“Something unusual must be going on!” Commander Zuo walked over carrying a bundle of firewood, looked at the crows covering the branches, and frowned.
Then he pulled out a knife and said to Xia Bing, who was pouting and looking at Jiang Liu with displeasure, "There's a demon inside. You've learned some Taoist magic, so try to see if you can subdue it!"
"Is there a demon in the house?" Xia Bing's eyes lit up, and she excitedly said, "Master Zuo, what do you think of my talent? Can I learn the Dao from you? I will definitely work hard!"
As he spoke, he walked toward the dilapidated manor. Before long, the sun set behind the hills and night fell.
Humans dislike the pitch-black night, for it blinds them and holds countless unknown terrors. Therefore, humans yearn for light, for fire. A fire burns on the earth, illuminating only a small patch. Above the fire, a flock of crows swarms, trying to peck at the corpse.
Soon after, screams erupted from the ruins, followed by chaos and commotion.
In the end, the giant corpse was personally cleaved into several pieces by Commander Zuo, and the long-nurturing soul of the corpse was reduced to ashes by the power of thunder.
"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The Tao of Heaven, the Tao of Earth, the Tao of Man, the Tao of the Sword, the Tao of Black, the Tao of White, the Tao of Yellow, the Tao of Red, and so on. All Taos are Taos, but one's own Tao is not the eternal Tao. Bah, bah, bah, bah... Nonsense..." Jiang Liu hummed the "Tao, Tao, Tao" in the poem!
I feel good about myself!
"Master Zuo, am I really useless?" Xia Bing looked at the fire in front of her, her expression downcast. Jiang Liu's nagging was like a bee buzzing in her ear, extremely annoying.
"That's already quite good. If it were anyone else, they would have been scared out of their wits by now. You were able to raise your sword and attack, which shows great courage. As for the means to subdue demons, they will come when the time is right." Commander Zuo admired the girl in front of him. It was because the world lacked such courageous people that demons and monsters ran rampant.
"...Wolves and jackals block the way, I seek my own way, I seek my own way...the way of earth, the way of man, the way of sword, the way of first, second, third, fourth, the way of east, south, west, north, left, right, front, back..." Jiang Liu hummed a song as he turned the golden-brown roasted rabbit over, sprinkled some fine salt, pepper, and chili powder on it, and an enticing aroma wafted out.
Xia Bing's stomach rumbled loudly, and she involuntarily swallowed, saying, "It smells so good..."
"It smells so good! Quick... I'm starving! If my nose weren't so sensitive, I wouldn't be able to smell this delicious food..."
A monster seemed to be rapidly approaching from underground, and the sound was coming from there. Commander Zuo instantly drew his sword; with his current strength, Jiang Liu was confident that the approaching creature would be cut in two.
"Don't be nervous, it's a cultivator!" Jiang Liu said calmly, then rolled the rabbit over the flames. The flames seemed to possess a magical power, dancing and licking the rabbit meat above. With each roll, the meat sizzled, oozing light brown juices, as if coated with a layer of brownish-gold, and the delicate aroma gradually became richer and more intense.
“Perfect!” Jiang Liu uttered two more words.
Since Jiang Liu said so, Zuo Qianhu remained unmoved, but he held his sword in his left hand, ready to draw it at any moment.
A man emerged from the ground, shivering, and said, "This awful weather is freezing! Hey everyone, could you lend me a light? That was just earth-遁术 (earth-遁术 is a type of magic technique), a mere trifle, utterly insignificant!"
As they spoke, their eyes remained fixed on the roasted rabbit in Jiang Liu's hand, and their mouths watered.
"Your Taoist methods are quite good!"
"This mere path is nothing to mention!" With that, Zhi Qiu Yi Ye sniffed and looked into the manor, saying in a deep voice, "There's a ghostly aura here!"
"It has already been killed by Master Zuo. It was a giant corpse that had achieved great cultivation!" Xia Bing said, expressing her envy of the demon slayer who could use earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a technique for escaping into the ground).
"Already dead?" Zhi Qiu Yi Ye finally looked away from the delicious food in Jiang Liu's hand, looked at Zuo Qianhu and Xia Bing beside him, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "So we are kindred spirits. Let me introduce myself. I am Zhi Qiu Yi Ye, a scholar of the Kunlun School."
Chapter 378 Lanruo Temple
With the addition of Zhi Qiu Yi Ye to the demon-slaying team, things have become even more lively.
This person possesses profound Taoist skills, excelling in immobilization spells and earth and fire-based Taoist magic. He can effortlessly burrow underground and split mountains, and his sense of smell is exceptionally keen, allowing him to detect ghostly auras. However, he is also a walking meme, his speech and actions being extremely quirky, often causing Xia Bing to burst into laughter.
As they continued to approach Jinhua City, Xia Bing also learned a few Taoist techniques from Zhi Qiu Yi Ye. Although they were sometimes effective and sometimes not, she practiced them very diligently.
Jinhua City, a major city in Jiangnan, still retains some human presence amidst this chaotic world. Outside the city, demons roam freely, forcing humans to band together, though this seems largely futile. For sometimes, humans are more terrifying than demons, devouring people without a trace.
If you really want to count, the number of people who die at the hands of humans is far greater than the number of people eaten by demons.
The dilapidated city walls bear the inscription "Jinhua City," and the city gates are so rotten they seem ready to be smashed down with a single punch. The streets are lined with all sorts of shops, but besides gambling dens and restaurants, the most popular businesses are coffin shops.
From the government officials to the beggars, everyone was fierce and menacing. In this chaotic world, without a bit of ferocity, you wouldn't even be able to get a bite to eat.
Jiang Liu was naturally looking for the protagonist of the story—Ning Caichen, a down-on-his-luck scholar. The imperial court hadn't held any civil service examinations for a long time, so scholars naturally had no way to advance. Everyone needs to eat, and Ning Caichen was fortunate enough to have studied for a few years; he could easily manage accounting and work as a bookkeeper, but that would only be enough to fill his stomach.
In this chaotic world, being able to fill one's stomach is the greatest happiness.
"Commander Zuo, I have a task for you!"
"Master, speak your mind, even if it means facing mountains of knives and seas of fire, I can carve a path for you!" Zuo Qianhu knew a little about the purpose of this mission: to slay a powerful demon, specifically the one residing at Lanruo Temple outside Guo Bei County. Jiang Liu's solemn assignment of the task suggested that the final demon-slaying was about to begin.
He had made thorough preparations, even for death!
"Look, that scholar, I want you to bring him safely to the capital!"
"Ah! Ah?"
Zuo Qianhu was dumbfounded; the script wasn't supposed to start this way!
Although it was hard to believe, I still looked in the direction Jiang Liu was pointing. A frail and destitute scholar was doing abacus work in the cold wind, counting a batch of goods.
"If you deliver it safely to the capital, the Azure Emperor will surely reward you handsomely. Can you do it?" Jiang Liu patted Commander Zuo on the shoulder and said.
"I will certainly do it!"
“Okay!” Jiang Liu nodded, then took the Demon-Slaying Sword from Xia Bing’s waist. The sword had been sealed, and Xia Bing couldn’t draw it out with her abilities.
What are you doing with my sword?
“Of course it is…” Under Xia Bing’s surprised gaze, Jiang Liu slowly drew his sword, a silver-white magic sword covered with complex runes.
Zhi Qiu Yi Ye opened her mouth wide in exaggerated disbelief, showing no sign of greed, only admiration, and said, "What a fine sword! This magic sword is a supreme treasure for subduing demons and monsters! Ordinary demons and monsters cannot withstand a single strike!"
"How did you pull it out?" Xia Bing felt she needed to get to know Jiang Liu again.
Jiang Liu thrust out his sword, which blossomed into nine white lotuses in the air. He said, "The sword is fine; it's sufficient for self-defense. Brother Zhi Qiu, would you like to visit the capital?"
"The capital? That's exactly what I'm looking for!"
That night, Ning Caichen was captured in his sleep and headed towards Jiangdu City. Zuo Qianhu prepared to meet up with Wang Sheng and return to the capital together.
With another protagonist acquired, Jiang Liu felt he was one step closer to his plan to devour the Heavenly Dao.
Zuo Qianhu, Ning Caichen, Zhi Qiu Yiye, Wang Sheng, Pang Yong, Xia Bing, Pei Rong, and other main and supporting characters are almost all included, but the strongest one, Yan Chixia, is still missing.
"This person is not easy to fool!" Jiang Liu walked slowly towards Lanruo Temple, secretly pondering how to plan his next move.
As the sun finally dipped below the hills, darkness descended, and the eerie woods resembled a hellish landscape. Jiang Liu walked through the night, carrying a lantern. In the firelight, the gate of Lanruo Temple was ajar, overgrown with weeds. The red paint on the gate had peeled off and was covered in dust. The Heavenly King statue at the entrance lay on the ground, completely devoid of its former solemnity. The temple plaque was askew, covered in cobwebs, but the three golden characters "Lanruo Temple" were still discernible.
"Xiao Wei, Xiao Yi!"
"Here!" Xiao Wei, who had regained her human form but still had fox ears and a tail, looked at Jiang Liu with increasing awe.
The brief journey through the Lesser Thousand Worlds not only greatly increased the two demons' strength but also taught them that the person before them could end their lives in the blink of an eye. That world, resembling a celestial realm, showed Xiao Wei the path to becoming human. Disguise is merely the lowest form of trickery, a mere ploy when one's strength is insufficient. A true demon, when transformed into a human, is no different from any other!
"There's a bearded swordsman named Yan Chixia in this forest. You all keep him at bay and don't let him come to Lanruo Temple. Remember, don't hurt him!"
"Yes. Rest assured, Abbot, as long as we two live, no one can get close to this place!" After saying that, the lizard demon disappeared from the spot. This was invisibility, a lizard's innate supernatural power.
Xiao Wei nodded and walked slowly into the depths of the forest, her movements extremely elegant.
Jiang Liu slowly walked into the dilapidated temple, carrying a small lantern.
When night falls, the ghosts should appear!
At the same time, a cold wind appeared in the eastern corner of the Lanruo Temple's Buddhist hall. Clumps of bamboo grew among the broken walls, and the steps were covered with rotting leaves. In the center was a large pond filled with wild lotus flowers. The monks' quarters on the east and west sides were also dilapidated due to rain erosion.
Night fell, and with the rise of that evil wind, the winter night grew even colder. The wind stirred up dust, and fallen leaves danced in the air. The withered leaves swirled and fell one after another. Suddenly, the gate of the Tathagata Hall in front of us swung open with a loud "bang".
The once dilapidated monks' quarters and main hall were suddenly filled with a chilling wind and flickering candlelight.
In an instant, the surrounding ruins transformed into elegant houses and paths, each exquisitely crafted and brimming with the graceful beauty of Jiangnan. Amidst the swaying gauze and flickering candlelight, two rows of women with flowing long sleeves emerged. Their hair was styled in double buns, each with delicate features and fair, almost translucent complexions. Holding candles, they filed out, standing neatly on either side of the steps, bowing towards the center, and sweetly calling out, "Welcome, Grandma!"
Before the words were finished, a figure suddenly appeared in the candlelight.
The figure gradually grew upwards and solidified, then turned around. This person was a man dressed as a woman, with a high-pitched, beaded bun, cold eyes and blood-red lips. He wore a dark gold straight-collared, wide-sleeved shirt and a pleated long skirt. Just by walking slowly like this, one could feel an eerie, ghostly aura.
"More flesh and blood have been delivered to my door! I'm so thirsty for it!"
The voice sounded neither male nor female, neither near nor far, making it quite unpleasant to listen to.
Chapter 379 Zhong Kui, the Ghost Eater
The Tree Demon Granny, a thousand-year-old locust tree spirit, can not only control plants but also command ghosts.
The locust tree is considered a ghost among trees! Legend has it that locust trees grow most abundantly in cemeteries, which is why the ancients called them "ghost trees".
A lone lamp illuminates my wanderings through Lanruo Temple. The temple buildings and pagodas inside were once magnificent, a testament to its prosperity, but now most of them have collapsed. The weeds growing in the cracks of the terrazzo floor are taller than a person, as if no one has been here for a long time.
Light shone from ahead, and through the thin mist, a group of women were soaking in a hot spring, playing and frolicking with each other.
Jiang Liu strolled over and immediately spotted a special female ghost among the group. Compared to the others, she was worlds apart. She wore a white gauze palace dress with a wide neckline and flowing sleeves. Her hair was styled in a simple, elegant updo, with her black hair cascading down her shoulders. A jade hairpin was inserted at an angle, and a jade belt wrapped around her arm. A subtle fragrance lingered in the air. Her skin was like solidified cream, and her breath was like a delicate orchid. She had a beautiful nose, white teeth, and fair skin. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes held a mixture of joy and sorrow.
"Young master, come here!" A seductive allure wafted through the air, accompanied by soft moans that made one want to throw themselves into it and be forever captivated.
"Xiaoqian, come here!" Jiang Liu raised the lantern in his hand, and a beam of light shone out, sucking Xiaoqian into the lantern.
"Who is it? Daring to take in the female demon under my command... You're asking for death!" The voice of the locust tree spirit was sometimes male and sometimes female. The first sentence was in a rough voice, but the second sentence suddenly became sharp and thin. As it spoke, demonic energy emanated from its body, and mist rose, making it even more eerie.
"It just so happens that Zhong Kui is still missing a magic-subduing artifact, and your demonic heart, being a thousand-year-old locust tree demon, is quite excellent..."
In an instant, a huge, ugly demon wearing a bright red robe, with a full beard, appeared in front of Jiang Liu. His left hand was on the sword at his waist, his eyes were wide with anger, and his hair stood on end in fury.
"Such a strong ghostly aura! Such an evil presence... Master, can Zhong Kui exorcise these evil spirits?"
"kill!"
"Good! You wicked ghosts, you have committed countless evils. Only by entering my belly can you be reborn!" With that, he strode into the group of ghosts, grabbed one of them, and stuffed it into his mouth. It was like a bottomless pit. The female ghosts had no power to resist at all. In the blink of an eye, Zhong Kui swallowed seven female ghosts.
Where are you going?
Seeing Zhong Kui's incredible powers, the group of female ghosts had no desire to fight. If it weren't for Granny Huaimu's presence, they would have scattered long ago.
But even if they tried to escape, they couldn't. Jiang Liu had already set up a barrier; once inside Lanruo Temple, there was no way out.
"Where did this evil spirit come from, ruining my good time!" Grandma Huaimu was enraged. Her voice, alternating between male and female, was sharp and strange. With her anger, countless vines gathered from the darkness and began to strangle her.
"Haha, a mere trick, watch me break it."
In an instant, Zhong Kui drew his fiery red sword from his waist. Boundless, scorching flames erupted, carrying rolling blazes. With a single slash, the surrounding tree branches that had been sweeping in were all destroyed and burned, instantly turning into a sky full of blue smoke that drifted into the air.
Nanming Fire Sword!
Jiang Liu bestowed upon Zhong Kui a protective magical artifact, a celestial sword whose attributes perfectly countered those of Granny Huaimu. The fact that fire counters wood is another matter.
This Nanming Lihuo Sword was a treasure used by Bodhidharma to subdue demons before he crossed the Yangtze River. It was made by fusing the true gold of the West with the essence of the fire of the South. It contains the ultimate wonder of mutual generation and restraint between the innate and acquired elements. When it is unleashed, it is like a vermilion rainbow a hundred feet long. It is the world's top immortal sword in the "Shushan" world.
Although Zhong Kui's abilities are limited, and he can only be used as a weapon, his uses are still incredibly ingenious!
Specializes in destroying all evil spirits and rare treasures.