Although he had discovered the rogue cultivator, Gu Chengming had no intention of making a move yet.
He pushed through the crowded masses and soon found his sect's elder in a corner at the stern with an excellent view and shelter from the wind.
Yu Wenqiu was currently leaning over the railing with zero decorum, holding half a jar of spirit wine she had likely swiped, and a half-eaten stick of candied haws in her other hand. She was pointing and gesturing at the lotus lanterns drifting along the river.
"That lantern is floating crookedly. Whoever set it must be insincere in their prayers for marriage."
Yu Wenqiu took a bite of a candied haw, mumbling indistinctly.
Using his position to shield himself from view, Gu Chengming sent a condensed line of divine sense transmission directly into Yu Wenqiu's ear:
'Elder, don't look back. Listen to me.'
Yu Wenqiu's hand, which was about to reach for a second stick of candied haws, suddenly froze. Her originally relaxed and lazy posture stiffened for a split second before relaxing again. She maintained her lantern-watching stance, though her almond eyes narrowed slightly.
'Did something happen?' she replied via transmission.
'I found that third realm rogue cultivator who escaped from the Jubo Merchant Guild half a month ago on this ship,' Gu Chengming said succinctly. 'He's in the Heaven-rank Room Three on the second floor. My aura is locked onto him; it's definitely him.'
Yu Wenqiu used the action of drinking wine to mask a momentary look of astonishment.
'What do you want to do?' she asked. 'Even though Daqian is guarded by dragon qi, if we really start a fight, innocent people will inevitably be hurt. Someone might even try to dump the blame for the mess on the Wenjian Sect.'
Gu Chengming replied, 'There is no need for us to act. This ship belongs to the Hehuan Sect; naturally, they should be the ones to deal with the headache.'
Upon hearing this, Yu Wenqiu showed quite a bit of appreciation. 'Not bad, Little Gu. Your way of doing things is becoming more and more stable. You truly have the style I had in my younger days.'
'In that case, go and inform Manager Yun. I'll keep an eye on things here. If that fellow tries anything, I'll suppress him immediately.'
Though she loved to slack off, Yu Wenqiu, as a third realm elder, was reliable when it came to serious business.
With her promise, Gu Chengming's heart settled.
"Then I shall trouble the elder."
Gu Chengming cupped his hands in a salute and turned to disappear into the crowd.
In the first-floor hall, the sound of string and woodwind instruments grew more urgent. The much-anticipated "Oiran Banquet" was about to begin.
Yun Wan stood at the base of the stairs, holding a gold-leaf guest list, softly instructing a few trusted maids on the order of service.
Though busy today, her eyes couldn't hide her joy. Tonight's revenue from the Drunk Dream Boat would likely equal half a year's usual earnings.
"Manager Yun."
Yun Wan turned and saw Gu Chengming returning. Her heart skipped a beat. This man had just mentioned that the banquet's arrangements might be risky, and now he was back. Had something gone wrong?
"Young Master Gu?" Yun Wan dismissed the maids. "Is there something wrong with the arrangements in the back hall?"
Gu Chengming stepped to her side and transmitted his discovery. When he mentioned the rogue cultivator from the Jubo Merchant Guild, Yun Wan's expression instantly stiffened, realizing the gravity of the situation.
Tonight was the Lantern Festival, and the ship was full of sect disciples and officials. If this rogue cultivator went on a killing spree or took a noble hostage, the Hehuan Sect's century of operations in the capital would be ruined in a single night. Cold sweat broke out, but she forced herself to remain calm amidst her shock and anger.
"Thank you for informing me, Young Master Gu."
Yun Wan gave Gu Chengming a deep bow, then pulled a warm-toned transmission jade slip from her sleeve. With a flick of spiritual energy from her fingertip, she sent an extremely discreet message.
"Rest assured, Young Master Gu. On the Drunk Dream Boat tonight, our sect has two Inner Sect elders stationed here, both at the third realm. They were originally here to prevent drunkards from causing trouble, but I never expected..."
Gu Chengming felt the final weight lift from his heart upon hearing this.
Two third realm elders, combined with the Drunk Dream Boat's own array suppression, should be more than enough to handle one rogue cultivator at the early stage of the third realm.
"Since Manager Yun has arrangements, it is inconvenient for me to interfere further," Gu Chengming said, cupping his hands.
Yun Wan nodded gratefully. "Please go and rest, Young Master. Once this matter is settled, I will certainly prepare a generous gift and visit you to express my thanks."
Watching Yun Wan hurry off to mobilize her forces, Gu Chengming let out a long sigh of relief. But as they say, the world is fickle; just when you think you can grab a stool and watch the show, the stage collapses without warning, burying you in the rubble.
Just as Gu Chengming stood in the shadows of the corridor, watching Yun Wan's departing back and letting out that breath of relaxation, a sudden change erupted like a clap of thunder.
Hum—
A vibrating sound echoed.
The scent of powder and wine floating in the air was violently torn apart by a metallic, rust-like stench of blood. The bright lanterns were instantly dyed a strange, dark red, as if covered by a film of dried blood.
Immediately following that, the array that had originally protected the entire pleasure boat became viscous and cold. Like flowing blood, it spread frantically along the grain of the ship's wood, completely enveloping the Drunk Dream Boat in the blink of an eye.
'I can't possibly be this unlucky, can I?'
Gu Chengming's mouth hung open. Before he could react, the array had already activated.
Then, the world went silent.
The boisterous music stopped abruptly, and the laughter from the tables fell into total stillness.
Startled, Gu Chengming whipped his head to the side.
He saw several young dandies who had been laughing and playing just moments ago frozen in place like clay statues. The smiles hadn't even left their faces, but their eyes had become hollow and lifeless, as if their three souls and seven spirits had been snatched away in an instant.
"Manager Yun?"
Gu Chengming looked toward Yun Wan not far ahead.
The Hehuan Sect manager, who had been about to notify the Inner Sect elders, had also stopped in her tracks.
Her body swayed slightly, and she became dull and numb.
Gu Chengming felt a chill run down his spine. He instinctively looked toward the second floor, where the third realm elders should have been.
There, too, was a dead silence.
Though he hadn't seen the fate of the two Hehuan Sect elders with his own eyes, judging by the situation around him, the enemy had clearly come prepared.
The Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art carved out a space of clarity for him within the viscous, cold pressure of the array.
Perhaps thanks to his cultivation art, he was not restricted.
But this didn't make him feel the least bit lucky, because...
Tap, tap, tap.
A sound like walking corpses rang out. The controlled guests, maids, and guards—even Yun Wan—all started moving at the same time.
Their movements were stiff and their expressions numb as they turned in unison and began walking in one direction.
That direction was the banquet hall where Gu Chengming had just finished setting up his "grand gift."
Gu Chengming's scalp tingled at the eerie sight.
'I can't expose myself...'
Gu Chengming's reaction was lightning-fast. Almost the moment the others moved, he mimicked the people around him, stepping stiffly to join the massive "procession."
As he drifted forward with the crowd, he discreetly observed his surroundings. This array was truly sinister.
Cultivators below the third realm had lost consciousness but could still move, while those with third realm cultivation had their auras weakened to near nothingness, as if they had fallen into a deep slumber.
The procession moved through the corridors, across the deck, and finally poured into the spacious banquet hall. At this moment, the hall was brightly lit and filled to capacity with the walking dead.
The crowd flowed in like a tide, yet there was no sound of bumping—only the soft rustle of fabric and the synchronized thud of footsteps.
The smell of blood in the air grew thicker, even condensing into a visible pale red mist in the air.
They didn't sit down. Instead, regardless of gender, they gathered in the center of the hall like pilgrims facing the main stage where the "Flower Goddess" was supposed to perform.
A figure in green stood with his back to the crowd, hands behind his back, neither wearing a mask nor deliberately hiding his form.
It was a refined-looking middle-aged face, but it was now covered in eerie black patterns. His eyes had no whites, only a heart-stopping, pitch-black void.
It was the rogue cultivator Gu Chengming had glimpsed at the stairs earlier—the same one who had escaped the Jubo Merchant Guild.
Floating before him was a palm-sized black cauldron.
The small cauldron was continuously swallowing the blood qi and soul power drifting in the air, making a glug-glug sound as if it were gestating some terrifying demonic fetus.
As the cauldron fed, the hideous carvings on its surface seemed to come alive, writhing and roaring. Every time the glug sound echoed, the crowd in the hall would tremble in unison, as if their life force was being drained away bit by bit with the rhythm.
Several low-cultivation maids in the front row shuddered violently as wisps of white mist drifted out from their baihui acupoints.
Gu Chengming's heart tightened, his hand instinctively gripping the sword hilt hidden in his sleeve.
He couldn't wait any longer. If the man started absorbing soul power on a large scale, he wouldn't be able to fake it even if he wanted to.
However, just as Gu Chengming was weighing whether to strike...
The rogue cultivator's gaze suddenly and without warning came to a halt. His vision pierced through the layers of the crowd and landed directly on Gu Chengming.
Without a single word of nonsense or any probing strike...
The moment the rogue cultivator saw Gu Chengming, he launched a silent, direct lethal strike toward him.
Gu Chengming cursed inwardly and abandoned all pretense of disguise.
With a clear ring of a sword, the Tinglan Sword left its sheath. Simultaneously, the two second-tier Dharma Swords, Light Splitting and Stone Cracker, whistled out from his storage pouch. The three swords harmonized, instantly forming a sword array to block his front.
Clang—!!
A deafening sound of metal clashing rang out.
Gu Chengming felt an irresistible, massive force travel down the sword blade. He couldn't stop himself from sliding back several dozen feet before finally steadying himself.
His blood churned in his chest, and the skin between his thumb and forefinger had split, blood dripping down the hilt. He was quite surprised.
In truth, the rogue cultivator was even more shocked. From the first moment Gu Chengming appeared, he knew the boy hadn't been controlled by the array.
He had forcibly suppressed his emotions, remaining calm on the surface while suddenly attacking. On one hand, he recognized Gu Chengming as the sword cultivator who had ruined his business at the merchant guild. On the other, knowing Gu Chengming wasn't controlled by the array only confirmed his previous suspicion.
This bastard was a genius who had been possessed by an old monster.
Why was he here? Did he know about the plan? What was his relationship with Daqian?
Thoughts raced through his mind, and finally, all his confusion and shock turned into killing intent.
No matter the reason, old monsters who possessed others and restarted their cultivation were full of tricks and were the most difficult to deal with.
If he didn't kill him now before he could grow, once he escaped, there would be endless retaliation. He might even ruin the Great God's grand plan!
At this thought, the rogue cultivator gave Gu Chengming no room to breathe. The black cauldron floating in the air suddenly spun, its mouth aiming at Gu Chengming.
Wail—
Countless piercing ghost cries erupted as streaks of ink-black baleful qi surged from the cauldron, transforming into hideous black dragons that lunged at Gu Chengming with bared fangs.
"Sword Array! Defend!"
Gu Chengming gritted his teeth and barked the command. As he hurriedly parried, he activated the Primal Emperor Art, only to find the opponent was far stronger than the last time.
The rogue cultivator roared, his body bursting forward. He no longer cast spells from a distance but transformed into an afterimage, lunging at Gu Chengming.
Black qi billowed around him. A bone long-saber had appeared in his hand at some point, its edge surrounded by vengeful spirits. Every swing was accompanied by ghost cries that stung the soul.
Gu Chengming fought as he retreated, pushing the Sancai Sword Array to its limit. The Flowing Cloud Following Moon movement technique allowed him to dodge and weave within inches, while his Entanglement Sword Intent acted like a parasite, attempting to slow the enemy's offensive.
But the gap in realms was simply too large.
Every strike from the opponent was heavy and carried a sinister, corrosive energy that ate away at his spiritual power.
Though Gu Chengming barely held on thanks to the sword array, in just dozens of breaths, he was already in a life-or-death struggle. His Night Guard patrol uniform had several gashes, and blood stained his collar.
'Damn it! Is the dragon qi of this capital dead?!'
As Gu Chengming desperately parried a lethal strike, he cursed in his head.
Hadn't they said the Daqian capital was overflowing with dragon qi and impervious to all evil? Hadn't they said any evil that dared to use power above the third realm in the capital would immediately draw the suppression of the dragon qi?
This rogue cultivator was currently setting up an altar and going on a killing spree. Where was that legendary dragon qi?
That cold aura seeped into his meridians along his sword intent. Gu Chengming gritted his teeth, pushing his true essence to the absolute limit, yet he still felt like he was about to collapse under the overwhelming assault.
The rogue cultivator's attacks grew more ferocious. A tiny crack had already appeared on the blade of the Stone Cracker sword.
At that critical moment...
The "dragon-shaped qi seed" deep in Gu Chengming's dantian—which had unexpectedly formed during his breakthrough to the second realm through resonance with the Zhou Rites—suddenly seemed to sense something.
Simultaneously, at the Taiji Palace in the Daqian Imperial City...
The dragon qi that normally coiled above the palace, visible only to qi gazers, poured out toward the Qinhuang River.
The dragon qi of the entire capital was triggered at this moment, resonating with heaven and earth.
'How is this possible?!'
On the Drunk Dream Boat, the rogue cultivator's face changed drastically.
He had suppressed his true fourth realm strength to the third realm and even used the demonic cauldron to mask himself specifically to avoid the detection of the Daqian dragon qi.
So why? How could this dragon qi discover him?
Crack! Crack!
The Myriad Spirits Blood Sacrifice Array—which supposedly could isolate all detection—began to dissolve and shatter.
Executing the Dao on behalf of Heaven, borrowing the dragon to slay evil!
As he realized what was happening, the rogue cultivator's expression became even more horrified as a thought struck him:
"You're a possessed ancestor of the Daqian Imperial Family!!"
Before he could figure out the logic behind it, an aura even more despair-inducing than the dragon qi suddenly swept over from the direction of the capital.
It was an incredibly pure blade intent. Wherever it passed, all sound ceased.
Just the aftershocks of the aura caused the massive Drunk Dream Boat to groan under the burden, as if it would disintegrate the next second.
The rogue cultivator's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks. He was all too familiar with this aura.
The Director of the Daqian Night Guard Division, Zhou Qingmu.
Without hesitation or hope for luck, the moment this aura appeared, the rogue cultivator knew the mission had completely failed.
Never mind refining the demonic cauldron; if he was half a breath slower, his life would be forfeit right here!
The rogue cultivator no longer cared about the dragon qi's suppression. The aura of a fourth realm cultivator erupted without reservation.
He violently bit his tongue and spat essence blood onto the demonic cauldron in his hand.
"—Primordial Essence Reversal, Reflection of the Empty Mulberry!"
With a roar, the space behind him was forcibly torn open into a pitch-black rift.
Ignoring the cutting force of the spatial turbulence, he transformed into a streak of bloody light, about to dive into the void crack. However...
Just as half his body entered the crack...
The world lit up.
It wasn't lanterns, nor was it moonlight. It was a flash of a blade that struck from the distant horizon yet felt as if it were right before his eyes.
Clang—
There was no earth-shattering boom, only a crisp, pleasant chime of a blade.
Gu Chengming instinctively looked up and saw a scene he would never forget.
The originally ink-black night sky was like a piece of paper cut by a sharp blade, split perfectly in two down the middle.
Wherever the blade light passed, the night retreated, and day arrived.
That was... 【Night Severance】.
Pshht.
A soft sound followed.
Like cutting through a block of tofu.
Immediately after, that suffocating fourth realm pressure vanished instantly.
The rift in the sky slowly healed, and the light that had turned night into day gradually faded.
Peace returned to the Qinhuang River.
The black cauldron, losing its master's support, shattered into countless grains of dust with a crack and drifted away with the wind.
Gu Chengming stood where he was, watching the slowly calming night sky. His hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and sweat had long since soaked his back.
【Hundred Bones Resonating cheers: Emperor Gu is mighty!】
'Mighty my ass. People would think I was the one who swung that blade.'
However, seeing the reaction of the Hundred Bones Resonating, Gu Chengming's mood improved significantly. He finally let out a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
He had won by doing nothing, but not entirely nothing.
At least he was doing slightly better than Elder Yu.
Thinking of Yu Wenqiu, who was likely trapped by the array somewhere on the ship sleeping, Gu Chengming's head throbbed.
He sighed and replied to the Hundred Bones Resonating: "To this Venerable One, it was but a bit of wind and frost."
Hearing the words come out of his mouth—so different from what he actually wanted to say—he finally remembered his current Emperor State.
'I should ask for a leave of absence once this is over.'
Gu Chengming looked at the sky, speechless.
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