Chapter 397

"Divert the disaster to the east?"

Upon hearing this, Tan Zhihai's expression turned ugly.

He was not tall, his head wrapped in black cloth, wearing an indigo short robe with various bone strings hanging from his chest—the typical attire of a Miao person.

Although his clothing was luxurious, he was blind in one eye.

The Right Chancellor of the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect was correct, but he refused directly in stiff official language, "No, grievances must be settled by oneself. If I don't slaughter that brat with my own hands, I won't be able to resolve the hatred in my heart!"

"This..."

Hearing this, the Right Chancellor was immediately in a difficult position.

To be honest, he looked down on this Tan Zhihai before him; anyone could see that the Princess of the Tusi City had no interest in this one-eyed dragon, and it was all just his own wishful thinking.

Moreover, this fellow was a complete scoundrel.

Previously, when facing everyone, he could still treat them with courtesy, but the moment their Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect fell into trouble, the other party immediately put on airs.

But there was no other way; this uprising in Jingshang had basically already failed.

Even if they successfully resurrected the Heavenly Lord Tian Sheng Gong, their only remaining path was to defect to Tusi City and jointly deal with the imperial army.

Living under someone else's roof, they could only bow their heads for the time being.

Thinking of this, the Right Chancellor suppressed his anger and persuaded him with kind words: "Fellow Daoist Tan, calm your anger. We also hate that brat to the bone, but for now, we must prioritize the greater good."

Tan Zhihai glanced at him coldly, clearly having no intention of listening.

"Stop arguing, it's settled!"

Suddenly, an aged voice sounded from the side.

The person speaking wore a Confucian robe, had gray hair, eyes filled with bloodshot veins, and a cold expression.

Come to think of it, Li Yan had seen this person before.

Previously in Xiangyang City, when the city was sealed due to the plague and the commoners rioted, they were blocked by Master Lu of the Longzhong Academy; later, it was discovered that this person was a secret agent planted by Zhao Changsheng in Xiangyang.

The once-notorious King of Nanmu in Xiangyang was slain by this person, who then turned the demon king's remains into the source of the plague.

He was precisely the leader of the Ghost Sect in Xiangyang City.

Hearing his final decision, although Tan Zhihai of Tusi City was unwilling, he had to bow his head, not daring to say more.

The Ghost Sect and the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect were two different matters.

The reputation of the Great Song Ghost Sect went without saying; it was a demonic sect that truly wreaked havoc across the Divine Land, and even the Maitreya Sect had to step aside.

Nowadays, the Sect Master Zhao Changsheng was elusive, placing his pieces everywhere, and the chaos in the southwest was guided by him; no one dared to offend him.

Especially since Tusi City wanted to bring an ancestor back to life, they had to rely on his help, and Tan Zhihai naturally understood the stakes.

Seeing this, the Right Chancellor of the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect breathed a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully: "Master Lu, what do you think we should do next?"

Master Lu lifted his eyelids slightly and said indifferently: "The Right Chancellor's plan is excellent. Neither that brat nor 'Lord Bai' is to be feared; just lure them into fighting each other."

"The Dragon-Drawing Canal is the key. I have observed the celestial phenomena; for the past few days, the purple light has shone down at dawn, which is the sign of 'Sun-Supporting,' and it coincides with the White Dew Ghost Rain day, so there will surely be a disastrous thunderstorm."

"Time is running out; the canal must be dug as soon as possible!"

Having said this, he looked at Tan Zhihai beside him: "Fellow Daoist Tan is skilled in controlling beasts, so you shall be the one to deliver the message to 'Lord Bai,' which can also be considered as killing your enemy with your own hands."

"I am leaving for a few days; when I return, your sect's 'Heavenly Lord Tian Sheng Gong' will surely accompany me!"

"Thank you for your trouble, Master Lu!"

The members of the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect inside the tent all revealed expressions of joy.

Resurrecting the "Heavenly Lord Tian Sheng Gong" was their plan of many years, and especially at this moment, the return of the "Heavenly Lord Tian Sheng Gong" would surely stabilize the hearts of the people.

As long as they borrowed the Flood Dragon to break through the siege, it was not impossible for them to carve out a new foundation in this southwest chaos!

Not long after, three figures appeared outside the dense forest; they were Tan Zhihai, Master Lu, and Protector Wang.

Protector Wang knew that Tan Zhihai was petty and had been slighted in the tent earlier, perhaps harboring resentment, so he began to flatter him: "Fellow Daoist Tan, the Nuo ritual techniques of Tusi City have an impressive heritage. You have already become a 'Tu You Laosi' and will surely be the City Lord in the future."

In Tusi City, there was the position of "Tu You Laosi," equivalent to a priest, called "Tima" in the Tujia language, meaning "one who respects the gods," and they held immense power.

Many Tusi also served concurrently as "Tu You Laosi."

At this moment, Tan Zhihai had changed into a different outfit, wearing a phoenix crown, a floral jacket on top, and an eight-paneled pleated skirt on the bottom.

Hanging from his waist were a master's sword, copper bells, and a bull horn, and he held a colorful willow scarf staff in his hand.

Hearing Protector Wang's flattery, his expression softened slightly: "A small matter, it's just that we are fighting the imperial court, so there was no time to seal the territory."

Having said this, he took out a wooden carved Nuo mask from behind him; the lines were simple, ancient and eerie, with animal hair embedded around it.

After putting on the Nuo mask, he began to dance the Nuo dance.

Unlike Lu San's ancient Chu Nuo dance, Tan Zhihai's Nuo dance was more primitive and wild, shaking his head and waving the colorful willow scarf staff, while calling out the name of "Meichang Hunting God"...

Not long after, the pitch-black forest rustled, and a leopard emerged, its vigilance mixed with fear; it seemed very reluctant, yet it slowly approached.

Slap!

Tan Zhihai tapped its head with his staff, then leaned down, muttering in a language from above.

The leopard's eyes quickly became dazed, and then it turned around rapidly, darting into the forest and heading toward the direction of the Shen Kui tribe.

"Done!"

Tan Zhihai took off the Nuo mask and said coldly: "The message has been delivered. What if that 'Lord Bai' doesn't take the bait?"

"Hahaha..."

Protector Wang laughed and comforted him: "Fellow Daoist Tan, rest assured. If it doesn't succeed, I will personally lead men to capture that brat!"

Just then, Master Lu beside them also spoke: "Alright, I am leaving too. Remember, you must guard the Dragon-Drawing Canal well."

Having said this, he went alone toward the deep mountains in the west.

This old scholar appeared aged, but he used a certain type of divine movement technique; hidden strength exploded continuously beneath his feet, and yin wind whistled around his body, like a ghost in the mountain forest at night, his speed astonishing.

An hour later, he arrived at the foot of Shennong Peak.

He saw stone forests growing everywhere, bamboo seas lush and green, and jagged rocks covering the ground, hidden in thick fog, the light dim like a ghost realm.

Arriving here, even Master Lu became cautious; he picked up a lantern, and after lighting it, it shone with a faint green fire.

The lantern was in the style of a bamboo-woven "Fire Wheel" lantern, common in the Chang'an City lantern festival, but it was covered with white paper.

What was even stranger was that a deity statue was painted on the white paper: the upper body was a middle-aged man with a white beard and black eyebrows, wearing black clothes, with a pair of huge chicken feet below—it was precisely the Ghost Sect demon god, Ran Tong.

What Ran Tong passed down was the "Art of Communicating with the Netherworld for Longevity," best at controlling various ghosts, and also possessing transformation techniques to steal incense offerings.

This lantern was clearly also some kind of magical artifact.

After it was lit, shadows flickered in the surrounding thick fog, as if something was scattering rapidly.

Master Lu didn't look at the road either, just walked forward with the lantern.

The faint green fire inside flickered, sometimes pointing west, sometimes east, as if indicating the direction.

He didn't know how long he had walked when a mountain cave suddenly appeared before him, surrounded by jagged rocks, with no grass growing; it was actually a stone forest.

The mountain cave was dark, and the wind whistled, sounding like ghosts crying and wolves howling.

Master Lu entered without hesitation.

After traveling through the mountain cave for a while, a stone grotto suddenly appeared before him, with fire basins lit around it and a small water pool in the center.

Beside the water pool, several figures sat cross-legged. The most conspicuous among them was a monster, hairless all over, with pale and smooth skin, blood-colored nails, a mouth full of fangs, and a face as ferocious as an evil ghost, draped in a blood-colored robe.

It was precisely Huang Liushi, who had borrowed the body of an Undying Bone to return to life.

Beside him were all Ghost Sect cultivators, the most powerful of whom was Ge Ge Lai Chong, a treasure-seeker from the "Exploring the Netherworld" lineage of Western Hunan.

At this moment, his skin was also cold and covered with corpse spots; because he practiced the "Art of Communicating with the Netherworld for Longevity," he had completely transformed into an "Old Yin Person."

Adding Master Lu, this was the entire strength of the Ezhou Ghost Sect.

"Greetings, Commander Huang!"

Master Lu bowed respectfully.

Huang Liushi turned his head slowly, his pair of blood-colored eyes filled with coldness: "How is the situation over there?"

Master Lu said in a deep voice: "The Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect has dispatched a demon army to create disturbances everywhere in Baokang. Yulongzi has not yet discovered Black Scale Lord, the Dragon-Drawing Canal is about to be completed, and three days from now will be the time for the Flood Dragon to depart."

"The various water demons have all ceased their activities, waiting only for the day the Flood Dragon departs to follow and stir up trouble."

!.

"Hmm, not bad."

Huang Liushi nodded slightly, appearing very satisfied: "The Sect Master wants us to create a big commotion; there must be another plan, so we must not be careless."

As he spoke, he looked at the water pool: "The Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect obtained the Demon Body Longevity Art and is capturing and killing demon creatures everywhere to create a demon army, not knowing that they are doing the work for us."

"The demon god Yuan Zimei has already escaped two strands of demonic energy, which then attached themselves to this 'Heavenly Lord Tian Sheng Gong' body. Once he heads to Tusi City, he will be able to completely control the situation and re-gather the banner of the Ghost Sect!"

Inside the water pool, various medicinal herbs were placed densely, along with unknown bones and flesh, dyeing the entire pool blood-red.

And in the center of the water pool, there was a large mass of strange flesh like a Tai Sui, forming the shape of a coffin; under the firelight, it seemed as if a human figure was curled up inside...

…………

The next day, the sky was slightly bright.

The bonfire on the mountaintop was about to go out.

"Ah~"

Sha Lifei yawned and got up, stretched, and then scratched his head: "Survived another night. The wind picked up in the second half of the night, giving me a headache."

He looked to the side and saw Li Yan's solemn expression as he looked at the sky, so he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Brother Yan, what's wrong?"

"The sky is overcast."

Li Yan said in a deep voice: "It's already autumn, and the weather is a bit strange; I'm afraid there's going to be a big thunderstorm."

Sha Lifei had a quick mind, and upon hearing this, he immediately understood: "Does Brother Yan mean that the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect will take the opportunity to make a move?"

Li Yan looked into the distance: "They don't have that much time..."

Before he could finish speaking, he turned around abruptly: "Grab your weapons!"

Sha Lifei was startled and quickly looked up.

He saw several black dots flying from the overcast clouds in the direction of the Shen Kui tribe in the distance, approaching them rapidly.

They were huge in size; it was precisely the Human-Faced Owls.

The bonfire burning on the mountaintop couldn't hide from them at all; they flapped their wings one after another, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived above Li Yan and the others.

"Damn it, why did these things come here!"

Sha Lifei quickly picked up the Divine Fire Musket placed beside him, loaded the magazine, and aimed at the sky.

However, just like before, these Human-Faced Owls were very cunning, dancing in the high sky and refusing to land.

At this distance, the Divine Fire Musket had no accuracy either.

They screeched and called, attracting more Human-Faced Owls; a rough count showed there were more than a dozen of them circling above.

Seeming to sense the threat, the Human-Faced Owls maintained a certain altitude, their eyes fixed on the crowd, filled with malice and evil intent.

"Go to hell!"

Beside them, Wu Ba had also woken up; he picked up a stone and threw it violently.

Wu Ba's brute strength was unmatched; the muscles in his shoulders, back, and arms bulged, and the stone whistled out like a cannonball, its force astonishing.

However, it was also dodged by the Human-Faced Owls, who cackled and danced up and down, as if mocking them for overestimating their own abilities.

Not only that, the stone Wu Ba threw seemed to remind them, and immediately several Human-Faced Owls flew away.

When they returned, they were also clutching stones in their huge single claws, each the size of a washbasin, and threw them down toward them.

The stones fell one after another; Li Yan's face was gloomy, and he dodged them easily, while Wu Ba waved his fists and smashed the stones directly.

Although Li Yan didn't fear such attacks, he was also somewhat helpless.

Whether in martial arts or magical techniques, he was more suited for close-quarters combat, and his long-range attack methods were equivalent to none.

To deal with these things before him, there was a "Northern Emperor Treasure Bottle Method," specifically for suppressing and collecting various mountain spirits and wild monsters, as well as fierce evil energy, but it required a treasure bottle artifact to cooperate, and he hadn't practiced it yet.

Seeing that the stones were ineffective, these Human-Faced Owls changed their strategy again, flapping their wings and raising their heads, screeching and calling, the piercing sharp whistling sound echoing across the wilderness.

Whoosh!

Birds in the surrounding mountain forest flew up in alarm, as if being controlled, and a dark mass whistled over, swooping straight toward the mountaintop.

The Shen Kui tribe was skilled in controlling wild beasts and yin souls.

The Human-Faced Owls naturally also possessed this method.

Ding ding ding!

Li Yan's Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin tassel swayed, and murderous intent spread; the flock of birds was startled and scattered rapidly, but driven by the Human-Faced Owls, they turned back again.

Both sides fell into a stalemate, the flock of birds on the mountaintop gathering and scattering like a tide.

Boom!

Sha Lifei finally couldn't help but fire a shot.

But just as expected before, at this distance, the Divine Fire Musket had long lost its accuracy, and even though he used scattershot, he didn't hit a single one.

The Human-Faced Owls were startled and flapped their wings to rise; the surrounding flock of birds lost control and flew away rapidly, but the Human-Faced Owls never left.

Inside the cave, Wang Daoxuan, who was sitting in front of the Dharma altar, had also noticed this; he immediately picked up a straw doll, performed a hand seal, entered the taboo, and stuffed a suppression coin into the straw doll's belly.

This suppression coin was very special, hollowed out overall, carving two Vermilion Birds, with begonia flower cutouts beneath their feet.

This coin was called the "Double Bird Climbing Flower Coin," carving two Vermilion Birds.

The Zhu Que was fire; if this coin were buried inside a residential house, birds would not dare to approach at will, and it was generally used for government granaries. But having been refined by someone and absorbing yin evil energy all year round, it had become a rare curse coin.

After the Donghu Ancestor died, a large number of suppression flower coins were found in his stomach; the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin was taken by Li Yan, and the rest were used by Wang Daoxuan, and this coin was one of them.

After stuffing the flower coin in, Wang Daoxuan stared fixedly at one of the black dots through the cave entrance on the mountaintop, holding the straw doll and murmuring a spell in his mouth.

Although he preferred techniques for exorcising evil and warding off disasters, he had more talent for cursing methods; after reaching the Third Floor of Daoist cultivation, the power of the "Seven Arrows Secret Curse" he practiced also increased accordingly.

As for his original oath, demon creatures and monsters were not included in that category.

Wang Daoxuan cast the spell, and Li Yan had also noticed it; he held the Dust-Severing Blade, ready at all times.

Sure enough, one Human-Faced Owl began to be affected, its brain dizzy, and it swayed as it fell.

Li Yan seized the opportunity, leaped forward, cut off its head with one blade, and looked around again.

The other Human-Faced Owls were startled and scattered, but refused to leave.

Sha Lifei was thoughtful and cursed: "I know now, these thieving birds want to drag us out; the Shen Kui tribe will attack after dark!"

Second update later.

(End of chapter)