Chapter 505: Zhang Xian, the Four-Eyed Old Man

Li Yan's curiosity deepened, and he quickened his pace.

Flying-Head Liao, the Zhu family of Jiangzuo, Zhao Changsheng…

There must be some connection among them.

Not far ahead, Li Yan's body stiffened, and he halted again.

He looked at his left arm in disbelief.

It was bound with a Shu embroidery silk armband, embroidered with the eight characters "Heaven and Earth in harmony, all things refined," and layered with Three Talismans of Devil-Subduing Coins, arranged in overlapping fish-scale patterns.

This treasure had come to him by chance.

It possessed the power to suppress evil, but since acquiring Thunder Art, its only remaining function for him now was to set up arrays to disrupt magical eavesdropping.

@Read*!

One was the confidence granted by the Great Luo Body.

Only when the range reached over a thousand meters did the killing intent dissipate.

At the very start of his cultivation, he had been gifted treasures and taught secret arts by a master.

This place had a thriving wine industry; even heavy snowfall could not mask the scent of wine filling the entire city, and on the docks, wine-laden merchant ships came and went without end.

Boom! Without hesitation, Li Yan smashed its skull with a punch…

Li Yan's spirit grew increasingly numb, sustained only by this faint flame, which gave him the will to persevere.

On the stone wall, another name caught his attention.

He hadn't expected to find Zhang Xian's handiwork here too.

Now, using the purple flag's faint connection, he had swept clean all the yin-evil qi within the Flying-Head Liao territory, absorbed the flag's spiritual aura, and finally completed its full maturation.

It turned out that the evil god Zuo Shouquan had been secretly reshaping his body; if he succeeded and gradually drew back the demonic qi, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As the largest wine merchant in Sichuan, the Du family was essentially the local tyrant of Luzhou City, occupying nearly half of southern Luzhou, with countless guards and hordes of maidservants.

When he opened his eyes again, Li Yan was delighted to find the surrounding ice melting rapidly, droplets of icy water falling.

From then on, Zhang Xian shrines sprang up across the land, their incense offerings thriving.

Originally, when using it, he had to rely on the Divine Tiger Talisman; after activation, it emitted a tiger's roar to terrify surrounding yin spirits and enemies' souls, and dispel beastly phantoms.

During his investigation, it was he who first spread the title "Senior Daoist Mobile Corps Commander," and though motivated by self-interest, it accidentally brought Wang Daoxuan fame.

Wang Daoxuan had spoken of this to him during his leisure time.

Within the Lushan Sect, there were Red-Headed Masters and Black-Headed Masters, each with their own strengths, so though they wore identical ritual robes, they donned black or red headbands.

But it had been secretly suppressed.

The bone-chilling cold nearly froze his soul.

He raised his hand to catch the falling snowflakes and said calmly, "I never expected the Du family to be colluding with the Ghost Sect. The newly appointed Provincial Governor of Chongqing is arriving soon—this will make a perfect welcome gift."

Boom! Rock and earth shattered, and a corpse, oozing foul slime, rolled out—tall, muscular, wild-looking, taller than Wu Ba by a full head, more like an ancient ancestor.

This was another use of the Divine Protection Charm: to repel beastly phantoms.

Such a precious artifact had been used solely to suppress the stone egg; after countless years and the torment of yin soldiers, its spiritual aura had vanished entirely.

He was a Daoist from Sichuan during the Tang Dynasty, from Meishan.

It was as if a beast had been awakened; all the yin-evil qi within the Flying-Head Liao cave surged upward, rushing toward the flag.

This place had "Po Jun" and also "Lu Shen."

…………

Soon, Li Yan was covered in frost.

The sword tassel used six Three Talismans of Devil-Subduing Coins.

Others in this situation would likely retreat, but he had three lives; when fate presented an opportunity, he wasn't afraid to take a gamble.

The purple flag lost all its luster and rapidly rotted and shattered.

Moreover, the Three Talismans of Devil-Subduing Coins forming the fish-scale armor began to tremble slightly, causing the entire scale armor to rattle.

After an unknown length of time, the flame began to grow stronger, as if spring had arrived; Li Yan regained clarity, and the piercing cold around him gradually faded.

Now it was used as a whole.

This "Qin Qi Army" was also one of the Tang-era mysterious troops.

Seeing these characters, Li Yan finally understood the cause and effect.

"Consumption" is the Dao—birth, aging, sickness, death—all are consumption. But where there is consumption, there is replenishment; thus, "Po Jun" also signifies transformation.

At this moment, the yin qi within the embryonic egg had dissipated, becoming an ordinary object.

Howling winds surged, and the yin-evil qi seemed endless.

But now, something had changed.

Finally, an anomaly appeared.

He was guided by a Sichuan mystic, the Four-Eyed Old Man, who gave him the Bamboo Bow and Iron Pellets, taught him secret arts, and had him cultivate on Mount Qingcheng; from then on, he subdued demons and exorcised evils, becoming a top expert of the Sichuan mystical sects from the Five Dynasties to the early Northern Song.

At this moment, Li Yan felt as if he had fallen into an icy hell.

A purple peachwood sword was planted atop the stone egg.

The second was the sign of "Po Jun transforming into Lu Shen." This meant destruction followed by rebirth; the embroidered armband possessed the ability to balance yin and yang, and now it began to warm slightly, like holding a faint flame in an icy hell.

Success!

Rattling! The Three Talismans of Devil-Subduing Coins on the armband trembled.

Finally, he reached the bottom of the cave.

Unlike those famous armies, this one was small in number but composed entirely of sorcerers.

Perhaps this useless relic could be turned into a treasure.

Huh~ Instantly, fierce winds erupted around him.

The Flying-Head Liao clan had briefly risen again during the Tang Dynasty, causing disturbances and panic across the land before vanishing mysteriously.

According to Lady Wu Yuqing of the Luo family, this armband was a rare treasure capable of nurturing spiritual artifacts; he gritted his teeth and sewed all his Three Talismans of Devil-Subduing Coins onto it.

Rattling! Li Yan suddenly raised his hand, and the ice encasing his body shattered completely.

Legend says he could both grant children and protect them. In old times, during New Year's rituals, every household bought a painting titled "Zhang Xian Shooting the Dog to Grant a Son" and hung it beside the chimney.

"I've long heard of the Lushan Sect's reputation. Though I have the support of court officials entering Sichuan, some matters still require restraint."

This was the Northern Emperor's Yin Thunder Palm, originally formed from yin-evil qi; with the embroidered armband's enhancement, its power surged dramatically.

In Ezhou, he had profited greatly, acquiring a large number of Three Talismans of Devil-Subduing Coins from the Old Ancestor of Donghu—likely sent personally by Zhao Changsheng.

You could say nearly half the people of Luzhou City depended on the Du family for their livelihood.

It seemed this object was why Zuo Shouquan could not escape.

Li Yan faintly grasped the underlying principle.

One was that when the Later Shu emperor Meng Chang was overthrown by the Song, his consort, Lady Huarui, was taken into the Song palace. Missing her old lord, she painted a hunting scene of Meng Chang and hung it in her bedroom.

It was famously known in divination as "Po Jun transforming into Lu Shen," symbolizing rear-line replenishment and endless supply, called "rooted."

Yet he showed no fear, gritting his teeth and enduring.

So that's how it was…

And on the adjacent stone wall, several lines were carved: In the third year of Xiankang, the Qin Qi Army received secret orders to suppress the Flying-Head Liao sorcerer. The Daoist Zhang Yuanxiao aided them, together imprisoning the Flying-Head Liao demon god here. Posterity, do not disturb this place, or disaster shall surely come.

He had named this treasure "Thousand Thoughts."

This embroidered armband had originally been made for a "Qin Qi Army" soldier about to go to war, but the man died of a severe illness.

Altogether, he had acquired over eighty.

So Li Yan reluctantly sewed all the devil-subduing coins onto it.

Unexpectedly, this effort yielded an unexpected bonus—he had accidentally succeeded in refining the embroidered armband.

It sounded like a bad omen, but in truth, it was not.

Li Yan couldn't help but praise it.

It seemed this artifact had been gifted to Zhang Xian. Li Yan remembered it so clearly because this man was extraordinarily blessed—an epitome of effortless success.

A battalion commander in long robes, his face stern, was Zhao Xianda, Commandant of the Chongqing Garrison.

But after acquiring it, it had never reacted.

Something ahead! Li Yan accelerated without hesitation.

Legend says he later ascended to godhood and became known as "Zhang Xian."

Outside the quarry, birds took flight in panic, beasts fled.

This was the Northern Emperor's Protection Charm.

Li Yan's face lit up with delight, and he recited another hand seal with his left hand.

And the essence of Gang-Sha on his left embroidered armband had become so dense it felt no weaker than some celestial sanctuaries.

Beside him stood a row of sorcerers.

As for why his fame was so great, there were two legends.

Folklore says the Heavenly Dog would crawl down chimneys to frighten children, devour them, or infect them with smallpox. Hanging Zhang Xian's image beside the chimney kept the Heavenly Dog away.

He could feel the embroidered armband alternating between cold and warm.

It was because of this reason.

The previous "Five Directions Luo Feng Flag" had used many Three Talismans of Devil-Subduing Coins, but in practice, their combined effect was mediocre.

The principle was correct, and success had been achieved.

"Po Jun" is the seventh star of the Big Dipper; ancient texts called it the "Star of Consumption."

At the cave's bottom, just like outside, stretched a vast expanse of undulating rock, studded with pebbles, resembling the exposed body of a dragon.

Zhang Yuanxiao! This man is no ordinary person.

Li Yan raised his hand to look at the bracer.

Thinking of this, Li Yan formed another hand seal with his left hand and unleashed the Nine Heavens Devil-Slaying Hammer; electric arcs crackled as he punched down.

The depiction of Meng Chang showed him clad in brocade robes, face powdered white, lips painted red, five long beards flowing over his chest, elegant and refined. In his left hand he drew a bow, in his right he held a slingshot, shooting upward at the celestial dog.

Zhao Kuangyin grew suspicious upon seeing it, but Hua Rui, quick-witted, said this was Zhang Xian, the "God of Birth" from Shu, used to pray for children and blessings.

This object can balance yin and yang; this is a manifestation of yin-yang imbalance.

Fortunately, Zhang Xian had suppressed it back then, preventing its completion, and with my final strike, I destroyed this source of calamity entirely.

Li Yan stepped forward to examine it closely.

As for the "Qinji Army," it was originally Wang Jian's direct elite troops, numbering over four hundred, carrying purple banners, each with its own title.

There was naturally a reason for doing this.

It lies at the confluence of the Tuo River and the Yangtze, with thriving water transport; after the Great Xuan Dynasty's founding, it was upgraded to a directly governed prefecture under the Sichuan Administrative Commission.

Moreover, this treasure's potential extends far beyond this.

At the bottom, the stone wall formed a natural womb-egg, with countless flying-head fang-skulls embedded upon it, eerily strange.

In comparison, the Five Lords were utterly unlucky.

The "Five Directions Luo Feng Banner" can house five camps of troops, but its power depends on the quality of yin-evil energy, making it unsuitable—and one person cannot yet utilize it fully.

It served as the army's death squad and vanguard, often thrust deep into enemy lines, suffering heavy losses; thus, this "hao" signifies destruction and consumption.

This brocade bracer was originally woven to mimic heaven and earth, using Shu embroidery nodes to form a paradise realm, giving birth to treasures.

To craft the "Five Directions Luo Feng Banner," seventy-five were used; the remaining six were made into sword tassels.

After rounding a bend, he finally saw the source.

Seeing the scene before him, he froze in shock.

This was the true protective charm.

With the "Dragon-Snake Talisman," this function had become useless.

Though puzzled, Li Yan had no time to dwell on it.

It was a kenguan built from the skulls of flying-head fangs, poured over with molten iron, atop which flew a massive piece of Shu brocade.

Luzhou was formerly known as "Jiangyang," also called the Wine City or River City.

With a single thought of spirit retention, a chilling killing intent surged forth.

A sudden insight struck him; he immediately formed a hand seal with his left hand and chanted: "Nuo Gao, left bearing the Three Stars, right bearing the Three Prisons, heaven overturned, earth inverted, all nine paths sealed, make you lose your mind…"

When Zhu Wen usurped the Tang and founded the Later Liang, Wang Jian in Shu refused to recognize his legitimacy, declared himself emperor, historically known as Former Shu, later destroyed by Li Cunxu.

Once this technique is activated, ordinary spells cannot penetrate.

Thinking of this, Li Yan glanced around and pressed deeper.

Seeing it, Li Yan was suddenly gripped by dread.

A thought struck Li Yan; icy killing intent instantly erupted outward from him, spreading rapidly.

He turned his head to the side and said, "The supreme lord of heaven is the Jade Emperor; the noblest in the mortal world is the sovereign. All ghosts and gods revere them, yet only Lushan holds dominion."

Zizizizi! Electric sparks leapt across his arm.

Yet today, the Du family stood as if facing a great enemy.

On the banner were written the characters "Po Jun."

Moreover, this deity was also the God of Fortune among the "Three Stars of Blessing, Wealth, and Longevity."

The second was Emperor Renzong of Song, who had no children and was deeply troubled; one day he dreamed of Zhang Xian shooting a dog, and soon after, he had a child.

Outside the Du family's gate, the street was already occupied by Commandant's troops, with garrison soldiers setting up roadblocks beyond.

Drip… drip…

Zhao Kuangyin had heard of "Zhang Xian"'s fame; upon hearing this, his imperial countenance brightened. The story spread beyond the palace, causing a stir; the people of Bianjing hung Zhang Xian's portraits to pray for children.

The four-eyed immortal elder encountered by Zhang Xian had another, even more renowned name: Lu Xiujing, leader of the Southern Celestial Daoist Sect, Grand Master of the Xuan Gate, whose courtesy name was "Yuan De."

Yin-evil energy instantly enveloped his body, forming a protective barrier.

Within moments, Li Yan and the purple banner were frozen into an ice sculpture, frost spreading across the cavern walls around him.

Li Yan pondered briefly, and the origin of the two characters became clear.

South of the city, the Du family mansion.

Beside Zhang Xian's statue, couplets were often pasted: "Drive out the celestial dog, protect your children," with the horizontal inscription: "Descendants in endless succession."

In a flash of insight, Li Yan hurried forward and without hesitation wrapped the brocade bracer in the "Po Jun" purple banner.

The opponent, like Er Lang Zhen Jun, also used a bow and slingshot—was this mere coincidence, or was there deeper meaning…?

With this object, his "Divine Tiger Talisman" became entirely useless; he might as well give it to Wang Daoxuan or Lu San.

Thus, it was a sign of destruction preceding creation.

Each demon-sealing coin could be activated individually, though still in gestation; perhaps in the future they could be controlled separately.

But the concentration of Gang-evil energy was far too low.

Whether he truly ascended to godhood remains unknown, but after death, a string of coincidences turned him into a famous folk deity, still widely worshipped today.

On the purple peachwood sword were written the characters "Yuan De."

After the chaos in Chongqing Prefecture, he rose rapidly, and with the Commandant's Office deliberately nurturing him, he had become a Battalion Commander.

The source triggering the brocade bracer's anomaly was precisely this purple Shu brocade banner! The Qinji Army carried purple banners, each with a unique title.

Such intense yin-evil energy caused the purple banner to immediately be coated in frost, which then spread along Li Yan's arm.

"Fine treasure!"

The lead Daoist nodded slightly and said, "Your Excellency, rest assured—we understand well…"

"Ah—!"

Before he finished speaking, a piercing wail erupted from within the Du household:

"The Ancestor has passed away!"

(End of Chapter)