Knife splashing

Chapter 791 Precarious
"The earth dragon has turned over!"

Terrified screams rang out from the direction of Zhengyangmen Street.

The bluestone road undulated violently, arching and collapsing like waves. The bamboo shed of the teahouse by the roadside snapped in half with a "crack," and bowls, plates, and cups clattered to the ground. Fortunately, it was nighttime, and the teahouse had already closed up shop.

But on the other side, bricks and stones from the city wall were falling off in a flurry, raising clouds of dust.

"not good!"

Wang Daoxuan exclaimed, "Leiyin has made her move!"

This thought flashed through everyone's minds at the same time.

Leiyin obtained the Yangzhou Cauldron, which could directly shake the earth's veins and threaten Jinling. This is why everyone is wary and dares not act rashly.

Otherwise, even if it were an Earth Immortal, a few members of a righteous sect could kill it.

Could it be that the other party has gone mad and decided to take direct action?
Just when everyone thought that a cataclysmic disaster was about to strike, the rumbling from underground suddenly stopped, as if a mysterious force had abruptly halted it.

The earth stopped groaning, leaving only dust and panicked screams.

"...It's stopped?"

Shalifei looked around, somewhat incredulous.

But after waiting for a while, there were still no aftershocks.

They weren't the only ones who were shocked.

Throughout the city, the ghost troupe members who had been causing trouble, stirring up rumors of the "Wrath of the Silkworm God," and creating panic were now all looking bewildered and confused.

"Capture someone alive to interrogate first!"

Li Yan sensed something was amiss and jumped out without saying a word.

His speed was astonishing. The moment his voice reached everyone's ears, his figure appeared on the opposite rooftop, his feet moving in a series of rapid steps, so fast that only his shadow could be seen, accompanied by a series of thuds.

With a few muffled groans, the black-clad men wearing painted masks fell to the ground one after another.

"Grab them! Quickly!"

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the local Xuanmen masters also immediately made their move.

The old Taoist nun from Maoshan, who had subdued the old woman in the east of the city, the Meishan sect master who was fighting the martial arts demon in the water gate, and the Maoshan cultivator who forced back the female lead in green dress on Zhengyangmen Street, all made their moves almost simultaneously.

They were terrified and dared not hold back any longer, unleashing a barrage of vicious killing moves and various spells, instantly capturing and subduing the numerous ghost opera troupe members.

The ghost opera troupe grew rapidly in a short period of time, but its quality varied greatly. Some were sorcerers from the Jiangnan region, while others were thugs from the underworld, none of whom were enemies of the Jinling Xuanmen.

Even two skilled fighters were quickly defeated when faced with the combined attack.

The situation was quickly brought under control.

There was no time to take them back to prison; the interrogation began immediately.

A demonic figure with a painted face, suppressed by Maoshan talismans, was dragged before Li Yan and his group. Beside him, an old, white-haired sorcerer sternly demanded, "Speak! Why did the earth dragon attack prematurely? And why did it suddenly stop?!"

The man with the painted face, his face glistening with sweat, sneered hoarsely, "Kill me if you want, why are you making so many useless idiots... Ah!"

He was only halfway through uttering those harsh words when he let out a piercing scream.

However, Li Yan gave her a wink, and Long Yan'er immediately released the Sesame Gu to interrogate her.

"Stop! I said..."

Needless to say, the power of Long Yan'er's Sesame Gu was so great that even a man of iron couldn't withstand it. This guy quickly began to beg for mercy and confess: "No, it's not a small matter!"

"The higher-ups did indeed order us to act ahead of schedule! They said that before the dragon-throwing ceremony was completed, we should use the Yangzhou Cauldron to stir up the earth's energy, shake the veins of the earth, and then stir up the river waves to destroy the water fortress, so that my army could rush over."

"Coco only shook a few times, and then stopped?!"

"That's not what we agreed on..."

Amidst his fear, his eyes were also filled with confusion.

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly exchanged glances.

The astonishment and fear on the demon's face did not seem fake.

“It seems things have changed…” Li Yan looked thoughtfully into the distance.

The old Taoist nun from Maoshan next to them also chimed in, "They knew about Leiyin's plan to act ahead of schedule, but since they only carried it out halfway, something must have gone wrong."

Unable to guess the reason, the crowd could only take these demons back to prison.

Although Jinling City temporarily escaped a catastrophe, the gloom that shrouded the city could not be dispelled. Instead, it was like an invisible black hand that gripped everyone's throat, making it hard for them to breathe.

The Qinhuai River still flows, but the sounds of oars and the glow of lanterns have become much less frequent.

Most of the once bustling riverside houses now have their doors and windows tightly shut. Occasionally, a daring merchant will peek out, but their face is filled with vigilance and panic.

The footsteps of the patrolling soldiers were heavier than usual, the scraping of their armor particularly jarring in the silent streets. The air was thick with the earthy smell of rain, mixed with a faint, unsettlingly sweet, putrid odor.

Like a maggot clinging to a bone, it spreads silently.

……

Under the moonlight, the rooftops undulated in a continuous line.

Deep in the narrow alley, a ram's horn lamp sways in the wind.

A dim, yellowish light illuminated the mottled plaque of "Zhouji Jihu" (周记机户).

Suppressed sobs seeped from the crack in the door. The old weaver, Zhou Ada, was huddled beside his loom, his withered hands stroking the grayish-white silk threads wrapped around the shuttle.

The thread twitched slightly, as if it were alive, and slipped into the cracks between his fingers.

In the distance, twenty looms were crammed into a damp, moldy earthen house, with a weaver sitting behind each loom, his eyes sunken, and the air was thick with the stench of despair and sweat.

"A corrupt official in the Silk Weaving Bureau..."

"The newly added 'fire loss' tax...Ah Nan's medicine money..."

"Woo~"

In the darkness, the sounds of sobbing and teeth grinding could be heard intermittently.

"Done!"

"If I don't live, these corrupt officials won't live either!"

As the third watchman's drum struck, hunched figures emerged from different doorways, ghostly converging on the public well in the center of the street, tossing silkworm threads into it...

…………

Inside the City God Temple, incense offerings were scarce.

Looking at the empty main hall and the few pale-faced, shallow-skilled disciples, Zhang Jingqing sighed deeply, his wrinkled face clouded with worry.

The elite troops of Longhu Mountain were urgently transferred to Ganzhou by the main altar to deal with the aggressive actions of the Meishan Fajiao sect. The once grand Jinling City God Temple was now truly an empty shell.

Faced with the increasing evil spirits and cursed individuals within the city, he had the responsibility to monitor both the living and the dead, but no power to exorcise evil spirits or cure malevolent influences.

Putting aside the reputation of Longhu Mountain, he couldn't bear the complaints from the people alone.

“Master, three more households in Liushutun, south of the city, have been reported with symptoms exactly the same as those in Huaishucun…” A young Taoist priest rushed over.

His voice was filled with barely suppressed fear, "The village head said that those people are filled with resentment, and they are all saying in private that the 'Silkworm Goddess' has punished them, and that the court's tyranny has forced the people into rebellion..."

Zhang Jingqing closed her eyes and sighed helplessly.

How could he not know the root cause?
The exorbitant taxes and levies were like a mountain pressing down on people, and the corrupt officials in the Silk Weaving Bureau had exploited them relentlessly, driving the people to the brink of despair. This allowed the Silk Clothing Cult to take advantage of the situation and incite unrest.

The government's slow response has turned Nanjing into a giant powder keg.

"Report—!" Another disciple rushed in, panting, "Priest Qiu, the commander, has led... led his men to arrest Eunuch Wang, the head eunuch of the Silk Weaving Bureau, and several other officials! They arrested them in public right at the yamen gate!"

"Oh?"

Zhang Jingqing suddenly opened her eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her cloudy eyes. She said with some surprise, "This Chief Censor from the capital is indeed decisive and efficient. Arresting corrupt officials in the Silk Weaving Bureau, while not eradicating the Cocoon Cult, is the most direct way to quell public anger and slow the spread of the curse. However…"

As he spoke, he sighed.

The disciple beside him asked in confusion, "This is a good thing, Master. What are you worried about?"

Zhang Jingqing shook his head and said, "This move is tantamount to stirring up a hornet's nest. How could those deeply entrenched Jiangnan gentry and the opening-up faction behind them let it go?"

"The more people there are, the more trouble there will be..."

…………

At the same time, the atmosphere in the core circle of Jinling City was equally heavy.

The temporary signing room of the Commandery was brightly lit with candles.

Snapped!
Qiu Mingyuan's face was ashen as he slammed a list, still wet with ink, onto the table.

He looked down at the local officials with ashen faces and the representatives of the Lu and Xie families who had rushed over, his voice as cold as ice: "The list is here! The entire Silk Bureau has embezzled taxes, exploited artisans, and forced people to commit evil deeds. The evidence is irrefutable!"

"I am here by imperial decree to oversee the suppression of the rebellion and have the authority to make decisions on the spot!"

"Anyone who dares to obstruct this will be considered a traitor!"

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the crowd like a knife: "Jinling is in imminent danger! The Taihu demon army is eyeing us covetously, the evil cult within the city is bewitching people, and the 'silkworm zombie' is spreading."

"If we continue to allow these parasites to suck blood and fatten themselves, inciting popular uprisings and colluding with the demonic cult from within, should we still defend Jinling City?"

"Do you still want to save your heads?!"

He was furious; he never expected these people to be so ungrateful.

At crucial moments, they couldn't even sacrifice a pawn to save the chariot.

We haven't settled accounts with them yet regarding the silver mines in Japan...

His words were forceful and resounding, silencing everyone in the hall.

Lu Mingyuan and Xie Yunzhi exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock, anger, and helplessness in each other's eyes.

Qiu Mingyuan's move was swift, accurate, and ruthless! It directly cut off their possibility of delaying or diverting attention.

Judging from the situation, it would be unwise to stand up for those corrupt officials who are destined to be abandoned at this moment, and they might even be labeled with even bigger accusations.

But if we ignore it and people blindly attach themselves to things, it will cause trouble.

Thinking of this, an official forced a smile. "Commander Qiu is decisive and efficient, eliminating a scourge for the country. I admire him. However... the most urgent matters right now are the 'Dragon-Surrendering Ceremony' and the Taihu Lake Demon Army."

"Humph!"

Qiu Mingyuan snorted coldly and said no more.

He certainly knew where the key lay. The arrest operation was merely a stopgap measure, a temporary measure to cool down the city that was about to boil over. The real deciding factor lay in the "Dragon Throwing Ceremony" that Zhou Yinyao spearheaded and that various factions in Jiangnan were jointly preparing.

However, we also need to be wary of these people in front of us…

…………

West of Nanjing, at the foot of Qixia Mountain, lies a secluded Taoist temple.

This place has been temporarily requisitioned as the preparation center for the "Dragon Throwing Ceremony".

The atmosphere inside the temple was solemn, with monks in colorful robes moving about, and the air filled with the scents of cinnabar, talismans, and incense.

Zhou Yinyao, dressed in a simple linen robe, stood before a huge map of Jinling and its surrounding landscape. He slowly traced the Yangtze River with his finger and said in a deep voice, "Jinling City, with its strategic location, is the 'key' to the convergence of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River."

"For this grand ceremony, Jinling will serve as the core of the formation, with the Maoshan, Humenling, and Lushan sects each guarding one of the eight trigram positions. By harnessing the power of the mighty Yangtze River's dragon vein, we will construct the 'Nine Dragons Locking the Abyss Formation'!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the location of Taihu Lake on the map and emphasized it with his fingertip:

"When the formation was completed, the dragon's energy surged forth, like nine golden chains stretching across the sky and falling straight to Taihu Lake! Locking in the earth's energy and severing its water veins!"

"That vixen Leiyin borrowed the power of the earth's veins from the Yangzhou Cauldron, and her foundation lies in Taihu Lake. Once the earth's veins are locked, her power naturally weakens, and the Yangzhou Cauldron becomes water without a source!"

"At that time, the imperial navy will unleash a barrage of artillery fire, and we can wipe out the evil forces in one battle!"

Beside her, the old Taoist nun from the Maoshan Sect, whose face was ashen, nodded slightly: "Master Zhou's plan is meticulous. My Maoshan disciples have already taken the 'Suppressing Mountain Talisman' to various nodes along the river to ensure the unobstructed flow of dragon energy."

An old master from the Tiger Gate stroked his beard and said, "My sect's 'Thunder-Attracting Flag' is also ready. At that time, it can draw upon the thunder from the nine heavens to enhance the power of the formation."

A hint of relief appeared on Zhou Yinyao's face, but a barely perceptible worry flashed across the depths of her eyes.

He looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "The preparations for the grand ceremony will be carried out in three ways: First, Master Qingwei of Maoshan will lead his elite disciples to Taihu Lake immediately to investigate and find out the cause of last night's sudden earthquake and the current situation of Leiyin!"

"Secondly, Humen Ling and fellow Daoists of Lushan, please do your utmost to set up the array nodes in and around Jinling City, and prepare the magical artifacts and offerings needed for the grand ceremony! Thirdly..."

He paused, his voice growing more serious: "The escort team for the 'Dali Bronze Bell' is nearing Jinling, but they have been repeatedly harassed by 'water bandits' along the way, suspected to be Cocoon Clothes Sect soldiers in disguise."

"This bell is a treasure left behind by the immortal Ye Fashan. It is the key to suppressing the array's core and stabilizing the dragon's energy! It needs capable people to receive and escort it!"

"I entrust this matter to Fellow Daoist Zhang Jingqing of the Celestial Master's Mansion, and also ask Young Hero Li Yan and his Twelve Yuan Chen under his command to ensure that the bronze bell is absolutely safe!"

Li Yan, standing in the crowd, noticed this and his eyes flickered slightly.

He had been secretly observing Zhou Yinyao.

Although this earth immortal, who had been coerced by Leiyin into revealing the secret of the Yangzhou Cauldron, appeared to be working tirelessly to turn the tide, Li Yan's vigilance remained undiminished.

The Jianmu organization employs unpredictable methods; has Zhou Yinyao truly broken free from their control?
He volunteered to participate in guarding the bronze bell...

Is it trust, or is there something else going on?
It seems we should also keep a backup plan...

Li Yan's mind raced, but his expression remained unchanged. He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Rest assured, Master Zhou. I am duty-bound to handle the matter of the bronze bell."

……

Several days later, news began to arrive.

The Taoist priest Qingwei from Maoshan, who went to explore Taihu Lake, brought back astonishing information:
The Taihu Demon Army camp was heavily guarded, but the atmosphere was eerie. The main tent was shrouded in thick black mist, and painful screams could be heard from time to time.

They risked their lives to capture a demon from the outer perimeter, and under severe torture, they learned that Leiyin was actually trying to forcibly refine the Yangzhou Cauldron and control it to attack Jinling.

According to rumors circulating within the camp, the plan was to wait for several immortals to arrive before taking action together, but Leiyin, for reasons unknown, acted on her own.

As a result, they naturally suffered a backlash and were severely injured.

He is currently in seclusion to heal his injuries.

This news greatly boosted the morale of everyone preparing for the ceremony.

With Leiyin severely injured and the demon army leaderless, this is a golden opportunity!

However, bad news soon followed.

The escort team carrying the Dali Bronze Bell encountered an unprecedented and fierce attack on the last stretch of the waterway. They were no longer scattered "water bandits" but organized "rampant soldiers".

These evil creatures, riding ghost ships, came under the cover of night. Under the cover of the Yangtze River's mist, they launched continuous sneak attacks. Some demons even secretly cast spells to summon water spirits to stir up trouble.

The battle was exceptionally fierce.

The Maoshan disciples and local lineage cultivators responsible for escorting the bell fought a bloody battle, but the enemy was too numerous and fearless, resulting in significant losses for the bell-protecting team.

Fortunately, the team was not far from Nanjing.

Li Yan led his twelve companions, along with the musketeers of the Commandery, out of the city in the dead of night to rush to the rescue...

(End of this chapter)