Chapter 506: The Fall of the Du Family, Nighttime Flight

"The Ancestor has passed away!"

Shouts echoed continuously.

There was sorrow, but mostly fear.

Outside the gate, Zhao Xianda and the Lushan Sect elder exchanged glances.

"Break down the door!"

At Zhao Xianda's command, several officers of the Capital Guard seized thick logs, channeled dark force simultaneously, and charged forward.

At the same time, figures swiftly drew their blades, sprinted three or two steps, used momentum to leap onto the wall.

"Got it!"

Read this!

"It's the head-switching sorcery!"

The two apprentices had been puzzled, but following the boat captain's gaze, they immediately swallowed hard.

The boat captain stepped onto the deck, picked up the silver, his pupils contracting sharply as he said grimly: "No one is to speak of this guest's matter—keep it buried in your guts!"

A fast boat was sailing against the wind.

The Lushan Sect members naturally followed inside.

Although Sha Li Fei's cultivation had improved, that place was still the "Corpse Forest," and he had never trained in Vajrayana methods—his condition grew worse by the hour.

"And where is that one now?"

Soon, they made a discovery.

Luzhou's dock was too bustling; the Du family remnants had likely fled, nowhere to be found.

"Release the falcons—search the nearby mountain trails!"

Wang the Elder's eyelid twitched, helplessly saying: "This old devil was targeted by a Yin Officer—someone must've been watching him, seizing the advantage while we were distracted."

"Master, we've arrived…"

"I think I can't stay in Shenzhou anymore—let's go to the Southern Seas, fight for a way to survive."

The old boatman had just stepped out when he noticed the people on deck had vanished.

Zhao Xianda hurried in at that moment and sighed in relief upon seeing it.

"That's true—I've heard sailors who returned from overseas say the Southern Seas have head-flight sorcery; surely those are the ones who left Central Plains long ago…"

Zhao Xianda strode forward, shoved aside the foolish servant blocking his path, and led his men straight into the back hall.

By normal standards, such a person should have died long ago—yet here he still lived, clearly abnormal; among common folk, he'd be called a demon.

Ghost Sect followers were undoubtedly the best targets.

The Lushan Sect members examined the corpse and quickly reached a conclusion.

Another half-hour passed, and the surrounding mountains began to rise sharply.

"To the dock—chase them!"

…………

Only two ingots of silver remained on the deck.

At the order, both sides launched massive forces.

The young boatman glanced at the dark river around him, his heart trembling as he blurted: "Uncle San, could we… could we have encountered something unclean?"

Standing on the deck was Li Yan.

"R-Return, sir, this is Third Master's residence."

"Fool! What are you going to report? Can you even face that demon? Or dare you provoke the Lushan Sect? Going back means certain death!"

The remaining men panicked and dropped their weapons.

Sha Li Fei lay on a bamboo bed, eyes tightly shut, jaws clenched, fists gripped hard, muttering incessantly:

The Lushan Sect was famous, but to establish itself in Sichuan, it needed real authority without provoking too many enemies.

"He was seized by a living Yin Officer!"

This was also a tactic of the Capital Guard.

His chest and abdomen bore clear wounds, like frostbite, still coated with frost in the shape of chains.

He had assumed that once the left hand's demonic energy was taken, these Du family members as spirit vassals would inevitably die.

"Let's go to the Southern Seas!"

He was ancient beyond measure, emaciated, with dry white hair hanging loose, curved nails, and skin shriveled and blackened.

The group passed through, arriving at the largest courtyard of the Du family's rear compound.

Upon hearing this, the boatman's spirits lifted instantly.

Even stranger—their head had been severed from the body, the cut clean, a cold, yin aura lingering, and the skin itself looked different.

The flying-head demons of old must have been like this.

The fierce Capital Guard stormed in, immediately killing those who resisted, then bellowed orders.

Though they had never met him, they all knew Li Yan's name.

But when they reached the dock and saw the river crowded with boats, they could only turn back helplessly.

"Let me think… where is this boat headed?"

"He went out on an errand recently and vanished without a trace."

A shadow swept past like a gale, kicking up snow on the ground—seen from above, it resembled a snow dragon weaving through the wilds.

A broken boat lay overturned in the river, its surface littered with corpses—some cut cleanly in half, others pierced by gaping holes.

North of Luzhou, there were two rivers: the Tuojiang, leading to Zigong and Neijiang, relatively wide.

Li Yan knew he had been spotted by Lu San, so he followed the sound of the falcons overhead toward a high mountain in the southeast.

"They're from the Sichuan Merchants' Guild—I tampered with them. They were originally bound for Jinling, then to Lingnan to sail south."

The area was filled with Hui-style architecture blended with Sichuan elements: white walls, black tiles, encircled by bamboo groves, serene and quiet.

Because the gangsha qi was violently intense, the talisman even began to grow hot.

The Capital Guard arrested and interrogated.

Zha! A familiar falcon cry pierced the night sky.

After confirming this, the Lushan Sect elder hurriedly asked: "Think—whom did this old devil usually associate with?"

With this object, one could summon the Yin Court's troops.

With this evidence, the Du family was finished.

"Report!"

"What's the situation now?"

But this Du family ancestor still lived on.

Moreover, Third Master Du had a habit: any woman he brought into the mansion soon vanished.

Zhao Xianda pondered silently.

After all, Emei and Qingcheng were the true high mountains.

They had been confident before, but upon hearing the Ancestor had passed, their hearts plunged into chaos.

Back when the Capital Guard attacked the Dragon King Temple in Chongqing, though they concealed their actions, he had been ordered to spy nearby and gather intelligence…

Inside the hidden cabin, the atmosphere was oppressive.

So they organized a group to guard it.

Li Yan wasted no words; after a solemn bow, he strode into the thatched hall, then immediately frowned.

Unfortunately, the Du family ancestor was too cunning—he knew the tide had turned and, to preserve a spark, had sent off at least two or three groups to flee.

Li Yan turned to look at Luzhou City, his gaze cold.

It was Lu San, come to meet him.

Thinking of this, Li Yan gripped the spirit warrant in his chest.

Zhao Xianda paid them no mind, leading the Lushan Sect members to the main hall, where he stared at a corpse on the ground.

"There's something wrong here!"

At this moment, they all sat silent as startled cicadas, hair disheveled, bound and kneeling on the ground, eyes filled with terror.

The Du family had deep roots in Sichuan and connections with officials and princes of the Wang Fu.

After destroying the demon god Zuo Shouquan's body in Shilong Village, he had left immediately—only to encounter a Du family disciple on the road.

He was calling out to one of the elders sent by the Lushan Sect this time.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xianda spoke again: "Elder Wang, there's something here you should see."

A simultaneous attack from both sides forces defenders to be caught off-guard.

"Big Brother, this won't work, that won't work—where can we go? Are we going to hide like rats forever?"

In crowded places, the snow had melted. "Elder Wang, what is this…?"

Bam! A sharp slap rang out.

"Where is he?"

He sailed north, day and night without rest; after two nights and one day of travel, he finally arrived near Dazu as night fell.

Elder Wang of the Lushan Sect examined it and shook his head: "A master—not just a living Yin Officer, but one skilled in thunder arts, with astonishing martial prowess. Likely an elder from the Xuan Gate."

The Yu family father and son hadn't slept; they stood guard outside and hurried forward upon seeing him.

"Don't even think about it—the Yang family is also at their end, won't last a few days. Without the Du family's foundation, we'd just be cannon fodder."

He smiled and nodded: "Correct—there's urgent business in Dazu. Please hurry—the fare will be doubled."

Li Yan pushed the Jia Ma to its absolute limit.

The Du family estate was astonishing, occupying nearly half of Luzhou City; though it violated protocol, it had been justified under the guise of wine cellars, connecting several districts.

Hoo~ The wind howled, shadows flickered.

"Damn it, let's go back and seek revenge…"

Dozens of li away, on the river.

This old devil was indeed a Yin Fan.

Each of them had grim faces, eyes brimming with killing intent, activating their divine arts and scouring every corner of the Du mansion.

They were all public figures; to be honest, they still had no idea what was going on.

"San'er, you've worked hard!"

"Elder?"

But then again, it made sense—the Demon God Zuo Shouquan was sealed beneath Luofeng Mountain and needed these people's illicit worship to gain strength for escape; naturally, he wouldn't let them be wiped out.

"This must be Young Master Li…"

As Li Yan headed toward Dazu, a massive cargo ship was also sailing toward Ezhou.

"Thank you both for your help."

In his mind, however, another figure surfaced.

Yet they discovered there was no need.

The elder of the Lüshan Sect frowned deeply. "I've heard of this technique—it flourished during the Tang Dynasty, allowing one to borrow life to extend longevity, but carried grave risks. It seemed linked to the Flying-Headed Liao. I never imagined it would reappear."

Even the hull had been nearly split in two, with charred, branch-like marks. "What an incredible Thunder Art!"

It was another card in hand…

Li Yan was stunned when he saw it.

Yet Li Yan still felt uneasy about the "Shituo Forest," so even if it meant detouring, he had to obtain a Gang Ling first, to handle any unexpected situation.

………

"Who moves, dies!"

At the mid-slope, a figure leapt toward them.

It was an elderly man dressed in lavish robes.

Meanwhile, the Lüshan Sect's sorcerers carefully searched and finally found a hidden passage near the estate's artificial hill.

Candles flickered dimly; several figures remained silent.

But unexpectedly, it had freed them from their shackles.

He eliminated two groups, but another had fled down the Yangtze, their destination unknown.

The Du family was arrogant and reckless; even when surrounded by the Commandant's Office, they still believed their ancestor could summon help.

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and turned sharply to the Du family members, barking: "What else do you know?"

Though the Du family had many members, once their ancestor died, it was like a fallen tree scattering monkeys—they lost all spirit and were quickly subdued by the Commandant's Office.

After hearing the Du family's testimony, Zhao Xienda and Elder Wang exchanged glances.

The servants, upon seeing it, trembled in fear.

At that moment, hawks soared and wheeled across the sky.

Beneath the two ingots of silver, the wooden board bore charred, sunken indentations, perfectly matching the shape of the silver—clearly pressed in by force…

Upon discovering this, he chartered a fast boat that night to Luzhou, and while the Commandant's Office and the Lüshan Sect were besieging the estate, he used a teleportation technique to sneak into the Du mansion and sent the Du ancestor's soul to the Underworld.

The Lüshan Sect members said nothing and followed Zhao Xienda away.

The other was the Laixi River, narrow and flowing northeast, directly reaching near Dazu.

"Dreaming again… shouting and killing…"

This man was the Du family's contact in Neijiang; he came to Shilong Village to deliver news due to the Du family's upheaval—and he was a Ghost Sect follower.

The ritual must be performed as soon as possible.

The group entered a grand hall, where numerous elaborately dressed men and women—old and young alike—gathered, all top-tier members of the Du family.

"Go take a look!"

"Who lives here?"

The Du family's power was immense; they maintained countless retainers and guards, and could influence officials from the Shu Prince's mansion to bureaus across Shu.

Zhao Xienda tore open the Du ancestor's clothing again.

The greatest gain from this journey to Luzhou was this.

"Alright, let me see."

Everyone hurried aboard the boat; within less than half a stick of incense, they reached the Tujiang Riverbank, a secluded waterway.

Li Yan immediately removed the Jia Ma, said nothing further, and gave Lu San a tight embrace, patting each other's backs.

They stormed into a remote courtyard; the Commandant's Office agents, hearing the commotion, followed close behind.

The Du family members knelt down, crying out their innocence.

"We just received word—the ancestor is gone."

Li Yan was unaware of the Du family's remnants' conspiracy.

Yet in this wilderness, the ground remained white with snow.

The Du family servants naturally dared not ask further.

Though old, the boatman was an expert; as he adjusted the sail, he asked: "Sir, is the matter settled?"

The Third Master of the Du family had a fondness for women; everyone in the family knew.

The families of subsequent women brought in were either silenced with silver or mysteriously fell victim to mountain bandits—everything was suppressed.

This sudden snowfall of salt grains in Shu, though widespread, lasted only two days before ceasing.

When opened, the stench of corpses surged out—filled entirely with women.

When disaster strikes, those who once ruled with power are no better than common folk.

He looked like an ancient zombie.

"What nonsense!"

Near Neijiang, he received another hawk message.

The Commandant's Office spies immediately reported.

Far from the Emperor's reach, they couldn't leave loose ends.

To be honest, they came here to establish authority.

"I heard the Ghost Sect helped the Yang family in the southwest…"

Boom! As the Commandant's Office men leapt onto the walls, the heavy black wooden door inlaid with bronze flowers was smashed open.

The Warrant Book now held another Gang Ling.

"It's a demonic art—they were used as a furnace!"

As they spoke, they soon arrived at the bamboo grove cottage.

"Innocent!"

"Get out! All of you, get out!"

"Make way!"

"Two days ago, Third Uncle led people away. Then the ancestor ordered some to leave, after which he suddenly screamed for help, and the entire hall turned pitch black. When we entered, it was like this…"

"My lord, we've found something along the Tujiang River!"

"Watch me chop you to pieces!"

Without hesitation, Li Yan stepped forward, seized Sha Lifei's hand, chanted the incantation, and activated his divine art to probe.

Unfortunately, Sha Lifei's body showed no abnormalities.

Yet the jade tablet given by the Dragon Maiden trembled faintly once more…

(End of Chapter)