The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 283 Raging Flames (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The four hadn't gone far when they discovered that shamans were secretly following them. Zhao Ti gave a slight signal, and they each used their lightness skills to speed up their journey.

Not long after, Xiao Feng returned to the Tatar herder's dwelling, paid them a sum of money, gave them some instructions, and rode away.

We planned to visit the Papacy again that evening, so we left early to avoid the Papacy's people tracking us to the Tatar herders' homes and causing unnecessary trouble.

The group traveled northwest for about several dozen miles before stopping. There was a small river ahead, so they rested by the river and started a campfire to cook food in the evening.

After finishing their meal and resting for a while, they prepared to set off. Zhou Tong and Wu Changfeng had suffered some minor injuries, so they did not take the two of them with them. Zhao Ti and Xiao Feng headed straight for the Shamanic Church.

Around the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), we had arrived not far to the west of the Papacy, and could vaguely see the scene inside the Papacy.

There wasn't much change from last night. No extra precautions were taken because Li Cangxuan was injured while invoking the gods during the day. It's likely that no one thought there was any connection between the two.

After observing for a moment in the shadows, Zhao Ti said, "No need to split up. Let's go check out the Nine-Tailed Fox Hall that Chief Xiao mentioned first, and then burn down the Divine Sacrifice Tower and the central altar."

Xiao Feng agreed, and the two quietly approached the Holy See.

Upon reaching the side, they easily entered the wooden fence. Xiao Feng led the way, and soon they arrived at a certain place.

It was a house made entirely of wood, with colorful banners hanging above the door and a bronze bell that looked like a giant bell.

The hall door was slightly ajar, and the scent of incense and candles wafted out, giving people a sense of mystery.

Xiao Feng asked in surprise, "This door was opened like this last night, why is it still like this tonight?"

Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows. He knew more about shamanism than Zhou Tong. Shamans did not always invite one deity. Instead, the deities invited varied depending on the level of their magic and the distance.

For example, when two people invite a fox spirit, they generally don't invite the same spirit. As for when someone is just learning to invite a spirit, they will also invite different spirits. Only after a long time will the same person invite the same fox spirit.

The statues enshrined here by the Shamanic Church are all the chief deities, and ordinary people cannot possess them. For example, when Li Cangxuan summoned the Wolf God, it was not the strongest one.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that there are really gods and immortals and that it is possible to invite gods to possess one's body; otherwise, it is just a set of excuses to deceive believers and mislead the people.

As for leaving a gap in the altar, it is not closed tightly. According to the rules of shamanism, it means that the deity being worshipped is not at home at the moment, or has been invited to possess someone, or has gone out to do something, so the door is left open for the other party.

Some of the shamanic sayings are not as rigorous as those of the Central Plains sects, and are often colloquial and somewhat vulgar, such as the saying about leaving a gate.

Zhao Ti gave a brief description, and Xiao Feng nodded: "I see, I was just ignorant."

The two then quietly stepped forward and looked into the hall. They saw a huge fox spirit statue standing deep inside the hall, with smoke swirling in front of it and candlelight flickering, making it difficult to see the face clearly.

Below the statue is an altar with many fruits and food. A worshipper sits on the ground in front of the altar, head bowed, snoring evenly.

Zhao Ti nodded, and the two slipped through the crack in the door, then hid in the shadows beside the door, looking around.

The furnishings in this hall are very simple and ancient. Apart from the fox spirit statue in front, there are no other gods or immortals.

Zhao Ti moved swiftly and instantly appeared in front, carefully examining the fox spirit statue.

Through the incense smoke, one can see that the statue is incredibly lifelike, carved entirely from jade. It has nine tails, a crimson glow behind its head, a somewhat charming fox face, and bright, watery eyes, making it seem almost alive.

Zhao Ti observed the incense and candles in front of him. They were thick and could burn for six hours straight. He wondered what kind of fragrance was mixed into the candles, but the smell made him feel clear-headed.

At this moment, the breath drifted and disappeared as it reached the fox's mouth and nose, as if it were being inhaled.

He frowned and stared for a moment. Xiao Feng whispered beside him, "Young Master, just like last night, I wonder where the smoke was sucked away by the statue."

Zhao Ti nodded. Looking at the scene before him, he could see that the incense and candle smoke had indeed been partially absorbed by the statue, which was quite strange.

He looked at the jade fox's body; it didn't seem to be hollow. Its mouth was merely carved, with its lips closed and the corners of its mouth slightly upturned. But as soon as the smoke got close, it seeped into the fox.

Zhao Ti said, "Let's take a closer look."

As he spoke, he leaped onto the altar. He had already committed blasphemy during the day by beating up the wolf spirit that Li Cangxuan had invited, so he naturally didn't care about this matter now.

The fox's appearance was lifelike, with a hint of allure, its eyebrows and eyes brimming with light, and its gaze intoxicated, almost like that of a human.

Zhao Ti reached out and touched the statue's face. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, and was indeed made of jade.

He touched the fox statue's nose and mouth again, and found that it wasn't empty inside either, which made him ponder for a moment.

A moment later he jumped off the altar, and Xiao Feng asked, "Young Master, have you found anything?"

Zhao Ti shook his head. At this moment, he saw that the incense and candle smoke had stopped, as if his touch had disturbed something, and the fox statue was no longer absorbing it.

“Young Master, this statue is strange. Should we destroy it?” Xiao Feng asked.

Zhao Ti said, "If there is anything strange, do not disturb it, lest we alert the enemy and delay our mission. Our priority should be destroying the central altar."

As he spoke, he turned and walked out, with Xiao Feng following closely behind. Just then, the fox statue on the altar seemed to move its eyes, its gaze seemingly coming to life as it looked at his back.

They went out of the main hall and headed to the sacrificial altar. They went up to the roof and opened one of the seven skylights. Seeing that there was no movement below, the two jumped in.

This view is not as narrow as when viewed from above, where one can see the entire scene inside. All one sees is a dim yellow color, and the earth deity has a terrifying and grotesque appearance. Countless branches-like arms extend out, each holding a different object, making it look like a demon rather than a human.

The little figure climbing below has a blank face, with cinnabar dots in its eyes, which are glaring and sinister, unlike a benevolent being. Its body is covered with scales, charred black as if burned by fire, and has no human characteristics whatsoever.

The puppet in front of them had closed eyes and no face, its body covered in blood-red runes that were strangely twisted and exuded a terrifying aura.

Zhao Ti glanced around for a moment, then walked towards the door and looked around. He saw that there were six more halls around, each dedicated to a god such as the heavens, the sun, and the moon. In addition, there were other gods and immortals, both living and dead. Some halls had hundreds of statues.

On the floor below, in addition to statues and offering plaques, there was also a yellow paper register of immortals, densely covered with the names of various immortals.

After a cursory inspection, finding nothing amiss, Zhao Ti returned upstairs and signaled to Xiao Feng to set the building on fire.

The building was half wood and half stone, and full of flammable materials. Just a few altars were lit, and a fire broke out. The worshippers inside immediately panicked and shouted. The two of them left through the skylight.

Then, ignoring the building, they headed straight for the central altar.

Guards sat at the four corners of the altar. At this time, there was no need for any concealment; they were simply seizing the time.

The four men were surprised to see Zhao Ti and his companion, but they were no match for them. In the blink of an eye, they were overturned off the stage. Zhao Ti quickly walked to the huge bronze basin and looked inside.

Besides ordinary seals and other items, there were also royal seals inside, some in the style of the Central Plains dynasties and others in the style of the Uyghurs of the Western Regions. It was unknown where the shamans had obtained them.

Aside from these items, there were other objects, all related to the nation and the dynasty, and between these objects was a substance resembling agarwood powder.

Zhao Ti was slightly taken aback. He had seen this kind of agarwood powder before. When Helian Tieshu was an envoy to the Song Dynasty, he used a golden silkworm to shed its shell and travel within the Song territory. When he went to the imperial mausoleum, he scattered a similar powder.

Later, when he was in Western Xia, he asked Li Qiushui what this was. Li Qiushui said it was a method of the Great Witch Cult. The cult advised her that she could use this powder in combination with witchcraft incantations to sabotage the imperial tombs of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Ti asked what it could destroy, and Li Qiushui replied that the sorcery claimed it could disperse spirits, obstruct fortune, and jeopardize the nation's destiny, thus it was a form of sorcery.

Zhao Ti then asked Li Qiushui, "If these things are useful, then why should the two countries go to war? They can simply win by using magic."

Li Qiushui said that it was better than nothing. Witchcraft had been around for a long time and was commonplace in the court and among the common people. Even if she didn't believe in it, she felt that it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

Zhao Ti squinted at the bronze basin. There were too many things to take with him, especially since most of the items belonged to the Western Xia and the Central Plains items were from the previous dynasty.

He pondered for a few moments and said, "Burn it all!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng immediately knocked over the candles around him and then lit the pillars. In an instant, flames leaped up from all over the altar, quickly becoming a raging torrent.

Flames roared and licked everything around them, engulfing the exquisite carvings on the dome. The flames spread rapidly from the sides, crackling and popping as they burned.

The image of the shamanic progenitor rapidly blackened, curled, and peeled off, emitting a piercing, eerie "sizzling" sound. It was quickly burned away, with flames spreading everywhere above. At this moment, thick smoke billowed, the intense heat distorted the surrounding air, and the booming sounds of collapsing objects mingled together. Zhao Ti said calmly, "Let's retreat."

The two quickly jumped off the platform. At this moment, chaos had broken out inside the Vatican. The fire in the chapel was far more intense than this one, and it began to sway precariously. With a loud bang, part of it collapsed, raising clouds of dust and fire.

The two ran quickly outside, only to hear shouts and angry yells coming from behind. Zhao Ti glanced back and saw raging flames raging wildly. Several figures darted through the flames, seemingly searching for the arsonist. One of the figures was even heading towards the two of them.

Zhao Ti said, "Let's talk outside."

Xiao Feng nodded, and the two walked straight out of the Vatican's wooden fence and plunged into the rolling night.

The figure behind seemed to have noticed something and kept chasing after them. Zhao Ti could shake them off, but Xiao Feng's lightness skill was inferior, and the opponent's movements were extremely fast, relentlessly pursuing him.

After traveling several miles, Zhao Ti stopped. The figure arrived in an instant, and the two of them saw that it was a thin old man.

The old man's face was sinister as he angrily demanded, "Did you two set the fire?"

Xiao Feng glanced at Zhao Ti, then stepped forward and unleashed the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, its momentum overwhelming and its energy enveloping all around.

The old man's expression changed upon seeing this. He hadn't expected Xiao Feng's palm strikes to be so fierce. He was already showing signs of being overwhelmed after only a few moves. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and dodged to the side, and then his body began to tremble violently.

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes: "Be careful."

Xiao Feng looked surprised and suspicious. The old man had suddenly changed his demeanor. He was already thin and small, but now he looked even more sleazy and despicable.

His body seemed to be curled up, his pointed nose twitched rapidly, his black bean-like eyes gleamed gray in the shadows, his hands were clasped in front of his chest, his legs were slightly bent, and his feet swept along the ground, as if he were ready to launch forward at any moment.

Xiao Feng asked, "What is that?"

Zhao Ti frowned: "It seems like they've summoned a rat spirit to possess them?"

Suddenly, the old man's ears perked up, his beard trembled, and he spurred his hind legs forward, his body leaving countless afterimages that seemed to curl into arcs before quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Xiao Feng unleashed a powerful palm strike, "Regretful Dragon," and as the wind swept through, a "squeak" was heard. It was unclear whether the strike hit the old man or not, but the old man vanished without a trace.

Zhao Ti raised an eyebrow: "On the ground!"

The old man, who had been lying on the ground at some point, was now less than ten feet away from Xiao Feng. Upon hearing this, he suddenly sprang up, his hands forming claws in front of him, and reached for Xiao Feng's throat.

Xiao Feng quickly retreated three steps and used another Hidden Dragon in the Abyss technique, immediately forcing the old man out of his sight. Then, he suddenly leaped out and used another Flying Dragon in the Sky technique.

The old man's expression was gloomy. Suddenly, he made a gesture of worshipping the moon with both hands, directly confronting Xiao Feng's palm strike.

Xiao Feng attacked from above, initially holding the advantage. This punch was also extraordinary. With a muffled "boom," the old man's legs were forced into the grass by this palm strike, sinking more than half a foot deep.

Zhao Ti said indifferently, "Inviting gods is nothing more than this. How can a rat possibly defeat a human? What's the point of giving it a divine name? It's just a laughing stock."

The old man was furious and let out an unintelligible screech. Then his legs suddenly shot out from the ground, and a gray light rushed towards Zhao Ti.

Zhao Ti snorted coldly, then suddenly raised his hand and, in a flash, grabbed the other person's collar, then slammed him down heavily.

The god this old man summoned was far inferior to Li Cangxuan's. Li Cangxuan was able to force Xiao Feng to retreat after summoning the Wolf Immortal, but the Rat Immortal summoned by this old man, apart from being good at hiding, was no match for Xiao Feng.

This proves once again that even if the matter of summoning gods is true, it doesn't necessarily mean that one can defeat a martial arts master. As long as one's martial arts skills are high enough, these gods and immortals can be killed just the same way.

Zhao Ti fell very hard, and the old man let out a miserable scream, which was still not a human voice, but a constant "squeaking".

Xiao Feng caught up with the old man and stomped his foot hard. There was a loud "crack" sound, and the old man's ashen face changed color, as if something was about to leave him.

Zhao Ti suddenly said, "Don't let him get away!"

Xiao Feng naturally knew what Zhao Ti was referring to. He channeled his inner strength into his legs and instantly exerted force, crushing the old man's bones and tendons.

Zhao Ti looked down and saw that the old man had already died, but his expression had not returned to its original state. It was still gray and gloomy, and his face was distorted, just like a rat.

Xiao Feng asked, "Young Master, is that god... dead?"

Zhao Ti frowned slightly: "It seems they didn't manage to escape."

Xiao Feng said, "This humble one is a little confused. If it is really about inviting a god to possess one's body, where does this god come from, and how can it possess a person's body and have power and abilities?"

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment: "This matter is strange, and I can't figure it out for the time being. Perhaps the world is so big that anything is possible. If it weren't for the inconvenience here, we could capture a prisoner and interrogate him properly, and maybe we could find the answer."

Xiao Feng nodded upon hearing this, and then began to deal with the corpse. He didn't have anything like the Black Bear's Bone-Dissolving Water on him, so he simply buried the old man and disguised the body. This might not be enough to fool the Shaman Sect, so he just needed to buy some more time.

The two continued to move forward. Xiao Feng said, "I was just thinking about it. If this kind of spirit possession is not caused by a secret method that stimulates potential, then it is most likely that the spirit possesses the body."

Zhao Ti glanced at him: "Do souls really exist in this world?"

Xiao Feng smiled wryly: "There probably is, otherwise it really doesn't make sense."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "For a soul to leave its body and possess another's, what kind of profound skill would that require? Those beasts are foxes, rats, snakes, and hedgehogs, how could they possibly have such an ability?"

Xiao Feng pondered, "Since they are called immortals and gods, they must have achieved great success in cultivation?"

Zhao Ti said, "Humans are the most intelligent of all beings. Have you ever seen anyone in this world whose soul can leave their body?"

Xiao Feng said, "This... I have indeed never seen it with my own eyes."

Zhao Ti said, "That's it. In this world, no one has ever seen a person's soul leave their body, yet the beasts and insects on the grasslands possess such abilities. Something is not quite right."

Xiao Feng asked, "Young Master, what is the explanation?"

Zhao Ti pondered and said, "Perhaps the invocation of gods is fake, or there is another reason. What secrets does this shamanism have that are unknown to the world? Those beasts, rats, and insects are different from ordinary ones. The term 'cultivation' cannot fully explain this matter."

Xiao Feng said, "That is indeed possible. If these immortals and gods are really that powerful, why don't they come out of the Great Grassland? They only exist on the grassland, and we haven't heard of them outside of the grassland."

Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows upon hearing this: "Within the Great Grassland, I've never heard of anything like it..."

Xiao Feng said, "That's right, and that's what's puzzling."

Zhao Ti said, "That's right, this point does indeed raise suspicions."

The two walked and talked, and after a while they returned to the place where they had parted ways with Zhou Tong and Wu Changfeng. Xiao Feng let out a long howl, and then heard someone respond from one direction. It was Wu Changfeng's voice.

The two hurried over and saw Zhou Tong and Wu Changfeng coming to greet them. Without saying a word, they mounted their horses and galloped south.

It was still dark, and the sky was not yet bright. Taking advantage of the flat grassland, the horses were able to move, but not very fast, and they made their way forward slowly.

At this moment, Zhou Tong lit a pine resin torch, which had been made when Zhao Ti and his companion went to the shamanic church. It crackled as it burned, faintly illuminating the way.

After walking for a while, there were no traces of herders following the water and grass like on the way there. We just walked straight south, and there was no main road. Gradually, the grass grew all around and we disappeared into the depths.

The constant chirping of insects and the sounds of some unknown animal came from afar in the grass. The horses slowed down, getting tangled in the grass and emitting low neighs.

Wu Changfeng said, "This humble subject will go down and clear the way."

Zhao Ti nodded, and Wu Changfeng jumped off his horse, handed the reins to Zhou Tong, then drew his ghost-head broadsword from his waist and quickly chopped through the tall grass.

He moved extremely fast, and in a moment he was ahead, but suddenly he let out a cry of surprise.

Xiao Feng called out from behind, "Elder Wu, what is it?"

Then Wu Changfeng said in a strange voice, "Chief, where have we come to?"

(End of this chapter)