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Chapter 447: Blood Moon

Though he had left the Great Astral Sect over a decade ago, the sect remained fiercely protective of its members. No matter how much time had passed, they would always take care of their own.

While many immortal sects maintained a sense of responsibility toward their disciples, the Great Astral Sect was especially strong in this regard. Whether this was due to all the disciples using one brain together remained unclear.

When they were unable to uncover any clues, Yun Chaoxian suggested they turn to Chu Liang for help.

Initially, Tang Shi\'s teacher was skeptical. "Is that disciple from Mount Shu truly capable?"

"He\'s reliable," Yun Chaoxian responded confidently. "And if he\'s not, I\'ll step in myself."

"Very well," the teacher nodded. "I\'ll invite him and see."

Thus, Ji Lingyu and Tang Shi made their way to Mount Shu to seek Chu Liang\'s assistance.

When it came to the Great Astral Sect, Chu Liang was more than willing to lend a hand. If one were to rank the sects by trustworthiness, the brothers of the Great Astral Sect would undoubtedly be at the top.

They were fiercely loyal.

Chu Liang quickly made arrangements for matters on Red Cotton Peak and immediately set off with them to Southern Bastion Mountain in the Southern Regions. Thanks to the Talisman of Life Restoration, they had managed to secure many basic workers, so there was no longer an urgent need for additional manpower.

The journey to Kaoshan City was not far. By evening, the three of them had already arrived.

By then, Tang Shi\'s teacher was already waiting at the inn.

"Junior Chu Liang, greets the esteemed senior."

Though he had been invited to assist, Chu Liang, mindful of etiquette, made sure to greet first.

"Oh, Young Hero Chu, we requested your help. There\'s no need to be so formal."

Tang Shi\'s teacher was Yan Qihu. At first glance, he seemed like a rugged, muscular man in his prime, with sharp features and long arms. But in truth, he was already over a hundred years old.

He personally came down to greet them.

Just by standing there with his arms at his sides, Yan Qihu[1] exuded the presence of a lurking vicious beast.

A century ago, there was the Yan Family in the Great Astral Sect. The Yan Family had eight sons, all martial arts prodigies, collectively known as the Eight Tigers of the Yan Family. Yan Qihu was the seventh youngest among his brothers.

Unfortunately, since then, none of the current generation of the Yan Family came out to be outstanding disciples. Yet, the Eight Tigers from the previous generation still remained the backbone of the Great Astral Sect.

Yan Qihu, standing before them, was a seventh-realm martial arts Eminent One.

Compared to other forms of cultivation, advancing through the first six realms was much easier. This allowed Martial Arts cultivators to progress quickly and showcase impressive combat abilities during the first six realms. However, upon reaching the three realms of the Heavenly Gate, they would face greater challenges and be at a disadvantage. This was why far fewer Martial Arts cultivators successfully reached the seventh realm.

Yet, every Martial Arts cultivator who managed to reach the seventh realm became a formidable figure.

"No need for formalities. I\'m close friends with several disciples of the Great Astral Sect. Whenever you need me, I\'ll be there," Chu Liang said with a smile.

"That\'s great," Yan Qihu responded, giving Chu Liang a firm slap on the shoulder. "We martial artists don\'t bother with empty words. When the day comes and someone in your family passes away, just watch what we will do."

"..." Chu Liang first felt momentarily speechless, torn between wanting to laugh and feeling exasperated.

You could either go easy with your words or with your grip, either way works, he remarked inwardly.

Everyone then entered the room and took their seats. Ji Lingyu, one of the few clear-headed people in the group, began explaining the case to Chu Liang.

"The person that died is named Wei Feng, and he was the disciple of Esteemed Senior Yan. He has left the Great Astral Sect several years ago," Ji Lingyu explained. "In recent years, he had been serving as an honored ally outside Southern Bastion Mountain.

Many who sought to enter Southern Bastion Mountain to gather spirit plants or explore hidden realms lacked the strength to do so alone. Without a teacher or elder from their sect to accompany them, they would need to hire someone to act as a guardian for the duration of their venture.

However, this guardian couldn\'t be just anyone. Once inside Southern Bastion Mountain, there would be no recourse if they chose to rob or kill you. Ideally, the guardian should come from a large, reputable immortal sect with a trustworthy reputation.

Wei Feng was exactly the kind of honored ally who came from a major immortal sect and had a trustworthy reputation.

Members of the Great Astral Sect, in particular, were renowned for their trustworthiness and were less likely to harbor ill intentions.

"Yesterday, an anomaly was reported in Kaoshan City," Ji Lingyu said, pausing before continuing. "Witnesses claimed that the moon turned blood-red."

"A blood moon?"

"Yes," Ji Lingyu confirmed with a nod. "Soon after the blood moon appeared, three murders took place in the city. Three of the city\'s experts transformed into demonic beasts and started attacking everyone around them."

Transformed into demonic beasts...

As Chu Liang listened, the situation grew more puzzling.

"Wei Feng was one of the three," Ji Lingyu continued. "There was an expert at the pinnacle of the fifth realm and two sixth-realm experts among them. They went on a rampage through the city, and no one could stop them. Then, just moments after the blood moon faded, they all collapsed and died on the spot."

The blood moon happened and they transformed into demonic beasts, and then died instantly. These were fifth- and sixth-realm experts—how could they have perished so easily? Chu Liang furrowed his brow in deep thought.

"Rumors are spreading like wildfire in the city," Yan Qihu said. "People are claiming that these three must have had half-demon blood, leading to their transformation and the subsequent killings. I can\'t vouch for the other two, but I know Wei Feng\'s parents, and I raised him myself. He definitely didn\'t have any demon blood. There\'s something else at play here."

After listening to them explain, Chu Liang nodded and said, "I understand the situation. Let\'s go see the bodies first."

The three bodies were stored at the City Supervisory Division in Kaoshan City, and Yan Qihu, with his standing in the Great Astral Sect, had unrestricted access. Even though it was late, he led the group there promptly.

The City Supervisory Division, overwhelmed by the case, was really hoping that they could figure out the answer to this peculiar mystery. Naturally, they welcomed the group with open arms.

Chu Liang then saw the three corpses lying side by side.

"Wei Feng was a sixth-realm martial artist... This one is Liu Ming, a cultivator at the pinnacle of the fifth realm... And this is Fang Chongshan, a sixth-realm cultivator," introduced one of the City Supervisory Division officers.

Chu Liang didn\'t know much about autopsies, but he could sense the faint demonic qi lingering on the corpses.

Clearly, the claims of them transforming into demons weren\'t exactly lies, he thought.

"Have you found out why they turned into demonic beasts?" Chu Liang asked. "Any signs of poisoning?"

"No," the officer said, shaking his head. "The doctors from the Imperial Supervisory Bureau have already examined them and found no signs of poisoning."

Chu Liang lifted the white cloth and glanced at the corpses. Each body had large wounds, with their skin torn open and flesh spilling out. The injuries appeared to come from within, as if something had expanded inside them, causing their bodies to burst.

The deaths of the two martial artists might be somewhat explainable, but not Wei Feng\'s. As a sixth-realm martial artist, his body should have been capable of withstanding the pressure of even a mountain.

What kind of force could have torn his body apart?

After a moment of thought, Chu Liang shifted his line of questioning. "Who did these three interact with or contact before they died? Were there any common factors or events in the time leading up to their deaths?"

"We\'re still investigating that, but we don\'t have any answers yet," the officer replied, shaking his head. "Wei Feng and Liu Ming were long-term honored allies here in Kaoshan City, while Fang Chongshan was the head of a small sect in the Southern Regions. Individuals like them tend to keep their activities and movements secret, making it challenging for us to track their interactions."

Chu Liang nodded in understanding.

Those hired to gather spirit plants or explore hidden realms naturally kept their missions confidential for their employers.

However, because the mission was kept confidential, the investigation became much more difficult.

If answers couldn\'t be found through official channels, Chu Liang thought about visiting Second Madam Gu\'s tavern. Her information network in Kaoshan City was likely more extensive than that of the City Supervisory Division.

As Chu Liang was lost in thought, a sudden shout came from outside.

"It\'s red... It\'s red again!"

"Huh?" Chu Liang looked up to see the moon in the deepening night sky gradually turning a vibrant, blood-red hue.

"Roar—"

A fierce roar followed immediately after.

"Oh no!" exclaimed one of the City Supervisory Division officers. "I am afraid someone is turning into a demonic beast!"

"Let me see what\'s going on," Yan Qihu said with a frown, and in a flash, his figure shot into the sky.

When it came to problems that could be solved with force, the Great Astral Sect was always reliable.

In the moonlit sky, a monstrous figure with half-scaled skin lunged upward with a roar. It was a half-transformed human! His eyes blazed with a blood-red fury, his face contorted in pain as he howled and ascended into the night.

"Roar..."

His gaze soon turned entirely bloody red, and he seemed to be on the hunt for his prey.

But in the very next moment, a sharp crack echoed through the air.

In an instant, Yan Qihu appeared behind him, grabbing the back of his neck with one hand.

"Awooo!" The man\'s roars intensified, but Yan Qihu\'s grip remained firm.

As Chu Liang and the others rushed over, they saw Yan Qihu holding the half-human, half-demon beast with one hand. The man had fully transformed into a lizard-like monster, its body covered in scales and stretching over one zhang in length.

The man was likely a fifth-realm cultivator, and his transformation into a demon had only amplified his strength. As he struggled, his qi and blood surged with a thunderous roar. Yet, his efforts to break free were futile.

"What on earth is going on..." Yan Qihu muttered. Even as he could easily lock this person in his grip, he couldn\'t make sense of the situation.

It was Ji Lingyu, with her Xuan Yuan Eyes gleaming with divine light, who seemed to notice something. She suddenly exclaimed, "A Nightmare Specter?!"

1. Qihu means "seventh tiger". ☜