Chapter 31: Two Groups in the Torrential Rain

Rain at the turn of spring and summer comes without warning.

After several flashes of lightning and thunder, the wind howls and the rain pours down in torrents.

The downpour is so fierce it seems as though the sky has been pierced, and the Milky Way spills down onto the mortal world.

Shang Lu gave a few words of advice to his parents, then looked at Third Lady. He was about to tell her to stay at home when her gentle voice drifted to his ears.

“Don’t leave me behind. I’m not afraid of thunder and lightning.”

“Huh?”

Shang Lu was surprised—not at Third Lady’s uncanny sense of his thoughts, but that she was not afraid of thunder and lightning.

Are ghosts not supposed to fear thunder and lightning? Was Third Lady somehow different?

Still, it was good news that she did not fear the storm.

With her help, Shang Lu felt even more confident.

“Very well. We'll go together as husband and wife to slay the villains!”

He smiled and nodded in agreement.

Clad in a rain cloak and wearing a bamboo hat, he tucked the oil-paper umbrella where Third Lady resided into his arms. He then bade farewell to his parents and pushed open the door to the main hall.

Outside, the rain lashed down, washing the earth with a muddy scent. Even the bloodstains lingering by the door were swept clean.

The torrential rain also drove the villagers of Shuanggui, who had clustered in groups to discuss Shang Lu and the Black Wind Gang, back into their homes.

So when Shang Lu stepped out, no one saw him.

Everyone believed he was at home fulfilling his filial duties, not knowing he was braving the storm to rid the town of its scourge.

As soon as Shang Lu entered the rain, the oil-paper umbrella where Third Lady dwelled sprang from his arms, opened, and hovered above his head, sheltering him from wind and rain.

Though lightning flickered overhead, thick clouds blotted out the sun, so Shang Lu did not worry that sunlight would harm Third Lady.

He glanced at her graceful silhouette beneath the umbrella, then at his rain cloak, and wisely said nothing more. Instead, he reached out to grasp the umbrella handle and spoke softly, “Let me hold it.”

Third Lady let go, gently leaning against his shoulder.

Were it not for the sword on his back and his swift pace, they might have seemed like a young couple strolling through the rain.

Running swiftly, Shang Lu voiced a question that had troubled him for some time.

“How did you make it back? You didn’t really fly all the way here, holding your umbrella?”

If she had been exposed to the sun too long, she might have been hurt. But she looked unharmed.

And if she had indeed flown back with her umbrella, surely the villagers or travelers would have noticed.

Yet Shang Lu had heard no one speak of such a thing on his way home.

“At the village gate, the temple, incense offering…”

Third Lady’s voice was always faint and indistinct; now, with the rain pounding, Shang Lu could barely catch a few words.

Fortunately, they had developed a mutual understanding. Even these scattered words allowed Shang Lu to guess her meaning.

“You mean, the incense I offered at the old master’s temple at the village gate allowed you to teleport here directly from your home in the county?”

“Yes,” Third Lady nodded.

Shang Lu clicked his tongue in amazement. He had not expected the incense at the old master’s temple to have such an effect—it was like activating a teleportation point on a map.

No wonder when he returned to Shuanggui Village last time, Third Lady had reassured him not to worry about his parents’ safety. She had already prepared to rush back and protect them at any moment.

Perhaps she had also left some means at home to keep watch over his parents.

Such was Third Lady’s nature—always quietly giving, never seeking credit or complaining.

“Oh, Third Lady, must you be so good? It makes me feel I hardly deserve you.”

Shang Lu joked, and she gently tapped him, telling him not to say such nonsense.

On leaving the village gate, Shang Lu made a deliberate stop at the old master’s temple beneath the two osmanthus trees, offering a fresh stick of incense to the deity within.

It was both to thank the temple for helping teleport Third Lady and for saving his parents, and also to ensure that the teleportation was not a one-time thing—offering incense to activate another point.

Strangely, though the rain poured outside, not a drop entered the tiny temple.

Even the incense and candles in the brazier were untouched by wind or water.

The candlelight glowed, and smoke curled upward.

After offering incense, Shang Lu left the village, hurrying along the official road toward Luoshui County.

But he did not run on the road itself; instead, he sped through the fields beside it.

Though the rain was heavy, Shang Lu, using the Bird Step technique, moved swiftly, his speed astonishing.

His energy and blood circulated endlessly through his meridians, ensuring his stamina.

The sudden downpour caught many travelers on the road unprepared, leaving them nowhere to shelter, so they hurried on through the rain.

On his way to the county, Shang Lu spotted some familiar faces in the crowd.

“Isn’t that Shi Fan and Chu Xing?”

Both had once served as white-ranked constables under Shang Lu, but later, believing he would fail the performance evaluation, they switched allegiance to Sun Ying.

Unfortunately, Sun Ying still failed to become a senior constable, leaving Shi Fan and Chu Xing regretful. Embarrassed to return to Shang Lu or join another senior constable, they continued to follow Sun Ying.

The others traveling with Shi Fan and Chu Xing were familiar as well—all white-ranked constables who had clustered around Sun Ying that day.

Because of the dim light, the misty rain, and Shang Lu’s deliberate concealment off the road, Shi Fan and Chu Xing did not notice him.

But Shang Lu saw them clearly.

“They aren’t with Sun Ying? Why are they leaving the city?”

He was surprised.

Third Lady, leaning against him, suddenly raised her hand and pointed in a direction.

Shang Lu watched as Shi Fan, Chu Xing, and their group turned at a crossroads, heading where Third Lady pointed.

There stood a towering mountain.

“They’re going to Yunhua Mountain?”

Shang Lu wondered, “Did Captain Ma suspect my cultivation’s advancement is tied to the strange mist of Yunhua Mountain, and send them to investigate?”

Whatever Captain Ma’s intentions, sending men to investigate the mysteries of Yunhua Mountain was a good thing.

If not for needing to keep his presence hidden, Shang Lu would have warned these white-ranked constables to be cautious—to investigate, but not recklessly enter the mysterious mist and risk danger.

“Shi Fan and Chu Xing have previously investigated the strange events at Yunhua Mountain with Du Feng; they should know the risks and won’t take unnecessary chances.”

Shang Lu withdrew his gaze and continued on with Third Lady.

The Bird Step was perfect for traveling. Before long, Shang Lu had covered more than half the distance.

At that moment, he encountered three more people hurrying through the rain.

They were from the Black Wind Gang.

Why would Black Wind Gang members leave the city in such heavy rain? Were they headed for Shuanggui Village?

Shang Lu’s heart stirred. He suddenly leaped onto the official road and blocked their path.

The Black Wind Gang men were startled, thinking they were being ambushed. They quickly reached for the daggers hidden beneath their rain cloaks.

They shouted, arrogant and threatening:

“Who’s this mangy dog blocking our way? Don’t you know Luoshui County is Black Wind Gang turf? Want us to spill your blood?”