Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp

Under the cover of night, Lin Yan, dressed in simple clothes, had a face that was both delicate and pale, filled with killing intent.

He walked through the alley, carrying his saber.

From the other end of the alley, a youth emerged, clad in a black robe, with completely different facial features and no expression whatsoever.

"The city is sealed for the night, go back!"

The soldier guarding the city gate shouted from a distance.

"Heavenly Supervision Department business, open the city!"

Lin Yan pulled a token from his embrace, his steps not faltering as he approached.

He arrived at the city gate and tilted his head, saying, "Give me a Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp! And three sticks of incense, a pair of red candles!"

"This isn't according to regulations... Fifth Master?"

The captain of the guard was about to refuse when he suddenly recognized him.

Seeing the killing intent in the other's eyes, he couldn't help but tremble all over.

Recalling the other's title as the Killer Star, he immediately turned his head and barked, "Did you hear? Get a Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp, three sticks of incense, and a pair of red candles!"

After he finished speaking, he cautiously added, "Fifth Master, why are you going out of the city so late? It's very dangerous outside..."

Lin Yan's expression was blank, and he said nothing. He took the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp and three sticks of incense from a young soldier.

The captain of the guard hesitated again, "You're from the Heavenly Supervision Department, so it's within regulations for you to leave the city! However, anything outside the city is not allowed to enter before dawn. When you return later..."

"I won't make things difficult for you."

Lin Yan's voice was low as he said, "I'll return after dawn."

He carried the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp and quickly walked out through the gap in the opened city gate.

Outside the city, a chilling wind blew, and darkness stretched boundlessly.

The light of the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp gradually faded, like a firefly disappearing into the endless darkness.

This single light could only illuminate three feet in front of him.

It couldn't illuminate the long, endless night and the boundless darkness.

The soldiers guarding the city exchanged glances.

Then, a young soldier whispered, "They all say this Fifth Master is known as the Killer Star, a fierce person. I didn't expect him to be so fierce, daring to go out of the city at night?"

"That's why he borrowed a Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp from us?" someone chuckled.

"The darkness outside is endless, and monsters run rampant. Even a divine lamp might not be effective."

The captain of the guard shook his head slightly and explained, "Gao Liu City is protected by the 'Willow Venerate.' We hang Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamps on the city walls to mark the boundary!"

"Powerful malevolent spirits in the darkness, unless they want to go to war with the 'Willow Venerate,' wouldn't dare to attack."

"Of course, accidents can't be entirely ruled out. Our brothers on guard duty inevitably lose some men every year."

"Even guarding the city walls is like this, let alone outside the city."

"Not every malevolent spirit in the darkness is willing to give the 'Willow Venerate' face."

The captain rubbed his temples, his expression somewhat solemn. "I heard that last year, in the prefecture city, a high-ranking official went out to receive offerings. But on his way back, for some reason, he was delayed."

"Even though he lit a Phoenix Tree Night-Illuminating Lamp along the way, his soul was still devoured. All six of them, their bodies unharmed, still breathing, but none of them woke up."

The soldiers exchanged glances, feeling as if the cold night wind had suddenly become bone-chillingly cold.

"A Phoenix Tree Night-Illuminating Lamp, that symbolizes the 'Phoenix Tree Mother Goddess' who protects the prefecture city. Even that couldn't suppress the malevolent spirits?"

"So, if he returns to the city before dawn, we absolutely cannot let him in!"

The captain's face was extremely solemn, and he said in a low voice, "No one knows whether what returns at night is human or something else..."

Everyone fell silent, their hearts growing heavier.

Especially the new recruits who had recently joined the City Guard, their faces turned pale with fear.

Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp.

This lantern appeared ordinary, but a willow branch was hung beneath it.

This was naturally not a branch from the "Willow Venerate" itself that protected Gao Liu City, but rather from a willow tree planted in the temple that had absorbed the Willow Venerate's aura.

Inside the lantern was a jar containing lamp oil, with a wick lit.

The lantern itself cost two hundred coins, which wasn't cheap.

But the lamp oil was extremely expensive.

It was lamp oil from the Willow Venerate's temple, with one tael of oil costing one hundred coins.

Ordinary folk, even if they bought a Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp, could rarely afford to use the lamp oil made by the Willow Venerate's temple.

However, ordinary folk generally didn't dare to go out of the city after dark. They usually bought the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp to keep at home for peace and security.

It was often lit on festive occasions, during housewarmings, or weddings, burning all night as a sign of good fortune.

This has become a local custom.

"..."

Lin Yan, holding the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp, ran along the road at full speed.

Gao Liu City was already far behind.

But when he looked back, he could still see a faint glow of fire enveloping the entire city, like a colossal beast crawling in the darkness.

The City Guard's office allocated a fixed amount of lamp oil daily, which was used to light lamps around the city walls every hundred paces, marking the boundary and driving away malevolent spirits.

And the lanterns and lamp oil would inevitably have some "wear and tear."

Lin Yan was aware of this unspoken rule, so he simply requested one lamp, along with three sticks of incense and a pair of candles.

"Chen Jiangbao's head, half of it, was found about two miles ahead, under a tree on the left."

"There should still be traces there!"

Lin Yan thought, his worries growing heavier, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace.

The light from the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp illuminated three feet in front of him, as if dispelling the darkness ahead.

But around him, there was still endless darkness.

Only the faint yellow light before him swayed gently in the cold wind, moving rapidly through the darkness.

However, he stopped after less than thirty paces.

Because the darkness ahead had not receded.

The light from the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp only illuminated two feet in front of him.

"..."

Lin Yan's expression turned cold, and he extended the lantern forward, pushing it out another foot.

But in front of the lantern, there was still darkness.

He pushed it out another half foot.

The front was still as black as ink.

The Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp could no longer illuminate the darkness ahead.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yan retracted the lantern and spoke, "Are you unwilling to show 'Willow Venerate' some respect?"

The darkness ahead remained, with no response.

Only the cold night wind blew, chilling the bone.

Seeing this, Lin Yan took out a stick of incense from his embrace, inserted it into the lantern, and lit it with the lamp's flame.

He planted this stick of incense in front of him.

This was incense from the Willow Venerate temple, rumored to have the power to ward off evil.

But Lin Yan knew it wasn't for warding off evil, but for appeasement!

"According to the rules, the living walk the path of the living."

"Night has fallen, so I am encroaching on your path."

"I offer this stick of incense as an apology!"

Lin Yan held the lantern and bowed.

This was a rule passed down through generations in Gao Liu City for those traveling at night!

A rule acknowledged by both day and night, and any violation would surely bring misfortune!

This stick of incense was planted in the ground, but the darkness ahead remained unmoving.

Lin Yan knew that the other party felt this one stick of incense was far from enough!

Then, Lin Yan followed suit, lighting another stick of incense and planting it in the ground.

The front was still as black as ink, showing no signs of receding.

Lin Yan's eyes turned somewhat cold, but he still lit the third stick of incense and planted it in the ground.

"Tonight, I offer you three sticks of incense. Please allow me passage."

Lin Yan said this in a calm tone.

This was incense made from the Willow Venerate temple, and it was extraordinary. Ordinary people could only offer three sticks in a single day.

Burning too much incense, showing excessive reverence, could harm one's own vital essence.

But even with the light from these three burning incense sticks, the pitch-black night ahead did not recede even a sliver.

The malevolent spirits in the darkness were still not satisfied.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment, and a chilling wind howled like the wails of ghostly spirits.

"You refuse the offered toast and insist on a beating!"

Lin Yan finally couldn't hold back. His left hand still held the lantern, but his right hand suddenly drew his saber. "You're asking for death!" he said coldly.

The courtesies of this world had been observed.

The ancestral rules had been followed.

He had given them plenty of face!

If they still wouldn't let him pass, then he would have to carve a path forward with his blade!

Without hesitation, Lin Yan slashed forward with his saber.

Divine Ability! Demon Quelling!

The darkness receded like a tide.

Lin Yan, his expressionless face, picked up three incense sticks and extinguished them with his fingers.

Then, he lifted his lantern and continued forward.

The light gradually receded, disappearing into the darkness ahead.

After a moment of silence, a verdant glow appeared in the moonlit forest.

"Grandpa, didn't you say that only monsters with flesh and blood fear human blades?"

A young voice asked, "Malevolent Spirits have no form, so blades can't cut them. But why did the Malevolent Spirit retreat?"

"It wasn't the blade that dispersed the darkness."

An old voice said with a sigh, "It was the intense killing intent he displayed the moment he drew his saber, and the malevolent aura that permeated him."

"There's an old saying: gods fear wicked men."

"If even gods are like this, what hope do Malevolent Spirits have?"

The old voice sighed.

The young voice couldn't help but ask, "But outside Phoenix Perch Prefecture City earlier, didn't that person who looked very fierce get swallowed by this black mist?"

"He looked fierce, roaring and acting menacingly, but in his heart, he was already afraid. That's why he died."

"So, this person, was he completely unafraid just now?"

"Whether he was afraid in his heart, Grandpa doesn't know. But the moment he drew his saber, the Malevolent Spirit was definitely afraid of him."

The old voice also seemed to sigh faintly. "He's so young, yet he's covered in a malevolent aura. Especially when he drew his saber, he looked utterly ferocious, as if a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood lay behind him... In all my years, I've never seen such a fearsome man!"

After a pause, the old voice sighed again. "But he trampled on the rules of day and night. I fear this bodes ill."