Chapter 491: Fist and Sword
The old woman sneered coldly, "You've crippled my sister's cultivation foundation—this debt will be settled. Even if you are a terrestrial immortal sword cultivator wielding a divine weapon, you cannot escape your doom."
Chen Ping'an remained silent.
The old woman saw the city lord's carriage about to arrive, so she began to chant, casting a spell. The withered trees grew legs like living beings, started moving, plowing through the soil, and soon cleared a large open space. As the carriage slowly descended, two green-robed female ghosts holding ivory jade tablets took the lead, landing first and tossing out their tablets. A burst of white light flowed like spring water over the ground, turning the dense forest mud floor into a white jade plaza, perfectly flat and spotless. Chen Ping'an, not wanting to touch the "water" as it flowed past his feet, lightly leaped up, waved his hand to summon a nearby half-man-high withered branch, flicked his wrist to drive it into the ground, and stood on the branch.
Back when he followed Mao Xiaodong in the Great Sui capital to face enemies, Mao Xiaodong had specifically explained the power of a formation master.
The two ghostly figures in green palace maid attire exchanged a smile. So this foreign expert who had made Lady Bai suffer so much was actually such a coward.
The old woman sneered, "This young master truly has fine courage."
Chen Ping'an replied, "And this old madam has fine eyesight."
The two pretty green-clad ghost women found it amusing and covered their mouths to laugh.
In the Ghost Fiend Valley, where demons and monsters roamed everywhere, living people were rarely seen, and interesting men from the mortal world were even rarer.
The enormous carriage, resembling a lady's boudoir tower, slowly landed. Immediately, two female ghosts in magnificent official robes gently pulled back the curtains. One of them bent down and said softly, "City Lord, we've arrived."
Chen Ping'an looked up. Inside the carriage sat a young girl in phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, her rouge applied far too heavily, her eyes vacant like a puppet without a soul. Her skirt spread out like an enormous lotus leaf, taking up most of the carriage, making the little girl look like a lotus bud just peeking out—utterly ridiculous.
The City Lord of Skin-Cloying City, named Fan Yunluo, had occupied a city after death, specializing in gathering female ghostly beings to serve various roles in Skin-Cloying City. She detested men and styled herself "Marquis of Rouge and Powder." Because she was naturally so petite, though extremely short in stature, she was said to have well-proportioned bones and flesh, and excelled at poetry and song. Countless men had fallen under her pomegranate skirt. In life, she was a princess deeply favored by an emperor, light as a swallow, and a historical anecdote of dancing on a palm had been passed down.
One of the palace-robed female ghosts looked helpless and had to remind her again, "City Lord, wake up. We're here."
The little girl jolted, shook her head, still a bit drowsy. Her eyes gradually cleared. She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, which wore a silk glove that shimmered with precious light, revealing a section of wrist like fine mutton-fat jade.
Fan Yunluo looked down at the straw-hatted man standing on the withered branch. "So you're the unappreciative wretch who severely injured my beloved Bai, forcing her to sleep in the Soul-Washing Pool? Do you know she came here on my orders to discuss a lucrative business deal with you? Good intentions thrown to the dogs—you'll get your comeuppance."
Seeing that the young man showed no sign of speaking, Fan Yunluo wasn't angered. She continued, "By the way, where did you hide that Snowflake Dharma Robe? It's not like it's a love token Lady Bai gave you. Why hide it? Bring it out. It's her treasured possession, dearer than life. Without it, she'll die of grief. Our Skin-Cloying City kindly sought your cooperation, and you repaid kindness with malice. Let's set that aside for now. In the Ghost Fiend Valley, fists still speak the loudest. You got that Snowflake Robe—that's your skill. Now name your price, and I'll buy it back."
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "In City Lord Fan's eyes, what is this dharma robe worth?"
Fan Yunluo said seriously, "It's worth at least three to five Grain Rain Coins. And since it's Lady Bai's heart's desire, as her proxy for redemption, with my word of gold, it should at least double. Then we split the difference—let's say eight Grain Rain Coins."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Next, City Lord Fan is going to ask me how much my own life is worth, deduct the eight Grain Rain Coins as compensation, return the dharma robe to Skin-Cloying City, and then hand over a large sum of Immortal Coins as an apology, right?"
Fan Yunluo's eyes lit up. She leaned forward, her childish face full of curiosity. "How are you so clever? Could you be a tapeworm in my belly? How do you know everything I'm thinking?"
She shook her wide sleeve. "Very good. After you pay compensation and apologize, I will naturally gift you a vast fortune, enough to fill your coffers. Rest assured."
Chen Ping'an asked, "What business?"
She stretched out both hands forward, smiling. "Hand over the Snowflake Robe and the Grain Rain Coins, then we'll discuss this business that will make your descendants wealthy for generations."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Why doesn't City Lord Fan seek out hemp-robed cultivators or other wandering experts for this business?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Those archaic stick-in-the-muds who only care about slaying demons and subduing monsters never care for wealth and look down on this kind of business. Ordinary Qi refiners have too low cultivation, can't handle it, wasting our Skin-Cloying City's energy. Those with too high cultivation make profit-sharing hard to negotiate, and they might even betray us. All troublesome things that disturb my dreams. My beloved Bai and the others have searched for over a hundred years, and you're still the most suitable."
After saying this, Fan Yunluo still had her hands outstretched, not withdrawing them. A fierceness appeared on her face. "You just let me hold this pose—it's very tiring, you know?"
Chen Ping'an fell into deep thought.
The many large and small cities in the southern Ghost Fiend Valley, including Skin-Cloying City, maintained a roughly peaceful but delicate standoff with the hemp-robed cultivators. However, it was extremely difficult to communicate with the Skeleton Beach cultivators. So many city lords would rely on their own resources and judgment to find one or several cultivators to help establish connections for trade with the outside world, each getting what they needed. Otherwise, the yin beings of the Ghost Fiend Valley would inevitably face the awkward situation of eating through their resources and making a living off the land. Although the yin qi of the Ghost Fiend Valley was immense, it was still a fixed quantity of "one." If a yin being in the valley had high enough cultivation and broad enough vision, they could look down from a height and see traces of the flow of fortune. Therefore, every powerful spirit's growth meant the loss of other yin spirits and ghostly beings. This was like a game of chess—territory was always contested, with one gaining and the other losing. There was never a possibility of both sides making peace and profiting together. The northern territory of the Ghost Fiend Valley was mostly covered by the Skeleton Mausoleum City, which often sent troops south to invade and plunder heavily before returning. Thus, "opening new sources" became an urgent matter for the southern city lords.
The hemp-robed cultivators held the surface-level exit, the Pai Lou Building, appearing to besiege the cities but not forbidding southern city lords from cultivating puppets to trade with the outside world. They likely had their own schemes, not wanting the southern forces to become too weak, lest the old saying of "the strong become stronger in fortune" come true, allowing the Skeleton Mausoleum City to unify the Ghost Fiend Valley.
The old woman said harshly, "How dare you! The city lord asked you a question, and you still blank out?"
She was no different from the half-faced Lady Bai, one of Fan Yunluo's four trusted ghost generals in Skin-Cloying City. In life, she was a palace tutor and a royal offering, a Qi refiner skilled in close combat. So, even after Lady Bai suffered heavy injuries, Skin-Cloying City still dared to send her to greet Chen Ping'an. If they lost two ghost generals in quick succession, Skin-Cloying City, with its modest resources, would be in peril. The neighboring cities were no pushovers either.
Fan Yunluo suddenly raised a hand, signaling the old woman not to rush.
A trace of wariness appeared on her face.
She saw the young wandering cultivator slowly lift his head and remove his straw hat.
The straw hat vanished into thin air.
The old woman and the two palace maidens on the carriage felt a tightness in their hearts.
Sure enough, he carried some immortal treasure like a cun-sized tomb or a small armory.
Chen Ping'an casually put the straw hat into his cun-wu (dimension object).
The straw hat was just an ordinary item. Wei Po and Zhu Lian had suggested that Chen Ping'an, when traveling the martial world wearing a straw hat, should be careful not to let his aura leak too much, lest he attract too much attention and alert his enemies. Especially in great marshes and deep mountains where ghosts roam, Chen Ping'an needed to be even more cautious. Otherwise, it would be like walking among graves in the wilderness at night carrying a lantern, beating drums and gongs, like Pei Qian posting talismans on her forehead—no wonder the minor ghosts would be frightened and shrink back, while the major ghosts would come angrily seeking trouble.
Chen Ping'an had already noticed this among the mountains south of the Book-Simple Lake. At the time, he was puzzled; his golden literary gallbladder had shattered, and logically, that majestic aura of "virtue in person, all evil retreats" should have dissipated accordingly.
Zeng Ye, Ma Duyi, and even Gu Can at the time were equally confused, not understanding the reason.
When he returned home to the Fallen Mountain bamboo tower, as his cultivation rose and he entered the sixth-rank martial artist, he could skillfully suppress that aura. But to be safe, during his subsequent travels through the central Bottle Gourd Continent, he still wore this straw hat as a form of self-reflection.
After removing the straw hat, Chen Ping'an still intentionally suppressed his momentum. He smiled and said, "In the past, circumstances forced me to do business with people I had mortal enmity with. Now, with your Skin-Cloying City, we don't have any serious grudges. It seems we should at least negotiate, or at least try to see if we can keep civility even if business fails. But I just realized—we can certainly do business. I'm half a peddler now, and I do want to make money. However, I cannot let it interfere with my main purpose."
Chen Ping'an took out the snow-white silk-like Snowflake Robe. "I can return the dharma robe to Skin-Cloying City. In exchange, you tell me the whereabouts of that terrestrial immortal ghostly being. I'll do this deal. Nothing else."
Fan Yunluo slowly stood up. Even standing in the carriage, she was only as tall as the two palace maidens standing on the steps outside.
Fan Yunluo said sternly, "After all this chatter, you don't seem like someone who would risk mutual destruction. I hate haggling the most. Since you don't appreciate my kindness, I'll strip one of your souls and use it as a lamp in Skin-Cloying City. Then we'll do business. This suffering is of your own making. Refusing to earn a pile of Immortal Coins, you'll only scrape together a meager profit to keep your life."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Lesson learned."
So he would follow local customs. In this North Arrow Continent, arguing with words was the lowest approach.
Even that Confucian sage from the academy personally went out and beat three great cultivators into admitting their faults, didn't he?
Chen Ping'an glanced at the sky.
He had planned to proceed step by step, starting with that relatively weaker Golden Core ghostly being for practice.
Now it seemed he needed to change his strategy.
Fighting alone against the entire Skin-Cloying City was also a rare training opportunity.
Moreover, since Skin-Cloying City was located in the southernmost part of the Ghost Fiend Valley, not far from Orchid Musk Town, Chen Ping'an could attack and retreat as needed.
But Chen Ping'an had already made up his mind: since he was going to fight, he wouldn't leave any loose ends.
Even if he had to retreat each time, it would be to prepare for the next battle against the Skin-Cloying City ghosts.
Otherwise, traveling north alone while constantly worrying about a sneak attack from behind would truly be dragging things out.
And this way, he might even save a golden-grade Ground-Shrinking Talisman.
Earlier on his northward journey, Chen Ping'an had felt the yin-yang barrier of the Ghost Fiend Valley. After careful consideration, he thought that if he wielded the sword immortal's full-strength strike, he might really be able to briefly slice open a crack. But even if he opened a path, he would be exhausted, and if he was too far from that small door, it would still be hard to escape. So Chen Ping'an planned to write another golden-grade Ground-Shrinking Talisman. With two in hand, even if he was far from the heaven-earth barrier, and even if powerful enemies surrounded him and blocked his way, he would still have a chance to flee the Ghost Fiend Valley and reach Skeleton Beach.
But this matter couldn't be rushed. He had to draw the talisman in a secluded place; otherwise, if his secret was exposed, even twenty golden-grade talismans would be useless.
There were many terrestrial immortal experts in the Ghost Fiend Valley, let alone the Jade Pure realm City Lord of Skeleton Mausoleum City. It shouldn't be too hard for him to leave the valley, but the fear was that the hemp-robed cultivators had the advantage of terrain on Skeleton Beach and would be waiting. However, perhaps the hemp-robed cultivators actually hoped this Jade Pure ghost could leave the Ghost Fiend Valley. Without a leader, the ghosts would be headless, and the valley had always been full of infighting. After a thousand years of brutal wars and deep-seated hatreds, if the main pillar was removed, would they become a heap of loose sand?
Fan Yunluo used her mind to inform her ghost subordinates, "Be wary of the sword on this man's back. It's very likely a magical treasure that only a terrestrial immortal sword cultivator could possess."
Fan Yunluo's eyes burned with desire. She rubbed her palms, and the light on her two gloves surged. This was one of the relies that allowed her, this "Marquis of Rouge and Powder," to establish her own city in the southern Ghost Fiend Valley and stand firm.
Fan Yunluo curled her lips. If she captured that young man, it would certainly be a huge windfall! The cyan robe he wore was already not bad, and the wine flask at his waist might be a high-grade item disguised by an expert's illusion. Plus that sword—this year's tribute to White Cage City would not only be secured but also leave Skin-Cloying City with a substantial surplus. With just a few more thousand troops, perhaps she wouldn't have to kowtow to others and struggle to survive.
In the end, sending Lady Bai, who wasn't strong in combat but skilled in illusions, to test him was always a two-pronged plan. If the tough bone was hard to chew, they would take a step back and do a long-term business. But if this man carried heavy treasures but lacked real skill, then Skin-Cloying City couldn't be blamed for being the first to claim the moon and monopolize a huge advantage.
In the Ghost Fiend Valley, not only do people eat people, even ghosts eat!
Chen Ping'an reached over his shoulder. "Play with yourself. Remember to strike to kill, and don't damage their skeleton frames. I want to take all these female ghosts' white bones as capital. If they're shattered, they won't sell for a good price."
Then Chen Ping'an patted the Sword-Nurturing Gourd. "Same logic."
A golden thread shot out from behind Chen Ping'an.
From the Sword-Nurturing Gourd at his waist, two streams of snow-white and emerald-green fireflies also shot out.
On this white jade plaza, several dozen Skin-Cloying City female ghost yin beings had formed an encirclement. They felt a flash of golden light, and their eyes burned unbearably as if seeing a blazing sun. The next moment, they perished.
A point of light pierced through their brows.
Chen Ping'an unhurriedly rolled up his cyan sleeves, lightly leaped off the withered branch beneath his feet, and walked straight toward the carriage.
Cherish women and pity the fair?
In the ruined temple of Comb-Water Country, the straw-shoe boy had once rained punches on a female ghost's head, smashing that seductive, voluptuous wraith to pieces.
In the City God Pavilion of Color-Clothing Country, he had fought Shi Rou, who was then a skeleton wraith, and was equally decisive.
Earliest, on Cloud Veil Mountain, Cai Jinjian's neck had taken a sudden shard of porcelain in a shabby alley.
The old woman trembled, seemingly hesitating whether to protect the city lord and risk death to block this man's path.
Fan Yunluo's face was icy, but then suddenly bloomed like spring flowers, her smile charming. "Esteemed sword immortal, how about we sit down and have a nice chat? The price is negotiable, all up to the sword immortal."
Chen Ping'an suddenly stomped his foot, cracking the ground into a spiderweb pattern. The white jade plaza, built from the two spirit artifact jade tablets the path-opening female ghosts had used, shattered like porcelain, fragments flying in all directions.
Chen Ping'an charged in a straight line toward the carriage.
Two female ghosts tried to block him but were sent flying by the overwhelming fist aura from both sides.
Fan Yunluo's expression changed slightly. She waved her sleeves, and her skirt, large as a lotus leaf occupying most of the carriage, rippled. She giggled, but the venom in her eyes was clear. In a sickly sweet voice, she said, "I'm scared. See you later. If you have the skill, come to Skin-Cloying City and make love to me."
The carriage shook, throwing her two trusted palace maid attendants to the ground.
Chen Ping'an leaped high, reached out his hand, and the sword immortal, in spiritual sync, flew into his grip. He swung it down.
The massive carriage rolled nimbly, just dodging the sword strike, then instantly sank into the dense forest floor. A dull rumble followed as it fled underground.
Chen Ping'an tapped his foot, stepping onto the arriving flying sword Chu Yi, and shot up several dozen zhang. Following the sounds underground, he focused on one spot, then released the sword immortal from his hand. It shot like a giant crossbow bolt, streaking away.
The carriage hurriedly changed course, dodging the sword immortal's thrust.
This slight delay inevitably slowed Fan Yunluo's escape.
Chen Ping'an stepped on Chu Yi and Shi Wu, touching down lightly like dragonflies skimming water, raising his arm and punching the ground.
Beneath the earth, a rumbling sound echoed like spring thunder in the underworld.
A series of precious lights flickered underground, along with the Skin-Cloying City Lord's frantic string of curses. Finally, her voice grew fainter, as if the carriage had plunged deep into the earth and fled.
Chen Ping'an realized this was a secret technique of the carriage for escaping underground. It likely had limits: the shallower the "float" near the surface, the faster the carriage; the deeper it drilled, the more resistance it encountered in this strange Ghost Fiend Valley soil. Fan Yunluo had initially hoped for an easy escape, but after suffering a heavy loss, she had to choose the lesser evil—preferring a slower return to Skin-Cloying City to avoid the shockwaves of his fist and the ambush of the sword immortal.
The sword immortal, in spiritual sync with Chen Ping'an, was stepped on by him, not rising too high but staying close to the ground, flying toward Skin-Cloying City.
As for the flying swords Chu Yi and Shi Wu, they pursued the carriage underground.
Regardless of the outcome, Chen Ping'an couldn't let Fan Yunluo easily slip back into Skin-Cloying City.
He also wanted to test whether Skin-Cloying City's protective formation could withstand a full-force strike from him.
At a small hilltop, Chen Ping'an halted the sword immortal.
Standing there was a skeleton ghost in a Confucian robe, with a sword at its waist, but no flesh at all.
It smiled and said, "Even a cornered rabbit will bite. Why are you so determined to destroy Fan Yunluo? She has always bullied the weak and feared the strong, and she's good at reading the situation. You don't need to worry about her pestering you. Over the years, she's been outsmarted by her own cleverness more than once. She's used to swallowing bitter pills. Now that she's scared out of her wits, she'll only come to apologize and admit fault. Besides, if you really kill Fan Yunluo, you'll break a certain rule set by Zhu Quan and the Skeleton Mausoleum City Lord. All the city lords will unite to kill you like ants gnawing an elephant, and you'll have to leave the Ghost Fiend Valley. A friendly reminder: if you continue north, even flying close to the ground, nearby city lords will detect your trail."
Chen Ping'an asked, "You are?"
The skeleton swordsman in the Confucian robe smiled. "That Golden Core ghost you were after, the one Fan Yunluo coincidentally deflected for, is nominally registered in my city, but that's all. I advise you to return to Crow Ridge quickly, or you'll likely waste your efforts—that Golden Core ghost will make off with all the spoils. Let me be clear: the master-servant or lord-vassal relationships in the Ghost Fiend Valley are a joke. No one takes them seriously. When profit is at stake, even the Heavenly Emperor is ignored. Believe it or not, that's your affair."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "So you're the City Lord of White Cage City."
The white skeleton in a Confucian robe, with a long sword hanging at its waist, looked ridiculous but evoked no sense of absurdity. It nodded and smiled. "Pleasure to meet you."
Chen Ping'an considered for a moment.
He smiled, patted the Sword-Nurturing Gourd, and the flying swords Chu Yi and Shi Wu flew back into it.
Chen Ping'an put his hands in his sleeves, his left hand holding a golden-grade Ground-Shrinking Talisman, his right hand gripping the walnut bracelet. "Any other suggestions, City Lord?"
The powerful yin spirit, one of the top in the southern Ghost Fiend Valley, shook its head. "None."
Chen Ping'an steered the sword immortal and flew away in an arc.
The White Cage City Lord lightly stamped its foot. "Come out."
A carriage tumbled out from the foot of the hillside. This treasure of Skin-Cloying City was severely damaged, showing the power of the earlier sword strike and punch.
Fan Yunluo sat in the carriage, covering her face with both hands, sobbing—now she truly looked like an innocent little girl.
The skeleton city lord in cyan robes, with a sword in hand, smiled. "Oh you, when will you ever make a profitable deal? Didn't you think carefully—why would a young man, so cautious, dare to go directly to Green Reed Town if he came to die?"
Fan Yunluo, with tear-streaked face, lay in the carriage, wailing in anguish.
Back at Crow Ridge, Chen Ping'an breathed a sigh of relief.
Except for the old woman who had disappeared, the other slain female ghosts and yin beings still had their white bones intact.