[{"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-770":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},2263075,4415,"Chapter 770: Old Enemies Appear","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-770",770,"\u003Cp>When the crowd rushed into the back courtyard, they saw nothing but chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all that lay on the ground were withered corpses—whether the skilled guards or the servants and family members—all long dead, their necks torn apart, skin pale in a grotesque hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were several children, Wang Maode’s grandsons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pungent stench of blood mixed with the cloying, putrid odor of corpses nearly solidified, smothering every person who entered the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Candles flickered, casting the large bloodstains on the walls into alternating flashes of light and shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the main hall of the back courtyard, a Daoist nun sat bowed in a high-backed chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dim light made her appear deeply mysterious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Maode, who arrived shortly after, stared fixedly at two tiny corpses nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were his two grandsons, now like discarded rag dolls—withered, bluish, frozen in curled, pleading postures, their hollow eye sockets staring straight up at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scream, not of human origin, erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of you—attack! Chop her to pieces! Chop her—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Maode’s eyes bulged as if ready to burst; he roared like a mad bull, shoving violently at the servants beside him, whose spirits had fled and whose legs trembled like sieve-rattling reeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fueled by their master’s fury, a few servants momentarily overcame their terror, their throats gurgling, wildly swinging swords, spears, and clubs as they charged forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their steps were unsteady, sluggish—clearly their legs had turned to water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan didn’t turn around, blocking the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed as he gazed into the hall, his voice low: “She’s already dead…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, everyone heard a faint rustling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist nun’s head suddenly fell off, rolling noisily across the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind her back, the Jinhua cat demon crouched, tearing at her flesh, its face drenched in blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likely due to absorbing vast amounts of essence and blood, the cat demon’s once straw-like fur regained luster, its muscles bulging and knotted, digging grotesquely into the nun’s skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick, foul saliva mixed with shredded flesh dripped continuously from its jagged fangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the scene around him, Li Yan had already pieced together what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nun had never possessed the power to control the Jinhua cat demon—she was merely its puppet. Having failed to obtain the fetus’s essence from the pregnant woman, she had been backlashed by the spell, causing the demon to go berserk and create this carnage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Wang Maode? He was no stranger to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had likely made a pact with a tiger, reaping what he sowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Li Yan had no time for further questions—he crossed his Duanchen blade, lightning crackling sharply, then surged forward with a burst of speed, vanishing instantly into the main hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the same time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shhh—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing, shrill whistle suddenly sounded atop the distant courtyard wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whistle was razor-sharp, carrying a piercing force that could shatter the soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cat demon, as if summoned, shot upward in an instant, smashing through the roof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A master had arrived—more than one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likely the true mastermind behind all this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan had his suspicions, but his hands didn’t pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already known from their prior encounter that the cat demon’s evasion techniques were superb and its speed astonishing—he had prepared accordingly; two Soul-Grabbing Chains had already shot out, twisting into a net midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t deploy his Soul-Severing Flying Knife or use Thunder Art—though weaker, these chains were far more concealed, and now blocked the Jinhua cat demon’s path directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huuuuh—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cat demon was entangled by the Soul-Grabbing Chains, its body stiffening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the beast erupted in primal fury, howling as it struggled to break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan was slightly surprised—beast spirits were indeed different from human souls, more violent and chaotic; combined with the cat demon’s deep cultivation, it could still fight back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had more tricks up his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zizzi~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His newly forged arm guard, Qian Nian, had stored Thunder Qi; in an instant, it surged along the Soul-Grabbing Chains, forming a lightning net that bound the cat demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, Li Yan leapt onto the beam, soaring upward and smashing through the roof, his Duanchen blade screaming downward toward the cat demon’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cat demon’s head was cleanly severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan gripped the head, executed a sharp kite-flip, and landed steadily, blade raised, facing the opposite side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, atop the courtyard wall, ripples of air rippled like water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if a stage curtain had been drawn open, several figures solidified quietly—some clad in opera costumes, others with painted faces, unmistakably bearing elements of a traveling troupe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, a green-robed huadan, her sleeves and skirt fluttering in the night wind, moved with weightless grace; her pale white makeup concealed her true face, save for a single crimson dot on her lips—blood-red, curved in an indescribable, ambiguous smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She locked eyes with Li Yan, her voice low and theatrical:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my~ You’ve ruined my little cat~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s gaze turned icy, his left hand crackling with lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackling lightning flashed—the cat’s head turned to charcoal, its writhing demonic soul, now a black mist, was shattered into oblivion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what tricks they had, it could never return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike him, the others in the courtyard reacted entirely differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence—dead, suffocating silence—enveloped the back courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earlier shouts, cries, and frantic running had been crushed as if by an invisible hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thunder Fist” Xu Zhenshan, face tense, stepped back, gritting his teeth:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghost Opera Troupe…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Maode stood gaping, his face drained of color, teeth chattering uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The furious rage moments ago had vanished as if drained away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the salt merchants and their guards retreated in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan glanced at them, slightly surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ghost Opera Troupe—this cult organization—was, of course, an old enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving the capital, Luo Mingzi had instructed him to investigate; these demons were likely allied with Jianmu, wreaking havoc in the south, their schemes unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected their reputation for terror to be so immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five members of the Ghost Opera Troupe had arrived; their leader stepped forward slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore the robes of a Daoist priest, his frame gaunt and bony, the wide black robe hanging emptily; behind his back, a Soul-Guiding Banner fluttered; the night wind brushed his sparse, withered hair, revealing his sunken, desiccated face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huangquan Sanren!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thunder Fist” Xu Zhenshan roared: “So it was you behind this! This is Yangzhou City—Sheling troops can mobilize at any moment! I’ll see your souls scattered to the winds!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words were fierce, but his voice trembled—he was clearly holding on by a thread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu wu~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had he spoken than the huadan who controlled the cat demon began to wail in song: “My little cat entered the city~ precisely to deal with the Sheling troops. The task is done, yet my poor cat~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she turned to Li Yan: “You—you—you’re so cruel~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xu Zhenshan’s face turned ashen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to organize a breakout, but looked around—when had the entire estate been swallowed by thick fog? He realized they were trapped in a confusion array; he retreated subtly, thinking of a strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old sheng, Huangquan Sanren, ignored him, turning instead to Li Yan:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are Li Yan. We’ve been waiting for you… for a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s lips curled into a half-amused smile: “Interesting. We’ve been moving quietly, no fanfare—yet somehow, everyone knows. Hmph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his face carried a smile, his eyes were as cold as blades.\u003C\u002Fp>",1252,"2026-06-19T18:28:35.913Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","143aff88b92576be337251b3ab8eb244187ffdace6d8444b78ecdd8d42895fa1","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-771","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-769",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]