Chapter 89: Grassroots and Imperial Court

The mass grave at noon was another scene.

The gloom of the whole mountain was expelled, and the sunlight shone through the dense leaves, casting beams of light, which actually had a sense of quiet elegance.

Of course, that was assuming one ignored the dense graves and withered bones by the roadside.

There were more than thirty people climbing the mountain.

Some troops were left at the foot of the mountain to support, led by Chang Xuan himself. In addition to him, a hundred-household official, and Guan Wanche, he also brought five squad leaders, all of whom were experts in Hidden Strength.

The dozen or so people under his command were also at the peak of Bright Strength.

These elites of the Commandant's Office were clearly very familiar with mountain forest warfare, not only releasing hawks to soar in the sky but also leading two mastiffs.

As for the Xianyang Law Enforcement Hall, because many people were poisoned and they had to leave people to guard the altar, there were only five people brought by Luo Mingzi.

Although there were not many people, more than a dozen Hidden Strength experts were enough to deal with most situations.

"Woof! Woof!"

The mastiffs were fierce and soon tracked down the position.

The eagle circling in the sky also indicated the direction of the infiltrators.

Just at this moment, one of the Daoists had his ears twitching, and he reminded, "Be careful, there is an ambush ahead."

*Drip~*

Before the words fell, a strange flute sound came from the dense forest.

The mastiffs of the Commandant's Office also suddenly stopped and barked wildly at the surroundings.

Only to see black shadows surrounding from all directions under the soil ditch and between the dense forests, all of which were wild dogs eating dead human flesh in the mass grave, each with fierce light in their eyes and ferocious fangs.

Li Yan naturally smelled the fishy smell long ago, but he was too lazy to speak.

With so many experts, there was no need for him at all.

Sure enough, Luo Mingzi's expression remained unchanged, and he quickly took off the token from his waist.

This thing was exactly the "Shangxuan Bamboo Envoy Talisman" he used last time. He pinched the hand seal and chanted the Six Jia Secret Wishes, "Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing!"

But unlike last time, the tone of the spell changed.

Li Yan watched from the side and felt envious.

He and Wang Daoxuan had discussed it and knew that this was called "Baopu Dengshan Technique," which was not unique to the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect but was widely circulated in the Mystic Sect.

Wang Daoxuan's Western Mystic lineage also had it, but there were two conditions for practicing this method: first, to build a two-story tower, and second, to refine the precious "Shangxuan Bamboo Envoy Talisman."

Neither of them was qualified to practice it.

Although the conditions for this method were harsh, it was extremely convenient. Just by changing the incantations of the Six Jia Secret Wishes, one could hide from ghosts and gods and prohibit fierce beasts in the mountains.

Sure enough, as Luo Mingzi chanted the spell, the *gang* and *sha* energy flowed, and an aura like a fierce tiger gathered on his body.

*Woo, woo~*

Those wild dogs were startled and fell to the ground, some even peed in fear.

Of course, the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Money could also do this, but not in such a wide range.

At the same time, the Daoist who reminded them earlier also took off the large bow from his back, closed his eyes, his ears twitching, bent his bow and set his arrow, aiming at the sky on the right.

*Swish! *

The bowstring vibrated, and the sharp arrow flew out, disappearing into the dense forest.

Immediately after, a miserable scream rang out, and the flute sound stopped.

The wild dogs around fled in all directions.

"Go and see!"

The Commandant's Office and the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect were clearly not cooperating for the first time. Chang Xuan was not surprised and gave the order calmly.

Immediately, two squad leaders rushed into the dense forest.

Before long, they returned and cupped their hands, "Reporting to my lord, it is a person from the Beggar Gang, already dead from the arrow."

Chang Xuan heard this and said solemnly, "The Beggar Gang is familiar with the terrain, good at playing snakes and driving dogs, and their treasure-stifling sorcery is strange. We must be careful not to fall into a trap."

The wild dogs blocking the road were just a small episode. There were many people in the team who were good at tracking, and the crowd soon found an old grave mound.

Under the big tree behind, there was a hole, pitch black, with a ghostly atmosphere.

"Down!"

"Wait!"

Chang Xuan was about to order his men to explore the way, but was stopped by Luo Mingzi, who shook his head with a solemn expression, "There are traps inside, don't rush."

As he spoke, he looked at a Daoist beside him.

This Daoist had gray hair and beard, clearly not young. He took out a talisman from his bosom, pinched the seal with his left hand to knot the *sha*, and suddenly threw it out with his right hand.

The yellow talisman burned without wind, shot into the cave, and although the flame went out immediately, *gang* energy overflowed, as if a giant stone had fallen into a pool of water.

*Whoosh! *

A gust of ghostly wind sprayed out from the cave.

Several venomous snakes scurried out in panic, and there was a faint sound of mournful crying.

*Clang! *

Three squad leaders of the Commandant's Office pulled out their swords, the sword light flickering, and all the venomous snakes approaching the crowd were chopped into several pieces.

Luo Mingzi looked at the sky and shook his head, "These people are good at calculating. The Double Ninth Festival is the fifth day of the ninth month, the beginning of one yuan. All the lonely ghosts in the mass grave hide underground, but it has become their protective barrier."

Li Yan frowned, "There is no sunlight underground, and the *yin* evil energy is thick. Can we summon soldiers and horses to search?"

This was the most labor-saving method. No matter how complex the underground cave was, once the soldiers and horses of the Dharma altar came out, it wouldn't take long to catch everyone.

Luo Mingzi shook his head, "They also calculated this point. The Mountain God is currently enfeoffing, and the Mountain God's body is a heavenly treasure. Once it is startled before obtaining the god position, the blessings on its body will dissipate."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Chang Xuan, "Hundred-household official Chang, this place has become a ghost cave. Although they are all lonely ghosts, you had better not go in."

"The cave is narrow, and too many people will not be able to display their skills. You guys find other cave entrances and block them so no one can run away."

Chang Xuan hesitated, "That's fine. We will respond outside. Daoists, be careful."

Luo Mingzi nodded, and he, Li Yan, and the others entered the cave one after another, and soon disappeared into the darkness...

"My lord, it seems the Maitreya Sect didn't come."

As soon as they left, Guan Wanche suddenly spoke.

Chang Xuan showed regret in his eyes and shook his head, "A heavenly treasure that can be used as a healing holy product. If it weren't for the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect's order, this official would be moved."

"I didn't expect the people of the Maitreya Sect to endure..."

Before the words fell, a cold voice rang out from the dense forest in the distance, "Are you lords looking for me?"

"Who?!"

Everyone from the Commandant's Office pulled out their weapons.

However, looking in the direction of the voice, there was no one there.

A trace of suspicion rose in everyone's eyes. The two mastiffs they were leading did not warn them, and the eagle in the sky did not find the enemy. Where was the other party hiding?

Chang Xuan was just about to order a search when his heart stirred, and he said thoughtfully, "The enemy is using sorcery to try and lure us into splitting up; don't fall for it!"

"Form a formation, Lotus!"

He was experienced and instantly judged the other party's purpose.

At his command, everyone from the Commandant's Office immediately bent their bows and set their arrows, aiming back-to-back in all directions, the arrows sharp, like a hedgehog.

The other party still didn't appear, but Chang Xuan showed a smile.

What he feared was that the other party wouldn't be greedy. As long as they coveted that heavenly treasure, there was no need to rush, and they could circle around slowly.

"Eh?"

In the dense forest in the distance, a surprised voice rang out, and then a figure slowly walked out from behind a tree, dressed in a Daoist robe, with white beard and white brows.

"My lord, it's him!"

Guan Wanche immediately recognized that this old man was the one who broke into the Zhou family that day.

Chang Xuan's eyes were sharp, and he saw at a glance that the visitor was wearing a human-skin mask, and said coldly, "Since you are here, why not show your true face?"

The old man shook his head slightly, but just as he was about to speak, Chang Xuan's face changed, "Fire!"

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! *

In an instant, sharp arrows whistled out.

The visitor was Dugu Gan, an Incense Master of the Maitreya Sect. He was also extraordinary in skill, his body flashed, and he hid behind a tree.

Arrows fell like rain, nailing into the tree trunk and the ground, the tail feathers vibrating, clearly with sufficient force.

Dugu Gan didn't care, took out a bone flute hanging from his neck, pinched the seal with his left hand, and blew it gently in his mouth. *Di~*

The strange flute sound rang out in the dense forest.

*Swish! *

In the jungle behind the Commandant's Office, the grass and trees shook, and a fishy wind rushed toward them, making people dizzy.

However, everyone from the Commandant's Office was not panicked. Three people took off the leather bags from their waists and threw them into the air, and another three bent their bows and set their arrows.

*Bang, bang, bang! *

The leather bags exploded instantly, and pungent yellow powder scattered everywhere.

"Realgar?"

Dugu Gan behind the tree changed his expression and stopped blowing the flute immediately.

However, it was already too late.

*Swish! *

In the dense forest, a large snake as thick as a bowl whistled out, seemingly stimulated by the realgar to madness, its head blood-red like a cockscomb, opening its fangs and mouth, pouncing on the crowd.

Facing this legendary cockscomb snake, everyone from the Commandant's Office was not panicked. Under Guan Wanche's leadership, they picked up the iron nets that had been prepared long ago and threw them out.

The iron net was covered with iron hooks, exactly the "Ghost's Sorrow" used specifically by the yamen to catch martial arts experts. 【

That cockscomb snake was somewhat frantic, and it was directly covered from head to tail.

!.

Its snake scales were tough, and as they rubbed against the iron hooks, they actually sparked, but the "Ghost-Fear" iron net was huge, and the more it struggled, the tighter it became.

Even with preparations, the group was still shocked to see it.

This thing was impervious to blades and arrows, possessed immense strength, and was incredibly venomous; once it charged into their formation, there would inevitably be countless casualties.

No wonder it could kill all the bandits on the mountain.

Guan Wanche didn't say a word; he unslung the leather pouch from his waist and sprayed the black dog blood inside.

The black dog blood was also mixed with realgar; when splashed onto the cockscomb snake, it immediately hissed and emitted white smoke, and its scales softened, allowing the iron hooks to pierce completely through.

The cockscomb snake felt the pain and sobered up, not daring to move again; it stared at the group with a pair of cold, sinister eyes, while poisonous mist churned in its throat.

Clang!

Chang Xuan, who had kept his hands behind his back the whole time, finally drew the long sword from his waist and flicked his finger lightly against it, causing a sudden, resonant chime.

He looked coldly at the cockscomb snake and said, "This is a precious sword bestowed by the Imperial Court, possessing the power to suppress evil. You can try it out—is this official faster, or are you?"

The cockscomb snake seemed to understand human nature; upon hearing this, it immediately shut its mouth.

Chang Xuan nodded in satisfaction, then looked toward the dense forest in the distance and smiled, "Tomb Snake Dugu Gan, since I knew you were coming, how could I, this official, be without preparations?"

He spoke lightly, but in his heart, he was secretly relieved.

After receiving the message from Sha Lifei earlier, he had sensed something was wrong and immediately ordered his men to ride quickly to the surrounding villages to prepare, just managing to gather the items while heading up the mountain.

How could the power of the Imperial Court be compared to that of the common folk?

Especially for their Commandant's Office, the intelligence gathering on the Maitreya Sect had never ceased, and they even had information on the "Tomb Snake" Dugu Gan.

Although the cockscomb snake was rare, they had long since learned the method to restrain it.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on the corner of Chang Xuan's mouth, "Since things have reached this point, why not... come out and chat?"

Dugu Gan's expression was gloomy as he slowly walked out, saying in a deep voice, "My lord has good schemes and good skills. This master was careless; I didn't expect a mere Company Commander of the Commandant's Office to actually be a master of Hidden Energy."

Chang Xuan sighed, "The Imperial Court is different from the martial world; what we look at isn't just physical skill. Compared to fighting, this official prefers using his brain."

"I know Incense Master Dugu's sorcery is profound, and we can't stop you either. But as you can see, this official is prepared today, and you won't get any advantage either. Why not withdraw?"

Dugu Gan's eyes flickered with uncertainty, "They say dragons and snakes rise from the grass roots; it seems the Imperial Court is where the real hidden talents are. This master admits defeat today and will leave now—quickly release my spirit snake!"

"Sigh~"

Chang Xuan frowned and flicked his fingers, "One thing at a time. This official went to great lengths to catch this thing; how could I hand it over so easily?"

"Also, tell that Fire Ghost brother of yours not to aim his firearms at this official. At this distance, that thing would at most injure me, but your precious snake would lose its little life."

Dugu Gan's eyelids twitched, and he immediately raised his hand.

In the distance, a figure jumped down from a tree and quickly disappeared.

Dugu Gan looked at Chang Xuan; he truly hadn't expected to encounter such a troublesome character in this Xianyang City. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Speak, what do you want?"

Chang Xuan revealed a meaningful smile,

"I want a name."

"In the Commandant's Office, who leaked the secret to you..."

…………

Inside the cave, it was dark and damp.

It was somewhat cramped inside; not only was there standing water on the ground, making it muddy and difficult to walk, but dense tree roots hung down from above, and spiders and poisonous insects scurried through it.

A Daoist from the Law Enforcement Hall touched the cave wall and shook his head, "No wonder they raised so many wild dogs; they were actually used to dig the cave. By the looks of it, it's been here for quite some years."

Luo Mingzi stared at the messy footprints on the ground and said coldly, "Many years ago, that beggar leader, Old Manshan, took over the Westbound Beggar Gang; I suppose he was plotting this matter. If not for someone leaking the news, who would have thought that a Mountain Tai Sui would be gestating within the mass grave?"

Li Yan was thoughtful, "The person who leaked the secret is likely also harboring malicious intent."

Luo Mingzi nodded, "Rest assured, someone is secretly investigating."

While speaking, he held a Dharma Seal and performed the Pu Pu Mountain-Ascending Technique.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The poisonous snakes and insects hidden in the shadows all fled in panic, and the gloomy black mist in the distance also sank into the ground and quickly disappeared.

Clearly, neither poisonous snakes nor vengeful spirits could stop the group.

Seeing this, Li Yan shook his head secretly.

Being with these experts, he appeared somewhat useless.

His Olfactory Yi Shentong was indeed extraordinary, but these people from the Law Enforcement Hall, apart from Luo Mingzi, the elderly one was also at the second level of Daoist cultivation, and the remaining young people had also built their Pagoda Observatories; their divine abilities were far more formidable than his.

One was skilled in the Ear-Communication Yi Shentong and could hear movements within several hundred meters.

One was skilled in the Eye-Communication Yi Shentong and could distinguish yin and yang to see in the dark.

The remaining three were all skilled in Body-Communication and excelled in combat.

With their coordination, there was simply no room for him to perform.

He estimated they would be able to catch the person in a little while.

However, Li Yan hadn't come on this trip in vain.

Whether it was the methods of the Commandant's Office or the coordination of the Law Enforcement Hall's techniques, both had opened his eyes, and he secretly noted them down to learn.

Another of his strengths was his ability to draw inferences about other cases from one instance.

Martial arts moves were like this, and techniques were no exception.

Just like the Zhou family's Ape-Leaping, after seeing it just once, he had integrated it into his own Red Fist and saber techniques, coming up with various ways to coordinate hidden energy.

This might also be a gift from his past life, the ability to jump out of the framework to look at problems.

The group moved very quickly, and before they knew it, they had penetrated deep underground.

There were many forks in the cave tunnels, and quite a few dead ends, but the footprints on the ground could not be erased, and with the group's divine abilities, they were not misled at all.

Finally, the earthen cave disappeared, and the ground turned to rock.

The group looked up and saw that a stone grotto had appeared before them; there were traces of manual excavation around it, and there was a passage on the left side that had been blocked by rubble.

And further ahead, several more branching passages appeared.

The earthen cave they had passed through happened to open out on the other side of the stone wall.

On the stone wall, there was also a shrine carved by hand; the statue inside was already covered in mottled moss and had been eroded until it was blurry and unclear.

Li Yan was somewhat surprised, "Is it an ancient tomb?"

Those shrines looked ancient at a glance and were not the work of the Beggar Gang.

"No."

Luo Mingzi looked around and shook his head, "The history of the Divine Land is ancient. Since the ancient tribal period, people have been exploring everywhere, and because there were many wild and strange things in the wilderness at that time, the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' says that every mountain has a god."

"This custom has been passed down to this day without interruption. Whenever there is a strange and miraculous place, the common people will burn incense and worship. In ancient times, people sacrificed to the mountain god here, and the Mountain Tai Sui gestated a Divine Essence through the power of incense, but later something went wrong, and the passage collapsed."

Li Yan was just about to speak when suddenly his left palm felt a pain, and then his vision blurred; amidst the haze, he saw a scene:

In a pitch-black cave, an old man was wearing a tree-bark garment, his beard covered in moss, his face eerily pale, his mouth opening and closing, his eyes full of pleading...

(End of chapter)