Chapter 263: Night Deepens, Demonic Mist Thickens

"Damn!"

The old man from the District Office crouched down, measured the ground with his hands, inspected the broken branches nearby, and trembled as he said: "This Mountain Lord is enormous—at least two meters tall!"

Everyone sucked in a breath.

Yang Yang Chengzi of Zhenwu Palace looked grim, "This tiger demon is likely a rare breed—three or four hundred villagers have all become Meng Changgui …"

"Brother Li, we can't handle this thing!"

Li Yan stared at the chaotic footprints leading deep into the forest and nodded grimly: "Find the village altar, destroy it, and leave."

Saying this, he immediately turned back and led the group straight toward the village shrine.

Unlike other places, this old shrine was built of brick, stone, and timber—now also burned to ruin, beams collapsed, leaving only scattered charred wood smoldering with blue smoke.

For the group, this was no obstacle.

The District Office men swung iron hooks, pulling apart the blackened beams, revealing a hidden door beneath.

The hidden door was wooden, equally charred and blackened.

Li Yan kicked it apart with one foot, chanted a spell, sniffed the air, and his eyes instantly flared with murderous intent as he stepped inside.

The others exchanged glances and followed closely behind.

As soon as they entered the tunnel, the stench of decay and rot hit them.

This underground passage was clearly ancient; the earthen walls were covered in mold and moss, and on both sides were neatly arranged, interconnected earthen hollows.

Zheng Zheng Bahu glanced around and said gravely: "These are ancient troop hiding caves—this place was once a military fortress."

Following the tunnel forward, they soon reached a circular cavern, the air thick with the reek of blood.

Lighting torches, everyone paled.

In the center of the cavern stood a statue clad in a general's robe, wearing a towering crown, with prominent brow ridges, deep-set features, and a long beard hanging to the chest—its appearance suggested foreign ancestry.

Li Yan recognized the statue—it was Tian Sheng Gong.

Before it stood an altar.

On the altar, fifteen human heads were arranged in order; beside them lay an old man with disheveled hair, eyes wide with terror.

Strangely, his chest and abdomen had been cleanly sliced open, as if some force had exploded within him, spraying his internal organs onto the ground.

Wang Wang Daoxuan glanced at the altar and saw a small black statue placed upon it—headless, but covered entirely in infant heads.

It must be Ling Zheng Shen.

Beside the statue lay small green paper robes, paper armor, paper horses, and paper guandao blades—if dressed upon the statue, they would form the exact appearance of a headless knight!

"This is the work of a paper-burning artisan!"

Wang Wang Daoxuan shook his head: "In my travels, I once studied this craft with an old man—he was mediocre in cultivation, but an adherent of the Da Xuan Gate; his paper figures could capture yin spirits."

"He told me that advanced paper-burning arts could rival grand illusions—transforming into immortals and Buddhas, palaces and temples, lifelike and dreamlike."

"So the culprit must be this person."

Li Yan stared at the clean, surgical wound on the man's torso, his eyes filled with wariness, and turned to ask: "Have any of you seen this kind of technique before?"

"It's the Straw Man Curse."

The Zhushan Sect disciple's eyes widened in disbelief: "Straw Man curses are used to harm souls, cause illness, or even plant curses—nothing more."

"I've never heard of one that can rip open the abdomen like this."

Li Yan thought for a moment: "It seems this tiger demon's magic is beyond us—let's avoid provoking it until Zhenwu Palace's experts arrive."

The tiger demon's power exceeds my expectations, and with so many corpses missing, it likely commands a legion of Meng Changgui.

Even our numbers won't help.

To avoid trouble, we should leave now.

After all, we've already destroyed the Zi Gai Mountain cave and the headless knight's setup—the Tian Sheng Sect's plot is unlikely to succeed.

The others weren't fools; seeing this terrifying curse, even the disciples of Zhenwu Palace and Zhushan Sect agreed to withdraw.

Without hesitation, they smashed the cavern's statues and set them ablaze, then left Sanshan Ao village.

Along the way, everyone remained on high alert; Lu San released his hawk and falcon, which circled constantly overhead, watching all directions.

Perhaps because it was daytime, they encountered no resistance until they left the forest, reaching the official road safely.

Moments after they departed, mist began to rise from the forest.

It grew thicker, swallowing the entire hilltop.

From within the fog, shadowy figures emerged.

All dressed as villagers—tattered clothes, drenched in blood.

These were clearly no longer living; they wandered in small groups across the forest, hunched backs, heads bowed, hair wild—more like solitary ghosts drifting in the mist.

"Roar!"

A muffled growl echoed.

In the fog, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared, as large as lanterns.

Then, a massive tiger slowly crawled from the mist—its pelt mottled, forehead bulging, white sclera, eyes blazing crimson, radiating icy malice.

Strangely, around its neck hung a talisman suspended by iron chains—shaped like a court tablet, made of yellow jade, threaded with golden filaments as if naturally formed gold-inlaid jade.

Moreover, the golden threads faintly formed cloud-and-thunder patterns.

Its eyes flickered with bloodlight, as if piercing through fog and forest to see Li Yan and the others retreating down the road below.

Beside it, a figure stumbled forward—a middle-aged Daoist, his crotch reeking of urine, kneeling on the ground and pounding his head, trembling as he begged: "G-Great King, spare me!"

Only when Li Yan's group vanished completely did the tiger demon slowly turn its head, speaking in human voice: "That traitorous disciple… couldn't wait, could he?"

The Daoist trembled violently, bowing his head repeatedly: "Tongtian San Niang—no, that witch was originally Master of Tian Sheng Gong; she took you as her master only to steal your Earth Immortal body!"

"That witch has already opened the secret cave—these past days she's been preparing rites to resurrect her master, Huang Liushi!"

"If you spare my life, I'll guide you…"

"Roar!"

Before he finished, the great tiger erupted in fury, snapping its jaws and biting off his head in one motion.

Thud—the headless corpse spurted blood and collapsed.

The tiger's fangs gnashed the skull with a crunch, its eyes blazing with fury as it growled: "That's my cave—do you think you need to guide me?"

Then it gazed into the distance, eyes filled with hatred.

"A living yin official… Heaven helps me!"

…………

"That's how it happened."

Li Yan and the others returned to the city and recounted the events.

County Magistrate Zhang sighed in relief but remained uneasy, bowing and pleading: "You've solved the Headless Knight case—every soul in Dangyang County is eternally grateful."

"But those demons still linger…"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei, overhearing, shook his head directly: "Your Excellency, it's not that we refuse to act—we simply lack the strength."

"Those ancient demons are beyond our reach. Zhenwu Palace has already sent experts; let them handle what comes next."

Li Yan nodded in agreement, offering no objection.

He had originally thought that with the troops from Zi Gai Mountain and his own yin soldiers, he could crush any demon or ghost.

But Dangyang County likely hides an Earth Immortal, a tiger demon of unfathomable power, and Liu Gang himself.

He was a living yin official from the Eastern Jin era, who cultivated the Bei Di Jing—he surely understands yin soldiers better than I do.

He might even have ways to evade them.

The risk is too great.

We've already exceeded our mission's scope at the City God Temple; the rest should be left to Zhenwu Palace. "But…"

County Magistrate Zhang still pleaded: "Could you please stay a few more days until Zhenwu Palace's reinforcements arrive?"

Li Yan thought for a moment and nodded: "Very well."

County Magistrate Zhang beamed, immediately ordering a banquet to honor them, and invited Zhou Zhou Peide as guest.

After days of travel and a sleepless night, everyone was utterly exhausted; after eating and drinking, they returned to the Captain Guan family courtyard to rest.

As for Zheng Zheng Bahu, he and the District Office troops continued working.

Interrogating prisoners, hunting Tian Sheng Sect spies in the city, writing reports to Unlike Yichang—their duties were far from over.

…………

Unnoticed, dusk fell.

Li Yan and the others awoke—the sky had darkened.

!.

They asked the courtyard servants to prepare a simple dinner, ate while chatting, and discussed their next steps.

"Cowards."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei took a sip of wine and cursed: "I never heard of so many strange things before—why has the number of demons and ghosts increased with every step we take?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan sighed: "Human society's transformation is like this—the flow of worldly fortune shifts, powers clash, and the air reeks of bloodshed."

"Even orthodox Da Xuan Gate sects can't remain aloof—they must join the fray, and hidden demons everywhere seize the chaos to seek their own opportunities."

"All these troubles stem from the previous dynasty's lingering problems; if we survive this, Shenzhou may enjoy peace for decades."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei shook his head: "Let the tall ones take the hits—we just need to keep our own skins intact."

Seeing the mood grow heavy, he shifted topics with a glance: "Brother Li, when do we head to the Western Zhou Ancient Mine?"

Li Yan smiled: "Once Zhenwu Palace takes over, we leave immediately. Near Wuchang Prefecture is far from the war—it should be much safer."

"Indeed."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei also said cheerfully: "The Commandant's men are always following us—I dare not use my Divine Fire Gun. This time, I'll find a skilled craftsman to conceal it, so I won't fear being recognized in the future."

Li Yan nodded. "After this, we'll detour to Xiangyang. There are many ancient battlefields and numerous tombs there—I need to cultivate."

Wang Wang Daoxuan's eyes lit up. "Brother Li is about to break through?"

"Mm."

Li Yan, in good spirits, nodded. "Though traveling the Some Jianghu is dangerous, the insights are plentiful. By the time summer ends, I'll build a pavilion on Mount Mount Wudang."

"I'm nearly there too."

Wang Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled. "Then we'll build the pavilion together—and train on Mount Mount Wudang for a while. With a three-story pavilion, we'll be able to use many techniques."

Lu San muttered, "Me too."

"Good, good, good!"

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei's face lit up with joy. "If all your cultivation levels rise, what's to fear from these demons?"

Then his expression darkened, and he grumbled, "The Zhenwu Palace folks are stingy. We risked our lives, yet the silver reward is meager—I wonder if it'll even be enough."

"Don't worry."

Li Yan shook his head with a smile. "Haven't you noticed? Though the spirit materials and magical artifacts are rare, their prices are clearly inflated?"

"This is standard practice among orthodox Daoist sects. Later, we'll find a way to make them pay with spirit materials—then we won't be exploited."

"Building good relations with Zhenwu Palace is for this very reason…"

After some casual chat, everyone returned to their rooms.

They had just slept during the day and had no sense of sleepiness.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei lit a candle and examined the "Thunder and Fire Scripture" by its flame, scribbling and drawing, occasionally chuckling foolishly…

As for Li Yan and Wang Wang Daoxuan, they entered meditative stillness to cultivate.

Only Lu San stayed in his room, sometimes feeding the demonic gourd, sometimes watching the little fox chase Rat One and Rat Two, his face full of smiles.

His cultivation method was unusual—he needed to be among mountains and forests, using various spirit beasts to perceive the subtleties of Heaven and Earth.

The village guardian who had once transmitted the teachings, though mostly mad and erratic, sometimes became lucid.

Lu San followed his instructions: he worked for the Canal Guild to earn silver, then traveled to Mount Zhongnan to build his first pavilion.

Unfortunately, his technique was incomplete, so his progress was slow. Only after controlling the Rat Immortal to patrol the city that night did he gain insight—and his cultivation level rose slightly.

A while later, night grew deep.

Lu San yawned, lay on the bed, and the little fox immediately scrambled into his arms and curled up.

As for Rat One and Rat Two, they were terrified of the little fox and climbed onto the table, eating the pastries Lu San had bought them.

These two little creatures had only one flaw: they were gluttons. At first, following Lu San had annoyed them, but after eating several days' worth of snacks from the town below, they were utterly content and had forgotten all else…

…

On the old town's streets, darkness and silence reigned.

"Dang! Dang-dang! Watch for fire, guard against thieves!"

The hunchbacked night watchman walked past, striking his gong.

Hss~

Behind him, a cold wind suddenly howled.

A wisp of black smoke slithered swiftly along the wall.

The hunchbacked watchman sensed something, turned his head to look.

At that moment, the black smoke lunged onto him.

The watchman stiffened; black lines appeared across his eyeballs, and his gaze turned icy.

He looked around, walked to a dark corner, picked up a yellow jade gold-thread plaque from the ground, hung it around his neck, then headed toward the Captain Guan family residence.

His speed was swift—his footsteps made not a single sound.

As he neared the residence, he suddenly formed a hand seal and muttered: "Nuogao, open the path for the descendant Wang Jia, the Six Jia Azure Dragon…"

It was the Northern Emperor's Mountain Ascension Technique!

Hss~

His chest plaque trembled slightly; mist rose around him, blurring his form, making him faintly visible.

His mastery of the Mountain Ascension Technique had reached the level of a teleportation art.

His figure flickered through the mist, arriving before the small courtyard—and floated effortlessly over the wall.

In the mist, his eyes glowed red.

First he glanced at Wang Wang Daoxuan and Sha Hearing Sha Lifei's rooms, shook his head slightly, then turned to Lu San's room—his eyes showed a hint of satisfaction.

Without a sound, he arrived before the door.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, he released his seal and burst through the door.

Lu San and the little fox were instantly startled awake.

Zzzz!

The demonic gourd trembled; venomous bees surged out in a whirring storm.

Yet no matter how the bees swarmed over him, the watchman paid no heed—he seized Lu San and suddenly opened his mouth.

Hss!

Black smoke roared forth and plunged into Lu San's mouth.

Crack!

Li Yan also burst through the door, drawing his Broken Dust Blade with a clang, and leapt into Lu San's room with two powerful strides.

Inside the room, it was icy cold.

Rat One and Rat Two trembled; the little fox bared its teeth, darting frantically about. The floor was covered in venomous bees—but none could fly.

And "Lu San" stood with his back to Li Yan, calmly hanging the yellow jade talisman around his neck, then slowly turned—his pupils glowed with blood-red light.

"You're a Living Yin Officer. Did you bring the Soul-Stealing Warrant?"

(End of Chapter)