CHAPTER 96: DAOIST TRACKING! THE CLIFF'S EDGE! YIN ENTITY!

“If we have a strand of that creature’s hair, I may be able to track it,” Li Yanchu said softly.

“Daoist Master Li, you know the Art of Pursuit?” The middle-aged monk from Lingxi Temple immediately caught on.

Li Yanchu gave a slight nod.

Seeing this, a flicker of joy passed through Master Huizhen’s eyes. Without hesitation, he took out the strand of hair he had snatched from the evil creature and handed it over.

It really was a hair... Li Yanchu glanced at the so-called hair.

It was very black and very fine, plus it was curled and wiry. It looked suspiciously similar to hair from certain private regions.

At this time, Li Yanchu collected himself and focused, setting aside that distracting thought. Then, he activated the Art of Pursuit recorded in The Yellow Court Classic.

A stream of invisible energy began to rise from the hair, gradually gathering in the center of Li Yanchu’s palm. As the technique took shape, a faint, intangible connection formed between him and the owner of the hair, like an invisible thread tying them together across space.

Li Yanchu slowly exhaled a breath of turbid qi and smiled.

“It’s done.”

“Amazing indeed, Daoist Master. To think you’ve mastered such a technique... Clearly, this wicked creature is destined for divine punishment. I will aid you however I can,” Master Huizhen said solemnly.

Li Yanchu nodded slightly. Then he turned to Bai Hongtu and said, “Hongtu, stay here, just in case.”

“Got it,” Bai Hongtu replied calmly.

And so, Li Yanchu and Master Huizhen of Lingxi Temple set off in pursuit, leaving the local officials and Bai Hongtu to guard the manor. With their speed, the two moved swiftly through the terrain.

Whoosh!

After half a day of tracking, they began to hear the loud sound of rushing water, which sounded like it was growing nearer. Immediately, both men’s expressions tensed simultaneously. Could it be that this beast was a waterborne evil creature that had come ashore?

Water was the ultimate source of yin and murderous qi. It could obstruct spirits, and those who drowned were often trapped in the Netherwater, never to be reincarnated. That was why many bodies of water concealed great terrors, though people rarely knew it.

The rushing river before them was shrouded in a faint mist, dark and chilling. When Li Yanchu had first arrived here, he could still vaguely make out the far bank through the fog. But as they pressed deeper along the river, they found it gradually led into the mountains.

The mountain air was already thick with miasma and fog. The trail became increasingly treacherous, and soon, mist began rising all around them.

At this point, aside from Master Huizhen at his side, Li Yanchu could see nothing else. The visibility was extremely poor, and the opposite bank was long lost to view. In his ears came a faint rustling, like something unseen crawling through the darkness, or like a mass of whispering voices murmuring right next to his ear.

Such eerie sounds weren’t uncommon at night deep in the mountains. Sometimes they were caused by the wind, but other times... it really might be something unclean stalking behind you.

Li Yanchu, however, was of firm will. He had been through countless life-and-death battles and would not be rattled by the eerie atmosphere before him. He continued to hold that strand of energy in his hand, using it to sense the qi of the evil creature.

Together with Master Huizhen, they continued their pursuit. Aside from brief, necessary exchanges, the two men spoke little. Their full attention was locked on tracking the target.

After advancing another dozen li, they arrived at a perilous path. Beneath their feet was a narrow mountain cliff trail, only wide enough for one person at a time. Below was a steep cliff, and beyond that, the roaring river.

This treacherous path was known among the locals as Yixian Cliff, and even the most skilled herb-gatherers dared not tread it. In past years, many had fallen from the cliff and were swept away by the river’s raging current, their bodies never recovered.

Nowadays, not just the Martial Manor, but several nearby villages had forbidden herb gatherers from coming anywhere near this place. Mountain paths were already difficult at night. This one was especially narrow, and the heavy dampness made the footing slippery.

Fortunately, Li Yanchu was now a first-rate martial artist, with top-tier speed, reflexes, strength, and body control. Even on this treacherous Yixian Cliff, he was as steady as a boulder.

What surprised him was that Master Huizhen, carrying a heavy monk’s staff, followed unhurriedly behind him without the slightest sign of strain. Clearly, his martial skill was nothing to scoff at.

After such a long mountain trek, this monk's breath remained steady, and his expression unchanged.

The long-silent Master Huizhen suddenly spoke, “Recently, a Baxia stone statue appeared by the riverbank. Since you’re from Wei City, Daoist Master, do you know where it came from?”

All around, Li Yanchu could hear the howling mountain wind and the roar of the river below, surging like ten thousand horses galloping through a valley. And yet, Master Huizhen’s voice reached his ears with crystal clarity.

Li Yanchu didn’t stop walking. He simply shook his head and replied, “I don’t.”

After a pause, Master Huizhen said nothing more, falling silent once again. Li Yanchu couldn’t help but glance back from the corner of his eye, just to make sure the monk was still there and hadn’t slipped and fallen off the cliff.

So the master just asks one question... and then ignores me? he thought, amused.

He gave a small chuckle, then refocused on sensing the thread of aura of the evil creature in his hand and pressed forward.

“I know,” came Master Huizhen’s voice once more.

Li Yanchu paused ever so slightly and turned to look at the high monk from Lingxi Temple with mild disbelief.

Master, are you showing off?

Or are you trying to test me with a riddle?

Thankfully, Li Yanchu had spent enough time with Hongtu that playing the straight man in this kind of banter had become second nature.

“Oh? Master, you know the origin of that stone statue?”

“Correct.”

And once again, silence. Master Huizhen didn’t say another word.

Li Yanchu gave a wry smile and said, “Master, could you kindly enlighten me on the origin of the statue?”

Now, in terms of his social skills, Li Yanchu was impeccable. Even on a steep cliffside trail above a raging river, shrouded in thick night fog, he still didn’t let the conversation fall flat.

“Forgive me, Daoist Master,” Huizhen finally replied. “I was momentarily distracted. That Baxia stone statue is connected to a certain Blessed Grotto-Heaven[1]. Once this night is over, I’ll explain it to you in full.”

Grotto-Heaven... Li Yanchu’s brows lifted slightly. He gave a light nod. “Very well.”

After walking along the Yixian Cliff for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the path beneath their feet suddenly grew even narrower, to the point where they had to press tightly against the cliff wall just to move forward.

Suddenly, a sharp and vivid burst of vicious curses, desperate screams, and the clash of battle rang out in Li Yanchu’s ears. It felt as though something lurking within the surrounding mist had turned its naked, malicious gaze directly upon him. Ghostly wails and demonic howls echoed in his ears!

Within his gaze, the aura of Five-Lightning Spell began to rise, as if it was ready to disperse the gathering evil.

“Amitābha.”

A single, solemn chant of the Buddha’s name rang out, and all at once, the roaring resentful wails, the muttering of malicious spirits, retreated and fell silent. Everything vanished in an instant.

A gentle golden light glowed from Master Huizhen, radiating an aura of serenity and peace.

Having a true master on your side really makes all the difference, Li Yanchu thought inwardly.

Roar!

Suddenly, a deep growl erupted from the river below, thunderous and shaking the air. It was loud enough to drown out the roar of the rushing water.

Roar! Another low, bestial rumble echoed forth.

Li Yanchu’s heart stirred, and he immediately looked down toward the river. What kind of creature was lurking in those waters?

That roar just now was far beyond what an ordinary evil spirit or yin creature could ever produce.

1. The “Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands” is a unique concept of sacred space in China and even in East Asia, combining beautiful natural scenery, rich historical heritage, and diverse cultural heritage. ☜