Chapter 89: Inviting The Immortal To Death
Dim underground palace.
The dome was inlaid with night-luminous pearls the size of duck eggs, shining brightly, faintly illuminating the darkness within a short distance.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
One after another, figures darted into the underground palace.
“Bai Manlou summoned us here, what does he intend?”
“It’s actually a tea party, could something have gone wrong?”
“I was chasing a group of thieves impersonating our Guo Lu Society identity, it had better be urgent, otherwise I’ll make Bai Manlou face the sect’s discipline to follow the rules!”
The hall masters of the Ren Character Hall, Yi Zi Hall, Li Character Hall, and Xin Character Hall, along with two or three patrol brothers responsible for scouting, gathered together.
Moments later, Bai Manlou and Xiao Qingchou also arrived one after another.
Regarding everyone’s doubts and questions, Bai Manlou said little, only that they would discuss together once Red Fifth Master arrived.
Time passed, water droplets slowly fell from the dome, sounding very clear in the bleak underground palace.
Drip!
It was unclear whether it was the sound of water droplets hitting the ground or faint footsteps.
A gust of breeze carrying some cold air blew into the underground palace along the long corridor.
Everyone’s expressions tightened.
Had an outsider intruded?
Red Fifth Master was a great expert who had slayed the four thieves of eye, ear, nose, and intent, having long achieved return to original purity, his strength and aura perfectly rounded without any leakage of flaws.
If it were Red Fifth Master arriving, there would be no influx of outside air at all.
Instantly, the atmosphere in the underground palace turned tense and murderous.
Everyone simultaneously circulated their cultivation methods, and Bai Manlou also gripped his sharp sword tightly.
Then, Red Fifth Master’s shabby figure, dressed in patched clothes, appeared before everyone.
Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Red Fifth Master frowned: “What’s wrong?”
Ren Character Hall Master said: “Fifth Master, why do you walk with such a wind?”
Red Fifth Master’s bronze bell-like eyes widened, and he said,
“If walking doesn’t bring wind, wouldn’t that make me a ghost? Heading back to Weng Mountain, our own turf, what if it causes a misunderstanding and our own brothers overreact? Bai Manlou, speak up, why did you summon us back this time?!”
Moments later.
Each person was handed a note to read, and after looking, they pondered in place, silent for a long time.
Xin Character Hall Master shook his head: “This person hides his head but shows his tail, unwilling to show himself in two successive moves. He might be trying to borrow a knife to kill. Not trustworthy.”
Li Character Hall Master, the money grabber, said coldly: “If you don’t trust this or that, while others treat us with courtesy, yet you keep suspecting… why not just slit your throat and end it!”
Yi Zi Hall Master said in a gruff voice: “Afraid of what! Just kill them one by one! We’ll know truth from falsehood once we go! Without a fight, how do we know who’s enemy and who’s friend?!”
Ren Character Hall Master said nothing more, looking toward Red Fifth Master.
“Enough!”
Red Fifth Master barked deeply, his back straightening like a beam, the muscles on his face gradually tensing, carrying an unquestionable majesty.
Everyone fell silent.
Red Fifth Master said: “Zhou Yiyong is right, at this point, even if it’s a trap or scheme, we have no choice but to jump in! Xiao Qingchou, how is your Divine Might Purple Thunder Cannon coming along?”
Red Fifth Master looked toward Xiao Qingchou.
Xiao Qingchou said: “Reporting to Fifth Master, it’s fully assembled. We plundered raw materials from various firework bureaus in Wuqing County and prepared six cannonballs.”
“Good!”
Red Fifth Master said resolutely: “Bai Manlou, Xiao Qingchou, you two quickly carry the cannon, don’t delay!
Zhou Yiyong, you few handle the aftermath, save as many innocents as possible!
I’ll hide in the shadows to cover for you all! If time allows, give that damn county yamen and White Mountain military camp a cannon too!”
Red Fifth Master decided to blast the enemy’s lair and weaknesses hard!
“Hm? Someone’s coming?”
Before everyone could react, Red Fifth Master’s ears twitched slightly and his nostrils flared, sensing that a faint intent he had left outside the underground palace had been triggered.
Red Fifth Master reached out with a large hand, a surge of scorching intent rising from the niwan acupoint on his forehead, projecting several strands of intent onto everyone, concealing their qi and rendering them invisible.
In an instant, only Bai Manlou was left, standing alone in the underground palace.
Bai Manlou was the most arrogant, best suited for taunting and drawing enemy attention.
Seeing this, Bai Manlou’s face twitched, full of pent-up anger, his expression growing increasingly defiant.
“You rats, hiding deep enough, actually found the previous dynasty princess’s mausoleum, oh? Seems like a fake tomb…”
A cold voice sounded.
A woman in daoist robes, with peerless beauty, stepped into the underground palace.
Tian Xuan Saint looked at Bai Manlou’s isolated, solitary figure in the underground palace and sneered coldly,
“Fine, though only you alone, it’s enough to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys.”
Tian Xuan Saint’s qi suddenly surged, ethereal immortal light rising from her body, sometimes turning into cranes and spiritual deer, sometimes into auspicious clouds and treasure pagodas, grand and mysterious, inspiring awe in anyone who saw it, making them only dare to kneel in place without lifting their heads.
Meanwhile, Bai Manlou’s expression was strange; he, never skilled at deceptive words, could only point his sword at Tian Xuan Saint and say weakly,
“I’m so scared.”
With that, shadows dispersed, and figures of varying heights but all brimming with killing intent flashed out from behind the underground palace’s pillars, surrounding Tian Xuan Saint in the center like stars cupping the moon.
Their auras varied in strength, from second-rate perfection to slaying one bandit, slaying two thieves, slaying three bandits, even slaying four thieves.
Their movements stirred gales, their breathing like furnaces, their yang qi extremely intense, nearly flipping the entire underground palace!
Tian Xuan Saint was dumbfounded.
Red Fifth Master’s eyes flashed with ferocious light, grinning viciously,
“Immortal Master above, we lowly Shu Land warriors and Guo Lu Society rebels dare to request your instruction today…”
“Please, Immortal, meet your death!”
Boom rumble!!
The next moment, a earth-shattering roar echoed through the entire underground palace, pillars toppled, thick smoke rolled, rapidly expanding in all directions.
…
The wind is strong tonight…
And very lively.
Chen Shun’an lurked in a small river ditch on Weng Mountain, quietly observing the movements overhead without a sound.
This place was far from the county city, and the night sky had become clean and refreshing.
Stars dotted the sky, flickering on and off; at a glance, it seemed one could see to the ends of heaven and earth.
The small river ditch wound around the mountain peak, flowing eastward, wind surging from the jade-belt-like river surface, then flowing into the wilderness along the channel, bringing an inexplicable yin energy to Weng Mountain.
Chen Shun’an had never been accustomed to tying his life, fortune, and safety entirely to others.
So after sending the message to Bai Manlou and the others, he had stealthily followed along.
However…
There seemed to be an unexpected gain?
Through the shimmering water surface, Chen Shun’an faintly saw a figure untouched by mortal smoke and fire dart past the small river ditch and plunge into a robbery hole.
Then Chen Shun’an silently dove another few zhang, almost to the riverbed paved with silt and cobblestones.
He restrained his aura, like a cold stone.
It had to be said that even without knowledge of feng shui and geomancy, Chen Shun’an could vaguely sense that the Weng Mountain area was a feng shui treasure site.
The main mountain was majestic, shaped like a grand tutor’s chair, with a strong incoming dragon vein, the peak rounded like a canopy, a green dragon river ditch winding circuitously around it, flowing past the treasure site’s gate.
And that key treasure site naturally fell within the princess’s tomb.
Yet after so many years, the main tomb of the princess’s mausoleum remained unfound.
No matter how skilled the grave robbers or body thieves, upon arriving here, they at most found a suspicious decoy tomb and a few damaged martial arts manuals before leaving in resentment.
However…
“Weird, this small river ditch clearly has excellent water quality, clear and sweet, yet there are no fish or shrimp in the water? Overwhelming yin energy?”
After his grass talisman progress surged greatly and his divine might became prominent, Chen Shun’an’s water skill had also improved greatly.
He could even faintly sense the pulsing and breathing of the surrounding water flows; with just a slight arm movement, he could dart seven or eight zhang away like a nimble fish, without transmitting any undercurrents or ripples.
His breath-holding time had increased dramatically; staying at the bottom for half a day was no problem.
One could faintly see that in Chen Shun’an’s glabella, there was an additional clear, gentle pattern like water ripples.
But it was indistinct, nearly invisible.
Closeness to water spirits, prominent divine might, blessed by rivers.
Chen Shun’an was step by step regaining the Grass Head God’s authority.
“So Weng Mountain hides a great secret!”
Chen Shun’an’s heart stirred.
This was natural; as the burial ground of a previous dynasty princess, an early Sacred Dynasty horse ranch, and a place even His Majesty the Emperor regarded with awe and kept his distance from, Weng Mountain naturally hid many secrets.
But now, Chen Shun’an had no time for those secrets.
A faint tremor came indistinctly from within the mountain.
The water flow became chaotic, stirring up waves.
Birds and beasts on Weng Mountain neighed one after another, fleeing for their lives.
Then a robust qi and blood shot into the sky, nearly dyeing half the sky blood-red.
While Chen Shun’an was surprised, he saw Tian Xuan Saint emerge in disarray from the robbery hole, her face ashen as gold paper, her clothes tattered.
Her chest was caved in, as if it had been blasted open.
She glared hatefully at the robbery hole, with annoyance, fury, and a trace of imperceptible coldness.
She fled madly along the way, her figure vanishing into the wild woods, without a shred of immortal demeanor.
Then several burly men dashed out from the robbery hole.
Red Fifth Master shouted urgently: “I’ll chase her, you all proceed as planned!”
At Red Fifth Master’s realm, defeating her was easy, killing her difficult.
Bai Manlou and the others’ strengths varied greatly, far inferior to Red Fifth Master.
So if Tian Xuan Saint escaped to open ground without the advantage of encirclement, the benefit of numbers would vanish.
Bai Manlou and the others felt some regret but didn’t stop moving, scattering like stars across the sky, heading toward Wuqing County.
But a thought simultaneously arose in everyone’s minds.
First the message, borrowing Bai Manlou’s hand to summon the Guo Lu Society brothers to gather at Weng Mountain.
Then Tian Xuan Saint happened to blunder into the underground palace.
Could this also be part of that mysterious expert’s plan, within his expectations?
The capital city truly lived up to being a place where dragons and tigers hid, full of talents!
The night was hazy, the river surface like a dust-covered glass, reflecting the cold moon’s outline.
Suddenly a breeze rippled the river surface, and a head popped out, water droplets sliding down.
Chen Shun’an was somewhat dumbfounded.
How were there so many unexpected situations tonight?
Where did Tian Xuan Saint come from, and how was she foolish enough to walk into the trap, diving into Weng Mountain?!
Looking in the direction Red Fifth Master and Tian Xuan Saint had gone, Chen Shun’an narrowed his eyes, hesitating slightly.
Beat the drowning dog?
Snipe and clam strife, fisherman benefits?
Chen Shun’an dismissed the thought.
Though Tian Xuan Saint seemed less and less like an immortal, she still had intricate ties to the immortal path; who knew what trump cards or methods she hid.
With Red Fifth Master chasing and blocking ahead, that was enough.
Chen Shun’an had a clear sense of his own strength.
Though by viewing the Six Sceneries Rotation Diagram, slaying the body thief, moving like a flying immortal, even experts like Xiao Qingchou who had slain one or even two six-sense thieves could not detect his presence.
But compared to a martial world elder like Red Fifth Master, a famous gangster rampant in Shu Land, a first-rate great expert, there was still some distance.
After all, Chen Shun’an’s breakthrough to first-rate was too recent.
If even Red Fifth Master couldn’t keep the Saint, he would be useless.
As for finding a bargain, it would involve huge risks, not matching the openly available gains.
So Chen Shun’an decisively departed.
He was more concerned with what Bai Manlou and the others were doing.
Trailing behind them, he could advance or retreat.
Very safe.
