrow escape. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

***

At this time, the silence of the night was suddenly broken by the sound of a suona horn. From across the river came the strains of festive wedding music!

Li Yanchu’s brows furrowed as he couldn’t help but glance toward the water. It was a wedding procession marching out from the river itself, walking upon the waves!

Fang Qinglan had also noticed the commotion. Just as Li Yanchu was about to find a place to conceal himself, Fang Qinglan caught hold of him. She formed a quick hand seal and whispered, “Don’t make a sound!” Her voice echoed directly in Li Yanchu’s mind.

He looked slightly stunned. That noisy wedding procession, with beating drums and clanging gongs, actually passed right by them, as if the two of them didn’t exist at all!

“They didn’t see us!?” Li Yanchu’s heart was filled with surprise.

An illusion spell? Or some kind of invisibility art?

He cast a sidelong glance at Fang Qinglan, his expression intrigued.

“So this is the means of an immortal,” he muttered, feeling a little envious.

He had to admit that he rather liked this style.

Then, the two of them followed behind the wedding procession, hurrying further upstream. The wedding procession truly could not see them, and not even their presence or aura could be sensed. With drums and suonas blaring, the procession made its way to a secluded, shadowy place.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Here, the river surged violently, and the night wind howled. On the riverbank stood a Sea-Calming Stone Pillar, though it was already abandoned and broken halfway down. A pot-bellied middle-aged man stood by the river, flanked by two burly attendants. Beside him was a Daoist priest in black-and-white robes, holding a soul-summoning bell.

Behind them stood a bride in a scarlet wedding gown, her face full of terror. Yet her body seemed completely beyond her control, and she was unable to move at all. Two clear tears ran down her youthful face, stirring pity.

But unfortunately, these men were all ruthless sorts who treated human life like grass, unmoved in the slightest. When the middle-aged man saw the wedding procession, his eyes lit up, and a barely concealed joy spread across his face.

He strode forward quickly to greet them.

1. The “Heaven’s Eye” of True Lord Erlang (also known as Erlang Shen) refers to the extra eye that grows on his forehead. It is one of the key features of his divine persona, allowing him to see through all things in the world. This Heaven’s Eye is a distinctive characteristic of Erlang Shen in myths and literary works such as The Lotus Lantern, enabling him to perform abilities like discerning demons and revealing the truth, and it plays a crucial role in combat. ☜

2. The phrase “莺莺燕燕” (yīng yīng yàn yàn) literally evokes the lively and vibrant scenes of spring. Figuratively, it is also used to refer to the numerous concubines or courtesans surrounding a man. Its extended meaning draws on the imagery of orioles and swallows gathering together, metaphorically representing the women who cluster around a man in certain situations. ☜

3. The Seven Killings pattern, also called the Pian Guan pattern, is considered extremely ominous in traditional Chinese astrology. Although its name sounds threatening, it can be controlled and transformed, turning misfortune into blessing, and can bring great achievements and noble status. The Seven Slaughters pattern is common because its characteristics: drive, perseverance, ambition, and courage, are highly visible. ☜