Chapter Twenty-Nine: Graves Everywhere

"Great Lishan."

To the north of Binhai City, a mountain range stretches for hundreds of miles, and among them stands a peak called Great Lishan.

If Bai Li Feihong remembered correctly, many of the dead from Dongbin City were buried in Great Lishan.

The Demon Suppression Bureau, citing rampant monsters and evil spirits, once attempted to enforce a law mandating cremation.

But after years of implementation, the law yielded little result.

On the contrary, earth burials became even more prevalent.

The deep-rooted cultural belief in returning to one’s origins after death became an insurmountable obstacle to the cremation law; even at the peak of the Demon Suppression Bureau’s power, this law could not be enforced nationwide.

The Gu Liang royal family was the greatest of these obstacles.

In the end, the matter was left unresolved.

He rode alone, and when he reached the foot of Great Lishan, he looked up.

In a sense, Great Lishan belonged to Dongbin’s public cemetery.

At its base, the land’s feng shui gathered human vitality.

For centuries, the business of the dead flourished here; gradually, the funeral industry became one of Dali Town’s mainstays.

Clad in a dark robe embroidered with a python, feathered crown upon his head, a saber at his hip, riding a white horse alone, he entered Dali Town.

His jade-like features were striking, a peerless gentleman as if he had ridden straight out of a painting.

Such was Bai Li Feihong.

Long accustomed to labor at the docks, enduring sun and rain, Bai Li Feihong’s skin had been dark and rough. Though his features were fine, he never appeared handsome.

But now, with blood refined like quicksilver, it was as though he had shed his old self and become someone new.

His skin glowed with a radiant luster, transformed beyond recognition.

"A city filled with coffin shops."

"Everywhere you look, the gold of funeral candles."

This was the impression Dali Town gave Bai Li Feihong.

Gloomy, as if the entire town lay under a shadow.

He did not like the feeling this town gave him.

Shopkeepers stood at their doors, pale-faced, with eerie smiles, watching him with a chilling gaze.

It was as though they knew who he was, yet displayed no reverence. Instead, they seemed amused, unsurprised by anything.

Great Lishan was a key site under the scrutiny of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Beyond it, the mountain range stretched for hundreds of miles, hiding many unknown dangers. Few dared to cross Great Lishan into the depths beyond.

Compared to Fairness Town, Dali Town was little more than a large village.

Finding the local constabulary was simple for Bai Li Feihong.

Unlike the well-worn officers of Fairness Town, these here were the elite of Dongbin’s constabulary.

Most had been dispatched from the city, capable and without powerful backgrounds, known for their hardline methods.

Bai Li Feihong had done his homework.

He knew well that Dali Town’s constables were formidable.

Every one of them was a martial artist who had cultivated blood energy.

Each bore a firearm, and their ranks included those equipped with red-uniform cannons.

Only with superior weaponry and strict discipline could they hold these mountain folk in check.

"Captain Fang Delong of Dali Town Constabulary greets the esteemed Exorcist."

The captain stood before Bai Li Feihong, ramrod straight, saluting crisply.

"Captain Fang, you are mistaken. I am merely an apprentice of the Demon Suppression Bureau, unworthy of the title Exorcist," Bai Li Feihong corrected him.

Official ranks could not be called wrongly.

One must take care not to be caught in a trap.

Exorcists dealt with true demons, while Bai Li Feihong was only capable of handling lesser beasts and weak spirits.

If he accepted the title, he might well be pushed by these constables to confront true demons.

"It is all the same to me," Fang Delong replied, stepping forward to lead Bai Li Feihong’s horse personally.

Bai Li Feihong quickly dismounted.

Behind Fang Delong stood two rows of constables, straight as spears, each bearing the finest firearms of the Great Yuan.

With his current strength, Bai Li Feihong knew he might not escape unscathed should he cross these seasoned warriors.

He did not believe his flesh and blood could withstand gunfire.

"Captain Fang, I have accepted a task from the Demon Suppression Bureau to clear out the beasts in Great Lishan. The journey was long, so I had to borrow this horse from the Bureau. I hope you can look after it for me," Bai Li Feihong said with a cupped-fist salute.

He did not enter the constabulary office.

Fang Delong’s eyes brightened. The beast scourge had already spread to Dali Town.

These beasts moved swiftly, their hides thick and flesh tough; firearms could not kill them, and the attack only enraged the beasts, making them even more dangerous.

The Dali Town constabulary had hunted such a beast before—at great cost, including the loss of two officers.

Now, orders from the city expressly forbade the Dali Town constables from entering Great Lishan to hunt beasts.

In the eyes of the constabulary, this was the Demon Suppression Bureau’s duty.

Their own task was only to keep Dali Town stable and secure.

"Sir, you keep your duties ever in mind and work to rid the people of harm. I am deeply grateful. Rest assured, your horse will be well cared for," Fang Delong said, not urging him to stay.

To him, hosting a member of the Demon Suppression Bureau was merely a show of force, to remind them not to act recklessly in Dali Town.

Yet this young man was different from the others—rather interesting.

Bai Li Feihong did not linger in Dali Town. After purchasing some provisions and spices, he ascended the mountain.

The Dali Town Constabulary was infamous for its unruliness; for them to receive him so ceremoniously was not a good omen.

Best to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Great Lishan is rife with beasts. The Bureau organizes regular purges, but who knows how many demons and ghosts have crept into the mountains during this time?"

There was nothing to be done about it.

Behind Great Lishan stretched a vast range, its accumulated baleful energy unknowable.

Many animals had mutated into beasts, drawn by the presence of the living, gathering upon Great Lishan.

The mountain, with its multitude of graves, teemed with yin energy—unhealthy for people, but a treasure trove for monsters and spirits.

He entered the mountain by day.

Yet Great Lishan was shrouded in mist; sunlight barely pierced the haze.

Every wisp of cold fog against his skin sent a chill through him.

Even with his current cultivation and surging yang energy, Bai Li Feihong still felt the cold.

That, in itself, spoke to the density of the mountain’s ominous aura.

He felt profoundly uneasy in Great Lishan.

His sharpened senses seemed to detect countless unseen eyes upon him.

A gust of wind blew, parting the fog.

A forest of tombstones appeared.

Once, a master from the Divine Inspectorate passed through Great Lishan. With great enthusiasm, he praised the mountain as a geomantic treasure of Dongbin City. Because of its presence, Dongbin became the jewel of the Great Yuan Dynasty.

This was said to be the dynasty’s fortune vault!

That single declaration led to centuries of Dali Town’s rise.

And to its flourishing funeral industry.

Beasts gathering? Dangers lurking everywhere?

One need only seek out the local burial teams; they would settle all your worries.

"This place is full of peril. Even hunting beasts must be done with utmost caution, lest one provoke a swarm," Bai Li Feihong thought.

He suppressed his blood energy as best he could.

He moved cautiously among the graves.

In every small patch of ground, a single coffin marked a grave.

Especially at the foot of the mountain, the graves were so densely packed as to make one’s scalp tingle.

"So many graves—even the authorities would not dare forcibly relocate them."

"Disturbing this place would be like kicking a hornet’s nest."

One could imagine how many enemies the Demon Suppression Bureau would make in Dongbin City if they tried.

Judging by the offerings, these graves were still visited by descendants, not abandoned.

This piqued Bai Li Feihong’s curiosity.

How did they dare to come up the mountain to pay respects?

Were they truly unafraid of beast attacks?