Chapter 434: Success Through Secrecy

The azure hawk's shrill scream echoed over the entirety of Wufu Town.

But not long after, that sound disappeared.

It was torn apart alive by its own kind, even by those who had just been its comrades-in-arms.

The shattered bones fell with the rain onto the roof, making a faint sound.

Then, in the distance, another azure hawk flew over and joined the flock.

A new round of attacks was ready, and the mystic cat crouched, ready to strike back at any moment.

I steadied my mind, not rushing, nor feeling fear.

I pulled a small porcelain bottle from my pocket, opened the lid, and instantly a cool, refreshing fragrance wafted out; sniffing it, I felt clear-headed and refreshed.

I poured out the pills one by one and stuffed them into the mouths of the four kneeling people.

In the next moment, all four drew a long breath, slowly lifted their heads, and regained consciousness.

Aside from Hu Sanmei, the other three all looked bewildered.

They didn't know what had just happened.

Hui Moqiong reacted fastest; he tried to stand up, struggled a few times without success, raised his hand to rub his neck, and said, 'Just now… just now did I eat something?'

'It's a Soul-Returning Pill,' Hu Sanmei said. 'I've only refined a few of these in a hundred years, and today they actually came in handy.'

Hui Moqiong wondered, 'You're also affected by the Dao, aren't you? How did Xiao Jiu know…'

As he spoke, he realized something was off: 'Oh, I get it—you two had planned this all along, right? So why didn't you tell the three of us?'

'Success comes from secrecy,' Hu Sanmei said. 'If you don't act convincingly, how can the enemy easily reveal a flaw?'

Hui Moqiong clicked his tongue: 'You're really ruthless, even factoring yourself into the scheme.'

Hu Sanmei calmly replied, 'If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get its cub?'

Hui Moqiong still couldn't figure it out: 'That's still not right—you've been with us all along, and Xiao Jiu has been fiddling with that painting; when did the two of you secretly conspire? I didn't notice a thing.'

I exchanged a glance with Hu Sanmei and smiled.

We had no private communication; from the moment she secretly slipped the small porcelain bottle into my pocket, I knew how to cooperate with her.

I looked up.

Over a dozen azure hawks re-formed their ranks and came again, but when they neared the roof ridge height, they slammed hard into a net.

Golden scriptures covered the entire net, blocking the sky above the main courtyard.

The azure hawks struck the sutra net, emitting sharp cracking sounds; black energy rose from their bodies, and their feathers fluttered down.

The mystic cat lived up to its name; with it leading the charge, my side would be much easier.

But there were too many azure hawks; the mystic cat could hold them off for a moment, but not for long.

Although Hui Moqiong and the other three had awakened, they remained trapped in the formation, unable even to stand.

If we couldn't break the formation quickly, once the enemy swiftly adjusted their strategy, we would become extremely passive.

I needed to find a way to break the formation quickly.

'Senior Sister Qingying, come with me!'

I said that and ran toward the west wing; Li Qingying hurried after me.

I pointed to the Buddha head enshrined on the altar and said, 'Help me move it out!'

This Buddha head had been dug up from the base of a temple wall on Niuhu Mountain.

It belonged to a ceramics merchant named Guo Zaimin, who no longer wanted to worship it and had buried it.

The Buddha head's main body was ceramic, merely coated with a thick layer of gold.

After the Guo family matter was settled, the Buddha head ended up in the pawn shop; I had originally intended to give it to Jin Wuya or offer it to Master Hui Quan, but both were refused.

It had remained enshrined on the altar ever since.

Li Qingying and I lifted it out and placed it among the four kneeling people.

The Four Blessings Immortals correspond to the Four Direction Buddhas; this formation is meant to sacrifice the four to the central deity, so the formation's eye is almost certainly at the central god's position.

This Buddha head is spiritual, having long received incense offerings; placing it at the deity's position would suppress the enemy's aura.

After the Buddha head was set, I turned and fetched two large wooden fish mallets from the west wing, handing one to Li Qingying and saying, 'Senior Sister Qingying, hit it! The louder the better—it doesn't matter if it breaks.'

Li Qingying was puzzled but didn't ask further; as we both raised our wooden fish mallets to strike the Buddha head, the mystic cat withdrew the sutra net and swiftly vanished from our sight.

Hum……

From inside the Buddha head came an ancient, heavy Buddhist tone; the sound waves kept spreading outward, and the azure hawks that had been swooping down suddenly froze in midair.

In an instant, it was as if their eyes and ears were covered by hands, leaving them unable to discern direction.

I was also startled.

I learned this from the Empty Silence Abbott.

Back then, in front of the Revolving Wheel Pagoda, he used the method of ringing a bronze bell, employing its sound waves to disrupt the birds' directional sense, causing them to lose their bearings and thus defeat the young novice monk.

I thought perhaps striking the Buddha head with a wooden fish mallet might also work.

But I hadn't expected the Buddha head to be hollow inside, producing such a pure, resonant tone!

No wonder Guo Zaimin had taken this Buddha head back—his workshop's business kept getting better.

What a wonderful, spiritual thing this is!

Having discovered its usefulness, Li Qingying and I dared not pause, using this Buddhist tone to control the azure hawks in the sacrificial formation—excellent.

But soon we realized something was wrong.

After those dozen or so azure hawks had been dazed and turning about for a while, they suddenly stopped.

After hovering in midair for a few seconds, they screeched and swooped down at us!

Li Qingying's grip slipped for a moment, and a single strike actually shattered the Buddha head's skull.

Gold powder scattered across the ground, revealing the ceramic body within, and the Buddhist tone ceased instantly.

Bang!

From inside the Buddha's head and body, a mysterious powerful force erupted, instantly shattering the Buddha's head into pieces.

Li Qingying froze for a moment, but she quickly reacted, swinging her long whip and lashing out fiercely at the lead azure hawk!

I haven't watched Li Qingying wield her long whip this closely in a long time.

The long whip sliced through the air, producing a whistling sound.

With one strike of the whip, the lead azure hawk's neck snapped instantly, and even its final cry was cut off as it died.

Hui Moqiong couldn't help but clap and praise, 'Qingying, awesome!'

The flock of azure hawks scattered instantly.

As Li Qingying prepared to strike with her second whip, countless birds flew toward the main hall from the sky above.

Those birds were not only numerous, but they also neatly formed a certain formation.

I almost instantly recognized it—the Phoenix Formation!

It seems the enemy won't rest until they kill us today.

In fighting the enemy, I am still a bit inexperienced.

If we keep fighting like this, everyone could be in danger.

I must quickly devise a way to shatter the Phoenix Formation in a single move.

Thinking this, I reached into my clothes and pulled out that bone whistle……