Chapter 94: Master Huizhen! Power of a Dragon and an Elephant! Murder and Malice!

By the time Li Yanchu and Bai Hongtu returned to Wei City, the city gates had already been closed.

Fortunately, the two of them had been granted official waist tokens[1] by Magistrate Xu, which allowed them to summon the guards to open the gates at any time. Otherwise, they would’ve had to spend the night outside the city.

The recent events in Longmen Village had left both of them feeling heavy-hearted. What exactly was the force sustaining that kind of repeating cycle? Who was the figure depicted in that ancestral painting within the Lin family shrine? And what about that little girl named Hutou? Was she truly one of the villagers of Longmen? Why was she different from all the rest?

These questions continued to linger in their minds. Though the incident in Longmen Village had been resolved, it was clear things were far from over. The reappearance of the name Bare Body Sect was a matter that could not be taken lightly too.

Once back in the familiar Daoist temple, the two of them finally felt a bit more at ease. Each went to his own room to rest.

The next day, Li Yanchu went to the Taiping Inn for breakfast as usual, while Bai Hongtu, without needing to be told, went to find food elsewhere on his own.

The innkeeper, always thoughtful, had already prepared breakfast for Li Yanchu. Knowing he’d been running around all night the day before, she made something light and nourishing to soothe his stomach.

“Don’t wear yourself out too much,” she said softly. “You need to take care of your health.”

Li Yanchu nodded.

The innkeeper, who leaned against him slightly with a lazy and relaxed posture, exuded a natural gentleness.

“That Master Huizhen who recently arrived in Wei City, he’s the real deal,” she said. “He’s a true monk with real ability. Just yesterday, there was a household troubled by evil spirits. The master went over, and not long after, wiped out the haunting completely. There are so many capable people in this world. Why should you be the only one bearing all the burdens?”

Her voice was gentle, and as she spoke, she gave a slight twist of her full figure in a show of displeasure.

“Oh?” Li Yanchu’s eyes lit up slightly. He took a sip of porridge and asked, “What happened exactly?”

“Word is, the Wang family’s two brothers were fighting over inheritance. The second branch somehow hired a sorcerer, invited in a deity, and secretly tried to harm the main branch. And of the main branch’s two sons, one went mad while playing in the courtyard and suddenly leapt into a well. The other was struck with a high fever in his sleep, delirious and rambling nonsense.

“So the family called on Master Huizhen from Lingxi Temple. He followed the trail and uncovered the sorcerer behind the curse. The two confronted each other on the spot. It’s said that this Master Huizhen from Lingxi Temple can transform into a golden-bodied figure, his skin shining with divine light. And right there and then, he killed the evil spirit that had been harming people.”

“A lot of people saw it happen. Now everyone in town calls Master Huizhen the

Holy Monk

.”

At this point, the innkeeper let out a discontented “

hmph

.”

“You’ve exorcised plenty of demons and spirits here in Wei City, but I’ve never heard anyone call

you

a Holy Daoist.”

Hearing this, Li Yanchu couldn’t help but laugh. “Master Huizhen is a monk with great spiritual power. Slaying demons and exorcising evil comes naturally to someone like him. It’s only right that he’s respected.”

Thanks to the innkeeper’s teasing interruption, the heaviness in Li Yanchu’s heart lightened considerably.

The following days passed rather peacefully.

Not only had Wei City welcomed Master Huizhen, a monk of considerable skill, but rumors also spoke of a powerful Daoist cultivator who had arrived in secret to watch over the city from the shadows.

News had just emerged of water ghosts claiming lives in the river, with two boatmen dying in quick succession. Yet, by the very next day, the ghost had been eradicated.

No one knew exactly who had done it. But it was clear that righteous experts were now watching over Wei City, which brought Li Yanchu a measure of relief.

However... Just as peace seemed to be settling in, a major incident rocked the city. Word spread like wildfire that in the treacherous mountain range forty li north of Wei City, a massive ancient tomb had been discovered.

At first, a group of around a dozen people descended into the tomb. Only one made it out alive, and whatever he saw down there, it drove him insane.

Even the Ironshard Gang, a prominent martial sect from the

jianghu

, sent a team of elite fighters along with a geomancer skilled in fengshui and divination. However, none of them made it back. With that, rumors swept through the city like a storm, and everyone was on edge.

First, a massive Baxia[2] stone statue appeared by the riverbank. Then, an ancient and rare tomb was discovered deep in the mountains. Thus, the common folk began to grow uneasy and restless.

Li Yanchu heard the rumors while drinking tea at the Taiping Inn, overhearing a group of traveling merchants chatting. However, he wasn’t particularly interested in the ancient tomb. While it might contain treasures, the risk was far too great. The bigger the tomb, the greater the danger. His focus remained on the recent strange events in Wei City, and aside from that, on his cultivation.

Though he had successfully refined the Divine Astral Hands, Six Yang Saber Art, and Primordial Chaos Technique, he had yet to truly master them.

These days, aside from studying

The Yellow Court Classic

, he spent all his time practicing martial arts, striving to enhance his ability to protect himself. With access to century-old spirit medicines, which he consumed like water, Li Yanchu’s cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

He had first mastered the Six Yang Saber Art, completing all sixty-four stages and refining his Six Yang Force to the point where it could even harm souls. Next was the Divine Astral Hands, which greatly enhanced his speed, strength, and explosive power. It granted him a level of might akin to the legendary strength of a dragon and an elephant.

Although Li Yanchu didn’t fully grasp what the 'strength of a dragon and an elephant' described in ancient texts truly entailed, he was confident that if he faced another monstrous flesh-mound like the one in Longmen Village, he wouldn’t be outmatched in sheer power alone.

The last of the three to reach completion was the Primordial Chaos Technique, a top-tier internal technique. His qi shield had now fully formed and carried with it the energy of Pure Yang.

Just as Li Yanchu was cultivating in his Daoist temple, Head Constable Wang suddenly came to see him.

Head Constable Wang’s expression was grim as he spoke in urgency, “Daoist Master Li, something’s happened. Three pregnant women from the manor outside the city were killed overnight. All of them had their bellies cut open, and the babies were taken.”

Li Yanchu’s heart sank immediately.

“Only the pregnant women were killed...? Any clues at the scene?” he asked.

Just then, Bai Hongtu approached. Hearing this, his face turned cold. Merely hearing of the act of murdering pregnant women and stealing their unborn children was enough to ignite righteous fury.

Head Constable Wang continued, “The three women died horribly, and they were disemboweled... But their husbands, who were sleeping right beside them, claim they didn’t hear a thing. They slept deeply the whole night. In each case, the window was found open, and footprints were left on the windowsill. But the footprints... are very strange.”

Head Constable Wang’s eyes glimmered with sorrow as he spoke. Then he pulled a sheet of paper from his robe.

“This is a rubbing of the footprints we found.”

Immediately, Li Yanchu took it. Meanwhile, Bai Hongtu stood beside him and examined the paper, thereafter a flicker of surprise passed across his face.

No wonder Wang said the footprints were strange, because... they looked just like a child’s footprints.

Could it be that the one killing pregnant women and taking their babies... was a child?

At this time, Bai Hongtu voiced the thought.

Li Yanchu nodded slightly. “We can’t rule it out. Actually, it looks a bit like a monkey’s too. Just from this, we can’t draw any firm conclusions. We’ll need to inspect the scene in person.”

Head Constable Wang responded immediately, “Master Huizhen has already been informed by the magistrate and has gone ahead. I beg you, Daoist Master Li, lend your aid. The sooner we catch the culprit, the sooner we can prevent further tragedy.”

Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. To banish evil and uphold righteousness was the duty of all who cultivated the Dao.

1. A waist token was a badge worn at the waist by officials in ancient East Asia to verify their identity. Engraved with the bearer’s name and official title, it often served as a pass or credential for entering and exiting restricted areas such as palaces or military camps. ☜

2. Baxia is a figure from Chinese mythology. One of the nine sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a dragon with the shell of a turtle. Stone sculptures of Bixi have been used in Chinese culture for centuries as a decorative plinth for commemorative steles and tablets, particularly in the funerary complexes of its later emperors and to commemorate important events. They are also used at the bases of bridges and archways. Sculptures of Baxia are traditionally rubbed for good luck. ☜