Chapter Ten: The Jade Purity Immortal

The morning sun spilled across the earth, yet it could not pierce the nearby mist.

Along an abandoned road, a white horse came racing hard, breaking through the fog.

The steed was majestic and fierce. With every stride it stirred violent gusts that churned the surrounding mist into tatters. Any lover of horses who saw it would have praised it without hesitation: a fine horse indeed.

Mounted upon its back was a dashing female general, her body pressed low against the horse as a murderous light flickered in her eyes. She wore a loose deerskin coat, her face obscured, and only by the outline of her figure could one tell that she was strikingly well-proportioned.

The horse neighed sharply.

The woman suddenly drew upright and hauled on the reins. In an instant, the white horse went from the swiftest motion to complete stillness and stopped dead.

Only then could her features be seen clearly. She had a dignified face, sharp brows, bright eyes, and an expression of cold killing intent that made her seem extraordinarily heroic. She did not look like a delicate woman at all, but rather like a handsome young officer.

At that moment, she reined in the horse and listened. From within the mist, it seemed that soft chanting could be heard.

She turned the horse around and followed the sound.

The white horse was a superb mount, swift beyond compare. Such a short distance was covered in but a moment.

The mist still lay thick before her, but the voice by her ear had grown clear.

"At that time, the Savior of Suffering, filling the worlds of the ten directions, ever with the power of his awe-inspiring spirit, rescued all living beings and led them out of delusion..."

The female general blinked in surprise. "Someone is performing rites for the dead?"

Confusion rose in her heart. She dismounted lightly, tied the horse beneath a nearby tree, then drew the sword at her waist and walked slowly into the mist.

After only a few steps, she saw a stone stele bearing the three words Clear River Village.

"Clear River Village... this should be Southern Army territory..."

She drew a deep breath and continued inward.

Barely three or five steps later, a human head suddenly flew out of the mist and lunged straight toward her, intent on striking. Upon that severed head, a vengeful spirit howled, seeking to devour her body.

The woman gave a cold laugh. With a turn of her blade, a chilling gleam burst forth as she was about to split the head in two.

Yet at that very moment, a pebble flew in from nowhere and struck the edge of her sword.

The pebble carried such terrifying force that it knocked her blade askew in a single blow, deflecting it past the ferocious head.

The soul upon the head roared wildly and was about to bite down.

Then, an invisible force of thought arose. Within the mist, someone could be vaguely seen reaching out with a wave of the hand, and the head fell into his grasp.

A yellow talisman dropped down at once and pressed hard upon the head, sealing it so it could not move.

The person in the mist set the head aside for the moment, then turned around and looked toward the woman who had drawn the sword.

...

"A monk?"

Seeing the figure emerge from the mist, the female general froze slightly.

Shen Changan shook his head and pointed at his robe. "Daoist."

The woman glanced at his Daoist robe and was momentarily stunned. She had never seen such an ornate Daoist robe before, but it had to be said, the garment was indeed handsome. And the man wearing it was even more striking.

Shen Changan's face showed no joy or sorrow, but his voice was somewhat hoarse. He had been chanting scriptures all day; his magical power could still recover quickly, but his throat was beginning to give out.

He had intended to finish this and rest a little, but who would have thought that just as the head fell into his hand, his throat would become so hoarse he could hardly speak. In his momentary inattention, he had let the head slip away.

And by some coincidence, someone had arrived at precisely that moment, nearly slicing the head apart with a single stroke.

He had seen that sword clearly. It flashed brilliantly, and within it countless talismans gleamed. It was actually a rare treasure.

If her blade had truly fallen, both the head and the ghost within it would have been utterly dispersed.

Shen Changan had no choice but to immediately unleash his great strength divine power and flick out a stone to block the blade. Then he locked the head with psychic force, took it back, and pressed it down with a subjugating talisman before he had the leisure to look at the woman.

Her features were refined, like those of a wealthy young master, yet her sharp brows and eyes filled with murderous light gave her an added air of heroism. On closer inspection, it was easy to see that she was an exceptionally dashing female officer.

Only, the clothing she wore made Shen Changan frown deeply.

The Demon-Suppressing Bureau...

He repeated those words to himself, and his expression darkened slightly.

Then he looked toward the woman’s collar. A faint glint of cold light reflected from beneath that deerskin coat, and there had to be a thick suit of armor underneath. Thick enough to resemble that former banner officer, who had relied on his armor to slaughter great numbers of White Lotus cultists single-handedly.

Then his gaze passed beyond the woman and landed on her white horse.

On the saddle was a pack. Its contents could not be seen, but one object was exposed outside.

A divine arm crossbow.

It was called a bow, but in truth it was a crossbow.

A crossbow was not like a bow and arrow. Bows could be used for hunting, and many hunters carried them. A crossbow, however, was unmistakably a weapon of violence. Even in the modern age, crossbows were prohibited items.

In this era, that need not even be mentioned. Anyone able to use such a weapon must have an astonishing status and standing.

A divine arm crossbow, together with the uniform of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau...

This woman in the bureau was likely no mere minor officer.

Shen Changan could not immediately tell why she had come. The Demon-Suppressing Bureau was far too mixed a place, with no easy way to distinguish good from bad.

"Is the Daoist priest... refining corpses?"

Before he could decide, the other side had already asked first. And as she spoke, her hand was already on the hilt of her sword, ready to erupt at any instant.

Shen Changan remained on guard and said, "Only conducting rites for the dead."

The woman scanned the surroundings and indeed saw several pits nearby, each containing a corpse laid to rest in a peaceful manner. It did not look like corpse-refining.

Only then did she let out a slight breath, though her hand still did not leave the sword hilt.

"It seems the Daoist priest is a benevolent man. I am Yu Qingxian, a hundred-household officer of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau. May I ask if the village ahead is Clear River Village?"

Shen Changan nodded. Then he said, "Captain Yu, are you planning to go into the village?"

Yu Qingxian nodded and said softly, "I have been riding for a long time and need to replenish my provisions. Rest assured, the Yu family does not engage in such shameful petty theft."

The corner of Shen Changan’s eye lifted, and his expression carried something between mockery and a bitter smile. "Is that so? This humble Daoist advises Captain Yu not to waste any more time."

"Hm?" Yu Qingxian’s face darkened in displeasure. In a cool voice she said, "I do not quite understand what the Daoist means."

Shen Changan sighed and pointed at the corpses on the ground. In a clear voice he said, "Please look, Your Excellency. Everyone in Clear River Village is already here. If you wish to buy provisions, then speak to them about it."

At those words, Yu Qingxian’s beautiful eyes widened at once. Murderous light flashed in them like lightning, and her aura thundered around her.

"Who did this?"