Red Lanterns Hung High

A faint singing voice drifted from the depths of the forest, stirring a tingling sensation in one's heart.

Dai Guo felt a chill, inhaled a few wisps of ethereal fragrance, and felt a tingling sensation in his body. Then he chuckled, and his Four Souls suddenly began to circulate within him, his strength surging through his flesh and blood, and his blood Qi and Blood soared to the top of his head.

Call...

He slowly exhaled, his bones cracking as he regained his senses. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and his vision shifted; the brightly lit scene ahead instantly transformed.

Yao Qi filled the air, dark clouds loomed overhead—a truly eerie place.

"Good heavens, to encounter a mountain spirit in a place like this, and it even tries to bewitch our hearts, not knowing that our Seven Souls are revealed, unlike those weak scholars and ignorant children, it's simply courting death!" Dai Guo sneered and was about to step forward when Qiu Yan called out to him.

"A demon's lair wouldn't appear out of nowhere; this place must be close to the Official Path." Qiu Yan said softly, looking at the brightly lit pavilion.

"Oh? How do you know?" Dai Guo was completely confused.

"Foolish!" A sneer came from the package, Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription flowed out, arriving at Dai Guo's head and lingering uncertainly. "Mountain spirits and monsters appear in the world, they must have something they want. Most of them want the Qi and Blood Yang Qi of mortals to increase their cultivation and take shortcuts. If they are built deep in the mountains and forests, rarely visited by people, what use are they?"

"Oh?" Dai Guo was slightly taken aback, then understood. "According to you, this pavilion in the Lin Zhong should be neither too far nor too close, not easily exposed, and also possess a certain degree of secrecy?"

"Not bad, I didn't expect you, this big oaf, to have some brains." The Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription was slightly surprised.

Dai Guo didn't take it to heart and said directly, "Since that's the case, what are we waiting for? Let's quickly look around, get back to the main road, find an inn, take a good bath, and get a good night's sleep!"

At this moment, Qiu Yan suddenly blurted out, "Let's go take a look inside this building."

"Huh?" Dai Guo was taken aback, looking puzzled. "Since you've already figured out this is a demon's lair, why go there? Isn't that... Tiger Mountain again?"

Hu Qi chimed in, "Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet still venturing into the tiger's den."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly the word." Dai Guo nodded repeatedly.

Hu Qi shook his head helplessly. "That depends on who's the mountain and who's the tiger. Demons who harm people with bewitching methods can't possibly have any profound cultivation no matter how you look at it. Even you and I, with our surging Qi and Blood alone, can easily break free from the bewitching. Once we get close, we can even turn around and suppress the Yao Qi. Not to mention you, young master. With your cultivation level, once you get there, those demons won't dare to even breathe Great Qi, let alone try to harm you."

At this point, he glanced at Qiu Yan, trying to fathom his thoughts, and tentatively asked, "Young master, are you going to that demon's lair to gather information? These demons and monsters are based here, a place that lures travelers from the north and south, as well as scholars on their way to take the imperial examinations. The information network here is extremely efficient. If you catch one or two lesser demons and ask them, you can learn a lot of secrets."

Qiu Yan smiled and nodded, saying, "That's one aspect too."

"Oh? Besides that, young master, do you have other purposes?" Hu Qi asked casually.

Hearing this, Qiu Yan smiled mysteriously, "The Lin Zhong a den of demons, a place where people's hearts are treacherous. You can see many things there. Besides, I've finally made it to the capital for the imperial examinations, and I've encountered a demonic encounter along the way. How could I miss it? Wouldn't it be wonderful to write a book of strange tales about it later?"

"Um?"

Hu Qi and Dai Guo were completely bewildered. As Qiu Yan walked forward, the illuminated buildings became increasingly clear.

Splash!

A few steps later, a sudden downpour began, the rain pouring down as if a curtain had been unfurled in the sky, obscuring the moon and the heavens.

Hu Qi and Dai Guo immediately circulated their internal energy and True Qi, shaking their clothes to envelop their bodies and condense a barrier that kept the raindrops out, preventing them from getting soaked.

In contrast, Qiu Yan, who remained motionless, was soaked to the bone. Hu Qi was about to warn him when he saw Qiu Yan's body tremble. Suddenly, the surrounding scenery distorted, and the rain and the clothes clinging to his body, which were soaked through, disappeared. Everything returned to normal.

"Hmm? This is..."

Hu Qi was taken aback, but immediately understood.

"This torrential rain, it was all an illusion, a hallucination? Even with my brother's and my Qi and Blood levels, we were fooled! We mistook it for real raindrops!"

Having figured this out, Hu Qi mobilized his Qi and Blood, and when he focused his attention again, the surrounding scenery immediately changed. With his perception and eyesight, and with his mind paying special attention, he was able to detect faint, unusual fluctuations in Spiritual Qi around him.

"Hmm? It's not Yao Qi, but a change in Spiritual Qi."

He was thinking when a strange noise from the side interrupted his train of thought.

Snap!

This was the sound of someone stepping on a broken branch; crisp and clear, especially noticeable in the quiet night.

Immediately afterwards, a voice rang out--

"Young master, young master, there are lights ahead! There must be people here!"

The voice was clearly that of a child going through puberty; it was low and hoarse.

Qiu Yan and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw two figures: a scholar in a Confucian robe and a servant in blue. They were clearly master and servant.

The two men were also affected by the "heavy rain" and were hurrying along, looking rather lost. When they passed by Qiu Yan and the others, the scholar glanced at them with surprise and wanted to say something to remind them, but the servant urged him on, leaving him with only the words, "Gentlemen, let's chat in the building later."

"This scholar is indeed enthusiastic, but judging from his appearance, he clearly has no cultivation. He is thin and weak, and his Yang Qi is not strong. There is also a dark aura on his forehead. Entering the building this time is likely to be dangerous." Qiu Yan only glanced at him and found many hidden worries from the scholar's appearance and body.

Then, he smiled slightly, "However, the demon's lair in the Lin Zhong, the impending downpour, the scholar and his servant, their clothes soaked through—all the necessary materials have been gathered. Now the curtain rises, and the grand drama is about to begin. Since we've encountered such a plot, we can't let it go."

As soon as he finished speaking, he strode over, with Hu Qi and Dai Guo following closely behind.

After passing through the dense forest and arriving at the inn, I noticed that the pavilion was magnificent and that large red lanterns hung on both sides of the door, giving a festive and lively feeling that eased the fear of walking through the dense forest at night, but also had a slightly discordant charm.

Then, Qiu Yan's gaze fell on the plaque above the door, which bore four characters. Although the characters were large, they gave the impression of Xiaoqiao and graceful.

Sleeve Elegance Inn.

"These characters seem to be written by a woman." Hu Qi also saw the four characters. He had studied some calligraphy techniques these days, though not in depth, but with his martial arts background and eyesight, he could already discern some information from the characters.

"Gentlemen, please come in..."

Just then, a soft voice came from inside the door, and a beautiful woman appeared. She was dressed as a waitress, with a handkerchief draped over her shoulder. Her sleeves were simple, revealing her fair arms. Her clothes clung to her body, highlighting her high breasts and slender waist. Her ordinary attire possessed a unique charm that made Hu Qi and Dai Guo's hearts flutter.

Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, glanced at the waiter, and uttered, "This place actually has uniform temptations now."

Amidst these reflections, Qiu Yan and the other two were invited inside.

As Qiu Yan stepped across the threshold, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, as if he were deep in thought. Then, he flicked his fingers, sending down a speck of dust and glint of light.

Upon entering the inn, the first thing that catches the eye is a screen in the back, covering most of the wall. The patterns on it are varied and diverse. Then you can hear whispers and laughter. Looking around, there are eight or nine tables in the hall, which is neither too big nor too small. Five of them are already occupied, some by scholars and some by wandering knights.

Scholars usually had book baskets or book boxes around them, or were accompanied by servants or pageboys, and were always cautious and timid.

On the tables and chairs in front of Jianghu guests, there are often long swords and simple knives, which are bold and uninhibited.

The differences between the two are immediately apparent.

However, whether they were scholars or wandering swordsmen, they were all whispering and laughing, because each of them was surrounded by one or two women, dressed in different ways. Some were dressed as maids, some as village girls, some were lively and charming, and others were elegant and noble.

The five tables of men, and the women sitting on the side, were all quite different!

"Oh?" Qiu Yan glanced at them briefly, without examining them closely, but he could already detect some Yao Qi from each of the women. Some were faint, some were strong, and some even had a hint of blood.

"Please have a seat, gentlemen."

As Qiu Yan looked around the room, the waitress led the three of them to a table and then habitually said, "By the way, it's raining heavily outside, would you like to change your clothes..." Her words trailed off as she noticed that Qiu Yan and the other two were completely dry.

"This..." The waitress was taken aback, her eyes widening suddenly with a hint of surprise.

Just then, a soft sound came from upstairs; it was the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Looking in the direction of the sound, the scholar and his pageboy from before appeared. They had changed their clothes and were coming down the stairs.

"Oh? It's you three. Greetings! I am You Zui, just now..." The scholar introduced himself upon seeing Qiu Yan and the others, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a voice—

"Are you Young Master You?"

The voice came from behind the screen. The first word had an ethereal quality, but when the sentence was finished, it turned into a cold and clear voice.

"Huh?" Qiu Yan's heart stirred. The Heart Demon Fragment attached to his soul trembled, and he sensed the change in emotions in the air. He vaguely realized that the scholar named You Zui's thoughts seemed to be pulled by some force and flew behind the screen.

"Interesting. In that thought, there seems to be a longing in You Zui's heart." Ignoring the waitress's uncertain expression, Qiu Yan turned to look at the screen.

The next moment, a slender figure appeared behind the screen, moving gracefully as she stepped out—a woman dressed in white. (To be continued. Please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)