Chapter 375

The garrison's warships arrived at a most inopportune time.

The Elder of East Lake has been roused; though he hasn't left his cave, he still wields the power to stir hidden currents, and with that terrifying Gushu, he is the perfect counter to the fleet.

"Fall back!"

Yet after shouting just once, Li Yan immediately abandoned the idea.

The distance was too great—even if he screamed until his throat tore, they couldn't hear him, and Lu San's falcon was wounded and too slow to warn them.

Without hesitation, Li Yan pulled out the Jia Ma, swiftly tied them to his legs, and chanted the incantation: "Nuo Gao! The Six Jia and Nine Chapters, Heaven round, Earth square. The Four Seasons and Five Elements, Sun and Moon as light, Yu's steps open the path…"

No sooner had the incantation left his lips than his body shot upward, leaping into the river.

With his current cultivation, aided by the Jia Ma and the method of borrowing momentum from divine speed, he could now walk upon water.

Each time he leapt ten or more meters, he slammed his foot hard against the surface, exploding into a great splash of water, using that force to launch himself forward again.

From afar, he seemed to skip across the river like a stone.

The garrison's naval force consisted of three Jiujiang-style patrol boats, large and imposing, alongside a dozen Cangshan boats and zouge vessels patrolling outside.

Seeing Li Yan walking on the waves, the soldiers on board were startled.

"Someone's coming! Alert!"

At the command, men immediately nocked arrows and leveled spears.

"Don't fire!"

On the warship's deck, Captain Zhou raised his long telescope, recognized Li Yan, and swiftly ordered them to stand down.

Before he finished speaking, a lookout on the bow shouted: "Sir! Something's moving beneath the water ahead!"

Captain Zhou hurried forward, gripping the rail and peering down.

A white mist surged through the water, stark against the pale blue river, even bending mid-flow.

It was alive!

Captain Zhou instantly realized something was wrong and ordered the fleet to halt.

But it was too late.

The lead zouge boat, entering the mist's range, was quickly coated in white.

Now everyone could see clearly.

It wasn't mist at all—it was a dense swarm of white threadworms, writhing up the deck, surrounding the sailors.

"Fire! Use fire!"

The soldiers were terrified, their skin crawling.

Fortunately, accustomed to life on the water and familiar with strange phenomena, they didn't panic—they immediately lit torches and swung them wildly.

It was experience: most yin and evil things—even beasts—naturally feared fire.

Indeed, as the torches swung, the white worms retreated—but they slipped through every gap, surging back like a tide.

The Elder of East Lake's dreadful worms had an innate hunger for living flesh, desperate to burrow inside and breed.

At that moment, wind whistled through the air, accompanied by a low chant: "Nuo Gao, left bearing Three Stars, right bearing Three Bonds…"

It was Li Yan—he had arrived, and as he leapt into the air, he unleashed the "Northern Emperor's Protective Charm."

"Roar!"

The soldiers felt a sudden gale sweep around them, accompanied by the roar of a tiger.

In an instant, the white worm swarm collapsed.

Though terrifying, these creatures had weak souls; before the Northern Emperor's charm, they were like candles in the wind—extinguished instantly.

The worms on the boat froze motionless, but more surged beneath the water, like white mist, continuing to climb aboard.

"Get out!"

No time for words—Li Yan seized a soldier, unleashed hidden force through his arms, and hurled him far away.

The other soldiers weren't fools—they didn't resist.

Nor did they have a chance to struggle: Li Yan spun, his hands like steel talons, using the momentum and hidden force to fling them one by one.

The zouge boats were fast, used for reconnaissance, and carried only five or six men at most—in the space of a breath, Li Yan had thrown them all clear.

The nearest ship was dozens of meters away; his throw covered most of the distance. The soldiers splashed into the water, then swam quickly, rescued by men on another vessel.

The zouge boat was now empty—except for Li Yan.

He felt no fear; simply by the sway of the Three Talismans of Demon Subjugation on his Duan Chen blade, he kept the worms at bay.

Ding ding ding!

The Three Talismans trembled, their sound carrying into the water.

Far away, from the massive cave mouth, the Elder of East Lake seemed to sense something—his eyes darkened with blood, his thick legs pushed forward with force.

The iron pillars carved into his body were, behind him, all connected by chains, anchored to the surrounding cave walls.

That was why he stayed at the cave's mouth.

Not out of obedience—but because he couldn't leave.

Splash splash splash!

Massive chains stirred dark currents in the water; the Elder's enormous bulk was yanked sideways, stumbling.

The stone walls shuddered, rocks tumbling down.

Even the distant cliffs jutting above the water rained down pebbles, clattering into the river.

The garrison men naturally saw this.

Captain Zhou's eyelid twitched—he sensed danger, and immediately ordered his flag bearers to signal: the entire fleet slowly retreated.

Meanwhile, the Elder of East Lake thrashed like a mad thing, blood oozing from the iron pillars embedded in his body.

Boom boom boom!

Deep within the cave, faint drumbeats echoed.

The thrashing Elder let out a piercing shriek, then retracted into the cave, motionless.

He opened his massive mouth—and the white worms, once raging through the water, vanished like smoke, sucked back into his belly. His eyes filled with bitter malice as he sank into the depths.

This commotion drew attention from many.

Captain Zhou stared at the cliffs, disbelief in his eyes.

Li Yan, however, gazed at the tassel of the Demon Subjugation Talismans, lost in thought.

Just now, when he used this treasure, the Elder of East Lake reacted strongly—was he drawn to it?

But there was no time to ponder further: seeing a boat approaching to retrieve him, Li Yan leapt aboard and then boarded the central warship.

"Greetings, Li Li Shaoxia."

Captain Zhou greeted him warmly, stepping forward immediately.

In his eyes, Li Yan was his good omen.

First, he'd found the Ghost Buddha Temple outside Xiangyang, uncovered the villages bewitched, and quelled the threat early—earning great merit.

Then, Li Yan and his companions discovered Lord Lu on Lumen Mountain, implicating even the Regional Military Commissioner, who was now imprisoned.

He was already a Captain, a fifth-rank military officer; with this new achievement, he might be promoted to Deputy Commander.

"Thank you, Captain Zhou, for your support."

Li Yan didn't waste words: "A sect of Ghost Cult heretics hides in the mountains—their entrance lies underwater, guarded by an ancient demon."

"That demon calls himself the Elder of East Lake—an aberrant toad that became a demon, enormous in size, skilled in Gushu …"

After hearing him, Captain Zhou was startled, shaking his head: "Such a massive creature won't be easy to handle. I brought new cannons, but they can't strike underwater."

"Indeed a problem."

Li Yan also felt a headache: "This demon stirs storms and waves—if he attacks from below, he can capsize our ships. The fleet must keep its distance."

"To deal with this demon, we'll need the Five Dragon Palace's aid—set up a demon-capturing altar. Captain Zhou, send word immediately and ask them to come assist."

"This… I'm afraid it won't work."

Captain Zhou sighed: "Before I left, I received word—the Five Dragon Palace's Yu Yu Longzi Daoist, after purging the plague's source, immediately led his elite disciples to investigate Nanzhang County."

He glanced around, lowering his voice: "The atmosphere in Xiangyang is uneasy—Yunyang Prefecture has sent officials to interrogate the corrupt officers. In my view, we'll likely need to launch troops from Xiangyang."

"Hmm."

Li Yan had no interest in court politics. Realizing the Five Dragon Palace had left, he grew uneasy and quickly asked: "What's the situation at the Ghost Buddha Temple?"

Captain Zhou replied: "I've stationed elite troops and a Daoist from the City God Temple, both watching secretly from concealment. No one has taken the bait these past two days."

The Ghost Buddha Temple also harbors a terrifying presence.

I say "presence" because it's unusual: originally a nanmu spirit, it accidentally cultivated Pure Land Buddhist teachings, fusing with the temple ruins, becoming a troublesome entity.

Fortunately, it has clear awareness of its path—it has been turned.

Now the Ghost Buddha Temple is a trap: if any Ghost Cult heretic arrives holding a soul tablet, they'll be captured.

Judging by appearances, the Ghost Cult has suffered heavy losses and can't spare attention for it now.

Li Yan pondered, then spoke: "That ancient demon is hard to confront, and the Tu Shi has been captured. We must lure him to the surface."

"Captain Zhou, lead your forces back first. When we devise a plan, I'll inform you of the deployment."

!.

Captain Zhou nodded: "Agreed. We're not skilled against demons—Li Li Shaoxia, be careful."

After final instructions, Captain Zhou dispatched a small boat to return Li Yan to the shore near Xianshan.

…………

"What happened?"

Sha Li Fei waited on shore; as Li Yan stepped off the boat, he hurried to ask.

"Those demons are underwater..."

Li Yan walked as he spoke, explained the situation, then asked: "How is Lu San doing?"

Sha Sha Li Fei sighed helplessly. "Not a major issue, but the falcons need at least half a month to recover—future reconnaissance and messaging will be troublesome."

Li Yan shook his head. "First, borrow two from the Commandant's Office to get by."

As they spoke, they had already returned to the forest.

Hearing that the Old Ancestor of East Lake was underwater, Wang Wang Daoxuan also felt a headache. "These ancient demons are hard to deal with—especially underwater, where firearms are useless."

"Moreover, the City God Temple's spirit troops are destroyed. Even if the Five Dragon Palace sets up an exorcism altar, we'll need to summon reinforcements from elsewhere—minimum three to five days. The crocodile master won't hold out that long."

Lu San's spirit beast was injured, and his mood remained foul. He coldly said: "I have a method: control fish to swallow fire caltrops and swallow them into the Old Ancestor of East Lake's mouth, then detonate."

"But this method carries a cost—deceiving living beings to their deaths damages the spirit, requiring time to re-cultivate."

"That cost is too great!"

Li Yan directly shook his head to reject it, then paused in thought. "I'll climb down from the cliff, get close to the water's surface, then summon the Yin Bureau troops—see if we can deal with this old demon."

It was the only method he could think of.

The cave entrance below was only twenty or so meters from the water's surface—shouldn't be a problem for Yin Bureau troops.

He acted on the thought immediately. The group hurried to the cliff's edge.

Sha Sha Li Fei and Lu San took positions on the opposite side, holding firearms for support. Li Yan climbed the slope, stepping on protruding rocks along the cliff, swiftly moving toward the water near the cave entrance.

Approaching by boat would have been easier.

But that would surely alert the Old Ancestor of East Lake below. They had to climb—launch a surprise attack.

It was already past noon. Li Yan moved swiftly, scaling the cliff like a nimble monkey, soon reaching the water's edge.

One hand gripped the cliff's rocks, the other pulled out the Soul Warrant. He immediately formed the hand seal and chanted in a low tone: "Qing Jia! Above, black sky; below, black earth; the black sky holds no light..."

As the incantation echoed, sudden dark winds howled, dust swirled, and light began to dim.

At that moment, the water surged violently.

Li Yan's inner warning flared—he immediately halted his spell, braced his arms, and leapt upward.

BOOM!

The water exploded as a massive black shadow burst forth.

The rock wall where Li Yan had stood was struck—shards flew everywhere. It was a massive, jet-black tongue.

After dodging the attack, Li Yan scrambled upward dozens of meters, then turned to look—and his scalp prickled.

There, the Old Ancestor of East Lake had surfaced—its colossal body like a cargo ship, its head writhing with countless tentacles.

Standing atop its head was a woman, clad in an embroidered blue robe, her neck adorned with countless ornaments, drenched and revealing a seductive silhouette.

Her face was stunningly beautiful. She covered her mouth and laughed at Li Yan: "Oh? Little Brother Li? I've heard so much about you. The Ghost Sect folks despise you to the bone."

On the distant shore, Lu San and Sha Sha Li Fei raised their firearms simultaneously.

But the woman paid no heed, sneering: "I advise you not to move. That crocodile demon is still in our hands—if you act rashly, we'll kill it instantly!"

Li Yan waved his hand, signaling Sha Sha Li Fei and the others to hold. Then he coldly said: "Speak. What's your demand?"

He had gathered intelligence—knew this woman was Princess Tan Tan Yuner of the Tang Ya Tusi stronghold, a master of poison charms, infamous across the Daoist underworld.

"Demand? Hahaha..."

Tan Tan Yuner covered her mouth with a seductive laugh, yet her eyes were icy. "Do you think you're worthy to bargain with this princess?"

"I came only to warn you: don't cause trouble. Otherwise, we'll kill the crocodile demon right now. When we're done with our business, we'll settle accounts with you!"

With that, she stomped hard. "Fool! Back in!"

The Old Ancestor of East Lake's eyes blazed crimson, yet dared not resist. He dove back into the water with the woman.

THUD!

Soon, the water churned with waves and mud.

Li Yan felt a bad omen. He leapt back into the water, peering downward.

Sure enough—the demons had blown up the cave entrance. It was now completely sealed by rubble and mud.

"Damn it, so cunning!"

Li Yan muttered under his breath.

On the river far away, the imperial warships had arrived upon seeing the Old Ancestor of East Lake. One cannon shot could have shattered him—but this witch had destroyed the entrance.

Back on shore, Sha Sha Li Fei and the others were stunned upon hearing the news.

Wang Wang Daoxuan looked around at the surrounding mountains, thoughtful. "These demons destroyed their own entrance—there must be other exits in the mountains. But the beasts here won't answer summoning. Hard to find."

"Enough."

Li Yan said firmly: "Guard me, all of you. There's no choice now—I must try."

With that, he led them to a flat patch of ground, laid out a yellow cloth, incense burner, and sacred candles, setting up a simple altar.

Li Yan lit the candles, spat a mist of holy water, activated the altar, then stepped the Gangbu, left hand forming the Jade Pure Seal—electricity crackled at his fingertips.

As if holding a thunder talisman, commanding spirits and gods.

Simultaneously, his right hand gripped a cinnabar brush, swiftly writing a talisman on yellow paper, chanting: "Sima Qian Yu repels poison, Zhen Shi calls the spirits. The Eight Immortals hold axes, the Heavenly Sovereign's spirit... I bear the Thunder Seal, command ten thousand spirits—Hasten, as the decree commands!"

This technique was the "Northern Emperor's Divine Command"—a thunder art, wielding the power of thunder and the Northern Yin Fengdu to command spirits.

As the incantation ended, the talisman was complete.

"Chi!"

Li Yan pressed his thunder seal forward—the yellow talisman soared into the air, spun, and burned. Blue smoke and ash drifted in all directions.

Li Yan then sat cross-legged, closing his eyes.

It felt just like when he used the Spirit-Communicating Art—the same place, yet Wang Wang Daoxuan, Lu San, and the others had vanished. Around him, mist swirled like a dream.

Splash!

Suddenly, Li Yan heard water sounds by the river. Two graceful, dreamlike figures glided slowly across the water.

Li Yan looked—and his head throbbed.

Damn! He'd hit a hard one.

The Goddess of the Han River!

(End of Chapter)