Chapter 448: While In the Night’s Rain on the Lake, A Lamp Has Burned For Years.

Nightmare Specters typically referred to evil entities that would appear in dreams.

Among them were ghosts capable of invading a person's dream, feeding on their yang qi.

There was also a kind of demonic monster[1] that fed on dreams. Upon reaching a certain level in cultivation and gaining physical form, they could wreak havoc in the dream world of their victims.

A unique clan of these entities existed in the Far West. They were known as the Nightmare Demon Clan.

"There's a Nightmare Specter on this person?"

Yan Qihu stared at the man in his grip with a strange expression.

The man didn’t seem like someone caught in a dream. Instead, he looked as though he was transforming into a demon before his eyes.

Ji Lingyu's eyes shimmered with a divine radiance. She could distinctly see a swirling cloud of lurid red demonic qi festering within the man's head—a clear sign of possession by a Nightmare Demon!

Suddenly, the crimson glow flared, intensifying with a menacing brightness!

"Watch out!" Ji Lingyu cried out in warning.

The man was nearly fully transformed into a demon and his entire body glowing with an eerie red light.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion echoed through the air as demonic qi erupted in all directions.

Fortunately, Yan Qihu was the closest to him. His quick reflexes kicked in, and with a swift movement of his palm, this Martial Artist at the seventh realm suppressed the shockwave.

The man's demonic form vanished, leaving behind only a lifeless corpse that had exploded from the inside out... identical to the ones placed at the City Supervisory Division.

"This..."

Everyone stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock at the bizarre scene before them.

Although the immortality cultivators were used to such strange events, witnessing something of this magnitude for the first time left them feeling speechless.

The blood-red moon in the sky slowly dimmed, as though its only purpose had been to stir the evil spirit slumbering within the man.

"It’s Chunyu Tu!" someone cried out in shock.

The City Supervisory Division officers rushed over, surrounding the corpse. In no time, they recognized the cultivator who had died.

Moments later, they confirmed the deceased’s identity. He was Chunyu Tu, a renowned guide in the region near Southern Bastion Mountain, frequently hired at a high price by those looking to venture deep into its treacherous terrain.

"Nightmare Demons do have the ability to influence reality through dreams," Chu Liang said thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on the body. "But these cultivators were all at the fifth and sixth realms. It would take immense cultivation power for a demon to control them through their dreams, forcing them to transform and lose their minds..."

"At the very least, it would need to be a seventh-realm greater demon..." Ji Lingyu added, her voice filled with concern. "Legend has it that during the chaotic age of the Demon God, there was a Nightmare Demon King under his command, an eighth-realm greater demon who could drive the people in an entire nation to slaughter one another. What we've witnessed here bears a striking resemblance to that legend."

"The Nightmare Demon King was killed during the War against the Demon God," Yan Qihu interjected. "After that, the clan of Nightmare Demonic Monsters vanished, and there hasn’t been a sign of them since. Could it be that another greater demon has emerged, causing havoc in Southern Bastion Mountain?"

"But why would it kill these people?" Chu Liang continued to ponder.

Regardless of how evil a demon or spirit might be, there was always a motive behind its actions. The idea that a greater demon would enter human territory just to kill at random seemed far-fetched.

"It doesn’t matter who they are or what kind of evil entity they might be..." Yan Qihu growled, clenching his fist tightly. "If they dare commit murder in the territory of humans, if they dare kill a disciple of the Great Astral Sect, they will pay the price!"

His voice rumbled like thunder, each word reverberating with power, before he fixed his intense gaze squarely on Chu Liang.

Chu Liang looked up, realizing that Yan Qihu had been staring at him intensely the entire time.

Oh. So you are talking to me? Alright, alright. I got it. I will try my best.

...

The next day, Chu Liang donned his black robe once again and made his way to Second Madam Gu’s tavern.

Previously, he had been able to track down a demon divine envoy thanks to the valuable information provided by Second Madam Gu. In the underground world of Kaoshan City, she acted as a crucial node in the network of information, often being the one who knew many secrets that the commoners and officials would never know.

After following the same steps as before and waiting for a long time, he found himself once again in the dim chamber beneath the tavern.

Second Madam Gu sat behind the flickering lamplight, as alluring as ever, her light blue eyes glowing faintly.

Chu Liang stared at her eyes, lost in thought.

Previously, he had not seen someone with Xuan Yuan Eyes before, so he had merely thought that Second Madam Gu's eyes were of unusual color. But after seeing Ji Lingfeng's eyes, he noticed a striking resemblance between them.

He couldn’t help but connect the dots...

"Have you been here before?" Second Madam Gu asked.

"I have," Chu Liang said with a nod. "I know the rules."

"Good. What’s your question?" Second Madam Gu asked bluntly.

"Do you know anything about the blood moon killings in Kaoshan City?" Chu Liang inquired.

"I don’t," Second Madam Gu answered very quickly, shaking her head without hesitation.

Still, Chu Liang wasn't discouraged by this. After a brief pause, he changed his question and asked, "Do you know if the people who died had any connection? Why were they the ones killed?"

"You’re investigating this case, aren’t you..." Second Madam Gu pondered for a moment before replying, "I can tell you what I know. I’ll share half the information, and then we’ll discuss the terms of exchange."

"Agreed," Chu Liang nodded.

"Wei Feng, Liu Ming, Fang Chongshan—these were all top experts in Kaoshan City. Chunyu Tu was the city’s best guide," Second Madam Gu began slowly. "All I know is that a woman from the Far West gathered these men three days ago to explore a hidden realm in Southern Bastion Mountain. After they returned, they died one by one."

"A woman from the Far West?"

"I don’t know who she is or which hidden realm they explored, but I do know that there’s one survivor who hasn’t died yet," Second Madam Gu added.

Chu Liang’s eyes flickered with interest.

"Alright, now we can talk about the price," Second Madam Gu leaned back. "What do you think this information is worth?"

"This information is, of course, very important. But before we discuss the price, I have another question..." Chu Liang cautiously asked, "Do you have any connection to the Ji Family?"

"None whatsoever," Second Madam Gu answered coldly.

"I see..." Chu Liang scratched his head and continued, "When I was in a hidden realm in the Southern Bastion Mountain, I found a man trapped there. He entrusted me with a letter for the thirteenth young lady of the Ji Family. But when I went to the Ji Family, I found out she had left long ago and has been missing ever since—"

Before he could finish, Second Madam Gu suddenly stood up as she slammed her palms onto the table. "What did you say? Who was the person that gave you the letter?"

Seeing her intense reaction, Chu Liang knew that he had guessed correctly.

After seeing Second Madam Gu again and noticing her eyes seemed to resemble the Xuan Yuan Eyes, Chu Liang had a hunch. Ji Lianhua had left her family for love, presumably to search for Gu Qingyuan. And since she hadn’t returned for so many years, could she have settled at the foot of Southern Bastion Mountain?

And it seemed Second Madam Gu was indeed that person.

"He said his name is Gu Qingyuan," Chu Liang replied.

Bang.

The table beneath Second Madam Gu’s hands creaked as she left two deep handprints, a clear sign of her agitation.

"I am... Ji Lianhua," Second Madam Gu said softly.

She had finally admitted her identity.

Chu Liang stood up and respectfully bowed. "Esteemed Senior Gu once assisted me in the hidden realm, and I accepted his request. I don’t doubt your identity, but to fulfill my duty properly, I ask that you share some of your story, so I can fully confirm it."

As for the matter of the survivor, he wasn’t in a rush. Once this issue was settled, he was confident Second Madam Gu would provide the information.

Second Madam Gu then started sharing parts of her story with Gu Qingyuan, which matched what Chu Liang had heard from the Ji Family. What she added was that after leaving the Ji Family, she stayed near the outskirts of Southern Bastion Mountain, using her information-gathering business to try to find out about what happened to Gu Qingyuan.

After all the complications, she had spent decades watching and waiting.

Even after so many years, as she spoke of it now, there was still a distant glow in her eyes.

The flames on the table flickered, casting shadows that danced endlessly.

While in the night’s rain on the lake, a lamp has burned for years.[2]

1. Demonic monster is the umbrella term of both demon and monsters. These are not the typical demons and monsters that you see in Western culture. They are really yaoguai and yaojin. These are really not translatable but demon and monsters are the most fitting translation. ☜

2. This is from a poem written by Huang Tingjian titled

To Huang Jifu(寄黄几复)

. It basically talks about how Huang Tingjian misses his friend Huang Jifu. If you are interested, the explanation of the full poem in Translator's Thoughts. ☜