Nothing Cannot Be Solved With One Sword

As the last rays of the setting sun spilled over the mountains, the flute song of a shepherd boy returning home at dusk drifted through the air.

Li Chu rose from his meditation cushion as calmly as ever, stretched his body a little, and smoothed the wrinkles in his Daoist robe.

Another day without a single pilgrim coming to the temple.

Only now did Li Chu's mind and body truly belong entirely to himself. He had become a genuinely free man.

To put it simply, he was off work.

Even though he had done nothing all day.

The life of a little Daoist priest was this plain, unadorned, and dull.

He returned to the Backyard and began preparing dinner.

After master and disciple had finished eating, he rose and said to Yu Qi'an, "Master, this disciple is going out for a while."

Yu Qi'an nodded lightly. "Be careful."

"Yes."

After informing him, Li Chu walked out through the Temple Gate.

He had left a little earlier than usual this time. The sky had yet to darken, and the ghosts and monsters of Ten Li Slope had not emerged. Nor was he heading in his usual direction.

He was walking toward the river.

Yuhang Town lay near the mouth where the East Sea met the land, with a dense network of rivers around it. Among them was the Black Water River.

The Black Water River was neither especially wide nor especially deep compared to the other rivers nearby, but it was unusual in one respect: no one had ever dared approach it.

Because there was a Water Ghost in the river.

In truth, every great river had more or less some tale of Water Ghosts, but the one in the Black Water River was especially formidable.

It was said that during the great flood over a hundred years ago, many people had died in the Black Water River. This Water Ghost had absorbed countless Yin Souls, and its cultivation had soared in a single leap.

When Water Ghosts haunted other places, at worst, people simply avoided going into the water. But at the Black Water River, even if you stood on the bank, a single glance at the River Surface might lure you down into it.

As time passed, both banks of the entire Black Water River became a Forbidden Zone.

No incidents had occurred for a long time, but last year, some family's Brat had not been watched properly and ran to the riverbank to play. He was lured down into the water by the Water Ghost.

Second Brother Niu from the neighboring village happened to see it. Unable to bear it, he went into the water to save him.

Second Brother Niu had spent years fishing at sea and was an excellent swimmer. Even with his hands and feet tied, he could thrash through the water faster than a fish.

But after pushing the child back up, he himself never came back up.

And after Second Brother Niu died, his corpse was as heavy as iron and stone, sinking into the heart of the river without floating back up. No one dared retrieve his body.

With nowhere to turn, Second Brother Niu's family could only follow the villagers' advice and invite Daoists to set up an altar, sincerely offering sacrifices to the Water Ghost in the river.

Only then did the Water Ghost allow the corpse to float to the surface, and only then could Second Brother Niu be laid to rest.

Tyrannical to such a degree!

Li Chu had transmigrated before this sacrifice took place, so this Water Ghost had left a very deep impression on him.

Or rather, a very bad impression.

At the time, someone had also asked why they did not invite Cultivators to destroy the Water Ghost. The village elders all said that they had done so in the early years.

But this Water Ghost had long since grown powerful, and its cultivation was profound. Ordinary Cultivators who came would only be throwing away their lives, while even stronger ones could do nothing to it.

For it had almost fused into one with the Black Water River itself, coming and going freely within it—Formless and Trackless. How could it be destroyed?

Unless some truly great power intervened. But how could a tiny fishing village possibly invite such a figure?

They could only wait a few more decades. Perhaps it might cultivate into the River God of the Black Water River by then, and would no longer need to harm people.

But Li Chu felt that was not right.

Second Brother Niu was undoubtedly a good man.

This Water Ghost was undoubtedly an Evil Ghost.

Then why did an Evil Ghost still have a chance to bring its merits to perfect fruition after killing someone, while a good man could be coerced through his own corpse even after death?

The matter made him feel somewhat angry.

His Master said that every person had their own fate ordained by Heaven.

But he felt that a good man's fate should not be like this.

Nor should an Evil Ghost's fate be like this.

So he had kept this matter in his heart all along, including that anger.

After reaching Level Seventy-one last night, the first place he had wanted to visit was here.

Flowers Red and Willows Green bloomed along the riverbank, lush grass spread thickly over the ground, and orioles and sparrows soared and danced among them. Beneath the evening glow, it was a beautiful sight.

Li Chu strolled through this scenery.

And so the picture became even more beautiful.

As he walked, he felt a thread of cool wind blowing in from the River Surface, sending ripples spreading across the water.

He turned his head to look at the river surface.

But what he saw was not a handsome face.

Instead, reflected in the water was a big face with a green complexion and fangs—ferocious, terrifying, ugly.

Li Chu smiled faintly.

I've finally waited for you.

Before he smiled, the ghost shadow in the water smiled first—a greedy grin.

One man and one ghost, smiling at each other.

Then the scene in Li Chu's eyes changed.

Beneath the water was no longer a ghost face, but a pile of golden gold, right within reach, as though he only needed to bend down to scoop up that priceless treasure!

He did not move.

Light and shadow shifted, and beneath the water appeared a dragon throne. Resting atop it was a large imperial seal. A voice by his ear told him: Sit down. Sit in that position, and the whole world will be yours.

Still, he did not move.

The light and shadow changed again. This time, it became a group of beautiful women. Each was beautiful as flowers and jade, yet none was dressed properly. One revealed a hint of soft chest, another bared two long legs, while deeper parts were vaguely visible. It seemed that with just one reach of his hand, he could tear off those thin gauze skirts.

Li Chu finally moved.

He drew the iron sword from his back and swung it forward.

Hiss—

The sword tip sliced through the air.

Immediately afterward, the flowing river water stalled.

Boom—

The great river reversed its flow!

With a thunderous crash, the slowly flowing river water was suddenly cut in half down the middle! On both sides, walls of water several zhang high rose in an instant, surging upward at a visible speed!

Where he had swung his sword, a vacuum zone nearly ten zhang wide appeared, instantly exposing the dry and messy riverbed. Many unlucky fish, unaware of the reason, suddenly went from water into midair and immediately widened their eyes.

Their eyes were full of confusion and innocence.

On this riverbed, also exposed was a pale shadow. That was the water ghost's true form. After many years, it had already shed its human shape, but its eyes were still vaguely recognizable.

The emotions in its eyes were not much different from those in the fishes' eyes.

But the water ghost's intelligence was still greater than a fish's. Besides widening its eyes, it also went through a series of rapid psychological activities.

What the hell...

What is this...

An immortal?

The water ghost looked up at the handsome youth on the shore who had casually swung a sword, a bit confused.

He blocked the water?

No...

He cut the river!

He used this way to forcibly drive me, merged into the river water, out!

This kid came for me!

Don't you want to talk? Why?!

Wait!

Danger!

That's right—Li Chu had come for it. He thought for the time of a meal before he only then thought of this method.

Since you could come and go freely within the river water, formless and trackless, then I'll cut the river first.

What was a water ghost without water?

A ghost?

No.

A dead ghost!

Li Chu gently lifted his hand, and the second sword fell.

Hiss—

That pale shadow suddenly shattered, carrying his over a hundred years of cultivation and great dream of becoming a river god, then was scattered by the heavily falling river water.

His last thought in his ghost life contained only two words.

Cheating...

Li Chu calmly sheathed the sword.

One Sword Cuts the River.

One Sword Slashes Ghosts.

There was nothing in this world that couldn't be solved with one sword.

If there was, then two swords.

In the flash of lightning and spark of flint, the fish in the air returned to the depths of the water. This brief interval was not even enough for them to figure out whether they were birds or fish. But it was all right—seven seconds later, they would forget this perilous journey.

A dense white glow merged into his body, and Li Chu let out a long breath. As expected of a Hundred-Year Water Ghost—the Experience Points it gave were truly abundant.

But the rewards matched the risks. This was also the first time he had encountered such a dangerous situation—if that water ghost's Illusion Technique had been a thousand times stronger, it might truly have bewitched him.

At that thought, Li Chu could not help feeling a lingering fear.