Chapter Fourteen: The Tomb of Lady Yu, Searching the Grave

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“Han Chong, you’re not dead yet, are you?”

Leng Yue gripped the iron trident so tightly that her knuckles turned pale. Seeing Han Chong submerged for so long without resurfacing, she called out sternly.

With a splash, he finally broke through the water’s surface.

“Why would you dive down there? If that black demon fish took a bite out of you, you’d have deserved it!”

Leng Yue let out a breath of relief.

“Heh! I only worried that the demon fish might still have some life in it and escape. If that happened, it’d be impossible to track, and the fishermen of Yichuan County would suffer. That’s why I went down to investigate.”

Though this dive appeared dangerous, it was in truth a wise decision. He had slain the black demon fish king with certainty, advanced his cultivation, earned a skill point, and gained the Ghostbane Peachwood Sword.

Inside him, the Bloodshadow Serpent had drained all the demon fish’s corpse of blood and essence. Han Chong felt his physical strength rise yet again! All that effort building the ironclad ship was not in vain.

Leng Yue was momentarily speechless; she hadn’t expected this young man to be so righteous, so bold, and meticulous.

“Thank you, my lord! Truly, you are a living bodhisattva, saving thousands of fishermen in Yichuan County!”

The ten strong men aboard, hearing these words, could not help but burst into tears, their hearts full of admiration. They quickly hauled Han Chong back onto the ship.

“To slay demons and save the people from disaster is a deed of immeasurable virtue! Let us bring the ironclad ship to shore at once!”

The ten men rowed with all their might, and the ironclad vessel, towing the corpse of the demon fish, swiftly returned to shore.

“Indeed, the venerable Envoy of the Demon-Slaying Bureau has arrived! Zhan Yuanliang, Magistrate of Yichuan County, pays his respects to you both. I was delayed by urgent matters and arrived a step too late. My lord’s power is truly unmatched—removing this great scourge from our county. My respect knows no bounds!”

Even before they reached the shore, a sallow, gaunt county magistrate, face marked by worry, awaited them with over a dozen constables, bowing respectfully to Chen Xiaoyang and his companion.

“You magistrate, you truly delayed and neglected your duties—only coming after the demon was slain!”

Leng Yue’s voice was icy.

“Yes, yes! I am at fault, and have neglected you both. My guilt is great. It was only because an evil ghost abducted a bride in the northern wilds that I went to investigate. That is why I was late. I beg your forgiveness, my lords.”

His words were at least sincere—unlike the magistrate of Qingqian County. Leng Yue’s anger abated by more than half.

“An evil ghost abducted a bride? What happened?” Han Chong frowned. Yichuan County, too, was plagued by endless woes.

“I will report the details later, my lords. For now, you have performed a great service by slaying the river demon. I will draft a memorial for the prefect tonight. But—how should we deal with the ironclad ship?”

The magistrate’s eyes shone as he looked at the vessel. He had already heard from the fishermen that this ship was built by Han Chong himself. Too heavy for the two envoys to take away—surely, it would remain.

Han Chong raised an eyebrow. The demons weren’t all gone, yet this sour-faced magistrate was already eyeing the ship.

“Let the ironclad ship belong to the fishermen of Yichuan County. If ever river demons return, they can drive them away and keep both banks safe.”

Han Chong spoke calmly, for the ship could not be taken along. Only by leaving it to the fishermen could it serve its purpose.

“So it is! My lord is truly noble. On behalf of the people of Yichuan County, I thank you!”

The magistrate’s face was awkward, squeezing out a smile. He’d hoped to claim the ship for the county office, but since Han Chong would not take it, there was still a chance to reconsider later.

“My lords, please accompany me to the county town—I must offer you proper hospitality!”

“Good folk, we take our leave! Use the ironclad ship well in the days ahead.”

Han Chong cupped his fists and bade farewell to the fishermen on the shore.

“A safe journey, my lords!” Over a thousand fishermen knelt in unison, reluctant to see them go.

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Han Chong and Leng Yue mounted their horses and, together with the sour-faced magistrate, hurried toward the county seat. Night had fallen by the time they were seated in the rear hall.

“Magistrate Zhan, is this what you call hospitality?”

Leng Yue’s gaze was frosty as she looked at the table laden with plain vegetables, tofu, and salted fish. Han Chong, too, was surprised.

“Yes—this is already the best fare our county can offer! My lords may not know, but Yichuan is the poorest of the nine counties under Pei Prefecture. Half the population depends on fishing for their livelihood; the land is barren and the terrain isolated. What you see here is only possible because I spent my own salary in advance.”

Truly, the poorest magistrate in history!

“My apologies, Magistrate Zhan. We had no idea Yichuan was so impoverished. Please forgive any offense we caused earlier.”

Han Chong’s heart softened. Such honest officials were rare.

“There is, in fact, a deeper reason for our poverty. The county lies with mountains behind and river before—a geomantic treasure said to have been chosen as a burial ground by dozens of princes centuries ago. One of them, King Yu, even buried his consort here. The entire county sits atop these great tombs, and for this reason, nothing grows—we are left with this desolation.”

Han Chong and Leng Yue, eating in silence, felt a chill rise within them as the magistrate spoke, gooseflesh prickling their skin. They forced down their food, but could no longer muster an appetite.

“Magistrate Zhan, could you tell us about the ghost bride abduction?”

Han Chong set down his chopsticks, his voice grave.

“Ahem. The trouble occurred three days ago. Two towns in the north—Li family of Yuanyang Town was marrying a daughter-in-law brought from the Song family in Shiqu Town. As the bridal procession passed through a mass grave between the two towns, an evil ghost appeared, frightened off the porters, and abducted the bride. She has not been seen since. Both families reported the case to the county office.

“However, the river demon had recently killed more than a dozen constables, including the chief headman Zhang. With no other option, I led an investigation myself, but found nothing.”

“Did you examine the mass graves for signs of disturbed soil?” Han Chong’s brow furrowed at the strangeness of the case.

“I checked every one of those hundreds of old graves—none showed any sign of being tampered with. Truly bizarre.”

The magistrate wrung his hands and sighed.

Han Chong, inwardly nodding, found this official a world apart from the one he’d met in Qingqian County. Lacking in ability, perhaps, but diligent and upright—truly rare.

“Very well. Since this case involves an evil ghost and we are here, we shall confront this fiend tomorrow.”

Han Chong spoke after a moment’s thought.

“My deepest thanks, my lords! With your arrival, our misfortunes may finally turn.”

“No matter! As officers of the Demon-Slaying Bureau, it is our duty to vanquish evil spirits, especially such depraved fiends as this one—his crimes cannot go unpunished!” Han Chong’s voice was cold.

Rooms were arranged, and the two retired for the night.

The next morning after breakfast, Magistrate Zhan accompanied them to the place where the bride had vanished.

“What heavy yin energy!” Han Chong’s first impression upon reaching the expanse of mass graves was overwhelming.

All along, fiends and demons had left him little chance to learn the Mysteries of the Netherworld. In this world, spirits were masters of concealment and transformation, and he was always one step behind. Now, with a skill point remaining, Han Chong invested it.

Nether Perception: Grants knowledge and insight into matters of the underworld, enables communication with spirits, and at the highest mastery, allows free passage in and out of hell. Each breath consumes four units of spiritual energy.

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Han Chong closed his eyes, then opened them again. A faint black light shone in his gaze; the world before him turned to monochrome. Yet, he saw no trace of spirits.

“How strange,” he murmured.

“What is it?” Leng Yue noticed the change in his eyes and asked quietly.

“It’s nothing. Let’s begin searching.”

The two of them widened their eyes and fanned out, each taking one side, carefully inspecting every grave for the slightest clue. If an evil spirit truly haunted the place, it would surely be hidden among these tombs.

The search lasted all morning. As the magistrate had said, not a single grave showed any sign of being disturbed.

“Magistrate Zhan, it seems your words were true. Let’s return for now and reconsider our approach.”

“Um, my lords, are we leaving already? Couldn’t you search a while longer?” The magistrate managed a pleading smile.

“We should return for now.” Han Chong and Leng Yue exchanged a glance and nodded.

They returned to the rear hall. By the hour of the Boar, when the night was darkest and the wind howled, Han Chong appeared at Leng Yue’s door and knocked.

“Why go now?” she asked, opening the door, her brow slightly furrowed.

“We scouted by day, act by night—success is certain.”

Han Chong smiled, eyes bright, and turned to hurry away.

Leng Yue was inwardly startled. This boy’s speed had improved again—nearly matching her own!

In just two hours, the pair slipped back to a high ridge overlooking the mass graves, lying in wait, scanning the hundreds of tombs below.

They waited more than an hour before, at last, a dim red lantern floated into view in the distance.

As it drew closer, they saw a shadowy figure, holding a lantern, slinking along furtively, glancing around as he walked.

The figure stopped at a tomb with a headstone in the center of the graveyard.

Han Chong invoked his Nether Perception, but sensed nothing. Leng Yue’s eyes, too, gleamed pale, but her brow furrowed.

“Could the fiend be so skilled at illusion that even spirit sight is deceived?”

The shadow pressed a hand to the tombstone; it slid aside, revealing a large hole beneath.

The figure was about to crawl inside when Han Chong and Leng Yue dashed out, reaching the grave in just ten breaths.

“Halt! You evil spirit, we are officers of the Demon-Slaying Bureau—surrender at once!” Leng Yue shouted, drawing her Frost-White Sword.

Han Chong also drew his Ghostbane Peachwood Sword, bracing for battle.

Yet the shadow in the grave’s darkness emerged, lantern trembling, and fell to its knees with a thud.

“Spare me, my lords! I’m not a ghost—I was only pretending! Please don’t kill me!”

Han Chong seized the lantern and shone it inside. It was a filthy, ragged man in black.

Kicking him to the ground, Han Chong pressed on, lantern in hand, into the hole.

There was no coffin in the tomb—only a young woman in red, her gown torn, cowering in the corner, trembling violently.

When she saw Han Chong, she shrank back in terror, her nerves shattered, screaming in madness.

The ground was stained with blood, and scattered with bowls, chopsticks, and a kettle.