[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-101":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2262406,4415,"Chapter 101: Night Battle of Sorcery","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-101",101,"\u003Cp>Pfft!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, blood sprayed everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One bandit who had fired an arrow clutched his neck and collapsed, kicking his legs wildly, gurgling in his throat, soon falling still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, three other bandits who had fired hidden arrows were already dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan didn’t even look, gripped his knife, crouched low, moved silently yet with blazing speed, racing toward another sector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the merchants and martial artists around, everything was pitch black, the bandits hidden in the dark, arrows flying everywhere—they were trapped in a ten-sided ambush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yan had unleashed his spiritual power; the scene was crystal clear to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits had not come in large numbers—fewer than two hundred total, divided into ten small squads of five men each, hidden across various areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caravan groups were scattered and all had bonfires burning, making them obvious targets, while the enemy lurked in shadows, creating this illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, many martial artists had been blocked on the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits couldn’t overwhelm them by force alone, so they resorted to this tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a short time, Li Yan had slaughtered three squads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that he meddled—he knew that if he let the bandits attack unchecked, most of the groups would eventually collapse; once they scattered, the hidden bandits on the other side would swarm like wolves, and no one would survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one thing puzzled him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to intelligence, the bandits on the mountain numbered at least seven or eight hundred, united and formidable, with their escape routes cut off—otherwise, how could they be trapped here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, only fewer than two hundred had shown up…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had happened, Li Yan had no time to ponder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, he must break the deadlock as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he crept up behind another squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish! Swish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flying knives shot out; two bandits immediately clutched their necks and fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Watch out for hidden projectiles!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining three bandits scrambled to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But against Li Yan, who was equally hidden in darkness, they had no advantage—only the sound of wind, screams, and blades slicing through flesh reached their ears before their eyes went black and life left them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After four squads were wiped out, the hidden arrows grew sparse; the martial artists shielding themselves with wooden boards finally realized the truth and shouted: “They’re few in number! Hold your ground! Don’t panic and run!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits, of course, had already sensed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief! He’s over there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hoarse voice rang out from the bandit ranks, followed by several flaming arrows whistling through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan dodged aside just in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff! Puff! Puff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flaming arrows struck the ground and ignited the dry grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yan had already vanished into the darkness, moving toward another squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet halfway there, he leapt aside and ducked behind a tree trunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff! Puff! Puff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three more flaming arrows plunged into the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy has a sorcerer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan immediately guessed as much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eye-sight, ear-sight, nose-sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any one of these could detect his position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t carelessness—he’d only realized after leaving Xianyang and Zhongnan Mountain how rare sorcerers were; along the entire journey, besides himself and Wang Daoxuan, he’d seen none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the true state of the Xuan Gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many Xuan Gate practitioners, but among the general populace, they were scarce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most Xuan Gate practitioners either secluded themselves in mountains to cultivate, or lived in big cities; even the weakest witch or shaman was a notable figure within ten or twenty li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some places, no sorcerer had ever appeared—like in Li Family Village, had he not experienced it firsthand, he might never have known the Xuan Gate existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even among martial artists, not everyone could encounter the Xuan Gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could these bandits have a sorcerer among them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had a sorcerer’s aid,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>why were they so frightened by Lao Long Zhai ’s tactics that they fled?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan was puzzled, but his reactions were swift—he blew the whistle clenched in his mouth and sprinted away, avoiding being locked onto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiu! Jiu-jiu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uneven whistles echoed through the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was their unique signal, known only to Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending the signal, Li Yan tucked away the whistle, pulled out a yarrow stalk, wrapped it around his left hand, formed the hand seal, stepped the Gangbu , and whispered: “Nuo Gao, open alone for the descendant Wang Jia, the Six Jia Green Dragon, the Six Yi Meeting Star, the Six Bing Bright Hall, the Six Ding in the shadows…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Baopu Ascending Technique activated, his aura rapidly faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan had long practiced this technique to perfection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Luo Mingzi called it an “ascending mountain technique,” claiming its concealment only worked against mist and fog, Li Yan had discovered more uses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, suppressing his aura made it impossible for the enemy sorcerer to detect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he could still smell the enemy’s scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caravan groups had grown wary; the bandits’ scheme had been broken. Li Yan no longer bothered hunting the remaining hidden archers—he concealed himself carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waited for an opportunity: to kill the enemy sorcerer first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew such an opportunity would come…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a sorcerer among the bandits!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, hearing the whistles in the darkness, Wang Daoxuan’s face darkened. He said gravely: “Sha brother, help me set up the altar and guard it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei immediately sheathed his knife and swiftly helped Wang Daoxuan assemble a simple altar, silently positioning himself behind him for protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several battles, the three had developed perfect coordination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei knew exactly what to do. The escort Wu Mao stared wide-eyed beside him—he’d heard Li Yan was both a swordsman and a Xuan Gate disciple, accompanied by a Daoist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, was this an impromptu sorcery duel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, he’d never seen one before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sorcerers were just supposed to curse people from behind…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan paid him no mind, turning to the side and speaking gravely: “Master Zhou, we’ll need your help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Zhou immediately understood, respectfully lifting a spirit shrine from a wooden chest, still covered in red cloth—the spirit soldier they’d summoned from the mass grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan placed it on the altar, lit three incense sticks, circled the shrine three times, then inserted the incense and carefully lifted the red cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, a chilling, deadly aura spread, causing the surrounding candles to flicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan couldn’t help praising: “Master Zhou, you’ve done well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the Spring Wind Troupe had treated this spirit with great reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without incident, it would protect them for a long time and not cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master seems to enjoy opera very much…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Zhou smiled and nodded quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Guanzhong, people commonly referred to deities as “Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though this was a spirit soldier transformed into a yin deity, heavy with murderous energy, it seemed to enjoy opera—calm and stable. That’s why they’d held their ground and performed two ghost operas to build their reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Opera originated from Nuo rituals to entertain the gods…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan gave a casual reply, then grew serious, raised his peachwood sword, stepped the Gangbu , spat a mist of water, and activated the altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By decree!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan seized the talisman, pointed at the sky, then swiftly turned and struck the altar three times with his palm; with a flick of the peachwood sword, the black jar and yellow talismans on the altar shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, yin winds surged all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the bearers or the young and old of the Spring Wind Troupe, all swallowed hard, silent—they vaguely sensed this was commanding troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they didn’t know Wang Daoxuan had no lineage backing him and low cultivation—he’d only summoned one pitiful little yin soldier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His only ability was to scout and gather intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why he’d sought help from the Spring Wind Troupe’s spirit soldier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan’s peachwood sword trembled slightly as he chanted rapidly, too fast to catch the words, then pointed sharply into the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin winds surged; everyone felt a sudden chill, then the coldness vanished quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the woods, Li Yan tightly held his hand seal, revealing not a trace of aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandit sorcerer’s cultivation was likely low too—he couldn’t even detect Li Yan’s most basic concealment technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he was close to the bandits’ main force—less than a hundred meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he looked up at the night sky, a faint smile on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recognized the scent of Wang Daoxuan’s yin soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he located the bandit sorcerer’s movements, he could strike and kill him during the attack, eliminating the threat once and for all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many sorcerers truly lack martial skill; once a master closes in, they are almost always doomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only after truly entering the Xuan Gate did he understand how terrifying a sorcerer could be when protected, with an altar set and rituals performed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, how dare you use magic to spy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold voice rang out from among the bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, Li Yan’s expression changed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smelled three chilling, deadly scents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the bandits, one was guarded—a disheveled man with a Taiji symbol painted in cinnabar on his forehead: the Jiangzuo sorcerer You Laosi, once a patron of the Iron Knife Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had hidden within the Iron Knife Gang partly to exploit Zheng Heibei’s power for wealth, and partly to secretly plot for the celestial-earth treasure soon to be formed by the Longchang Troupe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That celestial-earth treasure was the statue itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The statue was made from extraordinary wood, venerated for a century by the Longchang Troupe, and situated at the spiritual nexus of a yang dwelling, infused with the ancient aura of Xianyang City, absorbing the troupe’s human joys and sorrows—it had become a treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not happened to attend a performance, he would never have discovered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, the statue concealed its spiritual aura entirely, leaving no one aware of its true nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he obtained it, he could use dark magic to forge a powerful yin general as a guardian. For this, he had been willing to wait years in Xianyang City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the news was revealed to Luo Shihai by the living yin officer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Shihai, enraged and humiliated, went personally to the Iron Knife Gang to capture him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Laosi had escaped the trap through secret methods, but he knew the treasure could no longer be obtained; without the Iron Knife Gang’s cover, he feared the Enforcement Hall would find him, so he fled Xianyang City that very night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He possessed the ear divine power, which was why he had sensed the attack in advance—and why he had pointed out Li Yan’s position earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The yin soldiers dispatched by Wang Daoxuan could not possibly escape his notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Laosi had also set up an altar, but upon it lay straw dolls, blood basins, corpse rice, bone powder, even children’s skulls—all unmistakably dark arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Laosi noticed the yin soldiers circling in the night sky, his eyes filled with contempt; he sneered coldly, picked up a straw doll, bowed three times toward the heavens, then casually seized a yellow talisman and slapped it onto the doll’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the straw doll grew cold, radiating the aura of yin soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Laosi placed the doll upon the altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the doll lay three small arrows, each inscribed with blood-red talismanic script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up one talisman arrow, formed the hand seals, gripped it tightly, and chanted: “Dark is the sky, dark is the earth; the Divine Lord commands me to summon souls. Left, I call the Six Jia; right, I call the Six Ding; before, the Imperial Spirit; behind, Yue Zhang; heaven locks the soul, earth locks the spirit—hasten, as the decree commands!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he drove the arrow into the straw doll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan stared upward, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The yin soldiers circling above vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, the wandering soul jar on Wang Daoxuan’s altar cracked open with a sharp snap…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2010,"2026-06-19T18:28:32.159Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b17dcd4c445377d8bb22ed949a2254177f316e719d612e95e474847ce17cbc7e","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-102","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-100",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]