Chapter 38: Extraterrestrial Demons

The temple gates swung open, and tourists bypassed the corpses on the ground, streaming in a continuous line toward the Thousand Lantern Temple.

Chen Yi waited until Min Ning returned, noticing the intoxicating, rosy flush lingering on her cheeks.

"That strike was not bad."

In truth, "not bad" was an understatement. Min Ning's single stroke had utterly dispatched Luo Sha Li, who was likewise a rank-eight martial artist. Armed with that technique, she was practically invincible among peers of her realm.

"Where did that strike come from?" Chen Yi asked as she took a seat.

"Years of practicing the blade, enlightenment found on my own," Min Ning replied with affected seniority, after taking a sip of wine.

Naturally, she could never directly admit that it was comprehension gained from watching him kill in the rainy alley.

Little did Min Ning know, if Chen Yi had known she attained that breakthrough within a mere few days after the alley incident, his astonishment would have been even greater.

His own swift martial arts achievements relied on a cheat code, whereas Min Ning depended purely on innate talent.

"Teach me," Chen Yi said.

"Take me as your master."

"Not happening."

Min Ning took a sip of wine and cast a dissatisfied glance at him. "You want martial arts without paying respect as a disciple? There's no such cheap bargain in this world."

"Aren't I helping you investigate your grandfather's death? Just consider this the reward."

Hearing Chen Yi's words, Min Ning arched her slender willow brows and pondered the matter carefully.

"Teach me."

Chen Yi chuckled teasingly. "If you don't teach me, I'll sleep with you."

Hearing this shameless remark, Min Ning, emboldened by the wine, let out a soft huff and replied with haughty disdain, "It's still uncertain who would be sleeping with whom between the two of us."

Chen Yi burst into laughter.

He knew she was a woman disguised as a man, but she remained unaware that he knew.

Taking another swig from the gourd, leaving very little of the "Daughter's Red" wine inside, Min Ning stated bluntly, "After going back last night, I thought it over. I can teach you without you becoming my disciple, but you must promise me one thing."

Chen Yi immediately guessed and said, "It wouldn't be about sparing your sister, would it? If so, I'd rather not learn."

Min Ning instantly gnashed her teeth in fury. She could never have imagined that such a shameless person existed in this world. A man like this never resorted to brute force; instead, he chipped away like a dull knife cutting flesh, repeatedly coercing and threatening her.

Yet, of all people, this exact person was currently the only one capable of helping her.

Softening her tone, Min Ning said, "One year... You are not allowed to touch my sister for a full year."

Chen Yi wanted to tease her further, so he asked, "A year is far too long. Besides, what about you?"

Min Ning's delicate body shuddered. Hearing the ardent passion in Chen Yi's words, she forced herself to maintain a calm facade and replied, "As long as you don't touch my sister, I—I will try to accept you..."

As soon as she finished speaking, her shoulders trembled with small, spasmodic jerks. Seeing that she had expended so much effort, Chen Yi stopped teasing her and said, "Once there are fewer people, I'll head over to the Thousand Lantern Temple."

"Then I'll rest here for a while..."

Yin Tingxue had heard every word of their conversation from beginning to end. With her sharp intuition, the Princess of Xiangwang could easily discern the intense romantic desire Chen Yi held toward Min Ning. She couldn't help feeling a wave of relief: *Wonderful! As it turns out, he doesn't like women after all, nor does he fancy me.*

If she could please him in the future, she might just be able to buy back her deed of indenture and regain her freedom. Not only that, but she would also retain her purity when she became free.

Her thoughts blossomed like a fleeting, beautiful flower.

Half an hour later, the tourists in the Thousand Lantern Temple gradually thinned out. Min Ning was leaning against her chair, eyes half-closed as if she had no intention of moving, the rosy flush still lingering on her cheeks.

Thus, Chen Yi led Yin Tingxue slowly up the mountain.

The Thousand Lantern Temple consisted of three main halls: front, middle, and rear. Passing through the covered corridors between the halls, one could see rows of burning oil lamps. Yin Tingxue spotted numerous Taoist heavenly generals, the most eye-catching being a deity with eyes growing out of his hands. Although it was still afternoon, the lights in the corridor shone with striking brightness.

After paying their respects in both the front and middle halls, the two headed toward the rear hall. Upon stepping through the threshold, Yin Tingxue let out a soft gasp of awe. The altar was completely covered in everlasting lamps, arranged across nine tiers. Behind the altar stood the Myriad Blessings Heavenly Honored One. Yin Tingxue pressed her palms together and bowed reverently.

Once the worship was done, Chen Yi turned to business. He presented his tally to a young Taoist acolyte of the Thousand Lantern Temple, and shortly after, a Taoist priest arrived to guide them to a guest room.

"Are you Commander Chen?"

Inside the guest room, a Taoist priest with the immortal demeanor of a transcendent being sat cross-legged in meditation. He was the scripture-governing elder of the Shangqing Sect, known by the Daoist title of Daoist Feiyuan.

This Daoist Feiyuan had attained profound mastery in Taoist arts and was rumored to be one hundred and ten years old, yet his appearance resembled that of a man in his early sixties.

"Daoist Master, by imperial decree, I am here to investigate the truth behind the premature onset of the Bandit-Subduing and Demon-Exorcising Day," Chen Yi stated directly.

"When this poor Daoist arrived in the capital, I had already caught wind of this matter. Along the way, I discussed it not only with my fellow sect members but also with several Taoist priests accompanying the Yinjian Mountains," Daoist Feiyuan said unhurriedly.

"Does the Commander know how the Bandit-Subduing and Demon-Exorcising Day came to be?"

Before Chen Yi could reply, Daoist Feiyuan continued on his own:

"When the Grand Progenitor founded the dynasty and captured the capital, he ordered his troops to slaughter the city and plunder, leaving over half of the civilian population dead. Hundreds of thousands of wronged souls gathered into a black mist that nearly blotted out the sun. Consequently, the Grand Progenitor sought Taoist arts from the Shangqing Sect and established the Grand All-Embracing Offering to appease the wandering ghosts. Ever since then, this prayer ritual has been passed down as an ancestral system."

Chen Yi nodded slightly.

Daoist Feiyuan sighed and said, "Throughout the year, apart from the Bandit-Subduing and Demon-Exorcising Day, the capital is no different from ordinary times. Why is it that once this day arrives, all these ghosts emerge? How do they even crawl out? Many people fail to comprehend this question.

"In truth, the answer is quite simple. The human heart harbors ghosts; when evil thoughts run rampant and dark baleful Qi accumulates heavily, human beings turn into ghosts."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi sought clarification: "Do you mean to say, Daoist Master, that the capital is plagued by far more rampant evil thoughts and heavy baleful Qi these past few days than before?"

"Precisely so."

"Yet, why are evil thoughts and baleful Qi far more rampant these days than previously?"

Daoist Feiyuan turned his head, seemingly gazing into the distant horizon. "Because..."

...

"Extraterritorial heavenly demons."

Inside the Jingren Palace, a Taoist nun stood in solitary independence before the Empress Dowager of the Yu Dynasty. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, a long sword was sheathed at her waist, and a lotus crown rested upon her head. Her gaze was chillingly austere, reminiscent of the biting, frigid cold of a snowy spring night.

Even Empress An, who possessed captivating beauty enough to overturn nations, could not help but tremble slightly at the woman's stunning appearance.

The only flaw was that this Taoist nun had a physical disability, missing her left arm and possessing only her right.

"Extraterritorial heavenly demons... Daoist Master Zhou, what are extraterritorial heavenly demons?" Empress An collected her composure and asked.

"Demons and monsters that do not belong to this realm, coming from beyond the three realms," Zhou Yitang replied in an indifferent tone.

"In other words, the reason the capital is overflowing with evil thoughts and heavy baleful Qi is because of this extraterritorial heavenly demon?" Empress An inquired.

Zhou Yitang gave a slight nod of her graceful head, her gaze lowering.

"Then who on earth is this extraterritorial heavenly demon?" Empress An asked.

Zhou Yitang lifted her gaze momentarily before letting it fall back to a calm level, speaking softly, "With so many extraterritorial heavenly demons in existence, who can pinpoint just one?"

Empress An wore a puzzled expression, but Zhou Yitang offered no further explanation.

Seeing this, the accompanying young female Taoist acolyte, Lu Ying, stepped in to explain:

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the term 'extraterritorial heavenly demon' is merely a collective title. During the Han and Tang dynasties, the eastward transmission of Buddhism brought the scriptures of the Western Paradise, and with them followed the demons of Tianzhu. People of that era referred to figures such as Yamaraja, Asuras, and Garudas collectively as extraterritorial heavenly demons."