Chapter 575: Whirlwinds and Clouds of Deceit

Xiao Jinghong possesses a national sacrificial artifact!

Li Yan immediately formed a judgment in his heart.

Had it not been for the artifact's concealment, he would never have missed it.

He had seen living corpses before.

Those ancient ghosts in the Wushan Goddess Temple were living corpses—using some secret method to seal their souls within their flesh.

This technique is a forbidden evil art in the Xuan Men, "offending the Three Officials, reversing yin and yang"; once practiced, the Enforcement Hall will issue a warrant for arrest.

There are many corresponding evil arts.

There is the Xiangxi Witchcraft's "Yin Fu Corpse-Binding Art."

Mix Chenzhou cinnabar with powdered black donkey hoof to paint the "Soul-Imprisoning Talisman" on the seven orifices, using yin-sha energy to slow bodily decay.

In plain terms, it turns oneself into a jiangshi; every day at Yin hour, one must replace glutinous rice paste on the Yongquan point to neutralize corpse poison—the soul disperses if it leaves the body, and one may instantly transform into a jiangshi that attacks people, never achieving liberation…

There is the Lushan "Five Chang Borrowing Corpse Method."

Summon the "Earth Chang" from the Five Chang troops to inhabit the corpse, using demonic yin energy to counteract death qi; set up a "Yin Temple Offering" in a mass grave, using straw effigies carved with the birth dates of young boys and girls to take the curse.

Practicing this art causes the body to gradually take on a blue-faced, fanged appearance; a single misstep turns one into a blood corpse that brings calamity to the region…

In short, none of these are virtuous methods.

Thinking of this, Li Yan took a deep breath.

A fishy, reptilian stench immediately flooded his nostrils.

It was the Beijiang Five Immortals Hall's "Willow Ghost Cultivating Corpse Art"!

He had heard Wang Daoxuan say this method required summoning the spirit essence of the Chang family's Python Immortal to possess the body, borrowing immortal qi to preserve the flesh from decay.

Daily, one must sleep inside a century-old willow coffin, lined with mugwort and realgar; the coffin's base must be carved with the "Python Immortal Coiling Corpse Diagram"; during seasonal transitions, one must spray the corpse with white wine to keep it moist.

Relatively speaking, it was milder—no need to harm others to deflect fate.

But anyone who practices this art will have descendants within three generations born with mental illness, and must never see sunlight at noon, or scales will erupt and transform them into a demon.

In a sense, this too counts as yin violation.

Yet until the death qi disrupts yin-yang balance, the Yin Si won't intervene; once it becomes a calamity, even the Yin Si need not capture them—the heavenly thunder will strike down.

Hence some earth immortals who practice the Taiyin Cultivating Form technique hide forever in grotto heavens, never daring to show their faces…

To be honest, Li Yan had seen many such cases.

As long as they didn't harm people in daily life, he usually ignored them.

But at this critical moment, caution was essential.

"Master Li, don't act!"

Xiao Jinghong turned pale with alarm, rushing to block the Princess Consort, "This matter has hidden depths—it was truly unavoidable."

Li Yan furrowed his brow slightly, surprised.

This Fifth Prince usually seemed so composed—he never imagined he'd be such a romantic; this was the first time he'd seen the man like this.

The Princess Consort, too, was pale, trembling as she spoke: "This has nothing to do with the Prince—please, Master Li…"

"Calm down, both of you."

Li Yan's expression remained calm, "Tell me what happened first."

Seeing his demeanor, Xiao Jinghong calmed down, glanced out the window, locked the door, then spoke: "This matter is strange indeed."

He gripped the Princess Consort's hand and said gravely: "My mother is from the Cheng family. Though cultured and virtuous, she was a person of the Jianghu, unable to endure palace rules, and gradually drifted apart from my father—eventually, their affection faded, and she moved out."

"Two years ago, on the fifteenth of the first month, the Prince's Mansion held a grand banquet. I took the Princess Consort to attend; soon after returning, she fell gravely ill. We summoned the finest physicians, but none could cure her—they all said she wouldn't live three months."

"But then, night after night, the Princess Consort began dreaming—someone in her dreams taught her this method. With no other options, I secretly hired someone to try it—and finally saved her…"

He paused, then gritted his teeth: "To be honest, three months ago, the Princess Consort began dreaming again—but this time, it was different."

"Oh?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "How is it different?"

Xiao Jinghong didn't answer—he looked to the side.

The Princess Consort, expression blank, spoke: "Using this method prolongs life, but lately, I've lost the ability to taste the five flavors—I can only smell blood. Every time I fall asleep, I feel I am a snake… I no longer feel human…"

"This time, someone in the dream told me… that if the Prince ascends to the Shu Prince's throne and enters the ancestral temple for sacrifice, the incense offerings' power can dilute the yin qi on my body."

"It would not only resolve this, grant me five more years of life, but also allow the Prince to father a child with me…"

"Absolute nonsense!"

Li Yan said coldly: "A living corpse has severed its vital breath—death qi has accumulated. How could it possibly conceive offspring? Even if it could, the child born would be nothing but a bloodthirsty demon. Clearly, some demon is manipulating you."

He continued: "What family does the Princess Consort come from?"

The Princess Consort replied honestly: "I am from the Wang family of Zizhong—our lineage is scholarly and farming. My father was only a seventh-rank official."

"Hmm."

Li Yan nodded slightly, unsurprised.

To common folk, marrying into a Prince's Mansion seems glorious—but to true nobility, it's a major burden.

Marriage carries heavy implications, especially involving the imperial clan—it inevitably draws one into conflict. Benefits are uncertain, but troubles are guaranteed; it's never worth the cost.

Especially since the Fifth Prince was never favored before.

Men like him usually marry women from pure-stream families.

It likely has nothing to do with his clan…

Li Yan pondered, then asked: "Prince, which sorcerer did you originally hire to perform this ritual?"

Fifth Prince Xiao Jinghong replied gravely: "I feared a trap, so I investigated repeatedly. I spent a fortune to bring a top expert from Jiaozhou's Five Immortals Hall to secretly oversee the matter."

"After success, he left. Her name is Chang Jiupo—she hails from the northern frontier and has no ties to the Shu Xuan Men. Afterward, she kept silent."

"As for the incense-dispelling matter, I told only you, Master Li. For two years, no one has ever asked me about it."

"I see…"

Li Yan listened, utterly baffled: "This matter is definitely strange. Prince, if you discover anything, tell me immediately. First, let's resolve the current crisis."

"Has Elder Ming Shan sent word?"

Seeing Li Yan change the subject, Xiao Jinghong exhaled in relief: "No news yet—but it should come within the next two days."

"Good."

Li Yan nodded: "The Shu Prince has seized control of Chengdu's army. Neither the Cheng family nor Qingcheng can confront him openly—they must be sneaking in secretly."

"I'll leave a coded signal. If Elder Ming Shan arrives, have him contact me—we'll handle this together."

He then explained the code to Xiao Jinghong.

This was a common Jianghu tactic—some widely known, others deeply hidden: hang a flower on a tree, draw a child's doodle on a tavern flag.

After careful instruction, Li Yan took his leave.

He had taken only two steps when he paused, then turned back to advise: "Prince, your deep affection for your wife is understandable—but aging, illness, death, and separation are the inevitable sufferings of this world."

"Seek too much, and you'll lose more."

Some truths he could not speak plainly.

The moment the Princess Consort became a living corpse, she lost all chance of transcendence—her only fate was soul dispersal.

Saying this, he pushed open the door and leapt out.

Inside, Xiao Jinghong and his wife held each other's hands, silent, tears streaming down their faces.

Outside the window, the snowstorm grew fiercer…

…………

After leaving the Prince's Mansion, Li Yan took only quiet back alleys.

Chengdu had a long history and had expanded repeatedly; even with garrison troops stationed, they couldn't patrol every street.

But every major intersection had soldiers stationed, and patrol squads of garrison troops moved in small teams nearby.

The Shu Prince's personal Black Feather Guard rode horses through the streets, armed with divine fire guns; whenever they sensed anything amiss, they immediately converged.

All patrols led fierce dogs; eagles and hawks circled overhead.

Moreover, atop certain high points in Chengdu, robed sorcerers had activated spiritual arts to scan the surroundings.

These were all the dark experts the Shu Prince had gathered over the years.

Now, they were brazenly visible.

Li Yan still used Xuan Shui Dun, reinforced by the Eight Generals of the Outer Altar, concealed by the Dragon-Snake Talisman—completely invisible, slipping through every line of defense.

The Prince's Mansion was not far from the Chenghuang Temple—he went there to investigate.

According to the Shu Prince's orders, the city's grain stores were full, troops entered only to maintain order and capture demons, not to harass civilians. The Chengdu lantern festival and martial arts tournament proceeded as scheduled.

But despite this, the people weren't fools.

They stayed indoors, doors locked, afraid to step outside.

Shops remained open, but shopkeepers trembled, watching soldiers pass by and staring at their piled-up goods, each face grim with despair…

Not a single Jianghu person was seen.

They, too, knew nothing of the truth and hadn't been hunted—but they sensed something unnatural, and all hid in inns.

All kinds of rumors spread wildly.

Thus, when Li Yan arrived, the street outside the Chenghuang Temple was empty and eerily quiet—only a squad of Black Feather Guards stood guard.

The temple gates were tightly shut; several pools of blood had frozen into ice crystals. The stone lions outside and some pillars had been shattered.

Using spiritual senses, he detected not a trace of incense qi.

Not a single error, not a single slip—everything was as it should be!

Huang Ling Sect has indeed suffered misfortune!

Li Yan saw this and felt no surprise.

The Prince of Shu did not act against the Five Commandery Prince or the Du Sect, indicating he did not care—even possibly, these people were part of his plan.

But the Huangling Sect was different.

They controlled the City God Temple, one of Chengdu's key defenses; during the City God's procession, many demonic cultivation techniques simply could not be used.

The Prince of Shu's mansion must eliminate this threat first.

Li Yan pondered for a moment, retreated into a dark alley, and leapt into a nearby residence.

Inside the house, a common family sat with worried faces; seeing Li Yan suddenly appear, they were startled.

Gurgling!

Before they could cry out, Li Yan tossed down a silver ingot and said in a low voice: "Don't fear—I only have a few questions."

The old man, as head of the household, had seen much and quickly silenced his family, then bowed respectfully: "Your Highness may ask anything—I will answer fully, only beg you spare my family."

Clearly, they mistook Li Yan for a bandit.

Li Yan made no correction and asked directly.

"What happened at the City God Temple?"

"It was sealed by the yamen."

"Why?"

"I don't know for sure, but this morning the temple was surrounded, then soldiers entered and arrested people…"

"What about the blood at the gate?"

"They say someone died, but it was infighting among the Daoists inside…"

Listening to the old man's account, Li Yan understood the general cause.

Some within the City God Temple had long been bribed by the Prince of Shu; the Huangling Sect had failed to fully purge them, allowing enemies to exploit them—likely using poison charms or mind-clouding fumes.

It seemed the Enforcement Hall could not be relied upon…

With matters thus, Li Yan paid no further attention and departed straight for the eastern city.

………

In the eastern city, all manner of sects and underworld factions gathered; many elite cultivators from Shu's Daoist circles had already arrived for the martial tournament.

Thus, this area had the most Black Feather Guards.

Almost every street had a patrol unit of Black Feather Guards, accompanied by cultivators and shield-bearing soldiers.

Seeing this, Li Yan's head throbbed.

This setup was practically a war chariot.

Shield troops for defense, cultivators for detection, ten Divine Fire Rifles for attack—before he could even approach, he'd be reduced to powder.

It seemed that with the rise of new firearms, coordinated tactics would inevitably emerge.

Fortunately, those cultivators lacked the skill to detect him.

Li Yan steadied his mind and looked across.

Like other shops, Mingxiang Pavilion had its doors wide open; the shopboy stood outside, bowing and smiling at passing soldiers.

Li Yan exhaled in relief.

At least Mingxiang Pavilion had not been attacked.

He circled around and climbed into the back courtyard through another alley.

"You're finally here!"

Liang Yu and Situ Bo were both present; seeing him appear, they relaxed.

In the courtyard were two others.

One was Lu Qingshan, the shopkeeper of Mingxiang Pavilion.

He was Liang Yu's disciple, skilled in affairs, handling Mingxiang Pavilion's external dealings, with strong connections in both Chengdu's court and underworld.

The other was an old man with white hair, wearing a tattered Confucian robe, a judge's pen hanging at his waist, radiating an air of poverty-stricken scholarliness.

"Let me introduce you."

Liang Yu said solemnly: "This is Master Cui Bai."

"Greetings, Master Cui."

Li Yan immediately bowed respectfully.

He had heard of this man—he was one of the Six Idle Scholars of the Bamboo Grove, a Craft Sect's Skin Painter, masterful at painting both humans and ghosts.

"Thank you, young friend."

Cui Bai's voice was hoarse: "We old folk may be aged, but our bodies are still strong—tell us what needs doing."

"Save the pleasantries for later."

Liang Yu waved his hand and asked gravely: "The Prince of Shu launched suddenly—we're worried. Did you discover anything outside the city?"

"I found Tian Qi, the Water Ghost Artisan, at the docks…"

Li Yan briefly recounted the events.

Of course, he deliberately omitted the matter of Erlang Zhenjun's reincarnation.

"The Qingyang Palace is involved?!"

Liang Yu looked shocked: "They're orthodox Daoist sects—how can they risk destroying their thousand-year reputation?"

"There must be something we don't know."

Li Yan shook his head: "We'll investigate that later. My companion was warned off by the Formless Prince and has vanished—I ask you to help locate them."

"That's easy."

Liang Yu glanced at the shopkeeper, Lu Qingshan.

Lu Qingshan said gravely: "The Formless Prince has many hiding places—I can only send word through intermediaries, but I don't know if it'll reach him."

"Thank you," Li Yan bowed.

Lu Qingshan said nothing more and turned to leave.

Li Yan remained in the courtyard, discussing strategies with the others.

Only when night fell did Lu Qingshan rush back, urgently saying: "Li Shaoxia, they're at Huaqing Carriage House."

Hearing this, Li Yan immediately took his leave.

Huaqing Carriage House was Chengdu's largest carriage house, one of the stronger players among the Five Trades: carriages, ships, inns, porters, and brokers.

Its stable lay in the eastern city, not far away.

Amidst the snow and wind, Li Yan moved through shadows and soon reached the stable's outer gate—two lanterns swayed in the wind, but the interior was pitch black.

A familiar scent filled his nostrils.

It was Shali Fei!

Li Yan relaxed—but the smile on his face froze as he halted mid-step.

Two figures had appeared in the dark alley ahead.

One wore a red robe and a blue face; the other, a pure white mourning garment.

The two demons of the Ghost Opera Troupe…

(End of Chapter)