Chapter 174: 174. Chapter 174: Beside the Bed, No One May Sleep Soundly! Ghostly Mist over the Desolate Village!

174. Chapter 174: Beside the Bed, No One May Sleep Soundly! Ghostly Mist over the Desolate Village!

"Master, such treacherous scoundrels need not be allowed to live!"

"Then let a lowly one see him off!"

"So as not to soil the master's hands!"

The upright youth who killed Wei Wuya said to Jiang Feng.

However…

Jiang Feng, however, looked at him with an unfamiliar gaze, and after a long pause sighed, "You're too impatient, Jiang Qin…"

The youth named Jiang Qin was instantly thrown into panic.

Jiang Feng continued, "Only three people know the full route: you, me, and the Madam. No one else could have time to spread the word. If not you, could it be me and the Madam?"

Jiang Qin had thought he could bluff his way through, but now Jiang Feng made things clear; he could no longer keep up the pretense.

His fists clenched, his face flushed red, and his whole body trembled.

It was unclear whether he was scared or ashamed of having his secret exposed in public.

Jiang Qin said coldly, "Since you've guessed I'm the traitor, kill or beat me as you see fit."

"I, Jiang Feng, consider that I have not treated you poorly; one could even say we are like brothers. Whatever you desire, I will fulfill. So why did you do this?"

Grabbing the home thief, Jiang Feng was not pleased; rather, he was so sorrowful he could barely speak, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the scribe who had grown up with him.

In his heart he regarded the other as a younger brother, and that was no pretense.

Upon hearing that, Jiang Qin suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly, his demeanor frantic.

"Why?"

"You actually ask me why?"

"Because you are the world's number one virtuous man, the greatest good person on earth! The jade gentleman Jiang Feng adored by countless women, while I am merely your scribe!"

"You treat me well, so what? Is your vast family fortune mine?"

"Why are you revered by the world while I must follow behind you, tending to your every need?"

"I've had enough!"

Jiang Qin's face twisted ferociously, his hand gripping a long sword that trembled incessantly; every word that left his mouth pierced Jiang Feng's heart.

Hua Yue Nu gently patted Jiang Feng's back, comforting her husband whose emotions had collapsed.

"What a sharp‑tongued beast! As a scribe betraying his master, you even justify it as if it were righteous. You truly deserve death!"

Li Ge Xiao listened to every word without missing a syllable, his heart already burning with rage; brandishing his embroidered Spring Blade, he strode like a comet toward Jiang Qin!

Under the teachings and example of his master Zheng Dongliu, he held an unshakable creed that he would obey no matter what.

"The great treacherous villain must be slain! You stay back!"

Jiang Qin let out a terrified scream, repeatedly retreating.

"Brother, hold on!"

Soft‑hearted Jiang Feng, recalling old feelings, still intended to spare Jiang Qin a way out.

Unfortunately, his words were not as swift as Li Ge Xiao's blade! In a flash of sword light, a splendid head shot upward.

When it hit the ground, everyone only saw Jiang Qin's eyes, forever unblinking.

Li Ge Xiao turned his head toward Jiang Feng, speaking indifferently, "You have a family; everything should be placed with your wife and children first. Do not let your cowardice harm them, lest you regret it later!"

Chu Yang realized Li Ge Xiao was recalling his wife Jing Ruyi, and patted his shoulder.

Although Li Ge Xiao's tone was harsh, Jiang Feng still felt his goodwill, nodding, "Brother, your admonition I shall take as a warning."

"Alright, sit down for tea and we still run into so many troubles, wasting time…" Chu Yang waved his hand, strolling out of the tea stall on his own, "Old Li, let's set off quickly; if we delay any longer we'll have to camp out in the desolate outskirts."

Seeing Chu Yang about to leave, Jiang Feng hurried forward and asked, "I have not yet inquired about the lives of the two benefactors; someday Jiang Feng will certainly repay you both."

Chu Yang ignored him, stretched lazily, and walked forward.

A guy who's handsome, rich, and of excellent character must be kept at a distance; otherwise, wherever he is, the girls flock around him, leaving no room for anyone else.

That is a truth Chu Yang has distilled over many years in the brothels.

Li Ge Xiao, however, was unbothered, laughing loudly, "My master's surname is Chu, with the single given name Yang. As for me… Li Ge Xiao."

"Chu Yang… Li Ge Xiao…" Jiang Feng repeated the two names silently, firmly saying, "I have recorded the names of the two benefactors; someday I…"

"I'm telling you, aren't you annoying, always talking about 'someday'?," Chu Yang turned back, glaring at Jiang Feng, "Are you chanting a spell here?"

Jiang Feng awkwardly fell silent.

But just as the two took their first steps, Hua Yue Nu immediately ordered the others to follow, and the convoy lagged far behind Chu Yang and Li Ge Xiao.

"Madam, isn't this improper? It could cause trouble for the benefactors."

"The Twelve Star Constellations have countless disciples; the battle just now will spread through the entire underworld instantly. Our whereabouts are exposed; if we don't keep up with Master Chu and the others, where is any chance of survival?"

"What the Madam means is, we hope the two benefactors won't mind at all."

"Hero Li, I've already hinted to you earlier; you didn't grasp their meaning. He wants you to prioritize me and the children above all."

"You two are truly benevolent."

"That Master Chu is terrifyingly powerful; aside from everything else, the sheer overwhelming sword qi I have never seen before. I don't know who is stronger, him or the Palace Lord."

"I think Master Chu might be stronger; such terrifying sword cultivation I have only witnessed in my elder brother, who still needed a divine sword, whereas Master Chu can emit sword qi effortlessly. The gap between them is evident."

"Strangely enough, Master Chu is much younger than us, yet lives in luxury, and his martial cultivation is so high."

"Hahaha, there are so many gifted people in the world; Madam is overreacting. Back then, the invincible prodigy Gu Santong was already sweeping the world at Master Chu's age."

Without a sense of danger, the couple began to chat and laugh, and ahead, Li Ge Xiao, riding his horse, occasionally glanced back, eyes smiling with a hint of nostalgia.

Chu Yang laughed, "All these years have passed, and you still haven't met a woman who moves your heart?"

Li Ge Xiao shook his head, "As long as the old thief Yan Song lives, my heart remains like stagnant water, unable to stir."

Chu Yang inhaled deeply, his gaze icy, "Then wait a bit longer; that day will come sooner or later. Killing the old master of the sect is a technical task!"

Li Geshao said seriously, "Lord Xie gave me a chance to personally slay my enemy; otherwise, with your temperament, you would have already swept the court clean."

Chu Yang said, "I'm just a lord; what the court looks like has nothing to do with me. Whether it's a haze of smoke or a heap of villains, as long as it doesn't affect me drinking flower wine, it's fine."

Li Geshao had a sentence hidden in his heart unsaid: sometimes the tide of events has nothing to do with personal will; the moment the imperial robe is placed on you, you must become emperor even if you don't want to.

You wish for peaceful, tranquil years.

But for some, the side of the couch cannot tolerate others' snoring. The group, whether hurrying or lagging, still failed to reach the town before nightfall, so they reluctantly found an abandoned village to rest temporarily.

In the south, demon monsters ravage severely; people often abandon villages and towns, leaving their homeland to move to the big city.

With the town's overpopulation, the local magistrate even permits displaced people to cultivate nearby land to build homes.

Though it conflicts with state law, when lives hang in the balance they have no choice; essentially they turn a blind eye.

In recent years, the number of abandoned villages has surged, even becoming hotspots for demon monsters.

Demon monsters can disguise themselves as humans; some villages appear prosperous and populous, perhaps the whole village is transformed demons.

For safety, before the group entered the abandoned village, Li Geshao went in alone to scout; as a Brocade Guard, such reconnaissance is a piece of cake.

After he had thoroughly checked inside and out, Li Geshao signaled the others to enter.

Jiang Feng and his wife, along with the caravan guards, dared not go further in; they casually found a few relatively intact thatched huts on the outskirts and prepared to make do for the night.

Mainly because they were close to the enigmatic Young Master Chu, everyone felt safe enough to close their eyes and rest a while.

Li Geshao quickly cleared a thatched hut, then silently stood outside guarding it like a door deity; no matter how Chu Yang urged him, he remained resolutely steadfast.

Having been influenced since childhood by his master Zheng Dongliu, Li Geshao places great importance on the word "loyalty"; Chu Yang's willingness to lower himself does not mean he can ignore propriety.

Everyone has what they value; Chu Yang doesn't force him, and makes a wooden bed for himself, leaning on it to close his eyes and recuperate.

According to the cultivation world's realms, Chu Yang's practice has reached the second stage, Refining Qi into Spirit; essentially he doesn't need sleep, a brief meditation can restore several days' worth of vitality.

Moreover, Chu Yang doesn't think he can have a peaceful sleep tonight.

In the original plot, Yi Hua Palace's Yao Yue, Lian Xing, and Yan Nantian appear after the Twelve Star Signs, but the timing just missed; Chu Yang altered part of his path, so he might still meet them.

The reason it's not certain is that this world's narrative style is itself abnormal; no one can guarantee how the plot will go berserk.

After all, in the neighboring cultivation world, Li Xiaoyao and Xu Changqing appeared together.

In the dead of night, the abandoned village was still surrounded by a surge of mist; the air suddenly grew humid, as if a heavy rain had fallen.

Drip—drip—drip~~~ in the silent black night, the water droplets sounded sharply, each drop striking like a hammer on a human's heart.

"Young Master, something's coming…"

Li Geshao pushed the door open and entered; his usual carefree grin turned very serious at that moment.

The thing outside is still unclear whether it's a spirit demon or a demon monster; the former is easy to deal with, but if it's the latter, countless lives could be lost.

"Go check on Jiang Feng and the others, be careful."

"Yes!"

Li Geshao had just taken a step forward when Chu Yang stepped out of the house, heading deeper into the mist.

He had already smelled the scent of demon monsters.

On the other side.

Jiang Feng and his wife, along with their guards, for some reason all slept soundly, even the night watch leaned against the door and fell asleep.

This scene was extremely eerie.

Since setting out, the couple had been very cautious, never allowing any negligence; even when resting, someone among them would stay awake, usually Jiang Feng.

Yet now both fell asleep simultaneously; even relying on Chu Yang nearby, they shouldn't be so careless.

The guards also slept heavily; the mist around the house thickened, water stains appeared on walls and ceiling, and their clothes became damp.

Mist seeped through the house's cracks, and vague humanoid silhouettes with outstretched claws approached Jiang Feng and his wife.

"Brother Jiang!"

From outside, Li Geshao's resonant roar echoed, like a tiger's roar tearing the mist; he brandished a torch wildly, its weak flame lighting the interior.

The drifting mist suddenly cleared largely, and the vague figures hidden within vanished.

Boom! Li Geshao kicked the door forcefully, sending the guard outside sprawling like a dog, instantly waking from his stupor.

The dazed guard looked up, saw Li Geshao wielding a torch and an embroidered spring sword; terrified, he shouted incoherently, and soon woke Jiang Feng and the others.

"Li the Hero, what are you doing?" the half‑asleep Jiang Feng stared blankly at Li Geshao.

"Still sleeping? You almost got eaten by demon monsters just now!" Li Geshao cursed bitterly.

"Demon monsters?!" Hearing the word, Jiang Feng's eyes cleared, and he shouted excitedly, "Where are the demon monsters?"

The other guards also sprang up in panic, looking around; Hua Yue Nu clutched the two children with a terrified face.

Jiang Feng walked up to Li Geshao and asked, "Li the Hero, what exactly are these demon monsters?"

"I don't know either; Young Master sent me to check on you, fearing a demon monster ambush," Li Geshao clicked his tongue, "The facts prove your worry was justified."

"Now that you're here, what should Young Master Chu do alone?"

Jiang Feng rushed out the door anxiously, but Li Geshao pulled him back with a hand.

"There's no need to worry about my young master; you should worry about yourselves. You can barely protect yourselves, yet you still think of saving others."

Li Geshao frowned and scolded.

The world's greatest good person should be renamed the world's greatest terrible good person; foolish kindness incurs a huge price.

"Husband, don't panic; Young Master Chu is a Daoist Immortal, whether outside are spirit demons or demon monsters, they won't be his match."

Hua Yue Nu hurriedly stopped Jiang Feng's impulsive action.

Demon monsters and the underworld are entirely different matters; the latter, even with a fight, may have a sliver of hope, while the former, acting recklessly, is just courting death.

Encountering the Twelve Star Signs carries a one‑percent survival chance, but meeting demon monsters offers less than a one‑in‑ten‑thousand chance; only the Divine Marquis Residence, specialized in dealing with demon monsters, and ordinary martial artists face a very high death rate.

The awakened guards, under Li Geshao's arrangement, formed a battle formation, placing Hua Yue Nu and the two children at the center, then left the house in orderly fashion, moving toward Chu Yang's direction.

The air temperature dropped steadily, as if the season had suddenly turned to a bitter winter month.

At the same time, Chu Yang found the source deep within the mist.

Unlike the monster that was neither ox nor snake, which he had encountered previously at Tongfu Inn, the monster before him looked almost human.

Its body was pure white and smooth as jade, like an ice sculpture, but within its transparent body countless human faces flickered faintly, each face seeming to wail in anguish.

The monster had no whites in its eyes; its two eyes were pitch black, staring fixedly at Chu Yang.

Suddenly.

It curled the corner of its mouth, revealing a strange smile. (End of Chapter)