What a bunch of flies flocking to a latrine!
Although Li Yan didn't know that the Iron Blade Gang had already been wiped out by Luo Shihai and the others, he wasn't the least bit surprised to see those two showing up.
No matter how good their martial arts were, they were still the scum of the earth.
As the hoofbeats drew closer, Li Yan saw them more clearly.
Both men had large burlap sacks slung over their saddles. Judging from the shape—and the stench—there was no doubt they contained newly kidnapped children.
At the same time, the wind carried their conversation to his ears.
"Junior Brother Zheng, don't blame me for this. That idiot Zhou Peide messed things up, and now we're dragged into it."
"What good is roaming the jianghu? We've got enemies everywhere, and now we're wanted by the authorities too. Won't survive long like this. Better to follow the master—at least he's a real backer…"
"Hmph, what's the point of saying this now?"
"With that old bastard's nature, he'll betray us sooner or later. I've already thought about cutting ties, but damned if that guy surnamed You didn't steal all my savings."
"Damn it. Years of hard work, and now I've got nothing to show for it…"
"Hahaha, money comes and goes."
"Master Chen said, once he succeeds, we head straight to the coast. Way more prosperous than Guanzhong. I heard lots of wanted outlaws from the greenwood have already sailed overseas and made a killing…"
As they spoke, the two men galloped past.
Hidden deep in the woods, Li Yan didn't reveal himself.
First, while the two weren't top among the Eight Vajras, they had practiced Dark Strength for years and used it with ease. He wasn't their match alone.
Second, he wanted to confirm if Chen Fagui really was hiding in the mountain tomb.
Once at the foot of the mountain, the two men hid their horses in a hollow and carried the sacks up the slope. Their figures gradually shrank as they disappeared into the leafless forest.
The higher ground gave a better view. If Li Yan rushed to follow, he'd be spotted immediately.
Fortunately, he had other means.
He pinched a yang seal and activated his divine ability to the limit. Taking a deep breath, he could faintly trace the scent trail left behind.
Of course, his divine sense was still limited. He couldn't track them beyond a certain range—but as long as he remembered the scent, it wouldn't dissipate for at least two days...
Meanwhile, on a distant official road, three riders sped along.
It was Sha Lafei and the others.
"Stop!"
As they neared their destination, Luo Mingzi of the Enforcement Hall suddenly raised his hand. Gazing into the distance, he said calmly, "For Chen Fagui to evade the authorities, he must be good at hiding. He's probably well-prepared. We'd better dismount and move in stealth."
"Daoist Luo makes sense," said Zhao Facheng of the Jiuyuan Sect, nodding. "My Senior Brother Chen doesn't understand worldly matters, but he's quite talented in the mystic arts. He must have set up precautions."
With that, he dismounted and led his horse into the woods to hide it.
Hearing this, Sha Lafei finally relaxed a little.
He had originally thought that once the Chenghuang Temple got wind of this, they'd immediately set up a ritual and capture Chen Fagui on the spot. He didn't expect that the temple troops couldn't act during the day.
Worse still, only two people had been sent.
Granted, the demonic cultivator was just one man, but wasn't this a bit too casual?
He couldn't help but feel anxious the whole way.
Thankfully, these two didn't seem entirely clueless…
Once the horses were secured, the trio advanced again—not along the main road, but along the forest's edge, hiding their presence.
Midway through, Zhao Facheng suddenly raised a hand to signal a stop. Then, forming a yang seal, he lay on the ground and pressed his ear to the soil.
Sha Lafei, no longer a novice, immediately guessed that the man had awakened an ear-related divine ability.
Sure enough, Zhao Facheng stood and turned to Sha Lafei, saying, "Someone's hiding in the forest ahead. Likely your companion."
Swish!
Li Yan's brow furrowed. He turned with blade in hand.
He had been using his divine sense to scout the distance but now smelled three people approaching from behind the trees.
One of them was Sha Lafei—but all three were heading straight toward him. Clearly, his position had already been exposed.
Sure enough, the trio soon entered the woods.
Seeing their Daoist robes, Li Yan stepped forward. "Greetings, honored seniors."
Sha Lafei quickly introduced them, "Brother Yan, this is Daoist Luo Mingzi of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect's Enforcement Hall, and this is Master Zhao Facheng of the Jiuyuan Sect. Well? Did you find him?"
He gave a little wink as he spoke.
Li Yan was wary—why bring along people from the same sect when dealing with Chen Fagui?
Though suspicious, he took the hint and didn't press. He simply nodded. "He's nearby, but the mountain is riddled with tombs. I haven't pinpointed the exact location."
"Chen Fagui has two helpers—Yuan Qu and Zheng Heibei…"
He then relayed everything he had just witnessed.
"Zheng Heibei's here too?"
Sha Lafei cursed. "So that bastard ran off to this place. You probably don't know, Brother Yan—the Iron Blade Gang's been wiped out."
After sharing intel, Li Yan clasped his hands. "Seniors, when do you plan to act?"
Luo Mingzi pondered. "Originally, nightfall would be ideal. Back at the Chenghuang Temple, Uncle Master Qingyangzi will begin a ritual and dispatch troops to assist."
"But the enemy just kidnapped more children—they're likely ready for the sacrificial ceremony. Time is of the essence. We go now."
But Zhao Facheng quickly objected. "That won't do!"
Li Yan frowned. Sha Lafei's smile disappeared too.
Seeing their reaction, Zhao Facheng shook his head and sighed. "Fellow cultivators, don't misunderstand. I was sent by my sect, and I'm not here to cover for Chen. Whether he's guilty or not, he'll be dealt with."
"But this place isn't normal. We can't charge in blindly."
He turned to Luo Mingzi. "Daoist Luo, have you noticed this mountain's terrain?"
"Oh?"
Luo Mingzi stepped to the forest edge and observed for a moment. Then he nodded. "You're right—this is a Taiyin Star ground. I've heard your Jiuyuan line specializes in yin-dwelling feng shui. Truly remarkable."
Li Yan mused aloud, "From what you've said, this Taiyin Star ground is dangerous. So why so many tombs?"
"Not quite. Taiyin Star ground is a blessed land."
Zhao Facheng shook his head. "There are nine celestial stars in geomancy. Taiyin is one of them—associated with metal in the Five Elements, and 'Dui' in the Eight Trigrams. The Taiyin star implies 'incompleteness.' When yin and yang are balanced by burial, it becomes highly auspicious."
"These techniques date back to the Wei and Jin dynasties. I'd wager all these tombs are from that era."
"If I'm right, Senior Brother Chen picked this spot for his sacrificial ritual—using life force to break through. He's been preparing for a long time. The whole mountain is likely rigged."
"To outsiders, it looks normal—but once someone sets foot on it, he'll know."
There was a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "Chen used to be righteous, helping commoners drive away evil. He had lung cancer and supposedly gave up worldly pursuits… I never expected him to go down this path."
Li Yan didn't care about Chen's past. He asked gravely, "If storming the mountain alerts him, both the children and the soul jar holding our companion's spirit become bargaining chips… We need a foolproof plan."
If it were just a mountain bandit hideout, sneaking in at night would do.
But since this involved the mystic arts, charging in recklessly wasn't an option.
Zhao Facheng didn't reply. Instead, he turned to Luo Mingzi and said respectfully, "Daoist Luo, you're more experienced. Please take charge."
Luo Mingzi didn't refuse. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Daoist Zhao, can you draw Chen's attention?"
Zhao Facheng nodded. "We're from the same sect. If I set up a ritual at the foot of the mountain, he'll sense it and come confront me."
"Perfect."
Luo Mingzi looked toward the mountain, stroking his long beard. "Then I'll conceal my aura and circle up the side to rescue the children, destroy the ritual altar, and grab the soul jar."
"When our reinforcements arrive, we'll wipe him out!"
In the ancient tomb, candlelight flickered faintly.
As Zhao Facheng had guessed, it was indeed a tomb from the Wei-Jin period.
Though not a royal mausoleum, it was spacious. Beyond the passageway were front and rear chambers, plus two side rooms.
Several robber tunnels had been dug; the valuable burial goods were long gone.
In the front chamber, twelve drugged children lay on the ground, flushed red.
Yuan Qu and Zheng Heibei had nothing better to do and were inspecting the murals with torches in hand.
"Geez, these noble families were really extravagant."
"What good did it do them? Always fighting each other. As soon as the north fell into chaos, they all fled south. No matter how great the feng shui, it didn't do them any damn good…"
At that moment, Chen Fagui emerged from the back chamber. Calmly, he said, "Feng shui is a minor force. Its blessings last at most three generations. When the greater tides of humanity roll in, the small forces get swept away."
As he spoke, he smiled faintly. "Gentlemen, it's getting late. Please take off your clothes."
Yuan Qu and Zheng Heibei exchanged a glance—then started stripping.
Soon, they were stark naked.
*(End of Chapter)*