Daoist Qianhe: This Martial Nephew Doesn't Quite Seem Human

"Damn it, what kind of thunder arts are these!" The female demon cursed wildly in her heart, driving her escape art without pause as she tried to get away from this Daoist of the Maoshan Sect. Yet he clung to her heels and would not let up! Heaven have mercy. She had only wanted to tease that Abbess Whitebrow a little, then ask where the Seven-Star Witch was. And look how well that had turned out. The moment this stinking Daoist saw her, he uttered the single word "demon," and then blast after blast of thunder arts she could not make sense of came crashing down on her head. She had not even done anything yet. She had not even spoken. And she had not even started teasing that Abbess Whitebrow!! Was it her fault she had been born a demon? She wants to be a demon!! "Hmph!" Shi Jian gave a cold snort and once more brought forth the formless gathering-and-dispersing divine ability, turning into searing-white lightning as he gave chase. Even as he pursued, twelve identical red-and-blue light trails condensed around the body that had become searing-white lightning and followed close behind. As the iron beads took their places— Boom! Boom! Boom— The sight made Abbess Whitebrow, who had only just managed to catch up, stare wide-eyed and fall silent. She was beginning to understand what Shi Jian had meant by her being in the way! She did seem—indeed, perhaps, maybe—truly a tiny bit in the way. At least, that was what she thought when she saw this overbearing thunder art. "Hey, you bald—cough, cough. Abbess, how is it you can't understand what my master said? My master already told you not to disturb him while he exterminates demons. Why follow along and hold him back!" An arrogant voice rose behind Abbess Whitebrow. The speaker was none other than Shi Shaojian, flying along atop a wooden sword and looking down his nose at people. That looking-down-his-nose attitude of his did not last long. His eyes lit up when he saw Bai Min'er and Caiyi fly in by sword to Abbess Whitebrow's side. More precisely, Caiyi! After all, he had only just seen Bai Min'er! "Hello, my name is Shi Shaojian. I am the eldest disciple of Shi Jian, foremost of Maoshan's sixty-ninth-generation disciples. Miss, what is your name... Huh? Miss, why do you have my junior brother's jade pendant? Huh. It seems different. This jade pendant of yours seems to be the female one!" Thoughtful, Shi Shaojian studied the white jade cicada pendant in Caiyi's hand, the same kind as Liu Xiu's. Caiyi's lovely eyes went wide. "You're that idiot's senior brother!" "???" You know Liu Xiu? Hm? You're insulting my junior brother! Let me tell you—only I get to insult my junior brother! Shi·Hegemon Body·Shaojian frowned at Caiyi, who was not all that good-looking either, and simply felt this little miss was rather asking for a beating. Just like this troublesome old nun. "Caiyi, ignore him..." Bai Min'er chose that moment to twist the knife, whispering to Caiyi. Only her voice was a bit loud. Hearing it, Shi Shaojian felt his Hegemon Body stir, and his fists began to harden! He was going to avenge Liu Xiu. Yes. He was going to avenge the insult to Liu Xiu. It absolutely was not because of the way these two stinking women were looking at him, or because of their whispers about how lecherous he was! So thought Shi·Truehearted and Righteous·Shaojian! ...... The next day, at dusk. The twenty-ninth of the fifth month. Within Yulin, Fengling Town. "Nice name. Pity I didn't come by carriage!" And the meeting place was finally here! On the official road, Liu Xiu muttered to himself at the town's name written on the stone stele before him, glanced down at his travel-worn self, and walked into the town. Just as he thought of finding an inn to rest, he discovered a problem. Why did the townspeople look at him as if they had seen a ghost? "Do I look that much like a ghost?" Have you ever seen a ghost this handsome? Watching the fifth townsman shout "Ghost!" and turn to run, a puzzled Liu Xiu took a mirror from his storage thumb ring and looked at himself. His face was as handsome as ever. It was only that his complexion was somewhat deathly pale, because last night, aided by the Crimson Firmament Sword, he had taken far too many immortal-aspect medicinal herbs. Add in the green glow in his eyes from his jade-green eyes and square pupils, and all in all, he really did look quite a lot like a ghost! "Have you ever seen a ghost this handsome..." Liu Xiu muttered inwardly, feeling these townsfolk were utterly muddleheaded. Even so, he gave up the idea of staying at an inn. Nothing for it. He was afraid he would scare someone to death! "Forget it. First find someplace with no one around and rest a bit, then rein in this immortal-aspect state... and contact Daoist Qianhe while I'm at it, see where he's gotten to..." No sooner thought than done. Liu Xiu began looking for a place to rest. He still had not found one, and he still had not reached Daoist Qianhe. Using the Thousand-Li Voice Transmission basin Shi Jian had refined for him, Liu Xiu finished casting Thousand-Li Voice Transmission for the fifth time. "So the habit of not answering the phone has been around since this era..." Liu Xiu grumbled inwardly, speechless. He decided to call Daoist Qianhe again a little later, then started contacting Shi Jian to see when the other would arrive. A pity. Shi Jian was not picking up either! "..." So not answering has existed since ancient times, has it! Liu Xiu curled his lip and contacted Shi Shaojian through Thousand-Li Voice Transmission. Shi Shaojian answered, but before his face even appeared he said, furious: "No bother, I let his family = 0" "???" Liu Xiu was completely baffled. Instinctively he tried to translate it in his head, and soon the translation came out as follows: Don't bother me. I'm going to kill its whole family! No—who taught you this English? Oh, I did. Then never mind! Certain he had never taught Shi Shaojian any such thing, Liu Xiu secretly thought the other's gift for languages was simply terrifying. Then he looked at the spell water that, the call having been hung up, had flowed back into the basin. "Why do I get the feeling he got beaten by Master again?" Liu Xiu rubbed his chin and thought it over. He understood. Shi Shaojian must have failed to pick up a girl and been beaten by Shi Jian for it. Then gone off to slaughter demons and monsters to vent! "This anger feels a bit off, though. Surely it can't be that he failed to pick up the girl and got beaten up by the girl herself..." Liu Xiu put the basin away, his thoughts running wild. Liu Xiu stood and looked around. Just as he was wondering where he would stay tonight and what he would eat, a voice that sounded thoroughly in need of a beating came from the next alley, together with the rumble of wheels as an axle rolled over blue-gray bricks. "Hey, careful there. And what are you four standing around for? Get over here and help already. Honestly..." "Dong, Nan, Xi, Bei..." A helpless voice sounded. Hearing it, Liu Xiu's brows lifted, and his figure vanished swiftly down the empty alley. At the same time, in the neighboring alley. Daoist Qianhe frowned as he watched his four disciples helping push the bronze-cornered golden coffin, and unconsciously murmured: "No telling when Senior Brother will arrive..." "Uh, probably not anytime soon!" "Hm? How do you know... A ghost!" "A ghost..." ×4+13+1... The general scene was roughly as follows! (■.■) Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ(ﾟ⊿ﾟ)ﾂΣ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)... "Martial Uncle, it's me! I'm Liu Xiu!" Seeing the peach-wood sword Daoist Qianhe thrust at him, Liu Xiu immediately backed away as he spoke. Daoist Qianhe gave a cold laugh. "What a fine fiend, daring to impersonate my martial nephew!" His strike having missed, Daoist Qianhe looked at the thing before him. Its skin was deathly white from head to toe, its face bloodless, both eyes glowing green. The shadow beneath its feet was dim. Not only was there not the slightest yang qi about it, but wisps of baleful qi circled it from head to foot. He shot a look straight at his four disciples! While Daoist Qianhe was signaling with his eyes, Vice Minister Wu was doing the same. Panic on his face, he hid behind the Qing soldiers and waved his handkerchief at the three imperial palace experts! "What are you three standing there for? Hurry and strike—kill this fiend..." "Yes!" ×3 The three imperial palace experts answered and prepared to move. Seeing this, Vice Minister Wu hurriedly turned toward the Seventy-First Prince seated in the sedan chair. "Your Highness the Seventy-First Prince, rest assured. With this servant here, nothing will be allowed to happen to you..." Bang! Bang! Bang... A string of gunshots frightened Vice Minister Wu into screaming. Shouting "Protect His Highness! Protect His Highness!", he scrambled up onto the sedan chair, clutched the Seventy-First Prince, and ran. He had not run more than a few steps before he discovered a problem. Why was he the only one running? Where was everyone else? Had they all been shot dead? Vice Minister Wu looked back on instinct. What met his eyes was that handsome ghost making a gesture, then striking up a chat with Daoist Qianhe. "???" What was going on? This handsome ghost was not a ghost? Vice Minister Wu stopped running, only to hear Daoist Qianhe say in an odd tone, "Martial nephew, you... how is it you don't quite seem human?" "..." I'd say the space between your brows is looking a bit dark! Expressionless, Liu Xiu looked at Daoist Qianhe!