Chapter 197 – Harvest and Return, The Long-Delayed Curtain Falls - Part 2

The next morning.

Eight martial artists mounted their assault on Newsun County. The takedown went swiftly, unstoppable even. As the seat of Northriver Prefecture and main hub for undying husk activity, Newsun had many citizens stirred to resistance.

However, whether it was Zhu Nuyang, Mu Hua, or Shan Baishou who led the charge, none held back. If anyone dared make a move against them, that person was cut down on the spot. Those who remained passive were spared.

From dawn until dusk, they hunted every last Immortal Worship Cult devotee and any undying husk assassin bold enough to appear.

By evening, reinforcements from various sects arrived to maintain order.

Throughout it all, the prefecture lord, the man behind so much turmoil...never showed himself. Nor did the undying husks manage any organized counterattack.

That night, the eight martial artists met in an empty street.

Standing in a clearing, Elder Zhu glanced at the prefecture lord’s mansion in the distance. “Everyone, if my guess is correct, that prefecture lord entered the ancient ghost street right here in Newsun. Besides him, there must be other hidden undying husks. In the days to come, I’ll station myself at the prefecture lord’s estate. As for the rest of you...”

He assigned Han Feng and Leng Rou to guard Brightsun Brasserie in the north of town, keeping a vigilant eye on nearby activity. He posted Yuan Zongzi, Mu Hua, and Yan Mu elsewhere, then instructed Li Yuan to watch over the southeast district from the Softcloud Inn.

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Three days later.

Within that time, seven more undying husks crawled out of the shadows. They had no choice; unless they returned to the ancient ghost street, their curse would flare beyond control.

Under cover of night, they attempted to escape. But with eight high-ranking martial artists on constant alert, alongside the countless sect disciples sweeping every corner, they were discovered and swiftly cut down.

On the fourth morning, seated in meditation within his inn room, Li Yuan opened his eyes at a knock on the door. It was Mu Hua, hauling a hefty sack which he set down beside Li Yuan with a grin.

“Mister Gold,” he said, “we’ve swept ten counties in total, ten assaults all told. That comes to 600 taels of blood gold for you.”

Li Yuan accepted the sack with a pensive sigh. “We’ve had some hair-raising moments on this job...”

Mu Hua nearly rolled his eyes, doing his best not to comment. The truth was that their campaign, from beginning to end, had been overwhelmingly one-sided.

Hair-raising

seemed like quite the exaggeration. Earning 600 taels of blood gold had never been so easy.

He spoke as though summarizing their battles, “We did make some mistakes, but the undying husks have made far more.”

Li Yuan nodded. Much had changed since they first arrived, yet one thing was certain. From the perspective of the undying husks, this had ended in near-total disaster. The prefecture lord of Northriver was still nowhere to be found, and the undying husks forces had all but collapsed.

Yet Li Yuan refused to see them as mere pushovers.

Early on, the martial artists might have been baffled by these phantom-like foes. However, the undying husks had overplayed their hand.

They had underestimated just how thoroughly a powerful martial artist’s shadow blood could neutralize ghost items. They had also failed to leverage the prefectural troops effectively, underestimating the solidarity between local sects.

Worst of all, the undying husks had unveiled their strategies far too soon, from inciting the Immortal Worship Cult to orchestrating mass disappearances, they had revealed their entire hand and, along with it, all their weaknesses.

Now, with Newsun and its surroundings locked down so tightly that no one could come or go unnoticed, the undying husks stood little chance of escaping, and even less chance of striking back.

The undying husks had no shortage of strange items, but it was obvious they had only just begun using the ancient ghost street trafficking method to earn ghost money. For now, most of the items in their possession seemed to be the same low-tier pieces sold at the stalls in the ghost street marketplace.

Take Li Yuan’s local ghost street marketplace, for example...the primary goods sold there included the rouge compacts, sugar figurines, copper pendants, copper hairpins, and copper rings.

The rouge compacts could alter a person’s appearance, physique, or even grant a fraction of a disguise target’s abilities. The sugar figurines were potent but required time to activate. The copper pendants could defend its wearer from a curse, and the copper hairpins and copper rings could launch a powerful curse.

Aside from a few outliers wielding more unusual items, most undying husks relied on these basic items.

Outside of these local goods, the one that showed up most frequently was the door handle.

Once the martial artists had figured out the mechanics behind these items, attacking and defending against them became far more manageable.

Noticing Li Yuan’s silence, Mu Hua asked, “So, now that the crisis in Northriver Prefecture is settled, what are your plans, Mister Gold?”

Li Yuan broke into a hearty laugh. “I think I’ll travel around, see the sights, live free and easy.”

Mu Hua suggested, “Why not join the Holy Tree Temple as a sixth rank enforcer? You could come back to the Central Plains with me.”

Li Yuan smiled on the outside, but he was already shaking his head internally. Being an official enforcer meant receiving money for tasks but also being obligated to carry them out. Once he was on a major sect’s payroll, he couldn’t simply refuse missions whenever he felt like it.

Putting on a show of deliberation, he finally said, “To be honest, it’s hard for me to advance any further in cultivation. I just want...” He inhaled deeply, raised his head, and let out a wistful sigh. “I want to ride the fastest horses, drink the strongest wine, and love the most beautiful women.”

Mu Hua nodded. “All of that is available in the Holy Tree Temple,” he said with a grin.

“But it wouldn’t be as free,” Li Yuan countered. Then he stood and clasped his hands in a respectful bow. “Everyone has their own path. Mine lies under open skies and along winding rivers. We may cross paths again someday.”

Knowing how firm a sixth rank martial artist’s resolve could be, Mu Hua simply replied, “Well, if you ever change your mind, come find me at the Holy Tree Temple. Just give them your name and mine.”

They exchanged courteous farewells. Before leaving, Li Yuan changed the subject. “By the way,” he began, “I’d like to buy some sixth rank demonic beast meat. But it’s heavy, and traveling with it is cumbersome. Is there any alternative?”

Mu Hua, aware that Li Yuan knew the Holy Tree Temple sold pills, gave a straightforward answer. “Blood spirit pills are much easier to carry around, but they’re pricey. Are you really interested?”

“How pricey?”

Mu Hua explained, “About 15 kg of sixth rank beast meat usually go for 20 taels of blood gold. Three blood spirit pills contain about the same energy, but they’ll cost you 40 taels if you buy them outright.”

Li Yuan’s face fell.

Double the price? That’s daylight robbery...

Smiling, Mu Hua added, “If you were an enforcer of the Holy Tree Temple, you’d get a discount. Three pills would cost only 30 taels.”

“Hah, how convenient.” Li Yuan gave a humorless chuckle.

Never mind, I’ll give up on that for now I suppose.

Pills were clearly a luxury, and supply was nowhere near enough to lower the cost. Meat would have to do. Still, something else came to mind. “What about fasting pills or rejuvenation pills? How much do those run for?”

“Fasting pills cost one tael of blood gold each,” Mu Hua replied, “and they let an average martial artist go half a month without eating, drinking, or, well, the usual bodily needs.”

Li Yuan blinked.

One tael of blood gold is worth 10 taels of regular gold, or 100 taels of silver, and that’s if it’s even available for trade. All for just two weeks of not needing food or water?

True enough, it was a luxury item.

Mu Hua continued, “As for rejuvenation pills, they must be taken annually. They restore an ordinary martial artist’s appearance to a youthful bloom, but you have to take another pill each year to maintain the effect. The price is...five taels of blood gold per pill.”

Li Yuan just stared.

That’s five taels of blood gold per year to stay young, and it doesn’t even help those at sixth rank or above.

Still, he thought of Xue Ning. Perhaps she’d like something like that. Tang Nian might also benefit from some fasting pills, given how she devoted herself to puppet-making.

He decided, “I’d like to buy 20 fasting pills and 20 rejuvenation pills, if you don’t mind—”

Mu Hua cut him off with an apologetic gesture. “Mister Gold, I really can’t. The Holy Tree Temple only sells those specialized pills internally, and even then, in limited amounts. I can’t sell them outside. You could have them if you joined us, but otherwise...”

Li Yuan sighed. He couldn’t say he was surprised.

Elsewhere, the Sacred Fire Palace was trying similar recruitment tactics on the Han Feng and Leng Rou couple. Unlike Li Yuan, they’d come specifically to Northriver Prefecture in search of opportunities. So, after some negotiations, the two agreed to sign on as official enforcers of the Sacred Fire Palace.

That very day, Li Yuan handed over 300 taels of blood gold in exchange for 225 kilograms of sixth rank demonic beast meat. Then, without lingering, he slung a large pack over his shoulder and departed Newsun County in a hurry.

To hide his true trail, he made sure at least a few bystanders from different counties saw him traveling onward. Then, once he reached a secluded wooded area, he used the Thousand-Mil Thread to swiftly cut through space and reappear at the side of his maid, Xiao Zhu.

As for the other end of the thread, it was tied to Yan Mu.