Chapter 366: The Calamity of the City God

The morning light was faint as Li Yan and the others rode their horses forward.

As they crossed the river channel, he turned his head to look back once more; the dilapidated Zhaode Temple had completely vanished from sight.

"Li Li Shaoxia, can that old demon's words be trusted?"

Wu Dehai asked, unable to hold back his hesitation.

"It dare not lie."

Li Yan said coldly, "The ghost monk in the temple was chanting the 'Infinite Life Sutra'. If I am not mistaken, that thing's cultivation is terrifyingly deep; with its internal and external aspects in harmony, it has already formed its own Pure Land."

"However, while the monk can run, the temple cannot. Its 'Pure Land' is trapped here and cannot easily leave, which is why it would rather be suppressed for a hundred years than give up on rebuilding the temple."

"This old thing is also shrewd. Even if we set a fire, it would likely be difficult to damage its foundation, so it simply played along and feigned pity, using our strength to escape its calamity."

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

Wu Dehai suddenly realized, then frowned and shook his head, "Li Li Shaoxia said this place was sealed by the True Man Sanfeng; why not just suppress and kill it directly?"

Li Yan looked thoughtful as he gazed at the distant Xiangyang city walls. "Firstly, Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. Those things were not causing trouble at the time, and True Man Sanfeng acted with benevolence, so he did not strike with a heavy hand."

"Secondly, this place has merged with heavenly spirits and earthly treasures, making it somewhat strange. If not handled properly, it could instead cause resentment to breed and fierce ghosts to run rampant."

"Regardless of the reason, there is definitely a problem with the Chenghuangmiao!"

"Thousand-Man Commander Wu, gather your men immediately upon returning and surround the Chenghuangmiao!"

"Very well, I will listen to Li Li Shaoxia."

The group immediately whipped their horses and headed toward Xiangyang City.

On the other side, Thousand-Man Commander Zhou led his troops toward the villages mentioned by the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect captives to seize the evildoers and extinguish the hidden threat...

…………

Halfway there, the Commandant's Office had already released hawks to transmit messages.

Therefore, by the time they returned to Xiangyang City, the manpower had already gathered.

Xiangyang City's status was not equal to the three towns of Yunyang and Wuchang, but as an important wharf on the Han River, the Commandant's Office Thousand-Man Garrison was still equipped with nearly a thousand men.

With an order from Wu Dehai, the troops pressed heavily toward the South City.

Because they feared leaks, the men of the Commandant's Office only learned of their target once they reached the Chenghuangmiao, and they looked at each other in dismay.

The Chenghuangmiao was not a place to be trifled with.

Their Thousand-Man Commander had always been slippery; why had he suddenly provoked these people?

Within Xiangyang City, although Li Yan had made contact with the Garrison and the Commandant's Office, there was more than one faction here; there were also the Prefectural Yamen, Chambers of Commerce, Academies, local gentry, and martial arts gangs.

Such a large commotion immediately drew many eyes.

Inside the Prefectural Yamen, the previous Judge Wu had been unlucky and infected with the plague, so a Vice Prefect hurriedly brought men to arrive.

Among the Garrison, the Regional Military Commissioner, who originally did not want to deal with people from the martial world, also brought men and rode over.

As for the Chenghuangmiao, it was naturally in a state of chaos.

The originally tightly closed gates opened, and an old Daoist with a pale face walked out of the Chenghuangmiao. His face could not hide his anger as he said coldly to Wu Dehai, "Thousand-Man Commander Wu, what is the meaning of this?"

Wu Dehai gave an awkward smile, then cupped his hands and said, "Daoist Yuchenzi, we are investigating a case with this Li Li Shaoxia and have discovered some things we wish to verify with you."

The old Daoist frowned deeply, turned his head to look at Li Yan, and said coldly, "This must be Benefactor Li. You have a good relationship with my True Martial Palace; why do you do this?"

Li Yan pinched a spell, took a deep breath, then jumped off his horse and said as he walked, "Daoist, do not misunderstand. It is just that we have found the source of the plague and wish to invite the Chenghuangmiao to perform rites to eliminate it."

"Oh?"

The old Daoist was stunned, "You found it? Where?"

"Just over there..." Li Yan pointed toward the rear.

But just as the old Daoist raised his head to look, Li Yan's hidden strength erupted beneath his feet, and he arrived instantly before the old Daoist.

"You rat!"

The old Daoist gave a start and flew into a rage.

Seeing Li Yan charging over, he did not dodge, but instead met him with a 'mud-treading step', his body like a dragon, his claws hooking toward Li Yan's throat.

He was using the Dragon Splendor Fist.

But just as he was about to close in, he suddenly changed his palm; his left hand pinched a spell behind his back, and his palm stirred up a sinister wind, which suddenly grew larger in Li Yan's eyes.

True Martial Secret Technique, Soul-Absorbing Palm!

Li Yan did not dodge or evade; he swung his arm like an axe, and at the same time, his fist crackled with electric arcs.

Bang!

A loud explosion rang out.

The old Daoist's arm bone fractured, and he groaned as he retreated again and again.

Li Yan did not let him off, charging forward again. The Dust-Severing Blade unsheathed with a 'clang' and pressed directly against the old Daoist's brow.

"You... what are you doing?!"

The old Daoist pressed his broken arm, both shocked and angry.

Li Yan ignored him and ordered in a deep voice, "Seal the entire Chenghuangmiao. Do not let a single one escape. If there is any resistance, kill them without mercy!"

Behind him, Wu Dehai's mouth hung open, his head covered in cold sweat.

He had thought Li Yan was going to come and question them—that was what had been agreed upon—so why had he suddenly changed his mind and struck to kill?

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Before he could ask more, two figures leaped up from the side courtyard, jumped off the wall, and kicked the Commandant's Office cavalrymen, attempting to seize horses and escape.

Now, the men of the Commandant's Office knew something had gone wrong.

Clatter!

The experts nearby immediately threw out meteor hooks and chains, tripping the horses' legs, and the two men on the horses were thrown to the ground.

Just as they wanted to flee, sharp blades were pressed against their necks.

The Commandant's Office had brought nearly a thousand men, so most were at the 'Bright Strength' level, and only the Squad Leaders had stepped into 'Dark Strength', but there were simply too many people; even if a 'Transformation Strength' expert wanted to escape, it would not be that simple.

The two surrounded men, though dressed in Daoist robes, had fierce eyes and messy hair buns, clearly thieves in disguise.

The men of the Commandant's Office looked at each other, unable to believe it.

By the looks of it, the Chenghuangmiao had already fallen.

There were experts from the Law Enforcement Hall inside, and they had dealt with them before; how could it have fallen so easily? It was simply unimaginable.

Seeing that the matter was exposed, a flash of panic crossed the old Daoist's eyes, and a small black bottle appeared in his wide Daoist sleeve.

But before he could act, he screamed and fell to the ground; Li Yan had flicked his wrist and used his blade to dislocate the old Daoist's arm.

One of the old Daoist's arms was broken, and the other was severed; he had completely lost the power to resist, his face ashen.

"Search, and everyone put on vinegar-soaked cloths!"

Without needing Li Yan to say more, Wu Dehai hurriedly gave the order. The men of the Commandant's Office tightened the vinegar-soaked cloths on their faces and rushed into the Chenghuangmiao.

Previously, the Chenghuangmiao had released news that they had gone out to investigate and had accidentally contracted the plague, and were now closing their doors for treatment.

With the entrance fighting like this and no one coming out, everyone already had their suspicions.

Sure enough, as they rushed into the various side halls, they immediately made discoveries.

Many Daoists and young acolytes lay on the beds, but their faces were already ashen, their chests had been sliced open, their internal organs removed, and the stench of fresh blood was pungent.

The entire Chenghuangmiao no longer had a single living person!

At this time, a Vice Prefect from the Yamen had also arrived. Seeing the scene before him, his face turned pale, "This, what is going on?"

Li Yan's eyes were cold as he looked at the old Daoist before him, "Naturally, it is internal thieves colluding with external bandits. The Chenghuangmiao had long been tampered with; I only realized something was wrong when I approached just now."

Wu Dehai also frowned deeply, "Daoist Yuchenzi, you are a disciple of the Orthodox Sect and were about to become the Temple Keeper; why would you harm these disciples?" The old Daoist's face was ashen; he sighed and remained silent.

By the looks of it, he would not confess anytime soon.

Li Yan did not bother to ask more and walked directly toward the main hall.

The City God was the god who guarded the city, and was part of the state's orthodox sacrificial rites; its importance was self-evident, and it was also garrisoned with troops.

For the enemy to have captured this place, there must be a grand conspiracy.

After entering the hall, Li Yan gasped.

He saw that in the spacious main hall, an old man wearing Han Dynasty official robes was being worshipped, holding a vermilion brush, wearing a high crown, with white hair and a white beard, and two martial generals stood on either side.

Xiangyang had been a famous city since ancient times, and the City God worshipped was naturally no simple figure; it was the famous early Han Chancellor, Xiao He.

Besides this, there were tiered wooden racks on both sides, filled with densely packed black soul jars, surrounded by oil lamps and pasted with yellow talismans.

But at this moment, the eyes of the City God and the two divine statues were wrapped in blood-stained talisman silk, and the rich scent of incense had also been tainted with a layer of blood.

And on the offering table, it was piled high with internal organs.

!.

"What kind of evil magic is this?"

Wu Dehai felt his scalp tingle when he saw it.

Li Yan remained silent, pinched a spell, and activated two divine abilities simultaneously. All kinds of scents flooded his nasal cavity, and strange sounds reached his ears.

From within the City God statue, an angry voice kept coming, "Demons and monsters, should be beheaded! Should be beheaded! Should be beheaded!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The two servant gods beside it were equally insane.

And there was another rustling sound, constantly coming from that pile of flesh and organs, carrying a tongue-clicking sound, as if chanting some ancient curse.

At the same time, the Command Token also began to heat up.

In just an instant, Li Yan's face changed, and he shouted, "Everyone, leave the main hall immediately!"

"Quick, quick, quick, retreat!"

Although Wu Dehai did not understand why, hearing Li Yan's urgent voice, he knew something major had happened and hurriedly led everyone out.

At the same time, inside the main hall, Li Yan took out the Command Token, pinched a spell, and said loudly, "Heaven has its discipline, Earth has its net; the Underworld detains souls, mortals avoid!"

Outside the hall, Lu San heard this and hurriedly scolded, "Everyone turn around! If you don't want to die, don't look back!"

The men of the Commandant's Office felt it was inexplicable, but seeing Wu Dehai also nod and give the order, they all turned around.

Soon, a hair-raising feeling rose from behind them.

The entire City God main hall plunged into darkness.

The sound of clattering chains, the sound of shattering jars, the roar of some wild beast... all merged into one.

Everyone listened in terror, not daring to look back.

After a long time, when the sounds gradually faded, they heard Li Yan speak from inside the hall, "Alright, come in."

Wu Dehai secretly turned his head, and seeing that nothing had happened, he led a few subordinates back into the Chenghuangmiao.

They saw that it was a mess inside; all the soul jars on the racks were shattered, as if swept by a violent wind, and even the towering hall pillars were covered in claw marks.

"This... what happened?"

Wu Dehai swallowed his saliva and asked cautiously.

Li Yan casually picked up a stick and pushed aside the flesh and organs on the offering table; inside, there was actually a small, pitch-black statue.

The upper body of this statue was a middle-aged man with a white beard and black eyebrows, wearing black clothes, with bare feet, revealing a pair of giant chicken claws; because it had been wrapped in organs, it was covered in blood.

And on its chest and abdomen, large cracks had already appeared.

"This is a Ghost Sect Huang Moshen!"

Li Yan looked up at the surroundings, his heart still lingering in fear, "This thing is good at disguising itself and can steal incense. The Ghost Sect uses the internal organs of practitioners as offerings to infect the City God and control the local garrison troops."

"Once they succeed, Xiangyang City will surely fall!"

Just a moment ago, he had triggered an Underworld mission.

Previously in Wuchang City, when he beheaded 'Lady Liu', he learned of the true Huang Moshen worshipped by the Ghost Sect.

Its name was Ran Tong, originally an ancient mountain god, transformed from an ancient shaman, who later became a demon god and was suppressed after the Investiture of the Gods.

This demon god was the most cunning, passing down the 'Nether-Penetrating Longevity Art', and could also disguise itself, either falsely claiming to be an orthodox god to steal incense, or changing its identity.

The great ghosts worshipped by the Ghost Sect in various places, whether it was the 'Lengzheng God' in Ezhou or the 'Ningdeng God' in Tokyo at the time, were all its clones.

This guy had escaped the Underworld with five strands of demonic energy; at the time, Wuchang City had caught one, but he hadn't expected one to be hidden here as well.

"No wonder."

Wu Dehai kept wiping cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, "Using the plague to cut off Xiangyang City's waterways, then the surrounding villages would riot, the Baokang County garrison would return to reinforce, and the Xiangyang garrison troops would be deployed... what a chain of schemes!"

They were all shrewd people and immediately understood the Ghost Sect's layout.

Li Yan looked at the City God statue and shook his head, "The Xiangyang City garrison troops have been tainted; if they came out, they would cause trouble, so they have been dealt with, but the City God is still conscious."

"Immediately send a message to Mount Wudang and send people to support us!"

"Good!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Dehai hurriedly went to handle it.

With such a major incident, the few high-ranking officials who had hurriedly run over to question them did not dare to say more and helped handle things after giving instructions.

They were all suffering in their hearts; not to mention the plague, but to have caused such a major incident, they feared they would not escape the crime of dereliction of duty this time.

Li Yan did not bother with them, sighed slightly, took out three sticks of incense, and offered them to the City God statue.

Within the Command Token, a rich strand of Underworld Divine Qi surged into his body.

His Great Luo Dharma Body, which had been covered in wounds and on the verge of shattering, immediately repaired itself by more than half, and the length of the Soul-Hooking Rope also increased significantly.

With such an incident, they naturally had to wait for the results.

Li Yan and Lu San returned to the Commandant's Office to rest.

Subsequently, various news arrived one after another.

Thousand-Man Commander Zhou of the Xiangyang Garrison led men to rush into those villages; the villagers who had been bewitched and possessed, led by the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect evildoers, fought them to the death with knives, spears, and sticks.

These commoners had all been infected with the plague and were like walking corpses; although the Garrison soldiers leveled the village, many of them also contracted the plague...

The Spring and Autumn Stronghold in Nanzhang County, not knowing where they got the news, knew the matter had been exposed and actually took action directly, coming down the mountain to capture the county seat.

At present, the road to Baokang County had been cut off.

The only good news was that they had found one of the sources of the plague, that piece of Nanmu wood filled with soaring resentment.

The Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect had rites to eliminate the plague; as long as they had this item, at least the plague within Xiangyang City could be lifted.

Near dusk, the reinforcements from Mount Wudang finally arrived.

The incident at the Xiangyang Chenghuangmiao had clearly infuriated the True Martial Palace, which directly sent nearly a hundred Daoists.

And leading them was none other than Master Yulong of the Five Dragon Palace, with the Five Dragon Sons beside him...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 367 =====