Druid Fairy

Chapter 107 Dojo
Inside the Black Cloud Temple, the smell of blood mingled with the smell of dust, creating an eerie and oppressive atmosphere.

"Young man, what is this...?"

Li Pingfu looked at the holy envoy, who looked like a dead dog, and felt a strange sensation.

He knew that his third brother was always mysterious and had endless tricks up his sleeve, but to capture the holy envoy who used the celestial talisman so quickly... that skill was no different from that of an immortal.

"It's just some friends from the mountains who came to help," Li Pingcan explained briefly. "Brother, Second Brother, we shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's find another place to interrogate the Wusheng Sect members."

Li Pingfu nodded, pressed his palm against the unconscious envoy's arm, and twisted it forcefully.

"Ah!" The Holy Envoy was jolted awake by the excruciating pain. Before he could react, there were three more "crack" sounds of bones breaking, and in an instant, all four of his limbs were severed!
"Now they can't escape." Li Pingfu looked at the Holy Envoy who had fainted from pain again, his expression satisfied.

He carried the holy envoy as if he were carrying a chicken to be slaughtered, and quickly withdrew from the blood-soaked Black Cloud Temple.

…………

In a remote village.

A basin of ice-cold water was poured over his head, and the holy envoy shuddered, slowly waking up from his unconsciousness.

When he saw the familiar yet terrifying faces before him, his pupils contracted instantly, and he instinctively struggled.

"You!" His limbs were broken, and he couldn't even circulate his magic power, let alone break free.

"Don't waste your efforts."

Li Pingan pulled up a chair and sat down leisurely. "Tell me your background and your purpose. If you explain clearly, perhaps I can give you a quick death."

"Hmph! Wishful thinking!"

Although the Holy Envoy was terrified, his arrogance from years of holding a high position and his fanatical faith in the Holy Church allowed him to maintain his composure and reveal a sinister sneer on his face.

"I am the White Lotus Holy Envoy of the Wusheng Holy Sect, ordered to patrol. If you kill me, the sect will surely sense it, and at that time, no one in heaven or on earth will be able to save you! The entire Yunshui County will be buried with me!"

"Stubborn."

Li Ping'an shook his head, his smile growing even more amiable, and said softly, "Little brother, it's your turn to make a move."

Upon hearing this, the Holy Envoy felt a chill run down his spine, his body trembled, and his expression became wary, a stark contrast to his previous venomous and arrogant demeanor.

Li Pingfu and Li Pingan exchanged a glance, both secretly astonished.

It seems that the psychological trauma I left on this "Holy Envoy" is far greater than the pressure from him, a master of innate cultivation.

Li Pingcan took a mushroom out of his pocket.

The mushrooms were eerily brightly colored, emitting a hazy glow in the candlelight.

"This is!" The envoy's pupils contracted sharply.

"Just a small local specialty, nothing special."

Li Pingcan smiled, broke off a small piece, and stuffed it into the envoy's mouth without giving him a chance to resist.

An indescribable taste exploded, and the Holy Envoy felt a strange power slide down his throat into his stomach, then rush to his brain.

The scene before them began to distort and spin, the candlelight stretching into dancing fire snakes, and the faces of the three Li brothers became blurred and eerie.

"No! What kind of sorcery is this!?"

The holy messenger let out a terrified roar, desperately trying to resist the power that was invading his soul.

As a cultivator in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, his soul was far more resilient than that of ordinary people, not to mention that the Wusheng Sect had some secret methods for tempering the mind.

Li Pingcan wasn't in a hurry. If one mushroom wasn't enough, he would increase the quantity. Although the effect of stacking was limited, as long as his mental strength was stronger than that of the Holy Envoy, the "illusion" he wove would be effective.

The envoy's eyes gradually shifted from initial fear and resistance to confusion and disorientation, and finally, a childlike, innocent smile appeared on his face.

"The Holy Lord has come to take me away..."

He murmured to himself, as if he could already see his vacuum homeland, with the Eternal Mother smiling and waving at him.

Li Ping'an sighed with admiration, thinking that these mushrooms were truly the best tool for interrogation and forced confessions, far more effective than the various torture instruments in government prisons.

"Let's begin." Li Pingcan nodded to his second brother.

Li Ping'an cleared his throat and began the interrogation, progressing step by step and getting straight to the heart of the matter.

"What is your name? What is your status in the Wusheng Sect?"

"My name is Zhao Wu, and I am the White Lotus Holy Envoy of the Wusheng Sect. I am responsible for... responsible for inspecting the Wusheng Sect's influence in Yunshui Town and County..." The Holy Envoy was dazed and confused, but answered every question.

really!

Li Pingan and Li Pingfu exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

The position of the Inspector Saint Envoy is far higher than that of an ordinary branch leader, no wonder he possesses a treasure like the Thousand-Mile Talisman.

"Who is the Holy Lord? What is his strength?"

"The Holy Lord is the reincarnation of the Eternal Mother, and at the tender age of twenty, he has already reached the late stage of Qi Refining!"

Late stage of Qi Refining!

A look of seriousness appeared in everyone's eyes.

It should be noted that Liang Xianguan was only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, while the Holy Master of the Wusheng Sect was actually at the late-stage of Qi Refining!

"What is your mission in Yunshui County?" Li Ping'an continued to ask.

"By order of the Holy Lord, I have come to lay the foundation stone for the 'Eternal Life Daoist Temple' on the 'geological veins' of the county government."

"The Dojo of No Birth?" Li Ping'an frowned; he had never heard of this term before.

Li Pingcan's heart stirred. He had heard Hu Da say that only by building a Taoist temple could one contend with the fortune of the government, and even if one killed a celestial official, one would not be tracked down by the fortune.

Originally, the Li family could only advance through official channels if they wanted to develop their careers. Even when Liang Xianguan wanted to take action against the Li family, they could only bow their heads and endure it.

However, if one can establish a training ground, one can develop independently without being subject to the control of the government.

I never expected that this cult had the same idea as him.

"That's right!"

The envoy's tone became fervent, "Once the temple is built, it will resonate with our sacred altar, and Huayunshui County will become our pasture. The fortune of the local government will be stolen by our sect, and the souls of all people will return to the lotus seat of rebirth after death, becoming the most devout nourishment in the world!"

hiss!
Upon hearing this, the three Li brothers all gasped in shock.

What a vicious plan!

This is no longer a simple case of murder for money; it's about turning hundreds of thousands of people in Yunshui County into livestock raised by their cult, exploiting their faith in life and devouring their souls after death, ensuring they can never be reincarnated.

Li Pingfu's expression was serious; this was definitely a conspiracy that could cause a huge uproar.

Li Ping'an's face turned deathly pale instantly.

He came from an official background and was well-versed in various classic texts, so he knew far more about these secrets than his elder brother.

"Stealing the dynasty's dragon aura and bewitching the people's minds..."

Li Ping'an's voice trembled slightly, his eyes filled with shock and anger. "What a vicious scheme! The Wusheng Sect is trying to turn the entire Yunshui County into a sacrifice to provide them with fortune."

Those officials in positions of power bear the responsibility for the fate of their region and are bound by its fortunes. They will be the first to suffer the backlash, ranging from the end of their official careers to sudden death.

"So Zhou Tong wants to deal with me?" Li Pingfu asked. "Because only government officials can secretly access the county government's geomantic veins, while I, as the county lieutenant, conduct strict screenings, making it impossible for you to achieve your goals, so you want to get rid of me as soon as possible?"

"Yes. The county government's geomantic veins are where the county's fortunes converge. Normally, they are suppressed by the dragon energy of the official seal, so ordinary evil spirits cannot get close. Only those who hold official positions can carry the 'White Lotus Inheritance' and deceive everyone."

The mystery was finally solved at this moment.

All the clues have come together.

The Li brothers felt a chill rise up their spines.

If they hadn't stumbled upon this place by accident, and if they hadn't proceeded cautiously to uncover this clue, the entire Yunshui County would likely have become a ghost town right under their noses in no time.

"What exactly is the 'White Lotus Inheritance'? And what are the specific methods for constructing a training ground?"

Li Pingan took a deep breath and asked the most crucial question.

However, the moment the question was asked, something unexpected happened!
The Holy Envoy Zhao Wu, who had been dazed and answered every question, suddenly began to tremble violently.

The smile on his face froze instantly, replaced by extreme pain and struggle. Black blood slowly flowed from his seven orifices. A strange "hoarse" sound came from his throat, as if an invisible hand was choking him.

"not good!"

Li Pingcan's expression changed. He could clearly feel that a sinister and strange power, far stronger than that of the Holy Envoy himself, was suddenly erupting deep within his soul!
That's a restriction from the soul level!

Once the most core secrets are touched, the restriction will automatically detonate, blasting the host's soul and body into dust, leaving no trace.

"retreat!"

Li Pingcan let out a sharp shout, grabbed his two older brothers beside him, and quickly retreated.

Almost at the same time they left the secret room.

"boom!!!"

A deep, muffled thud came from inside the secret room.

With his limbs broken, the Holy Envoy Zhao Wu's entire body burst open like a balloon that had been inflated to its limit!

Black flesh and bone fragments, mixed with a nauseating stench, instantly splattered all over the walls of the secret chamber.

The explosion was so powerful that it blasted a shallow crater into the iron wall, and the entire mansion trembled.

The dust has settled.

Inside the sealed room, not a single intact corpse could be found.

In the air, only a faint, eerie fragrance, like the lingering scent of burning white lotus, remained, along with the shocking "blood and flesh mural" on the wall.

Li Ping'an felt a wave of nausea as he looked at the bloody scene before him. Even though he was used to seeing life and death, he had never seen such a gruesome and bizarre way of dying.

"He's dead?" he asked incredulously.

Li Pingfu's face was ashen as he looked at the filth covering the walls, a deep sense of dread flashing in his eyes.

"Such ruthless methods. This has transcended the realm of martial arts and is a true secret technique of immortals. To plant such a vicious restriction in the soul of every core member, this Wusheng Sect is even more terrifying than we imagined."

Li Pingcan's expression also wasn't good.

This was the first time his hallucinogenic mushrooms had "failed".

He carefully sensed the lingering aura in the air and analyzed the power composition of the restriction.

"This restriction is more like a 'curse.' Once it is forcibly touched, it will trigger the curse, using everything the host has as fuel to launch a self-destructive attack."

Li Pingcan said in a deep voice, "The person who set up this restriction has a spiritual cultivation level above mine."

The trail seems to have ended here.

Although they knew about the Wusheng Sect's shocking conspiracy and that the location was the county government office, they had no idea what the most crucial "White Lotus Inheritance" was or how to guard against it.

It's like knowing there's a bomb planted in your house, but you don't know what it looks like or when it will explode.

This sense of crisis hanging over one's head is far more unsettling than actual combat.

"What should we do next?" Li Pingfu looked at his two younger brothers. Unconsciously, he had gotten used to discussing things with them.

"Since we don't know what the 'White Lotus Inheritance' is, we can only strengthen our defenses."

Li Ping'an quickly calmed down, his eyes regaining their clarity. "From today onwards, the county government must be strictly guarded, and no one is allowed to approach at will. Brother, I'll have to trouble you with this matter. Our most trusted brothers must take turns guarding it day and night."

"No problem," Li Pingfu nodded in agreement.

“The trail hasn’t completely died out,” Li Pingcan suddenly said. He walked into Zhao Wu’s mangled flesh and pulled out a dark brown fragment that was impossible for an ordinary person to detect.

A rich vitality emanated from his fingertips, shining like a beacon in the druid's perception!

…………

"This fragment..."

The fragment was warm to the touch, no bigger than a fingernail, its texture neither metal nor wood, possessing a peculiar resilience. He brushed away the grime, placed it in his palm, and closed his eyes to concentrate.

The moment the divine sense probed in, a vast and boundless life force rushed towards me, pure and rich, as if it contained the essence of life from this land.

However, alongside this life force is another completely opposite force.

It was a cold, twisted power, a corrupting force imbued with decay and despair.

It was like a layer of greasy grime that couldn't be removed, clinging tightly to the breath of life, constantly eroding and assimilating it, emitting a stench that Li Pingcan found extremely repulsive.

"Little brother, what is this?" Li Pingfu stepped forward. Under the terrifying power of the Holy Envoy's self-destruction, the entire secret chamber was almost razed to the ground, but this small fragment was the only one that survived, which was obviously extraordinary.

“I don’t know.” Li Pingcan shook his head, but his gaze never left the fragment. “But this thing may very well be the key to unlocking the secret of the ‘White Lotus Inheritance’.”

The Wusheng Sect's plan was to use this "inherited" item, which contained their evil power, to pollute and invade the luck node beneath the county government office, thereby disrupting the dragon energy of the entire Yunshui County.

It's no wonder that Zhao Wu possesses such a precious Thousand-Mile Talisman; its purpose is not to protect Zhao Wu himself, but rather to protect this fragment within him.

Li Pingcan tried to touch the pollution with a trace of his magic power, but the pollution was like a leech, instantly turning back and carrying a sinister power that eroded the soul.

Li Pingcan grunted and quickly withdrew his magic power, his face turning slightly pale.

"Young man, are you alright?" Li Pingfu asked with concern upon seeing the situation.

"It's alright." Li Pingcan shook his head, but a glint of excitement flashed in his eyes. He had thought of a potentially feasible solution.

He once again focused his mind on the fragments. This time, he did not use magic, but instead drew upon the most fundamental power of the druid.

[Nature's Divine Grace]!
A gentle, warm, and sacred radiance, filled with the power of life and purification, shone from his palm and slowly enveloped the fragment.

"Zi la..."

As if boiling oil had met ice and snow, the black, polluted aura entangled on the fragments emitted a faint hiss the moment it came into contact with the divine grace, and began to melt and purify at a speed visible to the naked eye!
As pollution decreased, that pure life force became increasingly clear and vibrant.

It worked!

Li Pingcan was overjoyed.

His druidic power originates from the purest nature, making him the natural nemesis of such filthy and evil magic!
Although the purification process is as slow as a tortoise crawl, as long as we persevere, one day we will be able to completely remove the pollution and see its true nature.

"Big brother, second brother, let's go back first." Li Pingcan put away the fragments. "This thing might be able to help us find a way to restrain the Wusheng Sect."

Although Li Ping'an and Li Pingfu did not understand the mystery, seeing their third brother's solemn yet slightly joyful expression, they knew that he must have made a major discovery, and they both nodded.

The three brothers were all extremely heavy-hearted.

"This battle means that we have been completely exposed to the vision of the Wusheng Cult's higher-ups."

Li Ping'an's voice carried a hint of worry, "They even sent out the inspecting envoys, which shows that they attach great importance to the 'Taoist temple' plan in Yunshui County and will definitely not let it go."

"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it." Li Pingfu's voice was firm and powerful.

“Big brother is right, but we can’t just sit here and wait to die.” Li Pingcan pondered. “Second brother, you and big brother need to put in extra effort at the county government. We must raise the defense to the highest level, especially at the ley lines. We must not let any suspicious people get close.”

"It's natural."

Li Ping'an nodded and said, "I will temporarily seal off the library under the pretext of checking and verifying the files, leaving only the people we trust most to guard it."

"I've assigned Xie Xiaodao and the others to patrol in shifts every twelve hours. They won't be able to hide anything from us," Li Pingfu added.

"Don't report this to Immortal Liang for now." Li Ping'an said calmly. Immortal Liang was already wary of them, and might take this opportunity to stab them in the back, leaving them vulnerable on both sides.

That's the real dead end!

Li Pingfu nodded in agreement. If Liang Xianguan knew about this, he might just be the one who "wins the battle between the snipe and the clam while the fisherman benefits."

We're caught between a rock and a hard place; we have to be careful.

"Actually, there's no need to worry too much. The Wusheng Sect's reach isn't that far, otherwise they wouldn't be using such secretive methods. As for Immortal Liang..."

Li Pingcan's eyes flickered slightly. He didn't actually have any particularly good solutions, at least not at the moment.

But if he could obtain the secret of how the Wusheng Sect built its temple, what would Liang Xianguan have to fear?
Ultimately, what the Li family fears is not Liang Xianguan, but the dynastic fortune system behind Liang Xianguan.

Li Pingcan paused for a moment and then said, "I'm going home. There are some things I need to talk to Dad about in person. I should also leave some backup plans for our family."

The three walked out of the messy courtyard, while Xie Xiaodao and the others cleaned up the mess behind them, flames raging.

(End of this chapter)