Knife splashing

Chapter 793 The crisis is coming
Lin Zhongweng's attitude was extremely humble.

If Li Yan were to see this, he would certainly be on his guard.

There's no other reason than that this old monster is a genuine Earth Immortal, and he was in charge of the many troubles that the Cocoon Robe Sect and the Jianmu Organization caused in Jinling.

Li Yan and his associates have yet to discover how Tian Qianhu was murdered.

The person who commands such respect must be of a higher level of spiritual attainment and status.

"Humph!"

The strange old Taoist priest known as "Master Baigu" took a step forward, and the deathly aura and resentment emanating from his body caused the wild grass under his feet to wither and turn black instantly.

He slammed his skull staff down, making a dull thud, interrupting Lin Zhongweng's words. He said in a hoarse voice, "Leiyin is greedy and has brought shame upon herself, ruining the great affairs of the Holy Church! If it weren't for her years of hard work, she should be punished according to the Church's rules right now!"

Meanwhile, the "Corpse-Clad Granny" let out a strange "ho ho" laugh, like the hooting of an owl, saying, "This old woman said long ago that the Yangzhou Cauldron is not something to be trifled with. However... her injury has saved us some trouble."

"Next, the two of us will take over."

The old woman's appearance was even stranger.

She was wearing a "shroud" made of countless pieces of cloth of different colors and textures, each piece bearing dark brown stains and eerie incantations.

His face was covered with wrinkles, like dried orange peel, and his eyes were cloudy and yellow. In his hand, he carried a dilapidated earthenware pot that kept wriggling and making strange "gurgling" noises.

Where bare feet tread, countless tiny poisonous insects emerge from the mud.

Hearing the two talking, Lin Zhongweng quickly lowered his head and dared not say another word.

Although they were both Earth Immortals, he was well aware of the formidable barriers between them.

He was merely the last disciple of the small mountain sect "Guardian Mountain Sect". By chance, after his death, he merged with the remains of the mountain god and transformed into a "Mountain Demon Earth Immortal". His limit was to control hundreds of beasts.

These two are ancient demons whose fearsome reputation has shaken the world for hundreds of years, and are also unfathomable core members of the Jianmu sect, on par with Lady Leiyin.

He couldn't afford to offend either side.

He naturally dared not respond to that.

Call ~
Just then, a chilling wind suddenly swept up from the depths of the mass grave.

A soft, rustling sound, like fingernails scratching paper, drifted in the wind.

Five pale figures, shrouded in withered leaves and a fierce wind, drifted in from the graveyard.

Their figures were ethereal, their movements stiff and uniform; they were clearly five paper dolls with faces painted with lead powder, cheeks smeared with rouge, and dressed in funeral clothes.

The paper figure carried a light sedan chair, also made of white paper and bamboo strips, on its shoulders.

The sedan curtain moved automatically without any wind, revealing an elderly man in a blue robe sitting inside.

The old man had white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and an air of scholarly refinement about him. If he weren't in a mass grave, he would look like a well-read old Confucian scholar.

He held a string of shiny black prayer beads, neither wood nor stone, with a distorted, tormented human face faintly appearing on the surface of each bead.

The paper sedan chair landed silently.

Five paper figures stood with their hands hanging down, their eye sockets empty, looking lifeless.

Lin Zhongweng narrowed his eyes and forced a smile, "Isn't the troupe leader in Lingnan? Why is he in Jinling as well?"

He spoke politely, but his eyes were full of vigilance.

The newcomer was none other than the true core of the ghost opera troupe, the mysterious "troupe leader"!
Years ago, he stirred up a bloody storm in the martial arts world. After decades of silence, he reappeared and quickly rebuilt the Ghost Opera Troupe, making it a hundred times larger than before.

To be able to do that, one is certainly no pushover.

He was also an earth immortal, but no one knew his background.

But Lin Zhongweng witnessed firsthand that this "troupe leader" had forcibly extracted the soul of a errant actor and sealed it into a thin human shadow puppet. That puppet is still performing a one-man show backstage, wailing pitifully.

His methods were ruthless and powerful, which made him very wary.

The Ghost Opera Troupe's involvement in the events in Jinling was due to their employment by the Jianmu Organization. The sudden visit of this "troupe leader" from Lingnan naturally aroused Lin Zhongweng's vigilance.

"Ah."

When Lin Zhongweng asked, the "Master" simply nodded slightly, then looked to the side and said, "Brother Baigu, Fellow Daoist Shiyi, it's been a long time."

His voice was gentle and mellow, completely out of place in this gloomy place.

He nodded slightly, with the courtesy of an old-fashioned scholar.

Seeing his appearance, Lin Zhongweng was somewhat annoyed, but when he heard the other party directly address Baigu Zhenren and Shiyi Laolao Daoist, he was even more shocked.

No wonder Leiyin told him to be more respectful to this "troupe leader".

It turns out their background wasn't simple either.

The green flame on Bai Gu Zhenren's skull staff flickered, and unusually, he didn't snort, but instead gave a forced smile: "The troupe leader has also arrived. It seems that this 'show' in Jinling is getting even more exciting."

His words clearly did not show the same arrogance he had shown towards Lin Zhongweng.

Granny Corpse Clothes stared at the human-faced prayer beads in the troupe leader's hand with her cloudy yellow eyes, making gurgling swallowing sounds as if she were drooling: "Hehe... the troupe leader's 'Hundred Resentment Beads' are absorbing more and more pure resentment... even this old woman is envious."

“Such minor tricks are not enough to meet Grandma’s approval.”

The "troupe leader" smiled gently and tucked the prayer beads into his sleeve. "I have come here at the invitation of Jianmu, firstly to help the two fellow Daoists accomplish their goals, and secondly... I also wish to use this 'stage' in Jinling to present my 'pledge of allegiance' to the Holy Sect."

"I hope that you two fellow Daoists will speak well of me to the esteemed envoy."

Lin Zhongweng's heart trembled, and he dared not utter a sound.

It turns out that this mysterious troupe leader was actually being tested by Jianmu.

The standards for recruiting members at Jianmu are extremely strict. Only the best among the Earth Immortals can be considered. Once they join, they are on the same level as Leiyin!

"Let's talk about it after we can get it done."

Master Baigu neither agreed nor denied, then turned to look at Elder Lin and said in a deep voice, "That good-for-nothing Leiyin is recuperating and can't do anything. We will take over Jinling. Tell me, what's the situation now?"

Lin Zhongweng felt as if he had been granted a pardon, but his back remained bowed respectfully: "Yes, Master!"

He dared not conceal anything and quickly revealed all the information he possessed:
"Reporting to the three venerable ones, Jinling is now at the center of the vortex! The various sects of the Jiangnan Daoist community have reacted extremely quickly. The old Daoist Qingwei of Maoshan has led his elite disciples to the outer perimeter of Taihu Lake. Although they have not been able to penetrate deep into the demon army's camp, the news that Lady Leiyin is seriously injured and in seclusion has probably already reached back..."

"Masters from the Humen Order, Lushan Sect, Jade Emperor Sect, and other lineages are continuously converging on Qixia Mountain Taoist Temple, working diligently to set up the nodes of the 'Nine Dragons Locking the Abyss Formation' to protect the bronze bell. Even more troublesome is..."

He paused, his voice tinged with seriousness: "There is reliable information that Zhang Jingxuan, the current Celestial Master of the Southern Celestial Masters sect, the leader of the Jiangnan Xuanmen, has left the Longhu Mountain headquarters and is rushing here day and night!"

"Several high-ranking priests under his command, the 'Five Thunder Commanders,' have already set off. In addition, the master of the 'Heavenly Heart Righteous Dharma Sect' in Fujian is also on his way!"

"Both of these two brought with them their sect's most prized magical treasures..."

"We probably only have three days left at most!"

Upon hearing the name "Zhang Jingxuan," the atmosphere immediately became heavy.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Kou Qianzhi of the Northern Wei Dynasty reformed the Celestial Masters sect and established a new Celestial Masters temple in Pingcheng, which is also known as Datong in Jinzhou. This temple is historically known as the "Northern Celestial Masters sect". Later, because the Northern Qi Dynasty worshipped Buddhism, Taoism was considered a heretical religion in the Northern Qi. Emperor Wenxuan ordered the abolition of Taoism, and as a result, there were no Taoist priests in the Qi territory. The Northern Celestial Masters sect thus disappeared.

During the Southern Song Dynasty, Lu Xiujing, a Taoist priest from Mount Lu, founded the "Southern Celestial Masters Sect". Later, the Northern and Southern Celestial Masters Sects merged, with Mount Longhu as their ancestral temple.

Originally, there was no longer any "Southern Celestial Masters Sect," but there is a little story behind it. Lu Xiujing had connections with the Celestial Masters Sect, the Shangqing School, and the Lingbao School, but had no direct lineage with any of them, and called himself a "disciple of the Three Caverns."

During the reign of Emperor Daxing of the previous dynasty, Longhu Mountain was powerful. In order to divide its power, the imperial court brought up the matter of the Northern and Southern Celestial Masters sects again, which caused quite a stir at the time.

This is also why Longhushan abandoned Daxing and supported the Daxuan Dynasty.

But in any case, the matter was resolved.

It just so happened that both the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan and the Lingbao Sect of Gezaoshan had ambitious individuals, so they joined forces and, under the name of Lu Jingxiu as a "disciple of the Three Caves," re-established the "Southern Celestial Masters Sect."

It can be said that this new "Southern Celestial Masters Way" was illegitimate from the moment it was established.

After the establishment of the Great Xuan Dynasty, the Southern Celestial Masters had given up the idea of ​​causing trouble and gradually built up relations with Longhu Mountain, preparing to return.

But just then, a formidable figure named Zhang Jingxuan appeared out of nowhere.

His extraordinary talent and remarkable Taoist skills not only allowed the "Southern Celestial Masters" to gain a foothold, but also made him the leader of the Taoist sects in Jiangnan.

It can be said that its combat power is in no way inferior to that of a Grandmaster.

The master of the "Tianxin Zhengfa Sect" in Fujian is also a powerful figure in the lineage.

Upon hearing that these two were coming, everyone present was naturally alarmed.

"Zhang Jingxuan... Hmph!"

Master Baigu's pale green eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he paused with his white bone staff. "You didn't die in Blackwater City back then, but now you're in such a hurry to come and die!"

Although his tone was harsh, it also revealed a hint of fear.

Zhang Jingxuan not only revitalized the "Southern Celestial Masters Way," but also maintained a good relationship with Longhu Mountain. Holding the Celestial Master's Seal of Longhu Mountain, he possessed divine powers of thunder magic and was by no means an easy person to deal with.

Granny Corpse Cloak stared at Old Man Lin and hissed, "Three days...enough for this old woman to gnaw several holes in the Jinling earth veins! Dragon energy? Hmph, just right to feed my 'Ten Thousand Corpse Jar'!"

The old, rickety earthenware pot that was constantly wriggling around her waist made a "gurgling" sound again.

"Time is of the essence, but the advantage lies with us!"

Master Baigu said coldly, "Now, including Leiyin, we have five Earth Immortals gathered in Jinling! No matter how strong Zhang Jingxuan is, can he really fight five against one?"

"Breaking their great formation and destroying their bronze bell is as easy as turning one's hand."

"Those so-called masters of the Dharma lineage in the city are nothing but chickens and dogs!"

Lin Zhongweng nodded hurriedly, but then hesitated and added, "Your Excellency is wise! The power of five Earth Immortals is indeed invincible. However..."

"There is indeed someone in the city who is quite troublesome,"

"Oh?" Master Baigu's skull-shaped eye sockets turned to him.

The gurgling of the Corpse-Clad Granny stopped for a moment.

Even the usually calm troupe leader slightly raised his eyelids.

Lin Zhongweng took a deep breath: "The head of the Twelve Zodiac Stars, Li Yan!"

"This person is a living underworld official, holding a 'hook' to capture souls and lock spirits. He is extremely powerful at a young age and ruthless. The group of people around him also have different methods and work together seamlessly."

"He was the one who stumbled upon the matter of Huai Shu Village, and he was also the one who uncovered the connection with Tian Qianhu... More importantly, he is a living underworld messenger, who is exactly our nemesis."

"To be honest, I haven't dared to set foot in Jinling City these days."

"Living underworld messengers?"

The Corpse-Clad Granny let out a shrill laugh like a night owl, "I've heard of this Li Yan. He even gave Zhao Changsheng a hard time. The Holy Sect has already issued a kill order against him. This is a good opportunity to take care of him in one fell swoop!"

Despite this, a hint of seriousness flashed in her cloudy eyes.

The living underworld messengers have a special identity and connect the living and the dead, which is indeed a headache for them.

Master Baigu seemed to be deep in thought. His pale green gaze swept over Lin Zhongweng and finally landed on the troupe leader who had been silent all along.

"Living underworld messenger..."

Master Baigu said in a hoarse voice, "He is indeed a troublesome person. With him around, we cannot unleash our full power. Master, your 'Ghost Opera Troupe' is full of experts. This person is entrusted to you."

"We must get rid of this troublesome brat before the 'Dragon Throwing Ceremony' begins!"

Upon hearing this, the troupe leader in green robes maintained his gentle, scholarly demeanor and calmly replied, "How could I dare disobey Brother Baigu's request?"

Wow~
A chilling wind rose, and owls flew wildly over the mass grave...

…………

"That should be settled..."

In the back room of the Jinling Commandery, Li Yan listened to the intelligence brought by Qiu Mingyuan.

Upon learning that Zhang Jingxuan, the current Celestial Master of the Southern Celestial Masters Sect, was rushing to Jinling with the sect's most treasured artifact, everyone's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

They had heard of Zhang Jingxuan's name in both Wudang and Qingcheng.

Even Yu Chanzi, the leader of Wudang, highly praised him.

His thunder magic was divine, and he enjoyed extremely high prestige, making him the leader of the Xuanmen sect in Jiangnan.

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and said, "With Zhang Tianshi's personal presence, the Xuanmen sect in Jiangnan has a backbone, and the 'Nine Dragons Locking the Abyss Formation' of Qixia Mountain should be safe."

Li Yan felt somewhat relieved and was about to continue the discussion when he heard a junior officer from the Commandery respectfully announce from outside the door:

"Young Master Li, someone has delivered an invitation, specifically requesting that you open it in person."

Shalifei curiously took the invitation. It was made of dark gold-patterned cardboard with auspicious cloud and beast designs, exuding an air of luxury.

He read aloud: "Respectfully inviting Your Excellency Li Yan: It is a pleasure to hear of your arrival in Jinling, coinciding with the birthday celebration of His Highness the Prince of Jinling. We have prepared a small banquet at the Prince's Mansion and sincerely invite Your Excellency to take time out of your busy schedule to attend and join in this grand occasion, to satisfy His Highness's thirst for talent. The banquet is scheduled for tonight at 7 PM. Respectfully yours, Prince of Jinling Mansion."

"The Prince of Jinling's Mansion? A birthday banquet?"

Shalifei frowned. "At this critical juncture, the Prince's Mansion is suddenly hosting a banquet? Yan-ge, we have absolutely no connection with this Prince of Jinling."

Li Yan accepted the invitation, somewhat surprised.

"Lord Qiu."

Li Yan turned to Qiu Mingyuan, the Chief Priest and Commander of the Thousand Households of Xuan Priest, and asked, "What is the relationship between this Prince of Jinling and the Lu family of Gusu and the Xie family of Qiantang?"

Qiu Mingyuan pondered for a moment and said in a low voice, "Although this prince does not directly interfere in worldly affairs, the heads of the Lu and Xie families are frequent guests at the prince's residence and have very close ties with him."

Since it concerned the royal family, he only touched on the subject briefly and didn't say anything more.

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "No banquet is ever a good banquet!"

"Brother Yan, at this critical juncture, it seems those two families are looking to cause us trouble..."

Qiu Mingyuan smiled and said, "I think that since they want to make peace, if we can use the Prince's Mansion to temporarily appease them, we can also prevent them from causing trouble at this critical time."

Li Yan said thoughtfully, "Very well, let's go see what's going on..."

(End of this chapter)