Chapter 65: They’re All Hooligans
Shi Hao had a dream.
He dreamt he was passing through the wall and making love to Xu Xiaoyan in the next room.
He knew it was a dream, but he couldn’t control himself.
He knew he shouldn’t be having such a dream. His relationship with Xiaoyan was more like friendship, camaraderie, a partnership in crime, but not romantic.
Yet, in this dream, he couldn’t resist taking advantage of her, violating her.
The dream shifted, and Du Yuejiao appeared.
She joined them, and the three of them intertwined, their bodies writhing.
The dream became chaotic and uncontrollable, like a snowball rolling down a hill, gathering momentum, threatening to engulf his consciousness.
Suddenly, a wave of pure energy washed over him, and the dream shattered.
Shi Hao sat up in bed, gasping for breath.
The Gathering Essence Flowing Pearl Technique and the Unfettered Demon’s Boundless Art were out of balance within him.
The Gathering Essence Flowing Pearl Technique, as if stimulated by some unknown force, was swirling rapidly, unusually active.
His Daoist and demonic energies were always circulating, even in his sleep.
This was the reason for his rapid progress in cultivation.
Because the two energies were so different, constantly stimulating and opposing each other, maintaining a delicate balance, they flowed and interacted like the yin and yang of a taiji symbol.
But just now, for a brief moment, some external demonic energy had entered his dream, disrupting the balance, stimulating the Daoist energy of the Gathering Essence Flowing Pearl Technique.
This demonic energy was formless and colorless, its origin unknown. If he hadn’t been circulating his Daoist true energy even in his sleep, he might have been more deeply affected.
Shi Hao turned and looked at the doll.
It sat on the book box, motionless.
Its black gemstone eyes seemed dull and lifeless.
He sighed softly in relief, got out of bed, and left the room.
The abandoned manor had a garden with a small pond fed by a stream.
The moon, waning with each passing night, was now a thin crescent in the sky.
The stars were also dim, obscured by wispy clouds, a sign of bad weather to come.
Shi Hao undressed and jumped into the cold pond.
The chilling water calmed his mind.
He tried to recall his dream. He had dreamt of passing through the wall to Xu Xiaoyan’s room. Although passing through walls was clearly impossible, the rest of the dream had felt incredibly real.
He had done things to Xiaoyan that he shouldn’t have, and then Yuejiao, who shouldn’t have been there, had also appeared.
The dream had then spiraled into chaos, threatening to consume his consciousness… until the surge of Daoist true energy within him had disrupted it.
He was increasingly convinced that the doll was responsible.
Was it using his dreams to peer into his mind?
This thing was truly creepy. Perhaps he really should try the dog’s blood.
“Ah!” A scream came from the other side of the pond.
Shi Hao turned and saw Xu Xiaoyan standing there. She hadn’t been there a moment ago.
She screamed again, covering her eyes with her hands, then spreading her fingers slightly.
Shi Hao was submerged in the water; she couldn’t possibly see anything.
But he still felt she was up to no good.
“I knew someone was here,” Xu Xiaoyan said, “What are you doing taking a bath in the middle of the night?”
Shi Hao smiled, “You’re the one who should be leaving. You knew I was bathing here.”
Xu Xiaoyan snorted, “This isn’t your property.”
Shi Hao thought, I’m here to calm my mind. And I need to calm my mind because I did something inappropriate to you in my dream. So please don’t provoke me while I’m trying to calm down.
Xu Xiaoyan peeked through her fingers, looking past him, “It seems you’re quite attached to that doll. Even bringing it with you to bathe.”
Shi Hao turned around. The doll sat on a rock by the pond, its gaze directed downwards, as if looking at something.
Shi Hao instinctively covered himself… Where are you looking?
He felt like he was surrounded by hooligans.
The next day, they continued their journey.
Shi Hao carried the book box, leaving the doll on the table… It would follow them anyway.
As they walked away from the manor, Xu Xiaoyan kept glancing back.
So, it was following them, as expected.
He also looked back. The doll sat on top of his book box, its back to him.
After traveling for half a day, they reached a town filled with smoke and fire, several houses ablaze.
People were crying and screaming, and several corpses lay on the streets. The town’s main street was in chaos.
Some people were trying to put out the fires, while others knelt beside the corpses, weeping.
Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan exchanged glances. Xu Xiaoyan approached an elderly man sitting on a bench, sighing, and asked, “Old sir, what happened here?”
The old man said with a mournful face, “A group of bandits attacked. They claimed to be rebels from the Changbai Mountains, here to fight for the people against the court. They forced everyone to hand over their money and food. Those who refused were killed, and their houses burned.”
Xu Xiaoyan said, “Rebels from the Changbai Mountains? The Changbai Mountains are far from here. And the imperial army is suppressing the rebellion. How could they reach this place?”
The old man sighed, “That’s what they said. Who knows who they really are? Someone went to inform the authorities, but no one has come yet. Alas, we were already struggling to survive. Now that our food and money are gone, we’ll have to sell our land, our children… It’s a tragedy.”
Shi Hao approached the old man, “Sir, are you alone?”
The old man said, “My eldest son was conscripted to work on the canal last year and hasn’t returned. And my younger son was taken by the army a few days ago. I’m all alone now. Alas!”
Xu Xiaoyan tilted her head, “I remember this town is called Fang Family Town. Most people here are surnamed Fang, right?”
The old man said, “That’s right. We’re all relatives here.”
Xu Xiaoyan glanced at Shi Hao.
Shi Hao asked, “What is it?”
Xu Xiaoyan said, “Nothing.”
They helped tend to the injured.
Then, they continued on their journey, carrying their book box and medicine chest.
Leaving the town, they saw fields of trampled wheat. Xu Xiaoyan snorted.
Shi Hao asked, “What are you thinking?”
Xu Xiaoyan said, “I’m thinking their methods never change.”
They crossed a mountain path and reached a dirt road. Suddenly, the sound of galloping horses echoed in the distance. A group of over thirty bandits, armed with swords and spears, emerged from around the bend.
Seeing them, the bandits laughed. The leader turned his horse and circled them.
Shi Hao put down his book box and said coldly, “What do you want?”
One of the bandits shouted, “We’re followers of Hero Fu! We’re rebels from the Changbai Mountains! You two look like you’re from poor families. Join us and fight against the court!”
Xu Xiaoyan sneered, “The ‘court’? You mean the barbarian court?”
One of the bandits chuckled, “That girl has a sweet voice.” He spurred his horse forward, intending to grab her.
Swish! A flash of sword light, and the bandit screamed. His horse continued forward, but his arm fell to the ground, blood splattering.
The other bandits stared in shock as the seemingly gentle and frail scholar, now wielding a bloodstained sword, stood there, his aura radiating killing intent.
Their leader roared furiously, “You brat! Get him! Kill this traitor who dares oppose the righteous army!”
A chaotic battle erupted, blades flashing, blood spraying.
Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan moved through the bandits like phantoms. There were two ninth-rank martial artists among the bandits, but the rest were unranked, and none possessed supernatural abilities. They were no match for Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan.
The bandits had clearly underestimated them. If Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan had been dressed in martial attire, looking like seasoned fighters, they wouldn’t have been so careless.
But both of them cultivated Daoist internal energy techniques, their appearances ordinary, disguised as a scholar and a physician’s assistant. Seeing Xu Xiaoyan’s beauty and assuming she was just a village girl, they had tried to abduct her.
Even if Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan were eighth or ninth-rank, they believed their numbers would give them an advantage.
But they were wrong. The seemingly frail scholar and the delicate-looking girl were far more powerful than they appeared.
Shi Hao and Xu Xiaoyan showed no mercy.
Shi Hao’s sword danced, the Six Immortal Lightning Strikes flowing seamlessly, his movements like lightning.
Xu Xiaoyan’s footwork was light and agile, like a willow branch in the wind. A soft sword, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, materialized in her hand.
Shi Hao had seen her use a whip before. Now, it was a sword, and her style was completely different, clearly indicating she had two different sets of techniques, one for her disguised persona and one for her true self.
Soon, corpses littered the ground around them…
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