[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-633":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2262938,4415,"Chapter 633: The Daoist Guild, Luoyang Ghost Market","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-633",633,"\u003Cp>“Xu Fu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this name, Li Yan’s pupils contracted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Fu was a figure of immense fame in history, leading three thousand boys and girls across the sea to seek immortal mountains for the First Emperor—a tale known to all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary people might not care, but Li Yan immediately grew wary upon hearing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qin-Han Daoist Guild!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along his journey, Li Yan had gathered much intelligence; the deeper his understanding, the more he realized the terrifying power of this guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had profound influence over both Shenzhou’s history and the Daoist sects—both beneficial and harmful, hidden within layers of historical fog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its impacts, too, were both good and bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Immortal Treasury of Longevity” was their doing—excavating ancient divine-sealed ruins, greedily seeking immortality, yet corrupted by the seventy-two demonic gods, its poison lingering to this day…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They aided Li Bing in subduing the River God Lord and constructing the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, bringing prosperity to the Sichuan Plain and turning it into the Land of Abundance…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan had naturally investigated these individuals thoroughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Sheng, Han Zhong, Xu Fu, Hou Sheng, An Qisheng, Mao Meng…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng need no introduction—one spread the prophecy “The Qin shall fall by Hu,” inciting the First Emperor’s northern campaign against the Xiongnu; the other advised the First Emperor to embrace “tranquility and simplicity,” and together they triggered the “Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars” and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, these two became yin demons, appearing in different historical eras, secretly scheming for the Nine Tripods…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Meng once foretold the “Jiaping” calendar reform; his great-grandson Mao Ying became the founding patriarch of the Mao Shan Sect…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhong, Xu Fu, and An Qisheng were all tied to the immortal mountains beyond the seas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An Qisheng conversed with the First Emperor for three days, then departed with the words “Seek me at Penglai,” leaving behind countless legends and being revered as an immortal—suspected to have already ascended to godhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Fu sailed overseas seeking the elixir of immortality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the other “Han Zhong,” he fled the Qin palace alongside Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng after the “Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars,” but chose not to travel with them—instead, he set sail to seek the immortal mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumors say he reached the Korean Peninsula and settled there…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the battle in Sichuan, Li Yan discovered that Lu Sheng and Zhao Changsheng belonged to the same organization, linked to a major figure in the Great Luo Dharma Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some members of the Qin-Han Daoist Guild may well be among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan suddenly recalled that Zhao Changsheng, while in the northern frontier, had his cultivation interrupted by his grandfather’s army, possessed a Daoist of the Tai Xuan Zheng Jiao, then fled far to Japan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also resurrected a Japanese Ichimonji monk, brought him to Shenzhou, and later killed him while he lay hidden near Chang’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this, it seemed Zhao Changsheng had influence in Japan as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Fu…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he be one of them too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Li Yan’s expression turned grave. “What connection does Xu Fu have with the Luoyang paper-man case? Did Zhao the Donkey reveal anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng sipped his tea and shook his head. “I don’t know that, but there is something strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to Zhao the Donkey, this small bronze ding did not come from a Qin tomb, but from a Northern Wei burial—truly peculiar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Northern Wei?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan frowned, the mist before him thickening. “This is indeed strange. Do you have any leads? And why did the disciple of the Earth Dragon kidnap you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s my own fault for meddling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng’s face was filled with regret. “A Qin ding appearing in a Northern Wei tomb reminded me of a legend. Curious, I got involved in this mess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? What legend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan leaned forward eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This story is long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng, fond of showing off, stroked his beard. “When the King of Qin swept the Six Kingdoms, though he unified Shenzhou, years of war left countless dead, their resentment rising to the heavens. Defeated noble families recruited sorcerers to strike at Qin’s dragon vein…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qin’s dragon vein originated in the western frontier, part of the western range of the Qinling Mountains, its ridges rolling like a ‘Ancestral Dragon.’ The ancient ‘Qin River’ flowed through it, forming the fengshui pattern of ‘Water Coiling Around the Black Tortoise’—the foundation of Qin’s rise. Even today, remnants of the Qin dukes’ tombs remain…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After Duke Xiao moved the capital to Xianyang, he relied on the ‘Four-Secured Land’ of the Guanzhong Plain, backed by the Beishan Mountains and facing south to the Qinling, forming the imperial dragon vein pattern of ‘Backed by Mountains, Facing Water, Sheltering Wind and Gathering Qi.’ The Wei River flowed through it, joining the Jing and Luo rivers to create the pattern of ‘All Waters Paying Homage’…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With heaven’s timing, earth’s advantage, and human harmony, Qin achieved greatness. When the First Emperor ascended, he ordered the cutting of Jinling Ridge to suppress the ‘celestial aura’ of the southeast, while building straight roads and expressways to ‘connect the dragon vein across the land,’ intending to eternally stabilize the mountains and rivers!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, his gaze sweeping the group, his face grim. “But this method had a fatal flaw!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dragon vein of Chu still held residual power, and Luoyang’s dragon vein was rising. The surviving nobles of the Six Kingdoms tampered with Mangshan, gathering the resentment of all directions, attempting to destabilize Qin’s dragon vein and imperial fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet the First Emperor had already unified the world, and his ranks were filled with extraordinary talents. It is said that before Xu Fu sailed east, he led numerous sorcerers, alongside Qin’s iron cavalry, to crush these remnants on Mangshan—and built palaces to imprison the accumulated resentment and demonic qi of the Six Kingdoms…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li-fei listened intently and asked quickly: “Did they succeed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng shook his head. “I don’t know if they succeeded, but something happened then—a meteor fell in Dongjun, now the Pu Yang region of Yuzhou. On the stone were carved the words: ‘The First Emperor dies, and the land is divided.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This was taken as an omen of Qin’s fall, recorded in the ‘Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Qin Shi Huang.’ I suspect they succeeded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan rubbed his temples. “Even if true, this is an absolute place of evil and calamity—ordinary people dare not approach. Why then are Zhao the Donkey and the Earth Dragon interested in it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve uncovered something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng continued. “The ding came from a Northern Wei cave. After Zhao the Donkey left, I immediately consulted ancient texts and discovered another fact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“During the Northern Wei, there was a general named Wang Xuanmo. Official histories say he died in despair after a failed northern campaign, but unofficial records like the ‘Records of Luoyang’s Buddhist Temples’ and the ‘Northern Mang Ghost Chronicle’ claim he retreated into Mangshan after defeat to practice yin soldier arts, earning the folk title ‘Ghost General of Mangshan.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suspected he had seized the Qin-era ghost palace and searched everywhere for clues. Eventually, I had someone find a late Song dynasty text called the ‘Record of Supernatural Abominations in He-Shuo.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But those fools among the Earth Dragon’s disciples heard of it and came demanding it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luckily, I have many friends in the ghost market—they drove them off. But the moment they left, they were killed by paper men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Enforcement Hall came knocking. I had no defense—I swore ignorance—and was thrown into prison.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe Zhao the Donkey’s wife was threatened because of this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan asked quickly: “Where is the book?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng spread his hands helplessly. “I hadn’t even read it yet when the Enforcement Hall arrived. In my panic, I hid it in a secret compartment in my shop—I must go back to retrieve it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. “It’s still midnight. Let’s go to your shop now—no one’s around.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng chuckled. “Young master, you’re mistaken. My place is empty by day, but at night, it’s packed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Luoyang Ghost Market!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ‘Luoyang Ghost Market’ arose during the Tang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dark alley, Jin Yanfeng walked as he explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the time, Shen Du Luoyang was still the hub of the Grand Canal. The city had two markets, north and south, drawing merchants from all directions—Persian traders, Sogdian camel caravans, spices, silk, porcelain, even Kunlun slaves—it truly was a crossroads of the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because Tang enforced curfews, and rogue heroes smuggled salt and alcohol, the ghost market was born.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, the An Lushan Rebellion destroyed the eastern capital. Pei You built the Qiyun Hermitage, using the ‘Eight Dragon Disc of Mount Zhenyue’ to subdue the demon serpent of Yique, while gathering Daoist practitioners from across the land. At the time, Tang’s end saw the rise of xuan soldiers everywhere, and the Luoyang Ghost Market became a trading hub for Daoists…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the Northern Song, Luoyang was called the Western Capital. Though less prosperous than Bianliang, its ghost market was unmatched. The ‘Dreams of Splendor in Dongjing’ records: ‘The Luoyang Ghost Market opens at the third watch and closes at the fifth.’ Commoners traded antiques and stolen goods—officials banned it repeatedly, yet it persisted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened after that, you likely know: in the Longmen Inn battle, Grandmaster Chen Shoujing destroyed the ‘Eight Dragon Disc of Mount Zhenyue,’ releasing the Yique demon serpent, who perished alongside the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom’s experts and cavalry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alas—Luoyang has declined, and the ghost market has grown quiet…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, they arrived at Nancheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a slum, filled with low earthen walls and broken-tiled huts, chimneys blackened by smoke, sewage pooling on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Xuan Dynasty’s power was at its peak, yet wealth disparity had widened—Li Yan and his companions had seen this often in Chang’an, Xiangyang, and Chengdu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was strange was that amid this ruin, half a stone archway stood tall, hinting at its former grandeur, with faint firelight glowing beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng seemed to sense their confusion and lowered his voice. “This is the old site of Dingding Gate. During the Wu Dynasty, the ‘Ten Thousand Manifestations Divine Palace’ and the ‘Heaven-Piercing Pagoda’ were built here, quarried from this stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After the Shenlong Coup, construction halted—but left behind a vast underground palace, now the new ghost market.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember: in the ghost market, all sects and classes gather. There is a ‘Three Unasked’ rule: buyers never ask where goods come from; sellers never ask how money is used; bystanders never ask others’ identities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Break this taboo, and trouble will come!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We understand, Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan and the others immediately raised their masks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, they neared the stone archway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, several burly men sat around a fire, chatting and boasting, their faces broad and scarred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s there?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sound, the men rose and reached for their belts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t panic—it’s me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng stepped out of the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clearly held high status in the ghost market; the men bowed immediately. “It’s Elder Jin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We heard you were arrested?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Minor matter. I paid my way out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These gentlemen…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Friends from the Dao. Don’t ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, of course…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the exchange, the men quickly stepped aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One stepped forward, plunged his hand into a crack in the stone arch, and yanked a thick hemp rope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large wooden plank beside the arch lifted, revealing a dark hole below, with a wooden ladder descending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Jin Yanfeng’s lead, they climbed down the ladder, about seven or eight meters, until their feet touched ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in the cavern to the left, faint firelight glowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh~ This ghost market is well hidden.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei, intrigued, joked: \"The ghost market in Chang’an sits on the ruins of the Great Ming Palace—gathers at night, disperses at dawn. Nothing compares to Shen Du.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It can’t be helped.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng shook his head and sighed: \"The authorities crack down hard—always raiding the ghost market. If there were another way, who’d crawl through these tunnels?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The prefecture knows this place. They’re just turning a blind eye. If they really wanted to catch us, it’d be like catching a turtle in a jar—I couldn’t escape either...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, the group had passed through the tunnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before them, the space opened wide into a vast stone chamber, its walls neatly carved with traces of stone extraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, candles flickered dimly, casting faint light; it was hard to tell how many people were present. Every few steps, someone had set up a stall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All stalls were laid out with oilcloth, piled high with all manner of goods—grave artifacts unearthed from tombs, and various stolen goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan even saw someone selling \"coal jade.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Jin Yanfeng had said, with Luoyang’s decline, the ghost market had lost its former glory. Few customers remained, all masked in black cloth, communicating only through hand signs, speaking little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the candlelight, shadows flickered like wandering spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng gave a signal and led the group through the stalls, turning left and right until they reached a narrow central alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, things were clearly more upscale—not random stalls, but small wooden huts built from discarded lumber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One such hut appeared neatly constructed, with a flag hanging at the entrance, painted with a yellow eye—clearly Jin Yanfeng’s shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inside, it was a mess—everything overturned, the lighting dim, tables, chairs, and benches all smashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn your mother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng, seeing it, flew into a rage, shouting in the street: \"You bastards, I just eat prison food—I’m not dead yet! Why rush to ransack my home?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the corner, a beggar covered in sores laughed: \"Old blind man, you brought this on yourself. You stirred up trouble and kept everyone from doing business for days. You owe us compensation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Compensate your mother’s eggs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng cursed: \"You’re the worst, old cripple. I’ve bought you drinks all these years—next time, stay far away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he cursed fiercely, he asked no more, his face darkening as he whispered: \"Someone else was here. Quick—take what you need and go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the beggar was warning them in secret code.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though underworld codes across regions were mostly similar, differences existed—some even invented their own secret lexicons, incomprehensible to outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan and the others asked no questions, following Jin Yanfeng into the ruined shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man ignored the damage entirely, darting three steps to the wall, frantically digging with his hands until he pulled a leather sack from the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan, seeing it, was momentarily startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sack looked dull and ordinary—a mere dog hide—but it blocked all spiritual detection, clearly a spiritual treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yanfeng had long roamed the ghost market—he’d clearly acquired some fine items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man didn’t inspect it, shoving the sack into his robes and whispering to the group: \"Go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan nodded, but as they stepped outside, his heart tightened—he yanked Jin Yanfeng behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a distant wooden hut, a cold-faced man strode out, clad in black robes. Without a word, he slowly drew his waist blade as he walked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade gleamed sharply, radiating chilling cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the opposite corner, the beggar who had tried to warn them was already silenced—a hand clamped over his mouth, a flash of steel, and his throat was slit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold-faced man raised his blade slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hand over the item. I’ll let you keep your corpses whole.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, over a dozen figures sprinted from nearby stalls, sealing every exit and surrounding them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chang Family Blade?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the man’s blade stance, Li Yan narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Watch out—they’re from the Commandant’s Office...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2630,"2026-06-19T18:28:35.913Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5f02e6a8f872867226c6a800c6b0d99e91574697ee1cc4040600566b2a34c93e","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-634","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-632",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]