Chapter 101: The Temple of the Dark Moon

I gathered my strength, leaped into the air, and landed inside the courtyard.

The fox demon tried to bolt, but unexpectedly, the old Mountain God had already blocked the other side.

The fox demon scrambled to his feet, frantic and furious. "Do you know who I am?" he shrieked. "Dare to lay a hand on me, and I will make you pay dearly!"

I strode over, grabbed him by the throat, and hoisted him into the air. "I don't care who you are. You have taken so many lives—it is time you paid for them with your own!"

I tightened my grip, and his neck began to crackle and creak. Though he was turning red and gasping for air, he gritted his teeth and wheezed, "I... I am the Third Young Master Hu... If you kill me, my grandfather... he will never forgive you!"

Regardless of who he was, one cannot slaughter the innocent with such impunity. I ignored his threats entirely.

However, the old Mountain God hurried over, attempting to intervene. "Young Master Lin, do not kill him. He may truly be the Third Young Master Hu. If we kill him, we will incur an irreconcilable blood feud with Grandmaster Hu the Third, and we will never be able to enter the Taiyin Temple!"

Hearing this, I hesitated. After all, confronting Grandmaster Hu the Third involved the lives of thousands across the frontier.

Seeing my hesitation, the Third Young Master Hu gave a wicked, sinister grin. "Boy, let me go. This is the frontier. If you dare pluck a single hair from my head, my grandfather will ensure you are buried in an unmarked grave!"

I tightened my hand, choking off his voice.

I looked at the bodies of the men lying on the ground—surely the husbands of the women held inside. Such a tragic scene, tearing families apart. And this was only what I had seen; who knew how many more he had harmed? My anger flared, burning white-hot. This creature had caused countless tragedies; he could not be allowed to live!

Suddenly, the word "Kill" echoed in my mind.

Without hesitation, I struck out with my palm, slamming it directly into the life gate at the center of his brow. With a harrowing scream, the Third Young Master Hu flew backward, crashing into a stone ridge, bloodied and revealed in his true form.

This fox demon could take human shape, not through mere illusion, but through the cultivation of his primordial spirit. However, even among such beings, there are levels of power. A creature like him, who relied solely on consuming life essence to cultivate, was a pathetic weakling despite his form—entirely unable to withstand a single blow.

The old Mountain God had tried to stop me, but he was a step too late.

"Young Master Lin, by killing the Third Young Master Hu, you have ensured that Grandmaster Hu the Third and his consort will seek vengeance. We will never be able to reach the Taiyin Temple now!" the old Mountain God lamented, his brow furrowed in distress.

Yet, before he could finish, a woman's voice cut through the air: "Well done!"

Beyond the courtyard, on the pebble path, a woman in white, accompanied by two attendants in green, stepped around the fence and approached us.

I looked closely and bowed in surprise. "Benefactor, it is you!"

The woman’s expression remained indifferent. She walked up to me and said, "Lin Yi, you know my name. Why continue to call me 'Benefactor'?"

I asked, "Lady Yuyan, what brings you to the Changbai Mountains?"

The old Mountain God hurried to my side before she could answer. "Young Master Lin, this is the Master of the Lingying Palace whom I mentioned to you. I never imagined you two were already acquainted."

"So, you are the Master of the Lingying Palace!" I was truly shocked. I realized then that when her attendant had addressed her as "Princess," I had misunderstood—it must have been "Palace Master."

"What? Does it not suit me?" she asked.

"No, I am just surprised that we would meet again in such a place." As I finished, Hua Yuyan remarked, "For those destined to meet, the ends of the earth are but neighbors."

I didn't know how to respond to that. Whether it was fate or not, it was certainly a coincidence to encounter her here. The old Mountain God, still focused on the incident, sighed, "Young Master Lin’s hatred for evil led him to kill the Third Young Master Hu, a righteous act indeed, but I fear the consequences will be endless!"

Hua Yuyan offered a cold smile. "The Third Young Master Hu got what he deserved. He dared to commit atrocities here; even if Lin Yi hadn't killed him, I would have."

"But this will surely lead to a blood feud with Grandmaster Hu the Third!" the old Mountain God insisted. He was clearly worried; the wild immortals of the frontier were immensely powerful, and with the recent surge in their celestial luck, their influence was growing rapidly. If Grandmaster Hu the Third were truly enraged, it would spell disaster for the local people.

"A blood feud? So be it. My Lingying Palace has never feared his Taiyin Temple. Besides, the frontier is already suffering, with the people living in misery. Grandmaster Hu the Third and his ilk are arrogant in the extreme, condoning the crimes of their own kin. It is high time someone checked the prestige of these wild immortals!"

Hua Yuyan’s tone was detached, yet filled with undeniable authority. Her words carried weight, and the old Mountain God nodded, though his expression remained troubled.

Hua Yuyan turned to me. "How have your injuries healed?"

I was taken aback by the sudden question, but replied that I had fully recovered.

Afterward, Hua Yuyan had her subordinates release the women from the house. The old Mountain God explained our purpose, and Hua Yuyan revealed that she, too, intended to go to the Taiyin Temple.

She left her two green-clad attendants to handle the aftermath in the village. The three of us set off toward the temple, carrying the corpse of the Third Young Master Hu.

On the way, the old Mountain God mentioned, "Palace Master Hua, I heard you left the mountain to seek a marriage alliance. I wonder, now that you have returned to the Changbai Mountains, has that matter been settled?"

Hua Yuyan smiled faintly. "It has."

As she spoke, she glanced at me.

I did not know what she meant by that.

The Taiyin Temple was not located on the Changbai Mountains themselves, but on a smaller range nearby. Upon entering, we immediately felt an overwhelming presence of demonic energy. Even Hua Yuyan couldn't help but remark, "I never expected this small Wuyin Immortal Mountain to possess such powerful luck—it is almost on par with the Changbai Mountains."

The Changbai range stretches for hundreds of miles, while Wuyin Immortal Mountain spans only dozens—a ten-fold difference—yet the energy here was as potent as the great range itself. Great luck breeds great spiritual energy, and the mountains were teeming with monsters. It was no wonder the local villagers had suffered. However, our own auras were powerful, and with the corpse of the Third Young Master Hu in our possession, the lesser spirits could only watch from a distance, none daring to approach.

Not understanding the intricacies of "luck," I asked the old Mountain God.

He explained that the strength of luck is tied to the strength of the dragon veins. The luck of the Changbai Mountains had waned over the years, though as a great dragon, it remained formidable. But the sudden, violent surge of luck in the Wuyin Immortal Mountain was highly suspicious. Behind it, he feared, were those from above, pulling the strings in secret.

By "those from above," the old Mountain God meant powers beyond the Heavenly Dao.

The Taiyin Temple sat upon the yin-vein of the Wuyin Immortal Mountain’s feng shui. The old Mountain God, being well-versed in such matters, knew exactly where it lay.

I must admit, the Taiyin Temple was more magnificent and imposing than any temple or Taoist shrine I had ever seen.

Yet, this opulent temple did not feel like a dwelling of gods surrounded by celestial aura; it was perpetually shrouded in a towering cloud of black miasma.

Amidst the dark clouds and gloomy fog, the Taiyin Temple appeared ghostly and sinister, hardly a place of auspicious blessing.

We climbed the stone steps and stopped before the main hall. Peering inside, we found it thick with foul, suffocating air. Originally, on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month, many devotees who kept guardian immortals would come here to offer incense. But after the luck of Wuyin Immortal Mountain surged, the temple no longer required human incense—it began to consume the people themselves. It was said that they even devoured the devotees who came to pray, so the incense had been extinguished half a month ago.

As I held the corpse of the Third Young Master Hu, Hua Yuyan took it from my hands and tossed it into the main hall of the Taiyin Temple.

"May I ask what brings the Master of the Lingying Palace here?"

There was no one to be seen within the temple, only a low, sinister voice of an old man that echoed through the hall.

"The Third Young Master Hu committed atrocities, defying the heavens and engaging in despicable acts. I punished him on behalf of Grandmaster Hu the Third, but he refused to repent and met his end at the foot of the Changbai Mountains. I come today to ask for your forgiveness, Grandmaster!" Hua Yuyan said, bowing.

A sigh emanated from the temple, and the old man’s voice returned: "Alas... it was my own unworthy grandson who caused you trouble, Palace Master. His sins were heavy, and he disrupted your peace. He deserved to die; there is no talk of forgiveness needed."

The old man’s voice paused, then asked, "May I ask, are the Mountain God of Changbai and Young Master Lin standing outside the temple gates?"

"Indeed," the old Mountain God replied.

"My apologies for not welcoming you sooner, Mountain God. Please, forgive me." A black mist swirled from behind the temple and descended at the entrance. A white-bearded old man stepped out from the fog. He hurried toward us, his face wreathed in smiles. "I did not realize three distinguished guests had arrived. Please forgive my lack of hospitality—pray, step inside and take your seats!"

I was caught off guard.

The corpse of the Third Young Master Hu lay discarded right inside the main hall, yet Grandmaster Hu the Third could remain this composed? They say foxes are cunning, and this Grandmaster was the ancestor of all fox demons—his guile must have been etched into his very bones.

Hua Yuyan, however, showed no hesitation and stepped into the temple hall.