Yin Jade Warning, Slaying Corpse Fiends

Yin Jade Warning, Slaying Corpse Fiend

Qin Tieya did not delay, making arrangements right along Chen Mu's prompt.

"In pairs of two, remember never to go alone, and send a signal at once upon finding Master."

"Move out, all other matters will be discussed on the road."

Having collected standard equipment upon arrival, everyone carried blades and communication whistling arrows, pairing up on their own now to divide the eight people into four groups.

Chen Mu and Liu Meng formed a pair, tethering their horses in the dense woods on the hillside before following the group down the mountain.

On the way Qin Tieya had people extinguish their torches, moving forward relying only on the dim moonlight.

He emphatically urged a few matters that Chen Mu noted down one by one, finally understanding the inside story of the water ghosts causing trouble in the city.

Turns out the so-called water ghosts were merely a facade declared to the outside world.

Qin Tieya revealed that those water ghosts were actually "Refined Corpses", refined by evil cultivators to harvest human souls for cultivation.

This Clear River Ghost Village was their main base, and the Azure Dragon Martial Academy had clashed with it more than once.

Yet in the past, whenever Liu Qingcang left the city in pursuit, the evil cultivators in Clear River Village would actively give way and hide for a period of time.

This was also the reason Qin Tieya had previously estimated to Chen Mu that Liu Qingcang could return to the academy in two or three days.

He never expected an unexpected twist this time, as the enemy appeared to have set up an ambush beforehand, using some unknown method to trap Liu Qingcang in the village.

"Remember, do not get too far from me, and there is no need to hold back when encountering villagers."

"Most of them are Refined Corpses; kill them if you can, and fire an arrow to signal if you are no match."

Arriving at the small riverbank at the foot of the mountain, Qin Tieya made his final arrangements, having everyone form teams to enter the village and search.

As they approached the village entrance, thick white mist began to rise all around, spreading to everyone's waist in the blink of an eye, chilling and piercing to the bone.

"Hmph, you really do have tricks..."

Qin Tieya let out a cold snort, his surrounding aura unleashing, and with a surging rush of Blood Essence, those eerie mists immediately retreated.

"No, someone is here!"

Chen Mu's eyelids twitched, taking the lead to warn them.

Everyone's pupils suddenly tightened, following up with a stern shout:

"Who's there? Come out!"

They saw that at the village entrance, over a dozen ragged elders holding torches were walking out slowly.

"Cough, cough..."

The leading old man coughed twice, stepping forward carrying a dim yellow hand lantern, cupping his fists in greeting:

"Respected guests, coming to our Clear River Village in the dead of night, could you have taken the wrong road?"

"If you withdraw now, this old man can pretend you were never here. Otherwise, hmph hmph..."

He let out two eerie, bizarre chuckles, and when he raised his eyes again, two points of fluorescent green firelight actually burned within his pupils.

Seeing this, Chen Mu felt his heart tighten, pressing down on his knife hilt as he knew they had bumped into the main culprits.

What methods could these evil cultivators possibly have?

The disciples were also startled, drawing their blades into their hands one after another.

Only Qin Tieya showed no surprise, sneering, "Playing God and acting like ghosts!"

He abruptly stomped out a pit in the ground and burst forth, his arms as thick as tree trunks lifting in mid-air to press down upon that old man's skull, smashing him toward the ground.

Everyone only heard a booming vibration as that old man's head struck the scattered stones, bursting open on the spot like a watermelon.

Chen Mu had been staring closely all along, and the exact moment that old man died, he saw a cluster of black smoke rising from the nape of his neck.

"Senior Brother, watch out!"

Before Chen Mu's warning could finish, that black smoke abruptly vibrated with a buzz, transforming into a ferocious ghost shadow that lunged at Qin Tieya's face.

Yet Qin Tieya seemed to have anticipated it, suddenly roaring in anger: "Courting death!"

A rich Blood Essence abruptly surged up all around his body, forming a visible Astral Force protective cover.

The moment that black smoke ghost shadow crashed into it, it was scorched away on the spot by the boiling Blood Essence, hissing and popping as it vanished into ashes in the blink of an eye.

"Condensing Qi into Astral, Senior Brother Qin is actually in the Meridian Opening realm!"

Everyone was struck with shock, and Chen Mu too gazed on with yearning and fascination.

This sort of method had already transcended the mortal realm, far surpassing whatever level he was at right now.

Qin Tieya did not hold back, charging fiercely into battle relying on his Astral Force protection; as he swung his palms with True Qi wrapping around his fists and palms, any casual strike possessed the might to split mountains and cleave rocks.

Those dozen-plus elders disguised as Refined Corpses successively revealed their ferocious appearances with peeling skin, green faces, and sharp fangs.

Yet they ultimately proved no match for Qin Tieya's tyrannical Blood Essence, beaten apart into disappearing black smoke within a few breaths.

Having resolved that group of lackey minor ghosts blocking the road at the village entrance, Qin Tieya withdrew his stance and gave a final instruction:

"Remember, though these Refined Corpses possess weak physiques, slaying them requires guarding against the invasion of Yin qi."

"Now, all of you go inside to search, and report immediately if you find anything."

"Yes!"

Everyone tightened their grip on their weapons, splitting into pairs and dispersing in four directions.

Qin Tieya stood guard by the village memorial arch himself, waiting for an opportunity to reinforce.

Chen Mu and Liu Meng were assigned to the western end of the village, where about twenty or thirty households were scattered among the fields.

"Brother, you take this one or I?"

Standing before an old house with a lit lamp, Liu Meng swallowed hard, hesitating with his saber drawn.

Chen Mu also gripped his saber tightly. This was his first time facing demons and evil spirits head-on, and he dared not lower his guard.

"I'll open the door, and you get ready to strike."

After giving a low warning, he poked the tip of his saber into the door crack and gave it a gentle nudge.

Click...

The latch inside loosened, and the wooden door creaked open of its own accord, widening by a crack.

Liu Meng had already intended to strike, but froze after seeing the situation inside.

The thatched cottage consisted of only a single room, with an oil lamp burning on the table and an old and a young person sleeping on the rammed-earth kang at the very back.

"Could Senior Brother Qin have made a mistake...?"

"That girl looks like a living person..."

Liu Meng scratched his head, feeling uncertain.

Chen Mu did not speak, staring intently.

On the kang lay a white-haired old woman, with a girl of twelve or thirteen tucked beneath the covers beside her.

They looked like a grandmother and granddaughter, both sleeping peacefully with steady breathing, apparently unaware of Chen Mu opening the door.

"What should we do?" Liu Meng hesitated.

A trace of confusion arose in Chen Mu's mind as well, but at that exact moment, a burning sensation emanated from his chest.

"Hm?"

Chen Mu was startled inwardly, realizing it was the Yin Jade Pendant he wore on his person growing scalding hot, irritating his skin.

A connection flashed through his mind instantly.

The Yin-Yang Twin-Heart Jade was rated as a supreme rarity of heaven and earth by the Slaughter Register—could it also possess the function of discerning fiends and evils?

Otherwise, this abnormal activity at the present moment was truly groundless.

These two people in the room were highly suspicious!

Chen Mu looked at the oil lamp on the table, sneering inwardly.

Would ordinary folk burn a lamp while sleeping? This evil practitioner's brain was truly addled from cultivation.

With this judgment, Chen Mu's gaze instantly turned cold, and he decided to strike.

Yet on the surface, he feigned the same hesitation as Liu Meng, shaking his head. "Forget it, let's head to the next house."

Hearing this, Liu Meng raised no objections and turned to walk away.

Chen Mu's peripheral vision locked onto the door behind him, pretending to turn his back.

The very moment he turned, the Yin Jade on his chest grew even hotter.

At that exact second, the sleeping old woman and young girl in the room snapped upright like corpses.

Despite moving with such intensity, the two figures failed to kick up even the slightest whisper of wind.

They bared sharp claws from their fingertips, stepping soundlessly like ghosts as they stealthily lunged toward Chen Mu's heart from behind.

"Courting death!"

Clang!

A blinding cold light flashed abruptly through the dark night.

Chen Mu had been on guard for quite some time; his entire body's Blood Essence surged instantly, and the Hundred-Slash Saber Art slashed out viciously.

The two ambushing Refined Corpses never expected Chen Mu to be prepared, failing to react in time at all as two muffled thuds sounded and they were simultaneously decapitated.

[Ding! Slain two Corpse Fiends, harvested Blood Essence: +10, acquired Karmic Slaughter: +20]

Seeing his strike succeed, Chen Mu felt a burst of elation, but suddenly his heart skipped a beat as he recalled Qin Tieya's warning.

"Fall back!"

He abruptly yanked Liu Meng and rolled aside.

Screeech!

Amidst a bizarre howl, the headless bodies of the two Refined Corpses burst with black smoke as they lunged forward to slaughter.

Chen Mu's heart tightened. Lacking Qin Tieya's Astral Force for protection, he could only raise his saber and slash again!

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Several fierce saber beams swept past, shattering the black smoke in mid-air, yet a small amount still managed to splatter onto Chen Mu and Liu Meng.

"Damn it, it's Corpse Venom!"

Realizing he had been tricked earlier, Liu Meng scrambled up in a panic and pulled back his sleeve to take a look.

His muscular arm was hideously stained with dark cyan corpse spots, sinking deep beneath the skin to form the shape of a ferocious ghost face.