Wayfarer

Chapter 291: The Red Rope's Might

In the deep of night, dark clouds covered up the moon, occluding even the incident moonlight.

Thousands of shadows crept through the darkness like fish in water, skulking into Yongding and swarming toward the Xiao manor.

At the same time, cultivators from all manner of Immortal sects had headed to Yongding to evaluate Xiao Nanfeng's suitability as a leader to whom they might pledge their allegiance. As a result, the Xiao manor was under surveillance at all times.

The shadows might have been able to trick the city guards and the common people, but the cultivators from Immortal sects quickly noticed something amiss.

"What's that? It moved so quickly. Was it a shadow?"

"The rumored shadow cursed effigies? I heard that they were roaming around Jingtao and seizing any cultivators in the area."

"There are so many of them. How could there be this many?!"

A few of the cultivators were so shaken that chills ran down their backs. They knew just how frightening shadow cursed effigies were. A single one could destroy a small Immortal sect; these droves left them with fear and despair.

"They're headed toward the Xiao manor!"

"Xiao Nanfeng's been targeted by the shadow cursed effigies. He's dead meat!"

"We have to leave. These shadows might slaughter the entire city of Yongding!"

The cultivators hurriedly gathered their disciples and prepared to flee.

Just then, the first shadow arrived at the Xiao manor. It widened its mouth, revealing sawtooth-like teeth. Its eyes gleamed. The Spirit Emperor forbade them from wholesale slaughter in public, but Envoy Ying had promised that they could eat all the humans of this city if they took down Xiao Nanfeng. It could eat its fill!

The shadow cursed effigy leapt over the gate, ready to enter the Xiao manor and unleash carnage.

Just then, a length of red rope fell from the skies and looped around its neck in a sinister fashion. It drew taut and caused the shadow to hang in the sky as if it were committing suicide.

The shadow struggled furiously, attempting to tear apart the red rope, but the red rope seemed nigh impervious to damage. The more the shadow struggled, the tighter it grew, until it was keening in pain as it contorted its body.

The other shadows that had approached the Xiao manor were suffering the same fate. Loops of red rope had fallen from the sky and tightened around their necks.

Within moments, there were a few dozen shadows hanging in the air and furiously struggling.

"Save us!" the shadows cried out.

"This red rope—it's a cursed effigy!" the other shadows exclaimed.

The shadows stopped short and looked up at the sky in surprise.

The fleeing cultivators within the city were astonished by what they were seeing.

"Senior Uncle, look at the Xiao manor!"

"Red rope? The red rope cursed effigy from the draconic palace?"

"Not just the shadows, but the red rope, too? What's going on with this cursed city?!"

The cultivators panicked all the more when they saw the red rope.

The shadow cursed effigies were only rumored to have caused the disappearance of cultivators in Jingtao, but the red rope cursed effigies were the nightmare of all the Immortal sects of the Eastern Sea. How many cultivators who had braved the perils of the Eastern Sea Draconic Palace had died because of the red rope? The sects had reclaimed the decaying corpses of their strongest cultivators; none knew precisely what had happened at the draconic palace, but everyone guessed that the red rope cursed effigies were to blame. The red rope was even more frightening than the shadows!

Some cultivators fled even more quickly, but others halted in their tracks.

"No, look! The red ropes seem to be protecting the Xiao manor!" someone exclaimed.

"What?!" A large number of cultivators looked dubiously at the speaker.

Just then, Xiao Nanfeng, clad in red, leapt into the air and onto the roof of the manor. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back as he glanced down at the shadows surrounding his manor.

"Are you here for me?" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

The shadows outside the manor howled, dozens of them shooting forward in beams of light, straight toward Xiao Nanfeng.

Lengths of red rope continued to fall from the sky, accurately looping around the shadows that were rushing into the manor. All the shadows that had recklessly charged forward were hung up in the air.

The other shadows stopped short and gaped. Some attempted to save their immobilized comrades, but all that tried were hanged themselves.

Just then, the dark clouds surrounding the bright moon floated away. Silver moonlight illuminated Yongding, allowing the cultivators all around to see a red cloud floating above the Xiao manor, lurid and garish. Red ropes peeked out of it, ready to dart down and loop around the necks of any interlopers.

"Envoy Ying, aren't you going to rescue your subordinates?" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

All the shadow cursed effigies looked expectantly toward a hilltop outside the city. Envoy Ying was standing there and observing the scene in shock.

The moonlight revealed hundreds of shadow cursed effigies hanging in the air, struggling in pain. Thousands more waited outside the Xiao manor, not daring to cross the threshold, as Xiao Nanfeng taunted Envoy Ying.

Envoy Ying remained silent for some time as it confirmed that the red cloud covered only the area around the Xiao manor. Only then did it fly into Yongding.

"Red Rope? This affair is between us and Xiao Nanfeng. Don't meddle needlessly lest you create unnecessary trouble for yourself," Envoy Ying demanded.

He believed that the red rope cursed effigies were helping Xiao Nanfeng of their own volition.

"These red ropes listen to me," Xiao Nanfeng replied coolly.

"Are they crazy? Cursed effigies, obeying a mortal cultivator?" Envoy Ying clearly doubted Xiao Nanfeng's words.

Within the city, countless cultivators were overhearing the conversation in shock. Cursed effigies looked down on ordinary cultivators; perhaps a rare few had been 'subdued' by one cultivator or another, but only for mutual cooperation and benefit.

"Has Xiao Nanfeng secured the assistance of these cursed effigies?"

"How would he dare? They could easily turn on him!"

"It does seem sinister, but if they really are willing to help Xiao Nanfeng conquer the world, who would be a match for him?"

Whispers abounded all around. Xiao Nanfeng didn't explain what he meant, because no one would ever believe that he had truly subdued the red rope cursed effigy.

"Go!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

Dozens of lengths of red rope shot straight toward Envoy Ying.

Envoy Ying thundered, "Red Rope, if you continue to assist Xiao Nanfeng, you'll be making us your enemies!"

Envoy Ying punched toward the red ropes, destroying dozens of lengths of rope, but even more multiplied and came his way from all directions.

At the same time, the red cloud in the air began to expand rapidly. Where it spread, red ropes fell from the sky. Envoy Ying grew progressively more flustered as it defended against the red ropes' assault.

Suddenly, a length of red rope managed to get past Envoy Ying's guard and looped around his neck.

Envoy Ying jerked in shock.

He was stronger than the red rope and able to tear it away from his neck, but the next moment, even more lengths looped around its limbs and neck. All the rope tugged on Envoy Ying at once.

"No!" Envoy Ying shouted.

However, it could do nothing as the red rope tore its body apart.

"Charge at Xiao Nanfeng! Make the red rope retreat and defend him, now!" shouted the dismembered parts of Envoy Ying's body.

All the shadows leapt toward Xiao Nanfeng, whereupon a red moon emerged behind his back. It grew larger and larger, brighter and brighter, until it illuminated all of Yongding.

"A red moon in the sky—Yin Body?!"

"Is there a cultivator at Yin Body in the Xiao manor? Is it Ku Jiang?"

"No, perhaps it's Xiao Hongye."

"This is the Taiqing red moon! No matter who it is, the cultivator must be one of the strongest members of the Taiqing Immortal Sect!"

The cultivators in the city were stunned by the appearance of a cultivator at Yin Body. They considered many possibilities, but none even dared to contemplate the notion that Xiao Nanfeng could have reached Yin Body himself. That would have been ridiculous.

Reaching Yin Body required a colossal amount of resources, and most cultivators would never reach such a realm in their lifetime.

They were aware that the red moon's master likely cultivated the Taiqing Yin Body. Allegedly, it was an abstruse cultivation technique that was harder to comprehend and harder still to cultivate. Reaching Yin Body with the Taiqing Yin Body would be a titanic feat, and Xiao Nanfeng was far too young to have accomplished it.

As the red moon floated into the sky and into the red cloud, it began to grow even more rapidly. Red rope fell from the cloud in torrents—from a few dozen lengths to hundreds of lengths in one fell swoop.

The shadows leading the charge toward Xiao Nanfeng found themselves trussed up and hung in the air.

Another few hundred shadows fell prey the next moment.

"Save us, Envoy Ying!"

"I'm choking!"

"Release me, Red Rope!"

In an instant, almost three thousand shadows were hanging in the air.

The red rope seemed to be able to multiply indefinitely. Roughly half the shadows remained freed, but they refused to step forward. Even Envoy Ying seemed to despair, unable to believe what had taken place.

"Red Rope, you have the power of an Immortal? Why would you help Xiao Nanfeng?!" Envoy Ying's head shouted.

The red rope continued to fall from the skies. Another thousand shadows were hung in the air.

The remaining shadows were shocked beyond belief. Realizing that their target was no easy prey but instead a frightening predator, they turned tail and ran.

"Hold it right there!" Keep rushing forward! The red rope's cursed spiritual power must have a limit. As long as you can exceed that limit, there won't be any more red rope. Don't run!" Envoy Ying shouted.

"Don't worry. None of them will be able to escape. They'll all accompany you." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

The red moon in the air released piercing crimson light that overshadowed even the actual moonlight in the night sky.

Everyone saw a frightening sight.

The red cloud expanded furiously, growing larger and larger until it covered up all of Yongding. A thousand lengths of red rope descended from the red cloud and hung up another thousand shadows.

The remaining shadows fled even more quickly, and the fastest had already made it to the city walls when even more red rope looped down and caught the few straggling shadows remaining.

Screams and shouts from the shadow cursed effigies filled the night sky.

The common people, awakened by the commotion, carefully peeked out of their windows and looked up toward the sky. A red moon shone down at them; red clouds hovered majestically in the sky. Pitch-black shadows hung from thousands of lengths of red rope, almost like a mass suicide. The scene was simultaneously eerie and imposing.