Chapter 364

The sound of the wind whistled in his ears,

and the houses on both sides retreated rapidly.

Li Yan's cultivation was now at the Third Floor, and he had also built a Luo Feng Palace; his strength had almost doubled.

Using the 'Jia Ma' (Armor Horse), his speed was naturally even faster.

The wind whistled around him. With a light tap of his toes on the rafters, he could leap more than ten meters into the air, and his changes in direction were flexible.

The buildings of Xiangyang City, with their varying heights, were no obstacle at all.

At the same time, shouts kept reaching his ears:

"Run run run, scared, hurt..."

"Fire fire, they want to burn me!"

The voices were sharp and chaotic, as if they had no logic.

Li Yan heard them, but didn't find it strange.

This was his new divine ability: he could understand the language of ghosts and gods.

And what was before him were all Wild Gods!

They also transformed into sinister winds, carrying a pungent, earthy, fishy odor, flying rapidly along the streets and exiting directly through the Xicheng Gate on the west side.

Li Yan frowned and turned his head to look.

That was where the Xiangyang Chenghuangmiao was located.

That Wild God spirits could appear and disappear at will meant the City God had failed in his duties.

I fear the Xiangyang Law Enforcement Hall also has problems!

Of course, he couldn't spare the time to think more at this moment. Stepping on the city wall, he leaped into the air and flipped over it rapidly.

"Who!"

Just as a patrol of soldiers passed by, they hurriedly drew their blades.

However, they could only perceive the sound of the wind whistling in the night sky; something had flashed by, and it had quickly vanished without a trace.

"Look!"

Another soldier pointed dumbfoundedly at the foot of the city wall.

Several people hurriedly gathered to watch.

But under the bright moon, a black shadow swept across the wide moat of Xiangyang City, leaving behind ripples, and then quickly vanished...

…………

Leaving Xiangyang City, one enters vast stretches of hills.

Tributary waterways of the Han River crisscrossed and connected around the hills, with villages of all sizes hidden among them.

And in the distance, there were nothing but rolling, undulating high mountains.

Walking west, one reaches Longzhong, where Zhuge Liang once lived in seclusion; walking south, one reaches Xianshan, where Liu Bei once leaped across the Tanxi on his horse, and where Sun Jian also died.

Li Yan's speed was lightning-fast, and he stayed close behind.

He had already guessed the origins of the things in front: they were just some 'Mao Shen' (minor gods).

These things usually had some spirituality in their original form, but they couldn't be considered precious—for example, a large rock at the entrance of a village, an old tree in the fields, or even a large broom used habitually at home...

Once they had spirituality, it was inevitable they would cause trouble.

After being discovered by the common people, sometimes they would find ways to deal with them, sometimes they would burn incense to worship them. Those with abundant spirituality might even be worshipped by children as godfathers or godmothers to seek protection.

Besides this, there were also some household gods.

These minor gods were distributed all over the Divine Land, as numerous as the hairs on an ox. Many even had a piece of yarn rope as their original form, which is why they were also called 'Mao Shen' (Hair Gods).

Their lairs might be where the evil people were hiding.

Li Yan's speed was lightning-fast, but he wasn't in a hurry to catch up. And in the air, Lu San's hawks also fluttered up and down, following closely.

Unknowingly, they arrived at a mountain hollow.

They saw that in this hollow stood a dilapidated temple, backed by mountains and facing water, surrounded by dead old trees and jagged, strange rocks. Under the moonlight, it was shrouded in sinister mist; at a glance, one could tell it was not a good place.

Li Yan frowned slightly and stopped.

This place gave him a somewhat strange feeling; the 'sha qi' was dense, very similar to those places of great misfortune.

Xiangyang City was protected by the 'She Ling' soldiers and horses.

Being so close and having such a place appear was definitely strange.

Thinking of this, he didn't rush to go in, but hid himself instead.

The situation in Xiangyang City was not as simple as just a plague; behind it, old demons and monsters like Huang Liushi and Donghu Laozu were causing trouble.

If they were all hiding here, he would have to be careful in his response.

Fortunately, the other party clearly hadn't discovered him. In this dilapidated temple, several sinister fires flashed, and faint screams could be heard in the wind.

Before long, sinister mist rose and churned between the ruined temple buildings.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and listened carefully.

Suddenly, bursts of chanting came, as if countless monks were chanting, but they were using Sanskrit, and he didn't know what sutra they were chanting.

Ghost monks chanting...

There really was a problem here!

After another while, the sound of hoofbeats rumbled; it was Wu Dehai and Lu San riding over, bringing hundreds of Commandant's Office experts.

Li Yan leaped out and intercepted them, then led Wu Dehai and Lu San to crouch on a mound, looking toward the distance.

"So they were hiding here!"

Wu Dehai saw it and immediately frowned.

Li Yan asked, "It seems Commandant Wu knows what place this is?"

"This is Zhaode Temple."

Wu Dehai shook his head. "During the Daxiang era, this place was originally built by Prince Xiang to commemorate his mother. Just a few years ago, the Han River surged, washing away Xiangyang City, and this place could not escape its fate."

"There were originally many monks in the temple, not Mystic Sect practitioners, but ordinary ascetics. When the flood came, they all died in the temple."

"But the situation here is somewhat strange. After they died, their wandering souls kept circling and wouldn't leave. Occasionally, if someone strayed in, they would hear chanting; it is said they were chanting the Infinite Life Sutra..."

"The Chenghuangmiao once wanted to eradicate this place, but as soon as the 'She Ling' soldiers and horses arrived, these wandering souls would vanish without a trace. Once the soldiers and horses left, they would appear again after a few days, and no one knew where they were hiding."

"As time went on, no one bothered with it anymore. Almost all the common people in Xiangyang City know of it, calling it the Ghost Buddha Temple. Because it is far from the official road, very few people come near..."

"So that's how it is..."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and looked at Lu San.

Lu San immediately understood, performed a hand seal, and whistled in a low voice.

Before long, figures of all sizes crawled over—they were all small animals like snakes, insects, badgers, and rabbits, clearly somewhat fearful and not daring to get close.

Lu San hurriedly stepped forward to soothe them, making muttering sounds.

Subsequently, these small animals also made sounds.

The scene before them made the Commandant's Office members widen their eyes.

Wu Dehai was also full of interest.

He had long heard that there was a strange person in Li Yan's team who could understand the language of birds and beasts, but he hadn't expected it to be more marvelous than he had imagined.

Soon, Lu San turned back and said in a deep voice, "Since last month, people have been coming and going here frequently. Every first and fifteenth day of the month, when the moon is bright, they also burn fires and kill people for sacrifices."

"It seems this is the thieves' lair!"

Wu Dehai's eyes were full of excitement, eager to try. "Li Li Shaoxia, what should we do?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment. "How many gunners are in the team, and how many firearms are they carrying?"

"Thirty ordinary muskets, two new-style firearms, plus the one we confiscated, that makes three. Besides that, there are some bamboo thunder arrows..."

"That makes it easy to handle."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "I will lure the people out; you all set up a formation with the firearms and slaughter them. Don't care what it is, just open fire."

Wu Dehai hurriedly nodded. "Li Li Shaoxia, rest assured."

Having said that, he immediately began to deploy. Thirty musketeers lined up in formation, also cooperating with the crossbowmen.

As for the experts, they split into groups to patrol and block the exits.

Li Yan nodded slightly upon seeing this.

These men moved swiftly and were organized; clearly, with the appearance of new-style firearms, the Commandant's Office was also conducting tactical training.

He signaled Lu San to act according to circumstances, then drew his Soul-Severing Blade, paced the 'bu gang ta dou', performed a hand seal, and said in a low voice, "Nuogao! Heavenly Truth and Great Purity, the essence of Ren and Gui. Internally corresponding to the kidney, externally corresponding to the Water Star..."

Whoosh~

Water mist rose, and Li Yan's figure gradually became blurred.

Wu Dehai watched, unable to help but praise in his heart.

They carried out all kinds of missions and had dealt with many Mystic Sect practitioners, but Li Yan's team, with their profound and efficient sorcery and their understanding of advanced tactics like firearm cooperation, was the first of its kind.

No wonder they could achieve such a reputation... Li Yan was naturally unaware of his thoughts. Using the North Emperor Mystic Xuan Xuan Shui Dun, he masked his entire aura, rapidly passed through the stream, and entered the vicinity of the ruined temple.

Just as he entered the area of the strange rocks and dead trees, the chanting in his ears suddenly grew louder. Sinister mist churned, and amidst the haze, there were many shadows of monks, standing silently with their hands pressed together...

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and ignored them.

These monks might have been ordinary people during their lifetimes, but after long periods of cultivation and chanting, their spirits would always be somewhat stronger.

They counted as wandering souls, but not fierce ghosts.

He sniffed, entered the temple from a collapsed section of the wall on the side, then immediately stabilized his posture and remained motionless.

In the dilapidated temple, there was absolute silence.

But in Li Yan's eyes, it was extremely dangerous.

From the rotten door panels, broken stone tablets, pillars, and the main hall, he could smell that fishy, rotten, earthy, and woody odor, and the scent of incense lingered.

Not only that, various fragmented sounds reached his ears.

"Kill kill kill, tear down this door panel!"

!.

"Amitabha, put down the butcher's knife..."

"Burn it!"

"I want incense and blood food!"

Good heavens!

Li Yan's pupils constricted, and he was secretly shocked in his heart.

What is going on in this place?

The monks outside had turned into wandering souls, roaming everywhere, while inside the temple, all sorts of messy things had become Wild Gods and spirits.

Squeak~

Just at this moment, the pitch-black temple gate opened.

All the noisy sounds of the Wild Gods, including those ghost monks, instantly vanished, and it returned to absolute silence.

More than a dozen people walked out of the ruined temple.

Most of them were dressed like ordinary mountain folk, only they were carrying various weapons, and each was full of vigor.

And the few leading them looked strange.

Among them were three dressed like Miao people, wearing fur armor, carrying longbows on their backs, and with curved blades hanging at their waists.

These three were none other than the Meishan brothers from before.

They were escorting an old man with white hair, leaning on a cane, dressed in a black robe, with eyes that were completely snow-white.

"Let's go, it's not safe here anymore."

The old man said in a deep voice, "Xu Sanlang is a piece of trash; the people in the city will be found sooner or later. Let's leave first."

"Elder, what about the things inside..."

"Rest assured, even if they reach here, they won't guess..."

Before he could finish speaking, the old man suddenly felt a chill in his heart, turned his head to look in the direction of Li Yan, and his ears twitched. "There's something over there!"

Discovered!

Murderous intent flashed in Li Yan's eyes, and he charged out directly.

The 'Escape' technique he used relied on water mist for cover. Under the moonlight, light reflected off it; this movement was immediately discovered by someone with extraordinary eyesight.

"Escape technique, there's an expert!"

"Kill him!"

The group was immediately in chaos.

The Meishan brothers, in particular, directly unslung the curved bows from their backs, chanting incessantly, and nocked arrows.

However, Li Yan's movements were faster.

Seeing he was about to get close, he suddenly pulled out the flintlock musket from his waist and pulled the trigger directly.

Boom!

With a loud bang, fire and thick smoke scattered.

Li Yan's target was not the three brothers, but the old man at the very front. The musket's power was immense, directly shattering his legs.

"Ah!"

Screams rang out.

The old man fell to the ground in pain, and several Lord Tian Sheng Sect disciples behind him were also hit, their legs left crippled.

"New-style firearm!"

The Meishan brothers were startled and hurriedly scattered, roaring at the same time, "The firearm only has one shot, quick, kill him first!"

Having said that, they scattered directly and drew their curved blades.

The three brothers had a tacit understanding, and their cooperation was astonishing.

One swung his blade, attacking Li Yan from the front, while the remaining two rolled and reached Li Yan's side, releasing throwing darts directly.

However, how could the current Li Yan be someone they could deal with?

Facing the whistling curved blade, Li Yan didn't even blink, leaping and stepping to the side, sweeping his blade upward.

Clang!

Accompanied by a crisp sound, the Miao blade snapped in two.

Not only that, the person swinging the blade was struck by 'Yin Thunder', his whole body stiffening, his pupils filled with terror.

Before he could react, Li Yan reached out and grabbed him, pulling him around his own body, just in time to block the incoming throwing darts.

Pfft, pfft!

This unlucky ghost was none other than the eldest of the Meishan brothers.

Throwing darts were deeply embedded in his chest; his complexion rapidly turned livid, and he foamed at the mouth—the darts had been coated with deadly poison.

"Big brother!"

The remaining two brothers were filled with grief and indignation, hurriedly stepping forward.

But just as they took a step, Li Yan swung the corpse toward one of them, and at the same time, borrowing this force, a hidden power exploded from his feet, and his body flew out diagonally, charging toward the third brother.

"Go to hell!"

Seeing the ghostly movement, the third brother knew he was no match. His eyes were blood-red, and he thrust out with his curved blade, prepared to die together.

But as he got close, Li Yan suddenly raised his hand, using the 'Pi Gua' palm technique, carrying the momentum of 'Gen Earth'.

Whoosh~

The third brother only felt a fierce wind hitting his face, his palm falling from above like a mountain.

This was the mental impact caused by the momentum of his fist.

Even though he held a heart prepared for death, he was still terrified, unable to help but retreat.

And this palm was merely a feint.

Li Yan suddenly turned his body and shifted his shoulder, crossing paths with the other party, changing his palm into a hand blade, and lightly tapped the back of his head.

Bam!

The third brother fell directly to the ground, unconscious.

In the eyes of the crowd, Li Yan's few moves were like those of a fierce ghost; they couldn't even see his face clearly, and their most powerful experts had been killed or injured one after another.

"Run!"

Those Lord Tian Sheng Sect disciples didn't say a word, fleeing the ruined temple one after another.

Looking at the third brother on the ground, whose life or death was unknown, the second of the Meishan brothers gritted his teeth hard, his eyes full of hesitation.

If they stayed, all three brothers would definitely die.

If they fled, perhaps there would be a chance for revenge.

This was the instinctive hesitation of a human. Before he could make a decision, the sound of gunfire erupted outside, and screams were constant.

"Ah!"

The second Meishan brother also knew he was doomed. With a roar, he grabbed his blade and charged out, simultaneously unhooking the leather pouch at his waist.

Pfft!

The Soul-Severing Duanhun Feidao was directly embedded in his chest and abdomen.

The second Meishan brother's eyes lost focus, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

Li Yan's expression was cold. He stepped forward to pull out the flying knife, then stabbed it through his 'dantian' with a 'pfft', only then turning to walk toward the old man.

The old man's legs had already been shattered; he was panting heavily as he lay on the ground, but he was completely fearless, a trace of madness flashing in his eyes.

"It's you again, it's you again..."

Li Yan frowned. "You know me?"

"Hahaha..."

The old man laughed maniacally. "The Sect Leader has already issued an order; the Ghost Sect will put a bounty on you. From now on, no matter how vast the world is, there will be no place for you to stay!"

Having said that, black blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he fell to the ground, breathing his last...

(End of chapter)