Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 243 The Twin Demons of Dragon Gate, One Sword and One Suona
Chen Huitai looked at the two silver ingots that had been kneaded into silver cakes, and then at the smiling Daoist Jinghong. He could only manage a smile that was more like a grimace.

"Please come in, Venerable Masters." Chen Huitai stepped to the side, turned around, and gestured with his hand.

Master Jinghong and Master Jingfa stepped into the hall and were invited to sit in the guest seats. Chen Huitai served them wine and snacks, saying, "Please enjoy, Masters."

Master Jingfa nodded, picked up a pastry, and took a bite.

Just then, the seven-year-old child suddenly spoke up, "Can you save my older sister?"

"Silence!" Madam Chen was startled and quickly covered the child's mouth.

The older child next to him seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent.

The young girl in the wedding dress comforted the child, saying, "Your older sister is alright, why did you save her?"

The toddler broke free from her mother's hand and said in a clear voice, "But they all say that after my sister married Master Fang, she wouldn't live more than a year!"

A deathly silence fell over the lobby.

Master Jinghong took a sip of wine and looked at Chen Huitai, "Master Chen, tell us about this Master Fang."

Chen Huitai took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "Fang Zigao's magic is profound; he can command ghosts and gods. Two years ago, Master Du from the north of the city also hired a sorcerer for help, but Fang Zigao still wiped out his entire family!"

Master Jinghong asked, "Didn't that Master Du go to Huangtiantan for help?"

Chen Huitai's pupils contracted. He glanced at his youngest son, then looked warily at Daoist Jinghong. "Are you two monks from Huangtiantan?"

Master Jingfa asked curiously, "Didn't you know that Huangtian Temple has been converted into Daluo Temple and is currently under renovation?"

Chen Huitai shook his head, "I know nothing about either Huangtiantan or Daluo Temple."

After thinking for a moment, Master Jinghong said to Master Jingfa, "Whether it is the Golden Wind Sect of Changping Prefecture or the Yellow Heaven Altar of Baishi Prefecture, although they are outwardly impressive, they are rotten inside, which naturally arouses people's vigilance."

Master Jingfa nodded. "That's true. If they truly wanted to protect the people, where would all those prefectures and counties be? Where would so many demons and monsters come from?"

Master Jinghong laughed and said, "But this benefits us."

Just then, the girl in the wedding dress came up to the two of them and offered them wine. "You two monks are not from around here, are you?"

Master Jingfa tapped the table. "Of course not."

"Thank you both for your kind assistance, but that Master Fang is a local tyrant in Hongliu County. He can exorcise ghosts and command gods, and I heard that he also has sorcerers under his command."

Moreover, Master Fang has a bad temper; if anyone disobeys him, he will not show any mercy. The case of Master Du two years ago serves as a warning. Therefore, please forgive my parents for their disrespect.”

The young woman put down the wine pot and bowed gracefully.

Master Jinghong nodded, "Your little girl is quite good."

Master Jingfa nodded, "Don't worry, we won't implicate you. If that Master Fang is that powerful, we will call for help."

Just then, a sound of music suddenly came from outside the door.

Everyone turned around at the sound and saw that the door that Master Jingfa had casually closed earlier opened by itself, and then a wedding procession walked in as if no one else was there.

A bright red sedan chair with carved and embroidered curtains, eight sedan chair bearers dressed in red, four maids with flowers in their hair in front, and four porters carrying gifts behind.

At the very front of everyone stood a pale-faced, beardless young man with a cold gaze.

The young man stopped, waved to the four porters behind him, and they put down the gifts they were carrying.

"Master Chen." The young man gave a perfunctory bow. "This is a gift from my master. Please accept it, Master Chen. Then please invite Miss Chen Zhi to get into the sedan chair and go home. The mansion is full of guests, and my master is waiting for Miss Chen to hold her wedding banquet."

Chen Zhi's face turned pale.

Chen Huitai subconsciously looked at Daoist Jinghong and Daoist Jingfa.

"My sister isn't going, I'm so sad—"

Master Jingfa transmitted his voice, "Apart from the leader, the rest of them are not ghosts."

Master Jinghong nodded. "However, their steps are light, their breathing is steady, and their skills are not weak. They should be Master Fang's henchmen."

Master Jingfa sighed, “It’s truly pitiful to be born in a world of extraordinary beings, a martial arts master.”

The two old Taoist priests were communicating telepathically, but the Chen family thought they were frightened. Chen Huitai breathed a sigh of relief but was also somewhat disappointed; his anxiety finally died.

Chen Zhi took a deep breath, glanced back at her family one last time, and then walked towards the bridal sedan chair. Daoist Jing Hong and Daoist Jing Fa sat quietly in their seats, watching Chen Zhi get into the sedan chair without saying a word. One of the maids lowered the curtain, completely blocking her view.

The young man in the lead glanced at the two old Taoist priests, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. He bowed to Chen Huitai again, about to speak, when the old man sitting at the head of the table asked, "Master Fang, aren't you coming to the wedding in person?"

The young man tilted his head to look at Daoist Jinghong, a half-smile playing on his lips. “My master is hosting a banquet at the Fang residence. If you wish to see my master, why don’t you come back with me?”

Master Jingfa's eyes lit up, and he stood up. "Excellent!"

……

As the sun set, a wedding procession quickly left the city and traveled through the wilderness.

A young man led the way, a red lantern in his hand emitting a blood-red light that illuminated the gradually dimming, yellowish road.

Four maids, four porters, and eight sedan chair bearers—a group of sixteen people—moved lightly and landed silently. Even with the sedan chair on their shoulders, they displayed remarkable lightness skills.

Behind the wedding procession, two old Taoist priests who shouldn't be in this world followed the procession at a leisurely pace, heading west.

Two of the sedan chair carriers would occasionally turn around, their eyes filled with disdain as they looked at them.

The young man swept his divine sense backward, a mocking smile appearing on his lips, and then he saw a corner of the manor emerging from the woods ahead.

"arrive!"

Daoist Jinghong and Daoist Jingfa also sensed the dense Yin energy ahead.

"It really is a ghost."

"The yin energy is so strong that only martial arts masters can withstand it. For ordinary people living in such a place, it is normal to have a short lifespan."

"Hmm... the aura is very mixed, it seems there's more than one ghost inside?"

The two old Taoists communicated telepathically, and then they saw the manor gate with red lanterns open automatically, but no one was there to greet them. It was like the gaping maw of a giant beast, waiting for its prey to enter.

"Two...masters." The young man chuckled as he walked away, turning back to look at the others. "My master is about to host a banquet. If you two have the guts, please come in for a chat."

"Thank you both for seeing me off all the way. Please tell my father that I am doing well." Chen Zhi's soft voice came from the bridal sedan chair. Although it trembled slightly, her breathing was steady.

Master Jinghong nodded again, "Your little girl is quite good."

The wedding procession entered the manor the next moment.

Master Jinghong and Master Jingfa exchanged a smile and then followed them inside.

The moment you step inside, it's as if you've entered a completely different world. Just moments before, the courtyard was silent, but once inside the manor, the atmosphere suddenly becomes bustling.

The courtyard was adorned with lanterns and red curtains. Four square tables were set up, each filled with guests, who were already enjoying their meal.

Inside the brightly lit hall, a middle-aged man in a red robe sat in the main seat, his eyes warm and his chin slightly beard down, smiling as he looked at the bridal sedan chair parked in the courtyard.

However, the arrival of the two old Taoist priests broke the lively atmosphere, and everyone's attention was focused on the two of them.

Master Jinghong looked at the middle-aged man in the main hall and saw a wisp of green fire and a ghostly figure appearing and disappearing in his eyes.

Master Jingfa looked around at the guests in the courtyard. All he could see were deformed and ugly people, some exuding demonic power and yin energy, others mixed with strange magic. There were demons, ghosts, and people among them.

"Oh dear? Two busybodies have arrived?"

"It's rare to see someone so clueless; it's been a long time since I've seen one."

"Interesting, interesting! I was just wondering what fun things to do. We can add another dish tonight and also liven things up for Brother Fang."

"Brother Fang, how about we leave these two old fogies to us?" Someone looked at the middle-aged man in the hall. "We brothers happen to be short of two mage soul refiners."

The middle-aged man first looked at Chen Zhi, who was trembling but struggling to maintain her composure as the maid lifted the sedan curtain, then glanced at the two old Taoist priests who were not showing any signs of life, and waved his hand dismissively, "My dear brothers, please do as you please."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sorcerer and a demon who had taken human form pushed the table aside and stood up, laughing strangely as they walked toward the two old Taoist priests.

Without saying a word, Master Jingfa drew his long sword from his waist.

Master Jinghong chuckled strangely, patted the gourd at his waist, took out a brass suona (a type of Chinese wind instrument), and looked at the middle-aged man in the hall who was turning to him in surprise.

"Since you seem to enjoy a good time, in that case, this old Taoist will play a tune of 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' as a funeral rite for you!"

(End of this chapter)