Chapter 470: Master Mobile Corps Commander

"Then we take our leave!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Wang Daoxuan turned and walked away.

"No, no, no!"

"Master, please stay!"

Several elderly men behind him instantly panicked.

They wore fine clothes, leaned on canes, and were supported by servants—clearly wealthy village gentry.

Seeing Wang Daoxuan prepare to leave, they rushed forward to block him, but upon seeing Wu Ba's massive frame gnawing on a roasted chicken, they dared not approach closely, only bowing repeatedly: "Master, you cannot leave!"

"The Dao values life—please save us."

"No matter the cost, we can discuss anything…"

Wang Daoxuan was, of course, playing a trick.

On the Jianghu, the Nine Golds refer to fortune-telling, physiognomy, character divination, spirit-writing, circular illumination, soul-traveling, astrology, ritual masters, and duangong.

Each of these is divided into "inner sharp" and "outer sharp."

"Inner sharp" means genuine ability.

"Outer sharp" refers to all manner of Jianghu tricks.

Things like "a single word awakens the dreamer," "tethering post," "yin-yang speech"… Master these, and even a complete outsider to the Daoist path can make a living from them.

In plain terms, they are deception techniques.

In the past, Wang Daoxuan's spiritual powers were weak and his cultivation low; to wander through the provinces, he naturally mastered all these tricks.

Now, with his cultivation at the Third Floor and the awakened ability to perceive Qi, combined with these tricks, to ordinary people he appeared no different from a true immortal.

Seeing the moment was right, Wang Daoxuan finally stopped, turned, and sighed: "Gentlemen, it is not that I refuse to help you—this matter violates the Dao of Heaven."

"This…"

The elderly men exchanged glances; their leader quickly bowed: "Master, we are mere mortals and truly do not understand—could you please explain clearly?"

Still putting on airs!

Wang Daoxuan sneered inwardly, yet his face remained inscrutable; he glanced at the Luo Pan and said: "This matter cannot be spoken plainly. Let me recite a poem—you will understand."

He gently stroked his beard, gazing at the mist-shrouded mountains around them: "Within Baoping Mountain hides a treasure vase; the mountain god's temple flickers with dying lamps; beneath Baoping Mountain, springs surge from the earth; within the Tiger's Maw, blood stains the hills!"

At these words, the elderly men immediately paled.

Seeing their reaction, Wang Daoxuan's killing intent deepened.

This was north of Chongqing Prefecture, near Wengtang Gorge, dozens of li away from the famed Jinyun Mountain.

He had come here based on intelligence, seeking the Dragon Maiden Temple.

After all, this area bordered the Jialing River; according to Li Yan, the Dragon Maiden Temple had sunk beneath the water—this matched perfectly.

Secret rumors on the Dao said human sacrifices were occurring here.

But upon arrival, he found something else entirely—though unrelated to the Dragon Maiden Temple, it violated Wang Daoxuan's taboos, so he used his tricks to ensnare these men.

These elders were all clan patriarchs from Old Bear Village.

Wang Daoxuan had already guessed some of it, but he wished to fully understand the cause before deciding his course of action.

Upon hearing his words, the elders turned pale; two even glared with murderous intent, signaling the surrounding men to block the way.

The leader suddenly raised his hand, fixing Wang Daoxuan with a piercing stare: "Master, you are truly a sage—could our village's calamity be tied to this?"

"Naturally."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard: "Minor fengshui can be altered, but this violates a great taboo."

"The one who taught you to arrange this layout is indeed an expert: this land lies near Jinyun Mountain, its earth veins naturally forming a Treasure Vase formation, capable of drawing in mountain and river Qi. If an yin tomb blocks the vase's mouth, a noble will emerge within three generations."

"Pity…"

"May I ask, Master, what is the pity?"

"Pity they cannot see the greater pattern!"

"Sichuan's fengshui originates from the Zhen Dragon's vein; though rich in dragon Qi, its form is scattered. Thus, waterways converge chaotically, formations clash without unity, causing frequent floods and earth tremors."

"Moreover, Sichuan's passes are sealed; though called the Land of Abundance, it is cut off from the outside world. Thus, rulers here rarely escape Sichuan—and there is the saying: 'When the world is unsteady, Sichuan stirs first; when the world is pacified, Sichuan remains unruly.'"

The elders sat stunned.

The leader bowed deeply, awestruck: "Master is truly a living immortal—calling you a genius who moves heaven and earth is no exaggeration."

"But what does this have to do with us?"

"Hmph!"

Wang Daoxuan sneered: "You may not grasp grand principles, but surely you understand small ones. Tell me: what happens when a child walks through a crowded market holding a treasure?"

The elder sighed: "He will be killed and robbed."

"Precisely."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head: "Old Bear Village lies within the Treasure Vase, close to the Jialing River's waterway. Originally, it was no great place—yet it could have enjoyed peace.

But by setting up this formation, you are like a child carrying a treasure vase—inevitably drawing the gaze of demons and specters."

"This…"

The elder's eyes flickered with fear: "Where do these demons come from?"

Wang Daoxuan pointed to the distance: "From Jinyun Mountain."

"Jinyun Mountain?!"

All present were stunned.

The leader looked utterly bewildered: "I heard it is a blessed land, with high Daoists of the Buddhist sect practicing there—how could there be evil spirits?"

Wang Daoxuan scoffed: "You are utterly ignorant!"

"Legend says the Yellow Emperor once smelted stones in the Jinyun Hall; during alchemy, clouds of neither red nor purple appeared—hence the name Jinyun Mountain."

"He appointed his minister of summer as the Jinyun Clan, whose tribe settled near this mountain. But the Jinyun Clan had a degenerate son named 'Taotie,' one of the Four Fiends—who knows what he buried here?"

"I dare not provoke it, nor dare to meddle. Farewell!"

His entire speech was pure fabrication, nonsense.

But to these elders, it was a thunderclap—they trembled violently and fell to their knees.

"Please, Immortal, save us!"

Each wept and sobbed, pitifully desperate.

After begging for a long while, Wang Daoxuan finally sighed: "Very well—I may attempt something. But you must not hide anything—tell me everything, plainly and fully."

The leader gritted his teeth: "We dare not deceive you, Master—but this matter is secret. Please come back to our village—we will reveal all!"

…

As Wang Daoxuan had said, Old Bear Village's terrain was peculiar.

It bordered the Jialing River, surrounded by several small hills forming a treasure-vase-shaped basin, its opening facing the distant Jinyun Mountain.

Old Bear Village sat atop it, overlooking a Jialing River dock, with dense bamboo groves encircling the hills—truly a blessed site.

Yet the village was built strangely.

Outside the village walls stood tall wooden palisades, blocking the mountain path; the village layout was orderly, but its lower foundations and upper stilted buildings clearly belonged to different eras.

Wang Daoxuan glanced once and understood; he stroked his beard: "This place commands the river—surely it was once a military fortress."

"Master's insight is extraordinary."

The leader, surnamed Meng, hurried to flatter: "To be honest, this was a military fortress of the Great Xing Dynasty, part of the defensive line stretching from Baidi City to Diaoyu City."

"Later abandoned, our ancestors moved here to settle…"

Wang Daoxuan listened as he walked, observing silently.

He had only used the "tethering post" trick to lure villagers to him—this was his first time entering the village.

Along the way, the villagers seemed odd.

Most were middle-aged men; though appearing to work, their faces were cold, and they watched outsiders with suspicion.

Moreover, there were no elders in the village. Occasionally, a pale child would peer through a window, only to be yanked away by an adult.

Seeing this, Wang Daoxuan now understood; he smiled faintly as the crowd escorted him to a large mansion.

The mansion was a typical Sichuan structure—resembling a stilted house, yet built of brick and stone, sizable and impregnable.

"Master, this is my home."

The leader, surnamed Meng, gestured with a smile: "My humble abode is crude—forgive the rudeness. A feast has been prepared—please, enter."

"Not yet."

Wang Daoxuan narrowed his eyes, studying carefully.

Normally, the ground floor of a stilted house housed livestock—but this mansion's lower level was empty, pitch-black.

The Daoist secretly formed a hand seal; his eyes flashed with a glimmer of light—he saw faint yin energy swirling in the darkness below.

"The livestock you once kept—all died, didn't they?"

Wang Daoxuan glanced casually and spoke softly.

!.

"Master is correct."

The surnamed Meng elder's face darkened; he whispered: "We will explain this matter to you later."

Arriving at the main hall, a lavish feast had indeed been prepared.

Wang Daoxuan tasted only a few bites; Wu Ba, meanwhile, ignored all restraint, devouring the food like a whirlwind, shoveling meat into his mouth.

Nearly half the meal was consumed by him alone.

The clan elders had never seen a human demon; seeing such an unusual figure, they assumed he was Wang Daoxuan's servant—and their reverence deepened further.

The elderly man surnamed Meng gave a signal, dismissing all the servants, then lifted his wine cup, took a sip, and sighed: "It's all the sins of our ancestors."

"Master Wang, to be frank, our ancestors were no good people. When the Great Xuan Emperor seized the throne, the realm plunged into chaos, and we led our clan here to escape, inevitably resorting to plunder."

"But this couldn't go on forever. Our ancestors bribed the yamen, handed over a few heads to take the blame, and became lawful citizens."

"Later, a certain master taught us a secret method: he placed the village's yin tombs at the Treasure Bottle Mouth, and built a temple there, saying that with timely sacrifices, the village would enjoy wealth and peace henceforth."

"As he predicted, the village's fortunes improved day by day—but in the past two years, trouble arose."

"All the livestock died; nothing could be raised. Children kept vanishing. We thought it was human traffickers from afar, but one day we followed and saw a child wander aimlessly into a tomb…"

At this, the old man's eyes flickered with fear. "Master, these are ancient sins of our ancestors. Please help us put an end to this."

"Oh, I see…"

Wang Daoxuan nodded thoughtfully. "In times of chaos, some things are beyond one's control. I already understand."

"Do you enshrine your ancestors' spirit tablets inside the Mountain God Temple?"

"Yes, yes, exactly."

The old man nodded hastily. "It was that master's idea—he said our ancestors had become Mountain Gods and would surely protect us."

"Foolish…"

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and shook his head. "Mountain Gods are not so simple. Without imperial sanction, the earth's qi becomes chaotic."

"Has water begun seeping beneath Treasure Bottle Mountain?"

"At the Tiger-Slaying Mouth, where the Mountain God Temple stands, have people been mysteriously killing themselves?"

Another old man turned pale. "To be honest, it was our eldest sons—late at night, like they'd fallen into a trance, they ran to the Tiger-Slaying Mouth, outside the Mountain God Temple, and slit their throats."

"Hmm."

Wang Daoxuan pondered a moment. "There is indeed a way. I can perform a ritual to formally enshrine your ancestors as Mountain Gods. With legitimate authority, their restless spirits will find peace, and the chaos will end."

"Thank you, Master!"

Everyone rose at once, clasping fists in gratitude.

Wang Daoxuan's conduct on this journey had won their complete trust—they now regarded him as a living immortal.

They had summoned others before, but all had spouted nonsense. Had it not been for the passage of so many years, they might have believed Wang Daoxuan was the very sorcerer who had given the original advice.

"Master, when shall we begin preparations?"

Wang Daoxuan picked up his wine cup and drank, calm as ever. "I have other matters. No time to waste—we begin tonight."

…………

Deep into the night, at the gorge behind the mountain stronghold.

The gorge was highly concealed, precisely located at the Treasure Bottle Mouth, surrounded by dense trees, with only a narrow path running through.

And a Mountain God Temple stood directly blocking the gorge.

"Legend says someone once slew a mighty tiger here."

The chief of Old Bear Stronghold walked as he explained: "Later, my ancestors built this temple and planted trees, saying that if disaster ever came, we could flee directly into the mountains through this pass to evade imperial troops."

"The rear mountain is treacherous—only I know the way out…"

As he spoke, there was a hint of pride, and an undercurrent of threat.

They had once doubted Wang Daoxuan's origins—but now he was inside the stronghold, trapped at the Tiger-Slaying Mouth.

If he harbored ill intent, he could not escape.

Wang Daoxuan seemed not to hear the implication, merely setting up an altar outside the Mountain God Temple, glancing left and right.

On both sides of the cliffs, cliff tombs were densely packed—all sealed with bricks and stone, except for a few new graves left open, with leftover meals placed outside.

This was a "pot tomb."

In some places, when the elderly grew old, regardless of their condition, their children would place them alive into tombs.

One meal, one brick.

Until the tomb opening was entirely sealed.

This custom often arose from war and disaster; elsewhere it was called "Flower-Age Burial" or "Ji Si Yao."

But here, it was clearly different.

Tombs encircling the temple, ancestral tablets enshrined within—it was a perverse cult of human and ghost, turning the old men's resentment into demonic deities to satisfy base desires.

Seeing this layout, Wang Daoxuan was not surprised—he had already guessed. But when he saw the red cloth sachets hanging from the graves, he could not help asking: "What are those sachets?"

Seeing Wang Daoxuan ask nothing about the "pot tombs," the old men grew fully at ease, believing this Daoist was no different from the sorcerers who only cared for money.

The lead man surnamed Meng spoke without restraint, lowering his voice: "Don't laugh, Master—we have a custom here called 'Labaobao'—essentially, adopting a spiritual father, as in the Central Plains."

"As the saying goes: 'Blessed by a good spiritual father, you'll live safely to old age.' Every child in the stronghold comes here to take a spiritual father."

"One who is strong, fierce, and terrifying—just a glare can scare off wolves, tigers, and leopards!"

"Oh, I see…"

Wang Daoxuan fully understood the reason, and shook his head. "You probably don't know this saying in my line."

"Before seeking the land of the mountain, first examine the people beneath the roof. If the people lack virtue, even the mountain peak holds no power."

"What do you mean?!"

Hearing this, the old men sensed danger.

Wang Daoxuan looked around, his anger boiling over, his voice turning icy. "I mean—even the finest fengshui…"

"If a man lacks virtue, he invites disaster upon himself!"

"Who… who are you?!"

The old men suddenly drew short knives, eyes blazing with malice.

"Who am I?"

Wang Daoxuan had already raised his Coin Sword.

After acquiring a pile of treasure coins from the Great Toad of East Lake, his Coin Sword had greatly improved.

Among them was a Twelve Zodiac Coin, precisely inlaid at the sword's pommel, depicting a rooster subduing the Five Poisons.

Wang Daoxuan's heart stirred, and he spoke without thinking:

"I am… the Rooster of You."

(End of Chapter)