Chapter 77: A Wave of Demon Bandits!

The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and the courtyard echoed with the soft chirping of insects.

Jiji jiji~~

Linghu Qingmo sat cross-legged on her bed, eyes closed, her body shimmering with circulating qi as she diligently practiced her cultivation technique, her spirit fully immersed in a state of self-forgetfulness.

But just as she became utterly absorbed in her practice, a sound came from outside:

Click.

A faint door closing.

?

Linghu Qingmo’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly; she ended her practice, calmed her qi, and turned toward the door—only to see a familiar silhouette glide past the window, sneaking toward the entrance…

!

Xie Jinhuan?

He… what is he doing here in the middle of the night?

Panic flared in Linghu Qingmo’s eyes; she wanted to rush and bar the door, but it was too late—she could only shift her sword closer, tense and watchful as the shadow drew nearer, hoping Xie Jinhuan had merely come to stroll with Meiqiu…

But alas, this seemingly upright true hero still halted outside a maiden’s chamber, first listening intently, then raising his hand to knock gently:

Dong dong~

Two soft knocks, as if striking directly upon her heart!

Linghu Qingmo’s face flushed crimson; she considered pretending to sleep and ignoring this nocturnal lecher—but Xie Jinhuan insisted on knocking, and Meiqiu had begun pecking at the door like a woodpecker, so she gritted her teeth and said:

“I… I’m asleep. What do you want?”

A clear, resonant voice came from outside:

“The night is long, and sleep eludes me, Miss Mo Mo…”

Linghu Qingmo’s gaze turned sharp: “If you can’t sleep, cultivate. Why come to my room? I won’t sing you to sleep!”

“Huh? Miss Mo Mo, your thoughts are anything but pure. I simply think—given our age and the unsolved case—how can we sleep? I just recalled a new lead; I’m going to investigate the demon bandits. Are you coming?”

?

Linghu Qingmo drew a deep breath, causing her robe to puff out slightly, her eyes filled with utter disbelief!

You must be mad!

Deep night, silent surroundings, a lone man and a maiden—sneaking up to a girl’s chamber to invite her out to slay demons…

This is… exactly what I wanted!

Linghu Qingmo was, after all, a workaholic; her earlier embarrassment vanished instantly. She snatched her sword and rushed to the door, flinging it open and leaning out:

“What lead?”

Her voice even sounded a little adorable.

Xie Jinhuan, dual weapons slung at his waist and Meiqiu slung over his shoulder after being dragged from sleep, walked out:

“Demon cultivators need blood essence. Let’s go to the black market and trace its source.”

“Blood essence?”

Linghu Qingmo asked, puzzled:

“Demons do need blood essence, but the black market’s supply only turns people into Li Shizhong. The killer is at the fourth rank of demon cultivation, dares commit murders in the capital, and remains undetected—he must have connections. Why would he buy blood essence on the black market?”

“Let’s try our luck. What if we find something?”

Linghu Qingmo knew Xie Jinhuan was “a genius at tracking killers,” but she’d never investigated a case with him before and was eager to learn.

Being woken in the dead of night didn’t bother her at all; she leapt beside him onto the rooftops and headed toward the Wang Fu’s outer gates.

The Dan Wang was the Emperor’s younger brother; his mansion in the capital was vast. Zhao De resided in the eastern compound, the western compound belonged to Princess Changning, and the main residence, long vacant, was reserved for the Dan Wang himself.

Princess Changning had not yet arrived in the capital, so the entire mansion appeared dimly lit, with only a small section of the eastern compound still illuminated.

Xie Jinhuan passed quietly through the eastern compound, glancing into the courtyard.

He found Zhao De indeed awake, pacing back and forth inside his room, discussing with his lackey Laifu:

“Now that Linghu Qingmo, the ‘Tiger Vanguard,’ has arrived, the ‘Mountain King’ won’t be far behind. How much silver do we still have left?”

“Silver? We’ve never seen any. We’re currently over eight thousand taels in debt…”

“What?! Last time I sold two vases from Father’s room, we must replace them fast—or that Mountain King will beat me to death. Hmm… go borrow some silver, just to tide us over.”

“Your Highness, I can’t borrow any more. Everyone who knows you would rather wear patched clothes than lend you a single tael… What if I ask Master Xie? He has thick eyebrows and big eyes—he looks like a generous, righteous man…”

Ah?

Xie Jinhuan’s face darkened instantly; he grabbed Mo Mo and bolted away.

Linghu Qingmo barely escaped; only after leaving the Wang Fu did she warn:

“Don’t you dare borrow silver—the heir has borrowed even a few taels from Yang Dabiao and never paid back…”

Borrowing and never repaying is theft!

Xie Jinhuan had always been the one stealing from others; he’d never met anyone bold enough to steal from him. He nodded thoughtfully:

“I’ve seen it now. I’ll keep my distance from now on.”

The two raced swiftly, scanning the vast, brightly lit city along the way.

Luojing had a permanent population exceeding two million—an astonishing scale.

The black market lay in the Xiaoyao Cave district of the outer city, one of the capital’s most chaotic zones, filled with brothels and gambling dens, where all manner of riffraff and foreign merchants gathered. By day it was a bazaar; by night, it became a ghost market.

Due to its wildly diverse population, it harbored spies from the Northern Zhou, secret agents of heretical sects, and even, rumor said, dealers of hooks!

But none could be uncovered by normal means.

Xie Jinhuan’s Meiqiu and Tian Gang Dian were both purchased from the Flower and Bird Street in this district.

Linghu Qingmo rarely came to the capital and didn’t know the roads well; she followed Xie Jinhuan through winding alleys for half the night before reaching a cluster of low buildings in the outer city, where the raucous, foul-smelling noise of the market reached her ears:

“Come on, drink!”

“Master Xu, you’ve got an iron stomach!”

“Ahh~ ahh~ reached the limit…”

…

Linghu Qingmo landed atop a dirt wall, hearing the rising cries from the alley below; her cheeks flushed slightly, but she pretended not to hear, scanning the chaotic street below.

Most buildings in Xiaoyao Cave were old and stacked atop one another, draped with ragged banners and scraps of cloth, offering poor visibility.

Since midnight marked the start of the ghost market, stalls lined both sides of the street, piled with all manner of goods—but a quick glance revealed nothing clearly forbidden.

Linghu Qingmo searched the street and soon spotted a man near an alley entrance, holding a small vial, shaking it at passersby with hopeful eyes.

“This man sells Dengxian Powder—he probably knows the way. Should you ask or should I?”

“How could a lady handle such matters?”

Xie Jinhuan said no more; he leapt from the rooftops and slipped silently toward the man.

Linghu Qingmo froze, wondering—why climb rooftops just to ask a question?

But she quickly realized: in Xie Jinhuan’s dictionary, “ask” meant “strike first, then listen.”

Xie Jinhuan moved swiftly through the rooftops, landing soundlessly in the alley, grabbing the man’s mouth, and dragging him into the shadows.

“Oo—?!”

The man, still hawking his wares, suddenly faced the standard assassination protocol—his soul nearly fled; he fumbled for a dagger at his waist, but before he could draw it, he received a kidney strike.

Pong—

The alley fell silent.

The man slumped limp in Xie Jinhuan’s arms, trembling violently, his breath nearly halted.

“Where can you get blood essence?”

The man’s eyes widened in terror; he pointed northwest. Only when his mouth and hands were freed did he gasp, trembling:

“Three Willow Alley—Master Li Si might know the way… Great hero, spare me…”

Pong—

Xie Jinhuan delivered a palm strike to the man’s neck; he collapsed into the straw pile, clean and efficient.

Linghu Qingmo leapt down beside him, eyes wide as Meiqiu’s:

“You… you just interrogate like this?”

Meiqiu, however, narrowed her eyes, calm as Mo Mo—her expression clearly said:

You even put him on the straw pile so he won’t get hurt—you’re gentler with birds than this…

Xie Jinhuan had already been relatively gentle in front of a lady; he replied:

“These drug peddlers never speak truth. Next time you meet one, don’t show mercy.”

Linghu Qingmo, a righteous female hero, thought this “strike first, ask nothing” style was too dark-tribe.

But Xie Jinhuan was better at slaying demons than she was; she pulled out a small notebook and hard pen from her sleeve and diligently recorded his method—when encountering drug peddlers, beat them half-dead before questioning.

Xie Jinhuan wasted no time; he led Mo Mo to Three Willow Alley.

The alley housed several secret brothels; though past midnight, Xiaoyao Cave was livelier at night than by day, and a few lecherous patrons still wandered about. Guards stood at the entrance, keeping watch.

Xie Jinhuan had planned to repeat his old trick—grab a tongue, strike first, then question—but he suddenly halted, staring at a nearby fur shop.

The fur shop had closed; outside, several stalls lined the street. One man, clearly possessing some cultivation, sat in a position that gave him full view of the shop’s front and side alley.

If nothing else, there must be another hidden sentinel watching from behind the shop’s blind spot…

Even without his ghost bride, Xie Jinhuan had ample martial experience—but having her was always safer. He adjusted his Lun Jian and asked:

“Is something wrong with this shop?”

Linghu Qingmo, beside him, glanced around, puzzled:

“What’s wrong?”

Fortunately, this wasn’t a question meant for Mo Mo.

Ye Hongshang stepped out from behind, briefly scanning the area:

“There seems to be someone inside the shop, but it’s too far to make out details.”

Ye Hongshang had sharp perception, but his range wasn’t limitless—the farther away, the blurrier the clarity.

Xie Jin quietly slipped into the shadows and crept to more than ten zhang from the shop.

Then, the ghost bride’s voice echoed in his ear:

“No wonder there’s blood essence here. A whole group of shamans are holed up in one room, their cultivation ranging from fourth to sixth rank—they can be wiped out in one go.”

A whole group of shamans?!

Isn’t this Wanyi…

Xie Jin carefully studied the shopfront, deeply surprised.

The Shaman Cult couldn’t operate in the open; scattered shamans in the Great Qian Empire could only lurk in the Ghost Market, and most of the exotic poisons sold at Xiaoyao Cave were concocted by these people.

Xie Jin knew Xiaoyao Cave had Shaman Cult operatives, but seven mid-rank shamans gathered together could form a small sect even in the southern wilderness!

In the capital, this would be classified as a major criminal syndicate!

Shamans, like alchemists, burn through silver—those who reached mid-rank were all rich men…

Thinking of this, Xie Jin’s spirits lifted, and he even regretted bringing Mo Mo along.

After all, with Mo Mo right there, he couldn’t kill and loot freely—it would tarnish his image…

Linghu Qingmo noticed Xie Jin leaning against the wall, his brows cold and thoughtful, and asked with clear confusion:

“What’s wrong here?”

Xie Jin raised a finger toward the street vendors:

“That man is a lookout—there’s definitely something amiss inside. I’m going to investigate. You and Meiqiu keep watch here. Don’t alert them.”

Linghu Qingmo had no doubts and drew his sword, becoming alert to his surroundings:

“Understood. Alert me at once if there’s danger!”

“Don’t get too close—and if anything moves, don’t rush over!”

“Got it…”

…

(End of Chapter)