Chapter Eight: The City God Temple

That afternoon, Chu Youcai trained until he was utterly exhausted before finally taking a rest. He glanced at the young girl, Hongyu, who sat nearby, clearly wanting to speak but hesitating. He didn’t question her, instead closing his eyes to carefully recall the techniques of the spear. If he launched a nighttime attack on the casino, what advantage would he have? He had already ambushed them once; surely, the casino was now heavily guarded.

Of course, his survival in the world of the Crocodile Dragon Mountain River Pearl had depended on his medicinal recipes. Without delay, Chu Youcai wrote down a prescription. Some of the ingredients were extremely rare, but he substituted them with more common herbs available in the pharmacies of Yanzhou, making the medicine less expensive, though its potency was greatly reduced.

After finishing the prescription, he added a few more ingredients to create confusion, then asked Ju Xue to fetch two doses. Ju Xue hesitated, but Yun Cuixian handed her a jade bracelet with a resolute expression, saying, “Do as the master says.” She then warned, “Yanzhou has been unstable lately. I’ve heard of several women being abducted. Be careful on your way and come back early.”

Ju Xue steadied herself, nodded, and headed north to the pharmacy. Yet, half an hour passed without her return. Worry crept onto Yun Cuixian’s face as she asked Chu Youcai, “Do you think something happened to Ju Xue? Even with two trips, she should be back by now.”

“I’ll go look,” Chu Youcai replied, his expression tightening as he prepared to change clothes. At that moment, he noticed Hongyu’s hesitant demeanor.

“Do you know something?” he asked. The girl had been silent all day; he didn’t even know her name.

Just as Hongyu was about to speak, an urgent knocking sounded at the door. Chu Youcai opened it to find Ju Xue, while the neighbor’s door next door swiftly closed.

“Ju Xue, what took you so long? We were worried sick,” Yun Cuixian said.

Ju Xue’s face was pale with lingering fear. “I... I almost didn’t make it back.”

Chu Youcai’s expression darkened. “What happened?”

Ju Xue drank a cup of water before calming down enough to speak. “I bought the medicine from the northern pharmacy, but as I passed by the City God Temple, I suddenly felt dazed, as if I couldn’t control myself. I stood there for a long time, and a voice in my mind kept telling me to go into the temple.”

At the mention of the City God Temple, Hongyu’s expression changed again.

“Fortunately, at that moment, Miss woke me up,” Ju Xue continued.

“That beautiful but always solemn Miss Shangguan?” Yun Cuixian asked.

“Yes,” Ju Xue replied.

Chu Youcai was taken aback. “Who is she?”

“Miss Shangguan is about my age,” Yun Cuixian explained. “She and her mother rented the courtyard next door half a year ago. Her mother is gravely ill, and she has cared for her ever since. Sometimes, if they run out of thread or needles, she borrows some from us. She’s very beautiful, but always cold as frost. I only know her surname is Shangguan.”

“That’s her. She patted my shoulder to wake me, then quickly brought me home. She told me not to go near the City God Temple these days,” Ju Xue said, still shaken. “At the time, I felt completely out of control, almost unconscious.”

“There’s something strange about that temple?” Chu Youcai asked gravely. He sent Ju Xue to rest and sorted the medicine into two doses, asking Yun Cuixian to decoct them. Then he stepped into the courtyard and turned to the girl. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Hongyu,” she replied softly, her voice clear and beautiful.

“Do you know something about the City God Temple?” Chu Youcai asked.

Hongyu nodded.

“Is there a connection between the temple and the casino’s leader?” he pressed.

Hongyu finally spoke, “The leader’s name is Lei Yinyang. The Prince of Chu’s residence treats him as an honored guest. He has a technique that lets him hide entirely within shadows—no one can detect him. His attacks are formless and intangible, like shadow itself striking, impossible to defend against.”

A chill ran through Chu Youcai. His suspicions were correct: the leader was indeed connected to the Prince of Chu’s estate. Moreover, this man seemed not quite human, or perhaps he wielded some cursed artifact, giving him such strange powers. If Chu Youcai had not learned of this in advance, he would likely die in a single encounter.

Hongyu continued, “All the women abducted in Yanzhou were taken by him. Each time, he sends them to the City God Temple.”

Shock consumed Chu Youcai. So many missing women, all taken by Lei Yinyang? But why bring them to the temple?

He grew even more curious about Hongyu. Such secrets would never be revealed even to Lei Yinyang’s closest confidants, so how did she know? Lei Yinyang had spent vast sums to find her—who was she, really?

But since Hongyu chose not to elaborate, Chu Youcai did not press her.

At that moment, his eyes burned with resolve. The City God Temple was perilous, but he possessed a cursed artifact—his trump card. If he acted swiftly and unexpectedly, he might succeed by infiltrating the temple at night and using the Crocodile Dragon Mountain River Pearl. This pearl was of the Jin Zhen grade; though he didn’t know its full power, it was certainly stronger than ordinary cursed artifacts. Even if he couldn’t prevail, he should at least escape unscathed. Otherwise, if Lei Yinyang ever brought his cursed artifact to their door, Chu Youcai would be doomed.

After journeying through the pearl’s world, his own lifespan had been reduced to just two years. If there were demons within the City God Temple for the pearl to destroy, he might even gain some life back. To improve his strength, the temple was the best battlefield.

Moreover, by Hongyu’s account, many women had been taken there. Whether to break the evil or to rescue them, his duty was clear.

He waited for Yun Cuixian to finish preparing the two doses, then poured the medicinal liquid into small vials and tucked them away. The process had not followed traditional steps or exact timing, and many ingredients were substitutes, making the medicine only a third as effective as the original, but it could still quickly treat wounds, which Chu Youcai valued highly.

As midnight approached, Chu Youcai donned his night attire and slipped quietly from his room. Moonlight shimmered on Yun Cuixian’s lashes, trembling, as if tears glistened there.

In the courtyard, Chu Youcai retrieved his armor and silver spear, scaled the wall, and landed softly outside.

But he suddenly stopped short. In front of the gate stood a slender figure—it was Hongyu.

In the night, she seemed almost ghostly, the beauty mark at the corner of her mouth drawing the darkness around her like the moon calling to the night. Her features, so different from daytime, now possessed a breathtaking allure that could captivate the world—as if this night belonged to her.

Hongyu gazed at Chu Youcai, thoughts swirling in her mind. He had brought her here and, even in her most desperate state, had not forced her. Now, he was the only one she could trust. But could he truly save her?

She handed him a brocade pouch, her tone earnest: “You must come back.”

Her voice was beautiful already; in the quiet of night, it was like a clear spring, warming the darkness itself.

Chu Youcai took the pouch and opened it. Inside was a lock of hair and some bloodstains, but even this simple thing seemed to pulse with a strange power, protecting him. He didn’t know what it was, but he felt certain it would help.

He looked at her solemnly. “I will return. Trust me.”

Then he set off northward.

In that moment, he had never felt such unwavering resolve.