Li Feng came to his senses and noticed blue veins bulging on the ghost hand behind Yang He. It was not because Nezha had stirred again in the womb, but because of the Pupil Ghost.
In just a short while, the Pupil Ghost showed signs of advancing once more.
As the third bloodshot vein formed in its sclera, gusts of Yin wind swept through the area.
Perhaps Nezha felt that Yang He's Yang energy was the strongest, comparable to that of more than ten people, and so deliberately—or unconsciously—slowed his absorption of Yang energy.
Yet in the eyes of others, it appeared to be the bond between fellow disciples.
"Immortal Venerable Taiyi once mentioned that Third Young Master's previous life was extraordinary. Daoist Yang probably isn't ordinary either. Could he be an immortal reincarnated to cultivate anew?"
Li Feng was almost certain that Yang He possessed some kind of innate immortal body.
Otherwise, why would he have earned Grandmaster Taiyi's favor?
Li Feng even suspected that Yang He had been sent to Cailian Town by Grandmaster Taiyi. After all, the latter's situation somewhat resembled cultivating through another's corpse.
The lineage of Qianyuan Mountain was blessed with such fortune that it could not be stopped.
Yang He hung in midair. With no mist obscuring his eyes, his field of vision widened, and he discovered that Qing Lake no longer held a single lotus flower or leaf.
It was clearly the season for harvesting lotus roots, yet Qing Lake had become utterly barren in only a few days.
A sense of urgency arose within Yang He. It was very likely that there would not be many peaceful days left. He hurriedly urged, "Lord Li."
"Do not forget to refine pills that can increase Yang energy. If even I cannot suppress senior brother, I fear all of Cailian Town will be buried with him."
Yang He had only a little over a hundred Great Replenishing Pills left. They were absolutely not enough for Yang He glanced at.
He could accept his Daoist child disguise being lost to ghosts, but if he died because his Yang Fire was exhausted, the very thought made him feel stifled.
"This general will begin preparing at once. Daoist Yang, do you have any other requests?"
Yang He added gravely, "Have someone keep an eye on Qing Lake. If Wu Hong returns to Cailian Town, receive them immediately."
Li Feng nodded in agreement and gestured for Song Kuo to gather the medicinal ingredients.
Song Kuo had only just caught a little sleep. Seeing that there was hope of resolving Cailian Town's calamity, he forced himself to stay alert and asked, "My lord, what ingredients do we need exactly?"
"Ginseng should be the main one."
Li Feng sampled a little more of the Great Replenishing Pill, then said hesitantly, "Though I do not know the formula, the pill has quite a pastry-like flavor. Do not overlook things like red dates, chestnuts, and walnuts either."
"I understand."
Just as Song Kuo turned to leave, Li Feng added again, "Wait."
"Daoist Yang is still young. See if you can find honey, cane sugar, and the like."
At the mention of the word young, Li Feng recalled Yang He's performance against evil spirits and felt that he had truly lived like a dog for decades.
Yang He's mouth twitched. The new formula was inexplicably starting to resemble Shi Lijia. Or perhaps Bingliang Pill would be a smoother name?
He forcefully suppressed his stray thoughts and continued developing the fourth Yin Meridian.
The condition for the Pupil Ghost to advance into an Evil Ghost was nine Yin Meridians. Opportunities in the Lore World were plentiful, and without realizing it, he was already over halfway through the Weak Ghost stage.
The Yamen became busy.
Everyone worked together to move supplies, and before long, an iron cauldron had been set up.
Half a day later, Song Kuo returned with a full load, and the air immediately filled with the warmth of cooking.
He did not target the closed pharmacies, lest the commoners imitate him. Instead, he chose several wealthy households.
In exchange for a few yellow talismans gifted by Li Feng, he easily obtained a hundred jin of medicinal ingredients.
When vast quantities of ingredients were poured into the cauldron alongside various supplementary materials used for pastries, a rich fragrance filled the air after only a brief simmer.
Following Yang He's instructions, Li Feng added flour at the end and kneaded everything into pill-shaped balls.
As soon as the pills came out of the cauldron, he planned to bring them to Yang He, but a children's rhyme rang out from the coffin once more.
"Hide-and-seek, hide-and-seek, where is kitty hiding? Search inside and outside the cave, find kitty and laugh, ha ha ha..."
Everyone froze in place. Even though the Yin energy had not surged, their scalps still tingled.
"Draw!"
Yang He secretly activated the ghost hand. An invisible pulling force emerged, and the drying Great Replenishing Pills streamed endlessly into his palm—seven or eight hundred in total.
He took out some of the Great Replenishing Pills and fed them through the gap in the coffin.
The children's rhyme stopped abruptly. Horrifying chewing echoed through the backyard, and Nezha soon settled down in satisfaction.
Li Feng let out a breath.
"So that's how it is. It seems Third Young Master's resentment has dissipated considerably."
Everyone spent the night in unease, yet the coffin remained calm for a long while. It was as though the calamity had been pacified, as though they only needed to wait for Grandmaster Taiyi to appear.
The mist shrouding the Yamen thinned, and long-lost morning sunlight spilled across the ground.
Li Feng had not slept all night, keeping watch over Qing Lake.
Through his arts, he could sense that the deputy general had already reached the vicinity of Qing Lake.
"Daoist Yang must be worrying too much. How could Third Young Master's affairs be related to Qing Lake?"
When Li Feng looked at Yang He again, a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
Yang He's method of cultivation had grown increasingly extreme. He swallowed twenty or thirty Great Replenishing Pills at a time, yet the problem was that he could not fully digest their medicinal power.
Pus and blood flowed from his facial features, while his internal organs had also suffered varying degrees of damage.
Before long, Yang He's Yin-Yang balance would likely be broken. Why would someone with an innate immortal body do something as ruinous as draining a pond to catch all its fish?
"What is Immortal Master Yang worried about?"
"Third Young Master has already been suppressed. All that remains is for Grandmaster Taiyi to act."
"Mm."
Li Feng's eyes widened as he clutched his chest. A monkey's shriek, audible only to him, sounded out, and his heart pounded like a drum.
"Impossible. How could Zhou Chen suddenly die at Qing Lake?"
Zhou Chen was the deputy general escorting Wu Hong. He had still been full of life a moment ago, yet he died without warning, catching Li Feng entirely off guard.
The Heart Ape Art they cultivated took the heart as its foundation.
Zhou Chen had also reached Acquired Perfection. So long as his heart remained intact, he could survive for half a day even if his head was severed from his body. It was far too strange and eerie.
Song Kuo hurried over. With Yang He holding the fort, he remained fairly composed.
"General Li!"
"The soldiers on the city wall spotted Wu Hong returning to Cailian Town along the mountain road!"
Li Feng had no time to mourn Zhou Chen's death. Huang Tianhua saw that Yang He's concerns had been correct; Qing Lake seemed to be hiding something else.
"Where are the other three?"
"I do not know. I have already sent men on horseback to meet Wu Hong."
Li Feng was extremely anxious. He wanted to question Yang He but did not know how to begin.
Yang He was immersed in cultivation, continuously swallowing Great Replenishing Pills. His internal organs had already reached their limit, and only his half-human, half-ghost physique kept him going.
Seeing Li Feng's unusual expression, he understood that something had ultimately happened at Qing Lake.
Nezha sensed something as well, and the coffin lid trembled slightly.
"Looks like the beginner's benefits are about to end."
Yang He coughed repeatedly. His Yang Fire flickered in and out of view as Yin energy continuously gathered in the backyard. The fourth Yin Meridian had already taken shape.
The ghost hand twisted slightly, unable to withstand the infusion of Yin energy.
Meanwhile, Song Kuo carried the unconscious Wu Hong on his back and arrived at the Yamen.
Li Feng dipped his fingers in talisman water and drew several incantations on Wu Hong's forehead, using his arts to dispel the Yin energy within him.
Blergh.
Wu Hong regained consciousness, then vomited up dense masses of black hair.
Li Feng could not help stepping back half a meter. His expression shifted unpredictably as he lost composure for the first time. He had clearly recognized the origin of the black hair.
Madam Yin?
Madam Yin of Chentang Pass was at Qing Lake?!
Before you continue