Chapter Eighty-Nine: A Riot of Beauty and Grace, the Strange Case of Qiongzhou

In his desperation, he hastily searched through the secret arts of the Earthly Fiend lineage. Among the Seventy-Two Mysteries, there were two that concerned the soul.

Soul Seizing: to steal a person’s soul and kill them outright.

Soul Captivation: to beguile by beauty and draw forth a person’s soul; to captivate is to take possession.

Han Chong thought for a moment. This Soul Seizing art would likely require the caster’s soul to be stronger than the target’s before it could succeed.

As for this Soul Captivation art, it took a more unconventional path, using beauty to bewitch. Only, he did not know whether that Demon Lord would fall for such a trick.

Seeing the Demon Lord’s soul body rush at him, Han Chong clenched his teeth. No matter. He would gamble on it. Success or failure, let Heaven decide.

Then he saw the orb of his own soul suddenly release waves of rosy mist. Within the entire Mud-Pellet Palace, the scene instantly became a celestial terrace of the Jade Pool, where one after another, the most stunning beauties from Han Chong’s memories of his previous life took shape from the pink haze and emerged in graceful, jade-like forms.

Especially those from Journey to the West—Chang’e, the Jade Rabbit Spirit, the White-Faced Golden-Nosed Rat Spirit, Princess Wansheng, the Queen of the Women’s Kingdom—and then there were all the martial heroines in ancient dress, today’s celebrity idols, viral internet stars, and exotic beauties. Truly, it had everything one could imagine, each with her own unique allure.

And that Demon Lord, though he had lived for who knew how many hundreds or thousands of years, had never seen such a profusion of ravishing splendor. Even heroes cannot pass the test of a beauty’s charms; in an instant, he cast aside the matter of seizing a body and nearly forgot his own name and identity completely.

A burst of deeply satisfied, wicked laughter rose from amid the sea of beauties. The Demon Lord had been sealed for a hundred years and, now that he had finally broken free, without the slightest power to resist he sank into that soft and seductive world. This time, Han Chong had truly stumbled into success by sheer accident.

And the strength of Soul Captivation did not lie only in the vividness of the beauty illusion, but even more in the sinister nature of the rosy mist it drew in. This mist was called the Crimson Phoenix Powder Haze; before one knew it, it seeped into the very core of the target’s soul, like a soul-drinking poison, causing complete and oblivious surrender.

“Hmph, then enjoy yourself here slowly.”

At last Han Chong opened his eyes. He was lying flat upon a bed, while the Heavenly Sword rested on the carpet beside the couch.

The first face he saw was Cold Moon’s. Her expression was as dark as still water, sorrow lingering in her eyes, which then turned to joy, her delicate fists tightening.

“How did I end up here? Has it been a long time?” Han Chong said, pressing a hand to his forehead as he sat up.

“Yes. The whole night,” she replied.

From the outer hall, upon hearing Han Chong’s voice, Old Master Mi, Daoist Precious Talisman, Mi Pengju, Mi Ling, Mingzhen, and the others all hurried into the inner chamber.

“Haha, didn’t I say so? A young hero like Brother Han is blessed by Heaven; how could anything happen to him?” Old Master Mi’s face was still pale, but he beamed with delight.

“Hmph, old friend, this poor daoist remembers you pacing in circles in a frenzy all night,” the old ox-nosed Daoist teased as he flicked his whisk.

“Haha, concern leads to confusion. Brother Han, to have grasped the Demon-Subduing Sword Art and even made the Heavenly Sword your own, saving my Heavenly Sword Manor from disaster, is truly cause for great joy and celebration.

Yet I do wonder why, after battling those three demons, you suddenly fell unconscious. Could it be that...?”

Han Chong inwardly acknowledged that Old Master Mi truly was a seasoned veteran of the world; he had guessed the key point at once.

“Old Senior Mi, your guess is correct. At first, the fiend within the Heavenly Sword was wounded by me, but it concealed itself and did not emerge. Then, when I was mentally and physically exhausted, it suddenly struck. That is why I fell into a coma and sleep.”

“Hiss.” Though they had already suspected as much, everyone still drew in a sharp breath.

Given all this, had Han Chong not possessed extraordinary powers, anyone else would have been doomed. The danger of it all sent a chill through the heart.

“Brother Han, who exactly are you? Whether in magical power, fleshly strength, courage, or swordsmanship, you stand among the very best of this age. In all my life, I have seen none to compare. If you say you simply happened upon this by chance, I could never be persuaded,” said Old Master Mi.

“Yes indeed, Brother Han. From what this poor daoist can see, your arts are bizarre and elusive, yet clearly of the proper Daoist orthodox tradition, beyond the reckoning of ghosts and gods. You are no ordinary man!” the old ox-nosed Daoist added gravely.

“The two seniors flatter me. The enemy was unclear and pressing from every side, so I had no choice. It was not my intent to conceal anything.

I am the newly appointed roving general of the Demon-Slaying Provincial Office in Qiongzhou. I came from Yunzhou and had only just arrived in the Southern Border Prefecture when I encountered Young Master Mi Ling, and then accompanied him to your estate.”

“What? So it is General Han who has come. This old man’s eyes are truly dim. Shame, shame.

Since the general has honored our humble manor with his presence, I have failed to extend the hospitality of a proper host and instead allowed you to be drawn into such peril. It is truly rude of me. If there are any shortcomings, I beg General Han’s forgiveness!”

The Mi clansmen all showed slight surprise. The Demon-Slaying Bureau held a transcendent status, slaying demons and monsters and earning the reverence of the martial world.

And a roving general held the rank of fourth-grade official, a position of lofty prestige equivalent to that of a provincial governor, one of the highest posts in a province.

Only, Qiongzhou was a prosperous great province, where a mounted general was stationed, and the Qiongzhou governor also concurrently served as the inspector of the Jiangnan Circuit, a third-grade official of the lower class, making it somewhat exceptional.

“Old Senior, you are too courteous. This junior is still young, and since you, Senior Mi, are highly virtuous and esteemed, with Qiongzhou in such a troubled time, I shall have to rely on your great assistance in the days ahead!”

“Haha, well said, well said. If there is anything General Han needs from this old man, I will certainly do my utmost to assist you.”

Han Chong was slightly surprised. He had revealed his official title in hopes of learning something about the destruction of the Demon-Slaying Provincial Office, yet it seemed none of them showed the slightest odd reaction. Could it be they did not know of it?

Seeing Han Chong’s odd expression, Mi Tianjian could not help asking, “Does General Han have some difficulty? Please speak plainly. This old man and the others know what to say and know not to be silent.”

“There is indeed one matter I do not understand. In the imperial order I received, it was said that the entire Qiongzhou Demon-Slaying Provincial Office was annihilated in a single night. Have any of you heard anything of it?”

“What? Such a grave catastrophe actually occurred? How could that be!”

Everyone looked at one another in dismay. The case was truly shocking and hard to imagine.

The elite officers of the Demon-Slaying Provincial Office, so high in status and so deep in cultivation, were actually wiped out completely. Then how overwhelming must the force that destroyed them have been?

“This case, we truly have not heard of. However, there are several other strange cases of which I have heard a little.

First, in the Longqu Canal, salt ships bound for the capital have repeatedly struck reefs and sunk, causing the court incalculable losses.

Second, the entire family of Yuan Jingguo, the former head of the Qiongzhou Merchant Association, was exterminated.

Third, within a single month, several important figures from the prefectural offices, the textile bureau, and the salt transport office were reported for taking bribes, then had their households confiscated and were executed by decapitation.

All these major cases occurred within these three months, each more startling than the last, an anomaly not seen in decades!”

Han Chong’s heart tightened, and his scalp began to tingle. It seemed the turmoil in Qiongzhou was far worse than in Yunzhou.

Leaving aside the four vengeful marshals of the Hangu Prefecture’s sea trenches that were visible on the surface, and the so-called Lord Flood Dragon Spirit, where had that dwarfish ghost marshal come from?

If one said Qiongzhou had eight or ten demon-ghosts at the level of a vengeful marshal, Han Chong would not find it strange in the least. What was truly terrifying was that there were also powerhouses at the level above vengeful spirits, and those were the real hidden menace.

By dusk, the manor held an evening banquet. Wine and dishes were brought forth in abundance, and after the meal, everyone dispersed.

Han Chong, Cold Moon, and Mingzhen were led to a separate courtyard.

“Brother Han, I felt something yesterday. In the next few days, I may be able to break through to Qi Refinement.”

“Oh? Good. Then go ahead and break through in peace. The two of us will wait here for you.” Han Chong smiled and nodded, watching as the young man entered the side chamber.

“Amitabha. Young Benefactor Cold Moon is about to break through, and this humble monk must not lag behind either. In these past two months, following Brother Han through wind and waves, I have gained much insight as well. Perhaps I may soon reach the Qi Condensation Realm.”

“Excellent. In that case, Mingzhen, you are one step closer to what Zen Master Wuchen called emergence into the world. Congratulations.”

Mingzhen joined his palms in salute and walked into the side chamber.