Knife splashing

Chapter 740 The Cult Leader Arrives
A small courtyard in the capital city, at dusk.

The setting sun dyed the courtyard blood red, and withered vines climbed all over the mottled earthen walls.

Under the old locust tree in the corner of the courtyard, a little girl in a floral dress squatted beside a pile of sawdust, carving a wooden bird with a knife.

She was very young, but she was exceptionally focused.

Humming a nursery rhyme, her skillful hands flew up and down, and wood shavings fell in a flurry.

In the blink of an eye, a lifelike wooden bird has been carved.

If it were an ordinary carpenter, it would be enough to earn praise from others, but the little girl just felt it was normal and showed no sign of pride.

She was the only granddaughter of master carpenter Lu Chengye.

She showed talent from a young age and will surely become an extraordinary female craftswoman.

Unbeknownst to the girl, wisps of black mist were slowly seeping from the cracks in the woodpile behind her, twisting and turning like living things.

Under the moonlight, a pale, paper-like face vaguely appeared in the black mist.

A night breeze blew by, and the nursery rhyme stopped abruptly, replaced by a faint rustling sound, like fingernails scratching burlap.

In the courtyard, the little girl was nowhere to be seen; only the leaves rustled in the night wind remained…

The oil lamp in the room was dim, and Lu Chengye was bent over his desk polishing a wood carving.

Click!

The carving knife suddenly broke.

The old man frowned and looked up, only to see the shadows cast by the locust branches outside the window swaying like ghostly claws, while the girl's singing had disappeared.

Lu Chengye's body suddenly stiffened, and he immediately rushed out of the courtyard.

"Flower Girl, Flower Girl!"

Lu Chengye called out anxiously a few times, and was about to go out to search when he saw a piece of paper being blown by the night wind and slowly falling from the sky.

The old man's fingers trembled as he unfolded the note.

The note was yellowed, and the dark red characters on it were crooked and crawling like insects: "My granddaughter is in my palm. Obey my orders, or else I'll send her one odd item every day!"

……

"Master Lu, Master Lu!"

An anxious voice from the side interrupted Lu Chengye's thoughts.

A disciple carrying a wooden tray said urgently, "They're urging us to hurry up, we need to speed things up, otherwise Master Tao will scold us again."

"Ah."

Lu Chengye glanced at Tao Fengchun, who was giving orders in a fit of rage in the distance, and lowered his head, replying woodenly, "Okay...okay, let's get started."

It was already late at night, but the workshop was still as bright as day.

Tao Fengchun is leading hundreds of craftsmen in the final adjustments and drawing of the inlay array for the key component of the statue that is about to be completed—the "Crown of the True Lord of the Flint Wheel," which symbolizes knowledge, power, and change.

Sweat dripped onto the scorching hot bronze mold, instantly evaporating into white mist.

"Wake up, everyone! Anyone who wants to sleep, get out of the academy and sleep here!"

Seeing his disciples dozing off in exhaustion, Tao Fengchun launched into another tirade of angry curses. At this moment, he was completely absorbed in his work, as if he had gone mad.

Lu Chengye, holding the inconspicuous charred piece of wood, silently walked through the busy crowd to his individual workbench.

He secured the ebony to the work stand, carefully picked up the carving knife, and his movements were impeccably steady.

The blade fell, instantly shaving off a thin layer of charred skin.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, save me!"

Instantly, my granddaughter's cries echoed in my mind again.

Lu Chengye shuddered and secretly glanced around.

Everyone was busy, but he was the only one who heard it.

Lu Chengye knew that this was the other party warning him.

He didn't know who the other person was, nor did he understand how the other person managed to avoid revealing any unusual aura.

But he knew that the other party must have ulterior motives towards Lord Suilun.

I wonder how many people will die because of this…

But he was old and all he wanted was for his granddaughter to live.

After calming his mind, Lu Chengye picked up the charcoal pencil again and carefully sketched the outline on the wood, which turned out to be a taotie waist buckle with auspicious clouds.

It was made into a waist buckle as requested by the other party.

Although exquisite, it is inconspicuous among the entire statues of the True Lord.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

The surrounding noise and the clatter of tools became his best cover.

His movements were as fast as a ghost, his carving knife flashing, wood chips flying everywhere.

Under the admiring gaze of his disciples, the taotie auspicious cloud waist buckle, the size of a washbasin, gradually took shape and, after some polishing, became smooth.

After doing all this, he seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and large beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, but his hands did not stop moving at all.

He took out the special wood varnish, brushed it on once, and then said, "Okay, just leave it here to dry. We'll brush it on twice more tomorrow morning and at noon."

"Yes, Master Lu."

The surrounding disciples carefully lifted the waist buckle and placed it on the wooden frame.

Rows of wooden shelves display all sorts of wooden accessories.

Because time was too tight and they couldn't find enough powerful and large spiritual materials, Tao Fengchun decided to use an iron frame as a base and mortise and tenon joints to make the statue.

The night grew even darker, and the firelight flickered.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the wooden belt buckle seemed to have undergone some kind of eerie tempering, displaying an unsettling dark red hue and emitting a faint, sweet, rotten scent…

…………

While the academy was busy, the imperial court was not idle either.

Southwest of the Imperial City, in the main hall of the Commandery.

The hall was dimly lit, with only a few bronze oil lamps flickering, illuminating the landscape paintings and various ceremonial guards hanging on the mottled stone walls.

The air was thick with the smell of rust and old ink, making even breathing feel oppressive.

Zhao Wujiu stood with his hands behind his back, his scarlet python robe appearing like congealed blood in the darkness.

Several captains and commanders knelt before him, all dressed in black with silver-embroidered Taotie figures, iron plaques hanging from their waists, their heads bowed, not daring to look him in the eye.

"Gentlemen," Zhao Wujiu began, his voice hoarse as if scraping bone with a rusty knife, "the leaders of the various sects of the Xuanmen have already left the mountain for the capital."

Everyone held their breath, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

"Wudang Jade Toad Master, Dragon Tiger Zhang Celestial Master, Zhongnan Qiu Changchun, Qingcheng Chenkongzi, Emei Wang Miaoyin..."

He slowly read out each name, each one like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's hearts, and said coldly, "They are using the banner of 'protecting the True Lord' to actually seize divine power and check the court."

Having said that, he slightly turned his head, his eyes cold in the shadows: "Send orders to all prefectures—"

"Starting today, checkpoints will be set up along the river. Any Xuanmen cultivators passing through will be subject to strict inspection under the pretext of 'investigating the Jianmu demon'!"

"The canal transport office, the patrol and inspection office, and the naval outposts all need to cooperate. If any sects ask, say that the Japanese devils have infiltrated the Central Plains and are using the waterways to travel stealthily. The court has no choice but to take precautions."

A commander mustered his courage and looked up: "Sir, if the Xuanmen force their way through..."

Zhao Wujiu sneered: "Then let them break in."

He slid a black iron token out of his sleeve and slammed it onto the table, startling everyone.

"Issue a secret decree: station troops along the route in secret and on high alert. Any cultivators from the Xuanmen sect who attempt to force their way through shall be treated as 'colluding with demons' and executed on the spot!"

"remember--"

He lightly tapped the token with his fingertips and said calmly, "Wudang Yu Chanzi is the most sensible person. Wudang is also deeply favored by the imperial court. Officials along the way should 'treat him with great hospitality' and make sure he drinks a few more cups of tea."

“Zhang Tianshi of the Dragon and Tiger is a man of many thoughts. He had a fiery temper back then and was the biggest troublemaker. We need to ‘occasionally overlook’ the checkpoints along the way and let him go first.”

"As for the others... Qingcheng Chenkongzi has just taken over, so we should first try to stop him and test his abilities. Emei Wang Miaoyin is arrogant, so we can humiliate her. Zhongnan Laodao is suspicious, so we can deceive him."

"No matter what means we use, we must keep them occupied."

As he spoke, he slowly straightened up, his withered face in the shadows appearing ghostly and eerie: "Within three days, there can only be one 'Celestial Master' in the capital."

"That is—the True Lord of the Flint Wheel on the Altar of the State!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

……

Cluck-cluck~
The mountain wind swept fallen leaves across the official road.

The green donkey of Yu Chanzi of Wudang Mountain walked slowly and leisurely.

The Taoist priest leaned against the donkey's back, a book in his hand, humming a folk tune: "Don't say the Taoist path is peaceful and quiet, better to see the True Lord with drunken eyes..."

"Sect Leader!" The accompanying elder stamped his foot anxiously, "I heard that Celestial Master Zhang crossed the Yellow River last night!"

"No hurries?"

Yu Chanzi squinted at the distant smoke rising from the chimneys, his gaze indifferent. "The Heavenly Court has not interfered with the mortal realm for many years. This time, their urgency is so obvious. Don't you think there's a problem?"

Before they could finish speaking, the official road ahead was suddenly cut off. Several yamen runners were directing laborers to dig ditches and fill them with soil. When they saw them coming, they quickly cupped their hands and said, "Please forgive us, Daoist priest. The county magistrate has ordered that this road has been in disrepair for many years and must be closed for three days."

Yu Chanzi stroked his beard and smiled: "It's alright, I'll just take a detour."

The elder said indignantly, "This is clearly deliberate harassment!"

The Taoist shook his head, looking into the distant sky with a deep gaze, as if he had pierced through layers of space and seen the capital city.

"The imperial court doesn't want us to enter the capital too quickly, why force our way in..."

…………

Qiu Changchun of Zhongnan Mountain is currently being blocked at Sishui Pass.

In the mist on the river, seven or eight dilapidated fishing boats formed an eerie formation. The old fisherman at the bow grinned, revealing his black teeth: "Forgive me, Master, the River God is getting married soon, so the ferry will be closed for three days."

"fart!"

The accompanying disciple shouted angrily, "What river god is getting married in May?"

Thick fog surrounded the area, making the boats appear and disappear intermittently.

Qiu Changchun narrowed his eyes and suddenly flicked his sleeve, throwing out three Five Thunder Tokens.

Click!

Amidst a thunderous explosion, the fishing boat shattered into splinters.

Those "fishermen" turned into paper figures and drifted down, shaking out a ground full of centipedes from their sleeves.

"The art of paper-cutting in Maoshan, and the witchcraft of Southwest China..."

Qiu Changchun laughed and said, "If you want to stop me, this method is not enough."

.........

Wang Miaoyin of Emei came alone.

She is over forty years old and is considered a rising master in the Xuanmen sect, having already entered the Xiantian realm.

Everyone else had their own thoughts, and so did she.

Emei is currently plagued by internal strife, its power and prestige are constantly declining, and it is often ridiculed in the martial arts world. The biggest root cause is that after the death of the previous leader, there is no one who can command respect.

Wang Miaoyin saw an opportunity.

As long as he can use this incident to gain fame in the Xuanmen sect and become one of the next ten grandmasters, he can suppress all forces and allow Emei to rise again.

Just like Cheng Jianxin, the sword immortal of Shu back then.

Therefore, she came alone this time, without any disciples, only wearing a moon-colored Taoist robe and carrying an ancient sword.

As the bamboo raft reached the middle of the river, it suddenly came into view the flames of war raging on both banks.

"Master, please wait!"

The officers on the shore shouted, "River defense drill! All vessels, come ashore for inspection!"

Wang Miaoyin glanced around indifferently and flicked her sword blade with her finger.

Ding!
The sword's cry was like waves, and everyone's eyes immediately became unfocused.

When the constables opened their eyes again, the river was already deserted…

……

Qingcheng Chenkongzi came from Sichuan and crossed the Huai River by boat.

Halfway through their journey at night, they suddenly saw a blood-stained wedding dress floating downstream.

He frowned slightly and suddenly drew his sword.

Clang!
The sword was drawn with a dragon's roar, and the wedding dress was torn apart.

The toxic smoke spread rapidly, startling the willows on both banks into turning yellow.

"Southwest Thousand Machine Poison".

Chen Kongzi frowned. "When did the imperial court learn the techniques of these heretics? What kind of order is this...?"

After saying that, he shook his head slightly and said to the dumbfounded boatman, "Please pass on the message that next time you should use a boat from Sichuan and Chongqing. The awning boats from Jiangnan are too easy to recognize."

"Let's go, tell Eunuch Zhao that Qingcheng won't be the first to arrive..."

.........

Meanwhile, news continued to pour into the Commandery.

Zhao Wujiu checked them one by one, his face expressionless.

"Your Excellency, I have failed in my duties."

The newly promoted Commander Tian looked grim and lowered his head.

He was familiar with the south, so he was in charge of sending people to stop Zhang Tianshi. However, all the people he sent out came up empty-handed, as if Zhang Tianshi had vanished into thin air.

"It doesn't matter."

Looking at the intelligence report, Zhao Wujiu said calmly, "These methods certainly won't stop those Xuanmen sect leaders, and they don't want to turn against us. We're just using this to see their attitude."

The thousands of households below immediately understood.

Everyone in this hall is a shrewd individual.

One of them cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, it seems that Zhang Tianshi and Wang Miaoyin are the most proactive this time. Since things have come to this, why not simply order them to be stopped outside the city? Do they dare to rebel?"

"It's not quite treason..."

Zhao Wujiu looked at the sky outside the hall, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. "There are some things you don't understand. The real trouble this time is not with these sect leaders."

"They were just being instructed by others."

"What the court can do is to seize the opportunity at all costs."

These words left the many households looking at each other in bewilderment.

Outside the main hall, many people were waiting to receive orders.

In the crowd, Kong Shangzhao lowered his head, his face full of exhaustion.

He didn't expect that just as the plan was finalized, another problem arose at the Commandery.

Zhao Wujiu, who had long since resigned from his post as Commandant, suddenly reappeared and became the leader again. Luo Mingzi, who was highly valued by the emperor, was excluded and ordered to recuperate at home and not to approach the Commandant's office.

Pei Zongti also ordered the Law Enforcement Hall, which had many disciples of the Xuanmen sect, to temporarily suspend operations.

Everyone understood that the court's apparent indifference was actually a way of protecting them from being implicated in this sudden chaos.

However, many things came to a standstill as a result.

For example, the mission to investigate the Jianmu tree had yielded some information from the Japanese sorcerers, but then suddenly stopped.

Luo Mingzi was indignant about this and often got drunk at home.

Thinking about all this, Kong Shangzhao's desire to leave the Commandery grew stronger...

…………

At dawn, on the official road outside the capital.

Call ~
A strong wind swirled up sand and dust, and an old Taoist priest with white hair and purple robes appeared. He calmly tore off the two sets of armor binding his legs.

Before the yellow armored horse even touched the ground, it turned into a ball of flame, and the blue smoke dissipated.

The visitor was none other than Zhang Tianshi.

His gaze turned deep as he looked at the distant outline of the capital.

With a flash, he disappeared.

But the closer they got to the city gate, the more uneasy they became.

The long processions of carriages and horses that used to be there have all disappeared.

Only an old man in black robes stood there, leaning on a cane.

"The Celestial Master has come from afar, which is arduous."

The old man said in a hoarse voice, "I have come to welcome you on the orders of Eunuch Zhao. Please rest at the inn for now, and we will discuss important matters together once all the sects have arrived."

Having said that, he stepped aside to make way.

On the distant city walls, the gleam of countless muskets could be faintly seen in the morning light.

"What a fine example of 'joint consultation'..."

Zhang Tianshi glanced at the musketeers above, his eyes calm and unwavering. "Zhao Wujiu... is he trying to force the Xuanmen to bow down?"

"Or should we defy the heavens?"

(End of this chapter)