Chapter 102
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“What is that? Be careful—”
“Don’t be afraid! It’s just an illusion! That ancient ferocious beast doesn’t exist!!”
Some people roared, while others cried out in alarm:
“What is that? Aah—”
The guards of the carriage turned their heads, only to see claws as gnarled as ancient thousand-year-old trees appearing before their eyes. In the instant they drew near—BOOM!—a deafening crash erupted as the last two carriages were sent flying sideways. At the moment they left the ground, Zhu Ziyi shouted: “A few of you, go!”
Within the chaotic scene, shattered remnants of axles, carriage shafts, and wooden panels scattered everywhere, mingled with the anguished cries of the horses. Two cultivators from the rear guard were struck by the impact, sent hurtling into the sky before plummeting back down.
ROAR!!!
With its green mane bristling, the Taowu let out an excited bellow, stamping the ground with a thunderous boom. It leaped and bounded in place, its whip-like tail lashing through the air. Its heavy paws pressed into the earth as it strode leisurely around the convoy, its massive crimson eyes fixated on the approaching cultivators. Occasionally, its extended claws flicked, carving deep gashes into the ground.
The beast’s mighty roar sent a fierce wind sweeping outward, stirring up dust and dead grass, which spiraled chaotically through the air.
The cultivators gripped their weapons tightly, channeling wind-warding techniques to steady themselves. Just then, they heard Zhu Ziyi’s voice: “It’s an illusion!”
One of them, wielding a crimson-tipped staff, thrust his weapon forward from within his sleeve and shouted, “Ah—!” before charging ahead with reckless ferocity. The staff’s head gleamed red-hot, distorting the air around it.
At that very moment, hidden behind the convoy near the city gate, Lu Liangsheng curled his lips into a faint smile. He had commanded his painted beast to seize the initiative, using its sheer overwhelming size to suppress the enemy’s momentum—just as it was written in [Strategies and Responses].
“Knowledge is also a kind of power…”
With a flick of his fingers across the painting scroll draped over his donkey’s back, his spiritual energy surged into the image of the Taowu. Almost simultaneously, in the blink of an eye, the bold cultivator who had just lunged forward was struck by a shadowy blur. In his companions’ stunned gazes—whoosh!—he was instantly swatted away, leaving nothing behind but a lone shoe still resting on the ground.
The remaining three cultivators immediately halted, their eyes locked onto the Taowu’s thick, whip-like tail, which was nearly as wide as their bodies. They swallowed hard before collectively retreating.
At the front of the convoy, a few metallic clashes rang out before abruptly stopping. Zhu Ziyi retreated and glanced back.
“That’s an illusion—kill that scholar…”
However, just as the three men turned, several talismans flew over out of thin air. Sun Yingxian burst from the ground, dirt covering his head, each palm inscribed with two cinnabar talismans.
“Wind, fire, thunder, lightning—hasten!”
The incoming talismans exploded into roaring flames, forcing the three cultivators to retreat.
Zhu Ziyi gritted his teeth and stomped his foot before turning to look at the corpulent monk shrouded in interwoven golden light and fiery light. He barked an order to the cultivators under his command.
“Form the array! Trap the monk!”
The flames erupted midair. Fajing closed in with a swift, elusive movement and seized an opponent, slamming them into the ground with a resounding crash. Cracks spread like a spider’s web across the earth.
As he straightened, five cultivators moved swiftly around him, circling twice before beginning to rotate at increasing speed. Each wielded an identical short staff with a red-tipped head. They raised them horizontally, forming a great circle.
“Blazing Sacred Flame, with my body it begins…”
“Blazing Sacred Flame, with my body it begins…”
“Blazing Sacred Flame, with my body it begins…”
Chanting in rapid succession, their voices grew indistinct as the five muttered the incantation in unison. The staves in their hands ignited with a roar, the flames spiraling wildly as they whirled, forming a ring of fire.
“Daoist Lu, leave at once!”
At the center of the inferno, the burly monk suddenly stomped with one foot, settling into a stance like a rooted pillar. The prayer beads draped over his shoulder stretched against his arms.
“Prajñā Pāramitā…”
“Prajñā Pāramitā…”
Fajing closed his eyes and softly chanted a Buddhist protective mantra. A golden radiance enveloped his body, shielding him from the searing flames.
The monk’s chant resonated through the winds, drifting into the distance—just as the sharp whistle of a sword cutting through the air rang out.
A streak of pale red slashed toward Sun Yingxian, forcing him to dodge in haste. The fierce wind swept past his face as Zhu Ziyi charged forward like he was treading on air, heading straight for the scholar behind the old donkey.
“Such petty tricks may deceive others, but they won’t fool me—”
With two fingers, he brushed the sword’s blade. A pale red glow shot forth.
“Young Master, dodge!”
Nie Honglian burst from the painting, commanding the Yin Spirit energy as she met the incoming crimson sword aura head-on. Meanwhile, Lu Liangsheng gripped the old donkey’s reins and sprinted forward. As he glanced back, his brush flicked in the air, and a nearby fierce beast took two steps forward, raising its sharp claws and slamming them down.
The force of the wind pressed down over Zhu Ziyi’s head, but he did not even spare a glance. The blazing sword aura struck the female ghost, sending her flying. His figure became a mere afterimage as he evaded the descending claws and surged toward the fleeing donkey and the scholar upon its back.
On the ground, Honglian’s ghostly form wavered as she struggled to rise.
“Young Master, beware!”
Elsewhere, the Daoist was desperately breaking free from an opponent’s grip. Turning back and catching sight of the scene, he shouted:
“Behind you!!!”
The pale red sword light tore through the darkness. Zhu Ziyi pushed his palm against the sword’s hilt, and the blade let out a resonant hum as it thrust forward in a straight line—piercing through the scholar’s back just as he turned around.
Yet, no blood splattered.
Zhu Ziyi’s eyes flickered in surprise. Before him, the donkey and its rider shattered into countless specks of dust, scattering into the wind. Meanwhile, further ahead, another donkey and scholar remained, still running. His mouth twitched.
“This scholar’s illusions are truly impressive.”
He followed the fleeing figures with his gaze. Lu Liangsheng was still merrily dashing ahead, tugging the donkey along while occasionally glancing backward.
What now…
The bookshelf creaked and swayed. The scholar turned his head, looking toward the toad in the small partitioned-off area. If it were his master, what would he do?
At that moment, chaos erupted from the southern part of the city.
“What’s going on over there?”
Lu Liangsheng turned his attention toward the gathering of disaster victims. Flames shot up into the sky, and countless figures moved in flickering shadows.
“The child-stealing monks are here!” “Everyone, get into the city!”
“Watch out! The guards on the wall are readying their bows!”“They’re trying to force us to our deaths…!”
“The imperial rations must have been embezzled by that Prefect!”
“That’s right! Look at him—covered in rolls of fat!!”
Among disaster victims, there were never only the meek and submissive. A single Buddhist chant and a beast’s roar shattered the oppressive silence. The hidden schemers stirred, and hearts burned with rage. Someone set fire to a thatched shelter, calling for the crowd to rise. Those harboring resentment and fury followed, their cries surging like a tide, pushing the masses toward the city walls. Pointing at the Prefect standing atop the wall, they launched into curses.
“Even mountain bandits wouldn’t stoop so low, you dog official!”
“Look at him! Fat head, big ears—how else could he have gotten that way except by feasting on fine food?”
“We starve and freeze outside while he eats and sleeps in comfort. What kind of ‘parental official’ is this?”
Someone picked up a stone, spat on it, and hurled it at the city tower. It struck the wall just half a zhang below the battlements with a crisp pa!
“Dog official! If you have any guts, come down here!”
The Prefect was an exceedingly fat man, his face round and fleshy. Seeing the stone bounce off, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably. The cries of “dog official” below made his fists clench. He turned slightly and whispered a few words to his trusted aide. The man hesitated before cupping his hands and departing.
Then, the rotund official turned back to the wall and leaned forward slightly.
“My fellow villagers… there really is no grain left in the city.”
Gripping the top of the city wall, his voice trembled as he spoke.
“You must not storm the gates—otherwise, there will be no turning back. You will become rebels…”
Most of the crowd continued shouting, clamoring to rush into the city and kill the so-called dog official. Before long, a plainly dressed woman was escorted up to the wall by the soldiers.
It appeared she was the official’s wife.
Below the city walls, the uproar gradually subsided. Moments later, the “dog official” in their mouths drew his sword.
“I… will kill my wife… and share her flesh with you all.” The Prefect wiped away his tears and spoke these words to the restless crowd.
His trembling hands gripped the hilt, raising the blade over the wife who had accompanied him for many years.
Ping!
The long sword snapped in half. It grazed past the closed-eyed woman’s neck, cutting only a few strands of hair. As the broken sword clattered to the ground, another blade embedded itself behind the couple—a treasured sword inlaid with a red gem. It was Lu Liangsheng’s Veiled Moon Sword.
The sudden turn of events made some soldiers react. One of them pointed toward the southwestern hills.
“There’s someone over there!”
Countless eyes turned toward the darkened hillside. Against the deep blue night, a figure was seen dashing, pulling along a donkey-like beast. In the blink of an eye, he had already covered several zhang.
And behind him, another figure was in pursuit.
“Master… I have an idea. It might be worth a try.”
Lu Liangsheng dared not stop his steps. The empty scabbard at his waist swayed as he tore his gaze away from the city walls, clenching his jaw and taking a deep breath.
“Master, block the one behind me…”
“Alright…”
Inside the small partition, the Toad Daoist opened his eyes and responded softly. He turned his back to the gourd, flipped onto the donkey’s back, and locked his toad-like eyes onto the pursuing cultivator. He gave a slight nod.
“Go and try whatever plan you have. As your master, I shall hold him back and buy you time!”
Lu Liangsheng let go of the reins, grabbed a blank scroll, and said, “Thank you, Master!” before dashing toward the Rain-Praying Platform.
The old donkey gradually slowed down. In the night wind, the Toad Daoist watched as Zhu Ziyi drew closer, letting out a cold snort.
Muttering in a voice only he could hear, he said,
“This old man has roamed the heavens and earth, devouring both demons and humans alike. Even if half my cultivation has yet to recover…”
With a powerful kick of his webbed foot against the donkey’s haunches, his short figure shot into the night sky.
“How dare a mere minor cultivator act so wildly! Taste my gour—”
His voice grew louder, but just as Zhu Ziyi sensed the surge of demonic energy and halted sharply, raising his sword in vigilance—
Behind the small figure leaping toward him, another dark shadow trailed midair… then suddenly went taut.
“!”
The Toad Daoist looked down. A rope was still tied around his waist.
“By the heavens…”
His momentum jerked to a halt. He barely got the last word out—
“…damn.”
BANG!
Limbs sprawled, he smacked flat onto the ground, his wide mouth forced open, his long tongue dragging limply along the dirt.
Snort, huff, snort, huff…
The old donkey blinked, watching its fleeing master in the distance. Panic flashed in its eyes as it bolted forward in pursuit. The rope went taut—And so, the Toad Daoist was yanked along, bouncing across the uneven ground.
“…Th-this o-old man… w-will… k-kill th-this… d-damn… d-donkey… croak… croak, croak—”
The jumbled, stumbling sounds echoed as the Toad Daoist’s pale belly and chin repeatedly bumped against the rugged ground, rising and falling, while he was dragged away by the rope.
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