Chapter 487: Harvest

Boom—!

Sword-light gathered and dispersed, its sound carrying for a hundred li.

In an instant, the howling wind, rain, thunder, and storm all seemed to be pressed down.

"Si Zhu…"

Jin Jin Zhu Feng's body trembled, and he was already kneeling on the ground; on the rugged mountain path, all the experts of the Pacification Bureau knelt in the mud.

Sun Xiu raised his head and saw crimson-gold sword-mangs roaring and crisscrossing, leaving traces of several hundred zhang in the night rain,

as if the wind and rain across the sky had been sliced apart by a single sword.

"Roar!"

Within the dark clouds a blue dragon sang long, and within the night rain the shadow of a blue dragon flashed and vanished.

Jin Jin Zhu Feng lowered his head and waited a moment; when he raised it again, two more figures had appeared on the mountain peak—the Pacification Bureau's master wore a face dark as water, and not far off stood a middle-aged man in azure armor, slender of build.

It was none other than Chi Chi Zhuiyang.

"Not even a moment's time, and he's fled a hundred li away—good, very good indeed!"

The Pacification Bureau master's face was livid; he had not expected that in the mere moment it took him to step away and meet Chi Chi Zhuiyang, the Yun Xiang Ding would be lost.

"No True Gang seen, no qi-signature left behind—once the deed was done, he fled several hundred li. Even if the one who moved isn't a Heavenly Gang, he's not far off."

Chi Chi Zhuiyang folded his arms across his chest and, with keen interest, surveyed the rain-soaked mountain path, feeling quite astonished within.

Though the Pacification Bureau master had only been a step behind, that single step should have been enough for him to scour several hundred li of mountain forest—and still he hadn't caught the man.

It could be seen that the person's speed was likely no worse than his own.

"He won't escape!"

The Pacification Bureau master raised his hand and seized; a great swath of wind and rain was torn apart, and in an instant the lingering qi-signature on the mountain path was caught in his palm and pressed against his brow.

Hum—

Mind and spirit merged; a soul-lock stretched a thousand li.

Chi Chi Zhuiyang narrowed his eyes slightly—he could perform this technique as well, but not with the Pacification Bureau master's practiced ease.

A moment later, the Pacification Bureau master opened his eyes, said nothing, turned, and left.

"Si Zhu…"

Jin Jin Zhu Feng and the others called out instinctively, but only heard a rebuke ring through the air:

"Get back!"

"Tsk—"

Chi Chi Zhuiyang grinned, knowing the Pacification Bureau master hadn't found the man, but he wasn't surprised.

In these times, anyone bold enough to snatch food from a Grandmaster's mouth has surely thought it through and planned carefully; if they truly left traces behind, that would be the strange thing.

Hoo—

He strode after him.

He saw that, amid the night rain, the Pacification Bureau master shifted and traversed a thousand li of mountain forest, sword-light gathering and dispersing from time to time, swath after swath of forest sliced flat by the sword-light.

After a long while, the Pacification Bureau master halted his steps at a stretch of mountain forest; Chi Chi Zhuiyang followed, yet did not detect anything amiss.

"Where is Murong Qing?"

The Pacification Bureau master looked up at Chi Chi Zhuiyang, fury barely restrained beneath his cold gaze.

"Si Zhu surely doesn't suspect Murong Qing?"

Chi Chi Zhuiyang frowned: "Over a month ago he already left for Henglong Dao to pay a visit to Xie Wangsun—how could it possibly be him?"

"Is that so?"

The Pacification Bureau master pressed down the fury in his heart:

"This knave is Liu Liu Jingshan at concealing his form and hiding his qi; added to this night rain, within a thousand li he has left not a single trace."

"Not the slightest trace?"

Chi Chi Zhuiyang raised a brow slightly.

As the saying goes, a goose leaves a mark as it passes, a person leaves a shadow— even with this heavy rain, a Wu Gong capable of drawing in one's own qi to such a degree is rare in the jianghu.

"Below Grandmaster, those with such ability are also few."

The Pacification Bureau master naturally realized this: "Dragon-Tiger Temple's Feng Feng Mantian, Azure Dragon Pavilion's 'Flying Dragon in the Sky,' and the imperial secret transmission 'Hibernating Dragon Walk.'"

"About right."

Chi Chi Zhuiyang nodded.

No wonder the Pacification Bureau master suspected Murong Qing—the latter had once been a true disciple of Azure Dragon Pavilion and had learned 'Flying Dragon in the Sky'; after defecting from the sect, he had only later acquired 'Divine Fire Phoenix-Form Sword' from the Star-Plucking Tower.

"Among Dragon-Tiger Temple's current generation, those who have received this Ci Gong seem to be only Long Long Xinglie. Though this boy's talent is good, he has yet to enter the Dao, and, by all accounts, is currently in closed-door cultivation…"

The Pacification Bureau master flexed his fingers, his breathing steadying; he cast a glance toward a valley and a cold pool in the extreme distance:

"Brother Chi, is that the place you mentioned—where the Mi Jing lies?"

"Correct."

Chi Chi Zhuiyang surveyed the terrain and nodded: "The Ba Fang Mi Jing should be beneath that cold pool, but how to open it will depend on the Si Zhu's methods."

As he spoke, he paused briefly:

"Although the old man is dead, if you wish to force open this Mi Jing, it would be best for the Si Zhu to come in person."

"His Majesty has urgently summoned me back to the capital—I cannot refuse."

The Pacification Bureau master's brow furrowed slightly.

"The Emperor's urgent summons? Is it for that Ba Fang Temple Grand Sacrifice or something?"

Chi Chi Zhuiyang's heart stirred slightly; the imperial court had broadcast it to the world, and he had heard of the matter even in the mountains.

"If Brother Chi is so inclined, once matters here are settled, you may go to the Divine Capital to observe the sacrifice."

The Jingping Division Head had already recovered as usual.

"The great sacrifice to the Ba Fang Temple is not that simple…"

Chi Chi Zhuiyang shook his head and politely declined.

"What is Brother Chi's view?"

The Jingping Division Head's heart stirred.

He had once browsed through countless books in the imperial library, where it was mentioned that the Dragon Demon Daoist, aside from being the founder of the Star-Plucking Tower who created the Dragon Demon Heart Scripture and forged the Ba Fang Pagoda.

The most recorded fact was that this man had spent his entire life searching for the Ba Fang Temple, and there were even rumors that he had entered the Ba Fang Temple.

"It's nothing much, I've merely heard the rumor that the Great Zhou perished from the great sacrifice to the Ba Fang Temple."

Chi Chi Zhuiyang explained it lightly, then turned to look at the distant cold pool:

"Does the Division Head want to try his hand?"

"No rush."

The Jingping Division Head merely stared at him:

"Brother Chi, I don't know whether the claim that Great Zhou perished from the great sacrifice came from Qin Yun, or from records left by that Dragon Demon Daoist?"

"It's just some rumors."

Chi Chi Zhuiyang frowned slightly, seeing he still wanted to ask, his voice instantly turned cold: "I invited you here, not to interrogate me!"

Crack—

In the night, a Lei She rolled away.

The Jingping Division Head's eyes chilled, then Yu Yu Xuanji restrained himself, and said Longhu Longhu Dandan:

"It was just a casual question, what interrogation is there to speak of?"

The change in his aura, Chi Chi Zhuiyang naturally sensed it, his brow eased, and his voice softened a few degrees:

"It was I who was overly agitated, this isn't really any secret either, inside the Ba Fang Pagoda, there are some records left by the Dragon Demon Daoist, which mention the words 'Great Zhou perished from the great sacrifice'…"

While speaking, Chi Chi Zhuiyang was somewhat impatient in his heart, but could only patiently speak of those fragments.

"The Dragon Demon Daoist once participated in that great sacrifice before the fall of Great Zhou, it is said that the Ba Fang Pagoda was forged during that great sacrifice."

"The Ba Fang Pagoda is related to the great sacrifice?"

The Jingping Division Head was somewhat astonished, this was something he didn't even know.

"There are fragments in the pagoda."

Chi Chi Zhuiyang frowned: "Division Head, when do you plan to make your move?"

"Brother Chi seems somewhat anxious?"

The Jingping Division Head was unhurried, he keenly sensed the change in Chi Chi Zhuiyang's mindset.

"That Qin Li Shixian still hasn't been confirmed dead, I'm also afraid of unforeseen troubles."

Chi Chi Zhuiyang's heart chilled, and he brushed it off.

The Jingping Division Head didn't press further, merely turned to look at that deep pool, flames seeming to rise in his eyes:

"Qin Yun is dead, Qin Li Shixian's whereabouts unknown, this Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing of the Dragon Demon Daoist may rival a Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, but who can wield it?"

……

……

"Seems there's a sound? Could that old fellow have caught up?"

The instant he entered the Ba Fang Mi Jing with the token, Li Yuan vaguely seemed to hear some sound, but just that one daze, he no longer paid much attention.

Lying in wait half the night, striking only for an instant.

When he doubled back, his speed was pushed to the limit, soaring over ten zhang, as if two or three li more, in a moment's time, enough for him to run several hundred li.

Rainy night, several hundred li, combined with his deep mastery of Wind Tiger Cloud Dragon, he reckoned that even a Bianshida Sect master might not necessarily detect him.

And even if detected, as long as he returned to the Ba Fang Mi Jing, it would be settled.

"Old Wang is still righteous, didn't lurk here waiting for me…"

Quietly avoiding the few on duty, Li Yuan returned to the courtyard, on the way, he couldn't help sensing the Yun Xiang Ding on the gray Dingxin Dingxin Shitai.

"This bait is big enough."

Closing the room door, Li Yuan's eyes brightened slightly.

The incense fire inside this Yun Xiang Ding was a bit less than the one he obtained last time, but its grade was considerably higher.

"Sixth-grade incense fire, four hundred thirty, fifth-grade, three thousand two hundred… seventh-grade, three strands."

Below fifth-grade, the quantity was too many, Li Yuan was too lazy to count, he only knew that for a long time to come, he wouldn't need to worry about low-grade incense fire.

After a quick tally, Master Li suddenly felt the half-night of lurking was worth it, the only slight imperfection was that the seventh-grade incense fire was too little.

"At least the Palm Sound Talisman advancing to seventh-grade is more than enough."

After finishing the tally, Li Yuan then reviewed last night's operation, from changing clothes and sneaking, to striking suddenly, to doubling back, changing clothes, and re-entering the Mi Jing.

"More and more skilled."

Li Yuan was satisfied in his heart, he asked himself whether this rainy night infiltration was truly above standard.

Unless there was something like the Dragon Tiger Health Furnace that could monitor entire mountains, there should be no oversight.

"Squeak squeak~"

The little mouse poked out from the hole in the wall, but it was clearly already used to Li Yuan's appearances and disappearances, just squeaking, wanting a spirit pill.

The little tiger cub's whereabouts unknown, Li Yuan didn't mind either.

"The Star-Plucking Tower's guard doesn't seem that strict… or is it because of Old Wang's token?"

After waiting a good while, no one came to question him, Li Yuan's heart finally settled, he had even prepared a set of excuses to fob off the Mi Jing guards, now it seemed they wouldn't be needed.

After all that fuss, it was almost dawn, yet he had no sleepiness, following habit, he stood in stance, altering his root bone.

Afterwards, he lay down fully clothed and began listening to the sounds.

"Besides the promotion of the Sound-Palm Register, there should still be a batch left… hmm, listening to the sounds."

Hum~

At a thought from Li Yuan, the grey Dingxin Dingxin Shitai blazed with light at once; under his guidance, a great mass of incense offerings madly sank into the two wooden registers at the center of the stone platform.

All manner of sounds rose along with it, quite a noisy clamor.

Li Yuan concentrated, sifting through the many sounds for those that were useful or interesting, noting each one down in his heart.

"Ancient legend has it that before the Eight Directions Temple appeared in the world, there would be wondrous phenomena reborn as humans, but few believed the tale; only a few factions, including the Star-Plucking Tower, held it as gospel truth…"

"In a great upheaval, the Great Zhou was destroyed. On that day, the incense of the Zhou Royal City was utterly extinguished. Legend has it that an evil god descended, was slain by men, and its baleful essence was refined into a treasure…"

"In the Divine Capital, the tolling of bells echoed without cease; many factions secretly sought the reason. There were rumors that the Eight Directions Temple had stirred anomalously…"

"At the One-Qi Mountain Manor, Steward Liu groaned inwardly. These gentlemen's tastes were far too particular—some ate only vegetables, some only fish—truly a dreadfully difficult lot to serve…"

"In a stretch of barren mountains, someone held an umbrella while excavating a tomb, and from within the tomb came the trembling cry of a divine weapon…"

……

With all manner of sounds pouring into his ears, Li Yuan did not analyze them in detail, merely picking out the important ones to note down, ceaselessly guiding the incense and ceaselessly listening.

After a long while, when the last sound faded, Li Yuan's spirit jolted as well.

The conditions for the Sound-Palm Register's promotion had already been met.

"Two hundred strands of sixth-tier incense."

Massaging his temples—too many sounds—Li Yuan's head was somewhat muddled; it took him a good while to recover.

"From the seventh tier upward, the difficulty of promoting the Sound-Palm Register far surpasses that of the Soldier-Palm Register."

Letting out a long breath, Li Yuan took out spirit incense and lit it, then held a handful of spirit pills in his mouth. Once everything was prepared, he closed his eyes once more.

"Sound-Palm Register, promote!"