Chapter 48: Scattering Beans to Become Soldiers

Xiaochuan Village also had an ancestral hall.

It was the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall, named Yongquan Hall.

Compared to the ancestral hall of Shu Village, this ancestral hall was much simpler, let alone compared to the ancestral hall of the Wang family in Heng Village; it was likely that even the ordinary branch ancestral hall of the Wang family couldn't compare.

However, this was the place where the ancestors of the Zhang family in Xiaochuan Village rested. They believed that the ancestors had spirits and could protect their descendants. So, after Zhang Da was injured, the villagers feared scaring his old mother and found it inconvenient to carry him back to his home, so their first thought was to carry him to this ancestral hall.

But they didn't expect that there were already others here.

They were also two young Daoists. Judging by their Daoist robes and the caps on their heads, they looked like the Fulu Sect the Master had spoken of. One looked to be in his twenties, and the other looked to be only in his teens.

Seeing the group walk in in a panic, they hurriedly asked:

"What happened?"

"Injured by yin ghosts."

"Who are the three fellow Daoists..."

"Mount Yishan, Fuqiu Temple, I am Li Miaolin." The Third Senior Brother stood out. "This is my Junior Brother and Junior Sister, who came with the villagers to exorcise demons."

"Mount Qiyun, Xuantian Temple, Qingxuan." The Daoist in his twenties stood out. "This is my Junior Brother, named Ma Cunshu. The villagers also came to invite us, so the Master had us come down the mountain to gain experience."

"Don't talk about this first!"

Several villagers hurriedly helped Zhang Da to sit down.

The torchlight illuminated the ancestral hall brightly, and the faded portraits of the ancestors stared at the people below with great heartache.

Only then did they see that the clothes on Zhang Da's chest had been torn, stained red with a large patch of blood. Lifting his clothes, there were three shocking scratch marks, arranged very neatly.

"What was he injured by?"

The Qiyun Mountain Daoist named Qingxuan asked.

"It seems to be a bird?"

The Third Shixiong frowned and said, not too sure either.

The Third Shixiong specialized in the "Bean-Soldier" method, which could be considered a simplified version of the legendary scattering of beans to become soldiers. This spell might be good at marching and fighting, defending cities and capturing territories, or it might be good at spell fighting, but it was not good at dealing with yin ghosts. Plus, Zhang Da had walked to the front on his own at the time and actively rushed toward the yin ghosts, so even a high-level Daoist would find it hard to react in time.

The night merged with that thing, and in the haste, they could only roughly see its appearance.

"A bird?"

Daoist Qingxuan bent down to look closely at the wound.

"The benefactor is the brave man that Zhang benefactor mentioned on the road just now, right? Too reckless, too reckless! Since you called the villagers to invite us, why didn't you wait for us to come?"

It sounded like these two Daoists had also arrived only at nightfall.

"I really couldn't endure it... It's also my fault for being too careless; I didn't expect this thing to be hidden inside!" Zhang Da said in a low voice, his expression clear. "Is there anything serious?"

"The wound is not very deep. With the benefactor's physique, if you recuperate well, you should be able to pull through. However, if you are injured by yin objects, it is very likely that yin energy and ghost energy will be left behind, and that is hard to say." Daoist Qingxuan said.

"It is death energy." The Third Shixiong said.

"Death energy?"

Daoist Qingxuan's expression froze.

He immediately reached into his bosom and took out several talismans, selected one, held it with his fingers in a sword gesture, muttered something, shook it a few times, and with a poof, the talisman instantly burned into flames.

"Swift!"

He pressed the flame onto Zhang Da's chest as he spoke.

"Sizzle..."

Under the reflection of the firelight, black smoke clearly rose.

"This talisman of mine can invite clear spiritual energy, which should be able to temporarily suppress the death energy. When it is daytime, you can send someone to invite my seniors from Xuantian Temple to treat it." Daoist Qingxuan said.

The Third Shixiong leaned over and also exhaled a breath.

"I cultivate Yin-Yang Spiritual Arts, and this breath of pure Yin-Yang spiritual rhyme also has some suppressive effect." The Third Shixiong said. "My Shidi is also skilled in medicine and can remove death energy."

"Then it depends on whose place is closer."

"It is closer to Mount Qiyun."

A villager with more experience said.

Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

Lin Jue began to examine these two Daoists.

There was no help for it; they came from Mount Qiyun, and when he left the village to seek immortality and the Way, the first place he wanted to go was Mount Qiyun.

It seemed that the people of Xiaochuan Village hadn't just gone to Mount Yishan to seek Fuqiu Temple, but had also gone to seek the most famous Xuantian Temple on Mount Qiyun. It was just that judging by their tone, they likely didn't hold much hope that they could invite a Daoist from Xuantian Temple at the time, but unexpectedly, the people from Mount Qiyun had actually come.

Looking at them, it was also one Shixiong bringing one Shidi.

From what happened just now, one could see that the ability of the Daoists from Mount Qiyun was not weak at all, but it seemed that it was all in the talismans, and they themselves didn't have the ability to distinguish whether there was yin energy or ghost energy in the wound with the naked eye.

They could only guess based on experience.

"Even if an ordinary bird cultivates and becomes a monster, it won't carry death energy. If it really cultivates some kind of ability with death energy, I'm afraid it wouldn't just grab him with one claw. It is likely some kind of monster that coexists with death energy, transforming into a bird or itself being something similar to a bird." Daoist Qingxuan pondered, truly having rich experience in exorcising demons and catching ghosts.

"Very likely." The Third Shixiong also said. "I don't know if the death energy here nurtured it, or if it brought the death energy here. Looking at it today, it itself hasn't formed a climate yet and is cultivating, but it was forced out by Zhang Da, and it is likely also resentful of him because of this."

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but turn his head to look outside.

Outside was the thick night.

"If it knows we have come to exorcise it and it can no longer cultivate there, I'm afraid there will be trouble tonight."

"Fellow Daoist's words are reasonable."

"If it doesn't vent its anger by hurting people and then leave, it will kill us and then continue to cultivate here." The Third Shixiong's expression was calm, without any of his usual drunken state.

However, this sentence frightened the villagers in the ancestral hall and the little Daoist beside Daoist Qingxuan quite a bit.

"Since that is the case, let's discuss how to remove the death energy here and get rid of this monster." Daoist Qingxuan's expression was calm, and he bowed and said, "I hope Fellow Daoist and I can work together."

"Eliminating harm for the people, let's not talk about those things."

The Third Shixiong, who had originally spoken well and let Lin Jue take charge, became serious after seeing that strange bird.

"To tell you the truth, before I came down the mountain, I had already asked the Yili Shenjun in the temple, but at the time I only thought it was some yin energy and residual souls, so I didn't treat it solemnly." Daoist Qingxuan said with difficulty. "The talismans I brought are mostly for self-protection and deterring yin ghosts and residual souls."

"This is also normal. We also thought it was just some yin energy and residual souls, otherwise I wouldn't have brought my Shidi and Shimei." The Third Shixiong sighed. "This world is getting more and more chaotic; in the past, there were no such things."

"Yes..."

"Fellow Daoist Qingxuan, do you have any good methods to remove the death energy here?"

"I can only wait until tomorrow to set up an altar, ask the Yili Shenjun, and borrow the divine power of the Thunder General under the Yili Shenjun's command."

That meant there was no way tonight.

The Third Shixiong nodded and didn't say much: "Since that is the case, tonight's matter will be left to us!"

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist!"

"Why say such things? You and I each have our strengths, so let's each perform our duties, and I will trouble you again tomorrow." The Third Shixiong returned the bow.

Lin Jue and the little Shimei also followed and bowed.

Looking at it this way, this Mount Qiyun also seemed very upright.

Thinking about it, it was reasonable. The cultivators of the Fulu Sect worship spirits, but their ultimate goal is actually to receive the register themselves, to ascend to heaven after death, and to be ranked among the immortals. So when worshiping spirits, they must also cultivate their own character and virtue.

"Let me think..."

The torchlight illuminated the ancestral hall brightly, and the Third Shixiong paced and pondered.

He thought for a while but couldn't think of a good method.

He turned to look at his own little Shidi.

He felt this Shidi was smart.

"When this thing was forced out, it risked danger to injure Zhang Da. It must be resentful of him for disturbing its cultivation, or it was cursed too harshly by him. I'm afraid it's a vengeful one." Although Lin Jue hadn't been cultivating in Fuqiu Temple for long, he had some experience in dealing with monsters and ghosts. "If we go into the village, it might come here to find Zhang Da. If we guard here, it might cause trouble in the village!"

"Then what should we do?"

"I'm afraid we have to split into two paths."

"Excellent! I thought so too!" The Third Shixiong clapped his hands. "No problem, I will go outside to find it, and you guard here, how about that?"

"You alone?"

Lin Jue opened his eyes wide.

Not only him, but everyone in the ancestral hall was surprised and couldn't help but look at the Third Shixiong.

"Don't worry about me, can you handle it?"

"I am not afraid."

Lin Jue's expression was also solemn.

"Then that's it!"

The Third Shixiong untied a cloth bag from his waist, borrowed the light of the many torches, selected a few beans, and threw them onto the ground.

"Go!"

The beans grew as soon as they left his hand, and turned into people as soon as they hit the ground.

In an instant, they turned into several armored soldiers with different appearances and styles.

Two were broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, wearing armor and holding long spears. Two were short and sturdy, also wearing armor, holding round shields in one hand and long knives in the other. There were four others who looked taller, holding strong bows, and actually hanging a quiver full of eagle-feather arrows at their waists.

Lin Jue couldn't help but be stunned.

Not only him, but the two from Mount Qiyun were also shocked, and the few villagers were even more like seeing a miracle.

"Scattering beans to become soldiers!"

The Qiyun Mountain Daoist exclaimed.

"Not the legendary one." The Third Shixiong said, looking at Lin Jue. "Don't be too surprised, there are even more wonderful ones! These armored soldiers of mine can also be transferred. I will leave two archers for you! Speak simply, and they will be able to understand; don't speak too complexly!"

After speaking, he pointed to the two archers, and then pointed to Lin Jue:

"Two heroes! Please listen to him!"

"Sizzle sizzle..."

The two archers immediately turned and stepped, walking with heavy steps, their armor rubbing against each other, walking to Lin Jue and standing still, staring straight at him.

"Do you regret following the Second Shixiong to learn alchemy? What's so fun about that stuff!"

"Third Shixiong, be serious..."

"Haha! Then be careful with everything!"

"Shixiong, please be careful too."

"Alright..."

The Third Shixiong took out his wine gourd, shook it, and seeing that there was still half a gourd of fruit wine inside, he smiled with satisfaction and walked outside.

"Evil thing! Grandpa has come to invite you to drink!"

He walked out of the range of the torchlight in a few steps. Lin Jue went to the door of the ancestral hall to see him off, vaguely hearing him chant:

"The world is vast, the spirits of this place listen to my command! The spiritual light is like washing, illuminating the ancient dark realm! Monsters and ghosts come, do not hide your shadows and avoid the light! Yin and Yang in the three realms, my spell appears to reveal your form!"

He also saw him scatter a few beans, which turned into armored soldiers to accompany him. The team grew larger and larger, armor colliding, footsteps heavy.

Lin Jue was both surprised and worried.

By now, he had heard that because the Grandmaster lived long and died late, the Master was already quite old when he took over Fuqiu Temple. One could only take disciples after becoming the temple master, so the senior fellow apprentices hadn't been cultivating on the mountain for a particularly long time. The Eldest senior fellow apprentice had only been on the mountain for ten years, and the Second and Third senior fellow apprentices for at most ten years.

So many Shixiongs' Dao-attainment wasn't very high.

It was just that in his conversation with Daoist Wangji of Xianyuan Temple, he had roughly guessed that there was a skill in the temple that should only be passed on to the eldest disciple, and this skill could help Fuqiu Temple select disciples with good talent.

Wangji had always been very sour about this.

But he didn't expect that this Third Shixiong would have such ability and such courage.

Lin Jue withdrew his gaze and looked at the two archers beside him, seeing that they had a faint texture of wood, while the armor had a metallic luster. He didn't know how they were made, and with their burly and powerful bodies, their steps felt solid and heavy, giving people a sense of inexplicable security.

Could they be more powerful than the elite soldiers in the imperial court?

He felt it was truly wonderful, so he pointed to the little Shimei, thought about the Third Shixiong's wording, and said to them:

"Two heroes! Stand on both sides of her!"

"Sizzle sizzle..."

The two bean-soldiers immediately stepped forward, came to the left and right sides of the little Shimei, and stood ready.

Spells were truly wonderful. ===== CHAPTER 49 =====