The night was still, with the moon hanging high.
All of Fengyun County was tranquil.
All the citizens had been notified, the curfew was in place for the night, no one was permitted to travel outside, doors and windows were to be tightly shut, and if anything unusual was observed, they were to shout loudly, causing a commotion, and the officials would come to deal with it.
"Then let's proceed in this manner," they agreed.
In the pallid moonlight, Yi Chen and the other three each held a yellow triangular talisman and went their separate ways.
These triangular talismans were provided by Master Lianhua, with the agreement that if they encountered any malevolent spirits, they could simply ignite the talisman with mana, and all would be able to sense the location and support each other.
Yi Chen, Master Lianhua, Abbess Shuiyue, and Daoist Qingxu each took positions in the eastern, southern, western, and northern districts respectively.
After everyone took their positions, they began their actions.
Yi Chen naturally relied on the third level of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique for his perception of Yin Qi, wandering the streets continuously, sensing the presence of Yin Qi.
Master Lianhua took out a small furnace of incense ash, chanting sutras while scattering a bit of it along the way.
Abbess Shuiyue carried a white jade bottle with a willow branch showing a hint of green sticking out of its mouth. She cautiously observed her surroundings and at every intersection, she dipped the willow branch into the bottle and sprinkled some of the liquid on the ground.
Daoist Qingxu carried a small tripod with three legs, murmuring indecipherable scriptures. He would walk a few steps, take out a wooden mallet, gently tap the tripod, stand still to listen for any movement, and if none was heard, he would continue on, repeating this over and over.
To each their own way of dealing with things.
Each individual had their own methods.
By the time midnight approached, still no abnormalities had occurred, which left Yi Chen with complicated feelings.
On one hand, he hoped the malevolent spirit would appear, as he was truly eager for the Deep Red Points, but on the other, he feared if the malevolent spirit was too strong, they might not be able to defeat it…
His mindset at that moment was like a young girl in her first love, waiting for her beau, afraid he wouldn't come, yet also afraid of his reckless arrival.
The night, deepened.
Unnaturally silent.
Yet tonight, who knows how many were unable to sleep.
Yi Chen walked slowly along the main street of East City, the moonlight elongating his shadow, as he carried the Dragon-Slaying Sword on his back, continuously surveying his surroundings.
With his sharp senses, he could tell that many citizens within Fengyun County were not asleep; some bolder individuals would stealthily open their windows and peek outside, where upon seeing a tall Daoist patrolling, sturdy as a bear, they would feel somewhat reassured, and would then quietly close their windows once more.
Unknowingly, Yi Chen reached the border between East City and South City, where he happened to meet Abbess Shuiyue carrying her jade bottle.
At night, Abbess Shuiyue was not dressed in the grey monk's robes she wore during the day but had changed into a white plain dress.
Abbess Shuiyue, with her fair complexion, appeared even more beautiful under the moonlight, looking like a jade statue moving through the moonlight.
What's more, without the bulky monk's robes to hide and diminish her form, her curves were more pronounced, extremely pleasing to the eye.
Her long legs moved gracefully, swaying with her steps.
After a brief nod of acknowledgment, the two parted ways and continued their separate patrols.
Reaching another long street, Yi Chen stopped, smacked his lips in admiration, and after sighing for a moment about the hidden beauty, he resumed his patrol.
Yi Chen had a strange feeling that Abbess Shuiyue did not seem like a nun, but rather like a well-educated and trained lady from a prestigious family.
Some things are ingrained in the bones and can't be changed; the details and the aura of nobility in all her movements hinted that Abbess Shuiyue's background might not be so simple.
In the world, one must have either strength or background, and at least possess one of the two.
Whether it's the Moon Wheel Temple or the Marvelous Moon Hermitage, neither are minor institutions; they have branches in other counties and prefectures as well.
And naturally, it was the same in Fengyun County.
In contrast, the Lingfeng Temple, Huanzhen Temple, and Hidden Dragon Temple had no such patronage and were considered local forces rooted around Fengyun County.
As he pondered these thoughts, Yi Chen paused, slapped his handsome face lightly, and chastised himself.
"Damn it, at this critical moment when that malevolent spirit could emerge any minute, what am I thinking about Abbess Shuiyue for?"
"I really shouldn't have."
"Tonight's moonlight is so bright, so white."
Yi Chen raised his head for a glimpse at the full moon overhead, then walked over to a water jar set outside a household, struck a pose, and a face as chiseled as if carved by knife and ax appeared in the reflection in the jar.
He commented to himself it wasn't bad, fit for a rather mediocre evaluation, then continued his patrol down the street with his head held high and chest puffed out, shamelessly nonchalant.
Meanwhile, in South City.
Abbess Shuiyue looked at the deserted street, and as the night breeze brushed against her delicate, eggshell-thin face, she suddenly felt a chill and fear within.
She lifted her head to gaze at the full moon above, and the thought of Yi Chen, whom she had just encountered—the young Daoist as burly as a bear—made her chuckle softly, and the flicker of fear she just felt vanished without a trace.
That sudden outburst from Yi Chen in the backyard of the county office had left a deep impression on her.
She found that loathsome old Daoist utterly nauseating, his eyeballs always roaming around her sensitive areas like a lame toad that, while not biting, disgusted others to death. She restrained herself from lashing out, and Yi Chen had vented her frustration for her.
In fact, her impression of Yi Chen was not bad at all. She was reasonably familiar with the situation at Hidden Dragon Temple: Just a few cats big and small, all relying solely on Yi Chengzi to hold up the sky. How could one establish a foothold in Fengyun County without being fierce and aggressive?
Having a soft spot without reliable support made it impossible to stand ground without having some thorns.
Not everyone had a background as substantial as hers.
Her origins had exposed her to too much of the savagery hidden beneath genteel exteriors, so she didn't take offense to Yi Chen's behavior; on the contrary, she found it quite responsible, much like her elder brother before she became a nun. Moreover, Yi Chen was not bad-looking—at a million times better than that revolting old Daoist.
"He's really not had it easy."
Abbess Shuiyue sighed softly, exhaled a cloudy breath, tightened her clothes, and continued walking forward.
Her movements were full of grace and beauty as she walked.
At this moment, she didn't notice a patch of dark clouds drifting over, obscuring the moonlight and suddenly dimming the light. A faint mist began to rise from the street.
At the far end of the long street, an old man with white hair emerged from the thin mist, pushing a small cart.
The elderly man's face was adorned with a lewd smile, brimming with malice.
"Knives for sale, knives for sale."
"Abbess, would you like to buy a knife? They're very cheap."
Their gazes met.
Abbess Shuiyue suddenly felt chilled to the bone, her body rigid.
She felt the air around her grow heavy as lead, firmly entrapping her.
A disgusting, chicken-skinned old face loomed close to her.
"Abbess is truly beautiful, would you like to buy a knife? It's not expensive."
A bitter feeling emerged in Abbess Shuiyue's heart; she had been careless. Her fingers twitched slightly, ready to activate a costly ancestral secret technique to escape the predicament.
Suddenly, a voice that sounded like heavenly music to her reached her ears, stopping her from acting.
After all, should she use that secret technique...
A towering figure forcibly wedged himself between her and the white-haired old man, a boundless strength causing the old man to stumble backward. The tall figure also blocked the old man's malevolent gaze, instantly freeing her from her restraints.
She hastily retreated several steps.
The scene that unfolded before her eyes left her utterly shocked, her mouth agape.
Yi Chen's broad hand, like a palm-leaf fan, was pressed on the old man's shoulder, and he grasped a firewood knife from the cart with the other.
His voice rolled in like thunder.
"Old fellow, the Abbess isn't buying your lousy knife."
"But I wish to purchase."
"I want the knife, but I have no money, what do you suppose I should do?"