Knife splashing

Chapter 262 The Night is Dark and the Mist is Thick

"Good guy!"

The old man from the Duwei Division squatted down quickly, measured the ground with his hands, checked the broken branches around, and said in a trembling voice: "This tiger is too big, at least two meters tall!"

Everyone gasped.

Yang Chengzi of Zhenwu Palace looked a little bitter, "This tiger monster is probably a different species. There are at least three or four hundred villagers in the village, all of whom have turned into ghosts..."

"Friend Li, we can't handle this thing!"

Li Yan looked at the messy footprints going deep into the dense forest, and nodded solemnly, saying, "Find the altar in the village, destroy it, and then leave."

After saying this, he immediately led everyone back and headed straight for the ancestral hall in the village.

Unlike other places, this old ancestral hall was a brick, stone and wood structure that had also been burned down. The beams had collapsed, leaving only messy charred wood emitting blue smoke.

For most people, this is naturally not a problem.

The Duweisi's men wielded iron hooks and pulled apart the charred wooden beams one by one, and a secret door suddenly appeared on the ground.

The secret door was made of wood and was also burnt black.

Li Yan kicked it to pieces, pinched the spell and smelled it, murderous intent suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he walked straight in.

Everyone looked at each other and followed closely.

As soon as I entered the secret passage, the foul smell of corruption hit me in the face.

This tunnel is obviously very old. There are even mold and moss growing on the surrounding earthen walls. There are also some earthen holes on both sides, which are neatly arranged and connected to each other.

Captain Zheng took a look and said in a deep voice, "It is an ancient cave for hiding soldiers. This place should have been a military fortress in the past."

Following the tunnel forward, a circular cave soon appeared, and a strong smell of blood filled the air.

When everyone lit torches and took a look, their faces changed.

In the center of the cave, there stood a statue of a god, wearing a handsome robe, a towering crown on his head, with prominent brow bones, deep facial features, and a long beard hanging down to his chest. He looked like he had some foreign ancestry.

Li Yan had seen this statue before, it was none other than Tiansheng Gong.

In front of it stands an altar.

On the altar, there were more than a dozen human heads placed in order, and next to them lay an old man with disheveled hair, his eyes wide open and a face full of fear.

What was strange was that his chest and abdomen were neatly cut open, and it seemed as if some kind of power had exploded, causing his internal organs to splatter out and onto the ground.

Wang Daoxuan glanced at the altar, on which was enshrined a small black statue without a head, but covered with baby heads.

It should be that sharp-eyed god.

Next to the statue, there are small green paper clothes, paper armor, paper horses, and paper Guandao. If the statue were dressed in them, it would look exactly like the Headless Horseman!

"This is the method of the paper craftsman!"

Wang Daoxuan shook his head and said, "I have traveled around the world and learned this craft from an old man. The master's skills are average, but he is also a Taoist. The paper figures he made can collect ghosts."

"I heard from him that the powerful paper-making technique can be called a large-scale illusion technique. It can transform into immortals and Buddhas, palaces and temples. It is like a dream and lifelike."

"It seems that this person is the one who caused the trouble."

Li Yan looked at the neatly cut open chest and abdomen of the other party, his eyes full of fear, and turned his head to ask: "Fellow Daoists, have you ever seen this kind of magic?"

"It's the straw man spell."

The eyes of the Zhushan Sect's disciples were full of disbelief. "Using a straw man to cast a spell will either hurt the soul or make people sick. At most, it will be a poison."

"This curse can disembowel someone, I've never heard of it before."

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "It seems that the tiger demon's magic was the cause. Let's not provoke him for now. Let's wait until the masters of Zhenwu Palace arrive."

The strength of this tiger demon is even stronger than he imagined, and with so many corpses missing, there is most likely an army of minions.

It's no use relying on numbers.

To avoid accidents, it is better to leave first.

Anyway, the Zigai Cave and the arrangements of the "Headless Horseman" have been destroyed by them, so it is estimated that the conspiracy of the Tiansheng Sect will be difficult to succeed.

The others were not fools either. After seeing this horrific spell, even the disciples of Zhenwu Palace and Zhushan Sect agreed to evacuate.

Without saying a word, they destroyed the statues in the cave, set it on fire, and then left Sanshan'ao Village.

Along the way, everyone was extremely vigilant. Lu San released a falcon, which circled in the sky at all times and monitored the surroundings.

Perhaps it was because it was daytime, we did not encounter any obstacles until we left the forest and returned to the official road smoothly.

As soon as they left, fog began to rise from the mountains and forests.

It became thicker and thicker, covering the entire mountain.

Out of the thick fog, figures emerged one after another.

They were all dressed like mountain folks, wearing tattered clothes and covered in blood.

These were clearly no longer living people. They were scattered in groups of three or two throughout the mountains and forests, with hunched backs, drooping heads, and disheveled hair. They looked more like wandering ghosts in the fog.

"Roar!"

A dull roar was heard.

A pair of blood-red eyes, as big as lanterns, appeared in the thick fog.

Then, a huge tiger slowly crawled out from the thick fog. It had colorful fur, a drooping forehead, white eyes, and bloodshot eyes, emitting cold murderous intent.

What was even more bizarre was that around his neck, there was a protective amulet hung by an iron chain. The amulet was shaped like a court sceptre and was made of topaz. It was covered with golden threads, and looked like a naturally formed gold inlaid jade.

Not only that, the gold threads also vaguely formed cloud-thunder patterns.

There was a flash of blood in its eyes, and it seemed to be able to see through the thick fog and forest and see Li Yan and others gradually moving away on the official road below.

Next to it, there was another figure, stumbling forward. It was a middle-aged Taoist priest, his pants reeking of urine. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying in a trembling voice, "Great, great king, spare my life!"

Only after Li Yan and the others completely disappeared did the tiger demon slowly turn its head and speak in human language, "That traitor, can't wait any longer?"

The Taoist was so frightened that he trembled all over and kowtowed repeatedly, saying: "Tongtian Sanniang, no, that witch was originally Master Tiansheng Gong. She worshipped the king as her master only to seize the body of the earthly immortal."

"That witch has already opened the secret cave, and these days she is preparing a ritual to bring her master, Master Huang Liu, back to life!"

"As long as the king spares my life, I am willing to lead the way..."

"Roar!"

Before he could finish his words, the giant tiger became furious and bit off his head with one sudden bite.

With a thud, the headless corpse fell to the ground, spurting blood.

The tiger demon bared its ferocious fangs and bit the skull with a crunching sound. Its eyes were full of ferocity and it growled, "That's my cave. Do I need you to lead the way?"

As he spoke, he looked into the distance, his eyes full of hatred.

"A living ghost messenger, God helps me!"

…………

"That's what happened."

Li Yan and others returned to the city and told them what had happened.

Magistrate Zhang heaved a sigh of relief, but he was still nervous. He cupped his hands and begged, "You have solved the case of the Headless Horseman. The whole Dangyang County is grateful to you."

"But those evil spirits are still there..."

Sharifei, who was standing by, heard this and shook his head, saying, "Your Excellency, it's not that we didn't try our best, but our abilities are really limited."

"We can't afford to offend those old monsters. Zhenwu Palace has sent experts here. We can leave the rest to them."

Li Yan also nodded in agreement without refuting.

Originally, he thought that with the soldiers on Zigai Mountain and his own ghost soldiers, he could kill any demons and monsters.

But this Dangyang County may very well be hiding earth immortals, tiger demons with unknown powers, and Liu Gang.

The other party was a living ghost messenger from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He also practiced the "Beidi Sutra" and his understanding of ghost soldiers must be deeper than his.

Maybe there is a way to avoid it.

The risk is simply too great.

They have already exceeded the City God Temple's mission by doing this, and the rest will be handed over to the Zhenwu Palace. "This..."

Magistrate Zhang still refused to give in and begged, "Can you guys stay a few more days until the reinforcements from Zhenwu Palace arrive?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment and nodded, "Okay."

County Magistrate Zhang was immediately overjoyed and immediately ordered people to prepare a banquet to entertain everyone, and also invited Guan Peide to join them.

After days of running around and not sleeping all night, everyone was exhausted both physically and mentally. After eating and drinking their fill, they returned to the Guan family's courtyard to rest.

As for Captain Zheng, he continued to be busy with the troops of the Duwei Division.

Interrogating prisoners, searching for Tiansheng Sect spies in the city, writing letters to report to Yichang...their mission is far from over.

…………

Before I knew it, the sun had set.

When Li Yan and his companions woke up, it was already dark.

They asked the servants in the courtyard to prepare some dinner. They ate and talked, and discussed the next steps accordingly.

"What a coward."

Sharifei took a sip of wine and cursed, "I've never heard so many strange things before. Why are there more and more monsters and demons along the way?"

Wang Daoxuan shook his head and sighed: "This is how human nature changes. The fate of the mortal world changes, and various forces fight each other, and murderous aura rises to the sky."

“Even the orthodox Xuanmen sect cannot remain immune and can only participate in it. The hidden demons in various places will also take advantage of the situation to seek opportunities for themselves.”

"Many of the current troubles are hidden dangers left by the previous dynasty. As long as we can get through them smoothly, China will be able to be stable for decades."

Sharifei shook his head and said, "For things like this, let the taller ones handle it. What's more important is to save our lives."

Seeing the dull atmosphere, he rolled his eyes and changed the subject, "Brother Yan, when are we going to the ancient mine of the Western Zhou Dynasty?"

Li Yan smiled and said, "Once the people from Zhenwu Palace come to take over, we will leave immediately. Wuchang Prefecture is far away from the war and should be much safer."

"Yes."

Sharifei also said happily: "The people from the Duwei Division always follow me. I dare not use the magic gun even though I have it. This time I went to find a good craftsman to cover it up. I won't be afraid of being recognized in the future."

Li Yan nodded and said, "Let's go to Xiangyang first. There are many ancient battlefields and tombs there. I need to practice."

Wang Daoxuan's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Brother Yan is about to break through?"

"Ah."

Li Yan was in a good mood and nodded, saying, "Although traveling around the martial arts world is dangerous, I have gained a lot of insights. After the summer is over, I will be able to build a building on Mount Wudang."

"I am almost there."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled, "When the time comes, we can build a building together, and we can also practice on Mount Wudang for a while. With the third-level Taoism, many magics can be used."

Lu San said in a muffled voice: "Me too."

"Good good!"

Sharifei's face was immediately filled with joy, "Your cultivation has all improved, so why should you be afraid of these monsters?"

As he spoke, his expression changed again, and he cursed, "These guys from Zhenwu Palace are a bit stingy. We risked our lives, but they didn't give us much reward. I don't know if the money will be enough by then."

"rest assured."

Li Yan shook his head and smiled: "Didn't you find that although those spiritual materials and magical tools are rare, their prices are obviously inflated?"

"This is also the method used by the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect. We will find a way to make them pay with spiritual materials so that they will not be exploited."

"The reason for building a good relationship with Zhenwu Palace is also for this..."

After some small talk, everyone returned to their rooms.

They had just taken a nap during the day and were not feeling sleepy.

Sharifei lit a candle and read the Thunderbolt Fire Sutra under the candlelight. He also wrote and drew, and giggled from time to time...

As for Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan, they concentrated their minds into meditation and practiced.

Only Lu San stayed in the room, sometimes feeding the magic gourd, sometimes watching the little fox chasing the rat Rat Er, with a smile on his face.

His method of cultivation is somewhat special. He needs to go to the mountains and forests with the help of various spiritual beasts to comprehend the wonders of heaven and earth.

The village guard who preached the gospel was crazy most of the time, but he would sometimes be lucid.

Lu San followed his instructions, worked for the Cao Gang, earned some money, and went to Mount Zhongnan to build the first floor.

Unfortunately, his martial arts skills were incomplete, so his practice was slow. It was only after he controlled the Rat Immortal to patrol the city that night that he gained some insights and his cultivation level improved slightly.

After a while, it was already dark.

Lu San yawned and lay down on the bed. The little fox immediately jumped into his arms and curled up.

As for the rat Rat Er, he was afraid of the little fox so he climbed onto the table and ate the cakes that Lu San had bought for him.

The only shortcoming of these two little guys is that they are greedy. They were a little reluctant to follow Lu San at first, but after eating all kinds of snacks at the foot of the mountain for a few days, they have long been reluctant to leave...

……

The streets of the old city were also dark and silent.

"Ding! Ding ding! Beware of fire and theft, be careful with candles."

The hunchbacked night watchman walked through the street, beating gongs and drums.

Call ~
Behind him, a cold wind suddenly blew.

A cloud of black smoke moved rapidly along the corner of the wall.

The hunchbacked night watchman seemed to sense something and turned his head to check.

And at this moment, black smoke suddenly pounced on him.

The night watchman's body stiffened, and then black lines appeared on the whites of his eyes, and his eyes turned cold.

He looked around, came to the dark corner, picked up the topaz and gold-threaded pendant from the ground, hung it around his neck, and then headed towards the Guan family's residence.

It moved so fast that there was no sound under its feet.

When he was about to approach the house, he suddenly made hand gestures and said in a muffled voice: "Nuo Gao, the great-grandson Wang Jia is the only one who can open the six-jia blue dragon..."

It’s the Beidi mountaineering technique!
Call ~
The token on his chest trembled slightly, and mist rose around him, making his figure blurry and looming.

His attainments in mountaineering techniques can be regarded as escaping techniques.

The night watchman's figure flashed as he shuttled through the fog. When he arrived in front of the courtyard, he flipped over lightly.

In the mist, his eyes flickered red.

He first looked at Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei's rooms, shook his head slightly, and then looked at Lu San's room with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Silently, he arrived in front of the house.

Wow!
Suddenly, he released a spell and broke into the room.

Lu San and the little fox were suddenly awakened.

Buzz!
The demon gourd trembled and poisonous bees flew out with a roar.

However, even though the poisonous bees were covering his body, the night watchman didn't care. He grabbed Lu San regardless of everything and then suddenly opened his mouth.

call!
Black smoke whistled out and entered Lu San's mouth.

Click!

Li Yan also broke through the door, drew out his Dust-Breaking Sword with a clang, exerted force with his feet, and jumped into Lu San's room.

The room was cold as ice.

Rat and Rat Two were trembling with fear, and the little fox was grimacing and running around anxiously. There were poisonous bees all over the ground, but it couldn't fly at all.

"Lü San" turned his back to Li Yan, slowly hung the yellow jade talisman around his neck, turned around slowly, and blood flashed in his pupils.

"You are a live ghost messenger, do you have the warrant?"

(End of this chapter)