The night deepened.
The soldiers responsible for guarding the West City wall had also beco sowhat lax, just as the officer, who rely made a cursory patrol, hurried towards the Night Fragrance Pavilion.
They imdiately lost all decorum.
In the northwest corner, two n even took off their firearms and leaned against the city wall to smoke dry tobacco.
"I’m telling you, Old Xu, you really missed out by taking leave today.
You didn’t see the Miss from the Ma Family of the Salt Pool who entered from the West Gate — genuinely a sight to behold!
That figure, that face, if I could spend one night with her, I would gladly die ten years earlier."
The other soldier, with a brutal face, simply scoffed and let out a chuckle through a puff of blue smoke:
"Thinking of getting your hands on a noble’s daughter isn’t without its chances. Old Tao, guess what I did during the day off?"
Seeing the triumphant expression on his face, Old Tao imdiately grew anxious and pressed him:
"Stop beating around the bush, hurry and tell your brother!"
The latter revealed a slightly ferocious smile:
"Today, I disguised myself in civilian clothes to do private work for Captain Lv.
A wealthy household, bolstered by their riches and a distant relation to a Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, dared to dispute land with Captain Lv.
We decided to not do things by halves and directly wiped out their entire family!
Their concubines in the household were quite exquisite, hahaha..."
He said while making an obscene gesture.
"I’ve realized that in these tis, the connections of so high official’s forr acquaintances aren’t as useful as the weapons in our hands.
The rich gentlen entering the city are just fat pigs waiting for us to slaughter.
Find pretext, and those lofty young ladies, who were once untouchable to us illiterate military n, will be ours for the taking."
Old Tao’s eyes shone with excitent:
"You really make a good point there.
Not just the foreign nobles, but also the high officials in the Capital are the sa.
I heard that those in the court who failed to curry favor with the Martial Saint and Pri Minister Xue, so were jailed, so beheaded.
Many of their female family mbers have been sent to the Teaching Bureau.
These ladies, who were untouchable to the likes of us brothers, now won’t even have the dignity to refuse a single glance."
"When we’re off duty, shall we brothers have so fun?"
The two like-minded brothers exchanged a glance and burst into loud laughter.
But at the sa mont, they swiftly drew their waist knives and, like facing arch enemies, viciously stabbed the knife tips into each other’s hearts.
Both shouted in anger, "The beauty is mine!"
Then, they both fell dead.
anwhile, beneath the city wall, six shadowy figures, three tall and three short, appeared at so unknown ti.
They were the earliest to arrive here from their kind, known as "Weird·No Kin Recognition".
A ring of golden light, visible to the naked eye, constantly oppressed them, making their approach to the city wall extrely difficult.
Moreover, each one’s body emitted thick smoke, and their skin was burnt black like charred, making it even harder to distinguish one from the other.
Fathers unaware of sons, sons unaware of fathers — mutual non-recognition among family mbers, which is the root cause for their ultimate transformation into "Weird·No Kin Recognition."
If it was in the past, thirty miles away would have been their activity limit; the closer to Yunjing City, the stronger the power of "Dragon Qi Prohibition" and the greater the damage to them.
But now, it was as if they had lost even the basic survival instincts of the "Weird".
Even knowing they would be charred by "Dragon Qi Prohibition," they fearlessly rushed towards Capital, eager to devour Huang Wu, who emitted an increasingly enticing fragrance from her body.
They sought martyrdom for righteousness.
At the mont they touched the city wall, they transford into dust and collapsed, leaving not a trace behind.
Only a wisp of mysterious energy penetrated the "Dragon Qi Prohibition" and entered the mouth of Huang Wu in the Corner Tower, pushing her "Taiyin Refining" process to deepen further.
The "Taiyin Light" on her body grew more and more intense.
In this world, killing is part of the path to cultivation — so naturally, consuming these Weirs is too!
And to deal with this so-called "Outer Demon" hardly taxed Huang Wu at all; it was like receiving heads from thousands of miles away, complete with automatic on-site cooking.
Having witnessed all this, Wang Yuan clapped with a smile:
"Thanks to the ’No-Life Dao’ that refreshed ’Dragon Qi Prohibition’ for Yunjing City!
If it had been anywhere else with fainter Dragon Energy, we would hardly dare to act like this."
To eradicate a "Weird" in a single breath could only be possible at Yunjing City’s "Dragon Qi Core"; even Dengzhou Prefecture would not be able to do it.
A slight oversight could lead to major issues.
Soon, just a few breaths later, the second "Weird," also arrived here.
It was a woman dressed in Qingyi, with a rugged and ferocious appearance, already burnt pitch black.
Wang Yuan still recognized her — she was one of the seventy-two Weir Spirits, the "Female pitchfork spirit."
This "Weird" would sneak into children’s stomachs at night, consu their souls over ten days, and take their place.
From the Taoist Book compiled by the people of "Nine Soldiers," no, "The Imperial Inter-Secret Scripture of the Three Emperors & Eight Extres · Essence Chapter."
They all share a common "Precept Taboo":
[Utilize the true rituals, offer sacrifices, burn the opening declaration, and then loudly call out its na, and you can command them just like a "Peach God Tao" Taoist commands the "Yaochi Golden Boy."]
Initially, when Wang Yuan and his companions ventured into the dream realm of Dengzhou Prefecture, they brought with them a "Weird Biting Stone God" capable of overturning dreams.
At this mont, the "Female pitchfork spirit" clearly was a wild "Weird," accidentally drifting into this area.
It then transford into Huang Wu’s Taoist Skill without any resistance.
Following that, there were the "Pig Horn White Belly Deceit," which made people forever unable to eat again, and the "Fish White Water Deceit" that loved to impersonate floating corpses to drag people into the water...
More and more "Weird" beings arrived here, their bodies burning with white smoke almost forming a towering column of smoke.
Most of them also took a few of the city’s defenders with them before they died.
This finally alard the military officers with lax discipline.
When the gate captain of West City saw those terrifying charred remains fluttering like moths to a fla, he was so frightened that he scurried away in panic, shouting urgently:
"Quick, go to the Imperial Palace and call for the ’Martial Saint’ to oversee the nation!"
Unfortunately, even when Zhou Xinglou, who had already started candidly spending nights in the dragon bed, hurried over, he couldn’t find any clue as to why the "Weird" were lining up to commit suicide.
He could only send a ssage for Master Red Lotus to co and support with the "Incense Seal" crafted with "Sect Lust Red Dust Qi."
Yet it was just a futile flurry of activity.
Unbeknownst to them, nearby, Wang Yuan was holding an ice waterlon and watching the excitent.
If the most adept "Administer Dragon Technique" Supervisor from the Imperial Observatory Bureau of ancient tis were here, perhaps he might have found so clues from the traces left by the "Sacrificial Technique."
Unfortunately, that old man was a staunch loyalist of Zhou Wenrui and had long been beheaded by Zhou Xinglou.
Although the city wall had been noisy for several days, it didn’t affect Huang Wu in the slightest as she effortlessly continued "Demon Extermination" and devoured the energies she harvested.
...
Ti flew by.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed, and the ti had co to the seventh day of the seventh month.
Huang Wu’s "Taiyin Refining Form" process was progressing smoothly.
During this period, she had devoured countless "Weird," significantly soothing the surroundings of Yunjing City.
After all her flesh dissolved, she was reborn along with the moon cycle.
The jade bones in her skeleton now had organs fully regrown, aning the most dangerous mont had passed.
Only the final touches remained.
Huang Wu’s "Yin God" could now freely enter and leave the body without having to sit like a corpse, occasionally helping Wang Yuan dispel "Red Dust Karma."
And the good news didn’t stop there.
During this ti, the number of "Yin Departnt Ghost Gods" listed as "Yin Officials" in the "Small Book of Life and Death" gradually increased to more than a dozen.
Wang Yuan counted the days, hoping his ho forces would quickly arrive after lighting the "rit Golden Wheel."
The only thing that upset him was the new na that appeared in the "Small Book of Life and Death" this morning.
"Judge of Disaster" — "Broom Star" Xin Ruoheng!
Although clearly a colleague from his own Dou Departnt, Wang Yuan couldn’t help but curse his luck.
He hoped it wouldn’t be her coming, or else he might end up pairing up with Xin Xiaowei.
"Hmm? Xin? I hope I’m just overthinking this."
At that mont, Wang Yuan heard Huang Wu’s soft exclamation:
"Xiao Yuan, co look, it’s so lively inside Yunjing City!"
At this ti, the city was adorned with lights and decorations, threading needles, steaming skilled mochi, frying skilled pastries, growing skilled sprouts...
A "Skill Market" had opened, selling intricate decorations made from dough modeling, paper cutting, and colorful embroidery, each clearly displaying the word "skill."
And today was the "Qiqiao Festival," also the day when Cowherd and Weaver t — Chinese Valentine’s Day!
However, when the two of them realized this, they didn’t feel the joy and festivity like the citizens; instead, they both felt a chill in their hearts.
"Oh no! We’ve never celebrated Chinese Valentine’s Day since we were young; how could we subconsciously forget this when picking the date?"
The story of Cowherd and Weaver is ancient and well-known to everyone.
However, if viewed from another angle, one could see a terrifying truth:
Cowherd saw a beautiful girl bathing in the river and hid her clothes—what is that? Tyranny and hooliganism!
He abducted an inexperienced girl back ho, married her and had children, not even telling her family—what is that? Trafficking a young girl!
Not only that, but Cowherd also persuaded a fairy to give up her original wealth and status to weave and work for him—what is that? A ruthless, unscrupulous boss!
He constantly called his wife "Weaver," never even giving her a proper na; clearly, Weaver was just a code na for a tool.
What’s most terrifying is that Cowherd continually indoctrinated Weaver with his ideology, telling her that all this was called: happiness!
Even if they ended up as enemies to her own family, she had to be with him, a penniless commoner.
Thus, Chinese Valentine’s Day is clearly a festival full of original sin wrapped up in a dark myth!
Then why is it that its misguiding values are so terrifying upon reflection?
In the shadowy background, countless people still promote it, dressing it up in a very beautiful veneer of romance?
Undoubtedly.
In this world where "knowledge" keeps being activated, could a mythological story that has been passed down since the Ancient Era be just a simple story?
Especially in this story, in this festival... there’s weirdness!
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