Chapter 264: The Tiger Demon Liu Gang

"You coward, who are you?"

Before Li Yan could speak, the window of the side room shattered with a crash—Sha Li Fei had already raised the Divine Fire Gun and aimed it.

"Lu San" cast a cold, indifferent glance, his voice low and chilling, "That thing is useless to me—it would only kill your comrades…"

"Aim for the yellow jade plaque!"

Li Yan suddenly spoke, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, "Without that object, he dies today!"

"Am I not right, Liu Gang?"

At the mention of the soul-retrieving tally, Li Yan had already guessed the man's identity.

The soul-retrieving tally only works for its bearer, and he had also smelled a faint yin-sha aura within the courtyard—familiar beyond doubt.

It was left behind by the Northern Emperor's Mountain Ascension Technique.

The Ge Baopu Mountain Ascension Technique is widely known among Daoist sects, but it's weaker than the true Northern Emperor's Mountain Ascension Technique.

The key lies in the Luo Feng Scripture.

In Dangyang County, besides him, only Liu Gang—who once served as a living yin clerk—knew this method.

Why had this man suddenly come to him? Li Yan didn't know, but he was certain: this man was a returner, a fugitive of the Nether Bureau.

But the problem lay precisely here.

On this man's person, there was no abnormal aura at all, and the soul-retrieving tally showed no reaction.

This had never happened before.

This man had taken over Lu San's body yet still carried the yellow jade plaque—most likely, this treasure was the cause.

Indeed, upon hearing Li Yan's words, "Lu San" showed both wariness and a flicker of surprise, coldly saying, "You young pup, you know too much. Who revealed my origins to you?"

It really is him!

Li Yan had merely bluffing—never expected the man to confess outright.

According to the Book of Immortals, this man cultivated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty—over a thousand years have passed since then.

Though he couldn't possibly have lived this long, he had at least returned from death three times—he was a true ancient monster.

Li Yan grew even more cautious inwardly, yet his expression remained calm, saying softly, "Nothing stays hidden forever. I have no grudge against you—why have you come…?"

Before he finished speaking, he leapt forward.

His speed was swift—he hadn't even reached "Lu San" when the Soul Snatcher Whip shrieked through the air, lashing out toward the yellow jade plaque.

No matter what this fellow intended, once the yellow jade plaque was taken, he could use the soul-retrieving tally to drag him into the Nether Bureau.

At the very least, he could force him to retreat.

Yet facing Li Yan's surprise attack, "Lu San" showed no alarm—his eyes even held a trace of mockery.

His right hand swiftly formed a seal, and instantly, a chilling wind roared forward; with a mere flick, he seized the Soul Snatcher Whip.

At the same time, his left hand erupted in crackling lightning, slamming straight at Li Yan.

Boom!

Li Yan saw darkness flash before his eyes, his hair standing on end; he staggered back, gritting his teeth: "Yin Thunder Hand?"

That this man knew the Northern Emperor's Yin Thunder Hand didn't surprise him.

What startled him was that he used it without forming a seal.

And the Soul Snatcher Whip—he had seized this intangible thing, completely unaffected.

The Northern Emperor Scripture never mentioned such a technique!

This ancient demon was more terrifying than he'd imagined.

Though ambushed by Li Yan, "Lu San" showed no anger—his face even broke into a smile. "You young pup—you're also of the Luo Feng lineage. Good, good! Heaven aids me!"

He nodded and added, "I came with no ill intent—if I had, none of you would be alive. I merely ask for your help."

"Also, that little Daoist outside—the Divine Qi Manifestation Chen Chen Tianjun—is an old acquaintance of mine. His methods can't touch me."

In the corner of the courtyard, Wang Wang Daoxuan, who had been secretly performing a ritual, froze, his eyes narrowing.

His Western Da Xuan lineage was obscure, its techniques mediocre—this was the first time anyone had directly named his ancestral master.

Inside the room, "Lu San" spoke to Li Yan: "Use firearms to injure this body, and your companion dies."

"Use the soul-retrieving tally to drag me into the Nether Bureau, and I might still escape—but your companion will be trapped inside."

"So behave. Don't try anything clever."

With that, he waved his right hand, releasing the Soul Snatcher Whip, and shook his head. "You haven't yet built your Nether Bureau palace—this Soul Snatcher Whip was inherited from someone else. Your cultivation is a mess, worthless."

"Let's make a deal: help me with one task, and I'll teach you the true way to cultivate the Soul Snatcher Whip."

"And that little Daoist outside—Chen Chen Tianjun once dominated the world. His power wasn't limited to this. I can guide you to his true legacy."

To be honest, the ancient demon's offer was tempting.

Yet Li Yan grew even more wary, his voice low: "What do you want me to do?"

"Lu San" said: "Capture a yin criminal."

Li Yan frowned. "Who?"

"Lu San" narrowed his eyes, thoughtful. "You know little. Come with me—you'll see."

"Don't worry. You only need to capture the target. I'll handle the rest. There's not just one yin criminal—there might even be a recently returned old ghost. Capture them both—the Nether Bureau will reward you."

Li Yan paused, thinking. "Fine. But first, release the man."

"Hahaha."

"Lu San" shook his head. "No. You're two-faced. You already told us not to meddle—and yet you still interfered. If you ruin this, killing you won't help."

"Already?"

Li Yan recalled the incident at Captain Guan Family Village—his heart jolted.

"You're that tiger demon?!"

He had assumed Liu Gang was in the Earth Longsheng Xianku—but never imagined he'd been reborn as a demon this life. Then the target must be the Earth Longsheng Xianku.

What exactly had happened?

Huh~

As he pondered, "Lu San" formed a seal, spun his body, and black mist surged forth, sweeping onto the courtyard wall.

Under the moonlight, he turned his head. "Since you've inherited the Northern Ghost Emperor's legacy, you should know the Jia Ma technique. I'll wait for you ten li south of the city. Don't waste time!"

With that, his body twisted, dissolving into black mist as it howled away.

"Young Master Li."

Sha Li Fei rushed forward, eyes filled with anxiety.

"Don't persuade me—I must go!"

Li Yan knew his thoughts and shook his head outright: "That old devil has lost all humanity. If he moves against us, Lu San's life is forfeit."

"He's cunning and cautious. Don't act rashly. Wait for the Zhenwu Palace experts to arrive, then lead a force to the Earth Longsheng Xianku to support me."

"Don't worry—I'll handle him."

Sha Li Fei quickly unslung the Divine Fire Gun. "The Earth Longsheng Xianku is dangerous—take the gun."

"No."

Li Yan shook his head. "This weapon won't harm him—it'll only be used against us. I'll leave hidden marks along the way."

A cry of an eagle pierced the air—Lu San's eagle soared skyward into the night.

The little fox darted frantically, trying to rush out the door. Shu Da and Shu Er trembled, huddled in the corner.

Li Yan's mind stirred—he spoke sternly: "Watch this little one. Don't let it run off."

With that, he tied Lu San's demon gourd to his waist, then seized the reluctant Shu Da and Shu Er, shoving them into his satchel.

He gathered all his artifacts, strapped the magic boots to his legs, stepped the Nine Palaces, formed seals, and chanted: "Nuo Gao! The Six Jia and Nine Chapters—Heaven is round, Earth is square, the Four Seasons and Five Elements, Sun and Moon as light—Yu's Steps open the path…"

As the Northern Emperor's Divine Traveling Spell took effect, fierce winds erupted, filling the courtyard with dust and sand, blinding the servants who had rushed over. When the wind passed, Li Yan's figure had vanished.

Down the distant street, torches blazed like dragons, voices roaring—troops from the Commandant's Office had arrived, responding to the alarm.

But Li Yan, wrapped in the gale, leapt across rooftops—each step spanning over ten meters—until he stood before the southern city wall.

He pushed off hard, leaping into the air, stepping on bricks for momentum, and with the wind's aid, soared over the wall.

Whoosh!

Before the city guards could react, something flew over their heads—the torches flickered wildly, nearly extinguished.

"D…demon!"

"Sound the drum! Something's happened in the city!"

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The clanging of bells and drums, mingled with firelight, sent the small town into another frenzy.

And Li Yan, wrapped in the gale, vanished into the darkness…

…………

!.

The wind howled past his ears; the scenery blurred backward.

Li Yan unleashed the Northern Emperor's Divine Traveling Spell at full power—he no longer relied solely on the Jia Ma; when his hidden force surged, he also employed the method of borrowing momentum.

Sprinting along the earth's qi veins, his speed surpassed anything before.

Combined with his sense of smell, even the dim night offered no obstacle.

The ten-li distance took less than the time to smoke a pipe.

Before he reached it, his eyes flashed with shock—the thick stench of rot and violent yin aura nearly overwhelmed him.

Arriving at the hilltop, Li Yan came to a sudden stop.

He tore off the qi-boosting talismans from his legs and tossed them aside.

Whoosh!

The talismans burst into flame and turned to ash before even hitting the ground.

This thing is also a single-use artifact.

Whether the Gangsha qi within dissipates or the spell is halted, it instantly destroys itself.

Li Yan didn't even look, his back taut, alert and wary.

Beside the dense forest on the hilltop lay a dozen tigers with bulging eyes and white foreheads, their pelts mottled, large and small, lying or reclining.

Around them stood countless figures, all ragged, disheveled, faces ashen like corpses, eyes blood-red, radiating thick corpse qi.

Li Yan could smell a peculiar, icy, fishy stench.

These were all the chang ghosts controlled by Liu Gang.

At a glance, there were at least three or four hundred.

No wonder tigers are called Mountain Lords—once they attain cultivation, controlling chang ghosts is no different from commanding troops.

What startled Li Yan even more was the cliff's edge.

There stood a colossal tiger, as he had guessed: two meters tall, six meters long, tail not included.

This giant tiger gazed at the distant mountains under the moonlight; even without turning, its oppressive aura made Li Yan's chest feel heavy.

And Lu San lay at its feet, eyes shut, teeth clenched, clearly unconscious.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, understanding at once.

Liu Gang must have sent out his yin spirit to possess Lu San, but his own flesh was his true foundation—he could never abandon it.

"I advise you not to entertain any thoughts…"

A low, icy voice rang out. The tiger slowly turned its head, the yellow jade tablet hanging around its neck, its eyes like lanterns, glowing with crimson light.

As soon as the words ended, yellow fur sprouted on Lu San's face, then quickly retracted.

"Tiger Form Technique!"

Li Yan's eyes flashed with killing intent the moment he saw it.

"Relax."

The tiger spoke in a low voice: "You've seen this technique before—it was my unruly disciple's doing. But for me, this method is no different from Gushu; I can undo it anytime."

"As long as you don't interfere, he won't die."

Gushu?

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and said coldly: "We're past pretenses now. Master, at least explain clearly—so we don't make mistakes when we fight."

"Nothing much."

The tiger growled: "My wife and I once trusted a villain and were betrayed. Now, finally, a turning point has come."

"You're a living yin official, and you know our origins—some things no longer need hiding."

"In our prime, we were illustrious, found renowned masters, had decent talent, and achieved cultivation, once serving beside Ge Ge Xianweng."

"But that path was too hard—we fell just short. With the chaos of the times, we retreated into the mountains to cultivate, secretly plotting our return to the living world."

"Our first return to Yang Jian was during the Sui and Tang dynasties. We re-cultivated, advancing further than in our past lives—but still couldn't break through the barrier."

"Forced to resort to other methods, one misstep led to another, nearly driving us to demonic corruption."

"When we awoke again, it was the Song dynasty. My wife and I were heartbroken, ready to give up. We hid in that earth-immortal cave, cycling through returns to life—unable to ascend to godhood, even a carefree earth-immortal would suffice…"

"Until one day, someone came to visit."

"Who?"

"The Ghost Sect's leader, Zhang Zhang Huaisu."

Li Yan frowned. "You're legendary immortals recorded in history—how could you associate with such scum?"

He had carefully inquired about the Song Ghost Sect.

At the time, the Ghost Sect had leaders across Shenzhou, all recorded in the Yijianzhi.

For example, Ezhou had "Huang Huang Liushi," Minzhou had "Lai Wushi" and "Dabei Wu," Shanzhou had "Tang Faxian."

And this Ghost Sect leader, Zhang Zhang Huaisu, was the most notorious.

He was originally a monk from Shuzhou. In the final years of Elder Yuan Feng, he resided in Chenliu, often wearing flowers in his hair, feigning madness in the county, calling himself "Flower-Adorned Monk."

Because his fortune-telling proved uncannily accurate, many commoners came to worship and follow him. The county magistrate, Bi Zhongyou, enraged by his seduction of the people, beat him with a hundred blows and forced him to return to lay life.

Afterward, he let his hair grow and mingled with scholars, calling himself "The Wandering Outcast."

Zhang Zhang Huaisu initially made a living as a fengshui master, then used various heretical and demonic arts to befriend scholars, officials, and merchants.

Later, his identity as Ghost Sect leader was exposed; his close associates included Cai Cai Bian, An Dun, Lü Huiqing, Deng Xunwu, and Zhang Shangying.

If this had become public, it would have shaken the imperial court.

The chief investigator, Lin Shu, acting on Emperor Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji's orders, burned all secret letters under the pretext of "pacifying unrest."

Even so, hundreds of officials and literati were imprisoned and charged.

This was the famous "Zhang Zhang Huaisu Rebellion Case."

Of course, these were the official claims, meant for public consumption.

Zhang Zhang Huaisu was the Ghost Sect leader—how could he be so easily caught? The demon directly defected to the Jin, stirred up chaos, later joined their southern campaign, and helped cause the infamous Jingkang Humiliation.

Precisely because of this, the Xuanmen lost trust in the Song, eventually supporting the Daxing Dynasty to overthrow the Song, standing in northern-southern opposition to the Jin Khanate.

The tiger growled: "Because he was an old acquaintance—a fellow returner, once of the Zhu family of Jiangzuo, and we had old ties."

Li Yan frowned. "Jiangzuo heretic cultivators?"