The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 305 - 198 The Undercurrents Begin to Emerge

Chapter 305: Chapter 198 The Undercurrents Begin to Emerge

"Be careful, don’t move!"

Li Yan let out a low shout, protecting Sha Lifei and Lv San behind him.

The orthodox soldiers came covering the sky and earth, Wang Daoxuan naturally knew how to respond, while Sha Lifei and Lv San had no experience and needed to be reminded.

At times like this, it was taboo to move around rashly.

Li Yan sensed the presence, it must be the Captain Bureau soldiers arriving.

Although such soldiers were relatively stable and wouldn’t cause chaos, they were, after all, a vast swath of yin souls, and if not handled properly, it was very likely that they would collide with people.

"Nobody move!"

From another side, a Daoist from the Taixuan True Sect also shouted a reminder.

By then, the surrounding area was a whirlwind of activity, with leaves flying in disarray.

Thick yin fog churned, obscuring the moonlight, rendering one unable to see their own hands, with only the rustling strange sounds within the howling wind audible...

All the soldiers felt a chill rising in their hearts.

They stood shivering in place, daring not to move.

Fortunately, they hadn’t lit any torches, otherwise, seeing the white frost spreading on the ground and countless footprints appearing out of nowhere might have frightened them into running around.

In just a few breaths’ time, the violent wind had already gone far.

The enemies opposite them had already stopped moving.

And further away on the hillside, the lights kept going out as if the entire village was gradually being swallowed by darkness.

Li Yan watched the distance, his face solemn.

No wonder the soldiers were given such importance, with such an overwhelming power, one couldn’t withstand it without sufficient protection.

The mountain stronghold opposite obviously didn’t have that capability.

"Huang Qianhu, it’s enough."

Seeing no more movement on the mountain, the Daoist turned slightly and nodded.

"Light the torches, take the people!"

At Huang Qianhu’s command, countless torches were suddenly lit.

The blazing firelight dispelled the darkness and also removed the soldiers’ fears.

The people, holding their torches, marched forward and not long after, they discovered many people lying on the ground. All were dressed in coarse cloth with patches upon patches.

At first glance, they appeared to be destitute refugees, but every one of them held weapons and had calluses on their hands, clearly all practitioners.

They had caught a big fish!

Huang Qianhu’s face lit up with a slight joy, he hurried forward, randomly picked a few people, and pulled at their collars, all inked with a beast resembling a fierce tiger with a pair of wings.

"Indeed, it’s the Heavenly Saint Sect!"

Huang Qianhu’s eyes shone with a sharp gleam, turned his head, and shouted sternly, "Tie them all up, don’t let even one escape!"

Even the Taixuan Orthodox Sect would not use their soldiers to slaughter on a large scale, to avoid blood qi backlash that could cause the soldiers to lose control.

Thus, these people were rendered unconscious by the impact of Yin Evil Qi on their Divine Souls, they looked motionless but were not dead.

The garrison soldiers immediately stepped forward, took out hemp ropes, and tightly bound everyone with great elation.

This was like an effortless merit, there would not be a lack of rewards in the army.

Heavenly Saint Sect?

Li Yan heard this and his face slightly changed.

He had, of course, heard of the name Heavenly Saint Sect.

The most recent major disturbance among Jingxiang refugees occurred a few decades ago, organized by a pugilistic world magnate named "Heavenly Saint King".

Rumor had it that not only was the person a master of Astral Force, he also possessed Magic Skill, could summon gods and perform exorcisms, and control demon soldiers in battle, truly formidable.

After his death, an organization named "Heavenly Saint Sect" rose in the Jing Chu area. Although not as influential as the Maitreya Sect, it was entrenched in the mountains, often clashing with the court, responsible for many incidents.

Just last year, they even organized an attack on Shangyong County.

He thought these people were tattooed with winged tigers, but if it was the Heavenly Saint Sect, then it would be another fierce beast: Qiongqi!

Was the Heavenly Saint Sect also targeting the new gunpowder?

Li Yan and Sha Lifei looked at each other, both their faces turning grim.

This water was muddied quite terribly...

Thinking of this, Li Yan hastened his pace.

His goal was to find the old monk who practiced the Fox Heart Technique with the help of the Captain Bureau, completing the Yin Bureau task.

It was best to stay away from these muddy waters as soon as possible.

The conflict between refugees and the court was like a muddled account.

For the refugees, they only wished to farm in peace, not oppressed and exploited by government officials and landlords, yet there were those insistent on forcing them to submit...

But for the court, this was like a ticking time bomb in the heart of Divine State. As long as the issue remained unresolved, they would not know peace.

Li Yan truly had no desire to get involved in such affairs...

Just like what the ghostly fox had said, the stronghold here was very hidden, situated halfway up the mountain and covered by high mountains and dense forests, with Arrays arranged all around.

Li Yan walked briskly, seeing in the dense forest nearby many trees hollowed out in the middle, each holding a shrine, along with traces of incense offerings.

These were to worship Yin Gods for protection, any outsider who got close would encounter the Ghost Wall, subconsciously avoiding the place, and wild animals likewise dared not come near.

No wonder the ghostly fox said it was difficult to enter. With so many Yin God shrines, without a military assault, they too would be trapped within.

Now, these Yin Gods were probably already captured by the Captain Bureau soldiers, brought back to the City God Temple, after a round of training they’d be added to the ranks.

Along the route, there were also many people lying unconscious.

Just like the ones before, they were all disciples of the Heavenly Saint Sect.

But entering the stronghold revealed a different scene.

This stronghold wasn’t small, with crisscrossing paths, all were paddy fields, and each pond was surrounded by small packs.

These things, commonly known as "hanging packs" in the countryside, involved wrapping seeds in straw, hanging them by the pond to germinate.

Aside from that, there was a small Land God Temple at the village entrance, with packs of seeds also placed before the Divine Statue; this was to ask the gods to watch over the seeds.

Sadly, even the Land God they worshipped had been taken away...

Outside a wooden residential building, old people holding children had passed out on the ground, their faces still not having shed the look of horror, and they were all bound by the soldiers.

Wang Daoxuan sighed, at a loss for words.

Even Lv San’s expression had turned ugly.