Chapter 58: Lure the Lustful Fool In and Kill Him

Upstream of Huaijiang.

Inside the five-deck vessel, the atmosphere was electric; men’s shouts and crisp drumbeats were clearly audible below deck:

“Dong dong qiang~ dong dong qiang…”

“Four, five, six—big wins, small loses!”

“So young…”

Xie Jinhuan silently leapt onto the treasure ship’s deck, confirmed no one had noticed him, then disguised himself as an ordinary tourist and approached the corner of the deckhouse.

A quick glance revealed few people on deck—only casino enforcers maintaining order and servants serving tea and water, none of whom stood out as particularly formidable.

But the scene inside the deckhouse truly startled Xie Jinhuan!

The five-deck vessel was massive, its interior open to the sky, with a central hall supported by a single colossal pillar.

Around the hall were gambling tables; in the center stood a raised platform bearing a giant drum, with silk ribbons hanging down from the ceiling.

Dancers clad in colorful robes twirled the ribbons, swaying through the hall, occasionally tapping the drum’s surface with bare feet, producing pleasing beats, while drummers nearby pounded vigorously.

At first, the spectacle was merely lavish—not especially unusual.

But as Xie Jinhuan studied it closely, he noticed the colorful figures swinging above wore multicolored masks, their gauzy skirts veiled in mist, utterly translucent, occasionally performing a full split midair.

If you stood directly beneath, looking up, you’d see everything wide open…

Hence, the hall was packed, crowds jostling inward, with people thronging every railing, howling like wolves:

“Hooo~—”

“Do another!”

“Ass is so white…”

Gamblers rolling dice and playing pai gow kept glancing upward.

“Now this is what I call nightlife…”

Xie Jinhuan, in two lifetimes, had never seen such a thrilling performance; he tilted his head, wondering if the dancer was naked, but the angle blocked his view.

Ye Hongshang leaned against the opposite window, seeing Xie Jinhuan stare, warned:

“That’s a man. Don’t know what demonic art he cultivated—he’s become this neither-male-nor-female thing.”

“Huh?!”

Xie Jinhuan squinted, studied closely, and spotted a Adam’s apple; his skin crawled, and he quickly looked away:

“Is this freak the one causing all this?”

“He’s just a lackey.”

Ye Hongshang scanned the chaotic hall and asked:

“What did you see inside this vessel?”

Xie Jinhuan studied carefully: the entire hall was packed; private booths lined the inner railings for VIPs; he estimated at least five or six hundred people crammed aboard, the shouts of lechers and gamblers merging with thick reeks of alcohol and smoke.

Most gamblers wore flushed, ecstatic expressions—they were winning, their eyes fixed on the “dancers” above, their pupils brimming with deep hunger…

Xie Jinhuan sensed the vessel’s eerie atmosphere and whispered:

“What’s wrong with these people?”

“Greed and lust are the easiest to corrupt the self, but demonic Daoists invert human nature, using these urges to stimulate the body and elevate their cultivation base.”

Ye Hongshang gestured toward the thronging crowd:

“The Mad Corpse Flower drives these people into extreme frenzy, amplifying greed and lust to their peak, causing them to expel all their essence and blood in ecstasy, which is then refined into a special pill—likely meant to break through to the demonic Dao’s supreme rank.”

In recent days, investigating the ghost bride’s origins and assisting the government office, Xie Jinhuan had learned much about demonic Daoists; hearing this, he instantly understood—the bandits intended to forge Blood Demon Pills.

Blood Demon Pills, like the martial Dao’s “Shatter Demon Pills,” are essential for breaking through to the supreme realm.

The demonic Dao’s supreme rank is “Unrestrained Desire”; thus, the pill’s creation is peculiar—it must awaken the offering’s strongest desires, then extract their soul essence in ecstasy to form the pill.

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

This ship is a gambling vessel, staging a thrilling performance—its targets are precisely these kinds of men.

And choosing Mid-Autumn Night to act is because ten thousand people flood the Peony Pool; only today can so many easily controlled targets be gathered…

At this thought, Xie Jinhuan’s heart sank; he cautiously scanned his surroundings:

“Blood Demon Pills contain human soul essence—they’re said to lose potency in three days, usually consumed fresh. Is there a first-rank peak demonic bandit aboard?”

Ye Hongshang shook her head: “Beyond the river lies the Jingzhao Prefecture. A demonic Daoist this powerful wouldn’t dare show himself so openly. These bandits are likely underlings, here to assist in pill-making.”

Seeing no first-rank demonic cultivator present, Xie Jinhuan exhaled softly—then his mind stirred again:

Since the Wu Sect rebellion, extremely powerful demonic Daoists have been rare in Daqian; supreme-level demonic beasts have never been seen.

Though first-rank demonic Daoists still fall short of the supreme rank, if they push themselves to the limit, they can still summon the crimson blood-sha of Purple Banner Mountain!

Dan Yang is such a small place—it’s impossible two demonic Daoists near the supreme rank could appear simultaneously…

So if these bandits’ plot is exposed, the blame for Purple Banner Mountain’s rising demonic aura can be directly pinned on them; the court, tracing the bandits, will leave him unscathed.

At this realization, Xie Jinhuan perked up, turned toward the riverbank, searching for Wu Zu constables to report.

But at that moment, the ghost bride, observing the scene, suddenly looked upward:

“Watch out!”

Xie Jinhuan instantly snapped back to focus, without hesitation, flipped into the window; above the deckhouse came a sound:

“Duuu~…”

The eerie whistle, echoing through multiple corridors, struck him like a club; his vision spun, his head reeled, and he nearly collapsed.

But in the crisis, Xie Jinhuan darted into the dense crowd with the speed of thunder.

The next instant!

Whooosh…

Two figures landed outside the hall window.

Tai Shu Dan, wrapped in a thick tea-green cloak, leaned on a vine staff, scanning the packed hall, his brow furrowed.

He Can landed beside him, holding a ghost umbrella, also scanning the hall, puzzled:

“Was there someone just now?”

“Yes.”

Tai Shu Dan scanned the hall—too many people, too chaotic; he couldn’t pinpoint the suspect. After a moment, he said:

“His perception rivals mine, yet his cultivation is low—he must be carrying some kind of detection artifact.”

He Can glanced back at the receding riverbank:

“Too close to the Peony Pool—the flower poison hasn’t taken effect yet; striking now is unwise. What now?”

“Proceed as planned. I’ll watch here. If he doesn’t show himself, he’ll die inside—he’ll eventually reveal himself.”

…

—

“Two, three, three—big wins, small loses!”

“Beautiful!…”

“Beauty, come over here!”

The deckhouse hall blazed with light; beneath the dense drumbeats surged lust, greed, and frenzy—gradually descending into madness.

Xie Jinhuan plunged into the crowd like diving into a packed nightclub; the stench of liquor, smoke, and an intoxicating scent that triggered men’s primal urges clung to his nose, making his blood boil instinctively.

The demonic dancer swung overhead at intervals.

But Xie Jinhuan had no interest in looking up now; he suppressed the dizzying, concussion-like sensation, blended deep into the crowd, and whispered:

“What was that?”

“An old man in a cloak blew a whistle—he’s the ship’s leader.”

“One whistle knocked me out like that?!”

Xie Jinhuan had once been attacked by a ghost witch on Chickencomb Ridge—it was merely disorganized; this felt like a solid, blunt club smashing his skull. He couldn’t believe it:

“What realm?”

“Third-rank mid-level. But his sect is wildly mixed—cultivates both witch and demonic arts, and carries puppet ghosts.”

Before his amnesia, Xie Jinhuan was an eighth-rank nobody—he knew nothing of the top tiers. He asked:

“I’m fourth-rank peak. He’s third-rank mid-level. Can the gap be this big?”

Ye Hongshang explained: “Between third and fourth ranks lies a chasm. Above third-rank in the Wu Sect, one becomes a ‘Spirit Medium’—able to strike the soul directly with incantations. You haven’t entered third rank yet; you have no defense. This gap is normal.”

Since awakening in the Spirit-Quelling Tomb, Xie Jinhuan had never encountered a Xuan Gate opponent stronger than himself; now he calmed his mind and asked:

“Any chance to kill him?”

Ye Hongshang hadn’t expected that when facing an unbeatable foe, Xie Jinhuan’s first thought was how to kill him. She observed briefly and replied:

“Difficult. Without resistance to the incantation, you’ll always be at a disadvantage, especially with many helpers. It’s safer to break out and summon help.”

“He’s forging Blood Demon Pills—the Mad Corpse Flower poison is already spread. He can’t abandon this. Once the poison takes effect, he must control the scene to refine the essence. I’ll create chaos—you break out.”

Seeing slim odds, Xie Jinhuan said nothing more, blended into the crowd, concealed his form, and waited patiently…

(End of Chapter)