Chapter 26: Blood-Colored Setting Sun

At this moment, Master Elder Wan Shi had already gripped his Pine Wind Sword, and this peerless divine weapon, famous throughout the world, slowly left its sheath.

The Setting Sun Spear was a stunning long spear. After its blade was stained with blood, the cold light reflected red, like the setting sun and evening glow, which was extremely beautiful. It's just that this kind of beauty was dyed with life. When Zhao Cheng broke into Uneven Mountain, the whole mountain reflected red, like the setting sun in the evening, dyeing Uneven Mountain a layer of crimson...

That day, the bandits on Uneven Mountain were scared out of their wits, and from then on, they would wet their pants whenever they saw the evening glow.

The Pine Wind Sword, however, was a dull, old, cracked, and scattered sword with sword patterns like pine branches... In any blacksmith shop, this sword couldn't be sold for three taels of silver.

Holding it, perhaps even a broom couldn't be split.

However, when this sword was drawn, Divine Monk Kongming, who was standing opposite Master Elder Wan Shi, couldn't help but stand his nine-ring tin staff in front of him. When Liang Dou faced the Chief Escort of the Changfeng Escort Agency, the famous Setting Sun Spear Zhao Cheng, he relied on his deep protective qi and left his back to him. However, Divine Monk Kongming faced Master Elder Wan Shi, who was even more famous and respected, and even if it was a trusted companion, when facing the Pine Wind Sword directly, he still couldn't help but place his divine weapon where it would block the sword edge.

This was already a martial artist's instinct!

That was why Divine Monk Kongming was a Grandmaster, while Liang Dou was only a master.

"Hah!" Zhao Cheng shouted, the spear shaft in his hand straightened, and the bright spear blade shook out ten thousand points of cold light. The chilling cold light made everyone watching feel a bit of coolness in their throats.

It was the chilling feeling of a cold blade pressed against the skin.

The Pine Wind Sword pressed down suddenly. This dull divine weapon slashed upward from Master Elder Wan Shi's hand. If one had to use one sentence to describe Zhao Cheng's feeling, it was that his heart kept sinking...

Wonderful! This inconspicuous divine weapon drew out a sword that was wonderful to the extreme, without any flaws, like an antelope hanging its horns.

At this time, Qian Chen had already seen through the strange ability of this divine weapon... The Pine Wind Sword was extremely good at sensing qi. Holding this sword, every move of the enemy, every subtle change in qi, was as clear as looking at patterns on the palm.

Therefore, with this sword, not only could one easily break through the Sensory Realm, but when holding the sword against the enemy, one could often grasp the subtle flaws in the enemy's qi changes in an incredible way. Even with mediocre sword techniques, with such a blessing, one could be like a god in sword techniques and break the enemy like turning over a palm... That was why this divine weapon was ranked as a peerless divine weapon, despite having no sharpness and no blessing to drive the energy of heaven and earth.

This was just a sword of seeking the Dao, seeking the martial Dao, seeking the heavenly Dao, seeking the sword Dao...

Zhao Cheng stabbed out with a spear, but his heart was gradually despairing, sinking continuously... Just because he had already calculated that after eighteen moves, he would have all his spear techniques broken and die under this dull sword.

However, just in the next move, Zhao Cheng was sent into his chest by the Pine Wind Sword.

Because Divine Monk Kongming shook his nine-ring tin staff, the clanging sound carried Zen meaning, causing Zhao Cheng to be stunned for a moment... Only then did Qian Chen quietly retract the Green Phosphorus Five Poisons...

Head-snatching dog!

At this time, Divine Monk Kongming sighed: "Stealing the light of the sun and moon, Divine Monk Flying Yellow! So Benefactor Zhao is Divine Monk Flying Yellow."

"In the past, Uneven Mountain was just a small mountain located at the trench of the Dragon-Severing Ridge that separated the north and south. Because it occupied the key route of the north-south trade, there were eighteen bandit strongholds on the mountain, each of which was a smoke-and-dust bandit with quite a reputation in the green forest, and because the trade revenue of Uneven Mountain was huge, they echoed each other and formed an alliance."

"The righteous path of the Wu Lin tried to encircle and suppress them many times, but to no avail."

"Zhao Cheng went up the mountain with a Setting Sun Spear and swept away eighteen interlocking strongholds in just eight days, making that day on Uneven Mountain like the setting sun and evening glow... From then on, Uneven Mountain was renamed Taiping Mountain, and the trade route became much more prosperous. Zhao Cheng was therefore hired by the 'Number One in the World, Changfeng Escort Agency' as the Chief Escort... Such a hero, actually ended up in this state today."

Zhao Cheng, who was on his last breath, sneered: "What Chief Escort... isn't it just... a dog raised by someone else?"

"Why can't I... do a great career myself? Even if... I stink for ten thousand years... the river and lake... will know... I have been here."

The Chief Escort of the Changfeng Escort Agency, Divine Monk Flying Yellow, breathed his last with his pride of stinking for ten thousand years.

Qian Chen, who couldn't snatch the head, went to Tang Zhen's place to examine the corpse. Unlike the tragic and indignant death of Liang Dou, this Tang Zhen, the leader of the Tang Sect, had a peaceful expression, as if he were sleeping, and didn't even feel any pain before he died. But because of this, it made the murderer even more terrifying.

The two people who collected Tang Zhen's remains not long ago were even poisoned without knowing it.

Qian Chen searched a little and determined that there were at least seven or eight hidden weapons and more than ten kinds of deadly poisons hidden on Tang Zhen's remains. If the two heroes who collected the remains hadn't given up in time, they might not have had time to wait for Divine Monk Kongming to save them with Shaolin secret medicine.

Divine Monk Kongming led the heroes to collect the remains of Divine Monk Flying Yellow, before turning back to the Righteous Mountain Villa Master Xu Xiaoyang: "Divine Monk Burning Wolf, all your companions are dead, do you still want to hide it?"

Xu Xiaoyang's lips trembled twice, and he said in a low voice: "Master, what are you talking about? How could I be one of the Twelve Yuan Chen? I have always been with the Grandmasters!"

"That's because this old monk has been watching you, and never gave you any chance," Divine Monk Kongming stared into Xu Xiaoyang's eyes and said.

Laughing Maitreya drilled out happily, stealing the good vegetarian food made by the Four Seas Hall, putting a vegetarian chicken leg in his mouth and chewing, while muttering: "I have been lurking in the Twelve Zodiacs for so long, and I haven't done nothing. At least I found out the identity of one person. That is the Sheep-phase Divine Monk Burning Wolf of the Twelve Zodiacs... Villa Master Xu, the characteristics of your family's divine weapon, the Five-Colored Stone, are too obvious!"

Xu Xiaoyang's

He lacked the courage to resist, only muttering, "Everyone... fellow martial arts practitioners, I hope... I hope you will show mercy... show mercy..." Having said this, he lowered his head, having already ended his own heart pulse to die.

Qian Chen, who had been watching like a tiger, curled his lip in disdain... Forget it, this time I didn't even manage to get an assist.

Having identified two of the True Bodies of the Twelve Yuan Chen hidden among the righteous path, Zen Master Kongming showed no joy. He merely gathered up the corpse of Manor Lord Xu again, and after confirming he was truly dead, sighed, "The Xu family of the Righteous Spirit Manor has indeed sacrificed much for the righteous path of the martial arts world. I still remember Manor Lord Xu's father, the old Manor Lord Xu, who, for the sake of the righteous path, led the heroes outside the capital to intercept the former leader of the Demon Sect as he led the demonic hordes north. In that battle, the old Manor Lord Xu and most of the heroes died in combat, only then holding out until the major sects arrived to reinforce them. Because of this, even the divine weapon Five-Colored Stone was lost to the Demon Sect."

"It was only later that the Wudang Sect Master, True Person Qingxu, led several great heroes to storm the Demon Sect, defeating the Eight Demons with his sword, and reclaimed this treasure, handing it to the descendants of the old Manor Lord Xu. That day, my fellow martial arts practitioners collectively recommended this old monk to present the plaque of the Righteous Spirit Manor to the Xu family... Who would have thought it would come to this today."

Hong Sihai sighed, "We must leave some face for the martyrs of the righteous path. If the others in the Xu family don't know Manor Lord Xu's true identity, then this matter... let's not mention it!"

The head of the Flying Yellow Chengwu Chengwu Shenjun was severed. Xu Xiaoyang ultimately did not resist, leaving behind an intact corpse, ready to be sent back to the Righteous Spirit Manor.

Seeing Qian Chen continuing to examine Tang Zhen's remains, Divine Monk Kongming stepped forward to stand beside him, gazing at Tang Zhen's corpse and saying, "It is shameful to say, but we have yet to discover by what means Great Hero Tang was killed. I originally thought it was poison. The Mist-Riding Chengwu Chengwu Shenjun among the Twelve Yuan Chen had also infiltrated our ranks."

"When I previously said you were the successor of the Medicine King, I was actually harboring some doubts in my heart... Who would have thought that Benefactor Qian's martial arts... would already have no need to join the Twelve Yuan Chen, and have reached a point where there is no need to use poison at all."

Qian Chen smiled faintly, "Using poison is very convenient, and my cultivation base is not as high as everyone imagines."

Qian Chen was telling the truth. In this world, a Grandmaster is equivalent to the cultivation of someone who has broken through the Sensory Realm, while a Great Grandmaster, combined with the power of a divine weapon, is even comparable to a cultivator in the Realm of Penetrating the Law. Yet Qian Chen is still only a low-level cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, having not even stepped over the threshold.

But over these past few days, he has felt his body becoming increasingly transparent, and the feeling the world gives him is becoming warmer, just like the mother who gave birth to him.

He believes that upon returning to the Central Lands, he will be able to successfully break through to the Sensory Realm.

To break through to the Sensory Realm requires communion with heaven and earth; it is best to return to the Central Lands to make the breakthrough. After all, the Central Lands is one of the cosmic realms, while this world is merely a small world among the myriad realms with a weak origin.

Li Qianqiu, the Physiognomist, also followed to Qian Chen's side and smiled, "This old man still needs to thank Mr. Qian for clearing my name..." Looking at Tang Zhen's corpse, he also sighed, "It is truly a pity for Great Master Tang. If not for the fact that the timing of his death was so subtle and sudden, this old man would have even thought he had contracted an illness and died suddenly."

Zen Master Kongming also worriedly said, "Tang Zhen had been staying with us in the Five Lakes Hall to provide support. At the time, I, Daoist Wan Shi, Great Hero Xu, Heroine Shen, and others were present... If someone had launched a sneak attack, wouldn't the culprit be among us? The Flying Yellow Chengwu Chengwu Shenjun was with Great Hero Liang and the others at the time, going east to meet the enemy... There was absolutely no possibility for him to have acted."

"Tang Zhen was quite lecherous, though!" Qian Chen laughed, "He shows signs of practicing the art of plucking and supplementing."

Kang Kang Qian Deng, who had followed along like a little sidekick, said somewhat awkwardly, "There have always been rumors in the martial arts world... but the dead are to be respected... Brother Qian, please keep your voice down."

Qian Chen shook his head, "Speaking of the deceased having no wounds on their body, I once heard a story. It is said that in my hometown, there was a famous divine investigator, a divine catcher. While passing by a house on official business, he heard the sound of a woman crying inside. That household had also set up a mourning hall, as if there were a funeral."

"The investigator heard the widow of the deceased crying inside, but there was no grief in her crying; it was as if she were both sad and happy, wanting to cry and wanting to laugh."

"He immediately suspected foul play. He carefully investigated the neighbors on both sides and discovered that the widow also had a motive to kill. But when the coffin was opened for an autopsy, it was discovered that there were indeed no external wounds on the body. At that time, the investigator thought of an old rumor..."

"By inserting an iron nail through the nostril into the brain, one can make a person die without any external marks!"

Upon hearing this, Zen Master Kongming was shaken and hurriedly knelt down to check Tang Zhen's nostrils. Li Qianqiu, however, still disbelieving, whispered, "Who in this world could insert an iron nail into Tang Zhen's nostril? He is known as the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed... He can catch hidden weapons flying from behind his head, let alone his nostril, which is a vital point!"

Qian Chen watched Zen Master Kongming check and shook his head, "If you want to verify it, it's simple." Qian Chen lifted Tang Zhen's corpse and tapped lightly on the back of his head. Immediately, two streams of turbid, bloody fluid mixed with yellowish-white matter flowed slowly from Tang Zhen's nostrils... This was brain matter mixed with clotted blood.

Zen Master Kongming was then struck with horror.

Kang Kang Qian Deng was even more shocked, "Who could have driven an iron nail into Tang Zhen's nostril and killed him?"

The person among the righteous heroes least likely to be struck by a hidden weapon had died because of one, and in such a manner...