CHAPTER 82: THE STONE STATUE, THE ZHANG FAMILY

“I still want to roam the world in a green robe with my sword at my hip, drinking by rivers and lakes,” Bai Hongtu said. “Settling down is the last thing on my mind, let alone marrying Lingsu.”

Li Yanchu spoke slowly, “When I was young, I thought I was the wind. Wherever the wind blew, the grass would bow.”

His voice carried a hint of weariness, and a faint melancholy flashed in his eyes. He looked every bit the man with a story.

Bai Hongtu blinked and asked, “And now?”

Li Yanchu gave him a look. “Now... I’m just tired. I want to sleep. See you tomorrow.”

With that, he turned and headed back to his room, leaving Bai Hongtu to stand there utterly baffled, like a man lost in the wind.

***

The next day, Li Yanchu was full of energy, practicing martial arts in the courtyard. His movements were wide and powerful, his form agile and fluid.

Each strike carried a fierce and solemn aura; his punches and kicks were sharp, and his limbs were like coiled steel. With every motion, his joints popped like thunder, the air howled around his strikes.

Sweat beaded across his brow, and the qi and blood within his body surged, circulating rapidly and growing ever stronger.

His Divine Astral Hands technique had now been elevated to a first-rate martial art through enhancement. The forms were more refined, the power behind them monumental.

Even more, it brought his training of muscle, bone, tendons and flesh to a new height, and he could feel his physical strength increasing day by day.

Now, even a gentle palm strike carried enough force to rumble the air, creating a deep, thunderous whoosh

. Just like the text said, mastery of this art granted the strength of dragons and elephants. It was a truly domineering technique.

The feeling of growing more powerful with every training session was addictive. Every time he practiced, he could feel the force in his body rising. The more he trained, the more exhilarated he became.

A mysterious black-robed elder suddenly appeared in Wei City; an ancient, shattered jade fragment; a young girl skilled in the art of painting, as if she could see through the truth of everything; Lady Qingyi falling to demonic influence; and remnants of the Bare Body Sect lurking in the shadows...

All of these matters, though seemingly unconnected, subtly weighed on Li Yanchu’s heart. They pushed him relentlessly forward, not allowing him even a moment of rest.

He had to keep growing stronger, through Daoist techniques and martial skills, or anything that would increase his power.

Li Yanchu was certain that a storm was coming to Wei City. What had happened so far was merely a prelude, a sign of greater chaos to come. It wasn’t even the real beginning yet, and he had to cultivate diligently.

And as if to prove him right, Wei City was particularly lively today. From common folk to wandering swordsmen, from young scholars to wealthy merchants, everyone was surging toward the outskirts of the city.

From inside the Daoist temple, Li Yanchu heard the noise and bustle outside. He paused his training, opened the door, and looked out.

People were rushing through the streets in a hurry, all heading out of the city like there was something huge to witness.

“What’s going on out there?” came Bai Hongtu’s voice from behind.

Li Yanchu turned and smiled. “What, I thought you were going to stay holed up all day, hiding in your room to sleep.”

Bai Hongtu replied, “I was cultivating in seclusion, preparing for the chaos that’s bound to come to Wei City.”

He was a sharp man, and if Li Yanchu could sense something was wrong, Bai Hongtu certainly had picked up on it too.

Li Yanchu reached out to stop a burly middle-aged man and asked politely, “Sir, what’s everyone heading out there for?”

The man, built burly like an ox, was clearly in a rush and looked irritated at being stopped, until he took a closer look and saw Li Yanchu in Daoist robes, tall and composed.

“Ah, it’s Daoist Master Li!” The man’s tone softened instantly. “Daoist Master, haven’t you heard? They found a giant stone statue by the river!”

“Stone statue?” Li Yanchu was taken aback.

Bai Hongtu perked up. “Let’s go take a look.”

When they followed the crowd down to the riverbank, they could see a colossal stone statue standing right on the river’s edge from a distance. With a sharp motion, a certain part of her body heaved dramatically.

The alluring woman stepped forward and said, “You must be Daoist Master Li Yanchu, yes?”

Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. “And you are?”

The woman’s eyes instantly turned red with tears. She grabbed his arm and pleaded, “Please, Daoist Master, I beg you, save me. Please save me!”

Li Yanchu frowned slightly. “What’s the matter? Madam, don’t panic. Come inside and explain slowly.”

His calm and composed demeanor seemed to have a steadying effect. The woman’s emotions gradually settled, and she began to recount her family’s situation in detail.

Her husband’s surname was Zhang, and they ran an antique shop. Business wasn’t booming, but it was stable. Her husband often traveled to the countryside to collect old artifacts and curios, and he would be gone for many days at a time.

But after his latest trip, something strange started happening to him. At night, he was particularly terrified, and he insisted on keeping lights on in every single corner of the house.

He would talk to himself, muttering things like, “I finally got away from that cursed place. I’m never going back there again.”

Then, two nights ago, Madam Zhang woke up in the middle of the night to find her husband wasn’t in bed. Instead, he was standing alone in front of the mirror with his expression blank and eyes vacant, murmuring to himself:

“This way I can see if there’s anyone behind me...“

When Madam Zhang walked over and called out to him, her husband suddenly turned his bloodshot eyes toward her and smiled at her. He had a twisted, unfamiliar smile.

The next moment, his face contorted with rage, and he started cursing, “Stop clinging to me! Stop haunting my family!”

It was as if he was possessed by madness.

Madam Zhang was terrified and tried to calm him down, but suddenly, her husband grabbed her by the neck, gripping tightly. His face was twisted with lunacy, like a vengeful spirit.

Just when Madam Zhang began to lose consciousness, she suddenly jolted awake.