I'm Going to Slaughter This Mountain God

A filthy, blood-soaked stench filled the entire room.

True essence surged.

Gu Yuan shook the tainted blood off his body, his expression as cold as ever.

Shangguan Weiming's eyes burned with anger.

"These people are beasts! They actually offered their own children as sacrifices. Death is too good for them!"

"I'm going to drag every last one of them back and report this to Her Majesty. They'll be torn apart by five horses!"

Lu Ling frowned. "My master once told me about a secret art for rearing evil entities. It uses human flesh and blood as a vessel to breed evil corruption. In the end, the flesh and blood tainted by that corruption becomes the most delicious food for the evil entity."

"Little sister, are you saying the mountain god in Nine Geese Mountain might be an evil entity someone is rearing?"

"Whether it is or not, we'll have to see it to know."

Gu Yuan glanced at the Orthodox Yang Sword at his waist and said gravely:

"I'm going to slaughter this damned mountain god."

All three were shocked by his words.

"Brother Gu, I understand how you feel, but our mission this time is to recover the festival gifts. If we alert the enemy over this mountain god, I'm afraid we won't be able to report back with our mission complete," Shangguan Weiming urged.

"We can submit a memorial to Her Majesty the empress about the mountain god and have her send people to deal with it."

Gu Yuan shook his head and asked:

"What if it escapes?"

"Let it go to the next village and slaughter more children... I can't do that."

Gu Yuan had never considered himself a good person.

But.

He had his bottom line too.

Shangguan Weiming's breath caught, and he struggled to answer.

"If we really do lose the festival gifts because of this, I'll take all the blame myself when we return to the capital. I won't implicate you."

Gu Yuan's expression was solemn.

"Will you help me?"

Lu Ling looked at Gu Yuan, a different light shining in her eyes, and answered without hesitation:

"I will!"

"Brother Gu, count me, Lu Zhaoming, in! A scourge like this must be eradicated completely!"

Shangguan Weiming sighed softly. "All right. If the empress blames us when we return to the capital, I'll bear it with you."

Gu Yuan smiled faintly.

"Brother Shangguan, go tell Brother Dong to bring the Mystic Shadow Guard and lie in ambush outside the village. Have them wait for the mountain god to appear at midnight tonight."

"All right, I'll go now."

"Miss Lu, you're the most familiar with evil entities. What are these things most afraid of?"

Lu Ling pursed her lips. "Master said the evil arts originated from the Taoist arts and were formed by the growth of evil thoughts. What they fear most is the orthodox yang energy of heaven and earth."

Orthodox yang energy...

Gu Yuan drew the Orthodox Yang Sword, and a wave of scorching heat rose into the air.

Lu Ling and Lu Zhaoming both cried out in surprise.

"What sword is that? Its yang energy is so pure!"

"The Orthodox Yang Sword. The empress gave it to me."

!!!

"That's the Orthodox Yang Sword, the Orthodox Yang Taoist Order's most treasured possession, which outsiders never even get a glimpse of?"

Lu Zhaoming reached out and ran a hand over it, his eyes full of envy.

"Brother Gu, that's one of the finest dharma artifacts in the world!"

Speaking of the finest...

That should be Senior Sister's mature-lady black stockings now.

Gu Yuan smiled.

"Brother Lu, if you like it, I'll make you one just like it when this is over."

"You can forge dharma artifacts too, Brother Gu?"

"I know a little."

Lu Zhaoming was renowned for his mastery of both spear and sword, and he dreamed of having a dharma sword as his weapon.

How could he not be excited to hear that Gu Yuan could forge dharma artifacts?

He seized both of Gu Yuan's hands and said:

"Brother Gu, I have no way to repay your great kindness in forging me a sword!"

"My younger sister is just the right age to marry. If you don't mind, Brother Gu, why don't you marry her?"

???

Lu Ling's face flushed. "You sword fanatic, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Brother Gu, to be honest, my eldest sister isn't married yet either..."

"Lu! Zhao! Ming!"

Unsurprisingly, the siblings began to fight.

Gu Yuan paid them little attention.

It was well worth building a good relationship with the Lu family. After all, of the Nine Provinces, Shuzhou was second only to Qingzhou in strength.

If I want to rebel successfully, I can't go wrong trying to win Shuzhou over!

But then again.

Why had the empress specifically given him the Orthodox Yang Sword this time?

Had she already discovered something amiss?

Gu Yuan's heart tightened.

The empress is even more formidable than I imagined!

In the imperial palace of Great Qi.

Qi Yueli sat at her desk, her brows tightly furrowed, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Why do I keep having this ominous premonition?"

"Could something have happened to Gu Yuan?"

She took the diary from her robes, but there were still no new entries.

"With the Orthodox Yang Sword in hand and the Mystic Shadow Guard helping him, he should be able to protect himself even if he encounters a First Grade... So why do I still feel so uneasy?"

"The Heavenly Calamity Sect... Ren Rumo..."

Qi Yueli murmured, raising her fair hand to gently touch the words "Gu Yuan" on the diary. The thought in her heart grew firmer.

Nothing must happen to Gu Yuan!

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of danger, she would extinguish it completely!

"Someone."

"Pass on my verbal decree. I will enter seclusion for three days. All memorials are to be handled by the cabinet."

The empress's voice echoed through the hall.

A guard entered the hall but saw no sign of the empress. He could only bow to the empty space and pass on the decree.

Outside Qi Capital.

A figure in white stood silently atop the city wall.

Qi Yueli had taken on Lin Yao's appearance and held another simple, ancient bronze mirror in her hand.

"The Cloud-Peering Mirror consists of a parent mirror and a child mirror. Using this parent mirror as a guide, I can find Gu Yuan."

"I hope nothing too unexpected happens..."

Night fell.

All was silent.

Only at the center of Nine Geese Village did clusters of firelight shine.

A bluestone altar stood there.

The villagers had all gathered before the altar, kneeling devoutly. Every one of them pressed their palms together and closed their eyes, praying in the direction of Nine Geese Mountain.

Gu Yuan and the others had long since returned to the cellar.

The villagers from earlier that day carried them out and piled them on the altar.

"Where's Zhu Laosi?"

"Why isn't he here yet?"

The old man barked.

"Boss, something probably delayed him. Should I go hurry him along?"

"No need."

"If he doesn't come, he won't get a share of the divine blood this time."

"Prepare the sacrifices."

Inside the sack, Gu Yuan heard the children crying and screaming, and his expression grew colder.

"Great Lord Mountain God, we pray to you here..."

A string of prayers and rituals dragged on for nearly half the time it took an incense stick to burn.

The crying gradually stopped.

Gu Yuan sensed an icy aura.

A cloud of black mist enveloping a hazy figure slowly approached the altar.

"Welcome, Lord Mountain God!"

"Welcome, Lord Mountain God!"

Excited cheers rose one after another.

"Have you prepared your sacrifices?" A deep, raspy voice came from the black mist.

"Lord Mountain God, the sacrifices are here," the old man said excitedly, pointing to the altar.

"You have done well."

The black mist spread forward, completely enveloping the altar.

Gu Yuan sensed an aura drawing steadily closer until it was right in front of him.

The time has come!

"Attack!"

The thunderous shout rang out across the land.

Within the black mist, scorching yang flames blazed like the sun, bursting into brilliant light.

"Argh-!" The creature in the black mist let out a low, tearing howl of anguish.

"Mystic Shadow Guard, heed my command!"

"Surround the altar! Don't let a single one escape!"

Battle cries erupted on all sides as hundreds of Mystic Shadow Guards charged out, surrounding the black mist and the villagers of Nine Geese Village!

Gu Yuan held the Orthodox Yang Sword, his eyes like blazing suns as he fixed them on the dark figure ahead. He said gravely:

"All right, now let's all take a look."

"What the hell is this so-called mountain god?"