The Allure of Pure Yin

Zhuang Xun focused his gaze, his dark eyes like an abyss of endless depth.

Spiritual energy pulsed around his entire body. With one hand, he drew the mother and daughter behind him, shielding them.

His tone grew calm and steady. “Steward Zhang, now is the opportune moment.”

“Senior’s righteous valor truly earns my admiration,” Steward Zhang replied.

Steward Zhang swept his divine sense across their surroundings. Gathering spiritual energy beneath his feet, he dashed away with astonishing speed.

He left a trail of afterimages amidst the surging tide of corrupted humans.

He knew, deep down, that in such a situation, he could barely ensure his own safety.

Yet, to resolve this without a single injury to others was beyond his capabilities.

Let alone protecting anyone else.

“…..”

‘I’ve told them not to call me Senior,’ Zhuang Xun thought.

Once Zhuang Xun sensed Steward Zhang had reached the city gates, he turned his attention, his gaze fixed on the ever-increasing horde of corrupted humans.

“These creatures thrive in yin energy, and with the full moon approaching, the yin qi will be immense.”

“Furthermore, women are their preferred ‘ingredients.’ With you two by my side, their appetites will be greatly stimulated.”

“Therefore, if you trust me and are willing to act as my bait, my efforts to suppress them will be twice as effective.”

“This way, I won’t need to actively seek them out and waste precious time.”

“…..”

One by one, the corrupted humans, upon seeing Jiang Ningwan and her daughter, fixed their glowing green eyes upon them, an unwavering stare.

Dark green saliva dripped from their lips and teeth, splattering onto the ground.

Sizzle~

Sizzle~

They began to emit guttural, beast-like growls.

“Roar……”

“Ugh……”

However, they did not immediately surge forward to attack. Instead, they cautiously assessed Zhuang Xun, who stood before them.

Even as beasts, they possessed an instinct for survival.

To their eyes, Zhuang Xun, radiating spiritual energy, was an immensely threatening presence.

Without absolute certainty of a fatal blow, they could only bide their time.

Yet, this patience was merely temporary.

Once the full moon reached its zenith at midnight, they would descend into utter madness and riot.

“……”

“I know you two might come to resent me after this, but right now, to suppress all these corrupted humans without harming anyone…”

“I have few other viable options.”

More and more corrupted humans gathered around, their low growls, the strange, foul stench, and their disheveled, contorted faces.

All of it relentlessly assaulted the nerves of those present, driving them to the brink of terror.

Jiang Ningwan swallowed hard. She could feel the predatory, wolf-like gazes surrounding them.

It was her first time witnessing such a sight, and naturally, fear gnawed at her.

But having chosen to trust Zhuang Xun, she would not retreat.

“It’s alright. I believe in the Immortal Master’s power.”

“I believe in Brother Zhuang Xun too!”

“…..”

“Then, in a moment, I’m afraid I’ll have to take some liberties with Madam.”

Zhuang Xun formed a hand seal with one hand, and a Two-Polar Array, spanning hundreds of meters, unfurled from beneath his feet.

His spirit sword then dissipated, gradually reforming into a series of spiritual talismans.

‘Nine Spirits Ceremony… Expel Evil, Banish Ghouls…’

‘Soul Settled in Heavenly Palace… Spirit Calmed Forevermore…’

In his eyes, the symbols of Bagua and Two Poles seemed to rotate, mirroring the profound principles governing the celestial stars.

“Suppress.”

His calm declaration resonated like a voice from the heavens. The spiritual talismans hovering around him instantly scattered, adhering themselves to the corrupted humans’ brows.

This caused the green light in some of the corrupted humans’ eyes to dim, and their movements became sluggish.

Then, Zhuang Xun took Jiang Ningwan’s soft, pale wrist and drew her into his embrace.

“Forgive my presumption, Madam.”

His gentle voice calmed her spirit, as spiritual energy continuously gathered at his fingertip, inscribing the character ‘引’ (guide) on her brow.

“Immortal Master….”

Jiang Ningwan gazed at the handsome face so close to her, so serious and captivating, her lips unconsciously murmuring two words.

Especially those dark, profound eyes; just one glance. And she found herself sinking into an inner landscape that clouded her mind and dulled her senses. She could no longer pull herself free.

“Just hold on a little longer…”

“This method can greatly draw out the pure yin qi from your maidenly essence.”

“With Li Shuang’s help, we can perfectly draw all the corrupted humans in the entire county town here.”

“However, you must keep your mind resolute and not be swayed by the inner visions that arise.”

“…..”

As Jiang Ningwan listened to Zhuang Xun’s voice, which seemed to fade into the distance, countless images began to form in her mind.

Her ears grew quiet, and then she heard the voices of her parents.

[Father Jiang: Ningwan will surely bring glory to the Jiang family in the future. Your father believes in your talent for business.]

[Mother Jiang: With our daughter’s qualities, she will surely find a good husband in the future.]

[Father Jiang: That will depend on what Ningwan herself desires.]

[Jiang Ningwan: …..]

[Mother Jiang: Ningwan, why are you just standing there watching? Come eat quickly, it’s New Year’s Eve today!]

“Mother….”

“Father….”

She murmured to herself, her eyes vacant, as a flood of warm memories with her family instantly surfaced in her mind.

“…..”

Zhuang Xun’s brow furrowed slightly. ‘Has she fallen into an inner vision of familial affection?’

He immediately positioned Jiang Ningwan in front of him, focused his mind, joined his fingers, and pressed them against an acupoint on the back of her neck.

This stimulated another one of her meridians.

“It seems you value the bonds of kinship quite deeply.”

“However, given your experiences, I presumed you would be more resistant to romantic affections.”

“Now, quickly, snap out of it.”

“……”

The images in Jiang Ningwan’s mind shifted once more.

At the height of her youth, she met a handsome man of exceptional grace, skilled in both scholarly and martial arts, whose temperament perfectly matched hers.

Crucially, he understood her deeply and respected her thoughts, never once forcing his will upon her.

Soon after…

The two, perfectly matched, fell deeply in love.

They lived a simple, warm life, raising children together.

Upon closer inspection, however, the man’s appearance gradually began to resemble Zhuang Xun.

“…..”

‘Damn, Madam Jiang, so you actually…’

‘You’re not the kind of strong woman who resists men after all?’

Zhuang Xun was somewhat speechless. He had originally thought he could pull her out of it.

Instead, she was sinking even deeper, which was utterly absurd.

‘Indeed, a woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.’

‘Never mind, let’s finish this quickly.’

“Li Shuang, come here and take your mother’s hand.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Lishuang stood beside Jiang Ningwan, holding her mother’s hand.

Then, Zhuang Xun swiftly drew another array talisman in the air and sent it towards their clasped wrists.

“It will get quite cold soon. Don’t wander off, or I won’t be responsible if your souls are frozen.”

As Zhuang Xun finished his warning, an intensely chilling aura emanated from the mother and daughter before him.

Accompanied by a bone-piercing cold, it slowly began to spread outwards from the two of them.

The speed increased rapidly.

In less than ten breaths, this pure yin energy enveloped Yue Long County, spanning dozens of miles.

This caused many corrupted humans scattered throughout the county town to slowly turn their heads.

They all began to walk towards the Jiang family mansion.

****

Shangwen and Shangwu shivered almost in unison, also looking towards the Jiang family mansion, which was now emitting a vast amount of yin energy.

“Such a spiritual energy-consuming allure array, whether even I could deploy it is questionable…”

“To think I would witness such a marvel today, used by someone with mere Foundation Establishment cultivation.”

“Truly, Fellow Daoist, you live up to your reputation as a reclusive master.”

After Shangwu sighed in admiration, he glanced at the blood-red, snow-crystal-like flowers beneath his feet and the array flags planted nearby.

Seizing the moment, he instantly activated a communication talisman.

“Fellow Daoist, I’ve found it here.”

“Mm, keep a close watch. I’m a bit busy right now.”

“I understand.”

With that, Shangwu sat cross-legged beside the blood-crystal flower, closing his eyes to meditate and recover.

If his senses weren’t mistaken, a massive entity was still hidden within this county town.

He needed to rest and prepare for a major confrontation.