Chapter 240: Ancient Tomb in the Temple

Soon, the two arrived at the corner of the temple wall.

Li Yan gave a signal, and Sha Lifei immediately drew his long saber, moving slowly along the wall corner, stooping as he headed toward the temple's main gate.

Li Yan, meanwhile, bent his legs, unleashed his hidden strength, and with a 'whoosh', leaped high into the air, pressing his left hand against the courtyard wall to vault onto the roof.

In the drizzle, he formed a hand seal and took a deep sniff.

The situation inside the temple became instantly clear.

Those two monks were still busy in the kitchen.

It was already noon, and even Li Yan felt a bit hungry, let alone the thieves working in the back courtyard.

The food they were preparing consisted only of rice, flour, porridge, and vegetables from the temple; clearly, this group had come in such a hurry that they hadn't even brought dry rations.

Li Yan didn't waste words. Keeping his body low, he walked quickly across the roof, pulled two throwing knives from his waist, and leaped off the roof in a single bound.

While still in mid-air, he flicked his wrists and threw the knives.

He used hidden strength, giving the knives astonishing power, and combined with his olfactory supernatural ability, he was no weaker than any expert in hidden weapons.

*Swoosh! Swoosh! *

The throwing knives tore through the curtain of rain and darted into the kitchen.

As Li Yan landed, the two thieves inside also fell with a thud, the knives having pierced directly into their skulls, brains splattering everywhere.

He couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind and quickly reached the temple gate, gently lifting the bolt so Sha Lifei could squeeze through the gap.

The two exchanged a look and immediately crept toward the back courtyard.

Seeing the well, Li Yan made a gesture of shooting a head, then pointed to the side.

Sha Lifei understood instantly. He ran to the crevice at the corner of the wall, crouched down, set his saber aside, and pulled an oil-paper-wrapped firearm and a bullet pouch from his bosom.

Tearing open the powder packet, he poured a little into the flash pan, stuffed the rest into the barrel, pulled out the ramrod, and packed the powder and ball tight...

The series of movements was incomparably practiced.

Afterward, he waited there with peace of mind.

This was a life-or-death struggle; since they didn't know if the enemy had experts, it was only natural to use the firearm if they could.

Sha Lifei was effectively a sniper.

This was also a coordination method they had devised on the road.

As for Li Yan, he went to the side of the well, crouched down, grabbed the well rope above, and shook it back and forth.

*Jingle, jingle, jingle! *

A faint sound of bells came from below.

Soon, the well rope pulled taut, trembling continuously.

It was the same man from before, who climbed up panting and cursed directly, "Just send it down with the well rope, you still need me to..."

*Smack! *

Before he could finish, Li Yan stood up immediately, reached out, grabbed the man by the throat, lifted him straight up, and slammed him to the ground.

He used a clever technique, pressing directly under the man's jaw, and by the time he was thrown to the ground, the man had already passed out.

Li Yan dragged the person to the corner of the wall.

Sha Lifei immediately stepped forward, grabbed a nearby rope, tied him up securely, and stuffed his mouth tight with a rag.

The two worked together with great efficiency.

Afterward, Li Yan returned to the well, formed a hand seal, took a deep breath, and his brow furrowed slightly.

It turned out the secret passage below was in the well wall, less than half a foot from the water surface, leading diagonally underground.

By the looks of it, the location was quite deep.

Moreover, the entrance was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

Just as Li Yan was contemplating a strategy, a sudden change occurred below.

*Rustle, rustle, rustle! *

A massive swarm of centipedes surged out of the hole like a tide.

These centipedes were each a palm long, their entire bodies pitch-black and shiny, emitting a pungent, fishy stench as they crawled rapidly up the well wall.

They were incredibly fast, reaching the edge of the well in almost an instant.

Another bug-user?

Li Yan's brow furrowed. He retreated rapidly while activating the tassel of his Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin, using the fierce baleful Qi to drive away the poisonous insects.

He already had experience dealing with this sort of thing.

If the Cloud Thunder Divine Drum were here, he could use the drum sound to shatter them to death, or use the Demon Gourd to restrain them.

Any other method would be thankless and exhausting.

Of course, the most direct solution was to slay the caster; once dead, the poisonous insects would lose their commander and fall into chaos.

If nothing unexpected happened, the poisonous insects were merely meant to force him back.

Sure enough, after the poisonous insects surged out, a figure shot out violently from the hole below.

The opponent had good skills; he couldn't be bothered to climb using the well rope, instead turning in mid-air, using the slippery well wall to push off left and right before leaping out.

*Bang! *

A gunshot rang out, and the smell of gunpowder smoke dispersed.

The figure stumbled, nearly falling back into the well, but managed to flip over in the air, landing low beside the well while roaring angrily, "Firearms! Who are you people?!"

It was a man with a face full of scars, his black robe stained with mud, clutching his lower abdomen with a face full of hatred.

He crouched beside the well, using it to block the line of fire.

Sha Lifei, in the distance, remained unhurried, quickly reloading.

As for Li Yan, his brow furrowed.

This man was merely a hidden-strength expert, not the one controlling the poisonous insects. The centipedes around him were still crawling about in confusion, only kept at bay by the intimidation of the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin.

He didn't waste words, twirled his blade, and pushed off with his feet.

The man had been shot in the abdomen; though not fatal, the pain was unbearable. Before he knew it, Li Yan had appeared before him.

He was terrified, and just as he wanted to move, he took a heavy blow to the head, his vision went black, and he fainted.

At the same time, the poisonous centipedes began to scurry wildly through the courtyard.

"Damn it!"

Sha Lifei cursed in the distance, leaped up, stepped on the stone roller beside the woodshed, and jumped onto the roof in one go.

Flintlock firearms were most afraid of dampness from rain.

Sha Lifei had no choice but to hold up an oil-paper umbrella and continue to maintain a shooting posture.

Li Yan went to the edge of the well and pulled two black pellets from his waist.

These were called Thunder-Fire Pellets; once thrown, they would erupt with intense light and thick smoke. He had purchased them from the Law Enforcement Hall.

At a time like this, they were just the thing.

After lighting them with a fire-starter, Li Yan flicked his hand, and the two Thunder-Fire Pellets shot into the hole, rolling rapidly down the slope.

*Crackle, pop! *

Intense flashes and thick smoke filled the hole.

"Ah! My eyes!"

Chaos erupted inside, with screams and curses ringing out.

They were digging a tomb below and could at most light a few candles; suddenly encountering such strong light, many were blinded instantly.

Not only that, but it was a confined space with turbid, thin air, and the pungent smoke from the Thunder-Fire Pellets made it unbearable, causing them to scramble to climb out.

The caster controlling the poisonous insects had clearly suffered as well.

With the spell interrupted, the centipedes in the courtyard lost their footing; some scurried everywhere, while others crawled back down the well.

These poisonous creatures lost control and became fierce and violent, immediately crawling onto the few people who had just climbed out.

"Ah!"

"Ba Laosan, what are you doing?!"

Those people screamed repeatedly as they were stung, falling into the water and thrashing about.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at the hole.

As an old man covered in mud climbed out, he flicked his throwing knife violently.

*Squelch! * It pierced directly into the back of the man's head.

This person was the caster controlling the poisonous insects.

Once the caster died, the poisonous centipedes were completely unrestrained.

Some continued to sting wildly in the well, while others fled rapidly, burrowing under the surrounding walls and into the vegetable garden, disappearing from sight.

This group of Ghost Sect thieves was not weak.

A hidden-strength expert, a caster skilled in controlling insects, plus a bunch of desperate thugs—they could be called an elite squad.

Unfortunately, they had encountered Li Yan.

Spells, supernatural abilities, weapons—they were restrained in every aspect, and from start to finish, they had no power to resist.

Li Yan didn't waste words, breaking the limbs of the scarred man, the intense pain causing him to wake up once more.

"Ah! I'll f—" *Smack! Smack! *

Before the cursing could finish, Li Yan slapped him left and right, causing the man to see stars, his mouth full of blood, several teeth flying out.

"Who are you?"

Li Yan asked with a cold expression.

"Damn it, kill me or carve me up, do as you please!"

The scarred man's mouth was full of blood, his eyes flashing with ferocity, showing no fear.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and suddenly extended his left hand.

*Clatter, clatter... * The Soul-Hooking Chain whistled out, binding the man's soul directly, though he did not pull it out.

The scarred man's body went stiff, his pupils losing focus.

Li Yan wasn't in a hurry, waiting for a few breaths.

After being bound by the Soul-Hooking Chain, although one would not die, the separation of soul and body would bring a terrifying feeling of falling into the Nine Netherworlds.

!.

Between life and death, there is great terror.

This feeling was enough to scare most people half to death.

Sure enough, when he retracted the Soul-Hooking Chain, the man's eyes gradually regained their luster, panting heavily with a face full of fear.

"You... what did you do to me?"

Li Yan smiled faintly, appearing exceptionally sinister in the man's eyes. "I guarantee, if you talk nonsense again, you'll know what 'wishing for death but being unable to' feels like!"

"Speak, who are you?"

The man's eyes flickered, and he gritted his teeth. "Guo Peng, Second Incense Head of the Chaoshan Society."

"Just that?"

"Just that."

Li Yan didn't say a word and extended the Soul-Hooking Chain again.

This time, when the man woke up, he was already somewhat broken. "What do you want? If you have the ability, kill me!"

Li Yan said coldly, "What is your position in the Ghost Sect?"

When the scarred man heard this, his eyes became flustered, his expression flickering. Seeing Li Yan about to move again, he hurriedly spoke:

"Don't, don't, I'll talk!"

"I am a Temple Attendant."

"What position is that?"

"This lowly one doesn't know much, only that the sect is based on individual branch altars. A branch altar has Sacrificial Priests, Refining Priests, Temple Attendants, and Handymen, and can complete a sacrifice independently."

"Sacrificial Priests are responsible for organization, Refining Priests are all casters responsible for opening the altar, Temple Attendants are responsible for capturing human sacrifices, guarding, and protecting the altar, and Handymen are responsible for odd jobs."

"As for what they are doing and who is above, these things are only known to the Sacrificial Priests. If we ask one more question, we will be executed."

Li Yan said coldly, "What benefit is there in killing people to sacrifice to ghosts? To make you so insane?"

The scarred man, Guo Peng, hesitated for a moment and whispered, "This lowly one had a grave illness and was cured by a human sacrifice. They also promised to teach me immortal spells and said I could live forever in the future."

"Live forever?"

Li Yan let out a cold laugh, feeling no surprise at all in his heart.

Power, wealth, beauty, strength...

To satisfy their desires, there will always be people willing to take risks.

Even if one could resist these, immortality was enough to drive people mad. Since ancient times, emperors, generals, and high-level casters—who knows how many have waged wars for this.

Li Yan didn't waste words and continued the interrogation.

"Who are the Sacrificial Priests and Refining Priests?"

"There is only one local Sacrificial Priest, our Chaoshan Society leader, Lu Yuan. Refining Priests and Temple Attendants work in pairs. The Ba Lang who died below was the Refining Priest paired with me."

"What are you digging for below?"

"A Chu tomb. Lu Yuan told us to find a piece of jade. The item was just dug up and was on the Refining Priest Ba Lang..."

As he was speaking, the scarred man suddenly went stiff.

He stared blankly behind Li Yan, his eyes full of fear.

Li Yan's brow furrowed, and he turned around violently.

There was nothing behind him, only the misty drizzle falling on the leaves of the vegetable garden, making a rustling sound.

Using his olfactory supernatural ability, he couldn't smell any strange odor either.

However, the scarred man looked as if he had seen something extremely terrifying, trembling all over, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, his teeth chattering.

"What did you see?!"

Li Yan grabbed him by the collar and shouted the question.

However, the man couldn't speak at all, his body stiff, his breathing stopped, a 'he-he' sound coming from his throat, his lips turning purple instantly.

Li Yan could smell that a sudden burst of Yin-Baleful Qi had appeared at the man's left heart, cold and bloody.

It was a curse!

Li Yan hurriedly took out the Divine Tiger Token, preparing to cast a Protection Curse.

The Northern Emperor Protection Curse was not just for oneself; the surrounding three feet were also within the protection range.

However, it was already too late.

*Puff! *

The man suddenly spat out blood, and all movement ceased completely.

That strange Yin-Baleful Qi also dissipated rapidly.

Li Yan's eyes turned cold. He raised his blade and slashed open the man's chest; the sight inside made his pupils shrink.

The man's heart had long since stopped beating.

And on the heart, there was a black claw print, long, thin, and sharp, with only four fingers—it didn't look like a human hand at all.

The heart had also been twisted and deformed.

What a powerful curse!

Li Yan thought to himself that it was bad, leaped up, and rushed toward the other bound captive.

However, it was still too late.

That man also had a livid face, eyes full of fear, staring fixedly ahead, having stopped breathing completely.

Cutting open his chest, the heart also had a black claw print.

Sha Lifei also jumped down from the roof beam, and seeing this, he gasped, "What kind of evil magic is this?"

Li Yan said in a low voice, "These fools were already cursed when they joined the Ghost Sect, without even knowing it themselves."

"The Ghost Sect has already noticed; it's no longer safe here. Wait for me to get something, and we'll leave immediately."

After saying this, he went to the well in a few steps and leaped into it.

While in mid-air, Li Yan clamped the well rope with his legs, sliding into the well head-down, feet-up, in the posture of a scorpion climbing a wall.

As he neared the water surface, he exerted force with his legs and stopped abruptly.

Sure enough, the people in the water were all dead.

Some had been stung to death by poisonous centipedes, while others were like the two above, eyes full of fear, lips livid, killed by the curse.

The caster who controlled the insects was also already stiff.

Li Yan took a light sniff, a strange look flashing in his eyes, and directly removed the leather pouch from the caster's waist, taking out a piece of jade from inside.

This jade was in the shape of a flat, short square pillar, round inside and square outside, ancient in age, already somewhat mottled, and presenting a blood-red color.

A Jade Cong!

Li Yan happened to recognize this item.

In ancient times, the Jade Cong, along with the Bi, Gui, Zhang, Huang, and Hu, were the six types of jade ritual vessels, known as the "Six Auspicious Items," used exclusively for sacrificing to heaven, earth, ghosts, and gods.

What was strange was that he didn't smell any Gang-Baleful Qi from it.

Why was the Ghost Sect looking for this thing?

Li Yan put away the blood-red Jade Cong, looked at the pitch-black hole, swung the rope on his feet, and used the momentum to dart into it.

This hole led diagonally downward for a full ten meters or so.

It was a confined space, and because of the previous Thunder-Fire Pellets, it was still filled with pungent smoke, and the ground had already accumulated water.

After landing, Li Yan immediately held the Divine Tiger Token, formed a hand seal, and stepped out the Gang Steps.

In an instant, Yin winds rose all around.

The rolling thick smoke was blown out of the hole completely.

After the air became slightly fresher, Li Yan picked up a candle from the ground and lit it with a fire-starter.

A strange ancient tomb chamber appeared before his eyes...

Still two chapters today.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 241 =====