Chapter 11: Strange Events in Liangcheng: Meeting Shao Ying

"I heard today that a strange event occurred in Liangcheng; a dying man suddenly recovered. I am going to take a look the day after tomorrow. If there is an expert there, I must ask for some guidance." Lingxiang tucked a slice of bamboo shoot into her mouth. "You must look after my treasures well, and while you're at it, copy the first volume of 'Discourse on Talismans' thoroughly. When I return, I will teach you how to recite talismans."

"Why can't you take me with you? When you go out alone, is it possible that these flowers and plants still need someone to look after them?"

"Naturally, there is someone to look after them. Now that I have you, I don't need to trouble others; disciples are meant to be ordered around. Furthermore, when something happens against the norm, there must be a demon involved. That man suddenly getting better—who is to say there isn't some other reason?" Lingxiang glanced at Long Qi and continued picking at the bamboo shoots on the plate. "Right now, you are gathering Qi and returning to the origin; you will break into Qi Refining in just these few days. If something unexpected happens, your cultivation hasn't even entered the gate yet—wouldn't you just be a burden?"

"The saying goes that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Since this is an extraordinary matter, I imagine it will be of great benefit to my cultivation. I can bring the book to copy, and if anything comes up, I can help out, can't I?"

After living together for this month, Long Qi had long since grown accustomed to having company. With her going to an outer city and not knowing when she would return, he did not want to be alone like before.

Lingxiang deliberated for a moment; this argument did have merit, so she agreed.

Liangcheng is located north of Guyang and Xiangcheng. The Xushui flows from here into the Daha. Its land is fertile, the folk customs are simple and honest, and it produces excellent wine, especially famous for its 'Hundred Endings' brew.

"The wine at Yao Yi's place is even better now."

"Indeed. Ever since she got married, she has become increasingly skilled at brewing wine, and she herself has become more and more beautiful."

"Who's to say otherwise? I thought she had married someone short-lived. Just as Master Jingwei was about to pass away, he recovered only a few days after they were married. I wonder which medical expert worked such a miracle."

"There's no expert. It's likely just the good fortune of the wedding. Look, not a few days after the wedding, his study opened again."

"True. This schoolteacher and the wine-brewing lady make for quite a story. If I could marry such a beautiful girl, let alone being terminally ill, even if I were buried in the dirt for seven days, I could pry open the coffin lid!"

Lingxiang paid for the room and was about to go upstairs when she saw a familiar figure coming down; it was Lu Ying.

After exchanging greetings, they learned that he was a disciple of the Taishang Sect who had come down the mountain to gain experience and settle worldly ties. He was just passing through and stopping for a rest.

The two agreed to have tea, and Lingxiang stated her purpose, but Lu Ying offered a different rumor.

It is said that a demon is running rampant here, confusing people's minds and consuming their essence. This demon has profound cultivation and is very troublesome. Every time after the full moon, two or three men are always found on the outskirts of the city, gaunt and with chaotic consciousness. The local government is also at their wits' end, with no solution.

Lu Ying's route back home would have been closer through Lindong, but he detoured here precisely because of this rumor.

"Eh? Then isn't this a flower-plucking demon? This is truly rare!" Long Qi laughed.

Lingxiang slapped the back of his head with one palm: "Talking nonsense!" She then said to Lu Ying: "Brother Lu, do you think this Mr. Zhuang is the problem?"

"A dying man suddenly becoming lively—in this world, I fear only a Da Luo Immortal could achieve this, or perhaps there is a miraculous Pill to save him?" Lu Ying said, deliberating.

"Miraculous Pills can mostly only be used by those with cultivation. If an ordinary person takes one, it is nothing more than poison; it damages the inside while being received on the outside, only accelerating their death." Lingxiang frowned.

"Can't ordinary people use miraculous Pills?" Long Qi was greatly puzzled. Doesn't the Emperor in the palace often take Golden Cores? Could it be that those emperors all have cultivation?

"That is not necessarily so. Some Pills have a mild nature and Qi; they nourish the inside without damaging the outside, so they can be taken by ordinary people. But generally speaking, such Pills do not have the power to reverse fate, so how could they make him recover?" Lingxiang pondered for a moment. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Long Qi and Lu Ying asked in unison.

"Unless he can extend his Yang."

"What is 'extending Yang'?" Lu Ying was puzzled, and Long Qi was equally confused.

"You and I are both cultivators; we should know that the higher the cultivation, the longer the lifespan. Some with profound cultivation, if they attain the Dao and ascend to become immortals, have endless lifespans. This is naturally the realm all cultivators yearn for. Even if they fail the tribulation, they can still become Earth Immortals, watching the red dust and living freely." Lingxiang sipped her tea as she spoke. "But in this world, Spirit Roots are scarce, and it has long been past the time of the ancient Conferment of the Gods when immortals were established. Most Daoist Sect colleagues exhaust their lives without being able to break through and ascend through tribulation. Thus, there are those unscrupulous people who use shameful means to steal the essence of others to supplement their own lifespan. If that is truly the case, they will fall into the Demon Path, neither human nor demon."

"Then... in your opinion..." Lu Ying held his Tea Cup and frowned.

"If it is truly like this, this person is definitely not someone you or I can handle. I fear it will be difficult to deal with."

After hearing what Lingxiang said, Lu Ying remained silent, and Lingxiang also furrowed her brows.

"Then what is the difference between this kind of person who has fallen into the Demon Path and an ordinary person?" Long Qi did not know the severity of this and asked anyway.

"On the surface, they always look no different from ordinary people. It is just that this kind of behavior goes against heaven; their eyes or actions will always carry some evil. Over time, they are easily swallowed by demonic energy. Therefore, when the demonic energy is strongest during the full moon, they need some human energy to contend with it, so as not to lose their human form."

"But they are demons after all. With our cultivation, we are ultimately helpless..." Lu Ying shook his head and sighed.

"Can demons also marry humans? Then this wine lady is quite unlucky to have married a monster." Long Qi said, throwing away a fruit peel.

"Naturally they can marry, and not all of the Demon Race are so despicable. In our eyes, they seem like aliens, but that is not absolute. There are gentlemen among the orthodox Demon Race; the only thing that is not orthodox is the heart." Lingxiang explained. "If a cultivator's thinking is rigid and they cannot distinguish right from wrong, are they any different from those evil robbers?"

"Since this person has married the wine lady, we might as well start with that woman and probe the truth."

Lu Ying proposed, and Lingxiang and Long Qi both felt it was reasonable.

"In addition, since there are victims, they must have left behind some traces of Witchcraft. We should be able to gain something." Lingxiang also suggested.

The three of them calculated and decided to act separately.

Since the government had already inquired into this matter, Lu Ying, having the status of a personal disciple of the Taishang Sect Sect Leader, had the convenience to act, so he went to visit the officials to investigate the case files.

As for Long Qi, he had spent years mingling in the marketplace and was worldly-wise, so the task of inquiring about the wine lady and her husband was entrusted to him.

As for Lingxiang, she possessed medical skills and understood pharmacology, so she went to check the current state of the victims. If their bodies were unharmed, perhaps she could even save them.

The government office was located in the South City, and it was rumored that the victims were kept at the government post station, so Lu Ying and Lingxiang went the same way. However, the wine lady's tavern was located in the northwest of Liangcheng, quite a distance away, so Long Qi had to hurry ahead.