In case of beating the grass and startling the snake, it might scare the opponents away immediately.

Helplessly, Li Yan had to keep waiting for the right moment.

Outside the tomb across, the two Ghost Opera Troupe members continued chanting respectfully.

The eerie "Upper Language" swirled in the night air, making the atmosphere increasingly oppressive.

At this moment, the Yellow Springs Wanderer, kneeling on the ground, suddenly stopped chanting, looked up towards the direction of the dark tomb entrance and bowed once, then harshly ordered the Japanese by the fire: "Bring them over!"

Several ronin and ninja jumped up as if they were granted amnesty, and rudely dragged out a few small figures from the shadows of the corner!

These were four children, their clothes tattered, faces streaked with tears and dirt.

They trembled in fear, their mouths gagged, only able to let out desperate whimpers.

One slightly older boy seemed to want to resist but was violently thrown to the ground by a ronin.

Blood sacrifice!

Li Yan's gaze turned sharp immediately.

The sound of Japanese words and the cries of children further fueled his killing intent.

"Who goes there!"

The Yellow Springs Wanderer, highly skilled in Dao, sensed the killing intent and turned, yelling sharply.

"Your grandpa!"

Li Yan shouted, suddenly shattering the deathly silence of the mountain valley!

Almost as the first word left his mouth, he shot out from his hiding place.

Power surged under his feet, and using the North Emperor Divine Travel Technique combined with the Martial Arts' "Shrinking Ground into Inches," his figure stretched into a shadowy trail, with blade light flashing, heading straight to the group of Japanese and the captured children.

He initially considered using the Hook Paper, but it would certainly scare away Chen Hui.

In an instant, the pirates by the fire were scared out of their wits.

A ronin instinctively drew out a tachi, but with the flash of a blade, Li Yan passed by him with the power of wind and thunder, and without any showiness, the Duan Chen Blade sliced him in half.

Immediately, Li Yan sidestepped, dodging the Wodao coming at him from the side, his left hand slightly raised, triggering the Arm Guard Thousand Thoughts. Lightning crackled in his palm, stamping onto a ninja's chest.

The ninja was filled with Evil Qi, surely familiar with Escape Techniques, so Li Yan used Martial Arts.

"Bang——!"

A bone-cracking sound that made teeth ache exploded!

The ninja didn't even grunt, his entire chest cavity suddenly collapsing.

His entire body flew back several feet like a broken rag, hitting the rocks behind, silent afterwards.

Blood was squeezed out, spraying from his seven orifices, staining the cold rocks and the edges of the bonfire.

The bloody scent burst open instantly!

The group of Japanese, rather, were spurred into wildness.

Almost at once, two shurikens tipped with blue light whistled forth.

The target was those children, clearly intending to distract him.

However, Li Yan's Divine Thought had long been locking on to the entire scene.

His body twisted, seemingly slow but actually swift, and the two shurikens were swept away by his sleeve.

As he turned, his left hand slightly raised.

Clang!

The sound of a dragon's roar rose.

Two Soul-breaking Flying Blades whistled out.

In the flickering firelight, they flew up and down.

In the blink of an eye, four or five pirates around were pierced through the chest.

All of this happened within a single breath.

Li Yan had already saved a few children, shielding them behind him.

"It's you!"

The Ghost Opera Troupe Leader Yellow Springs Wanderer exclaimed with both surprise and anger.

He already heard the entire situation and initially wanted to trap Li Yan in Wang Maode's mansion but didn't expect even the item for suppressing Qi Fortune to be destroyed.

This Li Yan is more difficult to handle than the rumors suggest.

"That's right!"

Li Yan sneered coldly, "It's me, your grandpa. Don't think any of you will escape today!"

With that, he swung the Duan Chen Blade horizontally, crackling with lightning.

Only three pirates were left alive, and having witnessed Li Yan's flying Soul-breaking Flying Blades, their courage was shattered; they exchanged glances, preparing to flee.

However, they didn't move because of the Yellow Springs Wanderer.

They had entered the Divine State, climbed over mountains and crossed passes, guided all along, and the Yellow Springs Wanderer was their contact in Yangzhou.

Without his help, escape was impossible.

Moreover, they knew the Yellow Springs Wanderer's methods, so they dared not act rashly.

As for Li Yan, his face remained expressionless as he scanned the crowd.

He knew his identity couldn't be hidden from the Yellow Springs Wanderer.

Who could tip off, informing the Mountain Immortal Chen Hui below at any time.

How about setting up a ruse, pretending not to know about the yin criminal hiding underground?

Yet this Yellow Springs Wanderer was cunning, his eyes slightly squinted, then he called out loudly, "He is a living Yin messenger, capable of summoning yin soldiers. Let's retreat first!"

Having said that, he and the Flower Dan Qingluo swiftly retreated.

Li Yan frowned slightly, glanced at the child behind him, and did not move.

Shortly after the Yellow Springs Wanderer ran out and noticed Li Yan didn't pursue, a cruel smile appeared on his face: "Hahaha, if I'm not mistaken, you've already used up your Astral Order, haven't you?"

"Stop!"

With his command, those pirates pretended not to hear and continued to flee.

"Hmm!"

Yellow Springs Wanderer grew angry and let out a cold snort.

Flower Dan Qingluo covered her mouth with a giggle, curled her fingers into a gesture and waved a bloodstained blue handkerchief as she sang plaintively, "The moon falls to the bottom of the dry well~ Illuminating bones wrapped in bridal robes~ Lord, how can you bear to close the doors? Leaving me to hold a cold pillow, hearing that flaying bangzi in the midnight rain..."

This song was adapted from the ghostly tune of "Capturing Saburo - Parasitic Grass," infused with the soft intonation of Wu dialect, lamenting and mournful, which Li Yan couldn't understand.

However, upon hearing it, those pirates suddenly acted as if they heard the tightening spell, clutching their heads and screaming on the ground, they kowtowed repeatedly to Yellow Springs Wanderer and ran back.

Seeing this, Li Yan's pupils shrank instantly.

Information about the Yangzhou Ghost Theater Troupe, he had already obtained from the City God Temple.

This female artist was called Qingluo Lady, of humble origin, once the pillar of a small theater troupe in Jiangnan.

Due to her graceful appearance and melodious singing, she was forcibly taken as a concubine by a wealthy man. Yet as her beauty faded and she was envied by the main wife, she was framed and disfigured, buried in the Chaotic Burial Mound, but instead gained an opportunity, training in secret techniques with a stranger.

Controlling the cat demon was just one of her skills, she could also nurture shadow ghosts with her grievances, absorb people's essence blood, cast spells to control people, her martial arts were average, but her spells were quite sinister.

Her heritage likely originated from a sub-sect of the evil Dao in Jiang Zuo.

After recalling those three pirates, Yellow Springs Wanderer grew even more arrogant, laughing loudly:

"What a beautiful view of the human world, pity, you will never see it again today!"

Li Yan chuckled disdainfully, looking at everyone, "You think you can do anything with just a few rotten fish and shrimps?"

His intention was to lure out the underground hiding "Gutter Snake Lord" Chen Hui.

As long as the opponent showed up to launch a sneak attack, he would immediately summon Yin Department Soldiers to capture them all.

However, things were somewhat unexpected.

Yellow Springs Wanderer didn't waste any words, directly drawing the Soul Summoning Banner from behind.

This fellow could be the Ghost Theater Troupe Leader, naturally he was not simple.

His real name was long forgotten, originally a barefoot Taoist from a remote mountain village who, by chance, dug up an unnamed ancient tomb and obtained half a scroll of the Ghost Sect's secret technique remnant "Nine Netherworld Communication Record."

To pursue immortality, he did not hesitate to practice forbidden arts, becoming less human and more ghostly.

He was once chased by the righteous path for refining "Life-extending Pills" using virgin boys and girls, finally comprehending the core of the "Nine Netherworld Communication Record"—"soul as fuel, Yellow Springs Guide," transforming himself into a living dead state.

His Dao was powerful, already at the peak of the Four-layered Tower, yet he had to constantly absorb life souls to maintain his "existence". Much like an old zombie crawling out of a coffin, wearing a tattered funeral robe.

Seeing this, Li Yan did not hesitate to take out a flintlock, pulling the trigger.

He knew that this Yellow Springs Wanderer had two magic treasures.

One was the colorful wooden "Five Poison Bangzi" with crying faces carved on it, at his waist, capable of emitting soul-capturing sounds when struck, similar to the Soul Summoning Skill.

It was formidable against ordinary people, but Li Yan's Dao was not inferior to his, and he had a secret treasure for protection, feeling fearless.

However, the Soul Summoning Banner was tricky, akin to a small military station.

To prevent accidents, the "Five Directions Luo Feng Flag" was given to Wang Daoxuan to take away, and facing this magic treasure, the best option was to strike first to avoid being at a disadvantage.

Bang!

A loud explosion, sparks flying.

Yellow Springs Wanderer did not expect Li Yan to suddenly fire his gun.

Even though he dodged quickly, half his leg was shattered.

However, no blood flowed out, only rotting and decayed flesh.

Li Yan was not surprised by this.

This Yellow Springs Wanderer had turned himself into a living dead, the secret technique was called "Living Corpse Skin."

Most of his body's vitality had long been severed, like moldy and decayed wood and bones wrapped in human skin, not fearing ordinary physical harm from swords and blades, the only fatal weakness being the still-beating heart in his chest, called the "Heart Lamp."

This information was thoroughly provided by the City God Temple.

If he approached closely, he would undoubtedly deliver a fatal strike.

"Courting death!"

Yellow Springs Wanderer felt no pain, but after losing balance and falling, madness surfaced in his eyes, waving the Soul Summoning Banner, while singing a bizarre tune loudly and kowtowing towards the tomb.

Judging from the tune, it seemed like some local god's theater in the wild.

As the Soul Summoning Banner waved, yin wind rapidly swept around.

Was Chen Hui about to act?!

Li Yan grew vigilant, ready to summon Yin Department Soldiers.

But Chen Hui's presence had entirely vanished, and the Hook Paper no longer responded.

At the same time, a rich serpentine stench wafted in the air.

This is bad, Li Yan thought to himself.

I forgot about that Snake God!