Chapter 47: Slaying the Bandits

Early the next morning, Yi Fan led the two out of the city, taking a small, winding path. Along the way, they encountered almost no one, and by midday, they had reached the foot of the mountain.

“How odd—there’s an abundance of grass and trees here, so lush and green,” he remarked.

The mountain was shaded with verdant trees, the foliage plump with moisture. Though there were no signs of wildlife, such vitality was rare in recent days. Glancing back, Yi Fan noticed the woman’s face was pale, her eyes filled with fear. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Master Daoist, we mustn’t go into this mountain. Let’s turn back,” she pleaded.

“Why not? My temple lies within these mountains. Since I’ve returned, naturally I must go up.”

She hesitated before speaking, “When the drought first began, some people discovered there was water in these mountains. They ventured up to find the source but never returned.”

“At first, it was thought they’d been attacked by wild beasts, so the authorities organized a group to go up together. Only one man escaped several days later, driven mad with terror. He claimed there were monsters in the mountain and that the rest had been eaten.”

Yi Fan’s expression grew grave. “Oh?”

“Some didn't believe it, but others brought many exorcists to ascend the mountain. None of them ever came back. In time, this place became forbidden; while a few desperate souls still risk it, most dare not come near.” The woman clung tightly to her child.

Yi Fan snorted coldly. “Quite bold, these fiends. I will see for myself what manner of monster dares cause such trouble.”

With that, he began to ascend the mountain. The woman hesitated, then gritted her teeth and followed.

The higher they climbed, the deeper the green shade became. Outwardly, the mountain brimmed with life, yet it exuded a chilling, gloomy air. The tall trees seemed like the claws of demons, and the gaps between the leaves resembled countless watchful eyes.

Yi Fan sniffed the air, then sneered. “As expected, there is something unclean here.”

Amidst the trees, he detected a faint trace of demonic energy, elusive and fleeting, as if it had only just passed through and left no trace.

He glanced at Yan Gui, who looked perplexed, constantly scanning the surroundings, but unable to pinpoint the location of the monster. Yi Fan did not press him—so long as the creature showed itself, he was certain to sense it.

Yitian Temple was on the mountain’s far side, so they did not need to take the main path. They followed a narrow, overgrown trail, which Yi Fan only remembered from memory; otherwise, it would have been lost amidst the weeds.

After nearly half an hour of stumbling along, they finally reached the rear of the mountain. Rounding a bend, they saw the dilapidated temple nestled in the shade, overgrown with wild grass and fallen into ruin.

The main gate was broken, part of the wall had collapsed, and aside from the signboard still intact, the rest had clearly been deliberately vandalized. Yi Fan was not surprised; after more than a year’s absence, others had surely visited.

Stepping into the temple, they found every room in disrepair, doors and windows smashed, everything in chaos. A thick layer of rotting leaves covered the floor, and the stench of mold and abandonment was overpowering.

Suddenly, Yi Fan’s ears pricked up. Yan Gui was baring his teeth and snarling at a particular room. Yi Fan frowned and called out coldly, “No more hiding. Come out.”

Moments later, four or five burly men with greasy faces emerged, wielding knives and axes. The leader, eyes gleaming with malice, scrutinized them, lingering on the woman and child. He licked his blackened teeth, grinning. “Brothers, tonight we eat meat and have a woman to enjoy—what good fortune!”

The others laughed, tightening their grip on their weapons and slowly closing in.

Yi Fan noticed their bloated limbs, bluish faces, and the green glint in their eyes. In an instant, he realized the truth and his anger flared. “You’ve resorted to cannibalism?”

The leader grinned savagely. “Human flesh is delicious. Once we catch you, we’ll hack off your legs and cook you slowly. Maybe we’ll even let you taste some broth, so you’ll know the true flavor of earthly delicacies.”

With that, he rushed forward, shouting, “Catch the Daoist first—don’t hurt the woman. I want to have some real fun.”

“Beasts like you deserve to die,” Yi Fan said coldly. Shifting his stance, he channeled energy into his hand, snapping the leader’s arm and wrenching the blade away. In one swift motion, he swung, sending a large head flying.

The others froze, fear in their eyes. One shouted, “There’s more of us—let’s kill him together!”

Yi Fan snorted and darted forward. The blade flashed, another head flew, blood gushing like a fountain, splattering the ground.

Realizing they had met their match, the remaining men exchanged glances and shouted, “This Daoist is fierce—let’s run!”

“Think you can escape?” Yi Fan’s wrath had been fully kindled by their savagery. He showed no mercy, cutting down several more in the blink of an eye, leaving only one survivor.

“Please, sir, spare me!” The last man was so terrified he wet himself, collapsing and kowtowing repeatedly.

Yi Fan frowned. “Who are you and why are you on this mountain?”

The man dared not hide anything. “We’re hunters from Guobei County. With nowhere else to go, starving and thirsty, we banded together and came up the mountain to survive.”

“How did you escape the monsters here? Where are the others?” Yi Fan asked.

“At first, we managed to catch some game, and there’s no shortage of water here. We planned to go back down, but no matter what, we couldn’t find our way out. Every night, monsters would appear and devour people. A few of us barely escaped to this temple, where we discovered those monsters didn’t dare enter. So we hid here and didn’t dare leave.”

Hearing this, Yi Fan understood. The temple was protected by talismans he had left behind, as well as the blessings and spells of generations of Daoist priests—no ordinary demon or ghost could approach.

Just then, as Yi Fan was distracted, the man’s eyes flickered with murderous intent. He lunged with a knife, drawing a gasp from the woman. But Yi Fan only looked up, and with a flash of his blade, the man was decapitated.

“Yan Gui, clean this place up,” Yi Fan ordered, then walked inside, leaving Yan Gui looking dejected. The woman hesitated before saying, “Let me help you.”

She had long since grown numb to death—such things no longer frightened her. With that, she dragged a corpse with all her strength, the child beside her helping without the slightest fear.

Yan Gui looked at the pair in surprise, then grinned—if there were helpers, why complain?

Yi Fan entered the main hall, assailed by a foul stench. He bowed to the trinity of Daoist deities, then glanced aside to see a pile of white bones and several human heads rolling nearby, maggots crawling everywhere.

In times of chaos, monsters always appear—and sometimes, those monsters are human.

Shaking his head, he stepped outside, glanced at the others working, and pointed inside. “There’s another pile of bones in there—clear it out later.”

He then entered a side room. Though the place was a mess, he paid it no mind. In the corner, he gently pressed a brick in the wall and pushed hard, revealing an arched doorway.

It was the temple’s hidden chamber, where precious scriptures and valuables were stored, as well as grain gifted by the Chen family—enough to last them several months.

He bowed respectfully to the ancestral spirit tablets, placed the Demon-Slaying Sword on the table, took a sack of rice, and carried it out.