Chapter 189: A Minor Interlude

Noon.

Xie Jinhuan rode a chestnut stallion, a long spear slung at its side, walking through the crowded dock, his gaze sweeping over the myriad martial sectarians heading north.

With six days left until the Sanjiangkou Hero Gathering, such a grand martial event drew countless heroes from north and south; most wandering cultivators had departed early to secure good positions, and both water and land routes now teemed with more martial folk.

But not all martial folk were righteous heroes—among them, dragons and snakes mingled; wherever large numbers gathered, crimes like theft, robbery, and gang fights inevitably arose.

To prevent chaos, the government office stationed constables at every dock intersection, and inns and brothels began inspecting rooms; within just a few days, they had arrested numerous unlucky souls, detaining them for fifteen days and fining them five thousand wen!

So if you must stay overnight outside, be cautious—don't stir up trouble at the heart of the storm…

Linghu Qingmo was a workaholic; whenever idle, he'd visit the government office, and upon hearing of a disappearance case at the outer dock, volunteered to investigate.

Xie Jinhuan had returned from the Fengyi River that morning, originally planning to visit Fanyun Temple, but Mount Zihui had summoned Fanyun Temple to Jingcheng for talks tomorrow, so he first went to the Lin family to ask for Zisu the Immortal to refine the Fire-on-Oil Pill, then accompanied Seeing Mo Mo out to investigate.

Now the two walked along the riverbank, Linghu Qingmo carrying Meiqiu on his shoulder, noticing so many heading toward Sanjiangkou, he asked:

"Will you take the water route or the land route?"

Xie Jinhuan blinked, looking at the coldly beautiful female constable:

"Water's comfortable, land's more interesting—which do you prefer?"

?

Linghu Qingmo had asked seriously, but realized his boyfriend was making lewd jokes; his brow immediately furrowed:

"You roam the martial world—why ask me?"

He turned and walked ahead.

Xie Jinhuan chuckled softly, passed through the dock market, and bought a grilled fish skewer from a street stall, feeding it to Meiqiu, who was ready to take it herself.

The two walked side by side, and in moments arrived at a small inn.

The inn was filled mostly with martial folk; in the hall sat a young boy beside a set of talismans and Daoist robes—not of the Danding Sect style, but clearly from a southern minor Dao sect—the Yin-Yang Sect.

The myriad schools and sects were far more numerous than the surface few; for instance, Buddhist sects included not just Chan and Ascetic lineages, but also the Joyful Sect and other heretical branches, though these had been purged.

The Yin-Yang Sect were the so-called Yin-Yang Masters of the streets, originating from Daoism, primarily handling funerals, and secondarily practicing feng shui, fortune-telling, and exorcism—passed down through generations, mostly active in urban areas.

At that moment, a constable sat in the hall, interrogating:

"When did the man disappear?"

"Last night. My master is a feng shui master who travels the martial world and knows a few family techniques; last night he said he was going downstairs to buy wine, then vanished…"

…

Xie Jinhuan heard this, entered the inn, and turned to the shopkeeper behind the counter:

"The missing man went downstairs to buy wine last night?"

The shopkeeper, fearing trouble, quickly replied:

"He came down, but didn't go upstairs—just looked out the door, then disappeared…"

Xie Jinhuan frowned slightly, walked to the door, and scanned left and right; his gaze settled on an inconspicuous corner of a building several zhang away—perfect for ambushing, nearly impossible to spot from here.

Xie Jinhuan returned to the table, picked up the ritual bell, and attempted to activate it.

The qi of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth adjusted and rebalanced; when the Five Elements leaned toward Yin, the talisman emitted a sound:

Ding ling~

The sound was ethereal, as if summoning souls and guiding spirits.

Linghu Qingmo stood nearby, frowning slightly:

"Is this a soul-summoning bell?"

The boy hurriedly explained: "My master is a Yin-Yang Master; he often performs rituals to exorcise haunted houses, never committed evil."

Xie Jinhuan set down the bell and addressed the constable:

"Take this boy back to the county jail for a few days, and post notices at all city gates and intersections: all cultivators whose cultivation techniques lean Yin must not travel alone in the coming days—this may again be the Mingshen Sect abducting people."

"Yes."

The constable quickly led the Dao boy away.

Linghu Qingmo stood there, brow tightly knitted:

"You wiped out one wave of the Mingshen Sect—they still dare to strike? There must be major moves afoot—what are they planning?"

"The heretical Daoists abduct people to sacrifice them as human offerings—their goal remains unknown."

As Xie Jinhuan spoke, he pondered whether to continue his "fishing enforcement"—to infiltrate the tiger's den!

But then he noticed some martial folk at the dock rushing from downstream, hurrying and frequently glancing back—as if they'd encountered something terrifying…

—

Slightly earlier, Luoxi Port.

Autumn sun blazed overhead; martial folk arrived from all directions, leading horses onto ships bound directly for Sanjiangkou.

A small merchant vessel lay moored by the river; two laborer-dressed cultists placed a stunned hostage inside the cargo hold, sealing their qi points and binding them.

On deck, Blood Third, dressed as a martial artist, scrutinized passing martial folk through a telescope, searching for viable targets.

A cultist stood beside him, frowning:

"Blood Third, abducting people in broad daylight—isn't the risk too great?"

Blood Third knew the risk was high, but after witnessing Xie Jinhuan's uncanny nature, he dared not let his men sneak off to Xiaoyao Cave at night—just in case they accidentally captured Xie Jinhuan or one of his informants, he might not survive a second time.

Elsewhere, there were few people at night; to complete the upper command's orders swiftly, Blood Third had no choice but to personally come to the port and intercept the myriad sectarians passing through.

And surprisingly, because of the Sanjiangkou gathering, so many people were rushing to watch the spectacle—including numerous cultivators whose techniques leaned Yin.

After scanning for a moment, Blood Third fixed his gaze on the window of a ferry by the riverbank:

"Could that person possibly be Xie Jinhuan?"

The cultist immediately raised his telescope; in the distance, through the window of a large ship bound for Sanjiangkou, a woman flickered into view.

The woman wore a black cloak, her hood removed, revealing a refined, elegant coiffure adorned with a purple orchid butterfly hairpin, her face veiled in black gauze—her appearance profoundly mysterious.

At this moment, the woman was casually feeling along the window frame; judging by her movements, she was setting up a mechanical trap. Hmm... a female rat from the Gu Du Pai!

The cultist glanced over briefly, then took out Xie Jinhuan's portrait to compare it carefully:

"It probably isn't him. No matter how skilled Xie Jinhuan is at disguise, he couldn't possibly dress as a woman to walk around outside; if that got out, people would nag about it for a lifetime. However, males belong to Yang and females to Yin. Female cultivators of the Gu Du Pai mostly complement their cultivation technique, each one more poisonous than the last. Those daring to walk out alone must be formidable..."

Xue Lao San knew how dangerous the combination of the three keywords "Gu Du Pai," "beautiful woman," and "walking alone" was; in Southern Jiangnan, merely showing one's face could scare half the street's population away.

But this was Jingcheng; one couldn't just have a Super-Grade Wu Sect female priestess appear out of nowhere.

Moreover, judging by the situation, this woman had taken a large ship to Sanjiangkou to watch the spectacle. She was clearly a street-roaming rogue of the Jianghu. Would a famous ancestor do such a trivial thing?

The superiors ordered an immediate capture; this woman's conditions must match. Besides, Wu Sect priestesses are supreme cauldrons for harvesting Yin to supplement Yang, beneficial for restoring physical strength and power...

Thinking of this, Xue Lao San put down the long-distance telescope;

"I will handle this person myself. You keep a good watch on the crowd."

"Yes."

The cultist immediately nodded. After watching Xue Lao San depart gracefully, he picked up the long-distance telescope again to observe the window situation.

The result was that after scanning left and right, he discovered the woman at the window had vanished at some unknown time; he didn't know if she had entered the room or gone elsewhere...

——

The riverbank was packed with people. Countless Jianghu guests gathered around the tea stall, listening to a Jianghu storyteller tell jokes: "Such a magnificent flower of the human world, how could it be compared to that Wu Sect demoness? Consumed by jealousy, she cast the 'Love Gu' upon Nangong Xianzi..."

"Isn't the Love Gu only cast upon men?"

"Eh, women can cast it on women, and men on men. As for the method to cure it, hehe..."

"I understand..."

Xue Lao San, dressed as an ordinary Jianghu guest, pushed through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd and walked along the riverbank toward the docked ferry. Before he even reached the front, he heard a voice from behind:

"Great Hero, you dropped something."

The soft, feminine voice sounded mature and graceful, like a sect leader's Lady of peerless elegance and dignified composure...

Xue Lao San instinctively turned his head, only to discover that a figure had appeared at some unknown time a dozen feet behind him.

He couldn't clearly see the figure's appearance, only the pair of eyes beneath the hood.

The eyes glowed with red light, exuding a thick sense of demonic strangeness, like a demon fox ranking at the mountain's peak looking down at the ants beneath its feet. In just a single moment of eye contact, all surrounding noise and scenery vanished without a trace, leaving only endless, boundless darkness.

Heart-Moon Fox Pupils...

Only that single thought flashed through Xue Lao San's mind. Before he could even feel fear, his thoughts had completely fallen into the illusionary realm. Immediately, grass grew and orioles flew around him, magical treasures lay scattered everywhere, and gold and silver rained down. All his past desires appeared before his eyes, making it impossible to extricate himself...

People came and went on the street. Xue Lao San stood still in place, looking back. Many passersby looked at him with confusion, yet he showed no reaction whatsoever.

Bu Yuehua, with her hands folded at her waist and her skirt hem rippling like water waves, brushed past from the side. Her heart was quite puzzled, and she thought silently:

The gangs in the Central Plains have been too comfortable for too long. They even dare to target a lone Wu Sect priestess, and dare to turn around...

No, a Ghost Cultivator?

Discovering that this person's soul was excessively powerful and still attempting to break free, Bu Yuehua slowed her steps. After a moment of consideration, ghostly green flames emerged from beneath her cloak, instantly wrapping around the figure's entire body.

Hush~

The Moon Fire of Queyue Manor is an extreme Yin fire; it does not harm the limbs but only burns the soul. Even Xie Jinhuan, after being burned by Wan Yi, had to wear a mask of pain, let alone Bu Yuehua making a move.

In the instant the figure was enveloped by the flames, grotesque ghostly shadows emerged around the dazed person, attempting to flee. However, they were burned back and forced to retreat, using the physical shell as shelter. A mournful, piercing wail also issued from their mouth:

"Ah——"

The Jianghu people passing by heard the piercing scream and almost simultaneously drew their weapons and turned around. A cacophony arose;

"What's going on?"

"Scared the life out of me..."

"How did that fellow spontaneously combust?"

"This is a demon! A demon..."

Discovering the trace of evil, more than half the passersby on the street ran away on the spot. Some bold experts also surrounded the target, striking down with chaotic blades.

Whoosh-whoosh——

Bu Yuehua had already gone far away. Her right hand quietly opened, and an oily green flame flickered in her palm.

In the instant the Ghost Cultivator's body was dismembered, Bu Yuehua followed the direction the flame drifted, tracking down to a bush about half a li away. A flying knife like a snake's fang shot out from her sleeve.

Whoosh——

A mountain sparrow had just taken flight when it was struck by the flying knife and pinned to the tree trunk.

Afterwards, Bu Yuehua transformed into an 'Ah Hua Brand Flamethrower.' She sprayed ghostly green flames from her palm at the grotesque ghostly shadows. In just a moment, she completely burned the soul to ash, and the surroundings fell silent.

"Even a demonic Daoist is nothing special..."

Bu Yuehua flicked her finger lightly to retrieve the flying knife, wiped the bloodstains with a handkerchief, and leisurely returned to the ferry at the port...

——

Shortly after.

Xie Jinhuan, carrying a long spear, stood on the street littered with flesh and blood. First, he looked at a few chunks of rotten meat on the ground, then gazed at an unknown chunk of flesh that had flown onto the roof. Suddenly, he understood how helpless the coroner must have felt receiving his 'work.' He slightly spread his hands:

"How many demon bandits were these?"

A group of Jianghu guests who had acted righteously, seeing the recently famous Marquis of Danyang arrive, all looked at him with longing and greeted him with clasped hands:

"One! This person first stood on the street in a daze, then his whole body burst into flames, displaying sky-reaching demonic qi! Fortunately, a few of us were bold enough to go up and chop him to pieces..."

"Your martial arts are excellent. Go to the government office later to claim the reward. Just next time, when you strike, hmm... leave a bit of a human shape, otherwise it's hard to identify the sect or lineage..."

"Sigh, we are all Jianghu martial artists. We feared the demon bandit might rise from the ashes, so we specifically used hammers to smash him again. Even our fingers were smashed into dust..."

Linghu Qingmo saw Xie Jinhuan's hesitant expression and couldn't help but recall the complaints of Yang Dabiao and Liu Qingzhi from before; his eyes grew strange:

"How is it? Did you see anything?"

Xie Jinhuan was no true immortal; this person had been beaten into minced meat—what could he possibly see?

However, through the descriptions of eyewitnesses, he could still guess a few things:

"This person's dazed state must be the result of an illusion technique; the sudden ignition of cold green fire suggests injury from ghost fire; many saw ghostly shadows nearby, so it must be a ghost cultivator. I just don't know if it's the one who wasn't killed at Songhe Bay."

Hearing of a flame capable of burning the soul, Linghu Qingmo immediately thought of the Waning Moon Manor, which had taken the cold cultivation technique to its extreme:

"To cause a ghost cultivator to fall into an illusion, the attacker must be nearly at Super Rank, if not already there. Could the visitor be the Lord of Waning Moon Manor?"

Xie Jinhuan felt there could be no one else.

The Gu Du Pai had been exiled as a whole; Bu Yuehua had entered the pass as an illegal resident and was on the imperial court's wanted list.

But Xie Jinhuan couldn't exactly drag his mother-in-law back for torture and brutal interrogation; for now, he merely said:

"It's not yet certain. Whoever eliminated the ghost cultivator is a hero who rid the people of harm. We will investigate this person later; for now, the Mingshen Sect matter takes priority."

Linghu Qingmo nodded, made a note of the matter, and began to clean up the aftermath...

——

Afternoon.

Lin Wanyi personally stir-fried several small dishes and prepared a bottle of fine wine, placing them on the small round table in her boudoir.

Xie Jinhuan returned home after finishing his work, holding a large bowl of rice; while eating heartily, he didn't forget to serve dishes to his good wife:

"How did Lord Bu appear at Luoxi Port? Did she also go to Sanjiangkou to watch the spectacle?"

Lin Wanyi helped pour wine for her husband, a hint of confusion in her eyes:

"I'm not sure. Do you really want to see my master?"

"Ah, no."

Xie Jinhuan knew Nangong Xianzi's reputation, but he couldn't afford to provoke a true demoness; he immediately raised his wine cup and clinked it against his young wife's:

"Things in Jingcheng are tense lately. Although Lord Bu is deeply cultivated, if she truly encounters the Fuzhang Sect, I won't be able to rescue her easily..."

"Wu Sect demonesses aren't that easy to catch. In the Jianghu, it's always the Wu Sect demonesses bullying others..."

"That's true. How powerful my Wanyi is; I have connections now..."

"?"

Hearing the lewd remark, Lin Wanyi raised her hand and pinched Xie Jinhuan's waist:

"You still have to fight in the arena tomorrow. Finish your meal early and go back to prepare, so you don't stand unsteadily on the arena tomorrow, or Miss Linghu will scold me again..."

"How could that happen? I'm overflowing with energy now; if I don't burn some off, I might get impulsive tomorrow..."

"Oh, just eat first..."

"Hehe..."

——

Early month, requesting monthly tickets!

Four thousand characters; there's another big chapter coming up, and we're only halfway through. Everyone, read at noon!

(End of this chapter)