Chapter 9 Shen Wuke, but I am a person of Shen Wuke.
"Young Master Jiang—"
Jiang Yu glanced at him, and Ye Zishan suddenly seemed to have a flash of insight. Even though the man hadn't spoken, he understood what he meant: this man was telling him to shut up.
Raindrops splashed inside, staining Jiang Yu's shoes with mud, but Ye Zishan felt that he seemed to have gained a bit more humanity. No matter how eloquent and eloquent this man had been before, he was still like the bright moon that was kept on a high shelf, seemingly close, but actually untouchable if you reached out your hand.
Jiang Yu looked outside and saw the boy being held aloft by the unconscious male corpse with one hand, while the other hand was placed on his chest. An almost transparent thread was wrapped around the man's middle finger and was about to be slowly inserted.
Shen Jiuxu slightly bent his fingers, and a pure white petal flew out from the dense rain with a "whoosh," its slightly curled edge resembling a sharp blade severing the arm bone of the male corpse. The boy fell into the air, and Shen Jiuxu leaped up and caught the boy's upper body with his right arm. With a glance, Xi Chuang understood and caught the little man thrown to him.
Enraged, the male corpse charged forward with the woman. Jiang Yu raised his chin slightly and lightly poked Shen Jiuxu's lower back with his finger. The man turned around sensitively and was shoved with a sword. When they were sleeping, both of their swords had been taken off and placed on the table.
Now, Jiang Yu has taken his sword instead.
Shen Jiuxu raised his eyebrows, took the sword, drew it, and swung it at the two men. A golden light shone brightly, piercing straight through their center. The sword shadows swirled in the void, and the man and woman had no power to fight back. They fell to the ground and were bound with ropes.
Just as Xi Chuang's heart settled, another thick fog drifted by, and a sword appeared between the bones of the corpse's wrist, shattering the ropes. The male corpse growled, the hilt of the sword pointing to the ground, its malevolent aura soaring to the heavens. Instantly, the ground seemed to be covered with frost, and although it was late spring and early summer, he was shivering with cold.
The sword energy swept past like a whirlwind, surging and shaking the heavens and the earth. Shen Jiuxu was surprised, but his face remained calm and composed.
As he descended the stone steps, his hair fluttered in the wind. This sword energy was not something an ordinary person could wield. Even though it was tainted by the decaying aura of the corpses, it remained pure and expansive, rich in spiritual energy.
A person with such swordsmanship must be spirited and open-minded, not someone who hides behind these corpses and uses underhanded tricks.
The sharp blade was drawn and collided with the sword energy, and in an instant, the night turned into day, and the faces of several disciples with weaker cultivation turned pale.
Ye Zishan was the most outstanding among them, so much so that he couldn't even stand up. He gripped the door frame with one hand, leaving five scratch marks. Jiang Yu stood beside him, taking a step forward without making a sound. His eyes were lowered, and his clothes swayed slightly. At the same time, the dense rain suddenly slowed down.
It was as if a basin had been placed on the eaves, catching half of the water. Ye Zishan suddenly felt much better, thinking it was because his cultivation had greatly increased after his enlightenment. He was smug and picked up his staff to go out, but he bumped into something and bounced back, crashing into the table, where the bowls and chopsticks shattered on the floor.
"What is that?"
Ye Zishan refused to believe it and tried to go out again, but Jiang Yu kicked him in the leg and told him to "stay quiet."
Before Ye Zishan could react, Jiang Yu was already standing silently in front of him again. Had he been kicked by a frail-looking young master...?
It hurts quite a bit. Seriously, was that much force?
Jiang Yu is definitely not a simple person.
Ye Zishan followed his gaze and saw that Shen Jiuxu had already approached the male corpse. The female corpse had grabbed Shen Jiuxu's shoulders with both hands and had dug out a piece of flesh from them. Xi Chuang rushed over and used a rope to tightly pull the female corpse backward, shouting loudly, "Do it!"
The sword hilt was flipped over in Shen Jiuxu's hand, the blade so clear that it reflected a person's image. Xi Chuang, enduring the discomfort, simply lay down on the ground. Suddenly, one hand grabbed the rope, the voice was very soft but made him feel extremely oppressed, "Let go."
Xi Chuang released his grip, and the man flicked his finger upwards, causing the female corpse to stop, her skull suspended in mid-air. The next second, she slowly sat down, her hands neatly placed on her knees, like a stone sculpture.
They had taken down one person, but the sword energy still shone brightly. Shen Jiuxu conjured a soft sword that glowed red. He and Jiang Yu exchanged a glance and then tossed the original sword over to him.
The soft sword moved like a dragon, quickly entangled the sword in the male corpse's hand. Before he could even make a move, the sword energy disappeared in an instant. Even the wound on Shen Jiuxu's neck had healed by half, the bloodstains were cleaned up, and scabs appeared on the wound.
The courtyard finally calmed down. The ground was wet and slippery, mixed with blood and rainwater. The fishy and salty smell made people gag. Several young disciples had never seen so much blood before and couldn't adapt to it for a while. They all vomited yellowish water and collapsed on the ground like soft noodles.
Although Xi Chuang was slightly better off than them, he was still disheveled. "Young Master Jiang, you and this gentleman—"
Jiang Yu walked straight to his side, carefully looked him over, and asked, "Didn't your master give you anything to protect your life?"
"This... this, does it count?" He took out a crimson pouch from his pocket. When he opened it, he found layers of brocade wrapped around the phoenix. The gold thread embroidered with the Vermilion Bird pattern looked familiar to Jiang Yu. Inside was a blank yellow talisman.
"As expected of Lian Quesheng's disciple." Jiang Yu took it, bit his finger and drew a few lines on it. The bright red blood was reflected on the bright yellow talisman paper, which floated in the air, and an invisible force imprisoned the entire room.
"what you do?"
"Summoning the soul." Jiang Yu sighed, walked past him, went into the house, took out the bronze mirror, placed it in the center of the courtyard, and said tactfully, "May your master become the sect leader soon."
"It's still half an incense stick's time before midnight."
Jiang Yu looked at Shen Jiuxu with a puzzled expression. "I know."
The other person seemed somewhat helpless, but took his hand and led him into the house. He tore off a clean piece of cloth and wrapped it around Jiang Yu's index finger. "Take care of the wound first. There's still time."
Jiang Yu stared intently at him.
"If you're going to put on an act, you have to go all the way." Shen Jiuxu turned his face to the side, his ears burning red, and his low explanation sounded more like a cover-up.
"What are those two whispering about in there? The incense is almost burned out," Ye Zishan said, staring intently at the incense stick in his hand, which he had specifically taken out of his storage bag.
Two figures slowly appeared in the bronze mirror, a man and a woman smiling at them. Ye Zishan, who had just seen these two faces that afternoon, was now being chased by two skeletons that evening, screamed like a crowing rooster.
"What are you yelling for? They can't get out anyway."
Jiang Yu's voice came from inside the house, "It is said that during funerals, to prevent ghosts from going out and harming people, bronze mirrors are placed around the coffin. Mirrors belong to metal, which is the essence of yin. The yin energy is heaviest at midnight. Since these two corpses have not been buried, and with the effect of the soul-guiding talisman, the living souls are brought out to appear in the world and trapped in the mirror, unable to escape. So, there is nothing to be afraid of."
"Who...who's afraid?"
Ye Zishan feigned composure but actually stammered, "You're... really strange. Didn't you say you didn't know anything? Actually, you know everything, don't you?"
"Ah! Who was speaking just now? Me? I didn't say anything. I clearly don't know anything. Qinggui, come and protect your young master. Is someone possessing me?"
Jiang Yu was even more shocked. He grabbed Shen Jiuxu, who was standing by watching the commotion, pulled him over, hid behind him, and poked him in the waist. "Say something!"
Ye Zishan's face was a jumble of colors, like spilled paint. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"Hmm... boring. Any sect should teach these things, right?" Jiang Yu rolled his eyes, his tone casual. "Now, ask whatever you want. Didn't you want to find out the truth?"
A man dressed in a dark blue coarse cloth shirt was squatting on the ground. Upon closer inspection, there was a very shallow scar on his neck. The woman next to him had a round face, and her eyes, though not large, were very bright. Her black hair was simply tied up with a silver hairpin, and she wore a pale yellow waistband.
The boy ran towards them the moment he saw them, but bumped into the bronze mirror and couldn't touch anything. He then started wailing.
"They are separated by life and death, and he is an ordinary person. If they are in contact for a long time, his body will be damaged or he may even suffer mental breakdown."
"Then...then should I take her back inside first?" Ye Zishan asked, his mouth moving faster than his brain. He looked at Jiang Yu with a blank expression after asking the question. "With such a commotion, that old woman must have woken up too."
Jiang Yu didn't answer. He just sat on the stool with Shen Jiuxu. It was unclear when they had moved out. They looked like they were there to admire the moon rather than to kill someone. Everyone around them stared at him awkwardly, and the west window was completely forgotten.
"Father, Mother...you're finally back! Father, Mother, Grandma next door said you went somewhere else. I thought I'd never see you again." The boy, with snot and tears streaming down his face, hugged the bronze mirror and ran towards Jiang Yu, throwing himself into his arms. "My parents are inside. Can you let them out?"
“Young Master Jiang, the living soul still retains its memories and blood ties, so it might not harm him. Why don’t you think of a way to release him? Besides, even if something happens, aren’t we all here? This child is only five years old, so it’s normal for him to miss his parents.”
"West Window suggested in a low voice," the boy said, his watery eyes fixed on him, his rosy lips pressed into a thin line.
Xi Chuang's heart melted. He immediately took out a pile of magical artifacts that Lian Quesheng had given him from his collection bag. "This is the Life Link. Tie one end to me. They can't escape."
The chain was about the length of a person. Before Jiang Yu could even agree, Xi Chuang had already slipped one end onto his wrist and, together with the boy, raised their chins to look at the two people on the steps.
"Just take the bronze mirror away."
The yellow talisman hung high in the air, the words on it stained with blood radiating a dazzling light. Jiang Yu turned away, not wanting to look at the group of people. Anyway, there were still people here, and they couldn't escape.
Although his reputation still dates back to three years ago and these people don't know it now, he can't ruin his reputation. If he really gets rid of the person, he'll change his name to Jiang Yu.
As expected, the boy threw the bronze mirror into the house, and two figures immediately appeared. The three of them hugged each other. The drizzle had stopped, and a gentle breeze blew through the woman's hair. She finally came to her senses and bowed to Jiang Yu.
"If it weren't for your help, young master, our family wouldn't be able to meet now. It's not easy for us to say even a few more words. Please accept our bow."
"Hey, hey, no need." Jiang Yu gave a wink, and Ye Zishan understood and quickly helped the man up. "It was just helping out. We'll need to ask you a few questions if we find the culprit."
"Please speak, sir. We will tell you everything we know without reservation." The woman wiped away her tears. She could only bend over halfway by the west window. Shen Jiuxu couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he moved a few stools over. The woman's voice was soft, but very clear.
"It was a little cool this morning. I was planning to get up early and go with the old lady next door to pick some locust flowers near Jingchuan Temple to make steamed dishes. The weather was bad yesterday, it looked like it was going to rain, so I picked them early to come back."
"Who knew that while I was starting a fire, my husband suddenly screamed. When I turned around, a sword suddenly flew over, and there was some other sound, but I couldn't hear it clearly. Then I couldn't see anything at all."
“I saw it.” The man grabbed his wife’s hand and shouted, “There was a figure, dressed in green, with blood dripping from his face. He was very tall, as tall as a tree when he stood in front of me. Before I could even put down my axe, he suddenly appeared from afar and slashed at me with his sword, and then he was gone.”
Ye Zishan didn't notice anything wrong and subconsciously looked at Jiang Yu and Shen Jiuxu.
"What is steamed locust flower dish? Is it delicious?" Jiang Yu asked, looking up. His question was quite abrupt, and no one expected it. They all turned to look at the couple.
Xi Chuang hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed, a faint blush of shame on her face drawing attention.
“Young Master Jiang, time is limited. It would be better to ask some serious questions. There have already been thirteen lives lost. Just this day, we made a vow with the people of Yunshui City to find out the truth as soon as possible to prevent further deaths. If something else happens, the reputation of Xingchenque will be ruined.”
“But I am a member of Shen Wuke. What does the reputation of your Starry Palace have to do with me?” Jiang Yu blinked.
A note from the author:
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Ye Zishan: "Senior Brother Xichuang, did you see that?"
West Window: "What?"
Ye Zishan: "This wound needs to be treated too, or it will be gone if we wait any longer."
Two dramatic couples showing off their affection!
No updates tomorrow, but I'll update the day after. Goodnight! [droopy-eared bunny head][cat head]
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