Chapter 92: Back on the Road

"What's the rush? Aren't I saving you right now!"

Li Yan's tone was already somewhat impatient.

He had just experienced a brush with life and death; although he had the Great Luo Dala Dala Fa Shen to recover, the mental exhaustion and tension had not yet dissipated. This old man's constant urging was truly annoying.

Especially this cloth satchel, a family heirloom of the Beggar Sect, which seemed to have grown into the ground, tangled and inseparable, impossible to pull away.

Li Yan grew fierce, his internal energy surging as he tried to rip the cloth satchel apart.

Yet, the more force he exerted, the more the Heaven and Earth Fortune surged from within it.

At the same time, the flame that had been extinguished on the left shoulder of his Great Luo Dala Dala Fa Shen was ignited once more, dancing nimbly and emitting a faint blue light...

This?!

Li Yan's face revealed surprise, somewhat unable to believe it.

Since killing the wolf at Li Family Fort, the third life-fire that had been extinguished was finally relit!

Judging from the information obtained from the Great Luo Dala Dala Fa Shen, the effects of absorbing and devouring Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Treasures varied.

Like the drumstick he obtained at Ancient Water Village, it enhanced the strength of the Dala Dala Fa Shen.

Li Yan looked at the cloth satchel in his hand.

Could this dirty, ragged thing be capable of repairing life-fire?

No!

Li Yan soon discovered the trick.

As his life-fire ignited, the old Mountain God's complexion grew increasingly withered, and the look he cast toward Li Yan carried a certain despair.

So that's it...

Amidst his joy, Li Yan felt somewhat awkward and hurriedly let go of the cloth satchel.

It turned out this object was merely a medium.

What he was truly devouring was the old Mountain God's fortune!

Relighting the life-fire was already good fortune.

If he were greedy and continued to absorb it, not only would the effect be minimal, but he would also kill this Fortune God who protected the region, which would be a grave sin.

Sure enough, after he let go, the old man's expression relaxed significantly, and his eyes carried a trace of gratitude.

Li Yan observed carefully and finally discovered the reason.

In the illusion transmitted by the old Mountain God, the area where the cloth satchel connected to its head still had sharp spikes and red ropes arranged in an Eight Trigrams pattern, as if the cloth satchel and its head had been sewn together.

So there was still a setup!

It must be in the other cave...

Just then, the battle outside the cave also reached a conclusion.

That Daoist was also shrewd; he didn't tangle with the dying, maddened Chu Shan at all, but instead relied on his speed, dragging Chu Shan's intestines around as he ran.

This meat-mountain-like Maitreya Incense Master finally couldn't hold on any longer; with a boom, his massive body collapsed to the ground, and he breathed his last.

The Daoist finally let out a sigh of relief, threw away the intestines, and returned to the cave.

Just as Li Yan realized the cause, he hurriedly shouted, "Quick, Daoist, we must break the restriction in the other cave!"

The Daoist didn't waste time asking questions and left directly.

Inside the other cave, Mo Laowai's face was exceptionally ugly.

The two caves were not far apart, and the desperate, crazy howling sound Chu Shan made before dying seemed to still be echoing.

Failed... how is that possible?

Subsequently, the figure appearing at the entrance made him completely despair.

Luo Fengzi was also full of surprise and hurriedly reminded, "Junior Brother, be careful, there is Gu poison set by this demon in the cave!"

The Daoist understood instantly; without entering the cave, he flicked his hand, and his precious sword whistled out.

Before Mo Laowai could even beg for mercy, he was stabbed in the head by the sword and fell straight to the ground, simultaneously completely overturning the red sticks and red ropes beside him.

On the other side, Li Yan also sensed it and pulled up the cloth satchel at the same time.

And this thing seemed to have completely lost its spiritual charm, rapidly turning charred and ragged in his hand.

Li Yan threw it directly to the side, and an illusion appeared in his mind again:

On the old Mountain God's head, the cloth satchel had disappeared, revealing a crown twisted from tree roots, also covered in moss.

The old man's expression clearly improved, and he bowed slightly toward Li Yan.

Just at this moment, on the altar at the foot of the mountain, the ritual also reached a critical moment.

Qing Yangzi lit the yellow paper to report to the heavens; it was exactly noon. He brandished his ritual sword, paced the Seven Stars, and picked up the ritual seal to strike the altar table three times.

In an instant, wind rose on the flat ground around them.

The incense burning on the altar seemed to be swept up by a whirlwind, drifting toward the mass grave.

At the same time, he picked up an Eight Trigrams bronze mirror, shone it at the sun in the sky, and adjusted the direction to shine sideways at the mass grave, seemingly wanting to refract the light.

And in Li Yan's illusion, changes also appeared simultaneously:

A ray of light suddenly fell from the sky. The old Mountain God looked up, his eyes full of joy, then the moss all over his body slowly peeled off. He looked at Li Yan again, his mouth opening and closing.

Although there was no sound, Li Yan could clearly see the lip shape.

The other party only repeated two words: "Run fast!"

Li Yan's expression changed slightly, and he remembered one thing.

Luo Mingzi had once said that for this old Mountain God to return to his position, he must first disperse the Yin Sha Qi absorbed over the past hundred years, gather the Earth Vein Gang Qi, and form Divine Gang.

The accumulated Sha Qi of the mass grave over many years was no small matter. Li Yan didn't say a word, carried the unconscious Luo Mingzi on his back, and ran outside.

At the same time, Luo Fengzi and the others from the other cave had also come out.

The "Earth Blood Garment" Gu poison disappeared on its own once the time was up. The reason they spent some time was to search Mo Laowai for the antidote.

Hearing Li Yan's warning, everyone's expressions changed abruptly.

The Daoist who was first injured by Chu Shan might have had internal bleeding from hitting his head on the wall; by the time they checked, he had already breathed his last.

There was no time for grief; Gu Chenzi carried the corpse on his back and ran outside.

Even so, the strange phenomenon had already appeared:

From the rock-like folds and crevices of the Mountain Tai Sui, Yin Sha Qi gushed out like rolling cold mist; wherever it passed, everything was covered in frost.

The lonely ghosts and wild spirits that had accumulated in the mass grave for many years also clearly sensed something and scrambled into the ground and cave crevices one after another.

Everyone's footsteps were fast, with the Yin Sha Qi in hot pursuit behind them.

At the same time, the entire cave was trembling, with soil and stones falling with a clatter.

Li Yan was not surprised after seeing it.

The fortune of this Mountain Tai Sui, after repairing the Great Luo Dala Dala Fa Shen and relighting the life-fire, could still be resisted by the Mountain God, which showed how massive the Mountain Tai Sui's main body was.

What they saw was only a corner of its top...

"What's the situation?"

Outside the cave, the people from the Commandant's Office also sensed the anomaly.

A trace of worry flashed in Guan Wanche's eyes as he cupped his hands and said, "My Lord, the situation may have changed. Should I take men inside to check?"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Before Chang Xuan could speak, Li Yan and the others darted out quickly, simultaneously reminding urgently, "Quick, stay away from the cave entrance!"

Although the people from the Commandant's Office didn't understand why, they scattered one after another.

Boom!

Cold Yin mist, wrapped in mud, dust, and smoke, gushed out.

The ground instantly froze with frost, and the surroundings suddenly became cold.

Looking at this scene, Guan Wanche and the others had lingering fears.

They were knowledgeable and knew the power of this Yin Sha Qi; if hit by it, it wouldn't be as simple as just shivering from the cold; at the very least, one would fall seriously ill.

Li Yan sniffed, his expression changed slightly, and he suddenly stood up and looked around, "Be careful, there's the scent of a cockscomb snake!"

"No matter, the person has already left."

Chang Xuan shook his head and sighed, "That person is the Maitreya Sect Incense Master, Dugu Gan. His techniques and skills are superb; we couldn't catch him and could only force him to retreat."

"Oh?"

A trace of suspicion flashed in Li Yan's eyes, but his expression remained unchanged as he nodded and said, "It's good that he's gone. My Lord is formidable..."

"Alright, the corpse Gu has completely disappeared."

Under a large tree by the roadside, Zhao Zhao Lu Zi pried open Sha Lifei's eyelids, saw that the black line in the lower white of his eyes was gone, and after smelling the scent on his body, he nodded and said, "Although the corpse poison is resolved, some residue is inevitable."

"Go back and find some raw glutinous rice, spread it under your body when you sleep every night, bask in the sun at noon every day for half an hour, and in seven or eight days, it will be completely cleared."

He had received Li Yan's request for help and rushed over from the Mountain Chenghuangmiao immediately. The methods of the Treasure-Seeking lineage were indeed mysterious; he saw the setup by Luo Mingzi and the others and immediately demanded that everyone be moved into the noon sun, and then used a triangular needle to prick the Zusanli point to let out blood.

By the time the black, foul-smelling pus and blood had drained, everyone had already regained consciousness.

Just as Li Yan and the others returned, they took the antidote and cleared the corpse Gu poison for everyone.

"That's good, that's good."

Sha Lifei's face was still somewhat gray, and he said with a mournful face, "I must not have checked the almanac when I went out today. Daoist, remember to cast a hexagram before going out in the future!"

"Fine, fine!"

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled, clearly also letting out a sigh of relief.

He was kind-hearted and treated everyone with sincerity, but he was no fool; otherwise, he wouldn't have survived in the martial world for so many years.

Among the three, Li Yan appeared ruthless in his actions, but he had a bottom line and his word was worth its weight in gold, making him the most trustworthy.

Although he could chat with Sha Lifei, he secretly remained on guard.

Today, he really hadn't expected that Sha Lifei would use his own body to protect him at a critical moment, and it was completely an instinctive reaction.

!.

At this moment, Sha Lifei completely won the trust of the two.

Zhao Zhao Lu Zi saw the appearance of the three, a trace of envy flashed in his eyes, and he smiled honestly, "Alright, you guys go back and rest early; I have to go too."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Brother Zhao, living in seclusion in the wild mountains alone is ultimately a bit boring. We are sending a senior back to his roots and will be heading to the Qin Mountains. Why not come along and see the scenery of the Qin Mountains?"

Saying this was already an invitation.

Zhao Zhao Lu Zi heard this, smiled honestly, and scratched his head, "No, my father made me take an oath when he left: never enter the Qin Mountains and never leave the Guanzhong region in this life."

"I don't have such big ambitions. This piece of land is enough to support me. Saving some more money, marrying a wife, and continuing the incense for the Zhao family is the real business."

Li Yan sighed secretly and cupped his hands, "Very well. Remember to notify us when the time comes; we can't miss Brother Zhao's wedding wine, even if it's at the ends of the earth, we will rush over."

He had a good impression of this honest and simple Treasure-Seeker, but everyone had their own aspirations; not everyone was willing to wander the martial world, so he had to let it go.

"By the way, here is a bottle of chrysanthemum wine; take it and drink it on the road."

Saying this, he took a bottle of wine from the backpack on his back.

This was what Granny Liu had given him at the time; anyway, he didn't dare to drink this "mother's side" wine, so it was just right to give it to Zhao Zhao Lu Zi to quench his thirst on the road.

"Good, it's a deal!"

Zhao Zhao Lu Zi took the chrysanthemum wine with a face full of joy, cupped his hands toward everyone, and left.

Before long, he was already far away, but the rough and bold Xintianyou singing voice drifted over leisurely: "Ai hei ai hei yo, sheep's belly towel yo, three paths of blue, meeting is not easy ai yo, chatting is difficult..."

Wang Daoxuan sighed, "If a person is content, there is joy."

"Old Sha is not content, ai yo!"

It was Sha Lifei who flipped onto his horse, accidentally hitting his wound again, grimacing in pain, and shouting, "Forget it, I almost lost my life today. Daoist, chrysanthemum wine, full crab paste, you have to provide enough!"

"That's an inflammatory food; your wound hasn't healed yet, are you looking for death?"

"This... anyway, you have to treat me to a good meal!"

"Fine, fine, you have the final say!"

After the Double Ninth Festival, the weather grew increasingly cold.

"Excuse me, is Daoist Luo Mingzi here?"

Before dawn, outside the Chenghuangmiao, Li Yan, dressed in black, cupped his hands and asked.

"Are you Lay Buddhist Li?"

The young Daoist nodded and said, "Senior Martial Uncle has already given instructions, asking me to wait for you here. Please follow me."

Saying this, he turned and led the way.

This was Li Yan's first time entering the Chenghuangmiao, but he didn't follow the young Daoist into the main hall; instead, he came to a side courtyard beside the rear hall.

The courtyard door opened, and Luo Mingzi sat on a rattan chair with a pale face. Seeing Li Yan arrive, he wanted to stand up to welcome him.

"Daoist, take it slow."

Li Yan hurriedly stepped forward to support him, somewhat embarrassed, "If it weren't for the rush to leave, I wouldn't have the heart to disturb your quiet recuperation, Daoist."

"No matter."

Luo Mingzi slowly stood up and smiled, "Today is a suitable day to move the coffin and hit the road. If we miss the time, it will take at least another ten days or more; we cannot delay."

Saying this, he led Li Yan into the room.

On the table, a small wooden box had already been placed, similar to the book box carried by scholars going to take exams, and there was even a bamboo curtain on top that could block wind and rain.

"This is what you wanted; it was sent by fast horse from Chang'an yesterday..." Luo Mingzi said while opening the small drawers of the wooden box one by one.

"Yarrow stalks for the Invisibility Technique, I've prepared twenty..."

"Thunder Fire Pills, I've prepared ten..."

"Sha-avoiding talismans, evil-dispelling talismans, corpse-suppressing talismans... five of each, and this is evil-dispelling incense; once lit, it can clear away bad luck..."

Bits and pieces, filling the whole box.

"This... it's too much."

Li Yan was somewhat surprised, "How much money is it?"

At the time, seeing the sharpness of the Law Enforcement Hall's Thunder Fire Pills, he thought about buying some before leaving. Luo Mingzi agreed immediately, but he didn't expect him to get so many.

Luo Mingzi laughed dumbly and sighed, "The Law Enforcement Hall also has its own assessments. Beheading the Maitreya Sect Incense Master is a great achievement. You gave the credit to Junior Brother Gu Hezi; his young son can directly enter the Mystic Sect."

"The fellow disciples are all very grateful and pooled these things together; why would we ask you for money? If you haven't built your tower yet and can't use the talismans, you can hand them to Fellow Daoist Wang."

"Many thanks!"

Since it had come to this, Li Yan didn't stand on ceremony anymore and asked, "Daoist, is your injury alright?"

Luo Mingzi smiled, "I need to recuperate for a few months. Also, I have accumulated enough merit and will be transferred to Chang'an to take up a post in the future."

"There is a bumper harvest in Guanzhong this year, plus that Lord Li has just become the Provincial Administration Commissioner; the Lantern Festival will surely be very lively. Calculating the time, you will just happen to be back for the New Year. You can come to the Chang'an Chenghuangmiao to find me, and we will drink until we're drunk then."

After saying this, he took another letter from his bosom, "In the Doumu Courtyard of Mount Taibai, there is a Junior Brother Yu Linzi who has a close relationship with me. If there is any inconvenience when you arrive at Mount Taibai, you can go directly to him for help."

"Many thanks, Daoist!"

"Hmm, have a safe journey; I'll wait for you in Chang'an."

Li Yan respectfully took it, carried the box on his back, cupped his hands, and said goodbye.

After leaving the Chenghuangmiao, he rode his horse directly, passed through street after street, and arrived at the South City Gate.

At this time, the city gate was just about to open. Wang Daoxuan and Sha Lifei had already prepared their luggage and were waiting on horseback.

Behind them, there was also a carriage with Wu Laosi's coffin on it.

The driver, Old Man Meng, was found from the Taixing Carriage and Horse Firm; he was a good driver, and four men followed behind, all of whom were coffin bearers found from the funeral parlor.

This was the entire team transporting the coffin back to his hometown.

Rumble!

As the city gate opened, Wang Daoxuan threw a handful of paper money high into the air and chanted, "The deceased is on the road, returning to his roots; let no Yin person disturb, let no Yang person be startled."

Saying this, he cupped his hands and looked around, "Everyone, please bear with us."

There were quite a few people waiting to leave the gate. Although Wang Daoxuan spoke politely, the surrounding commoners all looked as if they had encountered bad luck and hid far away.

"Hurry up and go!"

A young soldier guarding the city was also full of disgust, but just as he opened his mouth to scold, he was pulled away by an old soldier beside him.

The old soldier was full of flattery, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Hero Li, you go first. This kid doesn't know any better; don't take it to heart."

Li Yan didn't understand why, but still cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks."

After saying this, he took the lead and led the team to leave slowly.

Watching them walk away, the old soldier scolded, "You kid, why don't you have any sense of judgment? That is Li Yan."

"Li Yan?"

The little soldier gasped, "The Li Yan who punched Zhou Bai to death and also toppled the Zhou family?"

"How could it be that exaggerated? It's all rumors among the commoners." The old soldier shook his head and sighed, "However, he has connections with the Zhang family, the Chenghuangmiao, and even the Commandant's Office; he's not someone you or I can afford to provoke."

The little soldier was full of envy after hearing this, "I heard that when he entered the city, he sneaked in, but in a short time, he became famous in the martial world. Why don't I have that luck..."

"Famous in the martial world?"

The old soldier laughed and shook his head, "You ignorant thing, Xianyang City is just a small place. Even that dead Zhou Monkey wouldn't dare to say how great he was."

"This martial world is huge..."

Five chapters have been posted; starting tomorrow, the normal time will be restored, with updates at 10 o'clock.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 93 =====