Shi Wuduan’s arms were crossed as he frowned at Xia Duanfang.
Xia Duanfang said, “Can’t you tell? The vital essence in this man’s organs, even his bones, has been sucked dry. Yet this empty bag of skin isn’t damaged in the least. His three souls and seven spirits have all utterly and completely vanished; eaten as well, I presume. It obviously wasn’t malevolent ghosts, and it definitely wasn’t yao.”
Shi Wuduan didn’t reply as he waited for Xia Duanfang to continue, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but all those who died, regardless of age, were male. According to the ancient texts passed down by my sect’s ancestors, it’s because womens’ yin nature conflicts with that of demons’.”
After a long pause, Shi Wuduan said, “You’re saying all this….”
Xia Duanfang knew what he was going to say next, so he interrupted, “I know you want to say you don’t believe Bai Li did it, and I know that you and he are friends, but killing humans and devouring their souls is in a demon’s very nature. It’s been a year and a half already since he came to Guji. You know, it’s almost admirable that he managed to resist this long before doing anything.”
“I’m not making judgments based on my emotions,” Shi Wuduan glanced at the corpse. Leaning against the wall, he said, “In terms of bloodline, he’s not a pure demon. As far as I know, he’s at least half fox; he shouldn’t be losing control of his instincts. Besides, I know what kind of person he is. He’s always been proud and arrogant, and he’s only worse now that he’s older; he practically looks down on everyone. The way I see it, he’d sooner die than be controlled by his instincts.”
Xia Duanfang frowned at his words. Even though he looked boorish, he was in truth very boorish. Still, he’d been raised in a right and proper sect and had learned since youth about what the great Dao is, etc., etc. He held an innate revulsion to everything “dark and evil and demonic.” He was repulsed by Bai Li the same way girls were repulsed by rats. It was a deep-seated feeling he had no control over.
However, on account of Shi Wuduan, he hadn’t said anything.
“Don’t act rashly and alert the enemy,” Shi Wuduan pondered, “I’ll make sure the army barracks shore up their defenses. I’ll leave the situation in the city to you.”
Xia Duanfang made a sound of assent. Shi Wuduan was about to leave, before seemingly remembering something. He suddenly stopped; his eyes roamed about as if he was lost in thought. The look in his eyes instantly gave Xia Duanfang goosebumps. He had the suspicion that somebody was about to have a bad time.
As expected, it didn’t take long before Shi Wuduan said, “You know…. I suddenly think that this matter….”
He grinned, “These last few years, we’ve only concerned ourselves with guarding our little corner of the land, resulting in the incursion of demons into Haining and the disruption of civilian lives. It truly is shameful. But the enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light, so why not… invite as many Daoists as possible, in order to vanquish them. Sect Leader Xia, what do you think?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Xia Duanfang looked like he’d eaten a fly; he eyed Shi Wuduan warily, thinking back on how he’d been conned back then. He couldn’t help asking, “What’re you up to this time?”
What am I up to? Gathering allies, building walls, and storing rations, of course. Once the soldiers are strong and the horses hardy, it will be time to contend for the throne and fix this broken, worn-out land. For this, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.
Vtl Qevejc mtemxifv jr tf mijrqfv tlr tjcvr yftlcv tlr yjmx jcv vgloafv jkjs.
C mbeqif bo vjsr ijafg, Wlj Gejcojcu tjv kglaafc rfnfgji wlrrlnfr jcv rfca atfw bea ilxf atfs kfgf gfmgelawfca oisfgr. Lf obmerfv wjlcis bc atbrf rwjii rfmar atja, ilxf atf Wljbrtfcu Vfma bo Ljlpl, kfgf rfjafv bc gfwbaf wbecajlcr. Wlj Gejcojcu atbeuta jr tf kgbaf, atja lc vluulcu jii atbrf Gjblrar bea bo atflg tlvfs tbifr, tf kjr jmaejiis vblcu atfw j ojnbg. Ktja kjs, atfs’v tjnf yfaafg atlcur ab vb atjc rmjw mbwwbcfgr bea bo atflg wbcfs.
Several days later, even regular people could tell that something was amiss in Guji City — there was a thin black mist constantly hanging over the city, spreading out little by little each day.
All sorts of rumors ran wild throughout the populace. When people left their homes, they’d cover themselves from head to toe. They splashed dogs’ blood outside their doors. Most people stopped going outside entirely. Five days later, it snowed; but for some reason, the snow was grey. It was as if they were being sprinkled with the dregs of burnt cinders.
Coffin makers were the only ones for whom business was booming. An aura of death loomed over Guji City.
Shi Wuduan sat in his room with his astrolabe, glowing brighter than ever, resting on his knees. He focused intently on the movement of the stars atop the astrolabe. Without executing any equations, he silently tugged at the strands of starsilk and made all the calculations by heart.
This kind of phenomenon likely meant that someone in the city was lighting “Yin Corpse Fire.”
Guxu walks the sixteenth palace, Xuanwu is subsumed by fire, it’s the omen of calamity — the heavenly hound will soon appear, the moon will be consumed… it’ll happen within five days at most. When the heavenly hound swallows the moon and the yin qi is at its highest, the enemy will make their move.
Xia Duanfang actually managed to invite more and more people, until he’d gathered tens of rogue cultivators. One could tell from their ragged robes that being a cultivator really wasn’t profitable. Gu Huaiyang personally extended his hospitality to them, providing them with comfortable living arrangements, while entreating them to help with their situation.
Then, with Xia Duanfang in the lead, they began to rearrange the feng shui of the city, planning on turning it into a massive array. First, they dispersed the black mist lingering over the city’s marketplace. Misfortune had befallen them right at a rather critical time.
It was a bit troublesome…. Shi Wuduan frowned.
Suddenly, his door was opened. Shi Wuduan didn’t even need to lift his head to know who it was — Bai Li was the only one who didn’t knock before he entered.
Even though no one said it out loud, everyone, including Bai Li, was acutely aware of his status. Since there were a bunch of Daoists, whether they were conmen or not, skilled or not, Bai Li tried to stay inside as much as possible to avoid adding to the mess and running into any of them.
Shi Wuduan didn’t know what he wanted this time. The strands of starsilk in his hand fell back to the astrolabe. He asked, “What’s the matter?”
As he looked up, he noticed that Bai Li wasn’t his usual self — his gaze was somewhat vacant, and there was an occasional glint of red in his pitch-black pupils. His face was ashen as well.
The black mist was the byproduct of Yin Corpse Fire. It was to Bai Li, what deer’s blood or tiger’s bone was to a regular person. Consuming it would have revitalizing effects, though too much of it would cause side effects — not to mention that he could sense the changing of the moon. The blood in his veins felt like it was churning uncontrollably. He had to constantly struggle to suppress it, never having a moment’s worth of peace.
As the night of extreme yin got closer and closer, his blood felt like it was boiling, scorching his insides. The things in his shadow got restless as well, ready to spring out at any moment. Bai Li didn’t even know how he’d gotten there, he’d had a moment of dizziness and before he knew it he was in Shi Wuduan’s room.
Something was off — Shi Wuduan’s pulse began to race. He subtly reached for the shortsword hidden within his wide sleeve. On the surface, he asked nonchalantly, “Little Li-zi?”
Bai Li took a deep breath, but backed a step away, leaning on the door. He lowered his head as if he was holding something in. A good while later, he asked hoarsely, “I… will have to leave for a while.”
Shi Wuduan startled for a moment before asking, “Is the… incident that’s going on here affecting you?”
Bai Li nodded silently.
“Okay,” Shi Wuduan nodded without hesitation, and said, “I’ll send people to escort you away. Stay a for while at Anqing. Even though it’s part of Haining, it’s far enough away that it won’t be affected for now….”
Bai Li could no longer hear anything he said next; all he could think of was that impersonal, businesslike “I’ll send people to escort you away.”
In his dazed state, he dimly heard cold laughter by his ear, “You see, he’s got bigger goals to achieve, how could he be willing to fool around with you, let alone run away with you? Aren’t you just so pathetic? As long as he shows you the slightest kindness, you’re so moved by gratitude you’re willing to idle away so much time here. If he so much as smiles at you, you’re happy as though there are flowers blooming in your heart. When he tells you to stay, you could almost throw everything away and live the rest of your life in this tiny place. But what are you to him? You said so much to him that night, but has he taken any of it to heart? It’s been so long, but has he given you a reply? Did you hear what he said? He’s going to send people to escort you away.”
At Bai Li’s sides, his hands clenched into fists and viciously bit down on the tip of his tongue to scrabble back a bit of clarity. He asked, in a strange tone, “Wuduan, you’re not going with me?”
Shi Wuduan looked at him incredulously, “How could I leave? If I leave, who’s going to clean up this mess that’s seemingly popped out of nowhere? Not to mention that if I leave, the Merchant’s Association will destabilize, once that happens, won’t everything fall into chaos?”
“Ah…..” Bai Li heard that person chuckle into his ear, “The mess, the Merchant’s Association. Little Wuduan sure has great ambitions. I’m afraid he won’t be satisfied with Haining alone. Do you remember what that person surnamed Gu said? Do you remember how Shi Wuduan replied? Has he ever spoken to you that way? Has he ever looked at you that way? Say… if he knew of your status and your relation to Yan Zhen, would he ever look at you again? Or perhaps…. would he use those people to act against you, the same way he’s using them against the Yin Corpse Fire?”
Bai Li suddenly raised his head, looking at Shi Wuduan. It seemed to him that Shi Wuduan’s usual, affable smile was gone. His gaze seemed cold, unfamiliar, even hostile. All those years ago, when he’d been tied to a pillar in that cave, the foxes had looked at him with the same kind of gaze.
No — don’t look at me like that; everyone else can, you are the only one who can’t!
And then, he saw Shi Wuduan slowly get to his feet. He even had a long dagger in his hand, pointed mercilessly towards him.
At that moment, Bai Li felt something inside of him abruptly snap. He leaped wildly at Shi Wuduan and violently seized him by the throat.
You’re mine — he thought, you must be with me. For the rest of your life, don’t even think about leaving me. And for the rest of your life, don’t even think about crossing swords with me, you —
Shi Wuduan had been in his seat, having a normal conversation, when he saw Bai Li’s expression become stranger and stranger before he lunged with nearly imperceivable speed. Caught off guard, Shi Wuduan had no time to react. Knocked down, chair and all, Bai Li had him inescapably pinned to the ground.
His elbow crashed painfully on the floor, the short sword that’d been in his sleeve slipped out. Bai Li caught sight of it and the crimson light in his eyes blazed even brighter; even his breath came more hurriedly, the heat puffing on Shi Wuduan’s face. Even his normally gentle voice was chillingly dangerous.
He easily wrenched the short sword from Shi Wuduan’s hand, “Why are you holding a sword?”
Oh no. 😳🥺❤️🩹
💙💙💙
Aiya, this is not looking good 😳