Chapter 489: The Return of the Ghost Sect

Blood surged, and corpses floated to the surface of the river.

The members of the Black Fish Gang were utterly terrified.

In the past, only they had been the ones terrorizing beneath the water.

Dragging people underwater, watching them choke and thrash in despair and fear until they drowned, gave these river bandits a strange thrill.

Especially those so-called martial heroes.

Trapped by iron nets and hooks, their skills useless, they struggled desperately, their bodies torn and bloody, dying unwillingly.

These were the very tales they boasted about on the Jianghu.

But now, when it was their turn, they finally understood this terror.

No matter how fast they swam, no matter how skilled they were in water, escape was impossible.

And Li Yan finally understood why Huo Jiao could become the leader of the Water Sect with just the "Dragon-Snake Token," even daring to call himself Dragon King.

With this artifact, combined with Water Dun, it was like adding wings to a tiger.

At this moment, he seemed transformed into a Water Deity—the lives of the Black Fish Gang bandits rested entirely in his will, to give or take as he chose.

If his cultivation were higher still, and he mastered the corresponding techniques, he could rival those demonic beings, stirring up storms in the water and capsizing ships.

Facing these bandits, he had no intention of holding back.

Kill if possible, strike without mercy.

Among the bandits, only the "Black Python" still possessed some skill.

He was no sorcerer, but had inherited a secret martial technique: since childhood, he had coated his entire body in a special ointment, granting him longer breath and greater speed underwater.

The moment he sensed danger, he turned and fled.

He had thought abandoning his men would let him escape, but before he swam far, his lower body exploded in pain—both legs severed at the knees.

Underwater swimming relied entirely on the power of the legs.

With his legs gone, the "Black Python" became a bird with broken wings, losing balance, rolling helplessly, thrashing in the bloodied water.

He could see clearly underwater; one moment his vision blurred, and he glimpsed a pair of cold eyes.

Before he could beg for mercy, his neck burned with pain, and he lost consciousness.

With this, the Black Fish Gang was utterly annihilated.

On the Tuojiang, they had been infamous for their brutality.

But the Jianghu is like this: walk too many night paths, and you'll inevitably meet ghosts.

No matter how powerful you once were, if you provoke someone you shouldn't, not one will survive.

Even no one knew who had killed them.

On the nearby Jianghu trails, wild rumors would soon spread.

Li Yan didn't care, didn't even know the man's name; after severing his head, he shook his body and shot through the water like an arrow, heading straight for the bandits' cargo ships.

On the cargo ships was the middle-aged man in fine robes from earlier.

Seeing the river stained red with blood, he had already sensed something was wrong and hurriedly steered the ship away.

Unfortunately, this man was clearly accustomed to a life of luxury; he may have known how to handle a boat, but he was unskilled.

Flailing about, sweat pouring from his brow.

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere as Li Yan burst from the river, shook his sleeves, and landed steadily on the deck.

Seeing Li Yan's cold gaze, the middle-aged man said nothing, immediately falling to his knees. "Great hero, spare my life! Great hero, spare my life! I'm just a passerby, uninvolved in this matter!"

Li Yan said coolly, "Du family?"

The man stiffened, dared not speak again.

Li Yan's suspicions deepened; he said grimly, "So you know who I am… and you want to live…"

"I want to live! I want to live!"

At Li Yan's words, the man nodded frantically.

Li Yan glanced aside and saw the old steward, Luo An, directing men to remove the iron locks—he wouldn't arrive soon—so he asked directly, "I only want to know: why does your Du family want me dead?"

Upon hearing this, the man hesitated.

Li Yan sneered, "So you don't really want to live."

"I already know your Du family is wealthy and powerful—I'm sure I can find someone who does want to live."

The man's face twisted in distress; he quickly bowed. "Young Master Li, I've never met you before, bear you no grudge, and wish no enmity."

"This matter has nothing to do with me—it was the elder patriarch's direct order. Why he did this, I truly do not know."

"So you're just a fool."

Li Yan scoffed, "You know nothing, yet dared come after me alone? Were you set up?"

At these words, the man's face darkened.

Indeed, much about this mission had seemed odd.

All his guards had been dispatched elsewhere; the one clansman who came with him had been acting suspiciously, doing who-knew-what…

And that boy was from the third branch…

Li Yan didn't realize his words had already sent the man spiraling into wild, growing fears.

Seeing the man's face flicker with uncertainty, Li Yan added more pressure: "Since you know nothing, then remain a fool—but on your way to the Yellow Springs, be sure to ask clearly: who is your true enemy?"

With that, the Broken Dust Blade rose sharply.

"They're in Ziyang!"

The man blurted out, gritting his teeth: "They said the Luo family hired powerful reinforcements—they must keep Wu Yuqing detained. Yibin has other plans; she must not return home."

Wu Yuqing was the lady on the boat.

According to the old steward Luo An, ten years ago, during the great plague in Shu, several elders of the Luo family died.

In recent years, they were targeted and sabotaged; the patriarch, Luo Qinghui, suffered a stroke from rage and lay paralyzed in bed.

In this crisis, this woman, Wu Yuqing, stepped forward, gradually stabilizing the family and winning their trust.

She planned to hand over the patriarch's position once her son came of age.

Now it seemed, another conspiracy against the Luo family was unfolding.

Of course, Li Yan had no interest in these affairs; he pressed the man further for information on the Du family, especially their patriarch.

This man was Du Ping, the eldest legitimate son of the Du family's second branch; though he could not inherit the family business, he was still a key figure, responsible for selling wine across the lands.

Selling wine meant dealing with inns and taverns.

Thus, he had cultivated connections with all manner of underworld figures.

And internal affairs within the Du family were complex.

They were the largest wine merchants in Luzhou, ranked among the top in all of Chuanshu, yet within their high walls, bitter rivalries never ceased.

Li Yan didn't care about any of that.

He cared more that this old patriarch had lived a hundred years, still brimming with vigor, and vanished mysteriously for stretches every year.

He looked like a yin demon.

But according to Du Ping, the old patriarch had never displayed martial or sorcerous skill.

Only living yin officers hunt yin demons.

This old devil must be hiding something huge.

It seemed the other group were the ones who knew…

Thinking of this, Li Yan spoke directly: "Follow me. When we reach Ziyang, point out those people—I'll help you settle the score."

"Yes, thank you, Young Master Li."

Du Ping rose slowly, his face heavy with worry.

He knew Li Yan meant for him to betray the Du family.

No matter the reason, there was no turning back.

What if he failed…

As he brooded, the old Luo steward, Luo An, had already brought the pleasure barge near.

"Du Ping—it's you!" Seeing Li Yan bring the man aboard, the old steward's face flushed with fury, his eyes brimming with killing intent.

"Spare him for now."

Li Yan said grimly, "Whether your Luo family escapes this disaster depends entirely on whether he cooperates."

Hearing this, Du Ping's face grew even more pained.

The old steward understood Li Yan's meaning, said nothing more, and bowed respectfully: "Young Master Li, the lady has awakened and wishes to see you."

"Hmm."

Li Yan nodded and followed the old steward into the cabin.

But as he stepped across the cabin threshold, his heart stirred—he suddenly turned, gazing at the towering mountains on either side.

"Young Master Li, what did you notice?"

"Someone was watching just now. Stay alert…"

Li Yan did not look up, merely whispered a warning, then strode into the cabin…

!.

…………

"He's gone."

Behind the distant hill, the seductive woman spoke in a low voice.

The woman appeared to be over thirty, yet her figure remained graceful, dressed simply, her face strikingly beautiful.

This deliberate contrast made her even more captivating.

Her name was Jin Cuilian—ordinary in name, but far from ordinary in status.

The Yanmen of the Jianghu was also a diverse group.

There were the Golden Swallows, who operated on the front lines, trading intelligence; though they lived in brothels, their influence was substantial, accepted by both legal and illegal circles.

There were the Colorful Swallows, who used seduction to deceive, mostly working alone, sometimes as mother-daughter pairs.

The most notorious were the "Demon Black" and the "Wind-Fire Black."

The "Demon Black" were mostly young women who kidnapped children aged four or five, made them lost and crying, then pretended to be the child's mother to approach homes and carry out scams or scout for thieves.

The second method involved beautiful, refined women infiltrating wealthy households to stay overnight, then conspiring from within to steal or swindle money.

The "Wind-Fire Black" used the same tactics, but with a harder exit—later joining thieves to murder and plunder.

Jin Cuilian was the notorious leader of the Demon Black in Chengdu Prefecture, with a band of women gathering wealth for her.

She had come to the Wang Fu for refuge after drawing the ire of powerful enemies.

She formed a hand seal, her pupils turning black; the scene below seemed right before her eyes, even allowing her to read lips and understand speech.

Li Yan had turned his back to enter the cabin, so she saw nothing.

An old Daoist beside her shook his head: "This boy is no easy target. His Water Escape technique is profound—he's still on the river; if we move, he'll vanish into the water and we won't catch him."

"And that Gangling is even more troublesome…"

The old Daoist was Qin Wanpei, the Dharma Master of Putan Temple in Shu, a cautious man who only wanted to follow along and fulfill his duty.

"Gentlemen!"

A cold snort suddenly cut him off.

It was the commander of the fire-arm corps' elite guards.

His face was grim as he addressed them: "You eat the Prince's salary, so you bear his burdens. The Prince demands you retrieve the item and kill this boy—this task must be completed!"

Jin Cuilian and Qin Wanpei both turned pale at the words.

Both had many disciples and were accustomed to commanding obedience—they were no gentle souls.

If the Prince himself had rebuked them, that would be acceptable.

But a mere elite guard commander—where did he get the authority?

The "Ghost Flower Face" beside them, however, quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Master Qin is merely worried about mission failure—we'd all be unable to answer to the Prince. Let's not quarrel."

He turned to Qin Wanpei: "Master, you are the Dharma Master of Putan Temple in Shu—why not set up an altar and summon heavenly thunder to strike and kill Li Yan tonight?"

Qin Wanpei laughed bitterly: "You're no novice—how can you say such a thing?"

Putan Dharma had two branches: the Buddhist Putan Dharma and the Daoist Putan Dharma.

Both had independent systems; now fused together and mixed with Shu's shamanic arts, Putan sects included both monks and Daoists.

The Daoist Putan branch was most famed for its Thunder Art and Spell Art.

Qin Wanpei was angry because Thunder Art was extremely demanding.

It required formal petitions to heaven, and only worked when heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony aligned.

Even if Qin Wanpei were willing to burn his ancestral talisman, he couldn't summon disciples from Suining on the spot.

The "Ghost Flower Face" shook his head: "Then, Master, could you use Spell Art to hold him? If you delay him, my fire-arm corps can strike—he'll have no chance to escape."

He turned to the fire-arm commander: "Sir, this is a remote waterway—no one will see. Surely you won't refuse?"

His words were a cunning trap.

He first raised Thunder Art, knowing Qin Wanpei would refuse, then proposed Spell Art—leaving no excuse for him to stay in the rear.

He used the same tactic on the fire-arm commander.

At Wufengxi Ancient Town, they hadn't fired. If they refused now, they'd have no justification.

Qin Wanpei was an old hand—he instantly realized he'd been tricked, cursed inwardly, then said: "That boy hides behind the 'Ruyi Treasure Pearl'—we must obtain a personal item to cast the spell."

The fire-arm commander replied coldly: "If you can hold him, I'll give the order to fire."

"Good!"

The "Ghost Flower Face" nodded: "I'll take care of getting the boy's fingernails and hair—you two handle the rest."

Qin Wanpei sighed: "Let's see if we can get them first."

The fire-arm commander nodded silently in agreement.

"Good!"

The "Ghost Flower Face" stared at the pleasure boat on the river, his eyes brimming with killing intent: "I know of an abandoned village ahead—we'll set the ambush there!"

…………

"My lady."

Li Yan raised his hand slightly.

Inside the cabin, a white-clad woman had risen from her bed, her face deathly pale, needing her maid's help even to drink medicine.

She was Wu Yuqing, the current head of the Luo family.

White bandages wrapped her head, faint streaks of blood seeping through.

Li Yan smiled inwardly—he understood the reason.

The pleasure boat must have jolted to a stop earlier, causing her to fall and strike her head, which had also restored her consciousness.

"Thank you, Young Master Li."

Though she looked pitiful, Wu Yuqing's tone remained dignified: "I've burdened you with this task out of desperation—please forgive me."

"It's only right."

Li Yan bowed slightly, voicing his doubt: "I've never met you before—why are you so certain I'd help?"

Wu Yuqing hesitated, then waved for everyone to leave, before speaking: "To be honest, since you appeared in Ezhou, I've been watching you."

Li Yan's heart tightened: "Why?"

He didn't believe this woman was simply taken with him.

Wu Yuqing didn't hide it—her face grew grave: "To be honest, I was born into the Bloodline Jade Emperor Sect; my master was a Living Yin Officer."

"Oh?"

Li Yan's interest stirred: "It's rare for a sect member to become a Living Yin Officer—where is that elder now?"

"My master is dead."

Wu Yuqing's eyes flickered with sorrow: "His final message before he passed was that he had discovered a Ghost Sect demon."

"I suspect it was the head of the Du clan…"

(End of Chapter)