Chapter 142: Bringing Honor To The Family
Is that Hong Junxian calling me?
Turning Corpses into Spirits, Ding Jia Warrior?
Indeed.
Hong Junxian’s words this time merely confirmed what Chen Shun’an had in mind.
Unlike Li Shicheng, a trusted and like-minded believer whom he knew inside out, Hong Junxian, who had joined midway, had not fully earned Chen Shun’an’s trust.
So Hong Junxian only knew of 【Taiyi Xuanming】 this subordinate deity and did not know Chen Shun’an’s true name.
Chen Shun’an shifted his gaze and saw a tiny Ding Jia Warrior hiding in Hong Junxian’s nostril.
Its earlobes were large, and its facial features were blurred.
It was silently surveilling Hong Junxian.
“It seems to correspond to the Six Thieves? Interesting, such methods—could it be some kind of immortal fate?”
Chen Shun’an did not alert it prematurely but simply closed his eyes again and sank back into the profound and indifferent divinity.
Then, Chen Shun’an replied coldly—
“I already know. Be careful around you; you have revealed a flaw.”
……
Banye Ferry Crossing, Three Forked Road, in the dilapidated river god temple by the river.
The crumbling idol lay half-collapsed on the ground, and the altar table had been dismantled to serve as firewood.
Over ten soldiers wearing plain uniforms and thin-soled fast boots gathered around a crackling bonfire.
The flickering firelight leaped half a foot high, illuminating young faces with varied expressions.
Many soldiers held dark-skinned village girls or fisherwomen in their arms, their hands wandering dishonestly as they leered and chuckled.
From the shadows behind the idol came strange noises from time to time, with a dark-skinned village girl appearing and disappearing, her pair of white breasts gleaming.
“It’s rare to get out of the camp; finally got to vent some fire… Hey, Yaozu, wanna have some fun? These secret prostitutes may not be much to look at, but they’re usable.”
Moments later, the sounds from the shadows gradually stopped.
A burly man walked over while fastening his belt, casually calling out to a young man sitting cross-legged by the fire, calmly eating dry rations.
Li Yaozu’s skin was very similar to that of these village girls and fisherwomen, also darkened by exposure to the fierce sun.
Hearing this, Li Yaozu forced a smile.
“No thanks, Brother Fang. I still need to stand watch at night to prevent water demons from coming ashore.”
Brother Fang said, “What’s there to fear? We’ve guarded for several nights and haven’t seen any big fish or small shrimp! Don’t waste the chance; once we return to the camp, even mother pigs will look pretty…”
“Hahaha, don’t tell me, that night I really saw someone running out of the pigsty with his pants up—guess who?”
The group of soldiers chattered noisily.
Li Yaozu did not join in; his gaze occasionally flicked over the wanton secret prostitutes deliberately exposing their clothing, but like a startled bird, he looked away instantly and bowed his head.
A complex look flashed in his eyes: disgust, anxiety, childlike affection, hatred…
Wuqing Stick Bureau was spearheaded by Liangjiang Military Academy, and the academy itself was like a military college, with many instructors and teachers being soldiers from Wuguan Camp.
The founding patriarch of the academy, Iron Yu’s eldest disciple, had even been enfeoffed as General Fengshan back in the day.
Thus, those who could practice martial arts at the academy, especially the outstanding ones, would basically join Wuguan Camp to patrol canal transport—advancing to attack outward or retreating to guard the capital city, with profound significance.
These soldiers had been ordered to come assist in slaying demons and patrolling the river.
“By the way, Yaozu, I heard you’re from Wuqing County, Three Forked Road. Why not take this chance to go home and visit family?”
“No thanks, Brother Fang. How can private matters delay important business?”
“Sigh, no wonder Commander Liu favors you—this awareness… Look at you Green Hook, acting like a lust-crazed reincarnate the moment you arrive, chasing skirts everywhere. Learn from him! Yaozu, when you make it big, don’t forget your Brother Fang.”
“Brother Fang jests. You’re a True Intent Master, and I’m just a junior newcomer who still has much to learn from you…”
Li Yaozu showed a modest smile and was about to say more when suddenly, from the shantytown direction at Three Forked Road, came the sounds of gongs, drums, screams, and wails.
Accompanied by a chilling demonic wind that turned into an evil wind, howling toward them.
“Bad!”
“Demon attack!”
“Quick… Everyone follow me!”
The soldiers’ faces changed drastically upon seeing this; they shoved away the secret prostitutes beside them, grabbed their weapons, and rushed urgently toward the source of the sounds.
River Wind brought dampness blowing in, under the bleak moonlight.
The sampans by the shore seemed rammed by some beast, snapped in half, capsizing and sinking into the water.
The arranged abatis had also been knocked over.
In the distance, torches flickered in the shantytown as figures ran and shouted.
Vaguely, two differently shaped demon creatures could be seen rampaging through the homes.
One was broad like a mountain rock, with blue-black carapace protruding with ferocious bone spikes, wielding two giant claws—it seemed to be a Blue Crab Demon.
The other was wrapped in slimy, glossy black skin, with lip whiskers rigid and twitching like iron wire, crawling on the ground like a loach turned demon.
“Two of them? Split up—I’ll take one road, Yaozu, you take the other!”
Brother Fang frowned and immediately ordered.
Looking at the chaotic shantytown area in the distance, Li Yaozu for some reason broke out in cold sweat on his forehead and subconsciously wiped his face.
“Yes!”
Li Yaozu led five or six men to charge toward the Blue Crab Demon.
This Blue Crab Demon was merely second-rate mid-to-late stage strength, relying on its tough shell like wearing armor.
Li Yaozu himself had second-rate mid stage strength, trained in ruthless military tactics, and with numbers on their side, they quickly gained the upper hand, herding the Blue Crab Demon toward a rocky cliff away from the shore.
Not far away, in a low adobe house.
The lean and swarthy Li Tiezong held his wife protectively in his arms, gripping a dagger, warily looking outside.
The woman in his arms vaguely saw a familiar figure and whispered,
“Head of the house, that person looks like Yaozu?”
Li Tiezong squinted to look closely, his tone carrying some surprise.
“Hiss, kinda like. The kid hasn’t come home in years; I almost didn’t recognize him. Let me confirm.”
“Confirm what? Flesh fallen from my body—I’d recognize him anywhere; it’s Yaozu!”
A smile bloomed on Li Tiezong’s face as he whispered,
“Good, good, good. Looks like Yaozu’s finally come to take us to live well. The child’s timing is perfect… But I can’t get used to the county—too many rules, even shitting has to go in a spittoon. This dog kennel of mine is better.”
The woman lowered her head slightly, a faint, imperceptible shame flashing in her eyes.
On the other side.
“Bad, this beast is going berserk!”
“It’s just a cornered animal—don’t break formation!”
“Pin it down; don’t let it escape!”
The Blue Crab Demon’s body glowed with bloodlight, its iron claws swelling further as it roared and charged, snapping trees, whipping up demonic wind, and bearing down on the soldiers ahead!
Behind Li Yaozu was that low adobe house.
Facing the surging demonic energy, the sharp giant claws close at hand.
For some reason, hesitation showed on Li Yaozu’s face, his steps slowing by half a beat.
Clang~
Sparks flew as the long-handled axe in his hand was knocked flying.
Li Yaozu tumbled into the weeds.
The Blue Crab Demon seized the chance and rampaged off, smashing countless adobe houses and trampling or crushing countless civilians.
“Yaozu!”
“Yaozu, you okay?”
Several soldiers rushed over to help Li Yaozu up and took out healing pills.
Li Yaozu’s clothes were in tatters, especially his chest clothing reduced to shreds, revealing the tough, supple fish skin garment beneath—impervious to blades or fire.
It was only slightly dented, without the slightest tear.
Seeing this, many soldiers showed envy.
Who didn’t know Li Yaozu had a doting father who, while fishing from a boat, partnered with others to hunt a large black fish turned demon and peeled off its skin.
The fish skin was split between them; Li Yaozu’s father had it tailored into a close-fitting fish skin garment for him, keeping none for himself.
Thanks to this fish skin garment, Li Yaozu had escaped death multiple times and achieved remarkable feats.
“I’m fine, cough cough cough…”
Li Yaozu coughed a few times, his gaze falling on the rubble that had been the adobe house.
A faint bloody scent drifted on the wind.
He froze at first, then his eyes turned bloodshot, features twisting as he roared furiously: “Monster!! Die!”
“Monster, die!”
Half a incense stick later.
Li Yaozu panted heavily, pulling the long-handled axe from the Blue Crab Demon’s smashed skull.
The other soldiers relaxed upon seeing this, their faces pale as they regulated their breathing and took pills.
He silently gazed at the collapsed earthen house.
No pleas for mercy, no breathing.
Only two corpses trampled into meat paste, fused together indistinguishably.
His eyes faintly glistened, his mouth twitching into an ugly smile.
“How is it?”
“Any brothers injured?”
“Quick, check for survivors. Sigh, these knife-stabbing demons!”
Brother Fang hurried over, scanning the messy scene; nearby, fishermen who had survived the disaster sobbed and cursed.
Internal energy flowed, waterlight steaming.
Li Yaozu turned around, his expression natural, and said gravely,
“The demon has been slain.”
Brother Fang glanced at the Blue Crab corpse and nodded slightly.
His face was somewhat grim as he said, “That Loach Demon has considerable intelligence and even hid its strength—not inferior to mine… I barely drove it back into the water, but I don’t know where it fled.”
“Another Great Demon comparable to True Intent has appeared; I must report to the Inner Department immediately!”
Brother Fang hurried away.
The group cleared the battlefield, treated the wounded, and set up temporary huts.
Li Yaozu expressionlessly watched the severed limbs and mutilated corpses—not distinguishing whose they were, not burying them in ancestral graves, but tossing them all into the firewood pile for cremation.
For simplicity, Wuqing Stick Bureau’s Inner Department had unanimously decided that recently, all corpses at Banye Ferry Crossing would be cremated to prevent demons from digging them up, devouring blood food to increase cultivation.
Moreover, many old veterans were prescient, sharp-eyed, foreseeing that heretical paths might exploit this demon-slaying to make war profit.
Harvesting organs, crafting with bones, refining corpses, driving corpse spirits…
Such things were commonplace in the Sacred Dynasty.
