On the way, they passed Jiaxing South Lake, where fishing boats sang their evening songs along the shore. Jianghu performers also played music and told stories by the water, recounting the legends of the "Eastern Heretic, Western Venom, Southern Emperor, and Northern Beggar." Huang Rong listened with great interest, occasionally chiming in with her own comments. Her words were full of admiration for these martial arts masters.
Jiang Hanyue was enthralled. In all her life, she had spent her time either at Nuwa Palace or in Luo Shui City; she had hardly ever been anywhere else. Taking Huang Rong's hand, she asked, "Sister Huang Rong, are those people really that powerful?"
Huang Rong thumped her chest. "Of course! My father is the Eastern Heretic, Huang Yaoshi. His martial arts are incredible!" She sounded rather proud as she said this, but then her face fell. "It's a pity he never lets me go out and see the world. I had to sneak away this time."
At her words, Jiang He merely smiled. "The jianghu is vast, full of hidden talents. In time, Miss Huang will meet plenty more experts." He lightly tapped a finger, and a faint wisp of protective energy silently entered Huang Rong's body. It would keep her safe without disturbing her.
After traveling on and off for several days, they finally arrived in Suzhou. Canals crisscrossed the city, and bridges were everywhere. Gardens filled the streets, with pavilions and towers, winding paths, and quiet retreats. Everywhere bore the gentle elegance of Jiangnan.
They left the boat and strolled along Bluestone Path. Ancient-looking shops lined the street, selling local specialties such as Suzhou Embroidery, sandalwood fans, and osmanthus wine. Jiang Hanyue and Huang Rong were drawn to a shop selling rouge and face powder. They gathered by the window, chattering about the different colors. Feng Li Yue was more interested in a Suzhou Embroidery stall by the roadside. She picked up a piece embroidered with a moonlit lotus pond and examined it closely. The stitching was exquisite, the scene lifelike.
Suzhou's night was even more gentle and charming than its day. The bluestone path glistened faintly beneath the night sky, as though washed by water. Red lanterns hung from the covered boats on the canals, their candlelight swaying and reflecting in the blue waves like a flowing river of stars. Jiang He and the others found an inn by the water. From their window, they could see fishing lights on the river and drooping willows along the bank. The evening breeze carried a faint scent of lotus and moisture from the water, refreshing the senses.
Jiang Hanyue and Huang Rong shared an upper room. Despite the long journey, neither felt sleepy. They leaned by the window, chattering over the river view, sometimes imitating the storytellers' voices and sometimes arguing over whose osmanthus cakes tasted best. Feng Li Yue sat with Jiang He on the terrace of the neighboring room, holding a cup of warm Pre-rain Longjing. Gazing at the scattered rooftops and hazy moonlight in the distance, she said softly, "Suzhou's night scenery is more alluring than Luo Shui City's."
Jiang He nodded and lightly tapped the railing with his finger. His divine sense silently spread out, covering nearly half of Suzhou. The Red Dust Realm was rich in spiritual energy, and where Yin-Yang Qi mingled, ghosts and evil spirits were bound to arise. Places like Suzhou, with its network of canals and rows of old houses, were especially prone to accumulating yin energy—making them ideal haunts for ghosts. He had already sensed several sinister auras in the city, but said nothing.
The night deepened. Most of the lights in the inn went out, leaving only a few lanterns swaying in the breeze along the corridors. Just as Jiang Hanyue and Huang Rong were finally growing tired and preparing to rest, a piercing scream suddenly shattered the night's silence. The clang of weapons clashing and the cries of children followed, coming from the end of the street.
"What's happening?" Huang Rong perked up at once. She sprang from the bed, grabbed the short sword beside her pillow, and was about to rush out. Jiang Hanyue hurried to the window and leaned out to look.
Jiang He and Feng Li Yue appeared at their doorway almost at the same time. "Don't panic. Come with me and we'll see." Jiang He's voice was calm. A faint red glow rose in his palm, shielding the four of them and concealing their auras. "It's only some ghosts causing trouble."
The four of them quietly went downstairs and headed along Bluestone Path toward the end of the street. In the night, they saw dozens of warriors in martial outfits gathered in front of an old mansion, holding swords and sabers with solemn expressions. The mansion's gate stood open, and everything inside was pitch-black. Dark qi curled faintly within, punctuated by chilling shrieks.
"Those are members of the Beggar's Sect! And there are constables from Suzhou Prefecture!" Huang Rong recognized the clothing of several warriors at a glance. Lowering her voice, she said to Jiang Hanyue, "The Beggar's Sect often upholds justice and deals with ghosts that harm people. The constables from Suzhou Prefecture know a few basic exorcism techniques, too."
Jiang Hanyue only stared on with wide-eyed curiosity. As someone in the Taiyi Realm, she naturally had nothing to fear from mere ghosts. This world was still in its early stages, and its highest realm had not even reached Earth Immortal. She simply had never seen a ghost before!
A burly elder of the Beggar's Sect held a broad-backed saber and bellowed, "Demon! You dare harm the people of Suzhou? Today, I'll make sure you're utterly destroyed!" He leaped into the air, channeling his powerful inner force into the blade. It glowed with a faint white light as he slashed at the dark qi inside the mansion.
"Riiiip!" The blade collided with the dark qi, producing a shrill sound. The qi churned, and several black tendrils shot out from within, reaching for the leader. He reacted swiftly, spinning aside and sweeping his broad-backed saber across the tendrils. As he severed them, a piercing wail rang out from the dark qi.
"This ghost has absorbed the yin energy in the city and grown powerful! Form up!" the constable from Suzhou Prefecture shouted. He flung several yellow talismans into the air. They ignited with an eerie blue flame, became glowing runes, and flew toward the dark qi. The other warriors sprang into action, their blades flashing as their inner force wove an invisible net around the dark qi at the mansion's entrance.
Most of these warriors were between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core. Though they could not draw on the power of heaven and earth, they had honed their inner force to its limits. Combined with rudimentary talisman techniques and Array Formation, it was enough to keep the ghost at bay. Some of their moves carried the fierce power of Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, while others had the rounded fluidity of Wudang Tai Chi. Their martial arts were clearly a fusion of different techniques, and, nourished by spiritual energy, they were far more powerful than in the original martial world.
A blurry ghostly figure gradually emerged from the dark qi. It hunched over, its face hideous, and dense yin energy coiled around it. Its pair of glowing green eyes gleamed with bloodlust. It let out a shriek and spat out a cloud of black mist. Wherever the mist passed, a layer of white frost formed over the stone path. Several lower-level warriors were caught by it; they shivered violently, and their weapons nearly slipped from their hands.
"Careful! The ghost's yin energy can erode inner force!" The constable's expression changed. He quickly took out a bronze mirror and infused it with inner force. A beam of golden light shot from the mirror, dispelling part of the black mist. "Use inner force of the yang attribute to resist it!"
The warriors adjusted their breathing, and the white light on their blades grew brighter. Some even began to burn with faint flames. They had driven their inner force to the limit and drawn on the yang energy of heaven and earth. Seizing the opportunity, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold thrust his saber straight ahead. The blade pierced the black mist and struck the ghost squarely in the chest. The ghost let out a world-shaking wail, its form instantly turning indistinct as the dark qi began to dissipate.
Just then, the ghost suddenly swelled, transforming into a massive cloud of black mist that rushed toward the densest part of the crowd. It was clearly making a last-ditch counterattack. Several warriors couldn't dodge in time and were about to be swallowed by the mist. Huang Rong was ready to rush forward, but Jiang He gently pressed a hand to her shoulder.
"No need to rush." Jiang He's voice was calm and even. His gaze rested on the black mist. "These warriors have trained for years. They know how to handle this."
Before he had finished speaking, the constable raised the bronze mirror above his head and shouted, "Righteousness of heaven and earth—drive away evil and repel calamity!" The mirror's golden light surged, forming an enormous screen that blocked the black mist. At the same time, several warriors swung their blades in unison, channeling their inner force into a golden blade of qi that struck the heart of the mist.
"Boom!" The black mist exploded, breaking into countless fragments of dark qi. A night breeze swept through and gradually scattered them into the air. The ghost let out one last shriek and vanished completely, leaving behind only a faint trace of yin energy, which was soon dissolved by the yang energy in the night.
The battle was over. The warriors put away their weapons, their faces weary but relieved. Several constables entered the old mansion and rescued the trapped townspeople. There were both young and old among them, all pale from fright. One of the constables stepped forward and reassured them, then left several men behind to clean up before leading the others away.
Only after the street had returned to normal did Jiang He turn back toward the inn with Feng Li Yue and the other two.
At dawn the next day, Suzhou awoke from its quiet slumber. Covered boats began to travel back and forth along the canals again. The boatmen's calls mingled with the cries of street vendors, breaking the silence of the night. After the four of them had breakfast, they planned to visit Humble Administrator's Garden, reputed to be the finest of Suzhou's gardens, its scenery unsurpassed throughout Jiangnan.
They had barely left the inn when they saw the constable who had held the bronze mirror the night before patrolling the street with several yamen runners. He still looked tired, apparently having had little rest after driving out the evil spirit. When he spotted Jiang He and the others, surprise flickered in his eyes. He immediately walked over and clasped his hands in greeting. "You look unfamiliar, travelers. Have you come from elsewhere? The haunting in the city last night—did it disturb you?"
"Thank you for your concern, Constable. We're all well." Jiang He nodded politely, his voice calm and even.
Huang Rong's eyes darted about. She stepped forward with a smile. "Constable, that ghost was fierce indeed. Who knows how many people it would have harmed if you hadn't dealt with it! But during the fight last night, I thought I sensed a faint warmth covering the street. The black mist couldn't get near our inn at all. Do you know what that was?"
The constable was taken aback, then his expression grew grave. "You noticed it too? While we were fighting the ghost last night, we did feel an invisible force protecting the area where the townspeople lived. It was gentle but pure, and dispelled a great deal of yin energy, yet we couldn't find its source. I've lived a long time, but I've never seen anything so miraculous. It seemed like the protective aura of some legendary reclusive expert."
Huang Rong's heart stirred, and her gaze unconsciously shifted toward Jiang He. Last night, Jiang He had said he would conceal their auras. But if he hadn't been the one to protect the townspeople, who else could it have been? She recalled how Jiang He had lightly pressed down on her shoulder the night before. The gesture had seemed casual, yet it had temporarily stilled the inner force in her body. Such effortless control was beyond any expert in the jianghu.
"Perhaps some reclusive senior happened to be here," Jiang He said with a noncommittal smile. He gestured for the others to continue on. "We're going to visit Humble Administrator's Garden, so we won't keep you from your duties."
The constable hurriedly clasped his hands in farewell and watched the four walk away, his eyes filled with confusion. He couldn't shake the feeling that this family was extraordinary, especially the man surnamed Jiang. He seemed gentle, yet inspired awe, as though the constable stood before a profound mountain rather than an ordinary mortal.
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