Chapter 346: Xiao and Chen Besiege Ding'anju

Xiao Chiyanzi took staggering steps, carrying a large tea tray, and walked over with great caution. Seeing this, the Wude Envoy could not help but worry, terrified that he might trip or bump into something.

This place was not like a village or town; the ground was covered in pebbles. Although they looked smooth, for such a small child, a fall would be no light matter.

Hmm...

This should be a child, right...

However, the Wude Envoy's worry was for nothing; although Xiao Chiyanzi walked slowly, every step he took was steady.

Just as the Wude Envoy was trembling with fear, Xiao Chiyanzi stumbled, and it looked as if he were about to fall face-first onto the ground.

A martial artist has quick eyes and fast hands; the Wude Envoy reached out to steady Xiao Chiyanzi, but Xiao Chiyanzi shifted his feet, easily stabilizing his posture, and not a single drop of tea spilled from the tray.

Seeing this, the Wude Envoy let out a long sigh of relief, but at that moment, Chen Siye pulled him behind his back, pinched a Fire Character Formula, and threw it toward Xiao Chiyanzi.

Just as the fire witchcraft was about to strike Xiao Chiyanzi's small body, the tea in the tray surged out, transforming into a water shield that blocked his front.

The raging fire crashed into the water shield, and in an instant, water mist sprayed out. The thick fog obscured their vision, and they hurriedly fanned the air, attempting to disperse the mist before them.

"He is but a child, what are you doing?" the Wude Envoy Xiao asked while fanning, complaining to Chen Siye.

Although Xiao Liangqing handled shady business for the imperial family, he was an upright and honest man; if he were asked to harm a child for no reason, he would never be able to do it.

"Wude Envoy, do not be anxious, just listen to me. That child was clearly about to fall just now, yet he was able to stabilize his posture in an instant, which shows he has martial arts. I have heard that there is a type of person in the Jianghu who looks like a child but is actually an adult, having practiced a certain skill for decades; they are very sinister."

Hearing this, Xiao Liangqing became grave and solemn. He had indeed heard of such rumors; after all, having been in officialdom for so long, he had seen plenty of strange and bizarre cases, but that person...

Seeing the hesitation on the Wude Envoy Xiao's face, Chen Siye added, "Moreover, his appearance is so strange, he doesn't look like a human at all. Who knows, he might even be a monster. After all, those who can live in a place like this are surely no ordinary people; it wouldn't be strange if he were raising a demon servant."

Xiao Liangqing deeply agreed; he had indeed never seen a child with such a face, and even among adults, none were this ugly.

Just at this moment, a woman's laughter echoed from within the water mist.

"Baili Wudao is considered a successor of Chunfeng, so how did he teach a fool like you who knows nothing?"

The Baili Wudao she spoke of was the State Preceptor.

As soon as the words fell, that woman suddenly appeared before them.

Xiao Liangqing was greatly shocked. Supposedly, while his martial arts might not be the best in the world, they were still top-tier, and he had three Unruly Men by his side. Yet, this woman could appear without a sound, and they had not noticed her, which showed her strength was not to be underestimated.

However, Chen Siye remained extremely calm at this moment; he only raised his hand and waved it lightly toward the woman, and the woman turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated.

It turned out to be a trick of the eye.

"Hmph! A petty trick!" Chen Siye said with disdain, "Where did this wild Daoist come from? How dare you call the State Preceptor by his name!"

Chen Siye pinched a Wind Art, and before long, the water mist dispersed, but the woman and Xiao Chiyanzi were nowhere to be seen.

The surroundings were so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The five men held their breath, fearing the woman might suddenly launch an attack from somewhere. However, they waited for a long time, and nothing happened.

"Most likely they hid inside the house," Chen Siye said.

The Wude Envoy was about to order his men to move forward, but Chen Siye stopped him, signaling for the others to follow behind.

Chen Siye probed forward step by step, but until they reached the courtyard gate, nothing happened at all.

Could it be that he was truly being small-minded?

Chen Siye could not help but doubt himself. Beside him, Xiao Liangqing rolled his eyes and shook his head, preparing to walk into the courtyard in a grand manner, but the moment he lifted his foot, he could no longer move.

It was a Dharma Array!

Chen Siye exclaimed, hurriedly pulling out a Yellow Talisman and sticking it behind the Wude Envoy Xiao.

A blast of energy erupted, instantly sending the men flying, and at that very moment, Chen Siye grabbed Xiao Liangqing tightly by the back of his collar.

The five men were left in a daze from the blast; Xiao Liangqing saw stars and lay on the ground for a long while, only realizing what had happened when he felt his spine aching from the impact.

The men finally managed to stand up. Just then, the Dharma Array outside the courtyard rippled like a pond surface hit by a stone, and before long, several pieces of wood were tossed out from the courtyard.

Each piece of wood looked to be only the size of a palm, and they came smashing toward the five men. They dodged one after another, fearing being hit by the wood.

It was not that these men were cowardly, but after all, caution is the parent of safety, is it not?

That woman was unfathomable; who knew what mysteries might be hidden within these pieces of wood? Besides, even if they were ordinary wood, it would still hurt to be hit!

After a flurry of dodging, there were finally no more wooden blocks being thrown out, but just as the men let out a sigh of relief, the wooden blocks on the ground began to move.

Only then did the men see clearly that these were no wooden blocks, but puppets carved from wood.

Although each wooden figure looked small, they were high in morale, waving their fists and charging toward the men, looking just like soldiers charging on a battlefield.

This made the men burst into laughter, especially the three Unruly Men, who found the scene extremely comical.

That woman was truly interesting; what could she possibly do with just these tiny wooden figures?

One of them laughed and kicked away a wooden figure that was approaching, while using his foot to pin another one down, all the while joking with the person beside him.

The Wude Envoy and the four Unruly Men had all relaxed their vigilance, actually playing with the little figures, but Chen Siye did not dare to let his guard down.

Someone who could instantly block his witchcraft with a Water Art, how could they be such a boring person?

Sure enough, just as that Unruly Man was laughing his head off, the little figure he was pinning down suddenly grew larger, sending him flying a full ten feet away.

Following the enlargement of that one little figure, the other small wooden figures also began to change, each one growing over eight feet tall.

Sturdy wooden figures, dense and numerous, filled the valley; it was just like an army on the battlefield!

Looking at the menacing wooden figures, the Wude Envoy and the others lost their composure for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

Fortunately, Chen Siye knew the woman's power well and remained vigilant at all times. As soon as he saw the puppets changing, he immediately thought of the silk pouch given by the State Preceptor.

Chen Siye opened the silk pouch embroidered with the word "Fire" and drew a sword from it.

This sword was about twenty inches long; the hilt was carved with a long snake, and the snake's back had a pair of wings, while the blade was entirely made of flames.

Chen Siye swung his long arm, and the flames on the sword came to life, resembling a long snake, flicking its tongue as it darted rapidly among the wooden figures.

One by one, the wooden figures instantly turned into ashes in the flames.

Seeing this, the Wude Envoy and the others let out a long sigh of relief, but at that moment, Chen Siye twisted his wrist and flung the flames toward Ding'anju.

The raging flames, like a long whip, bound the Dharma Array outside Ding'anju tightly.

Xiao Liangqing was greatly shocked—Chen Siye was going to burn the people inside the house alive!