Lone Star Chasing Moon

Xiang Yuan and the female ghost fought their way from the courtyard into the covered corridor, then from the corridor to another courtyard.

The female ghost was weak, not even as capable as an ordinary martial artist. Her illusion technique had been broken, and Vast Righteous Qi had suppressed her, leaving her with no choice but to take hits. But her ghostly body flickered between solid and insubstantial, making her hard to pin down. She could pass through walls and slip between trees, making her truly difficult to kill.

Xiang Yuan swung his blade, and a flash of white light split the air. As the female ghost's misty form divided in two, he slapped a piece of calligraphy onto her with his other hand, covering half her face.

Green smoke rose. The female ghost seemed to have fallen into a pot of boiling oil, letting out a shrill, piercing scream.

Xiang Yuan felt the paper burning hot in his hand. His heart faltered, but his hand did not; he swung his blade again.

Old Daoist Quexin had taught him that if you killed, you had to finish the job. Otherwise, the weeds would never be burned away, and trouble would grow without end.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. What if this female ghost escaped, found a miraculous cultivation technique deep in the mountains, and rose rapidly to become an empress who dominated her age, only to come back for revenge?

It was unlikely, but not impossible.

Xiang Yuan swung his blade again and again, cutting the female ghost into a cloud of white mist. In the mist, a twisted face silently roared. Somehow, it released a bone-chilling cold.

The four characters "People Have Intentions" blazed red. A wave of searing heat spread out, forcibly driving back the chill.

Just then, a racket of hurried footsteps came from behind him, accompanied by loud shouting. Xiang Yuan found it incredibly annoying.

Couldn't they keep it down?

They hadn't shown up when he was exorcising demons and vanquishing evil. They hadn't even been any use as a puff of wind to help a fart along. Now that the female ghost was almost dead, the two of them had come running back to cause trouble. What, did they want to spare her and convince her to mend her ways and become a good ghost?

Xiang Yuan knew the two idiots were capable of that. He turned around in annoyance. "Don't come any closer. My swordsmanship isn't precise, and I might injure your family jewels!"

"No, Brother Yuan, there's another one!"

"Right outside the gate, following right behind Brother Xiao!"

"Bullshit! You brought it here! Brother Yuan, save me!"

There was another one!

Xiang Yuan was horrified. One ghost hadn't even been dealt with, and now another had appeared. There were wolves in front and tigers behind, and he had two burdens with him...

No. He had to take one down first.

Xiang Yuan knew his own limits. The only reason he'd been able to keep the female ghost on the back foot was Wang Wenxu's excellent calligraphy. If he were attacked from both sides, he might not survive the night.

He came up with a plan. His eyes narrowed, and he swung his blade toward the female ghost in front of him.

At that moment, he was like Liu Jingsheng incarnate. His heart was as still as water, and each stroke came faster than the last. His blade swept through the air like a violent storm, scattering pear blossoms from every tree in an instant. His swordsmanship was so fierce that even a living person before him would have been minced into tiny pieces.

The female ghost didn't even have time to scream before she vanished along with the mist.

Xiang Yuan stood where he was, panting hard, his face pale. His spirit had been drained, and he could no longer control his blade and fight.

It was fine. Without Steady, he still had Cold Blood and Doubi.

He didn't switch to his Cold Blood side right away. With difficulty, he held his blade across himself, steadying his trembling arms, and stood alone in front of Xiao He and Xu Jixian to protect them.

"Brother Yuan, if we make it through today with our manly vigor intact, I swear I'll become your sworn brother!" Xiao He said, deeply moved.

"Same here."

"Shut up!"

Xiang Yuan regulated his breathing and stared toward the covered corridor, his eyes like a tiger's—imposing even without anger.

A shadow slowly approached, seemingly appearing out of nowhere in the darkness. It made no sound and left no trace.

Xiang Yuan gave a soft exclamation. It wasn't a ghost; it was just walking without making a sound. It was a living person.

Dressing up like a ghost to scare people in the middle of the night?

The newcomer wore a black robe and had his head and face covered. He moved without a sound, so Xu Jixian, unable to gauge his strength, had mistaken him for a ghost.

"Brother Yuan, Widow Wang's husband has come after me. I spent last night with her, and Old Wang probably won't let me off..." Xu Jixian whispered.

Xiang Yuan ignored him and said coldly, "Who are you? Why are you pretending to be a ghost? Are you controlling that female ghost?"

"Heh heh heh. You've got a keen eye, boy. You recognized our sect's ghost-controlling art. Your swordsmanship is decent. I could take you into the mountains and feed you to a tiger. You'd make a fine tiger's ghost." The black-robed man spoke slowly, his voice wavering like a ghost's.

Of course I recognized it. My martial uncle was much better at this trick than you. He only had to wave his sleeve, and a hundred ghosts would walk the night.

Lingguang: I'm here to help you!

With his martial uncle's desperate assistance, Xiang Yuan recognized the man's origins at a glance. He didn't belong to some other sect. He was from the Yellow Springs Dao, hidden away in the Southern Border.

The Yellow Springs Dao was one of the Eight Demonic Beings. Most of its disciples practiced ghost-controlling arts—or were ghosts themselves. Their many baffling methods made them impossible to guard against, and few who encountered them survived. The sect was so mysterious that rumors about it abounded, and people of the martial world turned pale at the mention of its name.

Xiang Yuan knew a few things about them. The Southern Border was crawling with Demonic Beings, making it hard for ordinary cultivators to survive there. Even low-level disciples of the Yellow Springs Dao didn't dare leave the sect before reaching Foundation Establishment.

But cultivation wasn't something you could achieve by staying cooped up indoors. Getting out and about, and tempering yourself by drawing on others' strengths, was the right way.

So these disciples ventured out of the Southern Border, returning only after they'd honed their skills. That was why few people knew the Yellow Springs Dao's headquarters were in the Southern Border. Most assumed its members were everywhere, with ghosts lurking at every turn.

Judging by the female ghost's abilities, the black-robed man's ghost-controlling skills were average. He was nowhere near Foundation Establishment. Xiang Yuan guessed he was at the Acupoint Opening stage, and far stronger than himself.

He had no chance in a head-on fight. He could only...

Launch a sneak attack!

He proceeded according to plan and took a deep breath. "Demons and heretics deserve to be killed by all. Spare me the nonsense. Use whatever tricks you've got."

"Exactly! Use whatever tricks you've got. If our Brother Yuan even furrows his brow, then he isn't a real man!" Xiao He blustered, though he was clearly intimidated.

"Let me tell you, Brother Yuan is one of Dezhou's Four Great Constables! He carries a blade by imperial order, and can kill first and report later. He's formidable!" Xu Jixian loudly backed him up.

"Hmph. You two useless fools are amusing. I'll turn you into little imps for my entertainment."

The black-robed man looked at Xiang Yuan and sneered. "Your spirit is exhausted, and your blade has lost its momentum. It's already impressive that you can barely hold it. Don't struggle. I'll let you die quickly. Otherwise, I'll torture you until you become a vengeful ghost. You won't like that."

You're surprisingly considerate!

"Enough nonsense. If you want my life, you'll have to ask the blade in my hand first."

"Then I'll ask it."

Seeing that Xiang Yuan didn't know what was good for him and was still putting on a brave front before his death, the black-robed man sneered three times. He raised his right hand, and black mist spilled from his five long, pale fingers. It stirred the wind in the courtyard, making Xiao He and Xu Jixian yelp and cover their eyes, too afraid to move.

Xiang Yuan recognized the move. It was Fierce Yin Wind, a claw technique practiced by outer disciples of the Yellow Springs Dao. It was a basic martial art for the Acupoint Opening stage, further confirming the man's level of cultivation.

He could kill him!

Xiang Yuan gave a low shout. He held his blade at his side and raised Wang Wenxu's calligraphy with his other hand, using Vast Righteous Qi to suppress the Yin Wind. Then he lunged forward.

In the silent darkness, a flash of blade light appeared, like a cold star, piercing through the air.

Xiang Yuan's eyes were icy. He saw nothing but the black-robed man. His control of the blade no longer carried the force of a tiger. Instead, it was like a star descending from beyond the heavens: swift as lightning, its edge unmatched. As the move struck, it was like a lone star cutting across the night sky in pursuit of the moon.

His heart was still as water, his intent like a shooting star—swift, precise, deadly.

Heavenly Blade, First Form: Lone Star Chasing Moon!

The black-robed man had mocked Xiang Yuan for courting death. He kept one hand behind his back to show off his demonic swagger. Suddenly, a flash appeared before his eyes. Before the blade had even arrived, its killing intent had already struck. A chill filled his heart, his hands and feet went numb, and his composure crumbled.

Impossible! His spirit was exhausted. How could he control such a blade technique?

No, his aura had changed. Just now, he'd been like a tiger, but now...

Was it him?

Or wasn't it?

A flash of silver, and Xiang Yuan and the black-robed man passed each other. Xiang Yuan rushed forward two more steps before finally stopping.

He had only just learned this killing move, and wasn't proficient yet. He'd get better after killing a few more enemies.

That strike had completely drained Xiang Yuan's spiritual energy. Once Cold Blood came online, there was nothing left to follow up with. His body swayed, and he nearly fell over.

At that moment, Xiang Yuan still had a third of Doubi left in him. The thought of how ridiculous he'd look made him wince. Xiao He and Xu Jixian were watching, and he didn't want to join them in their antics. He turned slightly aside, lowered his gaze, and looked back over his shoulder. "You've asked. What do you think of my blade?"

The black-robed man said nothing, answering with silence.

With a thud, he fell to the ground. Blood poured from his chest and abdomen, staining a large patch of earth red.

A faint sound rang out, and eerie green flames burst over the black-robed man's corpse. His body caught fire in an instant. The flames blazed fiercely, leaving nothing but a patch of charred ground in the blink of an eye.

This, too, had been within Xiang Yuan's expectations. He nodded. "Since you've said nothing, I take it my swordsmanship was decent. I hope you enjoyed yourself."

"Uh, wh-what..."

Xiao He's eyes went wide. He clutched Xu Jixian's sleeve and pointed at Xiang Yuan, stammering wordlessly.

Xu Jixian was stunned too. The sheer force of Xiang Yuan's swagger jolted him back to his senses. He felt a dampness spreading and reached down to check his crotch. His expression changed drastically.

"Wait, who peed in my pants?!"