The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 62 Moonlit Night and Cunning Tricks

Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Moonlit Night and Cunning Tricks

"Chaotic Burial Mound?"

Li Yan was taken aback when he heard this. "That’s the territory of the Western beggars. It’s a place where Yin Evil Qi converges; not a place you’d call pleasant. Could Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasures grow in such a ghastly place?"

Zhao Lvzi scratched his head. "Brother Li, you might not be aware that Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasures is just a collective term for naturally occurring Spiritual Objects, but they’re not all good."

"Some can be used to refine Magic Artifacts, some can prolong life and heal the sick, and some have their own sphere of influence, placed in a home, they can modify the Fengshui... anything beneficial can be considered the world’s blessing."

"That’s why after we obtain a treasure, we always shout, ’We’ve received our fortune!’"

"On the contrary, they are called omens of ill fate. Not only is obtaining them harmful, but some will even transform into spirit monsters or demons, necessitating the intervention of the Mystical Sect to seal them away."

"You might have heard of this, during the Tang Dynasty in Guanzhong, there was a severe drought, and a Dragon Bone Treasure Reef appeared in the Wei River. People thought it was the bones of a Dragon King, burned incense and worshiped it, but that night, a sandstorm arose, killing countless villagers in the surrounding area—that was an omen of ill fate."

"Later, Weiyangzi of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect set up an altar and performed a ritual, capturing the evil and destroying it with Heavenly Thunder, passing into folklore as the tale of Weiyangzi slaying the Dragon God."

"I see..." Li Yan suddenly realized.

He had heard this story before and thought it was merely a folktale, not realizing it was based on true events.

At this thought, he asked, "What about the ’Mountain Tai Sui’ then?"

Zhao Lvzi didn’t hide anything and replied, "The name ’Tai Sui’ originally comes from the Tai Sui star, an image of kingship, not something common folks would dare to invoke, hence the notion of ’avoiding the Tai Sui.’"

"Below ground, ’Tai Sui’ can bring both disasters and blessings. Some are called meat Ganoderma and can prolong life when consumed, while others absorb the Earth’s Yin Evil Qi and turn into omens of ill fate. Casual diggers sometimes find them; the light cases result in grave illnesses, and the severe ones lead to instant death—they call it ’disturbing the Earth above the head of Tai Sui’..."

"As for ’Mountain Tai Sui,’ it grows deep within the Acupoint and center of the Earth’s channels in a mountain, absorbing either Innate Astral Qi or Innate Evil Qi. Over the years, they can even evolve into Divine Astral Qi and occupy the position of a Mountain God. It’s extremely dangerous to rashly disturb them."

At this point, a flash of insight struck Li Yan, and he said gravely: "We once went to Chaotic Burial Mound to entreat the Yin God. According to Master Wang, there should have been a Mountain God commanding the yin soldiers, but there was no response; could it have been this thing?"

Zhao Lvzi nodded, "That’s right, it’s that very thing."

"The news coming out of Xianyang City tells that Chaotic Burial Mound once had a Mountain God, and it used to be a place of excellent Fengshui. But over time, as the bodies buried there accumulated, a vast amount of Yin Evil Qi gathered, corrupting the Mountain God’s Divine Astral Qi. Moreover, as the incense offerings ceased, the spirit no longer manifested."

"According to leaked information, that Western beggar sect leader, the ’Mountain Grandfather,’ was originally an outsider, a Magician from the pugilistic world. He seized the position of the beggar leader and has been waiting at Chaotic Burial Mound for years, all to seize this treasure."

"The object that can restrain it is the tattered cloth bag passed down among the beggar chiefs. In a few days, on the Double Ninth Festival, when the yang energy returns and a new cycle begins, the Mountain Tai Sui will expel all the Yin Evil Qi within, attempting to regain its divine status."

"At that moment, as long as the timing is calculated correctly, one can retrieve the treasure. Its greatest effect is in healing wounds; no matter how severe the injury, it will be healed completely."

"Is it really that miraculous?"

Li Yan’s face showed surprise, yet he had lost interest.

The effect of this Mountain Tai Sui could not compare to the Daluo Dharma Body. Although absorbing fortune could help repair the Daluo Dharma Body, given the current situation, with numerous experts vying for it, it was unlikely to be his turn.

"Come on, let’s have a drink!"

Thinking this, Li Yan promptly pulled Zhao Lvzi to drink.

Since it was disrespectful to drink and eat meat inside the Mountain God Temple, the two built a bonfire outside on the temple slope, and Zhao Lvzi even roasted two hares he had caught.

The moon had just risen, and by the bonfire, the two of them clinked their cups and chatted about various experiences and interesting anecdotes.

Knowing Li Yan’s interest in hidden treasures, Zhao Lvzi shared everything he knew, including his own heritage, some customs, taboos, and those ancient stories, all without reserve.

Li Yan also shared plenty of pugilistic world secrets.

Unbeknownst to them, it was already deep into the night, the bright moon hanging high.

In the darkness of the mountain, the bonfire flickered alongside their laughter...

...

Outside Xianyang City, on a hillside, there was a similar flicker of firelight.

Around it, two rows of fire pits were set up, and the pungent scent of burning fat dispersed with the dancing flames as the nighttime breeze blew through.

In the center of the fire pits was a temporary magic platform erected.

Different from the magic platform Master Wang Daoxuan had set up, this one held not only incense, water, and fruits as Five Offerings, but also an Eight Trigrams drum with Order Flags inserted, a Dharma Seal, and a Peach Wood Sword; the surroundings were covered with talisman paper.

Even more peculiar, in front of the magic platform were arranged rows of wooden puppets, each looking lifelike with painted faces representing all the roles of Chinese opera: Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou.

Chen Fagui was dressed in a white Daoist robe of strange design, similar to a mourning outfit, but with a large Eight Trigrams embroidered on the back and a white headband bound around his forehead.

In the distance, Yuan Qu, with several of his men, as well as Zhou Peide wearing a hooded cloak, stood quietly watching.

Yuan Qu glanced at the somber-faced Zhou Peide and then whispered, "Is everything taken care of?"

Zhou Peide replied coldly, "Rest assured, I didn’t reveal any names. I found Ge Xing from Chang’an, he’s the most efficient under the butcher’s command. By now, the men should have arrived in Menggu Village."

Yuan Qu sneered at the response. "Being so cautious—are you scared, Brother Zhou?"

Zhou Peide shot him a cold glance but said nothing.

He was no fool; in fact, shortly after returning home, he had guessed that Yuan Qu harbored ill intentions and wanted to drag him down with him.

Zhou Pan didn’t care about him, nor did he care about Zhou Bai.

But behind them stood the entire Zhou Family.

Yuan Qu definitely wanted to get some leverage, so if anything went wrong, he could threaten Zhou Pan into not betraying him.

But even though Zhou Peide had figured it out, he insisted on taking action.

Because he also knew about the Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure at Chaotic Burial Mound.

Chen Fagui would go there to claim the treasure, and by assisting with his men, he too would get a share afterwards.

This was Zhou Bai’s only hope!

What was the Zhou Family worth?

When Zhou Bai fell into trouble and was abandoned, not one of the older generation came forward to speak a word of justice for father and son!

Noticing Zhou Peide’s expression, Yuan Qu smirked and said no more.

At that moment, Chen Fagui, who was far away, suddenly opened his eyes, looked at the moon above, picked up the Peach Wood Sword, began forming hand seals, and reciting spells while he stepped around in Astral Step.

Pff!

He lifted the Eight Trigrams water bowl from the magic platform and sprayed water, creating mist.

This technique was called "Water Sprinkling."

Water, being beneficial to all things and close to the Tao, "Water Sprinkling" could remove dust, cleanse impurity, and dispel miasma, and it was a crucial step in activating the magic platform.

In an instant, the wind rose and the water stirred, and Gang Qi gathered on the magic platform, forming a powerful momentum.

Of course, all of this was invisible to Yuan Qu and the others; they just felt a sudden gust of wind that, upon reaching the magic platform, became a whirlwind, causing the nearby brazier to waver.

And this was just the beginning.

At this moment, Chen Fagui seemed to become a different person, his stature straight, his gaze deep, as he wielded the Peach Wood Sword, creating several flourishes and picking up a decree with his other hand, pointing it towards the sky, then changing his Astral Step again, as if dodging something...

After completing this series of procedures, he smacked the Dharma Seal onto the table with a snap, then threw out an Order Flag while forming hand seals and chanting, "Nine Elements return to truth, three spirits of the depths, I command thee—hurry like this decree!"

With that said, he pointed the Peach Wood Sword forward.

Whoo~

Instantly, a gust of yin wind rose fiercely.

The wood puppet of a flower-faced dan role offered on the altar began creaking and slowly twisting its head, as if being pulled by invisible strings, its hands and feet stiff as it stood up.

This sight sent chills down the spines of Yuan Qu and the others.

Chen Fagui glanced indifferently, "Let’s get moving, do as instructed beforehand, take the puppet to the outskirts of Shangyi Village, and leave immediately once the puppet returns."

Yuan Qu nodded and immediately looked to the side, "Zhu Tiedan, it’s up to you now!"

The man he referred to was a robust fellow with a face full of scars, known as the bravest man in the White Ape Gang, who had once drunk human liver without changing expression.

However, even this tough man had gone pale now, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and facing Yuan Qu’s sinister gaze, he braced himself and stepped forward, cautiously reaching for the puppet.

Clatter clatter...

Unexpectedly, the puppet crawled up his arm like a spider and moved onto his back.

"Ah! Ah!"

Zhu Tiedan was so terrified that he itched all over, scratching everywhere.

Chen Fagui frowned, "Relax, just don’t move around."

Yuan Qu also scolded coldly, "Zhu Tiedan, if you spoil our plans, I’ll have you buried alive in a grave tonight!"

Under their scolding, Zhu Tiedan could only quicken his pace with a mournful face, leaping onto a black horse nearby, and with a flick of the reins, he galloped towards Shangyi Village.

All the way, he felt an ever-increasing chill on his back, as if someone was continuously blowing in his ear, causing him to tremble.

Fortunately, he truly had great courage; after adapting, he no longer thought about it, muttering to himself, "Roasted pork balls, lamb offal stew, donkey meat sandwich..."

Racing as fast as the wind, before he realized it, he had reached the outskirts of Shangyi Village.

Zhu Tiedan felt a sudden lightness on his back and swallowed, turning his head cautiously to look behind.

The wooden doll that had been on his back had vanished without a trace...

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