Chapter Twenty-Six: The Serpent Demon Reveals Its True Form, Ghost City Beneath the Waters

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“Well now, my Lord Marquis, you truly are vigorous for your age. I can’t help but admire you!”
“Hah! My Lord, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself. Are you planning a night of drunken revelry with me?”
Bai Yu turned with a twist of her waist to see Lord Lingzhen, the old marquis, cradling a jar of fine wine, laughing coquettishly.
“Mmm, this was just delivered by Magistrate Yin’s men. They say it’s a vintage brew. But there’s no one in this residence worthy of drinking with me—except you, of course! Today, you and I shall debate heroes over wine!”
“My Lord, you know well that I never drink. This puts me in a difficult position. Why not let me pour for you, and you can enjoy it yourself?”
Bai Yu took the wine jar, reclined on the couch, and beckoned for a teacup. She broke the clay seal and poured a cup, the rich aroma instantly filling the inner chamber. Yet she wrinkled her nose, as if unable to bear the scent of wine.
Who would have thought Bai Yu would not touch a drop? This was a problem. Having gone to such great lengths to disguise himself as the Marquis of Lingzhen, Han Chong was loath to see all his efforts wasted.
“Hmph! Bai Yu, you truly don’t give me any face. Hand me the wine jar—I’ll find my own drinking companion.”
The marquis’s face darkened, flushed with anger, clearly threatening to break with her at a word.
“Oh, very well. I’ll drink a little, will that suffice?” Bai Yu thought to herself that this old fox truly was eccentric and irritable. She beckoned for another cup and poured herself a drink.
“Heh heh, now that’s more like it!” The Marquis’s expression finally eased, and he came to lean beside her on the couch.
“If the bond is shallow, just a sip. If it’s deep, drain it in one go—cheers!”
He downed his cup, while Bai Yu only took the tiniest sip. Han Chong’s gaze bore into her, and he tossed out another drinking game challenge.
“My Lord and I share a bond as deep as the sea. Very well, I’ll drink it all!”
With resignation, Bai Yu wrinkled her nose and forced herself to drain the bowl of wine.
“Haha, excellent! If the bond is strong, it’s never enough. If it’s ironclad, we’ll drink until we bleed. Let’s continue!”
“My Lord, you are certainly skilled at encouraging others to drink!”
Helpless, Bai Yu took another cup. Suddenly, she felt as if a blazing, fiery heat exploded in her belly, spreading rapidly throughout her body. Her demonic power surged chaotically, her mind turning to a muddled frenzy.
“My Lord, this wine is poisoned. What are you trying to do?”
Bai Yu had already transformed into her serpent demon form, thrashing wildly, her attacks growing more powerful.
Han Chong retreated at once, leaving the courtyard and firing a Black Tiger Cloud-Piercing Arrow into the sky. The black-light tiger totem flared above, instantly alarming everyone in the Marquis of Lingzhen’s household.
All the family members rushed out, gazing toward the lakeside residence, only to see a white serpent as thick as a barrel, nearly five or six zhang long.
It thrashed its head and tail, reducing the lakeside retreat to ruins, its eyes blood-red and wild.
“A serpent demon!”
“Sisters, I told you that the witch in the lakeside house was a monster. Do you believe me now?”
A dozen concubines had gathered together, pointing and chattering about Bai Yu’s serpent form.
Servants, guards, and attendants flooded toward the back courtyard, stunned into immobility, none daring to approach.
The Marquis of Lingzhen stood outside the lake, his face ashen. Who could have guessed Bai Yu would reveal her true form and go mad? There was no hiding it now!
At that moment, Captain Ning and his party vaulted over the wall and rushed into the marquis’s rear courtyard.
The marquis immediately realized this was the work of the Demon-Slaying Bureau. But with the evidence before him, he was powerless to argue.

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“I see the two Inspectors have arrived—you are just in time! Who would have expected a serpent demon to suddenly appear in the lotus lake of my household? Please, subdue it at once, and I will be eternally grateful!”
Han Chong appeared behind the officers, secretly scoffing at the marquis’s craftiness—how swiftly he washed his hands of harboring a demon.
But time was of the essence. Everyone rushed to surround the island in the lake.
After being driven mad, the Bai Yu serpent demon was truly formidable, twisting and lashing so wildly that it was difficult even to strike her down.
Han Chong was determined to capture her alive, to interrogate her before delivering final judgment.
After a fierce struggle, the serpent broke through the officers’ encirclement and slipped into the lake, vanishing without a trace!
The lake was not large; everyone quickly searched the waters, but the serpent was nowhere to be found.
“What happened? Where did the serpent demon go?” The officers looked at each other in confusion.
As for the marquis, he breathed a sigh of relief. If Bai Yu had been captured and confessed, he would have been in grave trouble. Now that she had escaped, it became a mystery with no leads.
“You all wait here. I’ll go down and take a look!”
With that, Han Chong dove into the lake, swimming more than ten zhang deep, where he discovered an underwater tunnel connecting the lake to the outside world.
After swimming hundreds of zhang, he could hold his breath no longer and surfaced, only to find himself in the broad river beside the marquis’s estate!
The lotus lake was actually connected to the Egret River, which in turn flowed into the Silver River—how could he hope to find her now?
Just then, he noticed dozens of people on both banks, pointing and exclaiming at the river.
It was Bai Yu! Still intoxicated, she had surfaced and been spotted.
Han Chong swam after her at full speed, but when he reached the crowd, the demon was gone.
In water, Han Chong’s speed was no match for hers. The resistance was too great.
He was unwilling to let this rare chance slip by. Gritting his teeth, he spent his last skill point to learn the Water Entry Secret Art!
Water Entry: akin to the Water-Avoidance Technique, allowing free movement in water. Each breath consumes eight points of energy.
At once, Han Chong felt as if he were a fish gliding through the water, meeting no resistance, even able to breathe freely—truly wondrous! He dove into the river and sped after her.
He chased for an entire night, following the Egret River until it merged with the deeper, swifter Silver River. There, at last, he glimpsed Bai Yu’s serpent form ahead.
But as they dove deeper, Han Chong’s eyes widened in disbelief at the riverbed below.
There, as if in a dream, was a long, black city stretching for a hundred li!
How could this be? Was there truly a city in the Silver River?
Even more terrifying, as he drew nearer, he saw a ghastly sight: white-clad ghosts drifting through the waters, growing more and more numerous.
Near the black city, his eyes counted at least a hundred water ghosts!
An underwater ghost city!
Even with all his secret arts, facing this nether underworld beneath the water made Han Chong’s heart race with dread.
Could it be that the “lord” Bai Yu mentioned dwelled here?
If so, this ghost king must possess unfathomable power!
But then, what of the Black Tiger Demon King?

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Though Bai Yu, as a water demon, should logically be under the Black Tiger Demon King’s command, how had she come to serve the Ghost King instead?
This region of Yunzhou truly brimmed with monsters and demons, forever overturning Han Chong’s understanding!
Most frustrating of all, neither the Demon-Slaying nor Fire-Spitting arts were of much use in this underwater domain. Clearly, this would require careful planning.
Han Chong surfaced, seeing that the ghost city below lay at the confluence of the Egret River and Silver River.
With a sigh, he climbed ashore and made his way back to the Demon-Slaying Division in Peijun Prefecture.

...

“You’re finally back! We’ve all been worried sick!”
Inside the office, the demon-slaying officers were on edge—Han Chong had been gone a night and half a day.
At his return, Leng Yue scolded him, a note of reproach in her voice.
“That’s right, Officer Han, you were too reckless. The demon is powerful, and you chased her underwater—you shouldn’t have taken such a risk,” Captain Ning said earnestly.
“Thank you all for your concern. The situation was urgent—I couldn’t afford hesitation. Bai Yu the serpent demon is indeed cunning and extraordinary. I pursued her as she fled into the Silver River.”
Han Chong explained, then noticed Ouyang Jingguan among the group.
“To think you’re here too, Brother Ouyang—you missed quite a spectacle!”
“Heh, Brother Han, you are truly remarkable. To infiltrate the marquis’s manor, force the serpent demon to reveal herself, and then pursue her alone—I am in awe!”
Ouyang Jingguan folded his silver fan and cupped his hands, expressing genuine admiration.
“To earn your praise is my honor, Brother Ouyang!”
“Alas, though I caught up with Bai Yu, I dared not act rashly. Beneath the Silver River lies a terrifying ghost city! I suspect there may be a ghost king of immense power dwelling there!”
“What!” Everyone gasped, exchanging shocked glances.
“There are rumors in Peijun Prefecture of a One-Horned Ghost King, commanding four ghost generals and eight hundred spirits. He blocks souls from reincarnation and has built his own ghost domain—could this legend be true?”
Captain Ning’s face turned pale as he spoke, sending a chill through the group.
“It seems likely. The Silver River is the largest in all Daifeng, its waters swift and deadly. Fishermen often drown, and every few years there’s a great flood, breaching the dikes and drowning hundreds. If the One-Horned Ghost King dwells there, it’s certainly possible!”
Captain Wu nodded in agreement.
“This is grave news. Who could have guessed such a fearsome ghost would take root in Peijun Prefecture? Our Demon-Slaying Division is understaffed and fighting underwater is a death trap!”
“By the way, I heard the Provincial Bureau is sending an Attendant Officer at the Qi-Refining and Spirit-Transforming stage. He should arrive soon to take over and investigate Captain Jiang’s death.
Let’s wait for his arrival before making any decisions!”
Hope shone in everyone’s eyes. With a powerful expert overseeing them, they might finally be able to explore the underwater ghost city.
If they could destroy it, it would be a blessing for all the people of Peijun Prefecture!