Yapping Dogs

Brilliant fireworks lit up the endless night, while yapping dogs made the streets and alleys clamor.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Blazing fireworks blossomed one after another above Changlan City. Like scorching suns suspended in the sky, they illuminated heaven and earth, leaving every human ghost and skulking fiend with nowhere to hide!

If one looked only at those resplendent fireworks, Changlan City was as lively as a spring night this evening.

Yet beneath that dazzling display lay a feast of slaughter pushed to its utmost extreme!

The zombie that had escaped from the western part of the city was quickly spotted by soldiers patrolling the entire city, guided by the fireworks.

Veiled by the night, its coat of black fur made it resemble a wild mountain bear. Rather than frightening the soldiers, however, it only made them greedier.

"Brothers, glory and achievement lie right before us!"

Lured by dreams of wives granted and sons bestowed, they shouted encouragement to one another, drew their ox-tail sabers, and moved in to encircle it.

Yet though the zombie appeared to be fleeing in panic, that depended entirely on who its opponents were.

When faced with these ordinary mortals, a legend that made people tremble at the very mention of it and could stop children from crying began to brew.

The black-bear-like zombie did not even try to evade the dazzling ox-tail sabers. It charged straight into them.

In an instant, there was no spray of blood and flesh—only men and horses tumbling in disarray.

The zombie was still not satisfied. Brutally, it seized a soldier, tore off his head in one motion, then clamped down on his neck and drank deeply of his blood to replenish its vitality!

The night concealed the horror.

By the time the surviving soldiers scrambled back to their feet, the zombie had already burst through the encirclement and fled without a trace once more.

Helpless, they could only launch signal fireworks to summon reinforcements.

Bang!

Bang!

Fireworks rose one after another into the sky!

They traced the route of the zombie's flight.

Those with swift feet rushed to their deaths; those with slow feet ate dust.

There were also clever people who had already discerned the beast's direction of escape from the firework trail. They laid down a dragon gate formation in advance and waited at ease for the exhausted prey.

There were even true Buddhist and Daoist cultivators who intercepted it midway to kill it.

For a time, the entire city was swept by wind and rain.

Some residents sleeping soundly were suddenly jolted awake by the sound of tiles being stepped on. Before they could gather their senses, the noise had already faded away, as though it had all been a dream.

Other unlucky souls were in the midst of cloud and rain of Mount Wu when a wall suddenly exploded apart. A noisy crowd howled past them.

No one even paused to spare them a second glance, leaving their hearts full of shame and fury to be fed to the night wind.

"A mere walking corpse dares devour people to cultivate?"

The zombie had just fled into a deep alley when an angry rebuke struck. Immediately afterward, a streak of sword light illuminated the bluestone lane.

In an instant, soaring flames and flying radiance flashed across the night sky, and a severed limb fell to earth.

Roar—

The zombie roared in pain and rage. It had already lost one foot, and now it lost an arm as well, causing its body to stagger at once.

Strike him while he was sick—take his life!

The cultivators hidden in the darkness immediately lit up at the sight.

All manner of techniques came crashing down upon it like a storm.

For a moment, battle cries rumbled and blades flashed in every direction.

When the dazzling brilliance faded, the zombie had already been reduced to a human stump.

A wisp of ghostly soul struggled out from within the zombie's body. A bloodstained longsword swept past, and the ghostly soul immediately vanished like smoke.

"Who would have thought that the monster which had stirred the entire city into wind and rain was actually a malicious soul possessing a corpse!"

Daoist priest Yi Qian, who had slain the ghostly soul with his sword, wore an expression of endless regret.

Several Buddhist and Daoist cultivators nearby watched the scene with faces full of chagrin.

What a pity. That heaven-piercing merit had all gone to Yi Qian!

Not long afterward, soldiers arrived carrying torches and began clearing up the aftermath.

It would have been better if they had not cleaned it up. Once they did, they discovered just how vicious the zombie had been!

Along the way lay countless collapsed walls and ruined buildings. There was no knowing how many soldiers and Jianghu experts had died beneath the zombie's poisonous claws and green smoke.

Their deaths had been exceptionally gruesome. If they had not been disemboweled, then their organs had burst apart.

Worse still, those splashed in the face by the green smoke had been corroded into the likeness of evil ghosts, their faces covered in pus-filled sores and their flesh split open. The sight was horrifying beyond measure!

Yet they could not die for the moment and could only lie on the ground, wailing without end.

When one general's achievement was made, ten thousand bones withered!

Aside from making the timid shudder with lingering fear, that miserable scene only further highlighted Daoist priest Yi Qian's formidable divine abilities!

Upon receiving the news, the Prefect of Changlan summoned Daoist priest Yi Qian overnight and honored him as a distinguished guest.

The following morning.

News that the monster which had plagued Changlan City for more than a month had been slain shook the entire city.

The authorities organized a procession and dragged the zombie through the streets for public display.

Though the zombie had nearly been hacked into a human stump, after being pieced together overnight, it had regained a human shape. Covered in black fur, it hung from a cross-shaped wooden frame and drew countless rotten eggs and spoiled vegetable leaves.

"Ah, so this is the monster that harmed people? It truly looks terrifying."

"Isn't that so? Not only does it look terrifying, its abilities are even more frightening. The commotion last night could truly stop children from crying!"

"Good heavens, several stilted buildings on East Street were knocked down!"

The residents of Changlan swarmed out at the news, following alongside the parade cart as they discussed it in a babel of voices.

There were also unending sounds of wailing.

They cried until their hearts and intestines seemed to break!

"You heaven-slaying fiend, give me back my husband! Give me back my husband!"

"My son! Open your eyes and look!"

The parade cart rolled slowly onward. Amid the group of mourning relatives, a dark-faced man leaning on a cane seemed utterly out of place.

Bent over, his eyes bloodshot, he stared at the black-furred zombie being paraded through the streets, his heart twisting like a knife.

That monster reviled and spat upon by the people was both the murderer of his son and his son's corpse!

"Daoist Master, Luo has a matter to request. I hope that, for the sake of our past friendship, Daoist Master can lend me a hand and help me!"

Luo Feibai looked at Mo Chuan, his face filled with grief.

"Escort Chief Luo, speak freely."

Mo Chuan sighed inwardly, thinking that Luo Feibai probably wanted him to deliver the deceased soul.

"Daoist Master, since ancient times, people have spoken of fallen leaves returning to their roots. Look, the corpse has been paraded through the streets and displayed to the public. Could you help me ask for my son's body back?"

Luo Feibai's voice carried sorrow and pleading.

"Escort Chief Luo, it is not that I am unwilling to help. Your son's body was seized by a fierce ghost and transformed into a corpse. Even after it is delivered from suffering, I fear Baleful Intent may still linger within it... Alas, under such circumstances, they will not release it."

Mo Chuan tried to console him.

"Luo cannot simply watch helplessly as my son suffers such humiliation! Daoist Master, Daoist Yi Qian has become the prefect's favored man. I have exhausted every avenue and still cannot enter his door. You are Daoist Yi Qian's close friend, so meeting him should not be difficult. I ask only to see him once."

As he spoke, Luo Feibai offered a piece of private silver, which appeared to weigh eight or nine taels.

Mo Chuan sighed, refusing the silver, but said, "Very well, very well. I will give it a try."

One was old and weak, the other sick and crippled. They had initially planned to hire a carriage.

But the entire city was celebrating, and carriages and horses were nowhere to be found.

The runners who usually darted about everywhere had vanished somewhere today as well.

The two could only walk while searching for a carriage.

Fortunately, their luck was not bad. Halfway there, they found an old cart with a skinny horse and headed for Yongqing Alley.

When they reached Yi Qian's Residence, they found the cramped bluestone alley, barely three feet wide, packed full of carriages.

Taking advantage of being old, weak, sick, and crippled, the pair spent half the day squeezing their way to the entrance, only to find the gatekeeping Daoist boy with his chin tilted nearly into the sky.

Only after Luo Feibai slipped him some silver and Mo Chuan gave Yan Zhen's name did the Daoist boy lower his gaze and say:

"So you are Daoist Priest Yanzhen. Wait here. I will be right back."

With that, he slipped into the little courtyard and shut the door. They could even faintly hear the sound of the bolt being slid into place.

Mo Chuan remained calm and waited patiently.

After quite some time, the Daoist boy opened the door and poked out his head. "Come in!"

Luo Feibai hurriedly said politely, "Many thanks to the immortal lad for leading the way."

Mo Chuan said nothing. He merely cupped his hands, then stepped into the small courtyard.

Old Daoist Priest Yi Qian's residence was truly beautifully purchased—three courtyards deep and three courtyards wide, grand beyond compare.

Just inside the gate stood a screen wall, carrying no small measure of the air of power and wealth.

Led by the Daoist boy, the two passed through the hanging-flower gate. The moment they entered the inner courtyard, they saw that it was already packed with people.

Mo Chuan even spotted an old acquaintance—Abbot Tianbao!

There were simply too many visitors. The study could no longer accommodate them, so they had gathered in the inner courtyard instead, drinking tea and conversing.

As it happened, Old Daoist Priest Yi Qian also intended to establish a temple and found a sect. Taking advantage of the prefect's favor, he was broadly forging good ties and gathering connections.

Looking over, Mo Chuan saw Daoist priest Yi Qian surrounded by a crowd, his face glowing red with health and his manner carefree and elegant!

Mo Chuan led Luo Feibai closer and cupped his hands. "Congratulations, Daoist friend, on slaying the fierce ghost with your sword and spreading your mighty name far and wide!"

At the sound of his voice, Yi Qian glanced over. Only then did he turn around and return the salute. "The joy is mutual, the joy is mutual. Saving the world and delivering people from suffering is the duty our generation ought to fulfill!"

As the two spoke, the commotion in the courtyard quieted by several degrees, and many people turned scrutinizing gazes toward them.

Others whispered among themselves, faintly inquiring into Mo Chuan's background.

Luo Feibai hobbled forward on his cane and cupped his hands.

"Luo Feibai, Escort Chief of the Changlong Escort Agency, greets the immortal master. I have heard that the immortal master intends to establish a temple and found a sect. This is a blessing for Changlan! Luo was overjoyed upon hearing the news and wishes to donate fifty taels of patterned silver to support the Three Pure Ones."

Daoist priest Yi Qian narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. "One should not accept a reward without merit. May I ask whether this layman has some matter in need of help?"

Luo Feibai sighed. "To be frank with the immortal master, the zombie being paraded through the streets is my son's body! Since ancient times, it has been said: the body, hair, and skin are received from one's parents; one dares not damage them, for that is the beginning of filial piety! As a parent, I am likewise unwilling to see my child's body left to drift outside. Immortal master, since it has already been paraded and publicly displayed, could you allow Luo to bury my son, so that I may fulfill a parent's loving heart?"

As his words fell, the courtyard, which had been filled with whispers, suddenly fell silent.

Quite a few people hid strange looks in their eyes.

"Your son's body becoming the vessel of a fierce ghost is truly unfortunate and deeply regrettable! However, that body was long ago transformed by the fierce ghost into a monster's body and no longer has anything to do with your son. I hope Escort Chief Luo will not cling to deluded thoughts or become attached to appearances."

Daoist priest Yi Qian cupped his hands and declined tactfully.

It was not that he was unwilling to give away the monster's body. The prefect had already claimed it, intending to present it to Your Majesty as a rare curiosity.

"This... I still hope the immortal master will grant Luo's request!"

Luo Feibai wished to plead further, but the turmoil of recent days had already exhausted him in body and spirit. Hearing those words, he nearly collapsed. His knees gave way, and with a thud, he dropped to the ground.

Mo Chuan could not bear it. "Daoist friend, even if it is a monster's body, it was once Escort Chief Luo's son. Why not grant someone this kindness?"

Daoist priest Yi Qian's expression turned cold. "Daoist friend, he does not understand. Do you not understand either? That is a monster's body, and it could undergo corpse transformation at any moment!"

Mo Chuan said, "With a courtyard full of yellow-crowned Daoists, can you not deliver a single monster's body?"

"Yan Zhen, enough!"

At that moment, a Daoist stepped forward, pointed at Mo Chuan's nose, and cursed:

"Old Daoist Priest Yanzhen, I heard that you also participated in luring and killing the fierce ghost last night! Yet you alone did not act, allowing that zombie to break out of the trap and enter the city, where it killed who knew how many of Changlan City's people. You still have the face to come here and demand the monster's body—what are you intending?"

The entire courtyard erupted at once upon hearing this!

"Hmph! In this Daoist's view, asking for the monster's body is merely a pretense. He wants to take it back and pretend he killed it himself! Once he leaves Changlan City, who will know whether he killed it or not? With that monster body being so strange, would it not be perfect for swindling people under a grand banner?"

Another old Daoist jumped out and mocked him in a strange, sarcastic tone.

"That makes sense!"

"I heard that Daoist friend once slew a white fox with a sword on Huayin Mountain! Why did you not draw your sword yesterday? If your cultivation is shallow, then so be it! At your age, having lived in a dog's belly can still be understood. What is frightening is an old man who knows no shame and is addicted to boasting!"

Well then, once the wall fell, everyone pushed it.

Seeing Daoist priest Yi Qian refuse him, how could the crowd fail to understand which way the wind was blowing?

As for Mo Chuan, a discarded disciple of the Daoist school already in his eighties—what waves could he possibly stir up?

"So he participated in luring and killing it too?"

"Abbot Tianbao has spent a lifetime hunting geese, only to be pecked blind by one at last. I think this fellow is nothing but a Jianghu swindler! Abbot Tianbao trusted rumors—what a pity!"

"Exactly. Had they invited me, I might well have stopped that zombie in the courtyard. How could there have been such a bloody storm across the whole city?"

One accusation after another dragged Mo Chuan into a whirlpool of public opinion.

Many people even developed a measure of resentment toward Mo Chuan for no reason at all.

Abbot Tianbao stood to one side, his eyes half-closed as he chanted Buddhist scriptures, wearing an expression of compassion for heaven and pity for mankind.

He offered not the slightest explanation for Mo Chuan, who was being relentlessly questioned.

Mo Chuan, condemned by a thousand men, coldly watched the crowd question and accuse him. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Daoist priest Yi Qian. Seeing that Yi Qian likewise said nothing and indulged the crowd, evil surged up from his heart.

"Since all of you believe this Daoist to be a Jianghu swindler, why not draw a line and have a contest?"

As he spoke, his right hand shifted beneath his sleeve, and the Three Pure Ones Bell suddenly dropped into his palm.