In the rain, a group of people stood silently at the head of the Drunken Dragon Bridge.
Among them was Yun Qi.
He gazed at the distant Rotten Peach Mountain.
It was the third phase of the rainy season, close to the time when peach blossoms would begin to bloom.
If one looked closely, they might already see the buds on the peach branches.
But from afar, all that could be seen was a vast expanse of green peach leaves covering the mountains.
As Yun Qi looked at the peach forest, he recalled the reason he had come to the Miao and Nan regions.
To further his understanding of the Star Official of the Pleiades, he had intended to visit the Golden Rooster Clan at the Heavenly Rooster Mountain.
However, he had unexpectedly achieved his goal halfway through his journey in an ordinary Miao village.
With the ongoing fierce battles in the southern regions and Heavenly Rooster Mountain located deep in the southern wilderness, he had decided not to continue his journey.
Moreover, in the world, roosters and peach trees have always been closely associated, much like the Golden Crow and the Fusang Tree, or the Phoenix and the Parasol Tree.
Since ancient times, peach trees have been considered yang wood, and roosters yang creatures.
The father of the Star Official of the Pleiades, the Heavenly Rooster, was born on a large peach tree on Peach Capital Mountain in the East Sea.
Rooster paintings and peach charms have always been inseparable, and peach wood stained with rooster blood becomes a powerful yang object, capable of warding off evil spirits.
Even ordinary people holding it could scare away ghosts.
As Yun Qi had the Pleiades as his inner deity, it was only natural for him to visit the most famous peach forest in the world.
He had originally planned to visit during the transition between spring and summer, when the yang energy in the world was at its peak.
Peach wood, being yang wood, would make the forest appear like a sea of fire.
Thanks to the unique nature of Rotten Peach Mountain, the scorching sun would also cause the miasma below to rise like smoke or clouds.
Since miasma was yin energy, the fusion of yin and yang at that time would create a grand spectacle.
However, at this moment, with the continuous spring rain and the shy peach blossoms, along with the stagnant blood energy, the scene was rather unremarkable.
The green leaves, after a while, seemed like an ink sea, causing discomfort.
After waiting for a while, it was not yet the hour of the Goat (1-3 PM), but all twenty-one people had arrived.
With only this many people, it was impossible to carry out all one hundred and twenty corpses.
If everything went smoothly, they could make multiple trips.
But if something unexpected happened, they would have to do their best and leave the rest to fate.
They exchanged glances, some familiar faces, some strangers, nodding to each other in silence before setting off.
After crossing the Drunken Dragon Bridge, they walked downstream along the east bank of the river for about two miles until they reached the western valley entrance.
The group stopped.
They saw a gap in the mountain, where a colorful cloud lingered, unbroken even by the rain.
Seeing this, their expressions grew more serious.
Hai Jin Qi stood beside Yun Qi, his single eye narrowed to a slit.
He whispered to Yun Qi, "In the past, that gap was clean. The miasma would disperse as soon as it emerged, blown away by the river. Those who collected miasma would stand by the gap, using tools to gather the peach blossom miasma, which was pink.
But now, it seems a flash flood has brought out the peach mud miasma, piling up at the gap. Such a sudden surge of mud miasma, even facing the river, won't disperse for at least ten days to half a month.
By the time it clears, those inside will either have turned into bloody water or been buried deep in the mud."
Yun Qi nodded.
Even from a distance, the strange mix of sweet and foul smells was already reaching his nose.
"Whoosh—"
At that moment, another flash flood surged out of the gap, making the colorful clouds even more dazzling.
"Let's go! We can't wait any longer!" someone whispered.
The group slowly moved forward.
At this point, everyone revealed their methods of warding off the miasma.
Some held their breath, some summoned miasma shields, others covered their noses and mouths with silk handkerchiefs, and some even stuffed pills into their nostrils.
They also applied a kind of juice to their eyes.
Hai Jin Qi explained that it was the juice from the leaves of the Rotten Peach Mountain's peach trees, which had some detoxifying effect against the miasma.
He offered to apply it to Yun Qi, but Yun Qi shook his head, fearing it might obstruct his vision.
Instead, Yun Qi summoned flames, forming a fire cloak around himself.
Additionally, he stored the Sun's Inner Fire in his Twelve-Storied Tower, ensuring that the miasma would have to pass through it before corroding his internal organs.
It seemed relatively safe.
Seeing Yun Qi's mastery of fire control, the others couldn't help but admire him, feeling more confident about retrieving the corpses.
Moreover, the miasma at the valley entrance, being at the river mouth during the rain and only partially composed of peach mud, was much less severe than that inside the mountain.
"Beware of the living!" someone reminded them before entering.
Everyone knew this referred to the female Daoist from Western Shu who wielded a fire sword.
The group slowly entered.
"Sizzle—sizzle—"
The miasma made sizzling sounds as it touched the fire cloak, but fortunately, the Inner Fire at Yun Qi's throat burned the miasma clean, so he felt nothing when breathing.
Looking at the others, who had only protected their noses and mouths, their skin was now burning and itching from the miasma, their faces twisted in discomfort.
Yun Qi noticed this but, unsure of the situation inside, dared not rashly use a fire shield to cover everyone.
If his energy drained too quickly, it could lead to trouble if something unexpected happened.
Inside the miasma, the colorful haze made it hard to see anything.
But with the miasma corroding their bodies, they quickened their pace.
Someone took out a green pearl, using their energy to activate it, emitting a green light that allowed them to see a bit more clearly.
Others released swarms of insects, scattering in all directions, each showing their unique skills.
In such a place, there was no room for secrecy.
Yun Qi pointed his finger like a candle, and a strand of the Sun's Inner Fire leaped from his fingertip.
The others didn't know what kind of flame this golden fire was, but they could see that the miasma dared not approach it, as if it were being driven away like darkness.
"Let's go this way! Our people are over here!" someone who had been here before managed to guide the group, marking the path as they went.
"There!"
Within a hundred steps, someone spotted something on the ground.
They gathered around and saw a corpse.
Yun Qi didn't recognize this person; he must have been from another market.
The exposed skin had turned red from the miasma, looking like a burn.
The most striking feature was a large wound on the chest.
"It's a flying sword!" someone said.
Indeed, only a flying sword could leave such a wound.
A burly man stepped forward and carried the body on his back.
They continued searching.
"Here! It's someone from the Hong family village!"
Soon, another corpse was found.
In no time, they had successfully found over ten bodies.
"The people from Western Shu must have left. Let's take these brothers out first and get some fresh air. Half of us will stay to continue searching, and when they return, we'll carry more bodies out."
Seeing that things were going smoothly, someone suggested a faster method.
No one objected, and they began to split into teams.
Hai Jin Qi, who had been holding his breath, needed to go out for some air.
He nodded to Yun Qi and started carrying a corpse out.
Yun Qi, whose energy consumption wasn't too high, stayed behind to continue searching.
"Ah!"
Not long after they split up, a scream echoed.
The nine who remained turned pale and rushed toward the sound.
Yun Qi immediately drew "Autumn Water."
With a flip of his left hand, he grabbed a talisman and threw it out.
"Scorching Sun Patrols the Sky, Fire Tracks Clear the Path, go!"
The Yang Fire Demon-Slaying Talisman, in Yun Qi's hands, was several times more powerful than when used by others.
Two fire dragons broke through the miasma, charging forward.
With the help of the fire waves, they could see what had happened:
Several purple-robed, gold-patterned Daoists, hiding who knows where, were controlling flying swords, stabbing at the Miao villagers carrying corpses.
The flying swords darted around wildly, showing no intricate maneuvers.
Normally, dodging them wouldn't be difficult, but now, the miasma provided them with excellent cover.
"Stop!"
Yun Qi heard someone roar beside him.
He saw Hai Jin Qi, with only one eye, unable to track the trajectories of seven or eight flying swords.
In the time it took to turn around, a flying sword had already pierced his neck.
He let go, dropping the corpse to the ground, and fell himself.
"Suppress!"
Yun Qi uttered a curse, aiming at the smug killer.
The man seemed pleased, as out of all the flying swords, his had been the first to strike the enemy.
Yun Qi stepped into the mud, taking ten swift steps.
His footprints seemed to form a star chart, and his sword moved faster than the pouring rain.
The killer's smug expression slowly turned to horror as his body suddenly froze.
But Yun Qi's sword had already arrived.
This strike wasn't a thrust but an arc of light slashing down from above.
The blade of "Autumn Water" seemed to transform into moonlight, landing on the killer's neck.
"Pfft—"
A faint sound, barely audible.
The killer's smug expression couldn't turn to horror anymore, as his face froze in place, his head falling into the mud.
Second chapter delivered.
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(End of Chapter)