Wang Daoxuan’s timing to cast the spell was perfect.
"Mr. Lu" dared to give up possession and reveal himself, naturally having his reasons for confidence.
When it ca to martial arts, although he wasn’t a top-notch expert, his rigorous practice since childhood allowed him to step into the realm of Hidden Energy.
Regarding Dao, he had reached the Second Layer early on.
As he said, in his sect, he was more qualified than Wu Laosi to control the Hook Paper from any perspective.
The spell used earlier was called the Nine Netherworld Demon Soldier thod.
The na was eerie, and its power was indeed formidable.
This thod allowed control of wandering souls to possess bodies, turning them into ghost pawns, sowhat akin to the Puppetry Technique, but utilizing living human flesh as the body.
If the human flesh body was a machine, it was a restricted one, because exerting full strength often resulted in harm.
That’s why people would unleash their potential when at death’s door but would often fall gravely ill afterward or even lose their lives.
Those affected by this technique, possessed by yin souls, had no such concerns, wielding enormous strength, unaffected in combat even when severely injured.
This spell originated in the late Tang Dynasty, during an era of Dao-weakening and demon-rising, a turbulent ti when evil magicians served in the army, forming demon soldier death camps for desperate battles in adverse situations.
Although "Mr. Lu" only grasped the basics, twenty or so death-defying demon soldiers were enough to inflict heavy losses on the group.
At that ti, only Li Yan might have survived.
Wang Daoxuan completely disrupted his plan.
"Ah—!"
"Mr. Lu" fell to the ground, clutching his head and screaming in agony.
Wang Daoxuan’s Seven Arrows Secret Spell was only the first spell; it didn’t harm him, yet it seed like a sharp drill piercing into his head, swirling around madly, causing unbearable pain.
Simultaneously, the constables rushing forward imdiately stopped.
Li Yan wouldn’t miss such a golden opportunity; he leaped forward with a Crossed Blade, ready to slay the magician.
However, at the critical mont, "Mr. Lu" gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and pulled out a bamboo tube from his waist, yanking it fiercely at Li Yan.
Danger!
A sense of imminent death surged, and Li Yan gritted his teeth, flipping sideways, unleashing Hidden Energy, and fiercely kicked a constable standing still.
Whoosh!
Using this strength, he flew horizontally away.
At the sa ti, the bamboo tube in "Mr. Lu’s" hand exploded with a bang, emitting lots of phosphorus fire, both red and white, and so oily paste.
Whoosh~
Li Yan just barely evaded it, but the constables were doused head to toe, swiftly catching fire, turning into human torches almost instantly.
"Ah—!"
Agonizing screams rang out.
As the phosphorus fire burned, the possessing yin souls dispersed, leaving the burning constables in unbearable agony, running around, and grabbing at anything in reach.
Those not on fire were also unlucky, pushed to the ground by their companions, catching fire as well.
"Go to hell!"
Sha Lifei and the porters were also startled, seeing firen rushing over, they grabbed long sticks and thrust them away.
What a vicious hidden weapon!
Li Yan’s heart pounded seeing this scene.
Wang Daoxuan had told him many stories of the Mystical Sect, Fang Xian Dao, and later Cultivators who practiced outer alchemy. While they hadn’t mastered the Art of Immortality, they created nurous strange and peculiar things.
So of these spread among the people, like tofu and gunpowder, while others had imnse destructive power, becoming protective secret techniques.
For example, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect’s Thunder Fire Pills.
What this magician used was likely one such thing. Li Yan slled white phosphorus, saltpetre, kerosene, and so unidentifiable scents, very complex.
Now, the area was filled with the acrid sll of burnt flesh and suffocating smoke, making him extrely uncomfortable.
What troubled Li Yan more was that the magician had already recovered and pulled out another bamboo tube from his waist...
At this mont, in the ancestral hall, Wang Daoxuan was once again chanting incantations, holding a blood-stained chopstick and inserting it ferociously!
"Roar!"
The magician let out another screech, collapsing to the ground, the bamboo tube in his hand yet to be activated rolled to the side.
Li Yan wasted no words, Hidden Energy exploding in his legs, and with a swish, he leaped forward, Guan Mountain Blade slashing down violently.
Puff!
With this strike, powerful and sure, the magician’s head dropped.
Li Yan, still not at ease, activated the Storing God, making the Three Talents Demon Suppression Coin Blade Tassel sway side to side, emitting cold killing intent and dispelling the aura from the body.
At the sa ti, inside the ancestral hall.
Whoosh!
A straw man on the magic platform suddenly caught fire.
Wang Daoxuan exhaled a sigh of relief, collapsing to the ground, as the suffocating chill enveloping him quickly faded away.
This phenonon represented the end of the spell.
Either the opponent broke the spell, causing him severe backlash or death, or the target was already dead.
In short, this spell was a matter of life or death!
Now it seed, luck was on his side...
...
The blazing fire and the acrid sll of burning filled the air.
"Speak, how many of you ca here?"
"F-Forty-seven..."
Puff!
The blade pierced the heart, and the constable’s pupils quickly dimd.
Li Yan withdrew the blade with no expression on his face.
anwhile, the porters were dragging bodies and limbs, all tossing them into the decaying wooden building near the ancestral hall.
The entire wooden building had been set on fire by them, even tearing down nearby residential wood to keep feeding the fire.
"Counted, forty-six in total!"
Sha Lifei ran over, so anxiety on his face.
Although these people deserved to die, and tonight it was them or us, given they wore official uniforms, they needed to destroy the bodies to avoid leaving any traces.
"No worries, the last one is here."
Li Yan smiled slightly, turning his head to the right.
There, Lv San erged slowly from the darkness, his face ashen, with a wide slit on his shoulder, holding a human head.
It was the Fengyang County arrest officer Zhao Kui!
"Well done, brother!"
Sha Lifei praised him and hurriedly asked, "The head alone won’t do, where’s the body?"
"Two miles out, in the old woods by the official road."
"Alright!"
Sha Lifei wasted no ti, mounted a horse to retrieve the body.
At this mont, Yue Bala and a few others strolled over, pushing and hesitating among themselves.
Li Yan naturally knew what they were worried about, calmly said, "Everyone, rest assured, no one in Fengyang County has seen us. On the way back, take a detour and eat and drink as usual, as if nothing happened, and keep your mouths shut."
"Young Hero Li, rest assured."
Yue Bala sighed in relief, "We’re in on this; if a single word leaks, may the heavens strike us down!"
To be frank, they weren’t truly afraid of what happened tonight.
In the pugilistic world, encountering such matters was not uncommon.
What they feared was Li Yan might kill them to silence them.
The entire cow back ridge and Wu Family Gully, while acts of self-defense, at least fifty people had died at Li Yan’s hands.
He was like a lethal King Yan...
Li Yan noticed their expressions, sighed internally, and didn’t mind, instead checking the sky, speaking solemnly, "The ti is about right..."
"Funeral procession!"
...
Ding! Dong dong!
Wang Daoxuan shook the bell, while Li Yan beat the drum.
"Repent for sins of body, since birth, indulging in killing, theft, and lust, coveting fineries, the repentant swore to refrain henceforth from killing, theft, and lust, harboring no greed or anger, nor fostering ignorance or attachnt..."
Wang Daoxuan chanted scriptures, while Sha Lifei carried the Soul Summoning Banner, followed by Lv San in full mourning attire, circling a fire basin.
The fire basin represented the flas of karmic hell.
Beside it were two bricks with a tile on top, symbolizing the gate of the Netherworld.
Wu Laosi was a living Yin ssenger, having bungled the task and had already died. Wang Daoxuan wasn’t sure if he was suffering punishnt in the Yin Bureau, so before the spirit apotheosis, he conducted a simple ritual to pardon his sins.
As for Lv San, he assud the role of filial duty.
Then, Wang Daoxuan recited the Hell-breaking Spell while stepping the Gang, hands forming seals, striking the Peach Wood Magic Sword with great force.
Crash!
The tile shattered, symbolizing the opening of hell’s gate.
Finally, swinging the Peach Wood Sword, Wang Daoxuan loudly declared, "With one stroke, heaven opens, the eight Vajras descend, you lift the treasure up high."
"Raise the spirit!"
At the command, the porters lifted the coffin at once.
Wang Daoxuan, in his left hand, shook the Soul Summoning Bell, and in his right, he held the Soul Summoning Incense, leading the procession.
To be safe, they didn’t scatter any Paper Money; with Li Yan this fierce god present, likely no Wandering Ghosts would dare block the way.
Sha Lifei wielded the Soul Summoning Banner.
Lv San held Wu Laosi’s spirit tablet.
The porters shouted in low voices, carrying the coffin up the mountain.
As for the driver, Old ngtou, he stayed near the Wu Family Gully ancestral hall to ticulously search, ensuring no traces were left behind before driving the carriage and leading several horses away to wait for them.
At this hour, before dawn, Wu Family Gully fell silent once more.
Only the wooden building’s flas persisted, the charred bodies piled high...
...
"With two strokes, the earth gate opens, Earth Lord and Earth Lady co forth, receive the treasure, with Azure Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right, Vermilion Bird in the front, Xuanwu at the back...urgently according to the decree!"
Upon chanting the landing spell, everyone placed the coffin down gently.
Wang Daoxuan, holding a Vermilion Pen, swung it in the air, while chanting, "Rising to great heights, gaining scholarly success, this pen is not ordinary, it clears the heavens when tapped, awakens the earth’s spirit, the Vermilion Pen falls into the Yin Bureau, Wu Laosi’s three souls and seven spirits return to the Divine Lord..."
Then he recited spells, scattering Five-Colored Grains within the cliff tomb all around, while by the side, Lv San had gathered and buried the villagers’ bones.
"Seal it!"
After completing a series of steps, following Wang Daoxuan’s command, the porters used the soil, stones, and sand prepared in advance to seal the tomb entrance.
Then, climbing up the rope to the top of the cliff, they erased the rope marks and any stake marks.
Looking at the pale dawn, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Transporting the coffin over a long distance through rain and storms, it was finally over.
Li Yan spoke sternly, "Gentlen, descend from the other side of the mountain. Sha Lifei will guide you to Shangluo, where you’ll find fellow comrades to assist with so cover."
"Rember, no matter what happens in the future, you only traveled to Shangluo City, never knowing what happened in Fengyang County."
"Young Hero Li, you’re thoughtful."
"Rest assured, we understand."
Yue Bala and others nodded quickly, feeling slightly relieved.
Li Yan was taking them out of this incident, and let’s be honest, handling things this way was enough to earn respect.
Seeing them agree, Li Yan nodded slightly, turned to Sha Lifei, "Uncle Sha, stay in Shangluo when you’re done. Once the Daoist and I return from Tianzhu Mountain, we’ll et you there."
"Be cautious on the road."
Sha Lifei nodded with a solemn look.
He had heard that unintentional revelation from last night’s magician too, of how the Cold Altar rogue master had no connection to this Magic Veins.
Moreover, that soone from Wu Laosi’s Magic Veins was still alive.
This journey might lead to yet another magical confrontation.
"Don’t worry."
Li Yan nodded, turned to Lv San beside him, "Brother Lv, people must look forward. If we stay after what we did, the court will surely investigate. Staying here might beco dangerous. Why not co with us?"
Lv San stayed silent a mont, "No, thank you."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Watching him disappear into the distance, Sha Lifei complained, "Damn, this stubborn mule doesn’t even appreciate the kindness."
"Let it be."
Li Yan glanced into the distance, "Let’s move!"
With that, the group descended into the valley, eting up with driver Old ngtou, and after walking dozens of miles, they parted at a fork and gradually disappeared into the distance...
...
Wu Family Gully, outside the ancestral hall.
Lv San looked at the still-smoking wooden ashes in the distance, and then around him, sighed softly, muttering, "Nowhere to hide from..."
Chirp chirp!
A few rats scurried in from all directions.
Lv San tilted his ear, "Soone’s chasing? Hmm, understood..."
Saying this, a whistle, and the rats imdiately climbed into the leather pouch at his waist.
Sizzle!
He suddenly tore down his white mourning clothes, dipped in the fresh blood from the wound on his shoulder, and scrawled on the outer wall of the Wu Family Gully ancestral hall:
The killer is Lv San from Manchuan Pass!
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