Chapter Thirty-Three: Slaying the Demonic Cultivator (Please Keep Reading!)

The Five Thunder Seal was just as effective at restraining sinister spirits and evil beings. The five elemental thunders surged within the seal, and the instant they landed upon the corpse-ghost infant, they transformed into a vast ocean of lightning, enveloping its entire body. In that moment, thick, baleful energy gushed from the corpse-ghost infant’s form, causing it immense agony. It let out a fierce roar, its pitch-black pupils instantly suffused with a blood-red glow, and then two red beams shot from its eyes—one toward Su Ye, the other toward Qu Zhang.

The power contained within these red beams was overwhelming. Qu Zhang, struck by one, was thrown backwards into the air, and spat out a mouthful of ashen yin energy. Su Ye quickly formed an earthen-yellow spell seal with his hands, creating a light screen to block the red beam’s assault. Yet the red light was far too potent, and after a moment, it pierced through the screen. The impact left Su Ye’s vital energy in turmoil, forcing him to retreat two steps.

Yet after releasing those two beams, the corpse-ghost infant’s strength suddenly diminished. Its body, still beset by the five-colored thunder and the onslaught of incense power, was releasing more and more evil energy in billowing waves. Su Ye’s face grew grave. With a low shout, he gathered the forces of thunder and fire in his palm, forging them into a spear of blazing lightning that pierced straight through the corpse-ghost infant’s body.

A shrill, despairing cry tore from the infant’s mouth as its body abruptly dissolved into a cloud of deep black malevolent energy. Under the suppression of the five-colored thunder, that blackness was continuously refined away, gradually fading to a ghostly gray-white mist. At once, Su Ye withdrew the thunder’s power, took out a gourd, and drew the gray-white mist into its depths.

This gourd was originally a ghost-raising vessel Su Ye had acquired from Zhao Huaisheng. He had already purged it of all sinister energy and inscribed it with many sealing runes, transforming it into today’s Soul-Sealing Gourd. Hidden within the gray-white mist he collected were only the pure, gentle souls of infants—they had merely been forcibly refined by Bai Song’s secret arts into the corpse-ghost infant.

Now, with the infant’s body annihilated by Su Ye and Qu Zhang’s combined efforts, Bai Song’s evil sorcery was broken, and the infants’ souls were restored to their original state. When Su Ye had dealt with the corpse-ghost infant at last, he turned his gaze to Bai Song, who clung to life by a thread.

Half of Bai Song’s body had been devoured by the corpse-ghost infant; it was only his cultivation at the ninth grade that kept him alive at all. When he felt Su Ye and Qu Zhang’s gaze fall upon him, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, and he started to plead for mercy.

“Bai Song, you wicked sorcerer, have plagued Jinhua County for too long—who knows how many have died at your hands! There is no mercy for you today!” Qu Zhang roared in fury, summoning his bronze seal and crushing Bai Song’s head to pieces.

Even after his death, Bai Song’s soul emerged from his body, but Qu Zhang seized it at once. “Now that Bai Song is dead, a great scourge has finally been removed from Jinhua County. I congratulate Lord City God in advance!” Su Ye said with a smile.

Because of Bai Song, Qu Zhang’s incense power had nearly been cut off. Now that Bai Song was dead, though the county’s evil had not been wiped out entirely, at least the townsfolk near the city would once again worship Qu Zhang as their City God.

“Haha, such formalities between us are unnecessary. From now on, let us call each other brothers!” Qu Zhang replied with a hearty laugh.

Su Ye had little opinion on titles. Having joined forces with Qu Zhang to slay Bai Song, there remained much that needed to be settled, but he left these matters to Qu Zhang.

“Su Ye, what do you plan to do next? Will you stay in Jinhua County much longer?” Little Li curled up in Su Ye’s warm embrace and asked quietly.

Seven days had passed since Bai Song was slain. Qu Zhang acted with swift decisiveness, quickly rooting out Bai Song’s remaining followers. He did not replace Wu Wei, the magistrate appointed by the imperial court, but did swap out all the yamen officers and clerks for his own people.

Then, using the yamen’s authority, Qu Zhang began to publicize the heroic deeds of himself and Su Ye in slaying the wicked Bai Song. When Bai Song lived, the townsfolk had feared his dreadful methods. Now, with him dead, their fear turned to outrage, and they cursed his name to vent their anger.

Thanks to Qu Zhang’s vigorous efforts, incense offerings at the City God Temple atop Luoxing Mountain gradually recovered, and townsfolk began erecting statues of the City God once more.

Through it all, Su Ye remained an observer, not interfering. Out of respect for Su Ye, Qu Zhang did not conceal Su Ye’s contributions, and this, in turn, brought even greater prosperity to the Su family’s business.

But these were only mundane affairs, and brought Su Ye little benefit to his cultivation. That was why Little Li asked about his plans—Jinhua County was never a place for cultivators like them to pursue profound advancement.

“Let’s wait a while longer. Once everything here is settled, I’ll take you to Cloudspring Mountain to cultivate!” Su Ye stroked Little Li’s soft belly, smiling as he spoke.

He already considered Cloudspring Mountain his own. Such a blessed land was useless to incense deities like Qu Zhang, and after rendering such great help, Qu Zhang would surely have no objections to Su Ye claiming it.

Indeed, after Qu Zhang had finished handling all the affairs of Jinhua County, he hosted a banquet and invited Su Ye to the City God Temple as a guest.

It was the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, and snow was falling heavily.

Su Ye donned a white fox-fur cloak, Little Li nestled in his arms, and left the Su residence, braving the snow on foot toward Luoxing Mountain, where the City God Temple stood.

There was less than half a month until the New Year. Now that the wicked Bai Song was slain and the City God had manifested several times, the townsfolk felt at peace, and the festive air was thick in the city.

Su Ye walked through the snow-covered streets, quietly savoring the rich incense energy that permeated the air, a smile slowly blooming on his face.

“Unknowingly, it has nearly been half a year since I arrived in this world,” Su Ye sighed inwardly. Though his steps were unhurried, he soon found himself outside the city walls.

He quickened his pace, and before long reached the foot of Luoxing Mountain.

The mountain was utterly transformed from when Su Ye last visited. Even with snow swirling in the air, many townsfolk braved the storm to pay their respects at the City God Temple.

Su Ye mingled among the crowd, his snowy fox-fur cloak blending almost seamlessly with the sweeping whiteness.

“Master Su, my lord has been waiting for some time—please, come with me!” Before he could enter the temple complex, a spirit messenger under Qu Zhang’s command appeared to lead Su Ye into Qu Zhang’s true residence.