Chapter One: Corpse Herding?

Leaving the Ghost Venom Sect was imperative for Lei Yan. To avenge his grievances, he had already devised a plan in his heart: he would begin with the martial artists of the mundane world. In the eyes of cultivators, martial artists were always a joke; if they wished, cultivators could easily destroy countless martial artists, yet they disdained to do so, for the power of the secular world seemed insignificant to them. This very disdain prompted Lei Yan to set his sights on the forces of the mundane world. He believed that, given enough time, he could allow the influence of martial artists to permeate the entire cultivation world.

Lei Yan would never miss out on a treasure like the Five-Colored Dust Nectar, a medicinal material that could drive ordinary martial artists mad. Before leaving, he paid a visit to the mountain cave where a large store of this nectar was kept, and virtually swept away every last drop from within. Not a single drop escaped his grasp, which startled Qing Ling, who followed him. She was puzzled as to how Lei Yan managed to collect all the nectar, since she saw nothing on him that could be used for storage.

In truth, Qing Ling was unaware that Lei Yan owed it all to the demon artifact on his person. This artifact, though without rank, was undetectable even by cultivators. Moreover, as Lei Yan’s cultivation progressed, he discovered that the spatial capacity of the artifact had more than doubled. What was originally only a few cubic units had now become more than a dozen, much to his delight. An artifact capable of growing was of untold value, and even Lei Yan could not fathom its rarity.

******

The sun hung high in the sky, pouring out its scorching radiance. Noonday in summer was unbearably hot; the yellow earth on the ground, dried and parched, would send up clouds of dust at the faintest brush of wind, making it even harder to breathe. On the official road leading to the northern regions of Qingzhou, travelers continued to pass by ceaselessly, with carriages occasionally speeding along the thoroughfare.

Among the crowd, a youth dressed in white and blue, carrying a medicinal basket, was walking leisurely, seemingly unaffected by the oppressive heat. Behind him followed a young maiden. She wore a blue dress, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead and at her temples, her expression one of impatience. The youth was none other than Lei Yan, recently departed from the Ghost Venom Sect, and the maiden trailing him was Qing Ling.

“Hey! Don’t you have any sense of pity for a delicate girl?” Qing Ling, constantly brushing her hair aside, could no longer bear the heat and began to complain.

“If you don’t wish to follow me, you can go back! I’ve already told you—the pill only prevents you from using your true energy for a short while. Once time passes, you’ll recover!” Lei Yan replied coldly. Turning to see the sweat on Qing Ling’s brow, he sighed inwardly, wondering if he had been too cruel.

Lei Yan was well aware that after his recent cultivation and medication, his meridians had fully formed. Through relentless training, he had reached the peak of the postnatal realm, and his internal energy allowed him to resist both heat and cold. Qing Ling, however, was different. Having taken Lei Yan’s pill, she had temporarily lost her true energy, now relying solely on her own strength to withstand the heat and cold of the outside world. With a helpless smile, he conceded, “Alright, let’s find a shady spot to rest for a while.”

“Hmph!” Qing Ling wrinkled her nose and strode off toward a large tree by the roadside.

Watching Qing Ling head for the tree, Lei Yan frowned. His supernatural sense revealed two martial artists hidden in the grass behind the tree.

Given the difficulties encountered along their journey, the appearance of two bandits was hardly surprising. Normally, Lei Yan would have silently dispatched them. Yet as he prepared to let these two meet the same fate as previous brigands, he noticed they were not targeting him or Qing Ling. When Qing Ling approached, he distinctly sensed that they did not so much as glance at her, their gaze fixed intently on the official road as before.

“Could something be about to happen on this road?” This piqued Lei Yan’s curiosity, prompting him to stroll slowly toward the tree.

Lei Yan’s approach made the two martial artists wary. They had ignored Qing Ling earlier because they sensed no internal energy from her, but Lei Yan was different. Having reached the peak of the postnatal realm, his internal energy unconsciously shielded him from the oppressive heat, which the two martial artists detected instantly. The older one pulled back his companion, signaling him not to act rashly, and they both fell silent again.

Although their concealment skills were excellent, Lei Yan’s supernatural ability had already mapped their every move in his mind. Smiling faintly, he took a water bag from the demon artifact and drank deeply, then handed it to Qing Ling. “Have some water.” At the same time, a tiny bit of powder flicked from his hand. The quantity was so small that the two martial artists could not discern whether it was dust or something else.

“Nothing you give can be trusted! Besides, it’s full of your filthy saliva!” Qing Ling snapped, pointing angrily at his water bag. She unfastened her own water bag from her waist, took a few sips, then put it away, fanning her face vigorously as if her hands could bring her a hint of coolness.

“Suit yourself.” Lei Yan leaned against the tree, stowing his water bag. He knew Qing Ling would never drink what he offered; his real purpose was to administer the powder, as he had no desire to kill the two hidden martial artists.

Lei Yan’s actions made the bandits swallow anxiously. They had been hiding in the grass for several hours, not daring to drink a drop of water.

“Gulp!” The sound of a dry swallow came from the grass.

“What was that?” Qing Ling jumped up, startled. Though she had lost her true energy, her poison skills were unrivaled. She was about to unleash toxins toward the grass when Lei Yan stopped her, whispering something in her ear as he dragged her away. Qing Ling, dragged along, rubbed her ears and fanned her face. Whether from Lei Yan’s words or the intense heat, a flush spread across her cheeks.

After walking several dozen steps, Lei Yan’s supernatural sense detected the two martial artists relaxing. He stopped, turned, and scooped up Qing Ling, leaping onto a tree. Unfortunately, his hands landed squarely on her chest—a soft sensation made him inwardly curse his luck.

“Let go of me! Let go!” Qing Ling struggled furiously, trying to break free from Lei Yan’s grasp, only to be met with his stern retort, “Do you want me to feed you another Soul-Dissolving Pill?”

Qing Ling knew all too well what the Soul-Dissolving Pill was—it had nearly cost her her purity. Hearing Lei Yan say this, she felt both hatred and fear. Helpless, she parted her cherry lips and bit down hard on his arm.

Lei Yan frowned slightly; he could easily withstand this pain. He placed Qing Ling on a branch. “Stand still! If you don’t want me to feed you another Soul-Dissolving Pill, behave yourself and stay put.”

Perhaps truly intimidated by the pill, Qing Ling stood motionless from the moment she landed on the tree, her eyes fixed fiercely on Lei Yan.

As time passed, the heat in the sky did not abate; instead, it grew even more intense.

“Squeak! Squeak!” A series of noises echoed from afar—the commonplace sound of cart wheels, usually belonging to cargo wagons. Yet Lei Yan’s half-closed eyes snapped open, for he realized these were not ordinary wagons, but ones carrying coffins—and not just a single wagon.

Transporting corpses in broad daylight was highly abnormal. Even if someone had died, such a task would not be undertaken under the blazing noon sun. Moreover, the drivers and mourners, all clad in mourning attire, were martial artists. Each one looked fierce and menacing, showing no hint of sorrow.

As the two coffins drew closer, Lei Yan’s supernatural sense clearly detected the trembling of the two martial artists hidden in the grass.

“This is getting interesting,” Lei Yan murmured, a faint smile playing at his lips.