Chapter 700: Disturbance in the Yin Ruins

“Selling Zhao Changsheng?”

Li Yan’s heart tightened, “You dare say that?”

Zhao Qingxu chuckled silently, “You misunderstood from the start. How could anyone from Jianmu be so foolish as to sell their life for others? It’s merely driven by mutual interest. If needed, Zhao Changsheng would betray his own people faster than anyone else.”

“That’s true enough.”

Li Yan glanced at the possessed Night Walkers around him and sneered, “Do you truly believe Zhao Changsheng can open the Dala Fajie passage to help you ascend to godhood? I think he only wants to release these demonic gods and turn the mortal world upside down.”

This was, in fact, a probe.

Kong Shangzhao had already translated the “Seeking Immortality Chapter.” According to Xu Fu’s design, the Nine Tripods must be placed at nine dragon vein nodes—Daizong, Yishan, Prefect, Langya, Kuaiji—to form the Ascension Array, reconnecting the Dala Fajie with the mortal realm.

The name Jianmu also originates from this.

Back then, the First Emperor believed in its mystery, yet ultimately failed. The Nine Tripods sank into the dragon veins, nurtured for thousands of years, and have since become peerless divine artifacts; the array may no longer function. But Zhao Changsheng is determined to seize the Nine Tripods—his intentions are far from ordinary.

“Hah…” Zhao Qingxu smiled faintly, “You know one thing, but not the second. Zhao Changsheng acts in secrecy and never reveals his full plan. I know a little of the truth—and it’s horrifying.”

“You want me to listen? Pay the price, and we might discuss it.”

Li Yan’s eyes narrowed to slits: “What price?”

“Simple.”

Zhao Qingxu smiled, “Kill one person for me.”

“Who?”

“Bai Chenshan, Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau!”

Li Yan was stunned: “Why kill him?”

He had met Bai Chenshan before—a leading earth master of Shenzhou, in charge of calendar reform.

What grudge does Jianmu hold against him?

Zhao Qingxu shook his head, “Just a transaction. No need to ask further.”

Li Yan scoffed, “You think I’d believe that?”

Zhao Qingxu fanned himself, the character “money” glaringly prominent on the fan, “No matter. You may consider it.”

Li Yan said nothing, but looked around.

Four shadowy figures hovered above and below, their soul-snatching chains twisting like serpents.

He had dealt with many escaped demonic energies—these were the soul-fragments of demonic gods, cruel and cunning. In every case, they manipulated believers to prepare their escape.

But here, they remained silent, as if under Zhao Qingxu’s command.

Demonic energy is hard to handle—indestructible and immortal. Only sealing can contain it.

One would be manageable. Four at once? He had no chance of victory, let alone against this unknown Zhao Qingxu.

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

Seeing his expression, Zhao Qingxu feigned remembrance and waved his hand.

Swish!

The possessed Night Walkers immediately parted to clear a path.

This was an outright show of force!

Li Yan’s face remained expressionless as he swiftly exited the encirclement.

Just before leaving, he suddenly turned and asked, “One more thing—I’d like to ask: when Zhao Changsheng returned from the northern frontier, someone in the capital acted as his inside man and tampered with the rewards granted to veteran soldiers. Was that you?”

Zhao Qingxu answered frankly, “Correct. It was I who made the connection.”

Li Yan’s gaze turned icy. “They were mere mortals. Using the Three Talismans of Demonic Sealing—wasn’t the cost too high?”

Zhao Qingxu lifted his head. From behind the blank, pale mask came a mocking tone:

“When you hunt, do you care about the arrowhead?”

“Good.”

Li Yan’s lips curled, revealing cold white teeth. “You almost fooled me.”

He glanced around. “Since you know this, you know I won’t let it go. All your lies were just to make me leave.”

“You dare not strike—what are you afraid of…?”

Before he finished, he pulled out the Soul-Collecting Warrant from his sleeve and chanted:

“Heaven has its order, Earth its law. The Yin Court seizes souls; mortals must retreat!”

“Die!”

Zhao Qingxu’s voice turned instantly icy, laced with fury.

“I’ll deal with him—you strike first!”

Saying this, he formed a hand seal, and the scroll “Precious Declaration of the Earth Official’s Pardon” soared into the air.

Within this hidden realm, the scroll’s power fully manifested.

The scroll’s dark wind swelled, transforming into a yellow silk several zhang long, inscribed with: “With sincere devotion, I bow to the Azure Spirit of the Cave of Yang, within the Northern Capital Palace, overseeing the Forty-Two Courts, accompanied by ninety million souls, governing the Three Realms, Ten Directions, Nine Lands, and holding dominion over the Five Peaks, Eight Extremes, and Four Corners…”

Each character was as large as a dou, radiating golden light.

Li Yan had successfully summoned the Yin Court troops, yet the shadowy black mist rising from the void was forcibly pushed back.

He had anticipated this. Without hesitation, he formed another seal—the Soul-Snatching Thunder Chains roared forth with a clatter.

“Hmph!”

Zhao Qingxu, too, was prepared. He formed another seal and swung his paper fan left and right.

This object was also a Dala Faqi.

As he chanted, the large “money” character on the fan glowed crimson.

Whoosh!

Countless paper fragments flew out like snowflakes.

Closer inspection revealed they were all phantom banknotes.

Li Yan’s vision was exceptional—he saw clearly.

These resembled banknotes, yet differed: the patterns of houses, trees, and figures bore inscriptions like “Yizhou Jiaozi Office” and “Maritime Trade Bureau.”

Song Dynasty “jiaozi”?

Why not silver notes?

Could it be tied to their origin…?

Li Yan harbored doubts, but had no time to ponder.

The “jiaozi” Zhao Qingxu flung into the air rolled and gathered, then surged with dark qi, forming figures—some grotesque, some with oversized heads and tiny bodies, others covered in hair, eyes glowing blood-red.

Fierce Ghosts, Big-Head Ghosts, Foul-Haired Ghosts…

All mentioned in the “Yuanxuan Record.”

These ghosts were plastered front and back with jiaozi, like puppets controlled by strings, lunging at him.

Truly, money can make ghosts turn millstones.

At the same time, Li Yan’s Soul-Snatching Thunder Chains wrapped around his entire body.

With crackling lightning, he transformed into a Thunder God.

BOOM!

A thunderous roar—and he vanished from the spot.

The demons along his path offered no resistance; they were instantly crushed into black smoke, their souls scattered.

Li Yan’s “Divine Transformation Art,” though time-limited, granted him a direct surge in combat power.

Yet he felt no joy.

Because the four possessed Night Walkers far away were circling the demonic statue of Queen Mother at high speed.

Their forms began to dissolve, yet streams of crimson demonic energy flowed into the Queen Mother statue.

The peach tree trembled, its roots twisting, shoving all the paper figures beneath it into its hollow trunk. Then, the faces of the nobles, contorted in agony, appeared on its surface, joined by the wailing cries of the children’s vengeful spirits.

The demonic statue of Queen Mother was lifted by the roots and placed within the tree’s crown.

Whoosh!

Stone chips fell from the statue’s eyes, revealing blood-red orbs.

So this was their true goal!

Li Yan understood at once.

All this demonic energy came from the demonic god Liu Yuanheng.

He was older still, said to have been forged from Xi Rang, later becoming a spirit adept at transformation—able to infiltrate other deities’ clay idols, impersonate gods, and steal incense offerings. The “Peach Banquet” was meant not only to control the capital’s nobles, but likely also to nurture this demonic god.

BOOM!

As the demonic energy flooded into the Queen Mother statue, the peach tree seemed to become its lower limbs, stepping forward—the ground trembled violently.

Li Yan felt his scalp prickle; the aura of this monstrous entity nearly suffocated him.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qingxu, as if never running out of “jiaozi,” kept swinging his fan, summoning one demon after another to block him.

“Aaang—!”

At that moment, a dragon’s roar echoed from the horizon.

Li Yan felt crushing pressure descend from the sky; the lightning around him dimmed rapidly.

In an instant, he smelled an overwhelming scent of incense, and heard a majestic voice echoing in his ears:

“We humbly pray: Heaven and Earth are vast, Yin and Yang first divided. Great Xuan received mandate from Heaven, inheriting the destiny of Shenzhou… Daizong guards the eastern extreme, Huashan protects the western frontier…”

It was the Great Xuan’s prayer to Heaven and Earth!

This place was indeed tied to the Great Xuan’s dragon veins—the pressure he felt earlier came from this.

Every dynasty’s dragon vein is the imperial family’s most core secret; those who spy on it die.

Li Yan did not know what secret art the Great Xuan Dynasty used, but he knew a major trouble was coming.

Without a word, he turned and walked away.

As if sharing a telepathic bond, Zhao Qingxu also swiftly retreated, waving his paper fan; countless phantom “jiaozi” shadows fell like snowflakes, converging upon the peach tree and the divine statue to form a massive “hidden” character.

He stared silently at Li Yan’s retreating figure; beneath his pale mask, murderous intent seemed to seep out.

Of course, he did not pursue, nor did he even conceal his entire aura.

“Roar—!” The mournful dragon’s cry sounded again, growing louder, as if the entire space trembled.

Zhao Qingxu formed a hand seal, his body trembling slightly.

Amid the dragon’s cry, the jiaozi composing the “hidden” character continuously turned to ash.

Clearly, under this terrifying pressure, Zhao Qingxu was barely holding on.

And Li Yan, while fleeing, was suffering just as much.

Whoosh!

He still maintained his Thunder God Form, becoming a streak of lightning that shot straight to the original strange marketplace.

On the marketplace, the spectral merchants from all corners of the land had ceased moving.

They stared blankly at the sky, their forms gradually crumbling under the dragon’s cry.

At the same time, a side alley to the left of the marketplace twisted with distorted light and shadow, revealing a new phantom passage.

Li Yan could see that across the passage was darkness, filled with countless green ghostly flames; the streets were dilapidated, wooden shops haphazardly piled like makeshift shanties of a poor district, and numerous dark shadows fled in all directions amid the dragon’s cry.

On the decaying archway, four characters were clearly written: “Chang’an Ghost Market.”

Why was Chang’an Ghost Market here?

This “Nine Gates Yin Xu” indeed concealed many secrets.

But Li Yan had no time to ponder it now.

The thunderlight on his body, suppressed by the dragon’s cry, rapidly faded.

Worse still, though he had reached the city gate, the Chongwen Gate remained tightly shut.

Boom boom boom~

At that moment, the city gate suddenly opened.

Just as the thunderlight on his body was about to vanish, Li Yan finally burst through the gate.

Instantly, all pressure and the dragon’s cry disappeared.

But the trouble was not over.

“What demon or spirit dares spy on this forbidden place!”

A roar came from ahead; over a dozen men in brocade robes and yellow robes waited outside.

Some held jade swords, others cradled jade gui and jade cong—all ritual vessels.

Li Yan could not sense any qi from these men.

They wielded nothing but national sacrificial artifacts!

They were the imperial sorcerers of the Clan Office!

These men clearly would not listen to his explanations; they raised their ritual vessels and formed the Heaven-Earth-Man Trinity Array.

At the same time, the Chongwen Gate behind him opened again with a thunderous boom.

The dragon’s cry and that terrifying pressure began to leak outward.

Wolves ahead, tigers behind, Li Yan dared not easily use any technique, lest his origins be revealed.

Ding ling ling~

Just as he was forced to act, the pleasant bell sound rang again.

It was Tu’er Ye!

Before Li Yan could react, he felt the ground beneath him suddenly vanish.

Some force pulled him downward, like earth-traveling, instantly depositing him outside the ruined Earth God Temple.

At the temple entrance, the oil-thieving rat spirit was licking the broken incense burner.

“Squeak~”

Seeing Li Yan appear suddenly, it bristled all over, dropped the incense burner, and ran.

Li Yan paid it no mind, rushing straight into the Earth God Temple.

Ling ling ling~

The sound rang again—it was the red cord with copper coins, the Soul-Tethering Thread, trembling on his hand.

Li Yan felt his vision go black, then was yanked away by some force.

He had barely left when the brocade-robed men arrived swiftly.

“Another flaw in the array!”

Seeing the gap in the ruined Earth God Temple, a short, fat old man’s face darkened. “Who is on duty in this sector?”

“Uncle, it’s me…”

From the ranks, a young man stepped forward, head bowed, body trembling slightly.

The short, fat old man saw him, eyes filled with embarrassment, yet his face grew even angrier.

The Great Xuan Clan Office typically appointed five princes to its highest positions, all rank zhengyi-pin, forming its power core.

They may not be Daoist practitioners themselves, but they could arrange for qualified descendants to cultivate.

With the dynasty’s might lifting them, they wielded only national sacrificial artifacts—naturally, none were weak.

But precisely because of this, the Clan Office’s web of relationships was extraordinarily complex.

Seeing his own descendant, the short, fat old man wanted to protect him, yet did not wish to lose face before these others.

“Enough. It’s not Chengyou’s fault.”

Another tall, thin old man glanced around. “The Nine Gates Yin Xu shifts unpredictably; even we have not yet deciphered its patterns. Perhaps a flaw appears suddenly one day. Just be more careful in future.”

These excuses were pure nonsense.

Personnel were stationed near all Nine Gates; regular patrols would have detected it.

The hole created by the oil-thieving rat spirit had existed for a long time—it was clearly this young man’s laziness.

Of course, everyone else turned a blind eye.

After all, everyone makes mistakes; if you pick on others now, you’ll be the one in trouble when your turn comes.

“Did you hear me?”

The short, fat old man scolded his descendant; the young man quickly apologized.

The tall, thin old man who had helped him deflect blame now turned and said sternly: “That wandering yin soul must be highly accomplished, and his physical body is nearby. Notify the Jinwu Guard to seal off the neighborhood and conduct a thorough search!”

“Yes!”

Several young men, clutching jade artifacts, gradually faded away.

After they left, the short, fat old man whispered: “Thank you, Brother Wang. This matter…”

“Don’t worry.”

The tall, thin old man smiled. “This won’t be recorded. Avoid giving those people cause for trouble.”

“Thank you.”

The short, fat old man exhaled, then looked toward the Chongwen Gate, frowning. “Something seems wrong inside…”

“What could possibly be wrong?”

The tall, thin old man scoffed. “Perhaps some petty thief wandered in, causing the dragon vein to tremble and everything to wither. No need to make a fuss.”

As he spoke, he glanced back at the Chongwen Gate; a cold gleam flashed in his pupils…

…………

In a daze, Li Yan felt himself plummeting rapidly.

Soon, it felt as if he were wrapped in cotton.

This was the sign of returning to his physical body.

He was puzzled—he hadn’t reached the time yet. Why had Wang Daoxuan summoned his soul so early?

His body gradually regained sensation; his vision no longer darkened.

Boom!

The sound of collapsing walls thundered around him.

Li Yan snapped open his eyes to find chaos all around.

Wang Daoxuan stood behind him, face grim, performing a ritual.

Around the courtyard lay a pile of black-clad men.

Some had purple, swollen heads—clearly killed by Lu San’s venomous bees.

Others had killed each other—victims of Long Yan’s poison magic.

Wu Ba gripped one man’s head and smashed it against the wall, collapsing the earthen wall.

“Someone launched a surprise attack!”

Wang Daoxuan, seeing Li Yan awake, quickly explained.

Li Yan immediately understood—it was Zhao Qingxu’s doing. Afraid the commotion would draw the Clan Office, yet wanting him dead, he sent assassins. But they hadn’t expected to face his own companions, who were utterly outmatched.

At that moment, the two rats, Da and Er, inside the little fox’s waist pouch, suddenly squeaked frantically.

“Soldiers are coming!”

Lu San quickly explained.

“Go!”

Li Yan gave the order, and everyone immediately packed their things and set fire to the place.

When the Jinwu Guard arrived, only the courtyard, consumed by flames, remained…

(End of Chapter)