Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Yuyeon, the Fish Bait
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Yuyeon decided to confront her heart demon.
Partly because she had aspirations for immortal cultivation and needed to break through to the Qi Refining Stage, but also because she'd realized she'd been inwardly dismissive of it.
Yuyeon hoped the Namgung Clan would remain safe.
And upon careful reflection, wasn't a mere Qi Refining Stage demon something she'd already defeated once before?
This wasn't the culprit Yuyeon who'd set off on her journey—this was none other than the great Entrance Stage cultivator Yuyeon. Qi Refining Stage novice demon, who do you think you are? Mess with me and you're dead.
Moreover, her forces had been reinforced. Weep, Tiger Slaying Blade. Teacher Pity, handle this Qi Refining Stage demon for me.
The teacher had told her not to ask about the Dao, but he hadn't forbidden seeking help to resolve her heart demon.
「As someone hitched to your parasol, I want you safe, so I'll cooperate. But don't rely on me too much. Never depend on me.」
"Yes, I'll only trust you, Teacher."
When Yuyeon had left Xifeng County, she'd walked the whole way, making it a solitary journey. But now, even with companions, walking back was wearing her out and boring her.
She hated the unchanging green scenery all day long. She hated how her clothes wore out from daily trudging. What kind of ladylike pickiness was this? In the end, after agonizing, Yuyeon decided to stick to her original plan.
Yuyeon headed to the docks and boarded a boat. But revealing herself would cause a huge uproar, so she concealed her form with the Concealing Form Formation and wandered the docks.
The boats didn't seem to have specific destinations marked or any clear distinctions. If anything, it was their size and the quality inside. People only seemed to care about the fare differences based on that.
The reason destinations weren't specified was because this river was a tributary of the largest river that spanned the Fu Nation lengthwise.
Boats didn't come up to midstream places like Jiangyang Citadel, but goods produced there flowed into the vast trade network based on the great river, hence the docks.
Yuyeon planned to transfer boats on that great river and head near Xifeng—at least to a dock within Yongning Province.
Thus, Yuyeon was selecting a boat. Two were departing today.
One was a large sampan, a typical three-plank boat. Even calling it large for a sampan, it had no sails—just oarsmen rowing, with a canvas canopy in the middle like a roof. Barely room for ten people. If Yuyeon sneaked aboard, the oarsmen might notice from the weight.
The second was a sail-equipped passenger-cargo ship, big enough with cramped but multiple cabins. No one would complain about one more like her making it too heavy.
Someone might say why scout around when the second was obviously right, but there was a reason. Huddled in the secret hold of the passenger-cargo ship were obvious ruffians by the look of them. Thanks to them, even if Yuyeon boarded, the weight difference wouldn't show.
A passenger-cargo ship carried both people and goods. Usually run by mid-tier merchants, the crew fees covered operations, with fares as the main income—so cabins were basically partitioned cargo holds. In that sense, those passengers were literal cargo.
"Teacher, what should I do?"
「I told you not to ask about my travels, yet you keep questioning your journey. If I were you, I'd just camp on the passenger-cargo ship's roof and ignore whatever happens as long as the boat moves. But that's not what you want to hear, right?」
"You're wasting mental energy when you already know. They look like bandits, but on the flip side, you shouldn't judge by appearances. Shall we watch a bit?"
「Do as you like. But as someone pursuing immortal cultivation, meddling freely in worldly affairs isn't good for your training—that's all I'll add.」
He'd said not to ask about training, yet he kept slipping in advice. Yuyeon mulled it over, figuring this mental energy spent wasn't wasted. Thanks, Teacher Pity.
Boarding the passenger-cargo ship, Yuyeon felt bad about freeloading, so if trouble arose, she'd help once. A fair trade—she saw it as prepaying her own insurance.
The boat set off around sunset, when no more passengers were scouting it. A few crewmen with arms as thick as Yuyeon's waist untied the ropes and pushed off with long poles.
Two people—no, one person and the life in the parasol—spread a mat on the cabin top and lay watching.
A few joined, and this huge heavy boat moved in such a mysterious, harmonious way, but Yuyeon resolved not to dwell on insights or enlightenments until reaching Xifeng, as it was part of her Dao journey.
Unsolicited insights coming on their own were irresistible, but actively pondering and probing—she'd abstain.
This was because Yuyeon had decided to face her heart demon head-on and shatter it herself.
Originally suppressed and sealed away, confronting it let it settle in a corner of her mind.
Contemplating rashly could lead to false enlightenments.
「Yuyeon, why not enjoy the boat ride for a while? An eight-year-old surviving mortal peril unscathed? Impossible.」
The teacher subtly circled around with advice.
"Sounds good. That's what I had in mind."
Hearing that, Yuyeon opened the parasol, propped it up, and secured it. She spread her windbreaker robe on the deck as bedding and lay atop it.
With the parasol open, it blocked the sun and cooled things, instantly lifting her mood.
Already lying in the middle of the cabin top, she skipped the Concealing Form Formation to save spirit energy. Mortals wouldn't sense her presence anyway.
"The feeling on water is so strange. I know land's on both sides, but Divine Sense can't reach it—feels novel. I can sense the riverbed, though. Exaggerating a bit, it's like floating in the sky."
Yuyeon's boat was mid-river, beyond her Divine Sense's reach to either bank. Having lived her life on land, the sensation was inevitably new.
Moreover, her Divine Sense pierced clearly between boat and riverbed, letting her sense the underwater world she'd only known through stories.
Fish schools caught in Divine Sense offered entertaining views—their movements, rippling currents. Truly like an immortal's leisure.
If only the boat could glide peacefully through the night. But something odd pinged Yuyeon's Divine Sense.
Not those cargo-hold lumps. Surprisingly, even mid-river, they hadn't stirred.
What her senses caught was a massive water snake.
Nearly two zhang long, thicker than Yuyeon's shoulders—if it gaped wide, it could swallow a person.
The snake drew closer, bumped the boat once. The vessel rocked side to side. Currents hadn't been rough before—this was clearly abnormal.
Passengers startled, wondering if it'd hit something, rushed out to question the crew. The crew stayed calm.
They explained to the fretful guests with an air bordering on annoyance.
"No worries. The River God’s just playing, wanting offerings. Pour some liquor and toss tribute—it'll go away."
"Ri... River God? Ugh, sailors and their superstitions. As if such things exist."
The crewman didn't bother replying further, just nodded and went about his tasks.
All but a few busy crew gathered, bowed to the river, uncorked a liquor jar, and dumped it all in.
Something truly surfaced near the water, its shadow visible like an eclipse. Yuyeon's Divine Sense pierced its innards clearly.
Lacking spirit sense, it didn't notice her watching—tasted the liquor-mixed water with its tongue, unsatisfied, and shook the boat vigorously again.
「Looks like it's after you.」
"Me? I scanned it with Divine Sense, but its senses are underdeveloped—no reaction."
「Who knows? It might sense you but, like a pup ignoring the tiger, doesn't fear what it recognizes as Divine Sense. With your parasol open, your presence looms larger.
Plus, you're Entrance Stage, and that snake seems an Entrance Stage yao. Drawn to you—perfect match.」
The teacher clearly explained yao beasts' cultivation methods. From the Corpse Ghost incident, Yuyeon had guessed roughly, but now gained precise knowledge of their ecology.
She also realized he'd teased her needlessly. Tempted for belated revenge but held back—couldn't be petty.
The snake, spoiled with liquor, food, even occasional humans as tribute, seemed addicted. Likely saw Yuyeon as onboard tribute—or wanted her as such.
That thought soured Yuyeon's mood. Since it'd picked the fight, time to invoke her unilateral insurance clause from boarding.
But revealing aura or spells would let mortals see—not ideal.
「Then it's finally time for that.」
Yuyeon, who'd only walked and fled lately, forgetting it, finally drew the ghost tool. Breathing outside air after so long, the tiger-spirit ghost sword seemed invigorated.
After a moment's thought, she used spirit speech to convey intent directly. It understood words, but battle commands needed practice now.
「Catch that snake.」
Simple order, but it conveyed mercy levels, invisibility to mortals, contingencies, etc.
No need for words—intent flowed fully upon utterance.
That was spirit speech's power, their refining bond, though Yuyeon's inexperience meant imperfect concealment.
The ghost sword, sensing its moment, surged skyward cloaked in night, then plunged into the water.
Yuyeon's Divine Sense let her watch not a fight, but a one-sided slaughter. Fitting a ghost tool refined from a Qi Refining yao soul.
Slicing through currents, it struck first before the snake reacted, slashing deep without slowing.
Human swords needed recovery between swings, but autonomous flying swords didn't.
Realizing the snake's body immature against its sword intent, it burrowed deep, thrashed wildly, shredding innards.
Water surface churned with the snake's thrashing shadow, red blood staining the river. Crew and skeptical passengers saw it.
"Looks like it's fighting something."
"The so-called River God’s getting one-sidedly wrecked. See? No River God—just a big beast. Probably territorial spat with another underwater brute."
Crew, not fully believers but experienced with tales of capsize and man-eating, now feared whatever dominated this snake so utterly.
The incident spread among sailors, birthing awe for a new entity—speculated as a water ghost dispatched from Dragon Palace to punish the arrogant River God, dubbed 'Dragon Palace Ghost'.
Of course, sailor tales.
Less than half a quarter-hour later, the ghost sword returned, snake bisected. Yuyeon was shocked at the overperformance.
Not empty-handed—it clutched the snake yao's soul, like a smug cat presenting a mouse.
Yuyeon declared:
"Innate talent or soul obsession, it's undimmed. I like naming, so I'll control you thus. Your moniker: Wanderlord Blade—Wanderlord for short."
Wanderlord Blade (倀公拘檢).
Wanderlord, you aimless wanderer. Blade, restrain words and deeds.
Yuyeon, fond of puns, named it so.
「Good thing I avoided your nicknames.」
Yuyeon tucked away another grudge against the teacher.