Chapter 17: Dragon Tiger Qi

The night moon was like a hook; the bright white moonlight penetrated the black clouds overhead and fell into Phoenix Stream County.

Zhang Family Lane, the Zhang family's grand residence sat quietly at the lane's gate; the vast courtyard was tranquil, two Begging-bestowal Seal Lamps hung high before the gate.

The Zhang family was a great clan, very particular.

As the saying goes, no lamp lit at the front gate, the rear courtyard not bright.

This brightness also conveyed prosperity; many wealthy households would even waste silver, letting candles burn until dawn.

At this moment the gate was quiet, when a strange yin wind blew over the long street; the two wind-gas lamps swayed, their faint light flickering, and the night-watchman on duty shivered from the wind.

The watchman found it odd; it was midsummer, and even at midnight the daytime heat had departed, yet it shouldn't be this chilly.

Frightened, he hurriedly walked away.

But in the darkness, strange shadows twisted and emerged from the dark; looking closely, they were snow-white paper figures.

Merely, these paper figures had scarlet pupils, like drops of blood; they resembled skilled assassins hiding in the shadows, and as soon as these paper figures appeared, the bright and dark sentries surrounding the Zhang family manor all fainted at once.

Merely, they had just approached the Zhang family residence.

However, at that very moment, an invisible layer of purple rosy mist burst forth above the Zhang family residence, and a majestic aura silently spread.

Sacred, imposing.

This aura trembled slightly, and instantly the paper figures shuddered all over, smoke billowing from their bodies, each hastily retreating.

They showed a human-like expression of fear.

"Dragon Tiger Qi!"

In the rear courtyard of Zhang's Paper Craft Shop, the paper figure Zhang seated beneath the spirit altar opened their eyes, their expression slightly changing.

On the camphor table, the oil lamp swayed as if blown by a fierce wind, unsteady.

Within, it seemed an invisible torrent swept over.

Behind Paper Person Zhang stood Wang Yuanlang and Ji Ming; seeing this, Wang Yuanlang could not discern the mystery, while Ji Ming understood it completely.

The Zhang family had been granted by the imperial court the plaque 'Accumulating Goodness House', and thus possessed some Dragon Tiger Qi protection, making it difficult for external evils to invade.

But this was no problem.

Only, before the Zhang family manor, shortly afterward a group appeared, covering the golden plaque with a basin of filthy blood.

After that basin of filthy blood was splashed on, the magnificent, invisible, faint purple aura hovering above the Zhang family manor gradually dissipated.

Regarding this, Paper Person Zhang and Ji Ming both sensed it.

Paper Person Zhang's expression remained unchanged, while a faint smile appeared at the corner of Ji Ming's mouth.

"Success! With less Dragon Tiger Qi, things become much easier!"

"The Zhang family is merely a local clan; lacking foundation, they possess great treasures yet do not cherish them!"

The essence of Dragon Tiger Qi lies in the imperial court.

It suppresses the four directions, ensuring the orthodox imperial court is not affected by myriad evils.

This strand of aura is vast and mighty!

Regarding the source of this Dragon Tiger Qi, Ji Ming had also heard: one theory says it is the power of orthodox statehood born when the imperial court stood firm and the Divine Land came into being.

Another theory says it comes from an inconceivable existence, called the God of the Land and Grain.

Yet another says it stems from the vast heavenly Dao, the imperial mandate heaven-bestowed, thus these divine powers were granted to protect the people, or perhaps it is simply the people's own strength.

Ji Ming could not determine which legend was true, but they, these heterodox practitioners, would actively avoid such power.

Before the orthodox imperial court was ever overthrown, outsiders would not choose to confront it head-on.

Moreover, at this moment two more people sensed the dissipation of the Zhang family's Dragon Tiger Qi.

Both of them were within the Zhang family.

Within the Zhang family ancestral hall, Zhang Jian had been staying here all this time, studying the Nine Chapters of the Pure Clarity of Paulownia Mountain together with Zhang Yi, relying on the family's solemn sacred ground.

The two studied together, one calculating short-term, the other long-term; each gained considerable insight, and thus each began to step onto the path of the Great Dao.

Zhang Jian's cultivation speed of the Nine Chapters of the Pure Clarity of Paulownia Mountain was faster; he almost transformed his internal breath within a day into a unique kind of power.

He called it spiritual power.

Perhaps because it is related to cultivating the Heavenly Marshal Child's Skill, or perhaps because he himself is pure yang, the spiritual power he cultivated is exceedingly yang.

But this differs from magical power.

Magical power only arises when one's essence is fully merged with their own source, becoming a life-and-death cultivated power; it is also a power condensed from one's essence, energy, spirit, even lifespan and fortune, its profundity extraordinary, something ordinary outsiders cannot form.

It requires the orthodox Great Dao's legal transmission, special aptitude, plus a certain opportunity and perseverance to be cultivated.

Spiritual power is somewhat similar to the innate breath condensed at the innate stage, but more marvelous; it is merely the vital energy condensed from part of the three treasures' power.

Zhang Yi's speed was somewhat slower, taking nearly a week to gradually transform into spiritual power.

And the fact that they could transform into spiritual power shows that both possess cultivation aptitude, but Zhang Jian's aptitude is clearly more outstanding.

When the Dragon Tiger Qi dissipated, the two, relying on the faint spiritual awareness they had just coalesced, sensed the external changes in advance and vaguely perceived the existence of Dragon Tiger Qi.

At the same time, the two sensed an extremely yin and evil force approaching the Zhang family residence.

Sensing the change, the two instinctively rose, preparing to act.

But within the ancestral hall, that stone mirror suddenly burst forth with brilliance, a layer of intense golden light shooting out; afterward, the two saw beneath the golden light that the various demons outside the Zhang family manor could not hide.

One by one, strange paper figures appeared out of thin air, yet under the golden light they emitted wails, desperate cries, and melted directly.

"Paper person?"

The two moved with extreme speed, appearing outside the Zhang family residence in a broken-space flash, and instantly saw under the spiritual awareness's illumination that the paper figures were turning to ashes.

Whether Zhang Yi or Zhang Jian, it was their first time facing such a sight; that strange scene made one's blood run cold.

Each of those paper figures actually resembled a living person!

At the same time, the two were also astonished by the might of the ancestral hall's stone mirror.

It was indeed this sharp.

Especially Zhang Jian, his heart couldn't help but shift; it seemed his earlier five senses and spiritual sense were fine—that stone mirror was indeed the Zhang Clan's treasure.

Looks like someone wants to scheme against us, but they never expected our Zhang Clan to still have such a treasure.

But these paper figures seem somewhat familiar!

Zhang Yi furrowed his brow at those endearing paper figures; he oversees the Zhang Clan Ancestral Hall, and every major rite of the Zhang Clan is carried out by him before it can proceed smoothly—such funeral paper figures are all too familiar to him.

Zhang Jian, however, had already recognized them; a glint of sharpness flashed in his eyes: "Zhang's Paper Craft Shop!"

Zhang Yi's eyes narrowed slightly.

I'll go take a look!

Let's go together!

Seeing Zhang Jian's figure shoot out directly, Zhang Yi was slightly surprised, but after thinking, he quickly followed suit.

As for the Zhang Clan Manor, they were reassured, with the Zhang Clan guards and treasure protection—it wouldn't be easy to breach.

Meanwhile, inside Zhang's Paper Craft Shop, the paper figure Zhang suddenly, as if struck by lightning, burst out with a layer of intense golden light all over his body, almost roasting him on the spot, yet he kept emitting low, mournful wails.

Even his eyes emitted golden light.

The golden light scorched his body, and he let out waves of inhuman screams.

The oil lamp on the table was further buffeted by the violent wind, shaking violently, almost about to go out.

He's suffered a backlash!

Watching this scene, Ji Ming's expression changed.