Knife splashing

Chapter 163 Gunshots in the Dark
It has been said since ancient times that rhinoceros horn has psychic powers.

There is a story in the Book of Jin:
When the famous official Wen Qiao returned to Wuchang, he arrived at Niuzhuji, where the water was unfathomable. According to local legend, there were many monsters beneath the water, so Wen Qiao ordered people to light rhino horns to keep watch.

Soon, monsters from the water came to cover the fire. They had strange shapes and some were riding in carriages and wearing red clothes.

Wen Qiao was surprised to see this, but that night he dreamed of a man who angrily said to him, "You and I are different in spirit and spirit, and we do not bother each other. Why do you want to shine on us?"

Later, Wen Qiao suffered a stroke and died within ten days.

Curiosity killed the cat.

And in the Southern Dynasties' "Yiyuan", there is also a saying: People dare not burn raw rhinoceros horn. When burned, it produces a strange fragrance. If it gets on people's clothes, people can communicate with ghosts.

Since then, the belief that rhinoceros horn can communicate with spirits has become widely known among the people.

Even the ability to see through evil is called "burning the rhinoceros" or "rhinoceros illumination."

Later, many people were equally curious and lit the rhino horns, but they saw nothing and thought it was just nonsense, so they just laughed it off.

Of course, they don’t know that ordinary rhino horns are useless.

Zhao Luzi, the treasure-hunting man, once told Li Yan about this matter.

Rhinoceros have existed in China since ancient times, and are divided into mountain rhinoceros and water rhinoceros.

Water rhinos live by the river and have developed spirituality. After gaining some spiritual power, they only eat poisonous grasses. They are kind-hearted by nature and will help detoxify people who are poisoned.

This spiritual beast is called Tongtian Rhinoceros.

Only the horn of the Tongtian Rhinoceros can communicate with ghosts and gods.

However, as the saying goes, "it is a crime to possess a treasure", the docile and gentle beast, the Tongtian Rhino, was hunted in large numbers.

To what extent were they killed?

"Guoyu" once recorded that Gou Jian scolded Fu Chai: Now Fu Chai has 3,000 million soldiers wearing water rhinoceros armor. I am not worried about their lack of shame in ambition and conduct, but I am worried about their insufficient numbers.

One is to scold him for being unjust,
The second is to curse an army under his command.

This army was established using ancient secret techniques. The soldiers wore water rhinoceros armor and could command mountain spirits and ghosts along the way. When they marched, there were strong winds, flying sand and rocks, and they could be said to be elusive.

And there are more than one company that plays like this.

Today, water rhinos are extremely rare. Only in the Wu and Yue regions are they raised in blessed places and considered a blessing.

Normally, the power of the Tongtian Rhino is used to detoxify people. When the spirit beast dies of old age, its horn skin will be cut off and used as material for making magical instruments.

Since the rhinoceros horn is so precious, the soul-guiding incense is naturally not cheap.

This is because after the sea was opened, the price of Tongtian Rhinoceros was brought down by catching it from other places.

Of course, soul-guiding incense also has different grades.

High-quality goods not only contain a lot of rhino horn powder, but also have been worshipped for decades, so they have extraordinary spiritual charm.

When lit, it can illuminate ghosts and gods, replacing the ghosts and gods' yin-yang eyes.

The one in Li Yan's hand is of the lowest quality and can only attract nearby evil spirits.

Call ~
The soul-calling incense flickered, and a cold wind blew around.

The flames of the twelve lotus lamps also flickered.

Li Yan sat cross-legged, feeling a chill in his heart, as if he was in the underworld. Even the sound of wind and snow outside the cave became smaller and smaller.

Finally, there was dead silence.

Between heaven and earth, it seems that only these twelve candles are guarding the soul.

This is the "Yinshan Method of the Northern Emperor"!
The Yinshan Mountain he mentioned is not the mortal mountain range, but the Yinshan Mountain in the netherworld. It is rumored that this is where Yama, the Lord of the Ten Directions, resides.

In short, this method is to artificially create an underworld environment.

The method of spiritual practice emphasizes the unity of nature and man; therefore, according to the Luofeng Sutra, when building a tower, one must enter the spiritual orifice of a blessed place. Only by practicing there and having a strong innate qi can the tower be built successfully.

And now, Li Yan wants to use this artificially created evil land to force the Luofeng Mountain in his mind to rise, maintain the balance of yin and yang, and make Louguan quickly become stronger.

Call ~
The wind and snow outside the cave were getting stronger and stronger.

There were dense footprints on the snow, very dim, and they were covered by the wind and snow in a blink of an eye, but then more footprints appeared.

The smell of the soul-calling incense attracted ghosts to gather at the mass grave.

However, all the Yin creatures were just guarding the entrance of the cave.

To practice this method, one must have a protective treasure.

On the altar, the Three Elements Demon-Suppressing Coins, the Written Certificate, and the Divine Tiger Order were laid out in order, and the aura continued to spread, making the ghosts dare not step out of line even a single step.

However, the real threat is not them.

The evil energy on the mass grave continued to gather, causing strange phenomena in the cave: cold air was rising all around, and the light was getting dimmer.

The darkness seemed to have turned into a living thing, wanting to devour the light.

The twelve lotus lanterns serve as a guardian and also represent Li Yan's soul.

At this moment, the lights were suppressed to the size of green beans and seemed about to go out at any time.

Li Yanru walked alone in the endless darkness, with a rustling sound in his ears and unspeakable fear constantly rising in his heart.

The Beidi Sutra says: Those who practice this method should have great fearlessness and great fortune!
Leaving aside his luck, Li Yan practiced this method purely with the attitude that at worst he could extinguish a soul fire, thus putting life and death aside.

He kept his mind focused and the magic gestures in his hands kept changing.

It's so complicated that it's dizzying.

This is the secret of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

The human hand secretly corresponds to the yin and yang secrets, such as the Zi pattern at the base of the ring finger, the Chou pattern at the base of the middle finger, and the Yin pattern at the base of the index finger...

Make a circle of hand gestures to act on behalf of Heaven.

The character A is at the bottom of the index finger, the character B is in the middle of the ring finger, and the character C is at the top of the index finger...

Making a circle with your fingers represents the Earthly Branches, Heavenly Stems, the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams, all of which are spread between the two palms.

This is what the Yin Fu Jing says:

"The universe is in your hands, and all changes are in your body!"

As the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches revolved around, the Luofeng Mountain in the mind seemed to rise a lot higher. Yin energy instantly rose, making the light in the tower dim and uncertain.

This is the most dangerous moment!
Li Yan kept his mind focused and did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.

The tip of his thumb is placed at the base of his ring finger, and the other four fingers are bent and tightly clasped around the thumb, with the five fingers forming a ring, in line with the theory of the mutual generation of the five elements.

This method is called "Wu Gu", also known as the baby secret.

Infants have “weak bones, soft tendons, but a firm grip”, so this tactic not only aims to return to the original state, but also to restrain the soul gate, control the spirit door, and forcibly close the gateway to the spirit and soul.

Once it is discovered that the soul is damaged, it will be immediately repaired with the Daluo Dharmakaya.

Finally, after several consecutive consumptions, the yin and yang in the body were balanced again, the tower looked more ancient and heavy, and the mind became brighter and brighter.

Li Yan did not relax at all and started practicing the magic formula in his hand again.

This time, the practice went more smoothly.

When it came to the third time, there was no need for the assistance of the Daluo Dharmakaya.

Outside the cave, dense ghost lights lingered, as if in the underworld...

…………

Inside the dilapidated mountain temple, the bonfire was equally dim.

Yellow talismans were pasted on the door frames, windows, and beams. Even the ground was lit by candlelight, illuminating the surrounding coffins, creating an eerie atmosphere.

"Master Dao, how is it?"

Sharifei swallowed, his voice trembling.

Li Yan asked them to avoid it and set up a formation for protection.

He didn't care at first, but now he is really scared.

The wind and snow were howling outside the door. He could vaguely hear the howling of wolves, some rustling footsteps, and it seemed that there was a woman crying.

In the past, I couldn’t feel these things at all.

Sharifei stammered, "Master Dao, I remember you said that ordinary people would only notice these things when bad luck befalls them or they are about to die..."

"Don't be afraid."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly. "This is because the evil spirit is too strong. Brother Yan's method caused the evil spirit to rise and hundreds of ghosts gathered, which caused this abnormal situation."

He spoke lightly, but his brows were furrowed.

This method seems to be more dangerous than imagined.

Once something goes wrong, the consequences will be disastrous.

Wang Daoxuan had an idea and held the yellow yarrow talisman in his hand. As long as he noticed something unusual, he would use the Thousand Gold Bodyguard Spell to save people.

The two were nervous and waited until the end of midnight, when the unusual movement outside stopped and the sounds disappeared.

"Done?"

Sharifei asked quickly.

Wang Daoxuan was a little confused and shook his head, "Probably not yet. Brother Yan said that after the training is over, he will come out on his own. We should not get close to him easily."

"Uh, that's fine." Sharifei scratched his head.

However, after waiting for a while, even the thick evil aura had dissipated and sunk into the ground, but Li Yan still did not come back.

"I'm afraid something has happened, let's go!" Wang Daoxuan's face was solemn and he quickly stood up.

Bang!
Just then, a voice resounded through the night sky.

The two were immediately frightened.

"It's thundering?"

"No, never mind, save people first!"

The two immediately rushed out of the mountain temple and headed towards the cave...

…………

Li Yan did have some small problems.

Because the evil aura was too strong, he was now wrapped in a layer of ice, with his breathing and heartbeat almost non-existent.

The practice of "Northern Emperor Yinshan Method" was very successful. When he concentrated his mind, the Luofeng Mountain suddenly rose a lot higher, which meant that his Taoism also made a leap forward.

However, the strong evil energy caused his metabolism to drop to an extremely low level, and he concentrated his mind and body, in a state similar to that of a tortoise breathing.

He was not injured, but fell into a deep sleep and was difficult to wake up.

Bang!
The loud noise also woke him up.

When I regained consciousness, I felt a bone-chilling cold.

Click!

Li Yan shook violently, and the ice shell on his body shattered.

He stood up and saw that the soul-guiding incense had turned into ashes and the oil in the lotus lamps was almost exhausted.

These disposable magic weapons are no longer useful.

Li Yan didn't bother to pay attention to him. He kicked the huge tree at the entrance of the cave away and strode out. He just saw Wang Daoxuan, Sha Lifei and others running over.

"You almost scared me to death!"

Seeing that he was fine, Sharifei scolded with a smile.

Wang Daoxuan also breathed a sigh of relief.

Bang!
Just as he was about to speak, the strange loud noise appeared again.

Sharifei shrank his neck and looked around nervously, "Damn, what the hell is this? Could it be a zombie breaking into the coffin..."

"No."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance.

"This is gunfire!"

"Gunshots?!"

Sharifi was amused, "Could it be possible that we met someone in the same profession?"

This time they went up the mountain not just to practice.

Li Yan also brought out the flintlock rifle, intending to practice with it in this deserted mountain area where no one was around.

This thing is banned by the imperial court, and it will be troublesome if it is discovered.

But whether to use it or not is one thing, and whether it will work or not is another.

Needless to say, if Wang Daoxuan learns to use this thing, he can hit people within ten meters. If anyone attacks him while he is performing a ritual, he can let the other person know with just one shot. This is what a guardian magic weapon is!
And Li Yan, if he encounters a martial arts master, he can easily lure the man into making a move and then finish him off with one shot.

At worst, we can destroy the body afterwards.

They are not the only ones playing with gunpowder in the world.

When faced with a life-and-death crisis, who cares about the imperial edicts?

Wang Daoxuan also stroked his beard and smiled bitterly: "It seems that Brother Yan is right. Others have used it, so we can't stand still."

However, Li Yan's expression remained serious.

"This...I'm afraid it's not an ordinary gun."

…………

Wow!
The snow fell down, and the three of them slowly pushed aside the leaves.

The gunshot in the darkness was very far away, and even if Li Yan had supernatural powers, he couldn't smell it at all.

Fortunately, the sound occurred several more times and became more and more frequent. The three followed the sound and finally found a valley. They looked down through the trees from the top of the mountain.

Although the wind and snow were howling, we could still see clearly.

There were quite a few people gathered at the foot of the mountain, setting up tents and holding torches. It was apparently a small camp.

They were all dressed in black and their looks were quite familiar.

"It's the Duwei..."

Sharifei swallowed.

Li Yan nodded slightly and pressed down with one hand, signaling him to be quiet.

They were just the right distance apart at this moment.

If the enemy has secret sentries, he will not be able to hide them from his nose. And if there is a sorcerer in the enemy camp, this range will be beyond the limit.

Li Yan couldn't smell anything below, and those below couldn't detect them.

Around the camp, more than a dozen members of the Duwei Division were watching. Li Yan also found familiar faces, including Qianhu Chang Xuan, Baihu Guan Wanche, and the Taoist nun he had met when he first entered Chang'an.

Two men in black from the Duwei Division stood in front.

They all had flintlock rifles on their backs, but the distance was too far to see what type they were.

At the foot of the mountain, Guan Wanche raised his hand.

Whizzing!

Two vicious wolves suddenly jumped out of the iron cage.

They were extremely afraid of the men in black. As soon as they got out of the cage, they ran towards the mountain at a very fast speed and ran far away in a blink of an eye.

However, the two Duweisi members did not move.

"Do it!"

When the wolf ran two hundred meters, Guan Wanche suddenly gave an order.

The two members of the Duwei Division shook their guns at the same time, and the muskets hanging on their shoulders instantly appeared in their hands. With quick movements, they pulled the trigger and fired.

Bang!Bang!
With two loud bangs, the wolf's head shattered like a watermelon.

Sharifei's eyes widened and he gasped.

Even Li Yan frowned.

The power of this gun was beyond his imagination. An ordinary flintlock rifle was not so powerful.

The fire coming out of the muzzle was huge, which meant that the shooting distance could be even longer, and the sound was also terrifyingly loud.

After the shot was fired, the two members of the Duwei Division actually took a step back at the same time, obviously repelled by the huge force of the bullet.

This gun uses a new type of gunpowder!
Not only that, their accuracy was also amazing.

It looks like he didn't even aim with his eyes...

It's a warlock!
Li Yan just felt his mind go blank.

Warlock's perception, plus new gunpowder...

Times are indeed changing!

Seeing the Taoist nun coming forward to scold, Li Yan knew clearly that Guan Wanche invited this woman down the mountain in order to train shooters.

If I remember correctly, Hong Yaksha once said that the lineage to which Guan Wanche belongs is the most proficient in the art of talismans and arrows.

After shooting the wolf, the training is not over yet.

I saw several officers from the Duwei Division releasing Kongming lanterns, which slowly rose up, swaying left and right in the wind and snow, and flew higher and higher.

This time, the two gunmen did not shoot immediately. Instead, they quickly reloaded their guns and aimed carefully for a while.

Bang bang!

Two gunshots.

Not a single Kongming lantern was extinguished.

After seeing this, Li Yan immediately guessed the reason.

The distance was about 200 meters, still within the perception range of the two warlocks, and the gun's trajectory was stable, with the greatest lethality.

If the distance is too far, beyond the range of supernatural power perception, the gun will no longer be stable and the accuracy will naturally be much lower.

Even so, it's still astonishing.

With the power of this gun, if the distance is close and there are experts holding back, even a Baodan expert will be killed if hit by it.

At this point, many things come to mind.

Li Siyuan's promotion, gunpowder theft, changes in the Ministry of Works, the imperial court's order to strictly control the Xuanmen...

I'm afraid that the balance of the Daxuan Dynasty is about to be broken!

(End of this chapter)