The 13th of the Month Devil-So It Was You!

Luo Zhou strolled through the spirit market.

All kinds of pills, talismans, magical artifacts, and spirit materials were neatly arranged, each with a description of its uses beside it.

Everything he saw was new to him.

"Gold Purple Iron, a spirit material that gleams like emerald clouds and is deep as an abyss, concealing endless sharpness. It can be used to forge magical artifacts."

"White Yang Pill, an auxiliary pill for Qi Refining. One pill is equivalent to ten Spirit Yang Pills."

"Spirit Gathering Talisman, an essential talisman for Qi Refining cultivation. Once used, it can attract spiritual energy for twelve hours, increasing a cultivator's cultivation while they practice."

"Secret Manual: Black Sha Qi. Cultivating with this manual allows one to master the Black Baleful Spirit Qi trait during Qi Refining."

"Secret Manual: the Overturning Rivers Force User's exclusive Overturning Rivers Step and Overturning Rivers Palm. Reach the limit of cultivation, and you can advance to an Overturning Rivers Force User."

"Green Wood Sword, a magical artifact for Qi Refining that can be wielded to break through the enemy's defenses."

"Flame Talisman. Even those at the Body Tempering stage can wield it, controlling flames to attack their enemies."

There were hundreds of different talismans, pills, and magical artifacts. Luo Zhou inspected them carefully.

He made a point of checking for storage-type magical artifacts, but there were none here at all.

The goods here were worth one spirit stone, the cheapest talismans, pills, and magical artifacts. How could there possibly be storage-type magical artifacts?

Luo Zhou shook his head and carefully recalled the memories of the five Woodworm Devils, searching for what he needed.

"Soul Crossing Incense, specially prepared by an Incense Master and consecrated through the chants of eminent monks. A fine spirit incense, it can be used to deliver departed souls to the afterlife."

Finding one, Luo Zhou let out a long breath.

He took down the spirit incense. There were three sticks in all, worth one spirit stone.

He continued searching!

"Northern Mang Sacrifice Seat, made by a Yin Master. Once opened, it forms a sacrificial table with offerings of three animals, increasing the soul power of departed spirits and helping them pass on."

Aside from cultivators, there were other professions in the territory of the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect.

Curse Masters, force users, Incense Masters, Yin Masters, and strategists were all auxiliary professions in the path of cultivation.

This was a Yin Master's sacrificial table. Once opened, it produced a yin feast of offerings from three animals, used to honor the departed.

Luo Zhou picked one out as well.

Then he kept looking and found a talisman.

"Soul Crossing Talisman, made by a Daoist priest of the Yinshuo Temple. Activating this talisman can increase the yin power of ghosts and departed souls, extending their yin lifespan.

"Best used to make offerings to the ancestral spirits in a family shrine."

This was the one. Luo Zhou bought one too.

After buying these three items, Luo Zhou let out a long breath. Success.

He began browsing again, looking over the other goods.

"Invisibility Talisman. Remain completely still after using this talisman, and you can become invisible for three hours."

"Azure Cloud Boots, magical boots for Qi Refining. They fit well, wick away sweat, and protect against traps and blades."

"Random Flight Talisman. Activate this talisman to teleport somewhere more than a hundred zhang away. You won't know which direction you'll end up in—it's entirely up to fate."

"Water Evasion Talisman. Activate it underwater to gain the ability to roam rivers, lakes, and seas for one hour."

There really were plenty of good things.

However, some of the talismans were actually poor quality, and their effects were nowhere near as good as advertised.

The Secret Manual: Black Sha Qi was one such example. Whoever used it was practically asking to get stupid. It was a complete fake.

Jiang Ziyou had learned that the hard way. Otherwise, he would have mastered a true qi with a special trait long ago.

What could you expect for one spirit stone?

Suddenly, Luo Zhou spotted a bundle of spirit wood.

"Spirit Birch Wood, a spirit material and the finest spirit wood in Great Xuan Mountain. One hundred pieces per bundle."

This was the finest Spirit Birch Wood in Great Xuan Mountain, gathered by the mountain folk. One piece was worth ten broken spirits, a hundred times more expensive than the wood Luo Zhou had used before.

Luo Zhou inspected it. The quality was excellent. If he used this to forge a Dragon-Slaying Thrust, there was practically no chance of failure.

He thought it over, gritted his teeth, and bought a bundle.

Luo Zhou went to the shop entrance to pay. The shopkeeper took one look at him and said,

"Four spirit stones!"

Luo Zhou took out his broken spirits, but the other man suddenly said,

"If you're paying in broken spirits, it'll be one thousand and eighty broken spirits to the spirit stone."

Luo Zhou was utterly speechless, but he paid anyway.

Four thousand three hundred and twenty broken spirits for four items.

The big bundle of spirit wood could be carried out and sent home with the help of a porter.

After paying, Luo Zhou asked, "Um, can I register a name here, so I can come buy things on my own next time?"

The shopkeeper nodded. "The immortal peak shines with precious light; the jade chessboard veils the imperial dais."

Then he made a strange gesture with his hand. Luo Zhou memorized it at once and copied it.

It was the token for entering this place.

"Esteemed guest, you're welcome to come back anytime!"

"Thank you, shopkeeper!"

Cheng Wanli had finished shopping too and came over to pay.

Luo Zhou deliberately kept his distance, not looking at what Cheng Wanli had bought.

It was a rule of the jianghu.

After Cheng Wanli paid, the two of them left.

They parted ways. If Cheng Wanli needed Luo Zhou to curse an enemy to death, he would send someone to invite him.

Before leaving, Luo Zhou got the Corpse Dissolving Powder from Cheng Wanli.

It was very convenient for dissolving corpses.

Actually, at the Qi Refining stage, a fire spell was enough to take care of the problem. Only those at the Body Tempering stage couldn't use fire spells and needed this kind of powder.

Back home, Luo Zhou waited quietly.

Today was the ninth. It was Wang Xiaoya's seventh-day memorial, and he would go pay his respects that night.

He fiddled with the Spirit Birch Wood in his hands. The mountain folk had carefully gathered the finest pieces they could find.

A Dragon-Slaying Thrust forged from this wouldn't fail, and its power would increase by thirty percent.

The spirit stones had been well spent!

When evening came, Luo Zhou slung two Eyebrow-Level Staffs over his back, carried a bronze staff in his hand, took the three ritual implements, and headed to the Wang Family home.

The sky was pitch-black. He crept along the way.

When he entered the Wang Family home, they were still digging inside.

They'd been at it for days. Had they still not found it?

Liu Jinpeng was also in the Sanjiang Gang. The other man had attacked the Dragon Fang Troop, and Luo Zhou suspected it might have something to do with him.

Luo Zhou quietly approached. Inside the Wang Family home, pits were everywhere. They really were digging three feet into the ground.

Liu Jinpeng was digging furiously, completely naked. What treasure was he searching for?

Luo Zhou watched from the side. Liu Jinpeng was so focused on his work that he hadn't noticed Luo Zhou's arrival at all.

After watching him for a while, Luo Zhou suddenly called out,

"Hey, buddy, what are you doing?"

A voice rang out inside the house without warning, making Liu Jinpeng leap in fright.

He looked toward Luo Zhou, his face full of terror.

Then he realized it was only Luo Zhou. His terror turned into vicious malice, and murderous intent filled his eyes.

"You little brat from the Dragon Fang Troop, what are you doing here..."

Calling out the Dragon Fang Troop gave him away. He knew Luo Zhou was with them. There was an eighty percent chance he was involved in the attack.

"You little bastard, I'll kill you..."

Luo Zhou didn't bother with words. He brought his bronze staff down in a single blow. Liu Jinpeng didn't care in the least and raised his iron shovel to block it.

With a crack, the shovel broke. The bronze staff kept coming down, smashing Liu Jinpeng's skull and killing him on the spot.

"You're in the Sanjiang Gang. There's nothing good about you. Die!"

Luo Zhou's heart was as hard as iron. Liu Jinpeng was in the Sanjiang Gang. He thought of Zhang Chuan, crippled, and Cheng Yubo, blind in one eye. Killing him was no great loss.

After killing Liu Jinpeng, Luo Zhou took out the Corpse Dissolving Powder and sprinkled a little on the blood. The corpse immediately began to melt.

A first-rate way to erase the evidence!

Luo Zhou went to the Dead Spirit that was Wang Xiaoya.

Wang Xiaoya still looked the same, frozen in the act of trying to flee through the window.

"Seven days have passed. It's the night of your return. I hope this works."

After speaking, Luo Zhou opened the Northern Mang Sacrifice Seat in front of Wang Xiaoya.

In an instant, a banquet table appeared, bearing a pig's head, a sheep's head, an ox's head, pastries, flowers, fruit...

But none of it was real. It was all made of paper, shining brightly.

They seemed to burn slowly, turning into wisps of smoke that drifted upward.

Luo Zhou took out the Soul Crossing Incense and slowly lit it in front of the table.

Then he took out the Soul Crossing Talisman and activated it.

With all three measures in place, Luo Zhou shouted,

"Wang Xiaoya, it's been seven days! If you've returned, come back now!"

"Right, you're not called Wang Xiaoya anymore. You have a name now. You're Wang Xiaoya!"

"Wang Xiaoya, Wang Xiaoya, Wang Xiaoya, come back, come back!"

Luo Zhou shouted loudly, hoping he could call Wang Xiaoya's soul back.

But she was still just a Dead Spirit. Nothing had changed.

He didn't know what methods the 13th of the Month Devil had used, but he had cut off every chance of tracking her yin soul.

Luo Zhou sighed deeply. There was nothing he could do.

Only a little Soul Crossing Incense remained, and the Northern Mang Sacrifice Seat slowly faded away...

Suddenly, Wang Xiaoya's voice came through:

"Big brother..."

Luo Zhou was overjoyed and immediately examined her.

For just an instant, Wang Xiaoya seemed to regain consciousness. She frantically sent him an image.

Then she returned to her lifeless state, without another response.

But that one image was enough.

Luo Zhou saw a man smiling at Wang Xiaoya, then moving to kill her.

The image was indistinct, but he could make out a square face with sharply defined lines and prominent angles, solid and steady, with the unyielding bearing of a boulder.

But Luo Zhou knew exactly who he was!

Constable Li Haitian!

In an instant, Luo Zhou understood why, that day, the constables had arrived so quickly after Old Wang reported the crime!

Why had Li Haitian come, when this wasn't even his district?

So he'd already had the Wang Family under surveillance back then!

He was the 13th of the Month Devil!

And Luo Zhou had also discerned his mortal-world killing ritual!

It was the same as Gu Shanhe's ritual: dawn, a stone bridge, a youth, suffering, a plea for death.

The second day of the month: a residence, the whole family, bodies bursting, deception!

The time, the place, the victims, the method of killing, the ritual's defining traits—all clear!

Fellow readers, please keep following the story. Continued readership is the greatest support for Xiao Shan. With enough readers following along, the book will get better recommendations, and I'll be able to keep writing a good story, a good book, and a long one. Thank you all!