The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 204 - 147: Past Enemy

Chapter 204: Chapter 147: Past Enemy

The wind howled with snow, the mountains and rivers were vast.

"That war, some didn’t want to face, some wanted to forget, even the history books only had a few lines..."

"The chaos of the Five Barbarians, the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the northern invasion of the Lang Country was not only a catastrophe for ordinary people, the Mystical Sect was affected too..."

"Countless Magic Veins were severed, the Dao faded while magic prospered. At our Shang Mountain faction’s worst, we were down to just a few people, hiding in the mountains, keeping our incense burning..."

Coming to the ancient battleground site, Luo Faqing suddenly spoke more, his eyes complex as he said, "This ancient battleground, the evil qi was intense, it became a famous den of sorcery during the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, evil creatures thrived, and strange happenings occurred often..."

"The Guanzhong Mystical Sect was troubled by this, at the time our Shang Mountain faction elite perished here, and only until a hundred years into the Great Song did the evil formation gradually dissipate..."

Sha Lifei said in surprise, "Then why did demons hide here?"

"Not sure."

Luo Faqing shook his head, pointing ahead, "I sent ghosts and gods to track, the child who turned into a Walking Corpse is hiding in a cave up ahead in the mountain col."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Indeed there was a remaining scent, move quickly, don’t let anyone escape!"

Upon saying that, he shook the reins and rode out.

Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan followed closely.

Luo Faqing shook his head slightly and also spurred his horse to catch up.

In fact, he didn’t mention that the ritual of exorcism back then almost severed the Shang Mountain faction, with ups and downs, it once became a small fringe sect, facing scorn.

Because of this, the style of the Shang Mountain faction began to change.

Exorcism and prayer, the world would not remember your merits, they wouldn’t mention it when adding insult to injury and sneering...

The harshness of spell warfare, the retaliation for grievances, people would instead fear, and the situation of the Shang Mountain faction improved...

Luo Faqing once thought this was the truth.

But after this event, he felt there seemed to be some issues...

......

"Right inside!"

Relying on his Divine Skills, Li Yan quickly found the location.

It was a hidden cave located halfway up the mountain, just blocked by a boulder, with a passage slanting downwards.

If someone passed from below the mountain, they wouldn’t see it at all.

And on the snowy slope, there were traces of dense footprints.

Li Yan had already smelled a certain rotten corpse odor, exactly the same as the evil creature from the Du Family.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Perhaps hearing the movements of several people, two arrows shot from the darkness, with astonishing force, piercing deeply into the rocks.

Li Yan didn’t say a word, taking Thunder Fire Pills from his waist.

This small thing was specially designed to deal with enemies hiding in the dark.

Swish!

The Thunder Fire Pills ignited, as he threw them into the cave, and immediately flashes of white light and thick smoke erupted inside, blinding the ambushers who randomly shot a few arrows in confusion.

"Quick, retreat!"

An angry roar came from inside.

Li Yan didn’t say a word and jumped out.

He knew that since the enemy could retreat, it indicated that there were passages inside leading to other places.

As soon as he entered the cave, a gust of wind whistled through.

Although Li Yan couldn’t see, his smell superpower allowed him to understand the terrain and number of enemies clearly.

The assailant was small-sized, with the same rotten corpse odor, it was the Du family’s already dead little grandson.

Li Yan didn’t hold back, taking a side step while activating the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin, his Guan Mountain Blade slicing like a silver thread.

Splat!

Empowered by Evil Qi, the little ghost’s head was instantly cut off, hitting the stone with a thud and shattering, pouring out a lot of black water.

However, Li Yan didn’t advance.

In the darkness, someone came wielding a sword.

The opponent’s swordsmanship was extremely exquisite, with a swish, it shot out like an arrow, aiming straight for his throat.

It was an adept!

And they used Hidden Energy.

Li Yan’s entire body hair stood on end, performing an Iron Plate Bridge roll to narrowly dodge while executing a Kui Star Inverted Kick, attempting to shatter the opponent’s wrist.

However, the person was evidently at the peak of Hidden Energy, their swordsmanship extremely cunning, just a flick of the wrist made the longsword bend suddenly, drawing a bizarre curve, piercing right at Li Yan’s calf.

Splat!

Even if Li Yan dodged swiftly, he was struck by a sword, bearing the pain he rolled sideways, simultaneously scooping up a handful of sand to throw.

The opponent seemed to be a simple Martial Artist, yet they had the ability to listen to the wind and discern positions, waving their wide sleeve to block their head, as the sword flower shook, they stabbed diagonally again as if pursuing life and death.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

At this moment, Sha Lifei threw out two torches.

In the darkness, the flash of fire startled the person, immediately making them close their eyes and retreat, while wielding the sword for defense.

But Luo Faqing had already leaped from the cave entrance while the torches flickered, stabbing his longsword straight at the opponent’s brow.

Li Yan saw it clearly, the opponent turned out to be a monk in a robe, though not young, the features still showed traces of past handsomeness.

As the torches hit the ground, the entire cave became visible.

Sha Lifei, holding a knife, glanced at the entrance, his eyes widening, "You... how are you still alive?"

Upon saying that, suddenly realizing something, he shouted, "Brother Yan, that’s Lu Gongyuan, don’t let him escape!"

Lu Gongyuan?!

Murderous intent surged in Li Yan’s eyes.

The name Lu Gongyuan, he naturally wouldn’t forget.

The person used to run an escort hall in Chang’an, a male brothel, dealing in human trafficking, and his father, while investigating on behalf of an employer, encountered him.

Unexpectedly, this person was part of the Maitreya Sect’s secret hall, Zhou Pan sabotaged by not reporting it, resulting in his father’s demise.

At that time, Anqing Hall was annihilated, but Lu Gongyuan had already fled.

Now arriving in Chang’an, Sha Lifei mingled with people in the underworld, doing gigs and gathering information, seeking this person’s whereabouts.

Unexpectedly, he appeared here.

Hearing his background exposed, Lu Gongyuan clearly panicked, trying to flee, but Luo Faqing’s swordsmanship was not inferior, attacking lethal points in succession, stubbornly engaging him.

"Take this!"

Li Yan suddenly sprang up, throwing out two Flying Blades.

Clang! Clang!

Lu Gongyuan hastily wielded his sword to block.

But at this moment, Li Yan had already flanked, and with Luo Faqing, attacked his vital points simultaneously.

The saying goes that two fists can’t block four hands, and Lu Gongyuan’s martial skills, though slightly superior to the two, were compromised by age and panic, quickly falling to a disadvantage.

Splat!

Carelessness led to Luo Faqing slicing his sword-wielding wrist, just as he was about to retreat, Li Yan seized the moment and raked up with a long blade.

"Ah—!"

Lu Gongyuan cried out in agony, having his right foot severed by Li Yan, losing his balance and falling to the ground.

Before he could get up, Luo Faqing’s sword was pressed against his throat.

"Go, leave him!"

There were accomplices, pushing a wooden cart together.

On the cart was a corpse wrapped in white cloth, entwined with red ropes, and pasted with talismans, clearly the Du Family ancestor’s remains.

Murderous intent flashed in Luo Faqing’s eyes, about to pursue.

However, Li Yan’s expression changed abruptly, pulling him back, "No, there’s explosives!"

Boom!

Just as the words landed, a thunderous noise erupted.

The surroundings trembled and rocks collapsed, blocking the passage.

Dust and smoke poured out from the cave entrance.

Along with it, Li Yan and the other two emerged.

Of course, they dragged Lu Gongyuan out too.

"Damn it, they used explosives!"

Sha Lifei, covered in dust, was furious.

Li Yan grabbed Lu Gongyuan, using his fingers to dislocate his jaw, then deftly flicked out his hidden poison-filled false teeth with a knife.

As if such concealments could deceive him.

After doing this, Li Yan coldly asked,

"Where is the exit?"

"Heh heh..."

Lu Gongyuan, his mouth full of blood, sneered and closed his eyes.

"It’s useless."

Luo Faqing, having learned the backstory from Sha Lifei, shook his head slightly, "These Maitreya Sect followers believe they can ascend to paradise after death, it’s hard to extract anything from them."

"Ascend to paradise?"

Li Yan coldly laughed, raising his left hand before Lu Gongyuan, "Do you recognize what this is?"

"Soul... Soul Hook!"

Lu Gongyuan clearly flinched, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes, yet he still defiantly said, "So what if you’re a living Yin messenger, I’m not a yin criminal."

Living Yin messenger...

Luo Faqing too was visibly surprised.

He hadn’t expected Li Yan to have such an identity.

Li Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, could you step aside for a moment?"

Sha Lifei turned and walked away, while Luo Faqing, aware that Li Yan might employ methods he didn’t want them to see, though curious, couldn’t remain.

After they left, Li Yan grasped Lu Gongyuan’s head.

The Soul Hook drilled into his body, quickly retracting afterward.

Whoosh~

As his hand released, Lu Gongyuan’s face turned pale, gasping heavily, fear filled his eyes.

In just that instant, he seemed to have swum through the Huang Quan River, enveloped in boundless cold and death, far removed from the living world.

The Soul Hook harvesting souls was certainly unpleasant.

And for Lu Gongyuan, even more terrifying was the feeling of his soul being toyed with.

Li Yan coldly said, "If you speak honestly, I’ll give you a quick death, allowing you to reach paradise. If you deceive me, I’ll consign you to the Nine Netherworld."

Lu Gongyuan’s face turned ashen, his eyes flickering with indecision, finally gritting his teeth, "The exit is in the underground secret chamber of Xiangji Temple, accessible from the woodshed in the backyard."

"Who is the person in charge?"

"Hui Qing."

"What is he?"

"He is a monk from Japan, fled across the sea twenty years ago, staying at Xiangji Temple, also a servant of the Vice Sect Hierarch."

"Vice Sect Hierarch?"

Li Yan frowned.

Lu Gongyuan no longer dared to conceal, "The Vice Sect Hierarch, Zhao Changsheng, was the one orchestrating it. When my whereabouts were exposed, he arranged for me to assist Hui Qing here, waiting for the Rashamon Bird to form."

"The Vice Sect Hierarch hasn’t been here for years, he only occasionally sends messages to inquire."

"The Ancient Zhou Fangshi Tomb was bombed, the formation leaked, so we could only act ahead of time, hoping to successfully nurture the Rashamon Bird..."

Hearing all these, Li Yan finally pieced together the story and then asked solemnly, "Do you remember Guanzhong’s fierce tiger, Li Hu?"

"Li Hu?"

Lu Gongyuan initially looked puzzled, then seemed to recall, questioningly said, "Are you..."

"I am his son."

Li Yan’s eyes flashed with killing intent, "Back then, did you harm him?"

Lu Gongyuan was startled for a moment, then shook his head, "He was investigating human trafficking, it wasn’t much, I didn’t care."

"But he secretly inquired about the Vice Sect Hierarch’s message and past, that’s why he was killed. It was Incense Master Luan Hong’er who acted, nothing to do with me."

"Inquiring about the Vice Sect Hierarch?"

Li Yan was suddenly confused.

Why was his father, a man of the pugilistic world, inquiring about the Maitreya Sect Vice Sect Hierarch?