Chapter 110 - 110 110 The Stench of Corpses in the City

110: Chapter 110: The Stench of Corpses in the City 110: Chapter 110: The Stench of Corpses in the City When Li Jiujiu lifted her gaze toward the woman under the umbrella, she saw a woman with a chilling tone of voice, her face covered with a Jade Rabbit mask that did not match her temperament at all. The mask appeared to have some age, its surface tinged with a slight yellow patina, yet it was very well preserved. Neither the edges of the mask nor the two upright, fragile-looking ears showed any damage, a testament to its owner’s care and affection. Although Li Jiujiu could not see what lay beneath the mask, she caught sight of a pair of extremely beautiful eyes. The color of her eyes was faint, just like her person, serene and clear, seeming within reach yet unattainably high. Jiachen and Ye Lian both rose from their chairs. Ye Lian cast a deep look at the umbrella-bearing woman, her gaze carrying a trace of helplessness as she spoke, “Jing, from where does this intense killing intent come?” She had not seen her behaving so abnormally in a long time. Li Jiujiu looked at the expressionless umbrella-bearing woman with a strange expression on her face, perceiving no trace of killing intent or danger. The aloof woman did not answer but simply let a dispassionate voice flow from beneath the mask, “Handling affairs.” With a faint smile, Ye Lian bent down beside the contorted woman lying on the ground, Sanniang, and lazily touched her forehead with a slender finger. After closing her eyes for three breaths, she said, “Hmm… just a Fierce Ghost unable to disperse its resentment.” Saying this, her finger left Sanniang’s forehead. Sanniang’s hideous expression instantly solidified, and a wisp of black miasma-like essence seemed to be miraculously stuck to her finger, forcibly extracted from her body. Soon, she collapsed to the ground, limp as a deflated ball, her face turning deathly pale as she passed out. The soul of the Fierce Ghost was hooked on Ye Lian’s index finger, appearing as lifeless as a snake gripped at its mortal spot, unable to muster energy. She casually flicked it towards Jiachen, “Its strength is weak but its resentment is heavy, a pitiable creature, help it transcend.” Jiachen’s face bore a compassionate smile, his hands pressed together, the prayer beads hanging between his palms, and the shadowy essence instantly hovered before his eyes as he silently recited the scriptures. Before their eyes, the sinister and malevolent essence within the shade gradually dispersed, turning into a pure and clean white silhouette, taking on the appearance of a graceful young girl. Her expression was serene, her eyes closed as she bowed deeply to Jiachen. As Jiachen’s eyes opened, a divine golden light suffused his pupils, and the soul of the girl was peculiarly borne aloft by this force, floating towards the west. Seeing such an extraordinary event, Li Jiujiu and her Senior Sister were astounded. Senior Sister Huang Ying wondered, “Who is this monk that has achieved the ultimate realm of soul transcendence in Buddhist Law?” Li Jiujiu, too, wore a look of admiration and quickly apologized, “I was quite offensive just now, please forgive my shortsightedness.” Jiachen watched the girl’s soul depart and responded with a smile, “I dare not presume to be a high monk; I am merely a young monk from Jiaruo Temple.” “Jiaruo Temple?” Li Jiujiu’s expression showed confusion as she thought to herself that this power did not seem to exist among the current Immortal Sects and ancient temples. “Is this the time for pleasantries?” The voice was as cool as a cold spring, very pleasant to the ear, yet chilling to the bone. She carelessly discarded the white paper umbrella in her hand, causing droplets to shake off its surface. Even without revealing her full appearance, every movement she made in the lamplight of the night was startlingly beautiful. Dressed in unadorned white garments, she was a sight that pleased the eye. Yet faced with such beauty, Li Jiujiu dared not linger her gaze, instead feeling an inexplicable chill, her entire body bristling coldly. After Jiachen moved behind the counter, he, who had just been praised as a high monk, took it upon himself to uncork a jar of Floral Carving Wine without asking. He sighed, “The Floral Carving Wine of this city truly reeks, the taste reminiscent of the rotten corpses in the western river, absolutely nauseating.” The innkeeper hid in the corner, revealing his face despite his awe of the monk’s handling of the Evil Ghost. Still, when his tavern’s reputation was at stake, he couldn’t help but step forward indignantly to explain, “Is it possible that the master has a less sensitive nose? Our Xihai City is famous throughout the world for its wine, and this Floral Carving Wine is indeed a rare treasure among them. Once the seal is broken, its fragrance cannot be concealed, even in the deepest alleys. If you do not like the aroma of this wine, so be it, but there’s no need to besmirch both the wine and the river—where does the western river have the stench of corpses?!” “Is that so?” Jiachen looked amused, “What does Lady Li think?” How could Li Jiujiu think anything? She was now shocked beyond measure. Her face showed surprise: “How… how could you know about this?” Indeed, there were rotting corpses in the western river, more than just one. But the discovery of those corpses occurred only three incense sticks’ time earlier, and it had been her and her Senior Sister who noticed the anomaly in the river. She was certain… there had been no one else present but them. The news had not spread before it was contained. How did he know? Three days ago, a disciple of the Lihe Sect was entrusted by the City Lord from below the mountain; an Evil Spirit had caused trouble in Xihai City, and there had been continuous disappearances of young girls in the past year. Initially, as the disappearances were spaced out over a few years, the government officials only suspected human traffickers. However, in recent days, the cases of missing girls had become more frequent. The City Lord had locked down the city, on high alert, searching to no avail. Stranger yet were the girls who were clearly protected at home behind closed doors, guarded carefully in their boudoirs. Despite such stringent measures, the girls still vanished eerily from their own houses. This brazen behavior completely enraged the City Lord of Xihai City. Hence, the City Lord sent a written request for aid to the Lihe Sect. For many years, Xihai City had offered incense and belief to the Lihe Sect, and the sect could not stand idly by when the city faced disaster. Since her last parting with Baili An, Li Jiujiu found her state of meditation for cultivation practice disturbed and volunteered to descend the mountain. The Sect Master considered that no matter the hauntings and disturbances, his beloved daughter had reached the open beginning realm of cultivation, and with the treasures she had obtained at Demon Cave, she would be safe from major danger, and he allowed her to go. Similar to her father, Li Jiujiu enjoyed wine and did not stay with the City Lord but instead, invited by the enthusiastic hospitality of Xihai City’s most renowned tavern keeper, took residence in the east wing of his mansion. This day, she and her Senior Sister had just discovered a clue and followed various leads to the area near the western river. Shockingly, in the short span of a few incense sticks’ time, a large number of young girls’ bodies floated up in the river as though water had burst through a gate. Even more sinister was that despite the overwhelming stench of decay and their broken and decomposed bodies, the river water was not stained red. It was as if their blood had been drained by something. Li Jiujiu and Huang Ying set up an Array, warning off the living to avoid it, isolating the bodies in the river, and were about to proceed with the investigation when they returned here and encountered these individuals.