Knife splashing

Chapter 89: Grassroots and the Imperial Court

The mass grave at noon presented a completely different scene.

The gloom on the mountain was driven away, and the sunlight shone through the dense leaves, casting beams of light, giving a sense of tranquility and elegance.

Of course, the premise is to ignore the densely packed graves and bones on the roadside.

There were more than thirty people who went up the mountain.

The Duwei Division left some troops at the foot of the mountain to provide support, led by Chang Xuan himself. In addition to himself, the centurion, and Guan Wanche, he also brought five small flags, all of whom were experts in dark energy.

The dozen or so people under his command are all at the peak of Ming Jin.

These elite soldiers of the Duwei Division were obviously very familiar with mountain warfare. They not only released falcons to soar in the sky, but also led two mastiffs.

As for the Xianyang Law Enforcement Hall, because many people were poisoned and they had to leave people to guard the altar, only Luo Mingzi brought five people.

Although there are not many people, more than a dozen dark energy experts are enough to deal with most situations.

"Wang Wang!"

The mastiff was ferocious and quickly tracked down the location.

The eagle circling in the sky also indicates the direction of the intruder.

At this moment, one of the Taoists' ears trembled and he warned, "Be careful, there is an ambush ahead."

Drop~
Before he finished speaking, a strange flute sound was heard from the dense forest.

The mastiff of the Duwei Division also suddenly stopped and barked wildly at the surroundings.

I saw black shadows coming from all directions in the ditch and among the dense forest. They were all wild dogs eating human flesh from the mass grave. They all had fierce eyes and hideous fangs.

Li Yan had naturally smelled the fishy smell a long time ago, but he was too lazy to even say anything.

With so many experts, there is no need for him at all.

Sure enough, Luo Mingzi's expression remained unchanged and he quickly took off the token from his waist.

This thing was exactly the "Upper Mysterious Bamboo Talisman" that he had used when he climbed the mountain last time. He pinched his fingers and chanted the Six Jia Secret Blessing, "All those who are about to fight will march forward in formation!"

But unlike last time, the tone of the spell changed.

Li Yan watched from the side and felt envious.

He had discussed this with Wang Daoxuan and already knew that this was called "Baopu Mountain Climbing Technique", which was not unique to Taixuan Orthodox Sect, but was widely circulated in the Xuanmen.

Wang Daoxuan's Xixuan lineage also has this method, but there are two conditions for using it. One is to build a two-story pavilion, and the other is to refine the precious "Shangxuan Bamboo Envoy Talisman".

Neither of them is qualified to practice.

Although the conditions for this method are harsh, it is extremely convenient. One only needs to change the incantations according to the Liujia Secret Blessings to become invisible and avoid ghosts and gods, and to keep away ferocious beasts in the mountains.

Sure enough, as Luo Mingzi chanted the spell, the evil energy flowed and a tiger-like aura gathered on his body.

Woohoo~
The wild dogs were immediately frightened and fell to the ground, some even peed themselves in fear.

Of course, the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin can also do this, but the range is not as large.

At the same time, the Taoist who had just given the reminder also took down the bow from his back, closed his eyes, twitched his ears, bent the bow, put the arrow on it, and aimed at the sky on the right.

call out!
The bowstring vibrated, and the sharp arrow flew out and disappeared into the dense forest.

Then, a scream was heard and the flute sound stopped.

The wild dogs around immediately fled in all directions.

"Go and see!"

This was obviously not the first time that the Duwei Division and the Taixuan Orthodox Sect had cooperated. Chang Xuan was not surprised and calmly gave the order.

Immediately, two captains rushed into the dense forest.

Not long after, they turned back and bowed, saying, "My lord, it was someone from the Beggars' Sect, and he was shot dead."

After hearing this, Chang Xuan said in a deep voice: "The Beggars' Sect is familiar with the terrain, is good at playing with snakes and driving away dogs, and has a strange way of hiding treasures. We should be careful not to fall into their trap."

The wild dogs blocking the road were just a minor incident. There were many people in the team who were good at tracking, and they soon found an old grave.

Under the big tree at the back, there was a cave, pitch black and filled with an eerie atmosphere.

"Down!"

"Wait a minute!"

Chang Xuan was about to order his men to explore the way, but was stopped by Luo Mingzi, who shook his head with a serious expression and said, "There is a trap inside, don't be impatient."

As he spoke, he looked at a Taoist priest next to him.

The Taoist had gray hair and beard, and was obviously quite old. He took out a talisman from his bosom, made a gesture with his left hand, and swung it suddenly with his right hand.

The yellow talisman ignited without wind. After it was shot into the cave, although the flame was immediately extinguished, the strong energy overflowed, like a huge rock falling into a pool of water.

call!
A gust of cold wind suddenly blew out of the cave.

Several poisonous snakes jumped out in panic, and there were faint sounds of mournful cries.

Clang!
Three captains of the Duwei Division drew their swords, and with a flash of sword light, all the poisonous snakes that approached the crowd were chopped into several pieces.

Luo Mingzi looked at the sky and shook his head, saying, "These people are really good at scheming. On the fifth day of the ninth month, the beginning of the new year, all the ghosts in the mass graves hid underground, which turned out to be a protective barrier for them."

Li Yan frowned, "There is no sunlight underground, and the evil aura is thick. Can we recruit soldiers to search?"

This is the most labor-saving method. No matter how complicated the underground cave is, once the altar soldiers come out, they can capture everyone in a short time.

Luo Mingzi shook his head and said, "They have also calculated this. They are currently conferring the title of Mountain God. Moreover, this Mountain God is a treasure of heaven and earth. If he is frightened before he obtains the title of God, his good fortune will be gone."

As he said that, he turned his head and looked at Chang Xuan, "Captain Chang, the place down there has become a ghost den. Although there are only wandering ghosts, you'd better not go in."

"The cave is small, and too many people will make it difficult to move. Just find another cave entrance and block it to prevent anyone from escaping."

Chang Xuan hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, we will wait outside to meet you. Taoist priests, please be careful."

Luo Mingzi nodded, and entered the cave with Li Yan and others one after another, and soon disappeared in the darkness...

"Sir, it seems that the Maitreya Sect has not come."

As soon as they left, Guan Wanche suddenly spoke.

Chang Xuan's eyes were full of regret, and he shook his head and said, "If it weren't for the order from Taixuan Orthodox Church, I would have been tempted by this heavenly treasure that can be used as a holy product for healing."

"I didn't expect that the Maitreya people would be able to hold back..."

Before he finished speaking, a cold voice sounded from the distant dense forest, "Are you looking for me, my lords?"

"Who?!"

All the soldiers in the Duwei Division drew their weapons.

However, when I looked in the direction of the sound, there was no one there.

A hint of doubt arose in everyone's eyes. The two Ao Dogs on a lead did not give any warning, and the eagle in the sky did not find any trace of the enemy. Where was the enemy hiding?
Chang Xuan was about to order a search, but something occurred to him, and he said thoughtfully: "The enemy is using sorcery to lure us to disperse. Don't be fooled!"

"Form a formation, Lotus!"

He is experienced and can instantly determine the other party's purpose.

At the command, all the members of the Duwei Division immediately drew their bows and arrows, with their backs to each other and aiming in all directions. The arrows were sharp, like a hedgehog.

The other party still hadn't shown up, but Chang Xuan smiled.

What he was afraid of was that the other party was not greedy. As long as he coveted the treasures of heaven and earth, he would not need to be anxious at all and could deal with them slowly.

"what?"

A surprised voice was heard in the dense forest in the distance, and then a figure wearing a Taoist robe, with white beard and white eyebrows slowly walked out from behind a tree trunk.

"Sir, it's him!"

Guan Wanche immediately recognized that the old man was the one who broke into the Zhou family that day.

Chang Xuan had a sharp eye and could tell at once that the man was wearing a human skin mask. He said in a cold voice, "Since you are here, why don't you show your true face?"

The old man shook his head slightly, but just as he was about to speak, Chang Xuan's face changed, "Let go!"

shhhhhh!
In an instant, sharp arrows whizzed out.

The person who came was Dugu Qian, the incense master of Maitreya Sect. He was also very skilled. He flashed and hid behind a tree trunk.

Arrows rained down, nailing into tree trunks and the ground, and the tail feathers trembled, obviously with great force.

Dugu Qian didn't care. He took out the bone flute from his neck, made a hand gesture with his left hand, put it in his mouth and blew it gently.
A strange flute sound suddenly rang out in the dense forest.

Swish!
In the jungle behind the Duweisi, the grass and trees suddenly shook, and a fishy wind blew in their faces, making people dizzy.

However, the people in the Duwei Division did not panic at all. Three of them took off the leather bags from their waists and threw them into the air, while the other three drew their bows and drew their arrows.

Bang bang bang!
The leather bag exploded instantly, and pungent yellow powder scattered everywhere.

"realgar?"

Dugu Qian's face changed behind the tree trunk and he stopped playing the flute immediately.

However, it was already too late.

Swish!
From the dense forest, a huge snake as thick as a bowl roared out, as if driven mad by realgar. Its comb on its head was blood red, and it opened its fangs and mouth and pounced on everyone.

Faced with the legendary crested snake, the people in the Duwei Division did not panic at all. Led by Guan Wanche, they picked up the iron nets that had been prepared on the ground and threw them out.

The iron net is covered with iron hooks, which are the "ghost-seeing" hooks used by the government to capture martial arts masters.

The crested snake was a little crazy and was directly covered by the blanket.

The snake's scales were tough and sparks flew when rubbing against the iron hooks. However, the iron net of the "ghost-seeing" snake was huge and the more it struggled, the tighter it became.

Even though they were prepared, everyone was still frightened.

This thing is invulnerable to swords and spears, has great power and is extremely poisonous. Once it rushes into the formation, there will be countless casualties.

No wonder he was able to kill all the bandits in the mountain.

Guan Wanche took off the leather bag from his waist without saying a word and sprayed out the black dog blood inside.

The black dog's blood was mixed with realgar, and when it was poured on the crested snake, white smoke immediately came out and its scales softened, allowing the iron hook to pierce all of them.

The crested snake felt pain, but regained consciousness. It dared not move anymore. It stared at everyone with a pair of cold eyes, and poisonous mist surged in its throat.

Clang!
Chang Xuan, who had been keeping his hands behind his back, finally drew out the long sword from his waist. He flicked his fingers lightly and the sword suddenly made a sound.

He glanced at the cock-crowned snake coldly and said, "This is a precious sword bestowed by the imperial court. It has the power to suppress evil. You can try it out. Who is faster, me or you?"

The crested snake was quite human-like and immediately shut its mouth upon hearing this.

Chang Xuan nodded with satisfaction, then looked towards the dense forest in the distance and said with a smile: "Tomb Snake Dugu Qian, since I know you are coming, how could I be unprepared?"

He said it lightly, but he was secretly glad in his heart.

After Sharifei delivered the message, he realized something was wrong and immediately ordered his men to rush to the surrounding villages to make preparations. They gathered all the things just in time to go up the mountain.

How can the power of the imperial court be compared with that of the common people?

Especially their Duwei Division, they never stopped collecting intelligence on the Maitreya Sect, and also collected information on the "Tomb Snake" Dugu Qian.

Although the crested snake is rare, they have long known how to control it.

Thinking of this, Chang Xuan smiled, "Now that things have come to this, why not... come out and talk?"

Dugu Qian's face was gloomy. He walked out slowly and said in a deep voice: "My lord, you are very calculating and skilled. I was careless. I didn't expect that a mere captain of the Duwei Division would be a master of Huajin."

Chang Xuan sighed, "The court is different from the martial arts world. It doesn't just focus on skills. Compared to physical actions, I prefer to use my brain."

"I know that Master Duguxiang has profound magic skills, and we can't stop you. But you also saw that I have made some preparations today, so don't think you can get away with it. Why don't you retreat?"

Dugu Qian's eyes were uncertain, "It is said that dragons and snakes rise from the grass, it seems that the imperial court is the place where the dragons and crouching tigers are hidden. I admit defeat today and will leave now. Quickly release this spirit snake!"

"Ah~"

Chang Xuan frowned and waved his fingers, "Let's put things in perspective. I have caught something with great difficulty, so how can I hand it over so easily?"

"Also, tell your fire ghost brother not to aim his firearm at me. At such a long distance, it can only injure me, but your precious snake will also be in danger."

Dugu Qian's eyelids twitched slightly and he immediately raised his hand.

In the distance, a figure jumped down from a tree and quickly disappeared.

Dugu Qian looked at Chang Xuan. He really didn't expect to meet such a difficult character in Xianyang City. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Tell me, what do you want?"

Chang Xuan showed a meaningful smile.

"I want a name."

"Duwei Sizhong, who leaked the secret to you..."

…………

The cave was dark and damp.

It was a bit narrow inside, and not only was there water on the ground, making it muddy and difficult to walk on, but there were also dense tree roots hanging from above, and spiders and poisonous insects were crawling around inside.

A Taoist from the Law Enforcement Hall touched the wall of the cave and shook his head, saying, "No wonder they keep so many wild dogs. They are used to dig holes. They look quite old."

Luo Mingzi stared at the messy footprints on the ground and said in a cold voice: "Many years ago, the beggar leader Shan Ye took over the Westward Beggars' Gang. I think he planned this. If someone hadn't leaked the news, who would have thought that a mountain tyrant would be born in the mass grave."

Li Yan seemed to be thinking, "The person who leaked the information probably had bad intentions."

Luo Mingzi nodded, "Don't worry, someone is secretly tracking it down."

As he spoke, he held the seal and performed the Baopu Mountain Climbing Technique.

Wow…

All the poisonous snakes and insects hiding in the dark fled in panic, and the gloomy black fog in the distance also sank into the ground and disappeared quickly.

Obviously, neither poisonous snakes nor ghosts could stop the crowd.

After seeing this, Li Yan shook his head secretly.

He seemed somewhat useless next to these masters.

His ability to smell was indeed extraordinary, but among the people in the Law Enforcement Hall, except for Luo Mingzi, the old man was also at the second level of Taoism, and the rest of the young people had also built towers, and their abilities were far stronger than his.

There is a man who is good at using his hearing ability and can hear things within hundreds of meters.

There was a man who was good at using his clairvoyance to distinguish between yin and yang and see things in the dark.

The remaining three are all physically skilled and good at fighting.

With the cooperation of several people, there was no room for him to perform.

I guess we'll catch him in a while.

However, Li Yan's trip was not in vain.

Whether it was the methods of the Duwei Division or the coordination of techniques of the Law Enforcement Hall, they all opened his eyes and he secretly took note and studied them.

Another of his strengths is that he is good at drawing inferences from one example.

This is true for martial arts moves, and magic is no exception.

Just like the Zhou family's ape-scurrying, after watching it only once, he integrated it into his own red fist and swordsmanship, and came up with various means of combining hidden power.

This may be a gift from the previous life, which allows me to look at things outside the framework.

The few of them moved very quickly and had unknowingly gone deep underground.

There were many branching paths in the cave, including many dead ends, but the footprints underground could not be erased, and with everyone's magical powers, they were not confused at all.

Finally, the dirt cave disappeared and the ground turned to rock.

Everyone looked up and saw a cave in front of them. There were signs of human excavation around it. There was also a passage on the left side, which was blocked by rocks.

And further ahead, several branching channels appeared again.

The earth hole they passed through opened out from the other side of the stone wall.

There is also a man-made shrine on the stone wall. The statue inside is covered with moss and has been corroded to the point of being blurred.

Li Yan was a little surprised, "Is it an ancient tomb?"

Those shrines are obviously very old and were not built by the Beggars' Sect.

"No."

Luo Mingzi looked around and shook his head, saying, "Shenzhou has an ancient history. Since the ancient tribal period, people have been exploring everywhere. In addition, there were many wild and magical things at that time, so there are gods in every mountain in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas."

"This custom has been passed down to this day and has never been broken off. Whenever there is a magical place, people will burn incense and worship. In ancient times, people here worshipped the mountain god, and the mountain Tai Sui obtained the power of the incense and gave birth to the divine power. However, a problem occurred later and the passage collapsed."

Just as Li Yan was about to speak, he suddenly felt a pain in his left palm, and then his eyes blurred. In a fuzzy state, he saw a scene:
In the dark cave, an old man wearing bark clothes, with a moss-covered beard and a strangely pale face, opened and closed his mouth, and his eyes were full of pleading...

(End of this chapter)