Chapter 608: Foggy Night Beacon Fires

Armor surged as footsteps shattered the snow-littered ground.

Red lanterns pierced through the snow mist, casting a dim crimson glow.

From above, the Chongqing reinforcements appeared like a black torrent, tearing through the crimson haze, heading toward the Shu Prince's Mansion.

In the center of the crowd, Yang Chenghua stared at the bronze flower basket in his hands.

After undoing the spell, the ancient state ritual artifact reverted to its original worn state, showing no sign of anomaly.

Yet Yang Chenghua could sense a consciousness slowly gestating, wrapped in the power of incense offerings.

It felt familiar, yet strange.

Familiar, because it originated from the River God Great Lord; since the Temple of Er Lang Zhenjun appeared, one of its key tasks had been suppressing this demon's lingering will.

One could say the karmic bond had been forged from the start.

Strange, because the Dragon Princess had seized its divine essence.

A new, powerful water deity was about to emerge.

Thinking of this, Yang Chenghua's gaze grew complex.

"Are you leaving, friend?"

A weary voice suddenly sounded behind him.

It was Cheng Jianxin and Chang Tianque.

"I have nothing left to cling to."

Yang Chenghua nodded, unsurprised.

Among everyone present, only Li Yan had known his identity from the start; the rest were confused.

Ming Shanzi seemed to suspect something but dared not be certain.

Yet this Cheng Jianxian, though aged, had once entered the Divine Ascension realm and had recognized his true identity.

Recalling what he'd occasionally heard, Yang Chenghua couldn't help asking: "You were only one step away—why did you sever your own path?"

Cheng Jianxin fell silent, then smiled on his aged face: "Perhaps it was disappointment. That place might grant immortality, yet still offers no true freedom—endless suffering, boundless ocean."

"I've drawn my sword too many times in my life—I'm weary. I can't bear to leave this mortal world, and I only wish to be buried here."

"You are not of this world—you might still go there…"

With that, he continued forward, supported by Chang Tianque.

Only Yang Chenghua remained, gazing at the basket in his hand, then at the thick fog and thunder overhead, shaking his head slightly…

………

With no obstacles on the streets, the army moved faster.

Finally, they reached the main street outside the Shu Prince's Palace.

Funeral lanterns glowed cold as snow; red lanterns swirled in thick mist.

Between red and white, the two armies faced each other across hundreds of meters.

Whoosh!

From the Shu Prince's side, countless firelocks raised.

The Chongqing reinforcements likewise leveled their firearms.

Cold wind blew; both sides held their breath, tense and still.

The new firearms had greater power; the Shu Prince's side was better equipped, but they guarded every side of the mansion.

The number of troops at the main gate was nearly equal to the Chongqing reinforcements.

In this situation, firing would benefit neither side.

Zhao Xianda, mounted and holding his saber horizontally, suddenly turned his eyes and shouted toward the distance: "Listen, comrades!"

"Prince Xiao Qipan has long been controlled by demons—they're performing dark arts within to destroy all of Sichuan! All these strange phenomena in the city are their doing!"

His words clearly aimed to undermine morale.

In fact, they had some effect.

Many of these garrison soldiers had already doubted—after all, the scene before them was uncanny, and the Shu Prince's Mansion had clearly prepared in advance.

Had they all been manipulated?

But now that disaster had been wrought, what could they do…

Seeing their hesitation, Zhao Xianda felt a surge of joy, drew his sword with a clang, and pointed at the churning fog above:

"Look at this city choked by nightmares—you're all sons of Chengdu! Perhaps your wives, children, and elders are now raging on the streets—how dare you aid the tyrant?!"

His voice rang like a bell, echoing through the snowy night.

"Bold!"

As the Chengdu garrison soldiers hesitated, a Black Feather Guard captain suddenly rode forward, shouting:

"Traitors and rebels—how dare you spread heresy to confuse the masses!"

With that, he raised his hand and fired a Divine Firelock.

Boom!

A deafening blast, sparks flying everywhere.

Zhao Xianda felt a chill on his head—his headcloth and topknot were instantly shattered, his hair flying wildly in the wind; he ducked low in terror.

He narrowly escaped, but a nearby soldier was not so lucky.

One man groaned as blood burst from his chest and abdomen.

Another had his skull pierced by shrapnel and collapsed dead on the spot.

But this single shot acted like a trigger.

"Kill!"

The Chongqing reinforcements opened fire en masse.

Still using the three-stage volley, gunpowder roared in unison, streaks of flame shot out, smoke blending into the snowy night.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Led by the Black Feather Guards, Divine Firelocks thundered; the remaining Chengdu garrison soldiers, tense and nervous, fired instinctively.

Once the guns fired, all reason vanished.

Everyone frantically pulled triggers.

Fortunately, along both sides of the road to the Shu Prince's Mansion stood numerous taverns and eateries, offering ample cover.

After dozens fell, the Chongqing reinforcements quickly scattered—some climbed onto rooftops to fire, others slipped through hidden alleys to shoot from another street.

Before arriving, all had been given their orders.

Their goal was to pin down the Shu Prince's main gate troops, giving the other two factions time to prepare.

The Shu Prince's side suffered heavy losses too.

Some had their heads explode and fall; their gunpowder and firelocks were immediately seized by others, who fired back.

Thick mist filled the air; the night was dim.

At three hundred meters, these ordinary soldiers couldn't see their enemies, couldn't aim—only fired blindly.

In an instant, chaos erupted.

In the dark corner atop Yuanwang Tower, Li Yan watched it all, his eyes cold, his killing intent hard to suppress.

To be honest, he didn't consider himself a good man.

His father was a famed blade master who killed for money as a matter of course.

He'd been cunning since childhood, never willing to be cheated, surviving in the Jianghu, knowing every trick of deception, and having harmed others in turn.

Along this journey, he'd seen far too much.

Murder, robbery, framing, demonic arts to harm people…

He'd encountered every vile thing imaginable.

But Zhao Changsheng and his kind were truly unbearable.

They treated all living beings as ants.

To achieve their ends, they trampled without mercy.

In just these few days, countless lives had been lost.

At this moment, Li Yan suddenly thought the Heavenly Code was not so bad.

These demons lurking among mortals…

None of them should exist!

"Li Shaoxia, focus!"

A warning came from behind—Ming Shanzi.

At this moment, all Qingcheng disciples were in position; the banners of the Jingyang Altar pulsed with Gangqi, merging into one.

This Gangqi was simulating "Jingyang."

It was a warm, radiant force, like the sun breaking through a frozen winter, even melting the surrounding snow.

Li Yan stopped his wandering thoughts, picked up the "Bing Ding Sheng Gui Talisman," changed his hand seals, and carefully sensed the power of Luo Feng Mountain.

All was ready—now they waited for Sha Li Fei to act…

…………

In the dark tunnel, torches flickered uncertainly.

The Dragon Palace's Water Mansion had descended, even affecting these hidden passages—walls and pits around them dripped with condensation, forming mud on the ground.

Sha Li Fei and his companions were now covered in mud.

Of course, they had no time to think much now.

"San'er, still not there?" Sha Lifei grew impatient and couldn't help asking.

Lu San frowned, suddenly stopping at a fork in the path, glancing around with confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Sha Lifei's heart jolted, quickly asking.

Lu San ran his hand along the stone wall, frowning. "Something's off—I carved hidden marks at every point, but here, they've vanished."

"This tunnel should lead to the west city."

"Damn it!"

Sha Lifei's mind went blank. "San'er, this is critical—how dare you get lost?"

"I'm not lost."

"Earth Hearing String" Yue San'er shook his head slightly, forming a hand seal and listening intently. "The power of the Dragon Palace Water Mansion has seeped underground—the earth qi here is chaotic. We've likely encountered a ghost wall."

!

"Use the Baopu Mountain Ascension Technique!"

Saying this, he pulled out yarrow stalks from his robe and handed them to everyone.

The old Daoist Chong Chenzi of Qingcheng Sect took his, wrapped them around his fingers without hesitation, formed the seal and stepped the Gang, activating the mountain-climbing art.

The others moved swiftly too.

Only Sha Lifei looked embarrassed. "Uh, Old Sha here has some talent, but I just entered the Mystic Gate—I haven't learned this technique yet."

"No problem. Just follow us."

"Earth Hearing String" Yue San'er took over from Lu San, pulled out a Luo Pan, and led the group forward again.

This time, the path ahead finally stayed consistent.

The old man Yue San'er used Earth Master techniques to sense the flow of earth veins, soon guiding them back on course.

It was the same fork as before—but now, there were rat gnaw marks on it.

Lu San finally sighed in relief. "This underground tunnel was built by Mystic Gate craftsmen. What we saw earlier wasn't false—it's the same structure, designed to deceive."

This time, he checked every marker after each stretch.

After a while, the path ahead opened up into a cavernous warehouse, filled only with moldy cabinets.

"From here, we can reach the Shu Prince's Mansion directly."

Lu San also sighed in relief.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

At that moment, applause echoed from the darkness.

A figure slowly emerged from the tunnel leading to the Shu Prince's Mansion, dressed in a plain robe, his face twisting unnaturally.

It was the leader of Chengdu's underworld: Wu Xiang Young Master.

He looked at Lu San and clucked admiringly. "No wonder you're 'Xu Quan' Lu San—I hid my tracks carefully, yet you still found this place."

"What do you want?"

Sha Lifei gripped his Divine Fire Gun, asking coldly.

"Hahaha…"

Wu Xiang Young Master gave a dry laugh, his expression darkening. "I sincerely sought to cooperate with you, showed restraint, treated you with courtesy."

"Yet you all conspire against me."

"Li Yan pretended to be virtuous, turning my men against me, forcing me to be hunted by the Shu Prince's forces—my men dead or scattered, now I'm utterly alone."

"I spent great effort finding this tunnel. If you don't give me an explanation today, none of you will leave!"

Saying this, he pulled a barrel of gunpowder from his waist.

He brought it close to a torch, as if ready to ignite it at any moment.

He had extensive underworld experience; though he'd never seen the Six Idlers of the Bamboo Grove, he'd heard of Qingcheng's famed Chong Chenzi.

He was alone—he stood no chance against them.

He could only threaten this way.

"Wait, let's talk."

Sha Lifei hurried to stop him, grinning. "Old Sir, you're blocking us here for a reason—why not tell us what you want?"

Hearing this, Wu Xiang Young Master no longer wasted words, gritting his teeth: "You went to Dujiangyan—what did you find from the Dragon Palace Water Mansion?"

"Find a damn thing~"

Sha Lifei sighed. "I'll tell you straight: Dujiangyan was a dead end. The Shu Prince tricked all of us—the fog covering Chengdu? That's the Dragon Palace Water Mansion."

"They're searching for the Nine Tripods—inside the royal courtyard, they set up a Faitong tree. If we're late, the treasure will be taken…"

The matter of the Nine Tripods had already been made public by Li Yan—even common soldiers of Chongqing Garrison knew—it was no longer secret.

If so, better to use this information to lure Wu Xiang Young Master away, so he doesn't ruin our mission.

"The Nine Tripods?!"

Wu Xiang Young Master's eyes lit up, disbelief flickering.

But the others' expressions didn't seem fake.

Thinking of this, greed rose in Wu Xiang Young Master's heart. Holding the gunpowder barrel, he slowly retreated from the group.

Then he spun and fled, vanishing into darkness.

"Finally gone."

Sha Lifei chuckled. "If he heads for the Shu Prince's Mansion, he won't know—we're here to blow up a wall."

"Hurry, before more trouble arises."

The group said nothing, pressing forward without delay.

After another half incense stick's travel, Lu San suddenly stopped.

"Right there."

Everyone looked up—the tunnel's stone walls had vanished, replaced by a wall built entirely of skulls.

Though no malevolent qi radiated, the sight weighed heavily on the heart.

"Does Chengdu really have this?"

Yin Yang Pen Cui Bai was also startled. "I reviewed old records—Chengdu once fought a great war with the Golden Tent Wolf Nation, killing countless enemies, then cast their corpses into a 'Jinguan' buried underground to suppress Chengdu's earth fortune."

Yue San'er beside him shook his head. "Just superstition to fool the people—this thing has no real power…"

As he spoke, he pulled out his Luo Pan to check.

Finally, he slapped his palm against a side pit. "The Shu Prince's Mansion was built by compacting the ground tightly—this spot is better."

Without delay, Sha Lifei immediately tied his carried gunpowder packs, securing them with ropes, then stretched out a long fuse.

"Go!"

The group fled swiftly, leaving only the fuse hissing as it burned…

…

Outside the Shu Prince's Mansion, the battle grew fiercer.

The greatest threat remained the Black Feather Guard.

Their heavy-armored gunners weren't just immensely strong—their firearms were noticeably thicker than others'.

Through coordinated attacks, they'd even toppled a century-old shop.

"Beat the drum! Switch to armor-piercing arrows!"

Zhao Xianda sensed the shift and immediately ordered.

Creaking~

Soldiers of Chongqing Garrison immediately drew their weapons.

Instantly, a dense hail of arrows whistled forth.

With thuds and thumps, the heavy-armored gunners were instantly blackened like charcoal.

Boom!

At that moment, the ground trembled slightly.

With a thunderous crash, the main gate of the Mansion shattered into fragments, and surrounding walls began to collapse…

The moment had come!

Li Yan suddenly opened his eyes, forming hand seals and chanting incantations.

"Earth Spirits, Supreme Generals, Righteous Deities of Heaven and Earth, Commanders of Earth Spirits, Overseers of Temples, Aid the Law, Assist the Spirit, Illuminate the Martial Might, Great Protector. Purple-Haired Demon King, Iron-Masked Grand Judge…"

This was the Wen Lingguan's Sacred Litany.

Yet after reciting it several times, there was no response.

Seeing Qingcheng's people exchange doubtful glances, Li Yan gritted his teeth, formed the seal again, and channeled all his power.

Whoosh!

Two soul-reeling chains flew from his back, absorbing vast amounts of yin and malevolent qi, wrapping his entire body.

This was Li Yan activating the Divine Transformation Art.

Now, he was shrouded in black mist, commanding the altar, continuously chanting prayers.

Boom! Boom!

Lightning flashed within the thick clouds above.

A massive shadow seemed to dart swiftly through the clouds…

(End of chapter)