Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 273 The Demonic Cult?!
"people?"

Ling Yunkai exclaimed in surprise, took two steps forward, used his knife to lift the bamboo curtain, and peered inside.

There is indeed someone.

but.
Chen Zhan's face was still completely black, making it impossible to discern his features, and his chest resembled that of a newborn baby.

The metal on the ground was even stranger.

It was oval and pointed, yellowish-brown, and looked a lot like a lead bullet from a musket. However, muskets in the Ming Dynasty used gunpowder to press lead bullets, and lead bullets were round. I had never seen anything with this metallic sheen before.

Those broken fragments were even stranger.

They came in various colors, but were all incredibly sharp, their edges gleaming with a cold light.

Looking at the shrapnel and bullets scattered on the ground, Ling Yunkai felt his hair stand on end. He had served in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for many years, and there shouldn't be many things in this world that he had never seen before.

Inside the bamboo house
Whether it was the person's seemingly lifeless or deathless state, or the scattered pieces of metal, everything was beyond his comprehension.

Ling Yunkai stared at the dark figure sitting cross-legged inside the bamboo house, his Adam's apple bobbing twice.

The oval, golden-yellow metal pieces on the ground, the unusually sharp, colorful fragments, and the strange, half-charred, half-unripe body of the man.
Like an invisible net, it made his heart sink.

This is no ordinary feud between江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) or rebellion by rebels; the things involved behind it are probably far beyond the reach of a mere centurion.

"Somebody come!"

He snapped back to his senses, his voice trembling slightly: "Take this person away, completely intact, and collect all the metal fragments on the ground, not a single one should be left behind!"

Two imperial guards stepped forward, about to reach out and touch Chen Zhan, but saw large patches of charred black marks on his body.
I don't know where to start, I'm a little scared, and I'm also afraid that I might accidentally chip off a piece.
"Sir, this..."

"Wrap it in cloth!"

Ling Yunkai gave the order, as he also felt the need to be careful. Chen Zhan's condition was too strange, and he was afraid that something unusual might happen.

The Imperial Guards brought out coarse cloth and carefully wrapped it around Chen Zhan. It took the combined efforts of the four of them to barely lift him up.

These four are all highly skilled individuals who have mastered physical strength; they are not ordinary people.

Chen Zhan's qi and blood were so solid that he looked thin, but he weighed over a thousand pounds, and the bluestone slabs under the four people's feet sank slightly under his weight.

Ling Yunkai watched with growing fear; this man, even in his half-dead state, was still so terrifying.
A group of people carried Chen Zhan, along with metal fragments, and hurriedly descended the mountain.

The vermilion gates of the Northern Garrison Command were imposing and solemn, with the stone lions in front of them baring their teeth, exuding a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

The prison cart rumbled as it rolled over the bluestone road, and people were continuously being brought into the Zhenfu Division, causing passersby to give way and not daring to look at it for long.

Everyone knows that once you enter the Northern Garrison Command, nine times out of ten you will never return.

Chen Zhan was covered with a black cloth and secretly sent to the Zhenfu Division, where no one tortured him.

In this state, no form of punishment is necessary. Now, Ling Yunkai is afraid that Chen Zhan will die, but he is also afraid that he will suddenly come back to life.
When he dies, the thread breaks.

But Chen Zhan, in his current state, would probably be difficult to deal with if he came back to life!
Therefore, Chen Zhan could only be secretly imprisoned in the deepest cell of the imperial prison.

The cell walls were constructed from single massive stones and filled with molten iron, and the doors were secured with thick iron locks.
Even so, the Imperial Guards on guard still dared not be careless, keeping a distance of three zhang (approximately 10 meters), and no one dared to approach the strange, motionless body.

Although Chen Zhan did not move, he was conscious.

He could leave if he wanted to, but his injuries were more severe, and forcibly escaping would require mobilizing a lot of his qi and blood. Most importantly, he was not part of Zhou Miaoyun or Ding Baiying's group.

If they leave, they will be wanted by the police and forced to flee everywhere.

This body needs rest and recuperation; there's no need to force a breakthrough.

The situation is still unclear. Zhou Miaoyun is not an ordinary woman. She does not know martial arts, but how can she live alone in the deep mountains, make a living by painting, and hide her identity as a woman?

Zhou Miaoyun is not a bad person, but that doesn't mean the people behind her are.

The three who followed were also skilled with swords, their long swords being Qi Family Swords.
Based on the information he had gathered over the past few days, Chen Zhan had a general idea of ​​the era in which they lived: the Ming Dynasty, during the Wanli era.

However, the specifics are unclear.

Regardless, he should focus on recovering from his injuries first. Once he's healed, his strength will allow him to roam freely throughout the vast world.

Chen Zhan entered the prison cell, while Ling Yunkai, carrying a wooden box containing metal fragments, strode into the study of Commander Shen Tong.

"Your subordinate Ling Yunkai greets Commander!" He knelt on one knee and held the wooden box above his head.

Shen Tong put down the dossier in his hand, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over Ling Yunkai's pale face: "What's the matter that you're in such a panic? Is there any news from Miaofeng Mountain?"

Ling Yunkai was very thoughtful; before going to Miaofeng Mountain, he sent someone to report to Commander Shen Tong.

"Sir, please look!"

Ling Yunkai opened the wooden box, revealing bright yellow bullets and black and green shrapnel.

Shen Tong's pupils contracted, and he reached out to pick up a bullet. His fingertips touched the cold, hard material, and his brows furrowed.
"What is this? It is definitely not a lead bullet from the muskets of my Great Ming Dynasty!"

"My subordinates don't know either."

Ling Yunkai recounted his experiences on Miaofeng Mountain in detail, from the anti-poem painting and the Beizhai Master to the woman in green who practiced the Qi family's swordsmanship, and then to the strange man in the bamboo house who was half-burnt and half-alive. He dared not conceal a single word.

Shen Tong's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table, making a "thump-thump" sound that seemed to strike Ling Yunkai's heart.

"Anti-poem, Qi Family Knife Technique, Unknown Metal, Eccentric Person"

He muttered to himself, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, 'The court has been in turmoil lately, with the Donglin Party and the eunuch faction locked in a fierce battle. And now news has come from the coast that the Demonic Sect is making a comeback. These events happening at this time are no coincidence.'

Shen Tong stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the gray sky outside: "Where is that strange man now?" "He's locked up in cell number one, still motionless, seemingly neither alive nor dead."

"Take me to see it."

Inside cell number one, the light was dim, with only an oil lamp hanging in the corner, making Chen Zhan's figure wrapped in cloth appear even more eerie.

Shen Tong stood outside the prison door, staring intently at the scene. He could sense faint fluctuations of blood and energy beneath the cloth, slow and steady, definitely not the state of a dead person.

"Such profound qi and blood! A master of external martial arts!" Shen Tong said in a deep voice.

He was a martial arts practitioner in his early years, and later joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He had seen many masters, but he had never heard of such a cultivation level as being able to gather blood and qi and protect the body for many days in a near-death state.

Shen Tong turned and left the Zhenfu Division, heading straight for the residence of Lu Wenzhao, the Assistant Prefect of the Northern Zhenfu Division.

At night, Lu Wenzhao's mansion was brightly lit.

Shen Tong presented all the clues one by one, including the anti-poem painting, the metal fragments, Chen Zhan's strange state, and the appearance of the Qi family's sword technique.

Lu Wenzhao stroked his beard, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

He pinched the bullet between his fingers, exerting force with his fingertips, but he couldn't deform it; the material was far harder than he had imagined.

"The Qi Family Sword Technique... Most of General Qi Jiguang's subordinates are dead, but the tradition could not be broken. Scattered throughout the martial world, it has now reappeared."

"Send these metal fragments to the Ministry of War and have them investigate what they are. Could they be extraterrestrial meteorite iron?"

Lu Wenzhao suddenly looked up, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "The coastal demonic sect has been making frequent moves recently. It is said that they have obtained a kind of 'exotic artifact' with immense power. Could these metal fragments be that so-called 'artifact'?"

"Send more people to urge them. The Eastern Depot and the Southern Garrison Command have been mobilized to investigate. Why haven't we heard anything yet?"

Shen Tong's heart skipped a beat: "Yes, I will send someone to urge them immediately. Does Your Excellency mean that this strange man might be a member of the Demonic Sect?"

Demonic Cult
This name is from a very long time ago.

If Shen Tong hadn't been well-versed in classical texts and knowledgeable about the martial arts world, he might not have known this.

The history of the Demonic Cult is too long, with signs appearing as early as the Tang Dynasty, later known as the Ming Cult.

More than two hundred years ago, after Emperor Hongwu established the country, he designated it as a demonic sect.

They had wiped it out once, but the demonic sect suffered heavy losses and sank underground.

A hundred years ago, during the Zhengde era, the demonic sects rose again. The Sun Moon Demonic Sect of Blackwood Cliff was incredibly powerful, overwhelming all the major sects in the martial arts world, but was eventually wiped out.

It has been silent for almost a century.

Some time ago, it was reported that it had reappeared in the southeastern coastal area and killed many people. The Southern Garrison Command has sent people to investigate.

Lu Wenzhao said in a deep voice, "It is highly likely. This person is in a strange state, and his life or death is unknown, which is very consistent with the strangeness of the Demonic Sect's techniques."

“This matter is beyond our jurisdiction. I will immediately draft a memorial to report to the Emperor and at the same time secretly report to the Ministry of War.”

"Do not torture that strange man for now; keep him under close surveillance and await further instructions from above. As for the woman named Beizhai and the descendant of the Qi family..."

He paused, a sly glint in his eyes: "Continue the investigation and bring them to justice as soon as possible."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Shen Tong bowed and accepted the order.

Inside the cell, Chen Zhan remained seated cross-legged, his eyes closed in silence.

Outside the prison gate, the jailers whispered among themselves. There were many martial arts figures imprisoned in the imperial prison, but Chen Zhan's situation was unprecedented.

Some of the jailers even thought they had locked up a dead man.

Chen Zhan could hear the prison guards talking outside very clearly.

[The 47th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, the Battle of Sarhu, the killing of several officials, the Black Stone Organization?]

They also knew that it was the 47th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, and that the Wanli Emperor was critically ill and probably didn't have many days left to live.

Who was next?

Zhu Changluo only reigned as emperor for one month.

Then came Emperor Tianqi (Zhu Youxiao), who heavily relied on Wei Zhongxian, leading to the rampant rise of the eunuch faction. However, at that time, Wei Zhongxian was still just a head eunuch in charge of meals.

However, the person in charge of the imperial kitchen was Consort Wang, the mother of the crown prince Zhu Youxiao, and was responsible for food supplies.
He was able to enter Zhu Youxiao's social circle and was also treated well by Wang An, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Academy. He only began to rise to prominence after Zhu Youxiao ascended the throne.

But that's how history is.

The Ming Dynasty of today may not be the true history, as can be seen from the encounters between several Imperial Guards and Ding Baiying.

Leaving aside the various sword and palm techniques, the strange flow of internal energy greatly increases both power and speed.

The imperial court is a treacherous place, and the world of martial arts is a long and winding road.

Chen Zhanzhao was imprisoned deep inside the prison, but in reality, he was in seclusion for recuperation.

However, the outside world is in turmoil.

The assassination of a high-ranking official by Heishi must be investigated; the disturbances caused by the Demonic Cult along the southeast coast must be investigated; and the case of Beizhai's anti-poems must be investigated.

The centurions and chiliarchs of the Northern and Southern Garrison Commands were all dispatched to investigate.

(End of this chapter)