After being chosen by the Ice Queen

The night was as dark as ink, and the lights of Lin Yuan City gradually dimmed behind us, disappearing into the mountains.

Gu Yan chose a path that followed the river downstream. Jinbao perched on his shoulder, its little nose twitching occasionally as it caught the scent of the wind.

"Boss, are we really leaving like this?" Jinbao looked back at the city, feeling a mix of lingering fear and reluctance—the pastries at Lanyue Tower were indeed delicious. "And what about that Observer of the Wind, and Miss Bai's place..."

"We've obtained the intelligence; there's no point in lingering any longer." Gu Yan continued walking. "The sudden appearance of the imperial court, whatever their purpose, and any interaction with the Qingqiu Fox Clan, means trouble. Our target is the East Sea; we must avoid entanglement with the forces on land."

He needed to reach the nearest estuary as soon as possible to find a ship to cross the sea to the east. The nautical chart in the jade slip given to him by Bai Jin clearly marked several routes, one of which, "Blackwater Cape - Shattered Star Island," started at Wanghai Town, about three hundred miles east of Lin Yuan City. At his pace, without sleep or rest, he could reach it in two days.

However, plans often fail to keep up with changes.

As the night wore on, rain began to fall, quickly turning into a downpour. The rain stretched from the sky to the ground, blurring visibility. The river began to rise, and the path became muddy and impassable.

This rain did not form naturally. A lingering, eerie aura emanated from it.

"Boss, this rain... it smells wrong." Jinbao's fur was soaked, and it shook its head. "There's a smell in the water that makes me want to run away."

Gu Yan stopped, frowning as he gazed at the dark, murky river surface. Raindrops pounded the water, creating countless ripples, and deep beneath, shadows seemed to be slowly writhing. Like filth stirred up by the rain.

"We can't go along the river anymore." Gu Yan turned towards the nearby hills, looking for shelter from the rain. This rain came strangely; it wasn't that simple.

On the edge of the hills, they found a river god temple. The temple was small and dilapidated; the statues had collapsed, leaving only half their bodies. The offering table was rotten, covered in cobwebs and dust. But at least there was a roof to shelter them from the wind and rain.

Gu Yan started a small campfire. Huiming lay across his lap, the dark gold snake pattern on the blade shimmering in the firelight, subtly echoing the power of Orochi, and displaying an instinctive appetite and vigilance towards the unusual rain and demonic energy outside.

Jinbao lay by the fire, drying his fur, his little ears perked up, listening intently to the sounds outside the temple. The rain pattered, the wind howled, and besides…

"Boss," Jinbao suddenly lowered his voice, his pointed ears turning towards the temple gate, "something... has come up from the water, more than one, and it's heading towards these hills. The footsteps are very light and very dense."

Gu Yan's gaze sharpened, and he instantly extinguished the campfire, plunging the temple into darkness. He concealed his aura, and the Hidden Light Sword was drawn three inches from its sheath.

Not long after, a rustling sound came from the muddy road outside the temple, mixed with inhuman guttural noises.

Through the crack in the dilapidated door, Gu Yan saw a group of strange figures.

They largely retained their human form, with twisted joints, unsteady movements, and pale, swollen skin, some areas even ulcerated and oozing pus. Their eye sockets contained only two eerie green spots of light.

"Corpse puppets? Or corrupted water ghosts?" These things don't seem to be strong individually, but there are quite a few of them, and they are in a strange state. They seem to be driven by some kind of force, wandering aimlessly among the hills, as if searching for something.

Just then, one of the corpse puppets seemed to smell the lingering scent of a living person, and swayed as it turned toward the River God Temple, its empty gaze fixed on the temple gate.

Gu Yan gripped the hilt of the knife tightly.

However, another, clearer set of footsteps came from the other side of the rain curtain, rapidly approaching. The footsteps were steady and light, quite unlike the dragging of the corpse puppets.

A cold female voice rang out, filled with obvious disgust and murderous intent: "As expected, filth breeds here! The purification talisman array of Lin Yuan City has been neglected for many years, allowing the evil energy of the Black River to seep into this place with the rainwater, and even giving birth to these inhuman creatures."

Before the words were finished, several sharp silver beams tore through the rain, precisely grazing the corpse puppets near the temple gate. The puppets, like wax figures being sliced ​​by scorching blades, hissed with white smoke, instantly stiffened and collapsed to the ground, turning into puddles of foul-smelling black water that mingled with the mud.

The remaining corpse puppets immediately stirred, their eerie green eyes all turning towards the direction from which the attack was coming.

A slender figure entered Gu Yan's limited field of vision. The newcomer was dressed in a neat black outfit, covered with a raincoat, and wearing a bamboo hat, obscuring her face. However, she stood tall and straight, holding a slender longsword that gleamed with a cool, moonlit light. Her aura was pure and sharp, completely out of place with the surrounding filthy demonic and deathly energy.

"Is she a sword cultivator? Or someone from the government?" Gu Yan's heart stirred slightly. This woman's moves were swift and decisive, her sword light upright and clear, clearly restraining such evil things. It was slightly different from the Taoist methods of Longhu Mountain or the methods of imperial edicts, leaning more towards the traditional way of swordsmanship to exorcise demons.

The woman in black had clearly noticed someone inside the temple; she slightly raised her hat and glanced towards the temple gate. At this moment, the horde of corpse puppets was enraged, howling and lunging at her. She had no time to spare; with a cold snort, she wielded her longsword, transforming it into a chilling halo that shielded her completely. Simultaneously, she unleashed precise sword strikes, each blow turning a corpse puppet into black liquid.

Her swordsmanship was concise and efficient, without any unnecessary frills, clearly the result of countless hours of practice. Gu Yan secretly assessed that this woman's swordsmanship was quite impressive, probably equivalent to a first-rate master in the martial arts world, and her technique was specifically designed to counter demons and evil spirits, making her more than capable of dealing with these miscellaneous corpse puppets.

The battle was quickly drawing to a close. As the last corpse puppet was shredded by the sword light, another anomaly occurred!

From the depths of the hills, towards the river that exuded an eerie aura, a muffled roar suddenly echoed, as if a colossal beast were churning in the water. Immediately afterward, a demonic aura ten times stronger than that of the corpse puppets, carrying immense water pressure and a frenzied resentment, shot skyward, disrupting the swirling rain!

The woman in black clearly noticed as well; her grip on her sword tightened slightly, and she turned her face beneath her bamboo hat toward the river, her tone grave: "There's another big one... a river demon attracted by the evil aura? No, this aura..."

Before she could finish speaking, the ground suddenly trembled! A massive, tentacle-like monster, covered in slippery black scales and studded with suckers, burst through the mud on the distant riverbank, crashing down towards the woman in black with a tidal wave of mud and a stench! At the end of the tentacle, a round mouth covered with sharp teeth could be vaguely seen, opening and closing continuously!

The monster's true form seemed to still be hidden in the river, with only a part of its limbs protruding. However, its power far surpassed that of the previous corpse puppet, and its demonic aura was overwhelming, reaching the level of a transformed demon. Moreover, due to the long-term taint of the Black River's evil energy, it appeared exceptionally mad and filthy.

The woman in black's expression changed, clearly not expecting such a ferocious creature. She let out a sharp cry and retreated swiftly, while her longsword erupted with dazzling light, sending out a condensed, almost tangible, arc-shaped sword aura that slashed towards the terrifying tentacle that was crashing down.

"clang--!"

With a deafening roar, the sword energy struck the black scales of the tentacle, sending sparks flying and leaving only a shallow, indistinct mark, failing to sever it completely! The tentacle merely twitched violently in pain, then swept forward at an even faster speed, the foul wind it generated forcing away the surrounding rain!

The woman in black was too late to dodge and was about to be swept away by the tentacles!

A dark gray blade of light, like a venomous snake that had been lying in wait for a long time, silently emerged from the shadows of the dilapidated temple!

The blade's light wasn't dazzling; in fact, it was somewhat dim, yet it carried a resolute will to sever all abnormalities and devour all evil. The blade sliced ​​through the air with an unpredictable trajectory, seemingly distorting light and perception, striking with pinpoint accuracy the white mark left on the tentacle by the sword energy!

【Candle Shadow - Obscure and Bright Slash】--Activated with the Eight-Headed Shadow Blade!

The dark gold snake patterns on the blade suddenly shone brightly, unleashing a terrifying devouring power! The incredibly tough black scales, the knotted muscles, and even the surging filthy demonic power within them were forcibly torn apart and devoured the moment the blade touched the body, as if encountering their natural enemy!

The thick tentacle snapped off instantly! No blood gushed from the cut, only a thick, dark brown liquid seeped out, quickly drying and shrinking, as if all its essence had been plundered by that single cut!

"Awooo—!!!"

A roar of extreme pain and rage echoed from the depths of the river, shaking the ground violently. The remaining half of the tentacle recoiled into the water as if electrocuted, stirring up towering waves. The immense demonic aura also receded like the tide, quickly moving away, clearly having suffered a great loss and daring not to show itself again.

The woman in black stood with her sword in hand, slightly out of breath. Her gaze, hidden beneath her bamboo hat, was filled with shock and curiosity, fixed on the figure that had appeared at the temple entrance at some unknown time.

Gu Yan slowly sheathed his sword. A satisfied hum emanated from Huiming, the blade seeming to grow even more solid, and the awakening of Orochi's power subtly increased. His previous strike had utilized the "Darkness" characteristic of Zhuyin's Breath for a surprise attack. More importantly, Huiming seemed to possess an extraordinary restraining and devouring effect on these "aquatic" and "filthy" demons, perhaps related to the fused Orochi's power.

The rain had lessened considerably at some point.

Gu Yan glanced at the woman in black, nodded slightly as a greeting, and then prepared to turn and leave. He didn't want to cause any further trouble.

"Please wait, sir," the woman in black spoke up. "Thank you for your help earlier. I am... Liu Hanyan, a patrolling disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, ordered to investigate the leak of evil energy from the Black River and the strange events in the vicinity. Your skills are extraordinary, and your swordsmanship... is even more unique. May I ask your name? And why are you here so late at night?"

Heavenly Sword Sect? Gu Yan recalled that Team Leader Wang had mentioned it as one of the most famous Daoist sects in the world, on par with Longhu Mountain and Maoshan Mountain. They specialized in swordsmanship and took it upon themselves to subdue demons and protect the common people. No wonder their swordsmanship was so authentic and had such a strong ability to restrain evil.

"Gu Yan is merely a wandering cultivator," Gu Yan replied briefly. "I was just passing through and seeking shelter from the rain. Since Miss Liu is on official business, she must be very busy. I will not disturb her and will take my leave now."

Liu Hanyan stepped forward, lifting her bamboo hat to reveal a beautiful yet spirited face. Her eyes were clear and sharp as she carefully examined Gu Yan and the sword behind him: "A rogue cultivator? Brother Gu is too modest. That strike just now was far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary rogue cultivator. The intent of the sword... seemed to carry a sense of time shifting and uncertainty, and also a... ancient, fierce aura, yet it was also dignified and righteous, specifically designed to subdue evil spirits. It is truly unheard of."

She paused, her tone turning serious: "Brother Gu, are you aware that the area around Lin Yuan City, including the Blackwater River basin, has been quite turbulent lately? Besides the mysterious leak of the Blackwater River's malevolent energy that's giving rise to demonic energy, an imperial envoy has secretly arrived, seemingly investigating something. The Qingqiu Fox Clan in the city is also behaving strangely. A storm is brewing, and Brother Gu's presence here at this time, coupled with your extraordinary abilities, might draw you into unnecessary trouble."

Her words, though seemingly a reminder, were actually a test.

Gu Yan's expression remained unchanged: "Thank you for informing me, Miss Liu. My ambition lies in the East China Sea, and I have no intention of getting involved in this conflict. Today's events are purely coincidental. I hope we meet again someday. Farewell."

Seeing Gu Yan's resolute intention to leave, and his heavy, wary demeanor, Liu Hanyan knew she wouldn't get any more information and didn't press him to stay. She cupped her hands and said, "Since that's the case, I won't insist. Brother Gu, if you go to the East Sea, you must be extremely careful. The East Sea has been quite turbulent lately, with unpredictable events and rumors that spacetime is chaotic deep within the Misty Reef, where something terrible might happen. Take care."

"Take care of yourself."

Gu Yan said no more, and with Jinbao in tow, his figure quickly disappeared into the gradually ceasing rain and the darkness before dawn.

Liu Hanyan stood there, gazing in the direction he had left. After a long while, she murmured to herself, "The breath of the Candle Dragon? The eight evil spirits? What is this person's background...? Will the 'variable' that Master spoke of manifest in this person?"

She shook her head, turned to look at the ravaged battlefield and the Blackwater River that still exuded an eerie aura, her brows furrowed: "The most urgent task is to find out the source of the leaking evil energy, and what the imperial court and Qingqiu are plotting..."

As dawn broke, the last vestiges of night and rain clouds were dispelled.

Gu Yan had already left the hills and was hurrying towards Wanghai Town. Jinbao on his shoulder whispered the news he had just heard from an early-rising field mouse: Wanghai Town seemed to have seen many unfamiliar faces recently, including merchants, wandering swordsmen, and even some disguised... officials.

(Draft)