The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 76 Hook Paper Changes

Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Hook Paper Changes

"Good courage!"

Luo Mingzi was instantly furious upon seeing this, ready to fling his treasured sword.

However, Chen Fagui was not afraid at all, grabbing the candle off the table.

Luo Mingzi paused, stopping in his tracks.

It was because Chen Fagui realized he couldn’t stop him, so he arranged several explosives on the altar, even stacking gunpowder on the fuse for a quick detonation.

Gunpowder wasn’t rare in the Great Xuan Dynasty.

Though the court strictly prohibited private use among civilians, many pugilistic world factions and Green Mountain bandits had them, impossible to control.

Especially after the seas were opened, with overseas trade and bloody battles with other nations, cannons roaring, it was indispensable. Thus, many chambers of commerce secretly hoarded them.

By now, the ban was in name only.

In pugilistic world battles, it was seldom used, because once used, it was a major crime, even involving the Captain Bureau investigating directly. Right or wrong didn’t matter; using it meant a death sentence.

As long as Chen Fagui casually threw it, the entire tomb would be blown up, no saving those children or Wang Daoxuan’s Wandering Soul Vase.

At this moment, a ghostly light flashed in Luo Mingzi’s eyes.

His eyesight was extraordinary, seeing a hand reach down gently from the thieves’ tunnel above the back of the tomb, signaling him not to act rashly.

It was Li Yan also having infiltrated, using invisibility to conceal his presence but similarly detecting the gunpowder, hence not attacking.

Seeing this, Luo Mingzi’s expression remained unchanged as he advised calmly, "Daoist, as Zhao Facheng said, you once guarded a region, why commit this act?"

"Guard a region?"

Chen Fagui seemed triggered, laughing bitterly, "Yes, I once thought that, accumulating karmic virtue, keeping true to my heart, comprehending mysteries, to bring fame to my school in the future."

"But what did I get?"

"Why do those criminals get to live in peace and retire safely, yet I, with unrealized ambitions, have to suffer from an incurable disease?"

"What damn karmic virtue, the Heavenly Dao is unjust. Why should I keep it?"

Seeing him somewhat frenzied, Luo Mingzi squinted slightly and advised, "You haven’t made a grave mistake, even in death, you could reincarnate peacefully. But once on the Demon Path, it’s hard to return."

"Reincarnation?"

Chen Fagui laughed, "Immortality, longevity, reincarnation... People have said this since ancient times, but who’s ever seen it? Just deceiving fools."

Luo Mingzi sneered, "That’s because of your shallow knowledge. Many brilliant cultivators of the Mystical Sect through the ages, you think they’re all fools?"

"To be honest, I do know some..."

"Oh?"

Chen Fagui got distracted, his grip loosening slightly.

In the rear, Li Yan wasn’t going to miss this chance, leaping out, simultaneously flinging his right hand, with the flying locust stone whistling out.

Pa!

The candle in Chen Fagui’s hand was instantly struck away.

He wasn’t skilled in martial arts, not reacting as fast as a martial artist.

Meanwhile, Luo Mingzi on the opposite side showed no mercy, flicking his hand, and the Seven Stars Sword slashed like a streak, piercing through Chen Fagui’s chest.

Simultaneously, Li Yan also landed, reversed his grip, and swung the Guan Mountain Blade, Chen Fagui’s head flying off, rolling onto the ground.

Thud, the corpse fell, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Luo Mingzi leaped over, swiftly removing the lamps and candles around, distancing them from the explosives at the altar’s center.

Lying on the ground were twelve children; if one suddenly woke up and, in panic, knocked over a lamp, they’d all be doomed.

Li Yan swiftly sheathed his blade to help.

But at this moment, he felt the hair on his back stand on end, a chill welling up from within, as if a beast suddenly appeared behind him.

Clang!

Li Yan quickly drew his blade and turned.

Only to see the decapitated head of Chen Fagui on the ground staring intently at him.

The opponent was dead, yet a wave of resentment surged forth.

"Good courage!"

Luo Mingzi also noticed, removing a Soul Suppressing Bell from his waist, shaking it with his left hand, pinching a mantra with his right, and solemnly saying, "Steady your mind, I’ll remove the curse for you."

Before dying, Chen Fagui used his last ounce of consciousness to ignite his Storing God Temple, cursing Li Yan.

The Soul Suppressing Bell jingled, with Gang Qi spreading with its sound.

Alas, it was a step too late.

Li Yan only felt his vision darken, a splitting headache, with Chen Fagui’s vengeful shrieks seemingly echoing in his mind, while his eyes were hallucinating:

The six cuts on Chen Fagui’s forehead were slowly opening, transforming into six eyes, looking in different directions—bizarre to the extreme.

At this moment, a violent burning sensation came from his abdomen.

Though the pain was unbearable, it cleared Li Yan’s mind.

Looking at Chen Fagui’s forehead again, where were the six eyes?

Enduring the pain, he retrieved an item from his waist, it was Wu Laosi’s Hook Paper!

At the time of Wu Laosi’s death, this item returned to normal, devoid of any aura, appearing like an ordinary token.

Sha Lifei, being timid, didn’t dare handle it, so Li Yan took it, wrapped it in red cloth, and kept it at his waist.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, it suddenly changed.

Li Yan held the Hook Paper, sweating profusely, feeling like he was holding a searing hot iron, with even the stench of roasting flesh, yet unable to shake it off.

This pain, like a sharp blade piercing the heart, had numbed his whole arm.

The Daluo Dharma Body in his Dantian began self-repairing.

The wound on his hand vanished instantly but was promptly scorched again by the Hook Paper.

In a short time, this cycle repeated several times.

Finally, that burning sensation disappeared.

With a thud, the Hook Paper fell to the ground, and Li Yan’s vision darkened, nearly collapsing.

Raising his palm to look, there on it was a scar burned by the Hook Paper.

A patch of charred skin, akin to a tattoo.

Beside him, Luo Mingzi also dispelled Chen Fagui’s death curse, first sticking a Yellow Talisman on his forehead, then putting away the Soul Suppressing Bell.

He too saw the scar on Li Yan’s hand, momentarily taken aback:

"Hook Paper? Living Yin messenger?"

"How is this possible!"

Woosh!

Just then, a fierce wind surged outside.

The Society Order Army arrived, with the howling wind and Yin Fog shrouding, enveloping the entire mountain top. Those hiding in the thin mist, the Wandering Ghosts, seemed to be pulled by invisible ropes, ascending into the sky, disappearing...

The spectacle was indeed magnificent.

Li Yan, activating his smell superpower, sensed more deeply.

No wonder the City God Temple could suppress an area peacefully, this Society Order Army was like a real military force. While individually inferior to the former Cold Altar Rampant Soldier, their numbers were massive, making yin souls and fierce ghosts flee in dread.

Looking at Chen Fagui’s corpse on the ground, Li Yan suddenly sighed, "Do these troops always come to clean up the mess afterward?"

"Tonight was a special case, it’s not usually this troublesome."

Luo Mingzi shook his head, looking gravely at Li Yan, saying solemnly, "Never mind that, you’re in big trouble."

"Not a ghost charmer, but became a living Yin messenger..."

"I’ve never heard of such a thing!"

...

Morning light seeped through the window lattice, forming beams of light.

Wang Daoxuan’s eyelids twitched, slowly opening, seeing a circle of silhouettes around him.

Li Yan, Manager Wan, Sha Lifei, and a Daoist he didn’t recognize.

Awakening as if from a long nightmare, he was momentarily bewildered.

"Daoist, how do you feel?"

Sha Lifei, anxious, quickly inquired.

This sentence seemed like a key, as Wang Daoxuan’s chaotic memories swiftly returned, deducing what had happened from the situation.

"Thank you all for saving me."

He squeezed out a smile, his voice hoarse.

Luo Mingzi quickly stepped forward, parted Wang Daoxuan’s eyelids, checked his eyes, and nodded, "It’s nothing, your Divine Sense is damaged, rest for two days, and you’ll recover."

"That’s good, thank you, Master Luo."

Manager Wan sighed with relief, waving his hand, "Let’s leave for now, Daoist Wang. You rest; we’ll talk once you’re well."

Wang Daoxuan nodded, seemingly exhausted from just these words, closing his eyes and sinking into a deep sleep.

Outside the door, Manager Wan hurriedly clasped his hands, "Thanks to Master Luo’s help, I’ve prepared some wine..."

After finding the Wandering Soul Vase, to prevent any accident, Li Yan invited Luo Mingzi to Shangyi Village to help restore Wang Daoxuan’s soul.

As expected, the disciple of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect was extraordinary, completing it effortlessly before dawn.

"Predecessor Wan, you’re too kind."

Luo Mingzi shook his head, "The aftermath isn’t settled yet, and there’s still business to attend to. I’ll have a few words with Brother Li and then leave."

With that, he pulled Li Yan aside to a quiet spot.

Everyone else sensibly turned away.

Facing Li Yan, Luo Mingzi spoke sombrely, "It’s daylight now, check if the mark on your hand remains?"

Li Yan quickly raised his hand, only to see in the palm of his left hand, the Hook Paper’s mark not only hadn’t faded but became clearer, like pitch-black tattoo ink.

"My superior, what is going on?"

Seeing this, Li Yan couldn’t help but panic.

Because not only on his hand, even within his Dantian, the Daluo Dharma Body’s hand bore the same Hook Paper brand!