The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1528 781: Evil Rises One Step Higher

"Lai Yin?"

Upon hearing this name, Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression turned cold.

He certainly knew.

When dealing with the Mang Mountain Ghost Emperor in Luoyang, he obtained three names from its mouth. "Mr. Lan Du" and "Zhao Qingxu" had already been executed, leaving only this "Lai Yin."

The opposing party was very mysterious, Li Yan only knew it was a female cultivator, also a leader of some evil cult, causing trouble in Jiangnan, and these recent matters were all related to her.

But her true origins were unknown to anyone.

Looking at Zhang Tiankui's demeanor, he seemed to know something…

Thinking of this, Li Yan took the letter to read, not looking up, and spoke casually: "I wonder where you heard this name, predecessor?"

It's not surprising he was cautious; he had witnessed Jianmu's methods.

The most frightening thing about these people was their ability to lay out plans and their skill at corrupting people's hearts. Changsheng was their yin criminal shackle, but it also gave them many advantages.

Who knows if this Zhang Family isn't part of them.

The content on the letter was simple; it was Lai Yin writing to this "Gutter Snake Lord," asking him to take care of the Ghost Theater Troupe here and assist them with tasks if necessary.

Now that it had already failed, it was no longer of any value.

What attracted Li Yan was Zhang Tiankui's narration.

"This demon is my Zhang Family's great enemy!"

Zhang Tiankui did not hide anything, but with a complex expression, narrated a story from the past.

"The enmity has entangled for three hundred years..."

"During the Duanping period of the Southern Song dynasty, in Ling Lake Town, Huzhou, my Zhang Family had an ancestor Zhang Wenyuan, who was a wealthy gentleman in Huzhou at the time, controlling thirty percent of Jiangnan's silk market, yet still insatiably greedy."

"That year, the silkworm business was unfavorable, the mulberry fields hit by plague. To seek the good omen of 'Silkworm Flower Twenty-Four Divisions,' he believed the words of the Ghost Sect demon and conducted the 'Live Cocoon Sacrifice!'"

"What is 'Live Cocoon Sacrifice'?"

"Select the girl most skilled in nurturing silkworms, Silkworm Lady, bind her hands and feet, stuff her mouth with mulberry leaves, and wrap her with raw silk layer upon layer... Bury her alive under the family mulberry forest!"

Saying this, the night wind suddenly intensified, the surrounding dead trees sobbing like cries.

"Heh heh~"

Sha Lifei, who had just awakened and recovered, couldn't help but sneer and mock, "A living person's obscene worship, so it was your Zhang Family who caused this disaster?"

Zhang Tiankui fell silent for a moment, not arguing.

"The Silkworm Lady was named 'Suo'e'."

He continued, "According to ancestral records, after her death, her resentment did not disperse. Moreover, she devoured the souls of generations of unjustly dead Silkworm Ladies, using some unknown method, stole the incense of Mortal Gods like 'Miss Ma Tou' and 'Silkworm Flower Lady,' and collaborated with the Ghost Sect to stir up trouble among the people."

"At that time, in the Southern Song silk market, 'Big scales in, small scales out' was common. My Zhang Family ancestors relied on this scale fraud to exploit silkworm farmers, and along with living sacrifices, accumulated blood debts like a mountain. They deserved death, Zhang would not dare to say more."

"But the lineage that performed this act died out long ago, and we distant relatives were also implicated, occasionally having disciples die from being cursed."

"This issue has been like a sword hanging over the Zhang Family's head, generations running around everywhere, asking experts for help, yet unable to find this demon."

"I see..."

Li Yan pondered, "Does the predecessor have any clues?"

Zhang Tiankui took a deep breath and sighed:

"My eldest son has already been cursed!"

......

In the dawn, Yangzhou Pier was bustling with voices.

After all, this was an important node in Jiangnan's waterway network and a crucial place for salt and grain storage. The damage caused that night had been repaired in just a few days.

"Great victory! Great victory!"

Hooves thundered, as a junior officer of the Captain Bureau with a banner on his back galloped toward the pier and through the streets and alleys of Yangzhou City, shouting:

"The remaining party of the pirates has all been executed!"

"Following demons, all slain!"

With his cries, joy spread constantly around.

Some among the populace cursed, some cried with joy, and some discussed it among themselves, but regardless, the heavy stone in their hearts was finally put down.

This was naturally the work of Households Commander Zhou.

He urgently needed political achievements to stabilize people's minds and initially wanted to help promote the Twelve Primordial Spirits but was rejected by Li Yan, so he only released the news of the pirates being slain.

Even so, the entire Yangzhou City was already boiling.

But over at the Zhang Family on the highlands of the Cao River's northern bank, it was a different scene.

The Zhang Family, as the martial arts leader in this region of Yangzhou, was naturally a grand household, backed by the spurs of Shugang, facing the tributary of the canal, taking the "back mountain, face water" Feng Shui array, secretly aligning with the Beidou Seven Stars Formation, constructed in quite a grand manner.

Yet when Li Yan entered, he discovered many oddities.

The underground foundation was rammed solid with greenstone mixed with glue rice mortar, iron weights buried at the corners of walls, double-dragon carved horseback posts standing at the gate, Beidou Seven Stars copper nails embedded in the center of the narrow Martial Arts Hall, seven crescent moon gates in the middle courtyard connecting front and back residences, arranged in Beidou positions.

This setup was called "Seven Stars Corridor," Li Yan had heard Wang Daoxuan mention it.

All these arrangements were made to prevent Evil Spirits from harming.

Seeing Li Yan's gaze, Zhang Tiankui sighed and said with a heavy voice, "Let myself be laughed at by everyone. In truth, this spell is hard to guard against. We can only do our best."

After speaking, he led everyone to the rear residence.

Entering a secluded room in a small courtyard, on the bed lay a young man wrapped in a quilt, breathing evenly, seemingly already in a deep sleep.

Zhang Tiankui didn't waste words and directly pulled open his collar, revealing the skin on his neck.

On the skin, there grew a layer of dense, pale fur.

Upon seeing this, everyone grew a bit curious.

Long Yan'er frowned slightly, "It looks a bit like corpse transformation white fur."

"It doesn't."

Li Yan shook his head, somewhat surprised, "Didn't smell any Corpse Energy, but rather a fragrance of grass and wood, haven't seen this kind of spell before."

"This is 'Silkworm Stiffness Syndrome.'

Zhang Tiankui looked at the young man on the bed, eyes full of pity.

"Every male descendant in the Zhang Family bloodline could potentially develop this. After being cursed, they grow this fur, their internal organs gradually transform into silkworm silk, eventually forming a human cocoon, drying up like a stiff silkworm and dying!"