The storm at Xuande Neighborhood, upon Gu Chengming's return to the Night Guard Division, transformed into a thin case file.
Unlike the convoluted diplomatic posturing of the Honglu Temple, Gu Chengming's closing statement was blunt and direct.
【At the market entrance of Xuande Neighborhood, an untamed sea beast went on a rampage, injuring people, resulting in one death and one injury, and damaging several civilian residences. Night Guard Gu Chengming, while on patrol, slew it on the spot in accordance with the laws of Great Qian.】
There were no flowery descriptions of 'East Sea Auspicious Beasts,' nor any avoidance of the diplomatic mission's identity.
With the press of a bright red 'Approved' seal, this diplomatic dispute, which should have shaken the court, was categorized in the Night Guard Division's archives as a routine 'demon-slaying' duty.
Vice Commander Liu looked at the file, smacked his lips, and finally gave a thumbs-up, ordering it to be archived without another word.
As for whether the Honglu Temple or the Ministry of Justice would come to argue later, that was a game for the big shots above; it had nothing to do with martial men like them who carried blades.
After handling the official business, Gu Chengming visited the mortuary on the west side of the city.
The youth was kneeling before a newly prepared mourning hall, dressed in plain white, his figure so thin he looked as if a gust of wind could knock him over.
Seeing Gu Chengming enter, the dullness in the youth's eyes finally flickered.
He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but his throat was already hoarse from crying, and no sound came out.
Gu Chengming didn't say much, simply placing a heavy storage pouch on the offering table.
"There are one thousand spirit stones inside," Gu Chengming said, looking at the youth. "Since you didn't take the compensation from the Honglu Temple, consider this money a personal gift from me. Although it can't bring your grandfather back, the living must still go on."
The youth looked at the storage pouch, his body trembling violently.
He knew this was the justice his benefactor had reclaimed for him—the 'blood money' for that jiao-beast.
He didn't refuse, nor did he say any sentimental words. He silently picked up the storage pouch, turned around, and knelt heavily before Gu Chengming.
Thud.
The sound of his forehead hitting the ground was dull and loud.
He did not rise but remained prostrate, saying in a raspy voice that was almost inaudible, one word at a time:
"This great kindness... I shall repay in this life."
In the following days, the capital seemed to return to its usual tranquility.
Gu Chengming's life became extremely disciplined.
Aside from checking in at the Night Guard Division daily, he spent his time at the Imperial Academy.
Although the academy's library focused on classics, history, and philosophy, it was the heart of Great Qian's literary lineage. The miscellaneous records it housed, such as Records of Mountains and Seas and Illustrated Records of the Four Seas, were far more detailed than anything found on the market.
Traces of the East Sea's water vein distribution, the bloodline weaknesses of the jiao-clan, and even the secrets of major families could be found within those dusty old papers.
However, his days at the Imperial Academy weren't entirely spent flipping through dry books.
From a certain day onward, Gu Chengming found the frequency of his 'chance encounters' with a certain Hehuan Sect elder to be ridiculously high.
"Oh? What a coincidence?"
On the corridor outside the Heart Sutra Hall, Fu Xiaoxiao, dressed in a red dress with her hands behind her back, strolled out from a corner pretending to be casual, a 'just passing by' expression on her face.
"I just went to get some medicine from Li Suizhuang. I didn't expect you to be here too?"
Gu Chengming looked at her new shoes, which were clearly changed for the occasion and free of dust, and the faint scent of peach blossoms on her. He found it amusing but cooperated, cupping his hands.
"A coincidence indeed. Is Senior Sister Fu here to read as well?"
"Read? I don't have the patience for that."
Fu Xiaoxiao curled her lip, then her gaze circled Gu Chengming as if she had suddenly remembered something, her eyes lighting up.
"But since we've run into each other, I might as well test your progress. How is the Red Dust Technique I taught you last time coming along?"
Before Gu Chengming could answer, she had already approached him, assuming the stance of a teacher eager to instruct.
Thus, in the solemn atmosphere of the Imperial Academy, a strange duo appeared.
A young man in green robes with a sword, holding ancient texts about East Sea sea beasts, while beside him, a red-clad girl who looked only fifteen or sixteen stood with her hands behind her back, nagging in his ear about karma and the red dust.
"No, no! This strand of red dust qi is too scattered!"
Fu Xiaoxiao extended a fair, slender finger and lectured, "You need to imagine it as a needle, not a net. It must pierce precisely into the opponent's karmic line, not just wobble around!"
"Try again, this time at that tree!"
"Oh, you're so slow!"
As they went back and forth, the two became increasingly familiar.
Though Fu Xiaoxiao complained about Gu Chengming's lack of comprehension, she was secretly worried he would learn everything too quickly and leave her with nothing more to teach.
Even so, she held nothing back in her instruction.
Under the hands-on guidance of this Hehuan Sect elder, Gu Chengming's application of the Red Dust Technique from the Yin Yang Creation Strategy progressed by leaps and bounds.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
When Gu Chengming condensed red dust qi in his Sea of Consciousness again, the pink spiritual energy that was once thin as mist had now solidified into a tangible thread. Under the control of his divine sense, it moved with exceptional agility, faintly exuding a profound ripple that could shake the heart.
While he was still far from Fu Xiaoxiao's level of 'altering reality,' it was more than enough to slightly nudge the thoughts of mortals or low-level cultivators, or to grant himself a bit of affinity.
Looking at the strand of red dust qi swimming obediently at his fingertips, Gu Chengming felt a sense of stability.
Sword arts slay the body, the red dust confuses the heart.
He had officially mastered the basics of the Yin Yang Creation Strategy.
A few days later.
Imperial Academy, Heart Sutra Hall.
The rain outside had stopped at some point, and a few weak rays of sunlight filtered through the window lattices, casting mottled shadows among the dusty bookshelves.
Gu Chengming stood in a corner, holding a yellowed old book titled East Sea Miscellaneous Records.
The person recorded in the book did not leave a full name, referred to only as the 'Reef Daoist.'
He was born in a remote fishing village called Reef Village on the coast of the East Sea. Although it was within Great Qian's borders, its proximity to the sea meant it was often plagued by sea beasts. The villagers mostly made a living by fishing, struggling to survive in the cracks.
The first half of his life was that of an ordinary fisherman. He married, had children, worked at sunrise, and rested at sunset, making a living amidst the waves. His greatest wish was simply for his family to eat their fill in peace.
It wasn't until his fortieth year that a passing Wenjian Sect elder accidentally discovered the 'sword bone' hidden within him. Amazed, the elder asked if he was willing to enter the Xianmen.
At that time, he was the pillar of his family, with elderly parents and young children. But he knew that even if he stayed in Reef Village and was careful, it was only a matter of time before they ended up in the belly of a fish or a demon.
So, to provide a true path of survival for his wife and children, he agreed.
He promised his wife that once he settled in the sect and was registered, he would immediately return to take them to the legendary Wenjian Sect, where there were no sea beasts, only immortals.
With this hope, he followed the elder into the mountain gate.
There was no intrigue within the Wenjian Sect as he had imagined. His fellow disciples did not discriminate against his mortal origins, which made him even more convinced he had made the right choice.
After completing the entry procedures and receiving his disciple token, he didn't even wait to cultivate for a single day before impatiently asking for leave to rush back to Reef Village.
He brought spiritual rice from the sect, a pearl hairpin for his wife, and a wooden sword for his child.
However, when he breathlessly pushed open the familiar wicker gate, he wasn't met with the smiles of his family, but a scene of purgatory.
Reef Village was gone.
All one hundred and thirty-six people in the village were dead.
The words on the page were brief, but Gu Chengming found them shocking to read—
【Corpses covered the ground, bones shattered. Regardless of gender or age, all had their eyes gouged out and were placed in a kneeling posture facing the sea, as if atoning for a crime.】
His wife's pearl hairpin was crushed in the mud. The wooden sword for his child was never given, for its master was gone.
He searched through the pile of corpses like a madman, finally finding his unrecognizable wife and child among those kneeling toward the sea.
He returned to the Wenjian Sect in a daze, but that hellish scene became an inescapable nightmare.
Whenever it was late at night or his cultivation reached a critical juncture, the image of the kneeling corpses would surface, causing inner demons to sprout and nearly leading to qi deviation.
He forced himself to forget, forced himself to suppress that mountain of hatred and sorrow into the deepest part of his heart.
Combining his sect's mental art, during those countless nights tortured by inner demons, he painstakingly created a technique to forcefully suppress the soul and clear distracting thoughts.
He named it—the Qingxin Art.
Seeing this, Gu Chengming's fingers suddenly paused.
Finally, he had found it...
He took a deep breath and continued reading.
Relying on the Qingxin Art, the Reef Daoist broke through the first realm and second realm step by step. He became taciturn and detached, as if he had truly become a sword cultivator who had severed all worldly ties.
But he never forgot to investigate the truth of that year.
While cultivating, he asked around and gathered clues.
Finally, on the day he broke through to the third realm, the truth came to light.
The one who slaughtered Reef Village was not some roaming sea beast, but a descendant of the Floating White Dragon Lord of the East Sea.
The reason was simply because that dragon descendant, passing by the shore, felt the village's location blocked its 'feng shui,' and a certain fisherman had accidentally offended its procession.
The reason was laughably absurd.
At that moment, all detachment and transcendence became a joke.
He took his sword and charged toward the East Sea, brimming with killing intent.
With the terrifying strength of a third realm sword cultivator, he intercepted the jiao-dragon on an island where it was reveling with a group of aquatic tribes.
The jiao-dragon was only at the late stage of the second realm. Accustomed to acting tyrannically, it had never seen such a display.
That was a strike that had been hidden since the first realm and unleashed at the third realm—a strike carrying the suppressed fury of several decades.
The jiao-dragon knew that if this strike landed, it would surely die.
It roared tremulously, "I am the son of the Floating White Dragon Lord! I am the offspring of a fifth realm great demon!!"
"If you kill me! My father will hunt you to the ends of the earth! You will have no way to live! Even the Wenjian Sect won't be able to protect you!!"
The sword stopped.
The hand holding the sword trembled violently. His eyes were bloodshot, but he found he simply didn't have the courage to swing that strike.
In his long suppression and rationality, he had long grown accustomed to weighing pros and cons.
He realized he didn't hate enough to throw away his own life, nor had he achieved true detachment.
He was afraid to die. He couldn't bear to lose the third realm cultivation he had worked so hard for, nor the hope of the path to longevity.
In the face of a fifth realm great demon's deterrent, in the choice between life and death...
That towering hatred actually recoiled.
Ultimately, he withdrew his sword.
The final lines recorded in the book were heart-wrenching.
【Thereafter, the Reef Daoist never set foot in the East Sea again. He entered secluded cultivation upon returning to the sect. Driven by that unextinguished obsession, he broke through to the fourth realm like a hot knife through butter, becoming a sect elder with endless glory.】
【However, in his later years while attempting to reach the fifth realm, his inner demons resurfaced. On that day, he seemed to return to the shore of Reef Village, seeing the kneeling corpses and the mocking gaze of that jiao-dragon.】
【In the illusion, he swung the strike he had failed to swing back then, but it severed his own dao foundation.】
【In the end, his life and dao were extinguished.】
Snap.
Gu Chengming closed the book and stood in place, silent for a long time.
When he returned to the Night Guard Division, it was already mid-afternoon.
The Hidden Dragon Courtyard was as busy as ever, with Night Guards coming and going, either wiping their weapons or organizing files.
The air was filled with the faint scent of rust and old tea. This atmosphere, full of the mundane and the lethal, made Gu Chengming feel more grounded than the scholarly air of the Imperial Academy.
Just as he stepped into the main office, he saw Vice Commander Liu frowning, holding an urgent document that had just arrived, giving instructions to an experienced old Night Guard beside him.
"...This case isn't huge, but the location is remote and involves waterways, making it quite troublesome to handle."
Vice Commander Liu clicked his tongue and rubbed his brow irritably.
"That place isn't far from the East Sea. Although it's not in the core territory of those loaches, the East Sea is fuming because of that incident at Xuande Neighborhood. If we send a hothead, who knows what trouble they'll cause."
"Old Zhang, you should go. You're steady and an old hand. You have the most experience dealing with these water bandit raids."
The Night Guard called Old Zhang nodded and reached out to take the file.
"Water bandits?"
Gu Chengming stepped forward and asked casually, "Commander, where are these water bandits?"
Seeing Gu Chengming return, Vice Commander Liu immediately put on a smile and waved his hand.
"Oh, Chengming is back? It's nothing, just a small case. There's a remote fishing village near the East Sea that recently reported a group of water bandits looting property. Old Zhang can handle it. You've just made a great contribution and received a reward, so you should rest in the capital."
Gu Chengming didn't respond. His gaze accidentally swept over a corner of the file blown open by the wind. In the somewhat messy handwriting, an extremely familiar place name—one that even made his pupils contract slightly—crashed into his vision without warning.
【Crime Scene: Donghai Prefecture, Linhai County, Reef Village.】
Reef Village.
Gu Chengming's breath hitched.
Could there be such a coincidence in this world?
The place where the one hundred and thirty-six wronged souls were buried, long turned to dust in the old books of the Imperial Academy; the heartbreaking land that became the Reef Daoist's lifelong nightmare and eventual cause of death.
Now, it had appeared again on a Night Guard Division case file?
"Reef Village..."
Gu Chengming reached out and, under the surprised gazes of Vice Commander Liu and Old Zhang, pressed his hand directly onto the file.
"Commander."
Gu Chengming looked up. "Let me handle this case."
"You?"
Vice Commander Liu froze for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly. "That place is a godforsaken hole. Besides, those are water bandits—desperadoes who live on the sea. They're slippery. You're a sword cultivator; you won't be able to use your skills there. It'll be too much trouble."
"Furthermore, you're a rising star in our division and a genius on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Catching a few water bandits? That's overkill!"
"It's not overkill."
Gu Chengming didn't let go. Instead, he took the file, his tone carrying an unquestionable resolve.
"I have recently gained some insights in my sword dao and need to use the waves of the East Sea to temper my sword intent."
Vice Commander Liu didn't know what the boy was planning, but seeing Gu Chengming like this, he felt he couldn't stop him.
"Fine, fine."
Vice Commander Liu sighed helplessly and waved Old Zhang away.
"Since you insist, go ahead. But let me be clear: the situation at the East Sea is delicate right now. Once you're there, just catch the bandits. Don't be too impulsive, and try not to cause another diplomatic incident."
"I understand."
Gu Chengming took the file and gripped his sword tightly.
In the small courtyard of the Jishan Neighborhood, the midday sun was just right.
When Gu Chengming returned, Yu Wenqiu was slumped ungracefully on a wicker hammock, soaking up the sun.
Upon learning that Gu Chengming had taken an assignment to suppress bandits at the East Sea, the usually lazy elder actually sat up straight.
She didn't say much, only offering her usual protective words in the most casual tone—if the sword couldn't settle the matter, remember to call for help; at worst, she would make the trip herself.
Gu Chengming understood her meaning and set out for the East Sea.
Once past the towering gates of the capital, Gu Chengming no longer suppressed his speed.
The Tinglan Sword turned into a streak of light, carrying him through the air.
Traveling east from the prosperous capital region, the scenery below constantly changed.
At first, there were fertile fields and villages with curling smoke. As he drew closer to the East Sea, the terrain became rugged, and the humidity in the air continued to rise.
About a day later.
The clouds on the horizon began to hang low and heavy, turning a leaden gray.
The wind no longer carried the fragrance of soil, but a strong, salty stench of decay.
Gu Chengming lowered his sword light and landed on a cliff overlooking the sea.
Looking out, the legendary vast East Sea did not look like the 'ten thousand miles of blue waves' described in poetry.
Turbid waves repeatedly crashed against black reefs, churning up yellow foam. The distant fishing village was faintly visible in the gray mist, exuding an indescribable deathly silence.
So this is the East Sea...
On the coast of the East Sea, Reef Village.
The sea breeze carried a persistent, salty dampness, as if it were blowing from a pile of rotting seaweed. It made the old flags on the pier flap loudly, creating an irritating sound.
Gu Chengming did not immediately reveal his identity as a Night Guard.
He changed into ordinary, washed-out green robes, with only a simple white jade pendant hanging from his waist. He suppressed his sharp sword intent, looking like a poor scholar traveling the world.
As soon as he stepped onto the moss-covered stone steps, Gu Chengming noticed something was wrong.
This fishing village was too quiet.
For a place that lived off the sea, there were few fishermen drying nets on the pier. Every household had its doors and windows tightly shut. Hanging under the eaves were not dried fish, but strings of unknown beast bone wind chimes.
Before the Earth God Temple at the village entrance, the incense was burning brightly, but the one being worshipped was not the Earth God, but a fierce-looking, dark blue dragon-headed clay statue.
"Young man, stop."
Just as Gu Chengming was about to walk further in, a hunched old man with skin like old tree bark appeared from nowhere, leaning on a cane and blocking the path.
This was the village head.
His cloudy eyes scanned Gu Chengming. There was no simple hospitality in his gaze, only deep suspicion and rejection.
"There's nothing to see here, and no place to stay."
The village head's voice was raspy, carrying an air of dismissal. "The Dragon King has a bad temper lately, and the sea is restless. If you don't want to die, leave quickly. Don't go looking for trouble."
Gu Chengming cupped his hands and smiled. "Elder, I am merely passing through. I heard the sea view here is unique and wanted to ask for a drink of water and a place to rest before moving on."
"No water! And no place to rest!"
The village head's face darkened. He instinctively glanced back at the sea, his tone becoming urgent and anxious.
"Go, go! If you offend something, it won't just be your life; the whole village will suffer!"
With that, he didn't seem to dare stay outside any longer. After a wary look around, he hurried off to check if the doors and windows of each house were tightly shut, muttering 'don't take offense' under his breath.
As the village head walked away, Gu Chengming's gaze fell on the drying racks in front of several nearby houses.
Several strings of gray, dried salted fish were swaying weakly in the salty sea breeze. The fish were shriveled and thin, their scales dull, as if all their essence had been sucked out.
More eerily, these dried fish didn't have the usual fresh fishy smell but instead faintly exuded an unpleasant, sickly sweet scent of decay. Their eyes were hollow, as if they were staring fixedly at passersby.
"Don't eat those dried fish. They were belly-up dead fish before they were dried. You'll get a stomachache."
A crisp but deliberately lowered voice came abruptly from behind a mooring post, sounding exceptionally lively in this deathly quiet village.
Gu Chengming stopped and looked to the side.
A boy of about seven or eight was struggling to drag a broken fishing net larger than himself.
His skin was dark from the sea breeze, and there were small cuts on his hands and feet, but his eyes were startlingly bright, possessing a cleverness rare for a coastal child. He was peeking at Gu Chengming.
Gu Chengming became interested. He crouched down to eye level and smiled. "How do you know those are dead fish?"
The boy didn't answer directly. He first looked left and right to ensure the mean village head wasn't nearby, then skillfully pulled out a clean, washed white cloth from his shirt.
He carefully wiped a mossy stone block beside Gu Chengming until it was clean before gesturing for him to sit.
After finishing this, he patted the dust off his hands and said like an old man, "Look at the clouds. The air in the sea hasn't been right these past two days; it's murky, like it's brewing something bad. The fish below are all dizzy. The meat of fish that float up on their own is sour and tastes bad."
Gu Chengming's heart stirred.
In his eyes, a faint but extremely pure water-blue spiritual light was flickering at the boy's brow, completely out of place in this village where even the air felt salty and turbid.
"You understand these things?" Gu Chengming asked nonchalantly.
The boy scratched his head sheepishly and, from the bottom of the broken net, pulled out a worn, yellowed copy of Basic Qi Induction Art like a treasure.
"The teacher at the private school taught me secretly."
The boy hugged the book to his chest and lowered his voice as if sharing a shocking secret.
"Teacher said I'm smart and learn fast. He said as long as I can sense qi, I can go to a big sect in the future and become an immortal!"
At this point, the boy's eyes suddenly dimmed.
He looked at the distant closed doors and windows, then at the bustling Dragon King Temple, his small hands tightly gripping the worn book.
"When I become an immortal, I'll come back and help Dad herd fish. Dad's legs were ruined from soaking in cold water just to pay that offering... If I become powerful, Dad won't have to kowtow to those monsters in the water, and everyone won't have to be so afraid anymore."
Looking at the boy's eyes, Gu Chengming felt a surge of kindness.
"You are indeed very smart."
Gu Chengming pulled out several Spirit Gathering Pills from his sleeve and placed them gently in the boy's palm.
"Take these. If your father asks, say a passing teacher gave them to you."
The boy looked at the fragrant pills, his eyes wide. Although he didn't know what they were, he instinctively knew they were good.
He didn't take them immediately but pulled out a handful of colorful shells from his pocket. After picking through them, he chose the most beautiful pale purple conch and solemnly handed it to Gu Chengming.
"Teacher, I can't take them for nothing... This is for you. It's a Tide-Listening Conch. If you put it to your ear, it can calm your heart."
As he spoke, he looked up, his young face full of aspiration.
"Teacher, you're a good person. When I become a Great Sword Immortal in the future, I'll go to the capital to find you and repay your kindness!"
However, at that moment...
A patch of abnormal dark clouds suddenly rolled over the sea, and the previously calm waves instantly became violent.
"A-ji!"
A panicked, distorted roar came.
The village head had returned at some point. When he saw A-ji talking to the stranger, and especially when he saw the Qi Induction Art out in the open, his old face turned pale as paper, and his lips trembled.
"You little brat! Do you want to die?!"
The village head practically crawled over, snatching the worn book as if it were a red-hot iron and stuffing it into A-ji's shirt, hiding it with his robes.
He looked fearfully at the changing sea and lowered his voice.
"Didn't I tell you! Hide it! Hide it! Don't let anyone know you can cultivate! Do you want to kill the whole village?!"
"If that Young Master sees this, we're all doomed! Come back with me! Now!!"
The village head didn't even dare look at Gu Chengming, dragging A-ji away by the arm so roughly it looked like he might snap it.
A-ji was terrified, stumbling as he was dragged along, but he still looked back at Gu Chengming standing on the pier.
Gu Chengming stood in place, silently watching the old and young disappear behind a crumbling mud wall.
The sea breeze grew colder, carrying a nauseating, sickly sweet scent.
Looking far out, the originally blue seawater now looked as if thick ink had been poured into it, faintly glowing with an ominous dark red light as the surging tide crashed against the reefs.
"Hide the fact that he's cultivating..."
Gu Chengming frowned slightly.
In this remote fishing village, spiritual energy was so thin it was almost non-existent.
For an eight-year-old child to step onto the path of cultivation without a teacher should have been a blessing from his ancestors, but in the eyes of this village head, it was something that needed to be 'hidden.'
Setting aside his thoughts, Gu Chengming didn't linger.
After leaving the pier, he didn't go directly to the crime scene but went to the county office first.
To Gu Chengming's surprise, he wasn't met with the expected shirking of responsibility from corrupt officials, but by a thin old man in a washed-out official robe, his hair graying and his face full of sorrow.
This was the local Magistrate Li.
As soon as he saw Gu Chengming, he didn't put on any airs but instead grabbed Gu Chengming's sleeve, his withered hands trembling slightly, his face full of sincere and anxious 'pleading for the people.'
"Lord Gu, you've finally arrived."
While leading Gu Chengming to the inner hall, Magistrate Li lowered his voice and advised earnestly:
"I know the rules of the Night Guard Division, but this situation... is truly special. Those 'water bandits' come and go without a trace. If we investigate with great fanfare and those desperadoes get desperate and truly cut off our shipping routes..."
He stopped and sighed heavily, the wrinkles on his face seemingly filled with worry for the common people.
"Lord Gu, you are a noble from the capital and might not know. This small county relies entirely on the spirit pearl trade with the East Sea to survive. If this trade is ruined and the court blames us, that's a small matter, but if the people lose their livelihood, they will starve!"
"In my humble opinion, it's better to report them as 'roaming water bandits,' issue some compensation, and settle the matter. If we push too hard, we might end up doing more harm than good."
Gu Chengming stopped, brushed off Magistrate Li's hand, and straightened his sleeves, his tone unreadable.
"Whether they are water bandits or evil demons, since the Night Guard Division has taken the case, there is no reason to settle it unclearly."
"As for the court's blame..." Gu Chengming glanced at him. "If the sky falls, I can bear it. Lead the way."
Magistrate Li's sorrowful expression froze for a moment. Seeing this young man's stubbornness, he opened his mouth but finally sighed dejectedly, his back seeming to bend even more.
"Fine, fine... Since you insist, Lord, please follow me."
The crime scene was in a remote fishing village thirty miles from the county seat.
The area had been cordoned off by constables. The air didn't have the expected strong smell of blood but instead carried a strange mixture of tea fragrance and sea stench.
"They are all here."
Magistrate Li stood by the threshing floor at the village entrance, turning away as if he truly couldn't bear to see this human tragedy.
Gu Chengming stepped into the field.
As the file stated, on the surface, there didn't seem to have been a violent massacre.
Over twenty corpses, regardless of age or gender, were fully clothed, without even a decent blade wound on them.
There were no severed limbs or disemboweled bodies; they looked as if they were sleeping.
However, their postures were too strange.
All the corpses were facing the sea, either kneeling or with their foreheads touching the ground, arranged in an extremely distorted and standard 'kneeling' or 'submissive' posture.
—This discovery made Gu Chengming's heart skip a beat.
Kneeling toward the sea...
It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it?
He walked to a corpse, reached out, and gently pressed its shoulder. The flesh felt soft and offered no resistance.
Then, he activated his Wisdom Eye.
In his vision, beneath this seemingly intact skin, every bone from the cervical vertebrae to the toes had been shattered into powder by a hidden force.
They had been conscious when someone, like a person molding clay, slowly crushed every bone in their bodies and forced them into this humiliating kneeling posture.
Gu Chengming was shocked, then sneered.
What kind of water bandits would go to such trouble to kill? Why would they perform such a ritual?
The sense of unease and subtle foreboding in his heart grew stronger.
"Hehe... Hehehe..."
A burst of mad laughter came from a nearby haystack.
Gu Chengming looked over and saw a disheveled old man in rags huddled in a corner, clutching a handful of bloody mud, his eyes vacant.
"That's the village's old scholar," a constable explained softly. "He was already mad when he was found; he's the only survivor."
Gu Chengming walked over, but before he could speak, the old scholar curled into a ball like a frightened rabbit, trembling violently.
"Don't kill me, I'll kowtow, I'll kowtow..."
The old scholar shivered, banging his head against the ground, muttering incoherently, "It's laughing, it's not a monster, it turned into a person, wearing green clothes..."
Gu Chengming crouched down, his gaze falling on the mud the old scholar was clutching.
"Green clothes..."
Gu Chengming murmured to himself.
The terrified face of the village head at the pier and the phrase 'if that Young Master sees this' flashed through his mind.
"Take him away and settle him properly."
The last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the surging black waves, and the entire county fell into an eerie silence.
Two long shadows were cast.
The streets were empty, save for a few old lanterns swaying in the wind, casting distorted shadows.
The two walked in silence, the atmosphere oppressively suffocating.
Magistrate Li walked ahead, his already hunched back looking even more pathetic in the night, as if carrying an unspeakable weight that could snap it at any moment.
Returning to the side hall of the county office, only a single lamp flickered.
Gu Chengming dismissed everyone, leaving only Magistrate Li.
He didn't use his cultivation to pressure him, nor did he put on the airs of a superior. He simply looked at the hunched old man and spoke directly:
"Lord Li, that old scholar is mad; his words don't count. But I believe you are not mad."
Gu Chengming tapped his knuckles on the table, creating a rhythmic sound.
"That kind of death is definitely not the work of water bandits... What exactly is behind this?"
Magistrate Li's hand, which was pouring tea, shook violently, spilling scalding tea onto his hand, but he seemed not to notice.
"Lord Gu, you're overthinking it."
Magistrate Li lowered his gaze. "Those were water bandits. In this coastal area, the winds and waves are strong, and deaths come in all sorts of strange ways. It's nothing unusual."
"You refuse to speak?" Gu Chengming narrowed his eyes.
"There's nothing to say."
Magistrate Li suddenly fell to his knees and kowtowed heavily to Gu Chengming, his forehead pressing against the cold bricks.
"Lord Gu, I can see you are a good official, but precisely because of that... I beg you, stop investigating."
"You are a noble from the capital with a bright future. There's no need to throw your life away for a few worthless lives in this godforsaken place."
"We can't afford to offend that thing, and neither can you... Truly, if you really care for the people, issue the compensation and return to the capital early."
In his eyes, Gu Chengming was just a young second realm cultivator.
Even with some background and means, he was just another slightly stronger ant before that cruel and tyrannical jiao-demon with its immense backing.
Rather than letting this young man go to his death, it was better to let him leave.
This was the only thing he, a powerless and mediocre official, could do.
Gu Chengming looked at the kneeling old man and remained silent for a long time.
He understood that look; it was the instinctive rejection of any hope after reality had broken one's spirit.
"Get up."
Gu Chengming stood up and didn't press further.
Since the official records were untrustworthy, he would trust the traces that hadn't been erased yet.
For the next two days, Gu Chengming didn't involve the local government.
He changed into coarse hemp clothes, hid his aura, and acted like an itinerant merchant buying seafood, traveling alone between several nearby fishing villages.
Though he was mentally prepared, the results of his investigation still shocked him.
Reef Village was not an isolated case.
In Jiaotou Village, fifty miles from the county seat, an entire fisherman's family had vanished half a month ago. The government said they were lost to the waves, but behind their abandoned house, Gu Chengming dug up several corpses with shattered bones in a kneeling posture.
At Baisha Bay, a group of children playing by the sea had died suddenly seven days ago. The cause of death was ruled as accidental ingestion of sea poison, but Gu Chengming activated his Wisdom Eye and saw lingering demon qi over their graves.
Case after case, each more shocking than the last.
In the county records, without exception, these cases were attributed to 'water bandit raids,' 'accidental waves,' or 'sea beast harassment.'
Gu Chengming sat in a simple tea stall, a vague map of the East Sea spread before him.
He held a brush dipped in cinnabar and circled the villages where the incidents had occurred one by one.
Reef Village, Jiaotou Village, Baisha Bay, Heishi Cliff...
"Strange."
Gu Chengming looked at the bright red circles on the map, his brow furrowed.
These villages weren't adjacent; in fact, they were quite far apart.
If the jiao-demon wanted to eat people or vent its lust, it could have struck nearby or focused on one place.
Why travel so far to kill people in such a scattered manner?
"Is there a pattern..."
Gu Chengming closed his eyes, connecting the dots in his mind.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit him. He snapped his eyes open and drew a heavy line across the map.
An invisible line perfectly connected these seemingly unrelated villages.
It wasn't a geographical connection. It was a shipping route.
To be precise, it was the official route agreed upon by Great Qian and the East Sea's Whale-Shark Clan for transporting spirit pearl tributes and trade.
Every one of these villages was a node on that trade route responsible for supplies, docking, or collecting raw materials for spirit pearls.
Gu Chengming looked at the red line he had drawn, the coldness in his eyes deepening.
"So that's it."
This jiao-demon wasn't killing randomly. It was killing along the route that represented the 'Covenant between Great Qian and the East Sea.'
Every time it struck, it hid under the umbrella of this route.
Because it knew that as long as it involved this route and the trade between the two races, Great Qian's officials would be hesitant to act, desperately covering up the truth for the sake of the 'big picture.'
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the system interface popped up.
【The Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art looks at the map and laughs in fury.】
【It says: Diplomacy should be for mutual benefit, yet now it has become a place to harbor filth. Using trade to hide slaughter, using a covenant to protect a demon—this is the height of the collapse of rites and music!】
According to the official shipping records, the 'Jingdan,' the ship responsible for transporting tributes, would pass through this sea tonight at midnight and dock briefly for supplies.
And that beast, which treated slaughter as a pastime and hid under the covenant's protection, would surely be following that massive treasure ship, its fanged maw open, waiting to feast on the 'blood food' offered by Reef Village.
"Tonight."
Gu Chengming clenched his fist, and the cinnabar brush snapped in two.
Just then, a stumbling sound of footsteps accompanied by suppressed wailing abruptly tore through the deathly silence of the village.
Gu Chengming's heart jumped, and he vanished from the spot.
The sound came from the dilapidated courtyard at the west end of the village—A-ji's home.
When Gu Chengming arrived, the village head, who had been so fierce and defensive, was slumped on the muddy ground, his old face covered in tears and snot, his body shaking like a leaf.
Inside the drafty thatched hut, a strong smell of blood hit him.
Gu Chengming's step over the threshold faltered.
On the only wooden bed in the room lay the boy who had just yesterday spoken of becoming a sword immortal and going to the capital to repay him.
A-ji was unconscious, his dark little face pale as paper, his breath so weak it was almost imperceptible. His eyes, once startlingly bright and full of cleverness, were gone. Only two black, bloody, mangled holes remained.
Blood flowed from his eye sockets, soaking the pillow and staining the copy of Basic Qi Induction Art he held tightly in his arms.
Beside the bed lay the empty vials of Spirit Gathering Pills Gu Chengming had given him yesterday, along with that beautiful pale purple Tide-Listening Conch.
"What happened?"
The village head looked up tremulously, pointing toward the pitch-black sea, his voice raspy like a broken bellows.
"He wouldn't listen..."
"He said the clouds on the sea weren't right, he said he had to tell the teacher..."
"He ran to the shore... and then... then it was like this."
Gu Chengming didn't speak.
He walked to the bedside, reached out, and condensed a strand of extremely pure and gentle true essence at his fingertip, lightly tapping A-ji's brow to preserve the boy's last breath of life.
【The Hundred Bones Resonating is furious and says only one word.】
【"Kill."】
Gu Chengming slowly withdrew his hand and tucked A-ji in.
He turned around and looked out at the ink-black sea, where the faint sounds of thunder and beast roars echoed.
"Indeed."
Gu Chengming said softly, his hand slowly covering the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"Kill."
The night was thick and impenetrable, but aboard the massive treasure ship named the 'Whale Boat,' it was brightly lit and filled with decadence.
On the stage, famous actors were singing the Great Qian melody Peaceful Seas and Rivers.
The lyrics were full of auspicious words praising the peace of the four seas and the harmonious rule of humans and demons, the high-pitched notes sounding so sweet they could melt one's bones.
In the armchair directly facing the stage sat a young man in green.
He was handsome, with a face like jade, but his narrow eyes occasionally flashed with a non-human vertical pupil shadow.
He held an exquisite white jade plate, which contained no fruit but several clean, slightly twitching objects—the 'walnuts' freshly gouged from the eye sockets of the child named A-ji.
"Crisp, tender, with a hint of that annoying spiritual scent."
Young Master Ao—or rather, Ao Qing, the seventh son of the Floating White Dragon Lord of the East Sea.
He slowly picked up a 'walnut' and placed it in his mouth as if tasting a peerless delicacy.
With a soft 'squelch,' the sound of an eyeball bursting between teeth, Ao Qing closed his eyes, a look of intoxicated and twisted pleasure on his face.
He hated humans most of all.
They were clearly ants with lifespans of less than a hundred years, clearly as fragile as grass that could be blown over by a gust of wind, yet some of these 'mongrels' were born with spiritual roots that inspired envy.
He, Ao Qing, a noble of the Dragon Lord's bloodline, had taken two hundred years to reach the early stage of the third realm. But these humans? They could do it in decades, or even a dozen years.
Why?
So he loved eating humans, especially the young sprouts who had just stepped onto the path of cultivation and hadn't had time to grow.
He wanted to thoroughly crush these 'possibilities' that might surpass him while they were still in the budding stage.
"Good play, good play."
Ao Qing swallowed the blood in his mouth, his gaze sweeping over the stage, but his thoughts drifted to the nearby, silent Reef Village.
He loved that place too much.
Over a hundred years ago, it was there that a lowly third realm sword cultivator had held a sword to his throat. At that moment, he truly thought he was going to die. That chill of death made him shudder to this day, and it also made him feel... excited.
That sword cultivator could clearly have killed him and clearly hated him to the bone.
But in the end?
Upon hearing the words 'Floating White Dragon Lord,' the sword stopped.
That lowly life, even with a third realm cultivation, was still that fisherman kneeling on the ground praying for the Dragon King's mercy.
"Hahaha..."
Ao Qing couldn't help but chuckle. The fear of that day had now turned into his reason for escalating his slaughter of humans.
He loved crushing their bones inch by inch and making them kneel facing the sea.
Don't they love to kneel? Then kneel as much as you want!
I will make you kneel even in death, eternally repenting to me, a 'noble demon,' for your short lives and lowliness!
Just then, a Honglu Temple official accompanying the mission approached with a fawning smile.
He held a cup of wine, bowing very low, not even daring to look at what was on Ao Qing's plate, saying obsequiously:
"Young Master Ao, what fine taste."
"The matter at Jiaotou Village last time has been handled properly. It's been recorded at the office as an accidental wave that swept the people away. We even silenced a few troublemakers to ensure no one would spread rumors toward the East Sea and ruin the Young Master's reputation."
The official paused, his tone becoming even more humble, as if suggesting something tentatively:
"It's just... this is the heart of Great Qian, after all. Perhaps next time the Young Master wants to 'play,' could you go somewhere a bit more... remote? Or perhaps be a bit more... discreet?"
"After all, if things get too big, it's hard for us to keep suppressing it. If word reaches Director Zhou in the capital..."
The official hadn't finished speaking.
Splash—
A cup of cold wine was poured over his head without warning.
The wine flowed down from the official's hat, over his stunned and terrified face, dripping onto the expensive carpet.
The sound of gongs and drums on the stage stopped at some point, and the entire cabin became deathly quiet.
Ao Qing still held the empty wine cup. He didn't even stand up, just leaned back in the armchair, looking at the trembling Great Qian official with contempt, as if looking at trash.
"Discreet?"
Ao Qing sneered, his voice feminine and piercing.
"Have you misunderstood something?"
He casually threw the wine cup to the floor, shattering it.
"Aren't your human lives born to be my entertainment?"
"Like leeks in the field, like weeds by the road. A crop of grass that dies in a few decades—if I show mercy and help you harvest it, do I need to pick a day? Do I need to pick a place?"
Ao Qing stood up, his vertical pupils full of cruelty and mockery.
He reached out and lightly patted the official's pale face, the blood on his fingertips smearing across it.
"Remember this."
"Here, I am the master, and you are the food."
"I'll eat where I want, and I'll eat how I want."
"Get out."
At that very moment...
Creak—
The carved wooden door of the Whale Boat was pushed open without warning.
The night wind, carrying cold rain, rushed into the warm pavilion, scattering the lingering dragon ambergris incense and fluttering the visitor's ink-black patrol uniform.
Gu Chengming stepped over the threshold, the night patrol token at his waist swaying and making a dull clinking sound.
Ao Qing, leaning on the soft couch, lazily lifted his eyelids.
Upon seeing the visitor's attire, the sinister smile on his face didn't fade; instead, it gained a touch of habitual impatience.
"From the Night Guard Division?"
Ao Qing had no intention of standing up, his posture remaining unchanged. His gaze swept over Gu Chengming's empty hands, and his brow twitched.
"What, are the Great Qian officials so ignorant of the rules this time? You came empty-handed?"
According to past 'custom,' whenever he played too hard on shore, whether it was the Honglu Temple or the Night Guard Division, they would always send someone sensible.
They would either bring chests of spirit stones or a few beauties, then politely invite him back to the sea to lie low for a while.
He thought this time would be no different.
However, the answer he received was not flattery, but a sword cry that shattered the air.
Clang!!!
Without any nonsense, the moment Gu Chengming stepped into the room, his divine sense erupted.
Four streaks of light whistled out from behind him without warning—
Tinglan, Light Splitting, Stone Cracker, and Night Guard!
The four Dharma Swords occupied four directions, instantly expanding into a lethal sword realm within the small pavilion—
Sancai Sword Array, activate!
Ao Qing's expression changed drastically. His laziness vanished instantly as he instinctively leaned back, his body erupting with blinding green light.
However, he was still a moment too slow.
The most spiritual Tinglan Sword seemed to anticipate his movement, its edge grazing his cheek.
Hiss—
A thin bloodstain appeared on Ao Qing's pale, feminine face.
A few drops of pale gold blood seeped out, sliding down his cheek and dripping onto his spotless green silk robe.
Ao Qing froze.
He reached up to touch his cheek, looking at the stinging red on his fingertip. The shock in his eyes quickly turned into unbelievable rage.
"You dare wound me?!"
A terrifying demon qi instantly exploded, shattering the couch beneath him and the surrounding furniture.
"Good! Very good!"
Ao Qing laughed in fury. His human pupils elongated, turning into predatory dark gold vertical slits.
"I refrained from killing officials out of respect for the covenant between our two races. But since you, ant, struck first... even if I tear you apart to feed the fish, the Emperor of Great Qian won't be able to say a word!"
"Die!!"
With a roar that was almost draconic, Ao Qing's fingers curled into claws, his arms instantly covered in dark blue scales. He lunged for Gu Chengming's throat with a piercing whistle.
This claw strike was incredibly powerful; even a shield made of refined iron would be crushed.
He wanted this ignorant second realm ant to know the consequences of offending dragon prestige!
However...
Gu Chengming stood his ground, not moving an inch. The four flying swords hummed loudly, and as the sword array shifted, a thick, viscous sword intent was born out of thin air.
Ao Qing felt the previously light air suddenly become as heavy as mercury. His thunderous claw strike, just three inches from Gu Chengming's throat, seemed to sink into a mire, becoming incredibly sluggish.
"What kind of sword intent is this?!"
Ao Qing was shocked, but before he could change his move, the sword array shifted again.
The offensive Tinglan and Light Splitting swords turned into two streaks of light, weaving around him like butterflies in a lethal dance.
Clang, clang, clang—
Sparks flew everywhere.
Ao Qing was forced to withdraw his attack and protect his vitals. His iron-hard dragon scales collided with the flying swords, producing a dense sound of clashing metal.
"How can a mere second realm break my defense?!" Ao Qing grew increasingly alarmed.
As a member of the jiao-clan with true dragon blood, his body was incredibly tough. A normal second realm cultivator's flying sword wouldn't even leave a mark on his scales.
But this young man's sword qi possessed a strange 'boring' quality.
Every strike that hit a scale sent a strand of yin force through his body, making his meridians ache.
Especially the omnipresent 'Entanglement' sword intent, which was like an invisible net, leaving him with immense strength but nowhere to use it. Every strike felt like hitting cotton, making him feel so frustrated he wanted to vomit blood.
"Get away from me!!"
Ao Qing roared, his demon core spinning wildly. A massive surge of water spiritual energy erupted, turning into several water tornadoes in an attempt to force the sword array open.
Gu Chengming's sword finger pressed down sharply.
The heavy and ancient Stone Cracker sword and the dark, steady Night Guard sword instantly shone brightly, like two mountains falling from the sky, slamming hard onto the water tornadoes.
Boom!!
The boat shook violently, and the floorboards shattered.
Ao Qing felt his shoulders sink as if bearing a weight of ten thousand tons. The water tornadoes he had just condensed were crushed!
His entire body was forced down by this massive force. With a crack, his knees slammed into the floor, creating two deep pits in the hard agarwood.
The dust settled.
Gu Chengming still stood at the door, his clothes fluttering and his hair slightly windswept, but otherwise unharmed.
Meanwhile, the high and mighty 'Young Master Ao' was now kneeling on one knee, panting heavily. His expensive green robe was shredded by sword qi, and his exposed scales were covered in white marks.
The pain brought a bit of rationality back to Ao Qing as he looked at Gu Chengming.
The young man stood in the center of the sword array, his eyes devoid of emotion. He hadn't come to arrest him, nor to spar.
He was truly... here to slay a demon!
A chill ran from Ao Qing's tailbone to his skull. This feeling was too familiar—just like facing that third realm sword cultivator over a hundred years ago!
That sword cultivator had reservations, but this man had none.
Ao Qing felt the urge to retreat. Although he wasn't even slightly injured yet, he didn't dare gamble.
Furthermore, on the sea, once he entered the water, the other party wouldn't be able to catch him, and he could bring reinforcements from the East Sea.
He didn't need to fight to the death on a boat with this lunatic and his strange sword array!
"Roar!!!"
Ao Qing let out a world-shaking roar, his body glowing with green light.
Boom!
The green clothes exploded instantly, and his body began to expand rapidly. Dark blue scales covered his entire body, horns grew from his head, and his limbs turned into claws. In the blink of an eye, a dark blue jiao-dragon over a hundred feet long revealed its true form, coiling over the shattered ship tower, exuding a suffocating and terrifying demon prestige.
The jiao-dragon's massive tail swept out, forcing back the approaching sword edges. Then, its massive body twisted, about to crash through the roof and dive into the vast sea.
Once in the sea, it would be as free as a bird in the sky!
Gu Chengming didn't pursue.
He stood amidst the ruins of the ship tower, letting the wind and rain soak his clothes. Facing the massive creature about to escape, he slowly closed his eyes and pressed his index and middle fingers to his brow.
Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the pink 'red dust qi' he had gathered bit by bit over the past half month in the Imperial Academy, the streets, and the vast red dust, now poured out like a river breaching its dam.
Hum—
In that instant, the world seemed to stand still.
Red Dust Technique: Reversing Cause and Effect.
Gu Chengming's divine sense followed the massive red dust qi, instantly spreading across the entire Whale Boat.
He felt it.
This ship, this sea, this enemy.
All elements at this moment perfectly overlapped with the karma of a hundred years ago.
Time seemed to warp and backtrack at this moment.
Gu Chengming saw it.
He saw that over a hundred years ago, on this very deck, that bloodshot, desperate, and furious middle-aged sword cultivator. He saw that trembling iron sword suspended over the jiao-dragon's neck, unable to fall. He saw the wailing of the one hundred and thirty-six wronged souls. He saw the sound of the sword cultivator's spine snapping the moment he withdrew his sword.
That was a wish that had spanned sixty years and remained unfulfilled even in death.
That strike should have been made.
That was the 'cause.'
Yet, because of weakness, power, and so-called rationality, the 'effect' was lost.
"Since you didn't dare strike..."
Gu Chengming snapped his eyes open, his two fingers forming a sword, pointing distantly at the massive jiao-dragon taking flight.
All the red dust qi burned out in this instant, turning into an invisible but real bridge of karma, forcefully 'borrowing' that unvented sword intent from the space-time of a hundred years ago!
"Today, I shall strike for you!"
The massive jiao-dragon about to soar into the clouds suddenly froze.
Its dark gold vertical pupils contracted to the extreme. A long-lost shudder from the depths of its soul—one that still woke it from nightmares—submerged it like a tide. It felt that killing intent.
That killing intent carrying the scent of the sea, desperation, and towering hatred, wanting to tear it into ten thousand pieces!
That was... the Reef Daoist?!
Impossible! That coward died long ago! But why...
Ao Qing looked back in terror.
In his vision, the young figure standing in the ruins of the ship tower became blurred at this moment.
In a daze, the young man's figure seemed to overlap with the middle-aged sword cultivator from a hundred years ago.
No, not overlap.
It was a continuation.
The young man had taken up the unfinished sword strike of the middle-aged man, taking up that severed karma.
Shing—!!!
A sword light that spanned a hundred years was born from the void.
It was a pure obsession to take this head.
This was that strike from back then.
That strike had been suspended in the air for decades, stifled in the dust of history for decades.
Finally, tonight, under the guidance of red dust karma, it fell.
—The sword art is complete, take it with you; wherever there are jiao-dragons, slay them!
The sword light fell.
Normally, Ao Qing would have had ten thousand ways to avoid it, but at this moment, under the lock of red dust karma, he felt the entire world rejecting him, all paths of retreat sealed by the resentment of a hundred years ago.
This was the 'effect' he had to repay.
That massive, hideous jiao-dragon head, still roaring toward the sky, was completely separated from its massive body in this instant.
Splash—
Scalding dragon blood erupted like a waterfall, instantly staining the sea and soaking Gu Chengming's clothes.
The massive headless dragon corpse crashed onto the deck with a sickening thud, then slid off the broken gunwale and fell into the surging sea, kicking up a thousand layers of waves.
Wanted to enter the sea?
Now, its wish was truly granted, as it went to the belly of the fish.
Gu Chengming stood in the rain of blood, the Tinglan Sword in his hand letting out a clear hum.
At the same time, deep within his Sea of Consciousness.
【The Qingxin Art finally smiles, laughing wildly, yet tears won't stop flowing.】
【A hundred years ago, it was born of hate and existed in fear. Its name was Qingxin, but in reality, it was a lock on the heart.】
【Today, you borrowed the red dust as a sword to sever the past, slaying not only that monster but also shattering the cage it had drawn for itself.】
【From now on, the cowardly Reef Daoist no longer exists in this world.】
【Only your sword remains, which is my heart.】
【Qingxin Art Favorability: 100/Life and Death Bond】
【Bond mission completed.】
【CG Unlocked】
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