Chapter 237: Four “People” Gather

The sunset burned like fire, casting its glow over Shengxian River. As the river rippled, it stirred up vivid red “ribbons” in the water, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Fishing boats lined the riverbank, with fishermen either resting and eating on board or securing their boats to the shore. As the sun dipped westward, the once-bustling riverside gradually grew quiet.

Shengxian River had a unique terrain—its waters formed a circular lake, with four tributaries extending in the four cardinal directions. The four villages of Four Corners Town were built along these tributaries, each one relying on a different branch.

Thus, roads had been constructed along these tributaries, leading to the four villages in the east, south, west, and north.

As night fell and the riverside became deserted, four figures simultaneously appeared on these four main roads.

From the west came a charming woman, appearing to be around thirty years old. She wore a thin gauzy dress that failed to conceal her voluptuous figure. Her fox-like eyes radiated seduction—just one glance from her could send countless men into a trance.

From the east arrived a stout man, wearing a sweatband on his head and pushing a wooden cart filled with various items covered by a tattered cloth. The cloth was riddled with holes, through which the glint of gold and silver could be seen.

From the north came a person dressed in a white opera costume. Although his facial features were distinctly male, his skin was eerily pale, almost translucent. Clad entirely in white and illuminated by the moonlight, he looked like a wandering vengeful ghost.

From the south approached a tall butcher, wielding two pig-slaughtering knives. The apron around his neck was stained with dried blood—a single glance made it clear what his profession was.

Despite their starkly different appearances and auras, the four of them converged at the riverbank.

The voluptuous woman parted her red lips. “This Shengxian River truly lives up to its name—it’s a place of spiritual energy and beauty.”

“The river’s fresh catch is indeed excellent. No wonder two emperors of Great Wu were so obsessed with it,” the cart-pushing man laughed heartily.

“Oooh~ such a beautiful sight… it moves me to tears~ Oooh~” The eerie wailing came from the opera-clad youth, and upon closer inspection, tears were indeed rolling down his cheeks in streams.

Clang! Clang!

The butcher scraped his wide-backed knives together. “You damn wailing ghost, stop crying! You’re annoying as hell!”

“If you have something to say, spit it out! Don’t waste our master’s time!”

Hearing this, the opera-clad youth sobbed even harder. His ghostly cries startled birds from the nearby forest, sending them flapping skyward—yet before they could fly far, they suddenly plummeted back to the ground, convulsing briefly before dying.

Slash!

The butcher, a man of violent temperament, swung his blade without hesitation, cleanly decapitating the opera-clad youth.

However, even with his head rolling on the ground, the youth continued sobbing, his tears now falling even faster…

At that moment, the voluptuous woman spoke soothingly. “Sorrowful Ghost, stop crying. We’ve had a day to scout—have you all finished gathering information on Four Corners Town?”

“Tell me, is there any formidable resistance?”

“The West Corner Village has none. Just a few Golden Guards from Great Wu, but they’re nothing more than lecherous wretches, utterly drained of Yang energy. No threat at all,” the cart-pushing man sneered.

The butcher scowled impatiently. “Nothing troublesome on my end. Easy work.”

“Oooh~ there’s a little girl on my side… she’s so adorable in every way, but she carries an absurdly long iron sword,” the opera-clad youth sobbed, pausing briefly before continuing. “That sword reeks of murderous intent. Just one look and you can tell she’s not someone to be trifled with…”

“Why is my fate so miserable… everyone else gets the easy tasks, and only I have to deal with such a terrifying person…”

The voluptuous woman cleared her throat and chuckled. “So, it seems Four Corners Town poses no real obstacles.”

“A single temple, a lone temple guardian, a sword-carrying girl, and a bunch of cowardly Golden Guards…”

“The first three might have unknown depths, so we should proceed cautiously. But as for those Golden Guards? They’re not even worth worrying about—disposing of them along the way will be effortless.”

Clang! Clang!

“Are we done? If we are, I’m heading back,” the butcher grumbled, glaring at the opera-clad youth’s severed head and repeatedly grinding his blade, as if itching to chop it into mincemeat.

The voluptuous woman gently tapped the butcher’s chest with a slender finger. “Now, now, Angry Ghost, don’t be so hasty… Didn’t our master instruct you all to listen to me?”

“Four Corners Town may be small, but the mission we’re carrying out for our master is of utmost importance. We must be careful—we cannot afford any missteps.”

“Now, let me ask you—during yesterday’s reconnaissance, did anyone cause any unnecessary trouble?”

The butcher snorted. “No.”

“Oooh~ my fate is so miserable… no, I didn’t… how tragic…” the opera-clad youth sobbed.

Noticing that the cart-pushing man had yet to answer, the voluptuous woman furrowed her delicate brows. “Tan Chang, you didn’t do anything reckless, did you?”

“Hehehe~~~” The cart-pulling man scratched his head, grinning foolishly as he said, “It’s nothing major. I just saw a Golden Guard from the External Agents Division wandering alone, and before I knew it, I fished up his soul…”

“You know how I am… When I see a lone soul, I just can’t help myself… But don’t worry, no one noticed us.”

“Reckless fool!” The voluptuous woman snapped coldly. She gracefully stepped forward, reached out her right hand, and said flatly, “Give me the soul! And don’t you dare tell me you’ve already refined it… I’ll be very angry…”

“Wuuu wuuu wuuu~ Yin Chang is angry~ So scary~”

Seeing the serious expression on the voluptuous woman’s face, the cart-pulling man chuckled while fumbling around his cart for a moment. Then he pulled out a clay jar about the size of a fist. “I haven’t refined it. I just fished it up for fun. It won’t cause any trouble.”

The voluptuous woman snatched the jar from his hands, lifted the lid, and glanced inside with her alluring eyes. But in the next instant, her charming face twisted into a hideous expression, like a demon crawling out of hell.

“Where’s the soul?”

“Huh?” The cart-pulling man peered inside the jar, only to find it completely empty.

“That’s not right!”

“I clearly put it in here!”

“I didn’t even get the chance to take it out and play with it yet!”

The voluptuous woman suddenly grabbed the cart-pulling man by the throat. With just a slight squeeze, his neck went limp.

“Look at the mess you’ve made!”

“The master warned us over and over—before the job is done, we must not cause any complications!”

“You really don’t take our master seriously, do you?”

With his neck bent like a noodle, the cart-pulling man quickly pleaded, “Don’t panic, don’t panic! I must not have sealed the lid properly, and he slipped away. I’ll find a way to get him back. At a time like this, you mustn’t tell our master about this!”