Chapter 113

Wang Daoxuan's timing for the curse was perfect.

"Master Lu" dared to abandon possession and appear in person to make a move; naturally, he had his confidence.

In terms of martial arts, although he couldn't be counted as a top-tier expert, he had practiced hard since childhood and had already stepped into the dark energy realm.

In terms of cultivation, he had reached the second level of cultivation long ago.

Just as he had said, within his sect, no matter which aspect you looked at, he was more qualified to control the Soul-Hooking Order than Wu Laosi.

The sorcery he had used was called the Nine Nether Demon Soldier Method.

The name was eerie, and its power was even more extraordinary.

This method could control wandering souls to possess people, becoming ghost soldiers; it was somewhat like puppet sorcery, but it used the living human body as a vessel.

If a human body were a machine, this was a restricted machine, because starting it at full power often caused damage.

Therefore, some people would explode with great potential when at death's door, but afterward, they would often fall into a serious illness or even lose their lives.

Those who were possessed by yin souls under this sorcery had no concerns at all, their strength was astonishing, and even suffering severe injuries wouldn't affect their fighting.

This sorcery originated from the end of the Tang Dynasty. In that era, the Dao declined and demons grew, and the world was in chaos. There were evil sorcerers serving in the army, specifically establishing demon soldier death battalions to fight to the death when the war situation was unfavorable.

Although "Master Lu" had only grasped the superficial aspects, twenty-some demon soldiers who feared no death were enough to bring heavy damage to the group.

By then, I'm afraid only Li Yan would be able to survive.

Wang Daoxuan's move, however, completely disrupted his plan.

"Ah—!"

"Master Lu" clutched his head and rolled on the ground, screaming.

Wang Daoxuan's "Seven Arrows Secret Curse" was only the first curse; it didn't take his life, but it felt like a sharp awl inserted into his brain, stirring wildly, causing him pain worse than death.

At the same time, the constables who were pouncing also stopped immediately.

How could Li Yan miss such a good opportunity? He held his blade and leaped out, intending to slaughter the sorcerer.

However, at the critical moment, "Master Lu" endured the pain, took a bamboo tube from his waist, and yanked it toward Li Yan.

Danger!

A sense of mortal crisis surged in his heart; Li Yan gritted his teeth, rolled sideways, exerted dark energy, and kicked fiercely at a constable who was standing still.

Whoosh!

Borrowing this force, he flew horizontally.

And the bamboo tube in "Master Lu's" hand also went "bang," spraying a large amount of phosphorus fire—red and white—along with a stream of oil.

Whoosh~

Li Yan just managed to dodge, but those constables were covered head to toe, and then quickly caught fire and burned, instantly turning into human torches.

"Ah—!"

Painful screams rang out.

The phosphorus fire burned, causing the possessed yin souls to scatter; the burning constables were in extreme pain, running and grabbing everywhere.

The constables who hadn't been burned were also unlucky, tackled to the ground by their companions and catching fire themselves.

"Go to hell!"

Sha Lifei and the porters were also startled; seeing a human torch pouncing, they directly picked up long sticks and poked them away.

What a ruthless hidden weapon!

Seeing this, Li Yan's heart was also pounding.

Wang Daoxuan had told him many stories of the Mystic Sect; the Immortality School, including the alchemists who refined external elixirs later on, hadn't figured out the art of longevity but had created many strange things.

Some spread to the common people, like tofu and gunpowder, while others had massive lethality and became secret protective arts.

For example, the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect's Thunder Fire Pill.

What this sorcerer used was likely one of them; Li Yan not only smelled phosphorus, saltpeter, and fire oil, but also some scents he couldn't identify, which were extremely complex.

And now, the surroundings were filled with the smell of charred meat and pungent smoke, making him extremely uncomfortable.

What gave Li Yan an even bigger headache was that the sorcerer had already recovered and was taking another bamboo tube from his waist...

Right then, Wang Daoxuan in the ancestral hall stepped out the Gang steps and recited the incantation again, stabbing the blood-stained chopstick fiercely.

"Roar!"

The sorcerer let out another scream and fell to the ground, the bamboo tube that hadn't been triggered rolling to the side.

Li Yan didn't hesitate; his legs exerted dark energy, he leaped out with a "whoosh," and the Guan Mountain blade slashed down fiercely.

Pfft!

This strike was powerful and heavy; the sorcerer's head fell in response.

Li Yan still wasn't at ease; he focused his spirit to drive it, and the Three-Talent Demon-Suppressing Coin tassel swayed left and right, emitting cold murderous intent and scattering the aura on the opponent.

At the same time, inside the ancestral hall.

Whoosh!

The straw doll on the altar suddenly burned.

Wang Daoxuan breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground, the suffocating chill that had enveloped him dissipating rapidly.

This phenomenon represented the end of the sorcery.

Either the opponent had broken the sorcery and he had suffered a serious injury or death from backlash, or the target was already dead.

In short, this sorcery was either you die or I die!

Now it seemed his luck wasn't bad...

…………

Flames roared, and the pungent charred smell permeated the air.

"Speak, how many of you came?"

"He-hero, forty-seven came..."

Pfft!

The blade pierced the heart, and the constable's pupils on the ground dilated rapidly.

Li Yan withdrew his blade, his face expressionless.

And in the distance, the porters were dragging corpses and severed limbs, throwing them all into a dilapidated wooden building near the ancestral hall.

The entire wooden building had been set on fire by them, and they were constantly adding wood from nearby houses to keep the fire going.

"Counted, forty-six in total!"

Sha Lifei ran over from the side, looking somewhat anxious.

Although these people deserved to die and it was a matter of life and death tonight, after all, they wore official uniforms, so they had to destroy the evidence to avoid leaving clues.

"No matter, the last one has arrived."

Li Yan smiled slightly and turned to look to the right.

There, Lu San walked slowly out of the darkness; his face was pale, there was a large blade wound on his shoulder, and he was carrying a human head in his hand.

It was precisely the Fengyang County constable, Zhao Kui!

"Good brother, well done!"

Sha Lifei gave a word of praise and hurriedly stepped forward to ask, "A head alone won't do; where is his body?"

"Two miles away, in the old forest, by the official road."

"Alright!"

Sha Lifei didn't hesitate, leaped onto his horse to drag the body.

Right then, Yue Bala and the others also walked over slowly. They looked at each other, pushing and shoving, somewhat hesitant.

Li Yan naturally knew what they were thinking and said calmly, "Everyone, rest assured, no one in Fengyang County has seen us. Take a detour on the way back, eat and drink as usual, and treat it as if nothing happened. Keep your mouths shut tight."

"Don't worry, Li Li Shaoxia." Yue Bala breathed a sigh of relief, "We have a part in this too; if even half a word leaks out, may heaven strike us down!"

To tell the truth, what they feared wasn't tonight's events.

The martial world is full of twists and turns; one always encounters such things.

What they feared was that if Li Yan got the urge, he would kill them to silence them.

Niubeiliang, Wu Family Ditch—although both were for self-preservation, at least fifty people had died at Li Yan's hands.

A living Yama who takes lives...

Li Yan naturally saw the expressions of the few, sighed inwardly, didn't pay it any mind, looked at the sky, and said in a deep voice, "It's about time..."

"Raise the coffin!"

…………

Ding! Boom boom!

!.

Wang Daoxuan shook the bell, Li Yan beat the drum.

"Confess the sins of the body, the body is born, killing, stealing, lusting, greedily seeking fine things; the confessor swears from now on, not to kill or steal, nor to greedily seek fine things, not to give rise to greed or anger, not to give rise to foolish love..."

Wang Daoxuan recited the sutra, while Sha Lifei carried the soul-calling banner, followed by Lu San in mourning clothes, circling a fire basin.

The fire basin symbolized the hellish karmic fire.

Beside it, two bricks were stacked with a tile on top, symbolizing the gate of the Netherworld.

Wu Laosi was a living underworld messenger who had botched his mission and died. Wang Daoxuan didn't know if he was suffering in the False False Yin Si, so he performed a simple ritual before the coffin was raised to help him absolve his sins.

As for Lu San, he took the place of the filial son.

Afterward, Wang Daoxuan recited the Hell-Breaking Curse, stepped out the Gang steps, pinched the incantation with both hands, and stabbed fiercely with the peach-wood dharma sword.

Crash!

The tile shattered, symbolizing the opening of the gate of hell.

Finally, Wang Daoxuan waved the peach-wood sword and shouted, "One stroke opens heaven, eight great Vajras descend to the mortal world, you lift the treasure."

"Raise the coffin!"

With the order given, the porters lifted the coffin.

Wang Daoxuan shook the soul-guiding bell with his left hand and carried the soul-guiding incense with his right, walking at the very front.

To prevent accidents, they didn't scatter road-buying paper money; with Li Yan, this fierce god, sitting in charge, it was estimated that no wandering ghosts would dare to block the road.

Sha Lifei carried the soul-calling banner.

Lu San held Wu Laosi's spirit tablet.

The porters shouted in low voices, carrying the coffin up the mountain.

As for the carter Old Meng, he remained near the Wu Family Ditch ancestral hall to search carefully, and only after confirming no clues were left did he drive the carriage, leading several horses away to wait for them in another place.

At this time, the sky hadn't yet brightened, and Wu Family Ditch was quiet once again.

Only the wooden building's flames hadn't gone out, with charred corpses piled up...

…………

"Two strokes open the earth gate, Earth Duke and Earth Mother, you come out, you take the treasure, left Green Dragon, right White Tiger, front Vermilion Bird, back Black Tortoise... quickly as the law commands!"

After the Landing Curse was recited, everyone slowly lowered the coffin.

Wang Daoxuan held a cinnabar brush, waving it in the air while reciting: "Rise to the sun, rank and title follow, this brush is no ordinary brush, point to heaven and heaven is clear, point to earth and earth is spiritual, cinnabar brush falls to the False False Yin Si, Wu Laosi's three souls and seven spirits return to the divine master..."

Afterward, he recited the curse again, scattering the five-colored grains in all directions within the cliff tomb, while Lu San on the side had long since collected and buried the villagers' remains.

"Seal the earth!"

After a series of procedures, following Wang Daoxuan's order, the porters used the mud, sand, and stones they had prepared to seal the entrance of the cliff tomb.

Afterward, they climbed to the top of the cliff along the ropes, wiping away the ropes and traces of the stakes.

Looking at the fish-belly white in the sky, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Carrying the coffin for a thousand miles, through wind and rain, it had finally come to a complete end.

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Everyone, go down the mountain from the other side. Sha Lifei will take you to Shangluo, where you can find martial arts fellows to help you cover your tracks."

"Remember, no matter what happens in the future, you only went to Shangluo City and never knew what happened in Fengyang County."

"Li Li Shaoxia is thoughtful."

"Don't worry, we know what to do."

Yue Bala and the others nodded hurriedly, their hearts easing slightly.

Li Yan was completely removing them from this matter; to say nothing else, this act alone was enough to make people submit.

Seeing everyone agree, Li Yan nodded again and looked at Sha Lifei, "Old Uncle Sha, stay in Shangluo when you're done. After the Daoist and I return from Tianzhu Mountain, we will rendezvous with you."

"Take care on the road."

Sha Lifei's expression was solemn as he nodded.

He had also heard what the sorcerer had inadvertently revealed last night; the Cold-Altar Wandering Master actually had no connection to this sect.

Also, someone from Wu Laosi's sect was still alive.

This trip might be another round of magical duels.

"Don't worry."

Li Yan nodded, turned his head to look at Lu San beside him, "Brother Lu, people must always look forward. We've done this, and the imperial court will definitely pursue it. If you stay here, I'm afraid you'll fall into danger; why not leave with us?"

Lu San was silent for a moment, "No."

Having said that, he turned and left directly.

Watching the disappearing figure, Sha Lifei said with dissatisfaction, "Damn it, this kid is as stubborn as a mule, truly ungrateful."

"Forget it."

Li Yan turned his head to look into the distance, "Let's go!"

With that, the group went down the mountain, rendezvoused with the carter Old Meng, walked for dozens of miles, separated at the fork in the road, and gradually moved away...

…………

Wu Family Ditch, outside the ancestral hall.

Lu San looked at the charred earth of the wooden building still emitting blue smoke in the distance, then looked around, sighed slightly, and muttered, "Where can one hide..."

Squeak squeak!

Several mice ran over from all directions.

Lu San listened intently, "Someone is chasing? Mm, I know..."

Saying this, with a whistle, the mice crawled into the leather pouch at his waist along his trouser legs.

Rip!

He suddenly tore off the mourning clothes he was wearing, dipped them in the undried blood from the wound on his shoulder, and wrote with a flourish on the outer wall of the Wu Family Ditch ancestral hall:

The killer, Lu San of Manchuan Pass!

(End of chapter)