Chapter 9

As the hour of Zi approached, except for the taverns and brothels which remained brightly lit, the entire Wanshan County fell into a deep silence. The two officials had already lifted the curfew, and after witnessing the monster's illusion, they knew that ordinary soldiers stood no chance against it. There was no point in letting them die in vain.

Tonight, the Chen residence was as bright as daylight. Perhaps they had heeded the advice of the two officials, though they did not fully believe the monster's promise to meet at the hour of Zi, they took precautions just in case.

The full moon hung high, casting a cold, clear light. The vast Chen residence was patrolled by soldiers borrowed from the government and martial artists employed by the Chen family.

Secular martial artists, lacking innate talent, had developed their own methods to strengthen their bodies and minds. They possessed a thin layer of internal energy, which they could channel into their hands and feet during combat, giving them some power. If their cultivation was advanced enough, they could even channel this energy into weapons, reaching a different level of proficiency.

The courtyard where the monster had appeared during the day was surrounded by martial artists and soldiers, almost completely sealed off.

Despite the tight security, it could not stop the five cultivators. On the rooftop of the pavilion, the five either stood or sat, occasionally conversing, but they were all on high alert. Illusions were unpredictable, and a single misstep could lead to their downfall.

"This monster from the Bai Man Mountains has dominated half of Juzhou, with the entire mountain range under the control of the Demon God Palace. What is the origin of this monster? Among the demon races, those skilled in illusions are mostly foxes and tanuki..."

"It seems to be from the tanuki clan, but why would a member of a well-known clan in the Bai Man Mountains end up in another state?"

"Hehe, if it weren't so lustful, I would have taken it as a pet."

Ji Sui and Feng came from the Jade Purity Sect and had broader knowledge. Su Fu silently noted this, thinking he might have a chance to visit the Bai Man Mountains.

The two officials stood respectfully, silent, their hearts filled with tension. Du Song held the pendant around his neck, a magical artifact with only two layers of restrictions, as the material was too common to refine further.

"Ah..."

As they were talking, a scream came from a house to the south, and soldiers rushed over.

Yun Xi's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he said, "I'll go check it out," before leaping to the roof of another house and disappearing into the night.

Ji Sui knew his junior sister's strength was not inferior to his own, though he was worried, he did not show it.

For a moment, everyone was silent. Su Fu frowned and suddenly stood up, seeing a surge of demonic energy from a house to the north, so intense that it made one's heart race.

A hand stopped Su Fu, and Ji Sui said calmly, "Su Daoist, stay here. I'll handle it." With that, he leaped away and disappeared.

Su Fu's frown deepened, thinking, "If this is a ploy to lure us away, how can the monster be sure it can lure the two from the Jade Purity Sect? Besides, I am not a pushover..."

Before he could finish his thoughts, a faint cry came from the central house of the Chen residence: "Ah... What are you... Help... There's a monster... Help..."

The sound was not loud, but the cultivators' senses were sharp, and they could hear it clearly.

The two officials gritted their teeth and bowed to Su Fu, "Senior, please guard this place. We will go check it out." With that, they too disappeared into the night.

The Chen residence was bustling with activity, with incidents happening everywhere. Su Fu became even more certain that the monster had left Chen Yiyi's essence to commit its deed under the watchful eyes of the five cultivators. He remained calm, ignoring the commotion around him.

...

When Yun Xi arrived at the southern house, he saw a maid being scolded.

"Calling out like that, disturbing the master, what crime do you deserve?"

"Manager Luo, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, wailing..."

The soldiers, seeing no disturbance, dispersed, but Yun Xi smiled coldly and descended from the roof.

"Who's there?"

The leader of the soldiers called out coldly. Yun Xi flipped his hand, revealing a thin book with the words "Degree" on the cover.

Seeing this, the soldier quickly knelt down. The holder of a degree was equivalent to a sixth-rank official, though without real power, they could not be treated lightly.

"Unaware of your presence, I have offended you. Please forgive me."

Yun Xi waved his hand, "You can continue your patrol. I'll handle this."

He put away the degree, and the soldier had no objections, leading his men away.

"You two, stop acting. Show your true forms."

Once they were gone, Yun Xi said coldly, his fingers glowing with spiritual light, drawing in the air. A green lightning bolt shot towards the maid and the manager.

This was the most commonly used spell by cultivators, the "Lightning Transformation Spell," simple and practical. Once a cultivator reached the Yin Spirit Realm and mastered drawing talismans in the air, they could cast it without a medium.

With a 'bang,' the two transformed back into their original forms, which were just two withered branches, identical to those from the morning.

Yun Xi was taken aback. His spiritual senses had confirmed they were living beings, but he had been deceived. His delicate brows furrowed, and he coldly hummed, knowing he had been tricked.

Just as he was about to return, he sensed something and looked up, seeing a fierce yang fire burning in the air. Yun Xi was startled, moving quickly. He drew a talisman from his storage bag with his left hand and drew another in the air with his right.

"Dry, Shun, Yang, Li, Yang Fire Spell, Great Purity Dragon Order."

The words were spoken quickly and urgently. The talisman suddenly burned, and the spiritual energy was rapidly drained, instantly producing a brilliant flame. The talisman, also known as a spell medium, was inscribed with restrictions. The material, often paper, wood, or jade, determined the power of the spell.

With a 'boom,' a loud explosion shook the air. Yun Xi looked at the empty space in confusion, murmuring, "Brother?"

...

Ji Sui rushed to the scene, but the demonic energy suddenly dissipated, leaving no trace. He looked around in confusion. There were no patrolling soldiers here. What had happened?

This was in one of the gardens of the Chen residence, with artificial hills. He leaped onto one, and the surroundings were quiet, as if separated from the outside world. His spiritual senses detected false traces everywhere, but he could not truly see through them, knowing it was due to his insufficient cultivation.

"Illusion?"

His expression was cold. He drew a talisman from his storage bag, drew another in the air, and recited, "Heavenly Gang, Five Qi, Lightning."

A crackling sound filled the air, as if the space was being torn apart, revealing a ground covered in corpses—martial artists, soldiers, and servants, all dead silently.

This was the Jade Purity Sect's exclusive secret technique, the "Five Thunder Righteousness Spell," which was extremely difficult to master. It took most cultivators ten years to achieve, but Ji Sui had mastered it in just two years, proving his exceptional talent.

For most cultivators, casting spells required incantations, which were powerful and difficult to control independently. These incantations, also known as command words, allowed cultivators to influence the flow of spiritual energy around them once they reached the Yin Spirit Realm. At higher levels, their words could manifest as spells.

Seeing the gruesome scene, he sighed inwardly. The struggle above brought suffering below.

Just as he was about to return, he sensed something and leaped backward, drawing a jade stone and channeling spiritual energy into it, forming a protective shield.

This was a divine restriction stone, inscribed with defensive restrictions. Restrictions were the methods cultivators used to control spiritual energy, with countless types in the True World.

With a 'boom,' the artificial hill he stood on exploded. Straining his eyes, he saw it was caused by a hairpin.

Ji Sui was stunned, murmuring, "Sister?"

...

Su Fu waited for about half an hour when there was a commotion outside the house. A voice shouted, "Who are you? How did you get in? Speak up!"

The shout was followed by a cry, "Monster... Kill it..."

Inside the pavilion, Chen Yiyi, hearing the commotion, could no longer hold back and opened the window to look. Her maid, Tao Xiang, quickly blocked her, panicking, "Miss, you were harmed by the monster last night. Don't look..."

Chen Yiyi, though gentle on the outside, was strong-willed. She frowned and said, "I couldn't see anything last night, which made me passive. I want to see what the monster looks like. Tao Xiang, move aside."

Su Fu heard their conversation clearly and secretly admired her courage. Most people, once bitten by a snake, would fear ropes for ten years. To face unknown fear bravely was indeed a sign of extraordinary courage.

At that moment, the door of the house suddenly burst open, and a gray shadow shot up.

Chen Yiyi saw it and cried out, "Tao Xiang, get out of the way."

Tao Xiang, facing away from the window, did not realize the danger. Seeing her mistress seemed serious, she turned around and was hit, losing consciousness and collapsing.

The gray shadow was extremely fast, and Su Fu could not save her in time. Without hesitation, he leaped through the window, holding a soul banner to prevent Chen Yiyi from rushing out.

A man suddenly burst in, startling Chen Yiyi. When she saw it was Su Fu, she was both embarrassed and anxious, "Grateful Daoist, what about Tao Xiang?"

As Su Fu had expected, Tao Xiang suddenly pounced, her face twisted and a demonic voice saying, "Boy, hand over the 'Demon Taming Scripture,' and I might spare your life."

His words were unexpected.