[{"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-687":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},2262992,4415,"Chapter 687: Blood Stains the Vermilion Steps","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-687",687,"\u003Cp>\"Who's there?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers guarding the Wang Fu suddenly raised their spears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night had fallen; the Wang Fu’s large lanterns hung overhead, illuminating the surrounding area and making the distance beyond even darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They heard footsteps that didn’t belong, and reacted instinctively with a shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Ying Wang Fu held a prestigious position in the capital, and they were all hardened veterans discharged from the army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all these years, no thief had ever dared to come here and cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this slight lapse cost them dearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they turned their gaze forward, elite officers from the Commandant Office burst out from behind the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A series of muffled impacts sent the gate guards sprawling unconscious to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the sound of clinking armor emerge from the darkness ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A line of elite soldiers clad in black fish-scale armor, each wielding standard wild goose-feather blades, surrounded the Wang Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the ranks, some held heavy crossbows, and many more carried firelocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were all gunners dispatched from the Shenji Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For them, the rare and precious Divine Fire Guns were standard issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Luo Mingzi’s confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor had assigned him no Grand Masters, but with so many firelock gunners, plus the elite officers of the Commandant Office and the Enforcement Hall, even if they faced a Grand Master, they had the courage to stand their ground—no retreat needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark shadows flashed, leaping and bounding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the outer defenses of the Wang Fu were entirely cleared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the hidden sentries concealed in the trees were dragged out by Commandant Office experts, their throats choked with chains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they did not rush inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the ranks stepped twelve Daoist priests wearing yellow headgear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They moved swiftly, three per group, swiftly occupying the Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui positions around the Wang Fu’s perimeter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead elder, expressionless, lifted his Luo Pan, glanced at it, and spoke: “The Ying Wang Fu’s construction records show no such layout—they tampered with it secretly. Nine talismans secretly align with the Nine Stars of the Northern Dipper; the gilded bronze crane in the central courtyard is the array’s focal point, siphoning the dragon vein’s earth qi to bless their descendants with wealth and nobility.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How audacious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Attack!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These Daoists clearly knew well how to dismantle feng shui arrays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each held peachwood stakes and iron talisman nails, stomped the Yu Step, formed the “Earth-Sealing Seal,” and chanted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heaven clears, earth calms; dragon qi sinks and halts. By imperial decree, we nail the veins, seal the spirits!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the “Supreme Scripture of Severing the Dragon Vein,” the Xuan Men method for breaking feng shui dragon veins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, primordial Gang and Sha qi flowed, three great dragon veins pierced Shenzhou, and every dynasty maintained Xuan Men earth masters to sabotage their rivals’ feng shui patterns—not only to disrupt dynastic fortune, but also frequently deployed on battlefields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, Duke Zhou suppressed the Nine-Headed Phoenix vein, making it impossible for Chu to take the final step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, during the Five Barbarians’ Rebellion, the northern feng shui layout was utterly ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More recently, years ago in the northern frontier war, the Shenzhou Xuan Men set a trap and shattered the final fortune of the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because of this, the Tai Xuan Zheng Jiao had compiled a complete system of techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For every dragon vein, there were corresponding methods; dismantling a Wang Fu’s protective feng shui arrangement was naturally effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Daoists hammered the peachwood stakes soaked in black dog blood into the Wang Fu’s earth vein nodes, three muffled thuds echoed through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground of the Wang Fu trembled slightly; cracks appeared with a crackling sound along the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon closer inspection, the exposed ground within those cracks revealed Tai Shan stones and copper coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now they were all dim and lifeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this was not yet over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoists stomped the Gang Step; one of them unslung a massive ox-horn bow, nocked a wolf-tooth arrow as thick as a thumb, unleashed hidden force, and drew it back with a creaking groan, while the other two hung black blood talismans on the arrowhead, formed seals and activated the talismans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chanted simultaneously: “Yang essence has scattered; yin malevolence arises. Filth qi surges to heaven; precious artifacts are defiled!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the second step: defiling the talismans, breaking the spiritual pivot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such grand residences always had a central core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ying Wang Fu’s was the gilded bronze crane in the central courtyard, constantly perfumed, capable of summoning thick fog in emergencies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These Daoists were experienced; they knew that without first breaking the array, the people inside the Wang Fu might escape through secret tunnels beneath the fog, and worse, the Wang Fu’s cultivated retainers could ambush them within the mist, inflicting casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Talisman swords from the four directions whistled through the air, streaking toward the central courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How bold of you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, furious shouts erupted from within the Wang Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gray-robed elder leapt from the eaves, soaring into the air, arms extended like a monkey’s, and punched forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wolf-tooth iron arrow bent instantly and crashed heavily to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Commandant Office battalion commander beside Luo Mingzi said coldly: “Chen Tie Shou—he’s hiding here after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s a master of Cangzhou Tongbei, once ruled the northern lands, known as ‘fists like thunder, palms that shatter mountains.’ He killed several men in public streets due to his violent temper and was wanted by the Commandant Office; rumors say he’s hiding here as a household guardian…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t the only one acting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the western side of the Wang Fu, another burly man with a curled beard leapt onto the roof, lowered his stance, and spun his palms like grinding stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a palm sweep, the incoming arrows were drawn in by his sticky force and flung back at the Commandant Office ranks—with even greater power than before!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mingzi stepped forward with force, caught the arrow with the same technique, and frowned: “Daoist disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Tai Chi skill—specifically, a secret Daoist method of cultivating internal force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s Zhang Yunhe from Wudang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nearby Commandant Office battalion commander quickly added: “He was expelled from the mountain long ago and raped several women.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mingzi’s face darkened. “So this is truly a den of filth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he flung the arrow back to the Daoists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the Wang Fu’s corridor pillars, a tall, slender man leapt out, moving like a ghost through the air, using the Bagua Palm “Wandering Soul Step,” flipping midair like a kite, and caught the arrow, preparing to hurl it back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he clearly didn’t notice the killing intent in the battalion commander’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the commander waved his hand, two gunners behind him immediately pulled the triggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two explosions, smoke billowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bagua Palm master, whose name no one even knew, was instantly reduced to bloody mist—his body gone without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Firearms?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining Wang Fu retainers turned pale and scrambled for cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were hired hands—they never intended to die for this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the remaining two arrows struck the central courtyard and plunged directly into the gilded bronze crane’s incense burner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Visible to the naked eye, frost spread from the point of impact, and the gilded surface peeled away in flakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such commotion naturally drew the attention of everyone in the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The actors on the stage of Qing’an Tang froze; the woman playing Magu dropped her peach of immortality straight onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you standing there for? Hide!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager Liu Sanhuai roared, leading everyone to take cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the opera troupe members had trained in martial arts—even if weak, they were agile, and scattered quickly for shelter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his panic, Liu Sanhuai glanced around and realized Li Yan had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our living ancestor…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instantly knew this sudden attack was tied to Li Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d promised to investigate the palace—how had this turned into this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attacking the Ying Wang Fu—afterward, they’d be in dire trouble…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager’s mind raced, unaware that today was the Wang Fu’s final day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the banquet hall, the music and flutes fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guests’ drunken eyes instantly cleared, each filled with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Zou Yanli, the Director of the Guozijian, raised his cup and laughed heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei was speechless. “Old sir, we’re leaving—you should hide first.” “Hide? No need. Go ahead. Even if I die today, it’s worth it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zou Yanli waved his hand, pushing them away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Li Fei shook his head slightly and led Lu San and Long Yan away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew from the Commandant Office that years ago, the current Ying Wang was still a spoiled heir who had beaten a Guozijian student to death—actually, this old director’s only grandson, whose identity had been concealed to avoid drawing attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zou Yanli had endured for years, waiting for this moment, which was why he’d brought them into the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three rushed out of the hall, while behind them, Zou Yanli raised his cup to his lips and shouted: “Wine and meat rot behind vermilion gates; tonight, blood stains the steps. Hounds and dogs bow low; the royal banner falls in one night. Once they bullied the good; now they weep on high platforms. Joyful, I drain the great cup—laughing as Heaven’s justice comes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wine soaked his white beard; his cloudy old eyes brimmed with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Assassins!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wang Fu’s guard commander screamed loudly, already leading Prince Ying and Xiao Jingyan away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not assassins—it’s the Commandant Office!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Tieshou, the Cangzhou Tongbei master who had just fought, ran over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Ying’s face turned ashen with rage. “Is the Commandant Office rebelling?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Tieshou laughed, no trace of his former respect. “Your Highness, this is the Commandant Office—and this is the capital. What rebellion could there be? It’s the Emperor himself who’s moving against the Wang Fu. We’re leaving first. You’re on your own!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he turned and led several high-level retainers away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Ying’s eyes blazed with fury, but his guards couldn’t stop these masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had grown up as a playboy, believing wealth and power could buy loyalty—but he didn’t know those who gather for profit will scatter for profit too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the critical moment, not a single martial artist could be trusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother, let’s go quickly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Jingyan, pale and trembling, said: “Thank heaven we prepared in advance—we’ll escape through the secret tunnel first, then decide what to do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Mother…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who cares about that old thing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xiao Jingyan urge him repeatedly, Prince Ying Xiao Jingyuan finally gritted his teeth and prepared to run toward the back courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you two in such a hurry to go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei, along with Lu San and Long Yan’er, stepped out and blocked their path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wang Fu guard commander, still loyal, led his men forward with swords drawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei suddenly raised his hands—both flintlock pistols fired at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two deafening blasts: the guard commander’s chest blew open in a gaping hole; the other guard lost his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court strictly controlled firearms in the capital, far more than elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Ying’s mansion feared trouble, so they’d only prepared a few, all hidden beneath the prince’s bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They never expected their mother had secretly joined the “Pantao Society,” causing Luo Mingzi to lead men straight to their door—catching them utterly off guard, leaving no time to enact any plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Sha Lifei fired, Lu San waved his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hum!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black cloud descended from the air—it was the swarm of poison bees from the demon gourd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Wang Fu’s fengshui array broken, the bees entered unimpeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screams erupted—the guards were instantly stung, howling like demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Yan’er stood beside them, using spirit Gu  to knock out any hired guards who rushed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With their cultivation and coordination, ordinary forces stood no chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Ying was stung too, rolling on the ground in agony, trembling as he pulled a wolf-bone whistle from his robe, shoved it to his lips, and blew with all his might. Then he shrieked: “Master Wu! Save me today, and I’ll forgive all past debts!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he spoke, the stone floor before the Wang Fu ancestral temple shattered violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dirt and rubble flew as a thick black mist surged forth, forming a giant wolf shape in midair, circling and darting—inside it came a hoarse voice: “Hmph. All fools. I told you to keep low…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it lunged toward Sha Lifei and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the Wang Fu’s main gate had been breached; Luo Mingzi and his men flooded in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yin soul wandering?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the wolf-shaped mist, the old Daoist who broke the array gasped in horror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin soul wandering was a power only attainable at the fourth or fifth level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This technique could manipulate talismans and artifacts to strike enemies a hundred li away, or even possess bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More crucially, this yin soul had taken tangible form—solid, real. It likely reached the sixth level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One step further, and it would gather the yang spirit—a being like a terrestrial immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had the Wang Fu hidden such a monster?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Luo Mingzi remained calm, shaking his head. “We’ve been waiting for him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he spoke, a solemn voice echoed from a distant pavilion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heaven has its order, Earth its law. The Yin Bureau claims souls. The living must retreat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Living Yin Officer?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wolf-shaped mist, moments ago lunging at Sha Lifei and the others, let out a piercing shriek and fled wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the pavilion, a vast darkness spread rapidly, chasing after it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coward!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei sneered, then kicked Prince Ying squarely in the chest, sending him sprawling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to bind him when Li Yan’s voice rang from the pavilion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yu Wenhai is here too—don’t let him escape!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu San immediately released a falcon, which circled above the Wang Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei swiftly reloaded his magazine, face grim, scanning left and right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the falcon above let out a cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu San said grimly: “They went down the tunnel with the women.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking, he charged toward the back courtyard with his bone club.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei and Long Yan’er followed close behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them, Prince Ying Xiao Jingyuan trembled violently, barely rising when Commandant Office agents pounced and pinned him to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Luo Mingzi and his men, they had already kicked open the side hall where the old Princess received guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, not a single member of the “Pantao Society” was missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Mingyuan, Vice Minister of Revenue, held a large opium pipe, eyes vacant, lips curled in a vacant, idiotic grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They used Fushou ointment to counteract the Panta poison—long since lost in euphoric delirium, utterly oblivious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Arrest them all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mingzi’s eyes filled with disgust as he gave the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that moment, a bamboo flute’s melody drifted through the night air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tune was elegant, ancient, carrying an otherworldly air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Mingyuan, still grinning foolishly, suddenly clutched his abdomen and screamed in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked down in terror—his official robe swelled violently, tearing apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bumps rose beneath his skin; a child’s face emerged, writhing and squirming within his flesh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2578,"2026-06-19T18:28:35.913Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8ad9bf9c41ed29cc34293a2a6ddc4b74ed2cadb09e4a21e75d7eb45cf32d6602","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-688","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-686",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]