Chapter 229

"General, General!"

A black-clad man walked hurriedly, almost tripping on the slippery deck, and came before the old beggar, cupping his hands and saying urgently: "That river monster is fierce; I'm afraid the poison won't drive it away."

The old beggar didn't respond; only after the black-clad man shouted again did he slowly turn his head, looking at the other calmly, with faint red light flickering in his eyes.

The black-clad man wasn't very old, and under the old beggar's gaze, he felt increasingly guilty, slowly lowering his head.

Strangely, the tension and fear were actually disappearing.

Only then did the old beggar speak faintly: "Lin Silang, how many years have you been following me?"

The black-clad man immediately cupped his hands: "Reporting to the General, from the time you saved me until now, it has been ten years."

"Ten years..."

The old beggar sighed, "Time is like water, too fast. I am already old and frail, and the little boy from back then has also grown into a man."

"Have you ever wondered, the Great Daxing Dynasty has been gone for over a hundred years; why does this old man still lead you all to rebel?"

The young man in black said in a deep voice: "To be loyal to the Emperor!"

"Bullshit!"

The old beggar said disdainfully: "Our master hides in the mountains all day; he's not your father, why be loyal to him?"

The young man in black hesitated, "To repay a debt of gratitude?"

"Bullshit!"

The old beggar said coldly: "No matter how great the gratitude, after all these years of life and death, it has long been repaid. If we're talking about gratitude, the master owes me even more!"

The young man in black scratched his head, "Then... what is it for?"

The old beggar took a deep breath and stood up, looking into the distance.

"This question, I once asked my father, too. After all, I haven't even seen what the Daxing Dynasty looked like!"

"Now, I can tell you the answer."

"We are the descendants of criminals, and you are all rootless mountain folk, the lowly scum that everyone despises!"

"The Great Daxian Dynasty has been established for a hundred years; various forces are intertwined, and the court is full of the same people coming and going. In the end, the rich stay rich, and the poor stay poor; it's hard to change."

"You could quit the Longxiang Army and live peacefully as commoners, but you'd be bullied by local gentry, exploited by officials, unable to study, and without money to do business. Your descendants would never have a chance to turn things around!"

"Are you... willing to accept that?"

"I am not willing!"

The young man in black gritted his teeth.

"We are not willing either!"

All the black-clad men on the boat cupped their hands.

The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a certain power, reaching everyone's ears.

"The imperial court views us as rebels."

The old beggar snorted, "But the Longxiang Army's business is rebellion! As long as you are in the Longxiang Army for one day, you are not the lowly people that everyone can bully. Are kings and nobles born with high status?!"

"Don't look at those noble families as being high and mighty; once we succeed, they will have to kneel at our feet, crying and begging to offer up their wives and daughters!"

"If you don't succeed, one day, your descendants will!"

"If you're afraid, get out and go to Yunyang to be lowly commoners!"

"Are you afraid of death?"

"No!"

The black-clad men roared in anger, their voices like a whistling storm.

The river monster in the distance was also startled, swimming back and forth.

The old beggar nodded and looked at the river monster, his eyes full of indifference, "It's just a beast with some cultivation; you're not even afraid of death, why be afraid of it!"

On the boat, besides these young men in black, there were three others who remained silent: a Confucian scholar, an old Daoist, and a cold woman carrying a long sword on her back.

The old beggar's words could inspire the young, but to them, it was all nonsense; they remained expressionless, looking around.

"Fellow Daoist Wen."

The old beggar suddenly spoke: "This river monster has a chain behind its tail; you are knowledgeable, can you tell whose method this is?"

The old Confucian scholar spoke in a hoarse voice: "The chain is covered in verdigris and is of great age; it is not an object of this dynasty. It looks like the method of the Fangxian Dao."

"Fangxian Dao?"

The old beggar frowned, "Stuff that's rotted in old paper piles; anything of value was long ago swallowed by other Dharma lineages. Could it be that there's still a legacy?"

"Not necessarily."

The Confucian scholar's voice was hoarse as he looked into the distance, lost in thought: "During the Qin Han dynasties, the art of the Fangxian Dao was at its peak; many emperors and nobles invited them to help set up hidden traps in their tombs."

"This old man has read the secret manuals of the Biebao (Treasure Hunting) lineage. The Fangxian Dao had a secret method to capture and suppress demonic beasts, binding them in tombs, artificially utilizing the situation to raise tomb-guarding beasts."

The old beggar frowned, "So that river monster has lived from the Qin Han dynasties until now?"

"That's naturally impossible."

The Confucian scholar shook his head: "This secret method of the Fangxian Dao was not lost; I heard it was obtained by some people in the Craftsman Sect, specifically to build tombs for princes and nobles."

"Originally, this technique involved raising the demonic beast while alive, while simultaneously burying soul-suppressing nails in its body, so that after death, it would turn into a powerful beast-ghost to continue guarding the tomb."

"It seems this tomb has had an accident. And the entrance is underwater; if we inquire for information from those tomb-raiding gangs, we should be able to find the location."

"Oh, I see."

The old beggar lost interest upon hearing this and sneered: "I thought those chieftains had grown smart and knew how to use a river monster to block the waterway and cut off material transport; it turns out it was just a coincidence."

"Fellow Daoist, you are proficient in Gu techniques; can you control this monster?"

The Confucian scholar shook his head: "I cannot. Casting Gu in water is a method only known to the Dan family sorcerers of Minzhou, and it is never passed on."

"Then forget it."

The old beggar was thoughtful, "It's a pity; if we could control this monster, we could cut off the throat of Ezhou and Shu. Liu Mei, when you have time later, find some people from the Treasure Hunting lineage to inquire for information and see if we can find the source of this monster."

"Yes!"

The sword-carrying woman responded coldly.

After the old beggar finished speaking, he looked toward the Xiling Gorge in the distance.

In the dark night, a single point of fire on the mountainside was exceptionally clear.

A hint of mockery appeared in the old beggar's eyes, "The people from the Commandant's Office still want to set a trap to catch this old man, but they didn't expect that we have been hiding for many years; how could we not have planted spies?"

"The river monster blocks the water route, and the heavy rain blocks the land route. Let's see who can help them this time!"

"Dock the boat!"

"Yes, General!"

At the order, the black-clad men immediately busied themselves.

Some raised the sails, some took the helm, and some rowed; the wooden boat's speed increased sharply, approaching a shallow beach in the heavy rain.

Seeing everyone go ashore, the river monster in the distance no longer pursued, flicked its tail to stir up waves, and dived into the Yangtze River, disappearing without a trace.

And these black-clad men climbed up the steep mountainside.

With steel knives in their teeth, they were agile, climbing the vines on the hillside and, under the cover of the heavy rain and dark night, gradually approached the Sanyou Cave.

In the mountain cave, everyone was already fast asleep, snoring continuously.

Li Yan had just finished his meditation and spirit storage; seeing Sha Lifei sleeping soundly, he didn't wake him to keep watch, but instead used a wooden stick to poke the fire, making the campfire burn more vigorously.

Just then, there was a sudden movement from the side.

Li Yan turned his head to look, and it was the little white fox that Lu San had adopted, which had suddenly woken up, its ears pricked up, staring outside the cave.

Something there?

Li Yan frowned and hurriedly pinched the Yang seal.

However, rain and mist churned outside the cave, and the mountain wind whistled; apart from the moisture, many scents were masked.

He picked up the Dust-Severing Blade and pushed the sleeping Lu San awake, whispering: "Brother Lu San, listen to what's outside."

Seeing the strange behavior of the little white fox, Lu San was suddenly startled, hurriedly pinched the Yang seal, and listened intently.

Subsequently, his expression became serious.

"The wind is too loud to hear clearly, but the little white one's spiritual sense is extraordinary; it has sensed danger." "Wake them up!"

Li Yan gave a low shout and went outside the cave.

He slowly drew the Dust-Severing Blade and lowered his body to look down.

Outside the cave, the wind and rain were dark and gloomy, and he could see nothing, but he had also sensed danger; he pinched the Yang seal and took a deep breath.

This was a method of using divine ability, which could be temporarily strengthened.

Although it wouldn't last long, it allowed him to smell many scents, both human and the metallic scent of blades.

And there were quite a few of them!

At the same time, everyone in the cave was woken up.

Those boatmen were just ordinary people, their eyes blank and somewhat at a loss, only the boat head, who knew some basic martial arts, picked up a club for self-defense.

Sha Lifei and Yuan Baihu drew their long knives, protecting Wang Daoxuan behind them, while Wang Daoxuan quickly unfolded the yellow cloth, set up a Dharma altar, and quickly arranged the several spirit jars holding the rampant soldiers.

This was a strategy they had long since decided upon.

In the dark night, Wang Daoxuan's troops could also be deployed; although few in number, they were all formidable, and there was the earth dragon soul rampant soldier to hold the line.

!.

As for Lu San, he held knives in both hands and bent over to Li Yan's side, whispering: "There are many poisonous snakes in the mountain crevices; it seems to be the Beggar Sect's snake-driving craft."

Recalling the movement that night, Li Yan immediately guessed and whispered: "Those who come are not well-intentioned; strike first to gain the advantage!"

Lu San nodded, picked up the bamboo whistle hanging around his neck, held it in his mouth, and blew it, while simultaneously pinching a Dharma seal with his hand."

Tweet~ Tweet~

The melodious whistle was exceptionally clear in the dark night.

"Ah!"

Screams immediately rang out from below.

It was black-clad men being bitten by poisonous snakes, slipping under their feet, and rolling down the hillside.

Li Yan was just about to check, but his expression suddenly changed slightly; the Dust-Severing Blade blocked fiercely, protecting Lu San behind him.

Clang!

Blades clashed, and sparks flew everywhere.

As the rolling smoke dissipated, it was precisely that old beggar, with red light flickering in his eyes, his long sword just blocked by Li Yan.

It was this old beggar who had used an escape technique to launch a sneak attack.

His escape technique was clearly not on the same level as the "Northern Emperor Profound Water Escape" that Li Yan practiced; it was more like the illusion technique of the Xicai Sect.

Even so, it was exquisite to the extreme.

Especially in this dark night, it was traceless, and Li Yan only smelled his scent after he had approached, not knowing what method he had used.

"Hmph!"

Li Yan let out a cold snort and slapped out with his left palm.

It looked like a casual strike, but in reality, the Soul-Hooking Rope had whistled out.

Who knew, the red light in the old beggar's eyes flickered, his expression changed drastically, and with a "poof," he turned into smoke, dissipating and retreating once again.

Sure enough, the opponent had awakened a divine eye ability and could see the Soul-Hooking Rope.

At the same time, chaotic flute sounds also rang out from below.

It was a lame old beggar standing under the cliff, blowing a snake whistle, contending with Lu San's beast-taming technique.

Although his method was far inferior to Lu San's, it still interfered with the poisonous snakes' attacks, giving those black-clad men a chance to catch their breath.

These black-clad men no longer concealed themselves, unhooking flying claws from their waists, swinging them twice, and throwing them up fiercely.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Flying claws whistled up; some grabbed toward the plank road outside the cave, and several others flew directly at Lu San's head.

Lu San hurriedly retreated, and his spell was also interrupted.

As for Li Yan, he could still smell the old beggar's scent; he held the Dust-Severing Blade horizontally and was about to pursue.

Clang!

In the dark night, a point of cold light whistled over.

Before Li Yan could react, it had already pierced toward his brow.

What a fast sword!

Li Yan was startled, suddenly turning his body and shifting his shoulder, his left hand's Soul-Hooking Rope extending with a clatter.

The one who had launched the sneak attack on him was precisely that sword-carrying woman.

This woman was cold and indifferent, her skills were superb, and she was also at the peak of hidden force, her fast sword technique being extremely ruthless.

However, facing the Soul-Hooking Rope, she still had no power to resist, immediately stiffening all over, her eyes losing focus.

With a "thud," she fell heavily to the ground.

Li Yan was just about to swing his blade to kill, but his expression suddenly changed slightly; he slashed diagonally upward, blocking the attack with a "clang."

It was the old beggar launching a sneak attack again.

A huge force surged up, and Li Yan could not help but retreat two steps.

Although this old beggar was advanced in years and his Qi and blood were weak, he was actually a Hua Jin master, and the precious sword in his hand carried a vibrating force that directly knocked him back.

A fierce light flashed in Li Yan's eyes, and he continued to move forward.

However, the old beggar had already grabbed the woman on the ground, smoke flashed all over his body, and he instantly retreated to the plank road behind.

The opponent's escape technique indeed had some tricks.

One was being able to use illusions to confuse, and also being able to hide a little aura, and coupled with Hua Jin skills, it was truly somewhat difficult to deal with.

"Careful, don't get close to him!"

The old beggar was also somewhat startled, roaring in a low voice: "This kid has something strange about him; Daoist Cheng, strike quickly!"

Behind him, an old Daoist was pinching a Dharma seal.

On the plank road in front of the Daoist, three human skins were laid out; as the Daoist pinched the Dharma seal, they immediately floated up, swelling like balloons.

"Hee hee hee, ha ha..."

Eerie laughter immediately rang out in the dark night.

Human-skin puppets!

Seeing this, Li Yan's expression changed slightly.

He had heard of such things from Master Zhou of the Zhou family shadow puppet troupe.

First, one had to peel human skin to make shadow puppets, then use these shadow puppets to perform, absorbing the various seven emotions and six desires of the audience day after day, and offering incense and candles every morning and evening.

After a long time, the human-skin shadow puppets would develop spirituality.

Subsequently, human blood would be dripped on them morning and evening for the puppets to absorb.

After several years, the shadow puppets would turn into spirits, and then they would be refined into puppets, their power being extremely astonishing.

This evil technique was originally researched by some Mystic Sect craftsmen of the shadow puppet troupe to avenge life-and-death feuds.

Later, it was seized by some evil paths for cultivation.

What was even more terrifying was that they could also use the shadow puppets to hide their identities.

He hadn't expected to see such an evil method this time coming to Ezhou.

"Hee hee hee ha ha!"

In the dark night, the eerie laughter rang out continuously.

Three human-skin shadows were wrapped in black mist, flying up and down in the air, circling around, and coming toward the Sanyou Cave.

At the same time, a cold wind also blew up in the cave.

Cold frost spread on the ground, and several footprints appeared, among which were the huge beast claws of the earth dragon.

It was precisely Wang Daoxuan who had dispatched his rampant soldiers.

"Ya!"

Those eerie human-skin shadows seemed to be startled, darting back and forth outside the cave, with cold winds whistling around them, stirring up violent rain and mist, seemingly colliding with something.

And on the other side of the plank road, many black-clad men had already come up, one after another unhooking the crossbows on their backs.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

In an instant, arrows fell like rain, all shooting toward Li Yan...

Two chapters today

(End of chapter)