Chapter 217

Pangzi let out a loud shout, his sword finger lightly tapping the copper coin sword hilt; as I dodged, Pangzi's stance was like a bow, and he swiftly swung his hand forward. A scorching flame flashed past, and I seemed to feel a wave of heat rush at my neck, so I quickly crouched down. Just then, I heard an animal behind me cry out in pain; turning back, my scalp exploded again, and I involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air.

Jinlei, Rihui…, damn it, the four great mountain spirits were actually summoned by her in two types.

To Han Duo's left side stood three humanoid figures, but they lay prone on the ground, crawling like scorpions and staring at people. This monster was bulky, with only one foot, and was drum‑red in color. On Han Duo's right side stood several figures wearing bamboo hats, nine chi tall, resembling old fishermen.

These are not human; they are mountain‑born sprites, and indeed the troops Han Duo summoned in this short time.

Baopuzi says: 'The form of mountain spirits in the mountains is like a small child with a single foot; walking backward, they like to attack people. When one enters the mountains and at night hears a loud human voice, its name is fu; knowing it and calling out, they dare not harm people. Another name is re nei, which can also be used. There is also a mountain spirit, drum‑red in color, also with one foot, named Rihui. Or like a person, nine chi tall, wearing furs and a bamboo hat, named Jinlei. Or like a dragon with five-colored red horns, named Feifei; seeing it, if one calls it by name, they dare not do harm.'

Now behind Han Duo have appeared the two types recorded in Baopuzi. On the left, lying prone with only a single foot like a tail, is Rihui; on the right, those wearing bamboo hats are Jinlei. These two kinds of sprites are derived from the resentment of mountain tree essences and the six domestic animals, or from crystallized ground. Ordinary troops seeing them can only be eaten.

Fortunately, all mountain‑born things fear fire; with Pangzi beside me, I have some protection.

After Pangzi used his copper‑coin sword to swat away a Rihui, he stood beside me, likewise frowning as he looked at Han Duo.

"Miss Han, what do you mean? Why are you suddenly fighting my brothers?" Then Pangzi turned to me and asked, "You too—weren't you supposed to chase the net‑casting bandits? Why did you lose your mind and start fighting Miss Han?"

Han Duo crossed her arms, tilted her head back and snorted; although the Wu Chang mask covered her face, I couldn't see her expression, but I guessed she was now very pleased.

I wiped my cold sweat.... Pangzi, that coward, is damn stupid—the net‑casting bandits wear red clothes, and so does Han Duo. And now I'm being chased by Han Duo; do we even need to ask? It's obvious that Han Duo is that net‑casting bandit.

I said nothing, gave Pangzi a look, then pointed at Han Duo's clothing. Pangzi stared for a moment, then came to his senses, looking at Han Duo and asking doubtfully, "Miss Han, are you that net‑casting bandit?"

Han Duo snorted again, tacitly admitting it. Pangzi then frowned and asked her, "Miss Han, do you have any grudge against the Yang family?"

Han Duo shook her head cleanly: "No."

"Then does the Yang family owe you money?" Pangzi eyed Han Duo suspiciously and asked again.

Han Duo shook her head: "No!"

"Then why are you ruining the Yang family's ancestral feng shui?" Pangzi was baffled.

"She was bribed, took money and ordered to ruin the Yang family's ancestral feng shui." I stood aside, explaining to Pangzi. Although the innate suppression of those troops still made my heart race a little, my mental resilience is strong, so I can endure it.

Han Duo saw that I had exposed her plot, nodded approvingly and said to Pangzi, "That's right, I just take people's money to eliminate disasters for them."

Pangzi stared for a moment, finally figuring out the context. But he didn't give up, continuing to try to coax Han Duo into revealing her backer: "Miss Han, since you're here for the money, tell me how much your boss is paying—I'll double it. Tell me who the backer is, okay?"

Perhaps the price Han Duo received is high, and we might not be able to match it, but Yang Shouren would surely be willing to pay that sum. So money is not the problem.

However, Han Duo obviously wasn't buying it; she snorted, stared coldly at Pangzi and said, "You're also a Daoist—you should know that family values trust. I promised others first, so how could I agree to betray them for you?"

Before Pangzi could answer, I curled my lip, looked at Han Duo disdainfully and said, "Since you know you're a Daoist, you should also know that the first precept of Daoist doctrine is not to lose one's original heart for money, not to harm heaven and reason for profit. But you? I've never seen a Daoist as money‑loving as you."

"Hahaha, I love money—so what? As long as there's money, let me have you, it's fine." Han Duo looked at me provocatively, bursting into angry laughter.

"If that's how you put it, then we can't reconcile—we'll have to settle it with force." I felt helpless, casually took Pangzi's waist‑worn bagua mirror, chanted the incantation, guarding against Han Duo; the Yin Shan school's arts won't work, so I can only use Mao Shan's. I warned Han Duo: "You'd better think it through—Huaguang's arts exactly counter the mountain sprites under your command. If we really fight, you might not gain any advantage; you might even be captured alive by us."

Pangzi also nodded, chiming in from the side: "Miss Han, I think you'd better honestly cooperate with us. Although you're highly skilled, if we two join forces you still might not gain any advantage; if we really come to blows, I'm afraid you'll…"

Pangzi's kind advice, taken positively, is guidance; taken negatively, it's outright belittling.

Han Duo clearly leaned toward the latter, thinking Pangzi and I looked down on her, so she burst into angry laughter: "Fine, you talk big—let me teach you your skills." Her eyes held some contempt as she looked at me and mocked, "Don't be like that bald guy again, a useless showpiece."

Han Duo's words made me wryly smile—who told her she's far superior to me in troop deployment? As I smiled wryly, Han Duo casually took something from her waist. That thing was the rope coiled around her waist; once in hand, it turned into the long whip she had when we first met her.

But when we saw Han Duo flick the whip twice, chanting the incantation to turn it into a ji (halberd), both Pangzi and I couldn't help but widen our eyes.

The ji is one of the short weapons among the eighteen arms, bladeless but with ridges on four sides, also called a jie. The weapons held by the famed generals in the main hall are just two jie.

What shocked us wasn't the weapon's shape, but the aura it emitted. Although the jie looks ordinary, the aura on it is older than the roar when Yao Wenju moves, making it even more frightening. Obviously, this is a Wu family weapon, filled with barbaric airs.

Such a weapon surely has a great origin. In my knowledge, the Meishan Sect's ancestral teachings seem to have only two treasured heirlooms: one is the axe that opened the mountain of Meishan God Zhang Wulang; the other is…

"Wu Shen Ji, are you the Wu goddess of the Meishan Sect?" Pangzi sucked in a breath of cold air and blurted out the origin of the ji in Han Duo's hand.

"Not bad, you've got some eyes—do you still dare to look down on me?" Han Duo laughed proudly.

Pangzi and I exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. The Wu Shen Ji is an heirloom of the ancestral teachings, its importance and power no less than Mao Shan's three treasures.

"Scared? If not, why don't you give me an IOU, or settle with money?" Han Duo smiled, eyes glittering with greed; seeing us hesitate, she slyly rolled her eyes and said, "Or how about I give you a discount this time?"

Pangzi and I were stunned by her money‑gesture, laughing helplessly. What a quirky personality Han Duo has—if you say she loves money, it's not entirely true, at least she hasn't been bought by our high offer; but if you say she doesn't love money, she's still working for money, making her seem like she's fallen for money.

Obviously she's extremely strong, yet she cast a net and fled. After I caught up, she deployed troops to give me a brutal beating. With such power, why run at all? Just fight us head‑on. You say she pretends to be weak, then plays the pig to eat the tiger—is that fun?

No, Han Duo isn't weak; she's up to …?

As I gave a wry smile, my heart suddenly thumped, a flash of lightning crossed my mind—could Han Duo's strange behavior be… a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain?

"Pangzi, find a way to stop her; I'm heading back to the Yang ancestral tomb." I shouted loudly, grabbed the bagua mirror and hurried back. At that moment, the troops behind Han Duo flew out and lunged at me. Fortunately Pangzi reacted in time, blocking the charging Jinlei.

I broke free and sprinted back. Han Duo's move only strengthened my suspicion: she isn't the main player tonight; the one truly destroying the Yang ancestral grave is someone else. Her goal is merely to draw me and Pangzi away from guarding the tomb.

Thinking of that, I sped up, holding my breath as I ran. Just as I was about to reach the Yang ancestral tomb, a stone tripped me, sending me rolling down the hillside; when I dazedly stood up, what met my eyes left me stunned.

Far down the mountain, at that spot of the Yang ancestral tomb, Hao Ran appeared—blue, red, green, white, black, five-colored shadows. The five shadows stood side by side, seeming to lift something on their shoulders. Looking again, I was frozen stiff, my hands and feet icy cold.

How could this be… how could it be my Yin Shan school's Five Ghosts Carrying the Coffin? Could the one who ruined the Yang family's feng shui be Master Yu Tai Zu Shi Ye?