Chapter 277: Longmen

When Pei Ye returned to the theater, the courtyard gate was still closed, and no lanterns were lit at the door.

At that time, the old man said the afternoon show was closed. Now it was night, Pei Ye smiled and thought that the play money wasn't even worth the oil money, so it was normal not to open at night.

He first raised his hand and knocked on the door, but no one came to answer for a long time.

He had already seen the scarce manpower of the theater, so he simply pushed the door in himself—it really wasn't locked.

There were no fire candles in the field, but Pei Ye took advantage of the moonlight to look, and his footsteps stopped abruptly.

It was as if a hurricane had been encountered.

Everything seen during the day was messy, tables overturned and chairs toppled, some even smashed and split; the tea cups and snacks from the show in the afternoon hadn't been cleaned up, and at this moment, they were all knocked over, with broken porcelain and wood pieces on the ground.

The frame of the play stage in the center was broken and collapsed, having collapsed for the most part. The bright red curtain was entangled in the ruins, which was the most eye-catching color under the pale moon.

Pei Ye was dazed for a while, then strode toward the backstage corridor.

No one along the way.

Until he came to the door he came to in the afternoon, seeing candlelight leaking from the cracks, Pei Ye's face relaxed slightly. As soon as he pushed open half a door, several pairs of eyes in the room cast over at the same time.

A total of six people, some in regular clothes, some in play costumes, all had their buttocks off the seats at this moment, their faces pale and tight, their eye sockets red, like frightened birds.

Everyone had mud and external injuries on their bodies.

"..."

Pei Ye pushed again, and the door leaf groaned "creak—" loosely and heavily. Pei Ye looked down and saw that the connection had been twisted and broken, and a boot print was sunken on the door, obviously carrying True Qi.

There were also several similarly shocking traces of destruction in the room. Pei Ye didn't see anyone here with kung fu. The person who came was deliberately venting such violence in front of this group of ordinary people who had no power to truss a chicken.

"What happened?" Pei Ye asked.

"... You, you are..." After being quiet for a while, someone said in a low and confused voice.

Pei Ye lowered his head and raised the play script in his hand: "In the afternoon, I came here to buy 'White Snake Love' from an old man. I hadn't paid yet, and we agreed to chat at night. I think... he should be the Great Qingyi Sun of your theater."

"... You, you put down the silver if you say how much silver the master said... According to the rules, for a properly bought script, we will send a play actor to help your theater set up the stage. After three days, you come back to find—"

"Where is Sun Qingyi?" Pei Ye interrupted.

Silence again.

"Where is he?!" Pei Ye frowned and asked.

This play actor finally couldn't hold back his expression anymore, covered his face with both hands, and sobbed silently: "Master... refused to sell the theater to them, and was... taken to the Longmen Tower!"

"... I was relieved." Pei Ye was silent for a while, "When I left, Sun Qingyi said there were some things to talk about, was it those two leaders?"

Another play actor with a pale face was dazed and trembling: "When they came, they also said it was to talk... but when the talk failed, they turned their faces..."

"Is it Brother Pei, Pei..." Suddenly, an hoarse and slight voice came from the depths. Pei Ye turned his head and saw that there was a seventh person, whom Pei Ye recognized at a glance. It was Ji Yun.

He strode over. This man, who was usually worried and indignant, was lying on a table at this moment. Half of his face was swollen blue and purple, his lips were split open, and beside him were balls of scattered white cloth stained with blood.

Pei Ye reached out and pressed his wrist, True Qi poured in to explore, and he breathed a sigh of relief, warmed him up, and put him on the chair slowly. The old man's age was indeed too old, and his spirit and body had been exhausted repeatedly today. At this moment, even if his eyes were closed, the fatigue on his face was unbearable.

After settling the old man, Pei Ye turned around, lowered his head and picked up the bright copper sparrow plate, which was still warm.

"The release of Chi Fire is based on mystic Qi." In the evening, on the way back to the theater, the black cat said, "It's not the mystic Qi of heaven and earth, but the mystic Qi born from the 'Chi Fire Source' that you can control now—if you want to burn fire somewhere, the mystic Qi must go there first."

But Pei Ye couldn't arrange mystic Qi freely. They could only exist in his perception around his body. Once they were far away, they would melt into the mystic Qi of heaven and earth and get out of Pei Ye's control.

Ji Yun was not in a position to speak, but in truth, the matter was already clear in just three sentences.

Pei Ye tried it, and it was indeed easy to use.

Wiping the copper plate and hanging it back on his waist, Pei Ye walked into the Seven-Meng Jiucheng.

The "Chi Fire Source" had taken shape.

Ever since the black cat injected the last bit of Chi blood for him that day, the dark, gorgeous, spherical shape in his abdomen had become completely complete, attached to the bottom of the meridian tree.

However, the black cat said it still needed two days to be assimilated by this body before it could be used freely.

At this moment, the "assimilation" was complete. Faint, slender blue flames grew on it. Pei Ye felt this thing that had suddenly appeared in his body and could be controlled. His consciousness fell along the depths, and he indeed felt three different sources.

The black cat had explained the things to him in detail on the horse that day, and Pei Ye felt he could copy them out and publish a book called "Black Cat Fire Explanation," and sign it Pei Ye.

It said that all fires in the world fall into five categories: material fire, gas fire, mystic fire, heart fire, and Dao fire.

The basis for its division is what it burns. "Material fire" burns real objects, "gas fire" burns things like True Qi, and "mystic fire" is supported by the Spirit-Mystic of heaven and earth. As for the heart and Dao categories, they can also be understood roughly like this, but their mysterious aspects are hard to describe in a few words.

Most of the first three types of fire are confined to what they belong to, that is, material is material, gas is gas, and mystic is mystic. Only a few divine and strange flames among them possess "Dao" assets, can connect other categories, and achieve the legendary "Dao fire."

As for "heart fire," all have "Dao" assets.

The Black Chi pointed out the end of the world's fire path like this—material fire, gas fire, mystic fire, heart fire, master the four types of Dao asset wonderful flames, then all the fires in the world are under your hand. Because you can ascend to the Dao rank and hold the 【Dao fire】.

【Chi Fire】 is exactly the legendary "Channeling Mystic Fire."

And if these higher and farther paths are not considered for the time being, as an immortal endowment fire seed obtained by the Immortal Hunter contract, the development and use of 【Chi Fire】 itself is already a discipline.

According to the black cat, 【Chi Fire】 has three characteristics.

First, Chi Fire is the best spiritual fire in the world.

Second, Chi Fire can be seen, but it has no temperature, and it is not subject to any perception other than sight.

Third, Chi Fire can swallow other fires without "Dao assets," obtain their characteristics, and complete its own growth.

When Pei Ye heard this, he immediately recalled the blue flames used by the Zhu Shi Sect. The difference between them and the blue flames used by the Black Chi turned out to be the third point.

The support for Chi Fire's burning is the Spirit-Mystic of heaven and earth, and this one in Pei Ye's abdomen is somewhat special. Its sources are three, which is exactly the three places Pei Ye touched when his consciousness explored the depths just now.

First, the Chi Fire source was originally born from the essence blood of the Divine Chi, which itself has the ability to absorb and store mystic Qi. The most direct source of mystic Qi for Chi Fire's burning is here. And this fire source is symbiotic with the Black Chi. With the growth of the Black Chi, its ability to store and absorb mystic Qi will also grow synchronously.

Pei Ye felt it. The Black Chi's true body was just a hundred catties at this time, and the mystic Qi in its body was just equivalent to the True Qi amount of a meridian tree's life. This Chi Fire source was also equivalent to it.

However, mystic Qi and True Qi are two kinds of energy with different essences. At the meridian tree stage, "controlling mystic Qi" itself is an ability that transcends the current realm level. No matter how small, it is enough to make the opponent helpless.

Second, under the same

Pei Ye turned around and lightly raised the back of the Bronze Sparrow Token toward everyone; the shimmering golden light cut off the man's speech.

"I know," he said softly. "In one hour, I will bring Sun Qingyi back. If Sun Qingyi has already met with misfortune, I will bring Kou Liyue's head back."

"I am Pei Ye, the Autumn Champion of Bowang. I am covering this theater today."

The inscription on the Bronze Sparrow Token flashed under the candlelight: "Sword-claws and golden beak, pierce the evil and kill the wicked."

——————

The night grew deeper.

In front of the Longmen Tower, lanterns and candles shone brightly, and the bleak moonlight blanketed the entire dim Seven-Meng Jiucheng, only to be driven away here by the hot, bright light.

Kou Liyue was born with a fierce and tough appearance, with a broad forehead, thick eyebrows, a high nose, and thick lips; his body was a head taller than the average person.

Kou Liyue was a cultivation genius who had fought his way out of the lowest-level gangs. Because he dared to fight and kill and was ruthless, he gained the favor of the previous Great Dragon Head of Seven-Meng Jiucheng, who kept him by his side as a bodyguard for four years.

At the beginning of the fifth year, Kou Liyue stepped into the Sixth Life Realm. In this Longmen Tower, in front of the leaders of seven large and small gangs, he cut off the Great Dragon Head's head and incorporated the pale and terrified people below the steps into the Longmen Gang's branch one by one. From then on, there was only one voice in Seven-Meng Jiucheng.

That was five years ago.

Now, it had been a long time since anyone had challenged his majesty, and he had become accustomed to having the final say in this small city. In reality, there was no one left here worth dealing with; the banquets he attended were always in the south or east of the city.

Amidst flowing silver, he, who was weary of warmth and colorful silks, had also developed some strange habits—he only wore black clothes without any patterns, but they had to be tailored from the best silk; he only ate plain rice, but it had to be husked from the most precious grains.

His ambition remained the Martial Path.

After pondering in the Sixth Life Realm for five years, he now constantly felt that he was about to step into the upper two realms, and his lifelong wish was to be able to step into the Eighth Life Realm and truly become a figure with a real name in the Xiangzhou martial arts world.

He was running around every day for this goal. Sitting now in the central five-story building of his two-mile city, Kou Liyue was like a lazy lion that had returned home, both enjoying this feeling of being the only one in his territory and feeling annoyed by the dilapidated and cold scene below.

The more he drank and feasted with those in the East City, the more he felt that his own territory was not presentable. He had personally inquired about this theater yesterday, which was exactly when this irritability had surged up again after drinking.

"Little Xu says that he can never reach an agreement with Master Sun," Kou Liyue leaned lazily in his large chair, lowering his head to play with a newly acquired small dagger, his voice thick and deep. "So I asked him to invite Master Sun over to see what he is dissatisfied with."

He picked up a piece of paper beside him: "We will cover all expenses. Master Sun only needs to perform every day, and he will get a thirty percent share—this is actually a condition I personally offered to Master Sun."

The old man sitting in the hall was stunned and sat blankly. His gray hair was somewhat disheveled, his lips were chapped, and his clothes were also disheveled and dirty.

The old man was the golden signboard of the future theater. He was old, and his bones were indeed fragile, so there were no scars on his body.

But the Longmen Tower had plenty of ways to humiliate people without hurting them.

"Or if Master Sun is willing to be in charge himself, I see Little Xu has also given you a way," Kou Liyue looked at the conditions on the paper. "We will pay to build a theater for you next to the Longmen Tower. The ticket price will be sold for at least thirty copper coins, and we will take thirty percent of the future profits."

The man's lion-like eyes stared at the old man in the hall, and he said slowly: "... Is this not okay either?"

A nearly tangible, fishy weight pressed down on the old man's thin and fragile body. Sun Qingyi's body trembled slightly. He turned his head, his pair of injured and tired old eyes looking at the man in the hall, his voice almost quiet: "I only perform plays that cost two copper coins a show."

Silence.

Kou Liyue gently put down the paper in his hand, and the small dagger stopped spinning. He looked directly at the old man: "I don't have much time to haggle with you. Asking them to invite you here is to resolve this matter tonight—I will ask one last time, yes, or no?"

Sun Qingyi's body shook even more violently, but the backbone of an actor who had performed for a lifetime was straight enough. The old man's eyes did not blink or dodge, and he said hoarsely: "I only perform plays that cost two copper coins a show."

"... Good." Kou Liyue smiled lightly, and the dagger started spinning again. "Then don't perform at all."

His eyes turned to Xu Gu Er beside him: "Break his legs and throw him back. After the Yi family's wedding is over, break one arm of everyone in the theater."

Sun Qingyi stood up abruptly, clenching his body, his eyes staring fixedly at him: "What does it have to do with them?!"

Kou Liyue looked at him with a smile: "It doesn't, but I like it."

"You—"

Xu Gu Er chuckled on the side: "Is Sun Qingyi going back on his word? Why not sing a few lines for Master Kou? Maybe Master Kou will cherish your talent and spare you this time."

Sun Qingyi's teeth chattered, his body tensed like iron, and no sound could come out of his throat.

Kou Liyue also smiled. After laughing, his face tightened: "It's too late. Beat him."

——————

The Longmen Tower was right in front. Pei Ye pulled out the stopper of the porcelain bottle and poured out a round medicinal pill.

The youth pinched it with his fingers, and under the moonlight, a line of exquisite and dense small characters was revealed—"Galloping Star and Avoiding the Moon · Five-Turn Ladder-Ascending Pill."

It was exactly the one awarded after winning the championship.

Investigation was one thing, and taking action was another. This situation, where one move affects the whole body, was still unclear. Once he took action, it meant exposing himself to the eyes of the enemy in the dark, and he might face continuous and unexpected battles next.

However, in his cooperation with the young girl, he was originally acting as the "action" and the "light." With the Glazed Glass on his body, it didn't matter if he was high-profile; he was a deadly bait.

But even as bait, the Fifth Life was safer than the Fourth Life.

He took it into his mouth.

The Ladder-Ascending Pill could make a martial artist step from the Third Life to the Fourth Life with 100% certainty, or make a martial artist step from the Fourth Life to the Fifth Life with 80% certainty, but it could never make a martial artist swallow two pills within twenty days to step from the Third Life directly into the Fifth Life.

Without accumulation, without phased moderation, it would only damage the meridian tree.

But the Bingshen seemed to have no such thing as damage. Pei Ye had a keen perception of it. He felt it was about time, so he swallowed it directly.

Sure enough, it was another sweet rain.

Sixteen meridians extended upward, turning into thirty-two branches full of vitality.

It was already a small tree.

Thick True Qi filled the dantian. From a bookish perspective, Pei Ye had officially entered a realm representing "entering the hall and the room." A person in this realm, if in a remote county, would be a top-tier expert, and if in a gang or escort agency in a prefecture city, would also be a high-level figure with a name.

Pei Ye exhaled slowly and raised his head; in front of him was the Longmen Tower.

Coming here again, the main gate had been closed, and those two guards were still chatting in front of the gate.

Watching the youth's figure walk over, the two stopped talking at the same time, squinting and smiling at him.

"You walked away so boldly just now, why did you come back sneakily?" one said leisurely. "It's a pity that this door only opens once. This time, if you want to enter the iron cage, you won't have a chance."

Pei Ye walked in front of him.

The guard raised an eyebrow: "Yo—"

His collar was suddenly grabbed, his body tilted forward uncontrollably, and his words were choked in his throat.

He didn't react at all to how this happened, and the youth's calm face was already in front of him.

After a moment of astonishment, the guard suddenly widened his eyes in rage, and True Qi surged out from his dantian: "You motherf—"

The rest of his words were abruptly strangled. A knee had slammed into his abdomen, and the severe pain suddenly penetrated his whole body, causing him to curl up like a shrimp.

Pei Ye let go of the limp and trembling body in his hand. The other guard roared and drew his sword to charge over. Pei Ye untied 【Mountain Feather】 from his back, sword and scabbard together, and smashed him three zhang away with one sweep.

The youth shook the scabbard without looking sideways and kicked open the heavy gate in front of him.

The door bolt exploded and broke, the door leaf tilted and slammed into the wall, and the strong wind stirred up the sky full of wood chips. Pei Ye strode in.

(End of chapter)