Gu Yuan made up his mind on how to deal with these strange creatures and demons: one word – charge!
With a thunderous roar, Gu Yuan kicked open the gate of the mansion. The immense force slammed into the gate, causing the frame to shake and a cloud of dust to fall. Gu Yuan arrogantly strode into the mansion's courtyard.
What was once a beautiful garden was now shrouded in an eerie gloom. The once verdant plants had withered under the oppressive yin energy. Gu Yuan didn't stop; his senses told him the densest concentration of yin energy was in the back courtyard, and he had to traverse the entire mansion to get there. He licked his lips in anticipation, wondering what might happen on the way.
Gu Yuan unleashed his blood qi, dispelling the yin-infused surroundings and creating a pocket of pure ground. Confirming the direction of the back courtyard, he gripped his long saber and strode forward.
In the back courtyard of the mansion, by a withered well. The sealed well opening had been opened at some point, with broken stones still clinging to its edge. Thick, profound yin energy continuously surged from the well, spreading throughout the mansion. At the very bottom of the well sat a woman in white, her face a mangled mess as if she had been tortured. She was weeping softly, her form ethereal, but the yin energy she exuded was formidable. This was the concubine who had been tortured to death by the main wife of the mansion.
The concubine seemed to sense something, her weeping ceasing. Her seated form began to rise. Though translucent, it was clear she had a perfect figure, with a voluptuous body that hinted at her being a ripe, juicy peach in life.
"My lord~~" a mournful voice echoed, imbued with an emotion that would stir pity in any man's heart. The white-clad figure instantly dissolved into countless black wisps of energy, vanishing from the spot.
...
Meanwhile, Gu Yuan encountered his first opponent of the day. Gu Yuan stared at the mangled male fiend before him, his eyes twitching slightly. How deep was the animosity for this to happen! Judging by the clothes, this male fiend should be the master of the mansion, the concubine's husband: Merchant Wang. However, this Merchant Wang seemed to have been terribly tormented by his concubine. His lower body was a mass of flesh and blood, his face was flayed, his flesh cut into a thousand pieces, and in many places, bone was exposed. Especially around his nether regions, Gu Yuan felt a chill run down his own. Such deep hatred! Thankfully, Merchant Wang was now a fiend, and wouldn't have to endure the pain of his lower body.
Upon seeing Gu Yuan, Merchant Wang exuded dark yin energy, let out a roar, and transformed into a black smoke, rushing rapidly towards Gu Yuan.
A smile played on Gu Yuan's lips. The dormant blood qi within him erupted, instantly forming a blood qi battle banner that fluttered in the wind above his head. His long saber was enveloped in blood qi. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a bloody saber energy several feet long, slashing towards the black smoke that was Merchant Wang. The surrounding yin energy was instantly torn apart by Gu Yuan's saber energy, creating huge rents. As Gu Yuan's saber energy enveloped an area of over ten feet around him, Merchant Wang had no chance to dodge and was forced to endure the attack head-on.
A scream of agony erupted. One arm was torn off by Gu Yuan's saber energy and then melted by the scorching blood qi attached to it, dissipating into wisps of black smoke. Since Merchant Wang was a recently manifested fiend, his strength was not great. Gu Yuan could eliminate him with a wave of his hand; he was even weaker than the two demon suppressors guarding the entrance.
Gu Yuan slashed his long saber again. The crisscrossing saber energy cleaved the fiend form of Merchant Wang, which dissipated into black smoke. A wisp of black smoke was captured by the jade pendant at Gu Yuan's waist, slightly increasing his contribution points.
Sheathing his saber, Gu Yuan continued his advance. Along the way, he encountered the so-called main wife, the empress. Her appearance was even more tragic than Merchant Wang's, almost unrecognizable. This showed the depth of the concubine's resentment. Having just appeared, Gu Yuan eliminated her effortlessly, and she dissipated into black smoke.
Gu Yuan pressed onward. By the time he reached the back courtyard, he hadn't encountered a third fiend. It was likely that only the main figures of the mansion could become fiends. Gu Yuan looked at the back courtyard before him, sensing the intensely concentrated yin energy within, and a power that was not inferior to his own. He felt a surge of excitement. Gu Yuan forcibly suppressed his exhilaration, calmed his mind, and stepped into the back courtyard.
With a single step, heaven and earth transformed. The scene before Gu Yuan instantly turned black. Gu Yuan then remembered that fiends, in contrast to the human Blood Qi realm, could use vast amounts of yin energy to manifest their own domain, within which they could battle. This technique was incredibly insidious; many Xuan-rank demon suppressors were confused by fiendish domains each year and were devoured by the fiends. Gu Yuan was encountering this technique for the first time and proceeded with utmost caution.
Everything was pitch black. Suddenly, a faint voice reached his ears. It was a mournful voice, yet it held a hint of coquettishness, imbued with an emotion that could disarm any ordinary man and make them dote on the owner of the voice. Gu Yuan, of course, was not swayed by a mere voice. Following the source of the sound, Gu Yuan looked in that direction.
The darkness receded. A woman in a white dress appeared in his sight. Her figure was alluring, her hair cascaded to her waist, and her voluptuous, captivating form, even from a mere glimpse of her back, could ensnare a man's heart. Gu Yuan mused that it was no wonder the merchant's main wife had tortured this concubine to death; she was enough to mesmerize any man. However, this was not enough to test Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan watched the white-clad figure with a calm expression. "Husband~~~" the mournful voice echoed again, with a tantalizing allure. Gu Yuan's expression remained placid as he said, "I am not your husband. Your husband has long since been... dispatched." The white-clad woman's weeping instantly halted. She hadn't expected Gu Yuan to reply like that. A melodious voice resonated once more, "Husband, you jest. My husband has always been you~" Gu Yuan frowned. Why wasn't this woman listening to reason? He would have to guide her back to the righteous path. Let this demon suppressor deliver this female benefactor! Gu Yuan's body erupted with powerful blood qi, instantly melting a blank space in the pitch-black domain, revealing the environment of the back courtyard. His long saber was immediately enveloped in blood qi, and Gu Yuan transformed into a bloody streak of light, charging directly towards the white-clad fiend!