Chapter 58: Luring the Lustful In to Kill Them

Upstream of the Huai River.

Inside the five-story ship tower, it was a scene of great excitement; the men's jeers and the crisp drumbeats were clearly audible both above and below the ship:

"Dong dong qiang~ dong dong qiang..."

"Four, five, six! Small bets lose, big bets win!"

"So tender..."

Xie Jinhuan quietly leaped onto the deck of the treasure ship, and after confirming he had not alerted anyone on board, he disguised himself as an ordinary tourist and made his way to the corner of the ship tower.

A brief glance revealed that there were not many people on the deck, only the gambling house enforcers maintaining order and the servants serving tea and water; among them were no particularly formidable individuals.

However, the scene inside the ship tower truly startled Xie Jinhuan!

The five-story ship tower was quite large in scale, with a high ceiling; in the center stood a grand hall supported by a massive pillar that required two people to embrace.

Gambling tables surrounded the hall, while a high platform was erected in the center, upon which sat a giant drum, with silk ribbons hanging down from the dome.

Dancers in colorful robes twirled the silk ribbons with their hands, swaying back and forth in the hall; occasionally, they struck the drum surface with their bare feet, producing melodious drumbeats, while drummers around them played with great effort.

Normally, such a scene would merely be considered quite magnificent, nothing too special.

But as Xie Jinhuan looked closely, he discovered that the colorful figures swaying above the hall wore multicolored masks, their gauze skirts shrouded in mist and clouds, directly semi-transparent, and occasionally performing a split in mid-air.

If one stood directly below and looked up, one should be able to see the entrance wide open...

Because of this, the hall was packed with people, all crowding inward; the edges of the several layers of railings were also surrounded by crowds, constantly emitting howls:

"Hoo-oh~—"

"One more..."

"What a white butt..."

The gamblers playing dice and pushing Pai Gow also frequently looked up.

"Now this is what you call a night show..."

Having lived two lifetimes, Xie Jinhuan had never seen such an exciting artistic performance; he tilted his head, wanting to see if it was performed without undergarments, but the angle prevented him from seeing.

Ye Hongshang leaned against the other side of the window; seeing Xie Jinhuan staring, he reminded him:

"That is a man; I do not know what sinister cultivation technique he practiced to transform into this neither-male-nor-female appearance."

"Ah?!"

Xie Jinhuan narrowed his eyes and examined closely, discovering he truly had an Adam's apple; a chill rose in his heart, and he quickly averted his gaze:

"Is this eunuch causing trouble?"

"This is merely a lackey."

Ye Hongshang surveyed the bustling hall and asked:

"What do you see inside this ship tower?"

Xie Jinhuan looked closely and saw that the entire hall was already overcrowded; inside the railings on all four sides were private rooms where VIP guests played. Judging by appearances, the entire ship was packed with no fewer than five or six hundred people; the jeers of the lustful and the excited roars of the gamblers intertwined, and one could also smell a strong scent of alcohol and tobacco.

Moreover, most of the gamblers inside wore faces full of excitement; judging by their expressions, they were all winning money, because above their heads were the 'dancers' with their springtime charms exposed, and deep in their eyes, a profound thirst was revealed...

Sensing the eerie atmosphere of the entire ship, Xie Jinhuan spoke in a low voice:

"What is wrong with these people?"

"Greed and lust are what most easily cause one to lose oneself, but the Demon Path goes against the human way; it can use this to stimulate the physique and elevate one's realm."

Ye Hongshang gestured toward the crowd huddled together:

"The Mad Flower of Corpse can plunge these people into extreme euphoria, then drive their greed and lust to the extreme, causing them to exhaust their entire vital essence in supreme bliss; refining this can condense a rather special pill, whose function should be to break through to the Demon Path Super Rank."

In the past few days, while investigating the origin of the Ghost Bride and assisting the government office in solving cases, Xie Jinhuan had learned quite a bit of information about the Demon Path; hearing this, he immediately understood the intent of the Demon Bandits—Blood Demon Core.

The Blood Demon Core, just like the 'Po Sha Dan' required above the Martial Path, is an essential item for breaking through to the Super Rank realm.

The Demon Path Super Rank is called 'Unbridled Desire'; therefore, the method for refining this pill is quite special: it must provoke extremely strong desires in the sacrificial offering, extracting their essence and soul amidst supreme bliss before the pill can be formed.

If the cultivator is male, then all required sacrificial offerings must be men, and preferably those with sufficiently intense greed and lust.

This large ship is a gambling ship, still performing exciting shows; the selected targets are basically of this type.

And choosing to act on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival is because tens of thousands of people visit the Peony Pool amusement area; only today can so many easily controlled targets be gathered reasonably...

Upon thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan's heart sank; he cautiously surveyed the surroundings:

"The Blood Demon Core secretly hides human essence and soul; it is said that its medicinal properties dissipate within three days, so it is usually made and consumed immediately. Is there a Rank 1 peak Demon Bandit on this ship?"

Ye Hongshang shook his head: "Once across the river lies Jingzhao Prefecture; such a powerful Demon Path cultivator should not dare to easily show his face. This group of Demon Bandits should be his underlings, here to do menial work and assist in refining the pill."

Seeing that there was no Demon Path cultivator ranked in Rank 1 among them, Xie Jinhuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but soon his heart stirred again:

After the Wu Sect Rebellion, extremely powerful Demon Path cultivators rarely appeared within the Great Qian realm; Super Rank great demons had not been seen at all.

Although a Rank 1 Demon Path cultivator is still a step below Super Rank, if one exerts every ounce of strength, one can still barely produce the Heaven-Piercing Blood Evil of Mount Zihui!

Danyang is such a small place; it cannot possibly have two Demon Path ruthless figures of Super Rank or above appearing simultaneously...

Therefore, as long as this group of Demon Bandits' plot is exposed, the blame for the Heaven-Piercing Demon Qi of Mount Zihui can basically be pinned directly on them; if the imperial court investigates downward along the Demon Bandits, would he not then escape punishment?

Upon thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan immediately became alert; he turned his head toward the riverbank, wanting to find Wu Zu or government office officials to report the news.

But at this very moment, the Ghost Bride, who was observing the situation, suddenly looked upward:

"Be careful!"

Xie Jinhuan immediately retracted his spirit; without any hesitation, he flipped himself into the window. Immediately afterward, a sound came from above the ship tower:

"Doo-woo~..."

The strange whistle penetrated through several layers of corridors into his ears; Xie Jinhuan felt as if struck on the head by a heavy club; his vision spun, and he felt so light-headed and heavy-footed that he nearly fell to the ground.

However, in this critical moment, Xie Jinhuan still, with the momentum of a thundering gallop, dove into the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd.

The next moment!

Whoosh...

Two figures landed outside the window of the ship hall.

Tai Shu Dan, draped in a thick tea-green cloak and leaning on a rattan staff, scanned the crowded hall with furrowed brows.

He Can, holding a ghost umbrella, landed beside him and also searched the hall, his face filled with confusion:

"Was someone here just now?"

"Yes."

Tai Shu Dan scanned the hall again; with too many people and chaos everywhere, he could not lock onto any suspicious individual. After a moment's thought, he said:

"His perception is even greater than your master's, yet his cultivation is not high. He must be carrying some kind of detection artifact."

He Can turned to look at the riverbank gradually receding in the distance:

"We are too close to the Peony Pool. The flower poison has not yet taken effect, so attacking now is inappropriate. What shall we do now?"

"Everything remains as planned. Your master will stay here and watch. If he does not show his face, he will die inside. He will appear sooner or later."

—

"Two, three, three! Bet big on the big, bet small on the small!"

"Beautiful!..."

"Beauty, come over here!"

The ship's upper hall was brightly lit. Beneath the dense drumbeats lay lust, greed, and excitement, gradually tipping toward madness.

Xie Jinhuan plunged into the crowd, like diving into a nightclub packed with people. The air was filled with the scent of alcohol, smoke, and a strange fragrance that stirred men's most primal urges, instinctively making blood surge.

Demonic beings hung from ribbons occasionally swept overhead.

But Xie Jinhuan had no mind to look up now. Suppressing a dizziness as if he had suffered a concussion, he blended into the depths of the crowd and asked in a low voice:

"What was that thing just now?"

"An old man in a cloak whistled. He must be the leader on the ship."

"One whistle blew me into such a state?!"

Previously, when Xie Jinhuan was attacked by a ghost-witch at Rooster Crest Ridge, his techniques were merely slightly disordered. Just now, however, it felt as though he had been struck solidly on the head with a blunt club. Hard to believe, he asked:

"What cultivation level?"

"Mid-stage Rank 3. However, his arts are quite mixed; he cultivates both witchcraft and demon arts, and he also carries puppet ghosts."

Before losing his memory, Xie Jinhuan was merely a Rank 8 nobody, so he truly did not understand the upper echelons. He asked:

"I am at the peak of Rank 4, he is at mid-stage Rank 3. Can the gap be this large?"

Ye Hongshang explained: "Between Ranks 3 and 4 lies an abyss. In the Wu Sect, those above Rank 3 are called 'Spirit Mediums.' They can already use spells to attack the soul and spirit directly. Since you have not yet entered Rank 3, you have no method to resist. Such a gap is normal."

Since awakening at the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum, Xie Jinhuan had not yet encountered a cultivator of a higher realm. Now, he steadied his mind and asked:

"Is there any chance to turn the tables and kill him?"

Ye Hongshang truly had not expected that when Xie Jinhuan met an enemy too strong to oppose, his first thought would be how to kill the person. She observed slightly and replied:

"It is difficult. If you cannot resist the spells, you will inevitably suffer. Moreover, there is a host of helpers. Breaking out to summon reinforcements is the safer option."

"This person intends to refine a Hua Yao Dan. The madness-inducing flower poison has already been scattered; we cannot give up halfway. Once the flower poison takes effect, he must control the scene to refine the vital blood. I will create some chaos for you; you just break out and kill."

Seeing the odds of victory were too low, Xie Jinhuan said no more. Blending into the crowd to conceal his form, he waited carefully for an opportunity...

(End of this chapter)