Chapter 261

"This... what kind of monster is this?"

Li Yan is like this, and Sha Lifei is even more dumbfounded.

No other reason, this skeleton is too evil.

No head, but skull-shaped bone tumors growing on the body, making people's hair stand on end.

But soon, Li Yan discovers something wrong.

He carefully steps forward, draws his Dust-Breaking Saber, and stabs at the skull bone tumor; that thing actually falls off with a plop.

Only then does everyone see clearly that the thing is a skull, with a small copper talisman embedded inside, already covered in copper green spots.

That disciple of Zhenwu Palace with Yin-Yang eyes has the Daoist name Yang Chengzi.

He frowns, his expression becomes solemn, and he says: "This poor Daoist probably knows what this evil object is."

"Back then, the Great Song Ghost Sect mainly worshiped the 'Lengzheng God' in Ezhou; the more strange and ferocious the appearance, the greater the power of the evil god."

The "Song Huiyao Jigao" records: "In the customs outside the lake, people are sacrificed to ghosts, often by gouging out the eyes of children and women, cutting off ears and noses, burying them in traps, pouring boiling water over them, rotting the skin, and there is nothing they won't do."

"Looking at this method, it is clearly taking the skull of an infant still in the womb, embedding it on the skeleton of an adult, with deep resentment, first sacrificing it to turn it into an evil ghost, then mud-sculpting it to make a god statue."

"And this person is not simple; it is estimated that he was also a Mystic Sect warlock, beheaded and sacrificed, becoming material for evil magic."

"This 'Lengzheng God' relies on blood sacrifice to manifest before people; the headless knight is mostly this object causing trouble, so it can only escape after killing people."

Li Yan feels nauseous and can't help but scold: "This Ghost Sect is truly insane, it deserves to be killed!"

"It seems that the Yu family was originally the remnants of the Ghost Sect, and only later joined the Longxiang Army. Whether it is the Longxiang Army or the Lord Tian Sheng Sect, they cannot be separated from the remnants of the Ghost Sect."

Wang Daoxuan's expression is solemn, and he says: "This object has been sacrificed for nearly a hundred years, always using various means to cover it up, which shows how much the Ghost Sect cares about it."

"What kind of plot do they have, that they are even willing to use this object?"

As soon as these words are spoken, everyone feels uneasy.

Wang Daoxuan is right; this thing is cruel, but it is a treasure of the Ghost Sect, secretly sacrificed for a hundred years, it is estimated that it can be used soon.

The Ghost Sect is willing to use it, unless there is a greater benefit...

………

It is still the Dangyang County prison.

The firelight is dim, and the smell of sweat and blood is pungent.

Clang, clang, clang!

The man named Cheng Qu is hung up by chains.

Seeing that eerie skeleton in the old house, the yamen runners also strike heavily, the chains binding directly onto his wounds, making him bleed profusely, showing no mercy.

Company Commander Zheng's face is like ice, and he steps forward, pinching the wound on his severed arm, and while digging, says coldly:

"Speak, what exactly are you trying to do?!"

Cheng Qu has an iron awl inserted into his lower abdomen, unable to exert strength to resist, his face pale with pain, full of cold sweat, but he still sneers: "You woman, didn't you eat enough? Use a bit more strength!"

Company Commander Zheng hums and takes two steps back.

With a nod, two squad leaders from the Commandant's Office walk forward and take out various torture instruments from a wooden box.

Bamboo sticks, branding irons, nail boards, used one by one.

The most brutal one is a "brain hoop."

This thing is similar to the Tightening Curse, a hoop put on the head, with wooden wedges added in the gap between the hoop and the scalp, hammered with an iron hammer, making the hoop tighter and tighter.

In the end, it can even make the skull crack directly.

Even though this Cheng Qu is a man of iron, he screams in pain, curses wildly, and finally faints...

He has another companion, shot in the waist and hip by Li Yan's flying knife, but he cannot withstand the torture, begs for mercy, and begins to confess.

"What is your name, where are you from?"

"The little one is named Wang Qian, from Ganzhou, originally a member of the Pai Sect, wanted by the imperial court and the sect for robbing and killing merchants, and ran into the mountains and forests of Jingchu."

"When did you join the Lord Tian Sheng Sect?"

"Three years ago."

"Where is the main altar of the Lord Tian Sheng Sect?"

"The little one really doesn't know; there are many refugee mountain strongholds in the Jingchu mountain area, and almost every stronghold has people they have hidden..."

"Many strongholds have chaotic order and fight each other; whenever there are Jianghu people and warlocks seeking refuge, the Lord Tian Sheng Sect people will secretly investigate their backgrounds and then recruit them..."

"After entering the sect, one must believe in the Heavenly Saint Duke; they will hold worship meetings regularly, with sacrifices to promote the divine power of the Heavenly Saint Duke; after a long time, everyone becomes a bit crazy..."

"Only core members of the sect can enter the main altar, but the little one vaguely heard that the main altar is in Shennongjia."

"Why are you fine?"

"Although the little one left the Pai Sect, I grew up on the raft since I was young, only believing in the Pai Drum and Oar Patriarch, and will not worship this Heavenly Saint Duke, so I pretend to be one, fearing they will find out and clear me out."

"How many people came to Dangyang this time?"

"About three hundred people."

"What for?"

"The little one really doesn't know; the rules of the Lord Tian Sheng Sect are that no one is allowed to inquire at will, and things that shouldn't be known must never be asked."

"The little one only knows that after we arrived in Dangyang, we were divided into three teams. One team went to see some Earth Immortal Lady and listened to her instructions. One team went to grab treasures with some Great King.

Our team was lurking in a village outside Dangyang City; everything was the responsibility of Cheng Qu, and the little one doesn't know what they were trying to do."

"How do you drive the demons?"

"The one who does it is Cheng Qu; he scouts for news in the city, and when needed, he will release carrier pigeons to point out the target."

"The Dharma altar that truly controls that evil god is in the secret tunnel under the village; by the way, that village is called Sanshan'ao, the common people in the village all believe in the Heavenly Saint Duke, and the secret tunnel of the Dharma altar is under the village ancestral hall."

"That Cheng Qu, what's going on?"

"The little one knows this; his father was not Han, but a captive caught when the Daxuan Dynasty exterminated the Tatar tribe."

"Later, his father was bought by the Cheng family to feed horses, was favored by the master, married, had children, and settled down.

After Cheng Qu grew up, he entered the Cheng family martial arts hall; although his aptitude was extraordinary, he was not taught the orthodox method because of his status, and harboring hatred, he killed his master, stole the secret method, and fled..."

"I often hear him say that he is some kind of Tatar tribe prince, extremely resentful of the Daxuan Dynasty and the Han people, and even some people in the Lord Tian Sheng Sect don't like him."

"Hmph, you are no better than him!"

……

After some interrogation, it took more than half an hour.

That traitor of the Pai Sect couldn't withstand the torture and confessed quite a few things.

That Cheng Qu obviously knows more.

However, this person's mouth is extremely hard; he was tortured into fainting several times, and woken up with needles and cold water, but never revealed half a word.

In the end, he actually went crazy.

Biting his mouth full of broken teeth, blood foam spraying, he laughed maniacally: "I am a Tatar prince, you are the lowly people!"

"This Central Plains will sooner or later fall into our hands!"

Sha Lifei couldn't stand it and couldn't help but scold: "You thief, you grew up in the Divine Land since you were young, you don't even know where the Tatars are, are you sick?"

However, the only answer to him was maniacal laughter.

Wang Daoxuan sees this, shakes his head slightly: "The heart has obsessions, and the delusional heart is hard to cut off. He won't say it; if he says it, it proves that his life was wrong."

"No time to waste with him!"

Li Yan immediately gets up: "These two were captured; although the city gates are closed, news is hard to avoid leaking."

"Let's head to Sanshan'ao immediately, lest the demon-men escape; if we catch a few more, we can always ask for exact news!"

Everyone knows time is tight, so they immediately prepare various weapons and magic tools, ride warhorses, and head to Sanshan'ao. At this time, it is just past the Chen hour (07:00 to 09:00), and the sky is bright.

Usually, the city gates would have been opened by now, but to prevent demon-men spies in the city from leaking news, the city gates are closed tight, and falcons are released in the sky to drive away carrier pigeons.

Rumble!

The heavy city gates slowly open, and over a hundred warhorses rush out, heading northwest of Dangyang City.

Dangyang County is high in the west and low in the east, the remainder of the Bashan Mountains, forming branch-like hilly mountain ranges; Sanshan'ao village is located in the center of three hilly mountain ranges.

Looking at the map, there is just a small river flowing out of the mountains, passing through that village, which is the same as the guess of the old man from the Commandant's Office.

The group moves fast, and in less than an hour, they see the terrain beginning to rise, with mountain ranges lush and green.

Arriving here, they have already left the official road.

Fortunately, there is still an ancient military road, winding around the mountains, leading into the depths of the mountain ranges.

Constable Yang, who came to lead the way, introduces: "Young Hero Li, many of the mountain people living in this place are a mix of indigenous people and Han people, living in stilt houses, living a life of slash-and-burn cultivation."

"Usually, they are very xenophobic, only occasionally hunting some wild game in the mountains and taking them to the city to exchange for needles, thread, iron pots, and daily necessities."

!.

"They have their own rules; even if a murder case occurs, they handle it themselves and never report it to the government."

"I'm not afraid of you laughing, these people are wild; except for the time of paying grain every year, we really don't dare to get close, fearing being killed in the mountains..."

Constable Yang chatters on, stealing glances at Company Commander Zheng.

To tell the truth, compared to any demons or monsters, he is more afraid of the Commandant's Office.

Company Commander Zheng sees his thoughts at a glance and says in a deep voice: "Just lead the way with peace of mind; these demon-men are cunning, it's not your fault."

Constable Yang is then relieved, his face full of smiles and obsequiousness: "Speaking of which, a strange thing happened nearby."

"In this place of Ezhou, river pirates are the most rampant, but mountain bandits cannot be underestimated; in their Jianghu slang, they are called 'Dragon Head Grandfathers of the Mountains'."

"A few years ago, there was one named Wu Long, whose methods were sinister and vicious, and he had friendships with various green forest strongmen; even if a bodyguard agency wanted to pass through the mountain, they had to send a tribute."

"The Yichang side sent government troops, preparing to encircle and suppress them, but strangely, when they found their mountain stronghold, it had already become a ruin; except for the blood on the floor, not a single corpse was found."

"People all say that they provoked the Mountain God..."

"The Mountain God wouldn't kill people for no reason!"

Li Yan says in a deep voice: "The Lord Tian Sheng Sect people have been lurking here for a long time; they mostly cleared these mountain bandits to block the way."

"In which direction is Sanshan'ao village?"

"Just over there, cross this mountain!"

Constable Yang points to the northwest.

Lu San and Li Yan have long had a tacit understanding, no need to explain, so he waves his hand, and the falcon shoots into the sky to scout in advance.

After all, it is a village infiltrated by the Lord Tian Sheng Sect.

Perhaps there are ambushes.

However, the falcon in the sky circles once, and soon begins to fly up and down, making a bumpy motion.

Seeing this, Lu San's brows tighten.

"Something happened to that village!"

…………

Surrounded by mountains, the mountain stronghold is a mess.

Row after row of stilt houses are burned by fire, charred and broken, and there are many wooden buildings with huge holes in them.

The ground is covered with blood, but not a single corpse is seen.

"This... what happened?"

Constable Yang is dumbfounded, a chill rising in his heart.

Li Yan pinches a spell, takes a deep breath, and says in a deep voice: "What a strong fishy stench."

As he speaks, he turns his head to one side: "Several, any discoveries?"

Yang Chengzi of Zhenwu Palace also pinches a spell, brilliance flashing in his eyes, looking in all directions, and shakes his head: "No Yin souls or fierce ghosts."

Another person has his ears trembling and also shakes his head: "I can't hear any living creatures."

Li Yan says in a deep voice: "It seems to be the guy we are looking for; everyone be careful, Brother Lu, send some rats to keep watch."

Lu San nods, but after hearing Rat One and Rat Two squeak a few times, he frowns: "It's not right here, the wild animals in the mountains have all run away."

"It's estimated to be the guy we are looking for!"

As he speaks, he whistles to let the falcon patrol in the sky.

Li Yan's heart also raises his vigilance.

What they are talking about is naturally that tiger demon.

At first, they were misled.

Previously in Guan Family Village, they saw Lord Tian Sheng Sect disciples killed by blood ghosts in the "Blood Grave Beam," and heard Wu Laosi say that the "Blood Grave Beam" was obtained from Lord Tian Sheng Sect people, so they thought the Lord Tian Sheng Sect had stolen the Earth Longsheng Xianku.

But according to the Pai Sect traitor, they had a team heading to the Earth Longsheng Xianku, listening to the instructions of some Earth Immortal Lady.

Looking at it this way, there are only two forces lurking in Dangyang County.

One is the Lord Tian Sheng Sect, which has already colluded with the Earth Longsheng Xianku.

The second is that tiger demon.

The two are hostile to each other; the Lord Tian Sheng Sect people took the "Blood Grave Beam" and were clearly going to deal with the tiger demon, but were broken by the tiger demon's restriction, and all of them were killed.

This village was also slaughtered by the tiger demon.

The village is destroyed, but not a single corpse is seen, which is the same as the situation of the mountain bandit stronghold Constable Yang mentioned.

The tiger demon's lair,

is very likely also in this mountain!

"My lord, there is a discovery here!"

Just then, the voice of a squad leader from the Commandant's Office rings out.

With a trace of trembling, it is clearly some fear.

Everyone doesn't talk nonsense, hurriedly rushes up, and seeing the scene in front of them, they are all secretly shocked.

This is behind a stilt house.

There are several huge holes in the wooden wall, and the ground behind is damp and muddy, full of various footprints and traces.

Those footprints, some belong to humans, of different sizes and with bloodstains, and there are even handprints.

It looks like crawling on the ground.

There are also many oval-shaped ones, with obvious claw marks at the front.

"It's the Mountain Lord!"

That old man from the Commandant's Office who is skilled in tracking touches the ground and looks at the surroundings with a solemn expression: "The Mountain Lord's claws can retract; when walking, they will extend to grip the ground."

"Looking at it, it's not just one."

Yang Chengzi of Zhenwu Palace is also full of vigilance: "These traces are possessed; mostly they are the ghost-servants of the tiger demon."

"Ghost-servants need to be refined, a bit like soldiers, following the tiger, looking for blood food for it. The stronger the tiger demon's cultivation, the more ghost-servants it has."

"Ghost-servants can only cause trouble at night; to act during the day, they must be possessed, like walking corpses, and can only be used for three days."

Everyone raises their vigilance and continues forward, soon making another discovery.

In the forest, another tiger footprint appears, looking in the direction of lurking in the forest, peeking at the village.

And this tiger's footprint is actually as big as a washbasin!

The second update will be sent later.

(End of chapter)