Chapter 261: Guess Who
“Good heavens!”
The elderly tracker from the Military Surveillance Department hurriedly crouched down, measured the mark with his hand, then examined the broken branches around it.
His voice trembled. “This Mountain Lord is enormous. It has to be almost one zhang tall!”
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.
Yang Chengzi of the True Martial Palace looked bitter. “This tiger demon is probably a naturally aberrant breed. There were at least three or four hundred people in this village, and every one of them has probably been turned into a spirit…
“Fellow Daoist Li, this thing is beyond us!”
Li Yan looked at the chaotic tracks leading deep into the forest and nodded gravely. “Find the ritual altar in the village, destroy it, and then we leave.”
He immediately led everyone back toward the village ancestral hall. Unlike the other buildings, this old ancestral hall had been built from brick, stone, earth, and timber. It too had been burned down, its beams collapsed, leaving only a jumble of charred wood that still gave off wisps of blue smoke. Naturally, this posed no problem for them.
The men of the Military Surveillance Department swung iron hooks and dragged the blackened beams aside one by one. Before long, a hidden door was revealed in the ground. The door was made of wood and had likewise been burned black.
Li Yan kicked it apart, formed a hand-seal, and took a sniff. Killing intent immediately rose in his eyes, and he walked straight inside. The others exchanged glances and followed close behind.
The moment they entered the tunnel, a rotten, bloody stench struck them in the face. The passage was clearly very old. Mold and moss had even grown across the earthen walls, while small side chambers lined both sides in neat rows, all interconnected.
Captain Zheng looked around and said solemnly, “These are ancient troop-hiding tunnels. This place must once have been a military fort.”
Following the tunnel forward, they soon reached a circular cavern, where an even stronger reek of blood assaulted them.
Everyone lit torches and took a look, and their expressions immediately changed. A divine statue stood tall in the center of the cavern. It wore a marshal’s robe and a sky-reaching crown. Its brow ridge was prominent, its features deep-set, and a long beard hung to its chest. Its appearance suggested some non-Han ancestry.
Li Yan had seen the statue before. It was the Heavenly Saint Duke.
It stood in front of a ritual altar. More than a dozen human heads had been arranged across the altar in sequence. Beside them lay an old man with disheveled hair, eyes wide open and his face frozen in terror.
Strangely, his chest and abdomen had been split open with extraordinary neatness. It looked as though some force had erupted from within, causing his internal organs to spray outward and scatter across the ground.
Wang Daoxuan glanced at the altar. It also held a small black idol with no head, but its body was covered in infant heads. It was probably the Lengzheng God. Beside the idol were tiny green paper robes, paper armor, a paper horse, and a paper guandao. If these were placed on the idol, it would look exactly like the headless rider!
“This is the work of a paper figure craftsman!” Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “While traveling the jianghu, I once learned this craft from an old man. His cultivation wasn’t particularly high, but he was still a cultivator. The paper figures he made could only contain yin souls. But he once told me that truly powerful paper-effigy arts are comparable to large-scale illusion techniques. They can transform into immortals and Buddhas, palaces and temples, dreamlike yet lifelike.
“Looks like this man was the one behind the tricks.”
Li Yan, however, stared at the unnaturally clean rupture across the man’s chest and abdomen, his eyes full of wariness.
He turned and asked, “Fellow Daoists, have any of you seen a technique like this before?”
The Zhushan Sect disciple gasped while looking utterly incredulous. “It’s a straw effigy curse. A curse cast through a straw effigy can either injure the soul, cause illness, or at most inflict Gu poison. But a curse capable of splitting open someone’s chest and abdomen like this… I’ve truly never heard of such a thing.”
Li Yan thought for a moment. “Looks like this was done by the tiger demon’s sorcery. Let’s not provoke it for now. We’ll wait for the True Martial Palace’s experts to arrive.”
The tiger demon was even stronger than he had imagined. Furthermore, with so many corpses missing, it probably commanded an entire force of spirits. Having superior numbers would not help them. To avoid accidents, leaving first was still the wisest choice.
In any case, they had already destroyed the arrangements on Mount Zigai and the “headless rider.” The Heavenly Saint Cult’s scheme would likely be difficult to complete now.
The others were no fools either. After seeing such a terrifying curse, even the disciples of the True Martial Palace and the Zhushan Sect agreed to withdraw. Without further delay, they smashed the divine statues in the cavern, set the place ablaze, then left the village.
Everyone remained extremely vigilant on the journey back. Lu San kept the hawk circling overhead at all times, watching every direction. Perhaps because it was daytime, they encountered no obstruction all the way out of the mountains and successfully returned to the official road.
***
Li Yan and the others had only just left when mist began rising within the mountain forest. It grew thicker and thicker, soon covering the entire mountaintop. Figures suddenly began emerging one after another within the dense fog. They were all dressed like ordinary mountain villagers, in ragged clothes smeared with filthy blood.
They were clearly no longer living people. They stood in twos and threes throughout the forest, backs hunched, heads lowered, disheveled hair hanging down, looking more like solitary ghosts wandering through the mist.
“Roar!”
A deep growl sounded and a pair of blood-red eyes appeared within the dense fog, each as large as a lantern. Then an enormous tiger slowly stalked out of the mist. Its fur was vividly striped, with a white forehead and pale-rimmed eyes. Both eyes glowed blood-red, radiating a cold killing intent.
Even stranger, a talisman hung from an iron chain around its neck. It was shaped like a court tablet, made of yellow jade, and covered with golden threads that looked naturally embedded within it, like gold-inlaid jade. Not only that, the golden veins faintly formed cloud-and-thunder patterns.
Bloodlight flickered in the tiger’s eyes. It seemed able to see through the dense mist and mountain forest, as it watched Li Yan and the others gradually disappear along the official road below.
Beside it stumbled another figure, a middle-aged Daoist. His trousers reeked of urine.
He dropped to his knees and repeatedly kowtowed, trembling as he pleaded, “G-Great King, spare my life!”
Only after Li Yan and the others had completely disappeared did the tiger demon slowly turn its head.
Surprisingly, it spoke in the human tongue. “So that rebellious disciple finally couldn’t wait any longer?”
The Daoist shivered violently and kept kowtowing. “Tongtian Sanniang… no, that demoness was originally the disciple of the Heavenly Saint Duke. She only took Great King as her master because she wanted to seize the Earth Immortal body. That demoness has already opened the secret cave. She has been preparing the ritual to bring her master, Huang Liushi, back to life these past few days! If Great King spares me, I am willing to lead the way…”
“Roar!”
Before he could finish, the giant tiger flew into a rage and snapped its jaws shut, biting his head clean off. The headless corpse collapsed with a thud, blood spraying from the neck.
The tiger demon’s savage fangs crunched through the skull. Its eyes were full of vicious light as it growled, “That would be my cave dwelling. Why would I need you to lead the way?”
It then looked into the distance, hatred filling its eyes.
“A living yin emissary… Heaven truly favors me!”
***
After Li Yan and the others returned to the city, they gave a rough account of everything that had occurred.
“This is what happened.”
Magistrate Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still deeply uneasy. He cupped his hands and pleaded, “You gentlemen have solved the case of the ‘headless rider.’ Everyone in Dangyang County is deeply grateful. But those demons are still out there…”
Sha Lifei immediately shook his head. “Magistrate, it’s not that we’re unwilling to help. We simply don’t have the ability. Those old monsters aren’t something we can afford to provoke. The True Martial Palace already has experts on the way. The rest can be left to them.”
Li Yan nodded in agreement and did not object. Originally, he had thought that the troops on Mount Zigai, together with his own ghost soldiers, could destroy just about any demon or monster they encountered. But Dangyang County might be hiding an Earth Immortal, a tiger demon of unknown cultivation, and Liu Gang.
That man was a living yin emissary from times past and had even cultivated the Northern Emperor Scripture. His understanding of yin soldiers was definitely deeper than Li Yan’s. He might even possess some method of evading them.
The risk was simply too great. What they had accomplished had already far exceeded the City God Temple’s assignment. The rest could be left to the True Martial Palace.
“This…” Magistrate Zhang still refused to give up and pleaded, “Then could you gentlemen remain for a few more days, at least until the True Martial Palace’s reinforcements arrive?”
Li Yan considered it for a moment, then nodded. “Very well.”
Magistrate Zhang was immediately overjoyed. He hurriedly ordered a banquet to be prepared for everyone, and even invited Guan Peide to accompany them.
After days of rushing about and staying awake the entire previous night, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they returned to the Guan Clan to rest.
Captain Zheng, meanwhile, continued working with the men of the Military Surveillance Department. Interrogating prisoners, hunting down Heavenly Saint Cult spies within the city, writing reports to Yichang… their work was far from finished.
Before they knew it, the sun had set. When Li Yan and the others woke, the sky was already dark. They had the servants in the courtyard prepare a simple dinner, then ate while chatting and discussing what they should do next.
Sha Lifei took a swig of wine and cursed, “Damn it. I never used to hear about this many strange things. How come the farther we travel, the more demons, ghosts, and monsters we run into?”
Wang Daoxuan shook his head and sighed. “This is what happens when the human world undergoes great change. The fortunes of the mortal realm shift; factions struggle against one another; and killing intent rises to the heavens. Even the orthodox sects can hardly remain uninvolved. They can only take part in the struggle, while demons hidden throughout the land seize the opportunity to cause trouble and seek their own fortunes.
“Most of the current disturbances are hidden dangers left behind by the previous dynasty. If we can weather them successfully, the Divine Continent should enjoy another few decades of peace.”
Sha Lifei shook his head. “Either way, let the taller ones hold up the sky. Keeping ourselves alive is what matters.”
Seeing the mood turn gloomy, his eyes darted around and he changed the subject. “Brother Yan, when are we going to the ancient Western Zhou mine?”
Li Yan smiled. “As soon as the True Martial Palace’s people arrive to take over, we’ll leave immediately. Wuchang Prefecture is far from the fighting, so it should be much more peaceful.”
Sha Lifei brightened as well. “Exactly. With people from the Military Surveillance Department following us all the time, I don’t even dare use my Divine Fire Arquebus. This time, I’ll find a skilled craftsman and have it disguised a little. Then I won’t have to worry about anyone recognizing it in the future.”
Li Yan nodded. “After that, we’ll detour through Xiangyang first. There are plenty of ancient battlefields and tombs there. I need to cultivate for a while.”
Wang Daoxuan’s eyes lit up. “Brother Yan, are you about to break through?”
“Mm.” In a good mood, Li Yan nodded and continued, “Traveling the jianghu is dangerous, but I’ve gained a great deal of insight. Once summer is over, I should be able to go to Mount Wudang and build the next floor of my inner temple.”
“I am about there as well.” Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and smiled. “When the time comes, we can build our towers together and cultivate on Mount Wudang for a while. With the cultivation at the third level, many more techniques will become usable.”
Lu San said in his usual muffled voice, “Me too.”
“Good, good, good!” Sha Lifei immediately broke into a broad grin. “Once all of your cultivation improves, what will there be to fear from a few wicked cultivators?”
Then his expression changed again, and he began cursing. “Those fellows from the True Martial Palace are a bit stingy, though. We risked our lives for them, yet the reward isn’t much. I don’t even know if we’ll have enough money when the time comes.”
“Don’t worry.” Li Yan shook his head with a smile. “Haven’t you noticed? Those spiritual materials and ritual artifacts may be rare, but their prices are clearly inflated. That’s another method used by the orthodox sects. Later, we’ll find a way to have them pay us in spiritual materials instead. That way, we won’t get fleeced. This is partly why building a good relationship with the True Martial Palace is important.”
After chatting for a while longer, everyone returned to their respective rooms. They had already slept during the day, so none of them felt particularly tired.
Sha Lifei lit a candle and studied The Classic of Lightning and Fire beneath the candlelight, occasionally scribbling notes and diagrams while letting out foolish little chuckles. Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan, meanwhile, focused their spirits, entered meditation, and cultivated. Only Lu San remained in his room, sometimes feeding the Demon Gourd and sometimes watching the little fox chase Rat One and Rat Two around, a smile on his face.
His method of cultivation was somewhat unusual. He needed to spend time in forests and mountains, relying on various spirit beasts to comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth. The village guardian who had once transmitted the teachings to him had been mad and confused most of the time, but had occasionally been lucid.
Thus, Lu San had followed his instructions precisely: he worked for the Canal Gang to earn some silver, then went to Mount Zhongnan and built his inner temple. Unfortunately, his cultivation method was incomplete, so his progress had always been slow. It was only after controlling the Rat Immortals during the city patrol that night that he gained some insight and his cultivation improved slightly.
After a while longer, the night had grown deep. Lu San yawned and lay down on the bed. The little fox immediately darted into his arms and curled up. Rat One and Rat Two, meanwhile, had grown afraid of the little fox. They climbed onto the table and nibbled on pastries Lu San had bought for them.
The only flaw these two little fellows had was their greed for food. At first, they had been somewhat unwilling to follow Lu San, but after several days of sampling all kinds of pastries from down the mountain, they had long since become so comfortable that they no longer wished to leave.
The streets of the old city were likewise dark and silent. A hunchbacked night watchman walked along the street, striking his gong.
“Clang! Clang-clang! Guard against fire and thieves, and mind your candles.”
A gust of yin wind suddenly arose behind him. A wisp of black smoke sped along the base of the walls. The hunchbacked watchman seemed to sense something and turned to look, but at that moment, the black smoke suddenly lunged onto his body.
The watchman stiffened. Black lines appeared across the whites of his eyes, and his gaze turned icy. He looked around, walked into a dark corner, and picked up the yellow-jade, gold-threaded plaque from the ground. Then, he hung it around his neck and headed toward the Guan Clan’s residence.
He moved extremely quickly, without making the slightest sound.
As he approached the residence, he suddenly formed hand-seals with both hands and muttered, “Nuogao, I alone open the descendant Wang Jia. Six Jia Azure Dragon, Six Yi Encountering Star, Six Bing Bright Hall, Six Ding Hidden Yin… By my command move swiftly”
It was the Northern Emperor Mountain-Climbing Technique!
The token at his chest trembled slightly, and mist began rising around him, blurring his figure until he seemed to flicker in and out of sight. His mastery of the technique had already reached the level of an escape technique.
The watchman’s figure flickered as he moved through the mist. Once he reached the courtyard wall, he actually floated lightly over it. Within the fog, red light flashed in his eyes. He first looked toward Wang Daoxuan’s and Sha Lifei’s rooms and shook his head slightly. Then he looked toward Lu San’s room, and a trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
Without making a sound, he arrived in front of the room.
Crash!
Suddenly, he released the hand seal and smashed straight through the door. Lu San and the little fox were instantly awakened.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The Demon Gourd trembled, and venomous hornets roared out. Yet no matter how wildly the bees swarmed over his body, the watchman paid them no attention. Ignoring everything else, he seized Lu San and abruptly opened his mouth. Black smoke howled out and poured into Lu San’s mouth.
Crack!
Li Yan smashed through his own door as well. He drew Earth Breaker, pushed off twice beneath his feet, and leapt straight into Lu San’s room.
The room was icy cold. Rat One and Rat Two were trembling violently, while the little fox bared its teeth and raced around anxiously. Venomous bees covered the floor, yet none of them could fly. Meanwhile, “Lu San” stood with his back to Li Yan. Unhurriedly, he hung the yellow-jade talisman around his neck, then slowly turned around, blood-red light flickering in his pupils.
“You’re a living yin emissary. Did you bring your Summoning Writ?”