Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter Seven: Embracing the Entire Long Night

A breeze stirred.

The tattered clothes of the Aoyin monster fluttered gently. As its disheveled hair lifted, its entire face came into clear view for Jiang Wang. It was an exceptionally pale face with slightly darkened lips and verdant, oily eyes. Its features were not much different from a human’s; in fact, one could even call it handsome.

Jiang Wang vaguely recalled that certain ladies in brothels, to satisfy the various predilections of their patrons, would paint their faces with vibrant rouge. Sometimes, if they applied it too heavily, the result looked much like this. It was arguably even less attractive than the monster’s face. However, Jiang Wang didn't dwell on it; it was strange for a monster to be this good-looking, but it certainly wasn't as good-looking as he was.

He sensed the shift in the surrounding aura and felt, once again, the gaze from the abyss. Facing the skeptical stare of the green-robed cultivator, Jiang Wang’s voice suddenly rang out: "I am standing right here. Try and kill me."

The Aoyin monster looked down at him, seemingly curious. Why had this human, who had been terrified just a moment ago, suddenly found such courage?

Some monsters are mere beasts driven by instinct, while others possess human-like intelligence and, naturally, engage in all sorts of contemplation. Some cannot speak, others love to talk, and some can speak but prefer not to. The Aoyin sensed not a shred of threat from Jiang Wang; it was certain he was just a common human. It stood its ground, wanting to see exactly what this ordinary mortal could do.

Jiang Wang raised the blade in his hand as if gripping the entire long night. The pitch-black sword was perfectly integrated into the darkness, just like the name engraved in gold leaf on its hilt: "Long Night."

He swung the blade at the monster’s arm. Sparks flew, proving the creature’s hide was incredibly tough. This sight only deepened the suspicion on the green-robed cultivator's face. Su Lingyi sneered, but Jiang Wang remained indifferent. He struck a stance as if preparing to charge.

The white-robed cultivator was scrambling out of the ruins, and the old steward had just arrived, exerting all his strength to launch himself into the air. But in the next heartbeat, Jiang Wang shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, tearing through the air with a shrill whistle. His blade, aimed directly at the flying sword near the Aoyin’s forehead, struck with the force of a high-speed collision. At the same time, the Aoyin reached out and grabbed the flying sword.

*Boom!*

Starting from the intersection of Qixia Street and stretching across Panlan Street, a blade mark four feet deep and six inches wide was clearly carved into the earth.

Jiang Wang stood, blade in hand. The Aoyin monster leaned to one side, its eyes filled with confusion. Su Lingyi’s eyes widened, his expression mirroring that of the monster. *What just happened?*

The old steward landed back on the ground, his emotions in turmoil. Although he had suspected his young master was hiding his true strength, it appeared he had been hiding much more than just a little.

Only the green-robed and white-robed cultivators wore expressions of "as expected." The green-robed one felt ashamed for having doubted Master Jiang moments ago. An Aoyin was on an entirely different level than a Wangliang. Yet, Master Jiang had handled two vastly different monsters with such calm and ease—he must be a supreme expert at the peak of the Dongming Realm! They knew that the master of the Yue Man Xi Lou was only of this same realm.

The two cultivators exchanged a look. *Master Jiang is truly terrifying.*

***

Jiang Wang’s face was deathly pale. But since he naturally looked sickly, no one noticed his current abnormality.

Earlier, the "mirage" he had seen when facing the monster Ying-Yong had reappeared. This time, only he could see it—as if some mysterious realm were opening its gates to him. It was less of a "mirage" and more of a complete world. Standing within it, he felt like a god—the only god.

He looked down at the road of Panlan Street, the events of the last few moments flashing through his mind. When he was on Qixia Street, that sensation had been at its strongest. But as he stepped onto Panlan Street, although he had successfully struck the Aoyin, his power had clearly faded rapidly.

He began to understand. He could only manifest that power while within Qixia Street. It was because the "mirage" only covered that area; once outside its range, he reverted to being the "useless" man he once was. Since there was a range, he reasoned, there must be a way to expand it. If one day he could cover the entire Sui Kingdom, or even the entire human world with this "mirage," he would truly be invincible!

Furthermore, he discovered that the Long Night blade seemed to have a connection to the "mirage." In the simplest terms, the blade was the key. Only by holding it could he channel that power as he had against the Aoyin; otherwise, the power existed, but remained beyond his reach, much like his previous encounters with Su Lingyi.

"Master Jiang..." The green-robed cultivator, supporting his companion, approached.

Jiang Wang snapped back to reality and gave them a slight nod, then turned his gaze toward the Aoyin. He stepped back until he was once again within the boundaries of Qixia Street. The two cultivators were bewildered but followed him back.

Jiang Wang coughed lightly, raised the Long Night blade, and tapped it gently. The Aoyin dropped to its knees with a thud.

"Have you ever been to the East Market and killed a cultivator?" Jiang Wang asked earnestly.

The Aoyin stared fixedly at Jiang Wang’s face and slowly shook its head.

The white-robed cultivator immediately shouted in anger, "Who else could it be but you, beast? How dare you deny it!"

The green-robed cultivator added in a deep voice, "The Aoyin loves to wander and frequently attacks passersby. Perhaps you were spotted by my brother while you were attacking the people of Hun City. It is a pity he was no match for you and was cruelly murdered."

The Aoyin opened its mouth, speaking for the first time. "I have attacked humans, but I have never seen the cultivator you speak of, nor have I been to any East Market. Even if I am a monster, you cannot pin crimes on me at will."

"Monster talk to bewitch the masses!" The white-robed cultivator drew his sword, ready to charge. "I will not believe a word out of your mouth!"

Jiang Wang gestured for the green-robed cultivator to hold his companion back, then looked at the Aoyin. "So, you admit to killing the people of Hun City?"

The Aoyin replied coldly, "I admit to what I have done."

Jiang Wang fell silent. If the monster was telling the truth, there was only one other suspect. But who could guarantee the monster wasn't lying?

Jiang Wang smiled slightly. "Come to think of it, this is my first time killing a monster. It’s actually quite exhilarating."

Regardless of how the purple-robed cultivator from Yue Man Xi Lou died, the fact remained that the Aoyin had attacked the townspeople. He flicked his blade, instantly piercing the monster’s skull.

The Aoyin, eyes still wide and green, wore a ghastly smile on its pale face. "Something in Hun City is drawing us here. You are strong, but when a monster more powerful than I arrives, your entire city will cease to exist!"

Watching the life fade from the Aoyin, Jiang Wang frowned deeply.

The green-robed cultivator said, "It must be referring to the descent of the immortals. With Master Jiang here, more cultivators will surely arrive in the future. Hun City will be perfectly safe. Do not listen to its bewitching lies."

Jiang Wang asked curiously, "Are there truly immortals in Hun City?"

The green-robed cultivator nodded. "Though we have never seen one, there are too many legends of immortals in the world. The mirage that hung over Qixia Street days ago is proof. That was likely the omen of an immortal’s descent."

Jiang Wang’s heart tightened. *A mirage? An omen of an immortal’s descent?*

His expression turned increasingly strange. The green-robed cultivator, not noticing, seemed to remember something and looked around, only to find Su Lingyi long gone. "Don't let me see him again," he said bitterly. "He almost made me doubt Master Jiang and commit a grave mistake."

Jiang Wang remained silent. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Whether that monster spoke the truth or not, I have indeed discovered that it is not just monsters capable of killing your companion. There is a martial artist named Feng Linghuai. If you are interested, you may investigate him."

The two cultivators bowed deeply. "We shall follow Master Jiang’s lead from this day forth."

Jiang Wang waved a hand and turned to leave. "Suit yourselves."

As he walked away, the two whispered, "Master Jiang truly has the demeanor of a high-level master."

***

In the prison of the garrison office, Du Zicheng was released. Though he had only been held for a day, he looked as if he had lost a layer of skin and appeared completely demoralized.

"The Garrison Commander is preparing to commend the young marquis before the whole city. If not for his help, we wouldn't have been able to touch any of the suspects."

"The sight of the Black Flame Army searching the city was truly shocking—they nearly tore the Du estate apart. If it hadn't been confirmed that Su Lingyi from the Yuyuan Academy and Du Yanruo were innocent, the Du family might have vanished from Hun City entirely."

"Du Heng, relying on his daughter’s position at the Yuyuan Academy, barely showed respect to the garrison office anymore. He even dared to defy the Black Flame Army, and Commander Shan beat him half to death. I was there; it was a spectacular sight."

"If you ask me, we should have kept Du Zicheng locked up for a few more days, let the Du family bleed a little more."

Du Zicheng glared at the laughing jailers, fire burning in his eyes. *Why did I suffer in this prison while Jiang Wang reaped the fame? He even humiliated the Du family like this.*

Even though he didn't like his father, he couldn't sit by and watch him be beaten half to death. Because of his sister, he had long wanted revenge on Jiang Wang. Now, fueled by emotion, he blamed his imprisonment entirely on him. With new grudges added to the old, he began to lose his grip on reason.

Facing the strange looks and mocking laughter of the jailers, Du Zicheng walked out of the prison with heavy, deliberate steps. A flash of ruthless intent flickered in his eyes.