Rise to Fame

Back on the road, Zhou Qiubai was in high spirits and could not help humming a little tune.

Walking beside him, Yang Guyun suddenly said, "You gave them extra money just now."

"Mm." Zhou Qiubai nodded. "The old man had it hard, and the tea was cheap. A few extra Soul Copper Coins won't matter."

Zhou Qiubai had discovered that although Yang Guyun did not speak much, he was not inarticulate.

He was simply accustomed to silence, accustomed to expressing himself with his spear.

But whenever he did speak, he often struck straight at the heart of the matter, offering uniquely insightful views.

Of course, he could also break someone's defenses.

Yang Guyun had also realized that Zhou Qiubai appeared carefree and spontaneous, but was actually extremely meticulous.

He loved money, but earned it properly. He talked a lot, but never without substance. He occasionally had wildly imaginative ideas, yet when it came to getting things done, he was exceptionally reliable.

A companion like that was worth befriending.

On the afternoon of the third day, they arrived at a place called White Stone Town.

The town was not large, but it stood at the intersection of several main roads.

A place like this should have been bustling, yet when the two entered the town, they sensed something strange in the air.

The streets were deserted, and most shops were closed.

The occasional passerby hurried along, their faces filled with fear.

A stifling atmosphere hung in the air.

Zhou Qiubai and Yang Guyun exchanged a glance and immediately became alert.

Something was clearly amiss.

Then they would listen and see.

In the blacksmith shop on the eastern street, the old blacksmith was warning his son, "Whatever happens, don't go out tonight. No matter what you hear, don't get involved!"

"I heard someone died again last night. Their blood was completely drained..."

"Dear, let's move away. We can't stay in a place like this..."

Zhou Qiubai frowned deeply.

He walked over to a pancake stall by the street. The vendor was a middle-aged man in his forties, his face somewhat haggard.

By all rights, this place had food and drink, mountains and water nearby, and game to hunt in the hills whenever one wished. No one here should have looked like this.

"Boss, two pancakes." Zhou Qiubai handed over some Soul Copper Coins, his tone relaxed.

The vendor took the money numbly, wrapped the pancakes, and handed them over.

Zhou Qiubai accepted them, but did not leave right away. Instead, he asked quietly, "Boss, did something happen in town?"

The vendor's expression changed, and he hurriedly waved his hands. "No, nothing... Sir, you should leave quickly. It'll be dark soon."

"Is some evil spirit causing trouble?" Zhou Qiubai pressed.

The vendor's lips trembled. He glanced around before lowering his voice. "Sir, please stop asking. Leave this place quickly, get as far away as you can. The town... is haunted."

"Haunted?"

"Yes, haunted!" the vendor said, his voice shaking. "It started half a month ago. Every night, someone disappears. When they're found the next day, they've become dried corpses, all their blood sucked dry. The town chief invited Soul Masters to investigate, but... even three Soul Masters died."

A chill entered Zhou Qiubai's eyes.

This was not a haunting. It was an Evil Soul Master.

The Evil Soul Masters of the present were not like those ten thousand years later, when people were directly branded Evil Soul Masters because of their Martial Souls.

Rather, only Soul Masters who, for various reasons, drank human blood, ate human flesh, tortured and murdered others, committed heinous crimes, and cultivated through improper means were judged to be Evil Soul Masters.

Otherwise, Ghost's Martial Soul alone would have been enough to earn him a death sentence.

"Thank you, Boss." He asked no more questions and returned to Yang Guyun with the pancakes.

"Evil Soul Masters," he said quietly, his tone grave.

Yang Guyun nodded, cold light flickering in his eyes. "How many?"

"Not sure. But anyone capable of killing three Soul Masters in succession won't be low-level, or... there may be more than one." Zhou Qiubai looked deeper into town. "Are we doing something about it?"

"We are." Yang Guyun's answer was crisp and forceful.

"Then we'll handle it." Zhou Qiubai smiled, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "We'll rid the people of a scourge and, while we're at it... make a little profit."

Instead of leaving, they found an inn in town that was still open and checked in.

The innkeeper was both delighted and worried to have guests, repeatedly warning them not to go outside at night.

Zhou Qiubai readily agreed. Once he closed the door, he and Yang Guyun began making a plan.

"Evil Soul Masters hide by day and emerge at night. They'll definitely act tonight." Zhou Qiubai spread out a map of the town he had bought from the innkeeper. "From what those people said, the victims were scattered everywhere with no fixed targets. That means the Evil Soul Masters are hunting at random—or rather... selecting suitable prey."

"How do they choose?" Yang Guyun asked.

"By vitality." Zhou Qiubai pointed at several marked locations on the map. "Look. All the dead were young, healthy adults with vigorous blood and vitality. They haven't touched a single elderly person or child. If they're cultivating by drinking blood, they'll definitely choose those with abundant vitality."

Yang Guyun nodded. "Then we act as bait?"

"Right." Zhou Qiubai tapped a spot on the map. "This residential area in the west has the most young adults. We'll keep watch there tonight, but..."

He looked at Yang Guyun. "We have to be careful. There may be more than one of them, and their methods are strange. This is our first time working together, so we need a proper arrangement."

"You tell me." Yang Guyun was direct as ever.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Qiubai said, "My senses are strong, so I'll keep watch and track them down. Your attacks are stronger, so you'll take the lead. If there are too many of them, we fight while retreating and draw them to open ground for the final battle."

"Good."

The plan was simple, but practical enough.

The two discussed a few more details. Only when the sky began to darken did they each meditate and conserve their strength.

Zhou Qiubai and Yang Guyun quietly slipped out of the inn and headed toward the residential district in the west of town.

They climbed onto a small three-story building, taking the high ground with a broad view of the surroundings.

Zhou Qiubai focused his mind completely, while Yang Guyun stood with his spear in hand.

Time quietly passed. One hour, then two...

Just as Zhou Qiubai was about to nod off, Listen to Rain suddenly caught a faint sound.

It was not footsteps. It was more like...

The sound of something sliding.

It resembled a snake slithering through grass, yet it was far more eerie.

He opened his eyes and looked southeast.

Under the moonlight, two shadows moved soundlessly through the darkness of an alley.

Their movements were strange. They neither walked nor ran, but seemed to glide along the ground.

"They're here," Zhou Qiubai said quietly.

Yang Guyun tightened his grip on his spear.

The two shadows stopped outside a house. One of them extended a hand as pale as paper and lightly brushed it across the door.

The pair quickly flashed inside, silently slipping into the house.

Zhou Qiubai and Yang Guyun moved at almost the same time.

Flowing Wind activated. Zhou Qiubai drifted down like smoke, reaching the courtyard outside that house after only a few bounds.

Though Yang Guyun was slightly slower, his steps were steady. With his long spear in hand, he faintly radiated killing intent.

A stifled cry came from the courtyard, followed by hoarse laughter.

"Fresh..."

"Such good vitality..."

Zhou Qiubai's gaze turned sharp. He suddenly raised his foot and kicked open the courtyard gate.

Inside, two Black-Robed Men stood at the door of the house. Within, a young couple huddled in the corner, their faces pale.

The Black-Robed Men turned around, revealing two deathly pale faces.

They were not Evil Soul Masters. They felt more like monsters that were half human, half ghost.