A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 157 An Encounter with Yin Zhong
Anle City, Dragon King Temple

After having breakfast with Zhou Chen, He Fang came here to find out the truth.

"We arrived early enough, but we didn't expect there to still be so many people in line," He Fang frowned as he looked at the people in front of him.

"Senior brother, this is all about reserving places for others; it's also a way to make a living."

Zhou Chen learned from the innkeeper that these people were there to queue up for those who had come from afar. Some earned one or two taels of silver, while others earned five or six taels or more. As a result, the city's security had improved a lot recently, which saved the city lord a lot of trouble.

"Senior brother, please be patient. Once the temple gates open, we'll line up to go in. Don't even think about using force. There was someone who was unreasonable before, and he was sent flying in front of everyone. Although he wasn't seriously injured, he lost all face."

He Fang nodded upon hearing this, then closed his eyes to rest and wait for the temple gates to open.

Zhou Chen looked around, observing the commotion, when suddenly his gaze sharpened as a colorful carriage drove out from a side gate, its flags woven with gold and silver threads standing out prominently.

"The Chen family of Yuannan, why are they here? Are they looking for a backer?" Suppressing his thoughts, Zhou Chen decided to return to the inn to discuss it further.

After a short while, the temple gates opened, and a group of worshippers entered in an orderly fashion. He Fang and his companion also bought two sticks of incense and followed the crowd toward the main hall, ready to catch a glimpse of the so-called Dragon King.

When it was He Fang and Zhou Chen's turn to offer incense, golden smoke suddenly billowed into the sky above the main hall, forming an auspicious cloud. A clear and melodious sound also reached everyone's ears. Most of the worshippers immediately left the main hall, looked up at the sky, pointed and gestured, and were very excited.

"Auspicious clouds are appearing, auspicious clouds are appearing! This is a very lucky omen!"

Some people recognized this as one of the three scenic spots of the Dragon King Temple and immediately exclaimed in surprise. This auspicious omen always appears by chance. They had only heard of it but had never seen it in person. They never expected to see it in person today. You can imagine how excited they were.

"Several months ago, a grand sacrificial ceremony was held at the Dragon King Temple. Auspicious clouds appeared, and sweet rain fell upon the land. The city lord and the elders of the city all benefited greatly. Now that this scene is repeating itself, I wonder what kind of blessings will follow?"

Upon hearing this, some worshippers immediately knelt down and kowtowed sincerely, praying for the Dragon King's blessing. The golden smoke and auspicious clouds seemed to respond, and countless golden light spots fell from the clouds onto everyone present. Those who received this blessing immediately felt their hearts were clear and their spirits were light, as if they were bathing in a hot spring, feeling completely comfortable.

While everyone was immersed in the Dragon King's blessing, in the main hall, He Fang and Zhou Chen both looked solemnly at the golden statue of the Dragon King in front of them.

"Senior brother, the Dragon King's golden body has been successfully refined with incense offerings. It seems the demon race's move has gone very smoothly. However, I cannot see through the interior of this golden body."

He Fang looked at the majestic golden body in front of him, his mind stirred, his eyes shone like stars, and he saw into the golden body. Everything in sight was golden, with wisps of red smoke. Just as he was about to continue to explore inside, he suddenly felt a pang of fear and immediately withdrew his supernatural power.

Seeing the Dragon King's golden body glow with golden light, as if it had come to life, He Fang's expression changed. He hurriedly took Zhou Chen and left quickly. Just as the two left, a golden python appeared on the golden body. Its eyes were fixed on the direction He Fang had left, showing a disdainful expression. It scanned the surroundings and then disappeared instantly. At this moment, the auspicious clouds in the sky also quickly dispersed.

"Thank you for the blessing, Dragon King."

Wisps of red smoke gathered and flowed towards the golden statue in the main hall, continuously refining the golden statue of the Crimson Python.

Three miles away from the Dragon King Temple, He Fang and Zhou Chen stopped and looked in the direction of the Dragon King Temple with lingering fear.

"I almost gave myself away using the Candle Observation Technique just now. This so-called Dragon King is truly not to be underestimated. It seems the demon race's plan is complete. We must inform our chief immediately."

Zhou Chen was shocked to hear this. He Fang's cultivation was second only to Wei Feng among the younger generation. In addition, he had made contributions in the Blood Calamity War and received many rewards. Even so, he was almost discovered by the enemy. The power that the demon race had invested was truly enormous.

"Let's go back to the inn and discuss it further."

A moment later, the two returned to the inn. He Fang was about to send a message back when Zhou Chen stopped him. Seeing He Fang's puzzled expression, Zhou Chen hurriedly said, "Senior brother, while we were waiting at the temple gate, I saw the carriage of the Chen family from Yuannan come out of the temple."

"Is this true?" He Fang was startled. The Chen family of Yuannan was one of the top noble families in Qi, with great power. Wushangdao originally wanted to make contact with them to complete its mission of education in Qi, but it was delayed because of the bloodshed. And it was this delay that caused them to lose the best opportunity.

"It seems the Chen family of Yuannan is already entangled with the demon race. No wonder the chief sent Senior Brother Wei Feng and his two companions to Qi beforehand, probably to get there first and prevent the demon race from gaining the upper hand."

“Senior brother is right, that’s what I was thinking too. We should inform the head of the sect about this as well, so that some people in the sect will abandon their previous ideas.”

"Um"

He Fang took out a communication jade talisman, and with a burst of true energy, a white light flashed, and a light screen appeared in front of the two, revealing Ning Dao's figure.

"I have met the chief officer."

He Fang and Zhou Chen bowed, and Ning Dao nodded in the light screen.

"When you two arrived in Anle City, did you find anything?"

"Reporting to the Master, this disciple went to the Dragon King Temple today and discovered..."

Next, He Fang briefly recounted the events. Upon hearing that the Chen family of Yuannan had appeared at the Dragon King Temple, Ning Dao frowned slightly, then relaxed and said to the two, "You handled this matter well, but you've already been discovered. Staying here is useless; you should return as soon as possible."

"Discovered!"

He Fang and Zhou Chen were startled upon hearing this. After the light screen dissipated, a white light suddenly enveloped the two of them. The golden light spots that were originally hidden within the screen became conspicuous, like ink staining water. Surrounded by the white light, they rose up, trying to escape.

"Want to run"

He Fang was furious at being tricked. He immediately shuddered, and the white light suddenly intensified, gradually swallowing the golden light spots without leaving a trace. Meanwhile, Zhou Chen on the other side also cleared the light spots off his body.

"It seems the Dragon King tampered with our temple the moment we entered; we were truly careless."

He Fang's face was very ugly. If it weren't for his junior brother discovering the Chen family of Yuannan, they would have found no useful information on this trip and would have become a laughing stock when they returned to the sect.

"Lately, I've been a bit arrogant and looked down on everyone else, but I didn't expect to be slapped in the face so quickly."

Having survived the bloodbath, He Fang had become somewhat arrogant and overconfident. In addition, he was skilled in cultivation and possessed rare treasures, so he didn't take the demon races seriously at all.

"Senior brother, there's no need to blame yourself too much. The chief didn't blame us either; otherwise, he wouldn't have reminded us to hurry back."

Zhou Chen was quite pleased to see his senior brother like this. If he continued to be so arrogant and conceited, he would inevitably suffer even greater setbacks in the future. It was a good thing that he realized this early on.

"Junior brother, let's not rush to leave. Now that the Dragon King has discovered us, given his strength, we wouldn't have escaped so easily before. His attack on us was just a warning. As long as we don't cross the line, he won't directly harm us."

At this point, He Fang's eyes lit up, as if he had come up with a good idea.

He reached into his robes and took out a miniature yellow umbrella. He poured his true energy into it, and it suddenly grew larger, floating in the room. It radiated spiritual light, and strands of light fell down, obscuring the figures of the two people.

"Senior brother, what's wrong?"

Seeing that the golden umbrella had already concealed the two of them, He Fang said to Zhou Chen, "The Chen family of Yuannan will definitely send more people. Let's stay here for a while and see what they're up to, so we don't leave empty-handed."

Zhou Chen hesitated for a moment after hearing this, but finally nodded and said, "I'll listen to my senior brother."

He Fang patted him on the shoulder, then said, "Don't inform those junior brothers for now, lest we alert them. Let them move freely in the city, but warn them not to cause any trouble. If they make a mistake, they won't be spared."

"Don't worry, senior brother, I understand. If you have no further instructions, I'll take my leave now."

"go"

He Fang put away the treasure umbrella, Zhou Chen bowed, turned and left the room, and went to the room of the other junior brothers.

A moment later, Zhou Chen returned to his room and sat on the bed, reflecting on what had happened.

"The Dragon King must know our identities. He deliberately exposed us out of fear. Perhaps the appearance of the Chen family from Yuannan was also a flaw intentionally left by the Dragon King. Senior Brother's plan may also have been within its expectations. This matter is far more complicated than it seems."
However, the demon race has already gained considerable influence in Anle City. Dealing with someone like him would be counterproductive. If they were to take direct action, it might give the sect an excuse to intervene. Thinking of this, Zhou Chen felt reassured. The Dragon King must be a cunning man who could see the pros and cons. On the contrary, leaving conspicuous spies was better than unfamiliar ones. They would not be in any immediate danger.

On the other side, after a day of bustling activity, the number of worshippers at the Dragon King Temple finally dwindled after nightfall. Although the number was small, there were still a dozen or so people rushing to offer incense.

Inside the golden statue in the main hall, the red python was constantly absorbing incense. After several months of incense offerings, 60% of its originally black and red scales had turned completely golden, and the remaining 40% were also covered with a light golden layer. The ferocious snake head also began to change, its eyes less sinister and more majestic, and four small bulges grew under its belly, as if it wanted to grow four claws.

Just as it was enjoying the incense offerings, it suddenly heard a familiar voice. Its coiled body immediately straightened, its head raised, and it flicked its tongue in one direction.

Suddenly, a circular light screen appeared within the golden body, and Zhu Gang's figure emerged from within it.

"You've done well lately. Anle City is already in your grasp. Now you just need to strengthen the faith of those believers. As for those two disciples of the Supreme Path you mentioned before, don't worry about them. Just continue as before. When you successfully transform into a dragon, Lord Qingshan will surely reward you handsomely. Also, you can use Fu Mu to resolve the matter of the Chen family in Yuannan."

After he finished speaking, the light screen disappeared, and the crimson python's eyes lit up slightly. Then it coiled up its body and continued to absorb the incense.

Nanling Prefecture, Yunmeng Marsh

Gu Xu used the energy of the ghost to arrive at a mountain stream with craggy rocks. The sun shone brightly in this place, the water vapor was abundant, the clouds and smoke rose, the ancient trees reached the sky, and it had a vitality of its own. Compared with other places, it was a first-class blessed land. If it were not for the guidance of the energy, Gu Xu would never have thought that the ghost lived here.

"Ghosts have always preferred dark and damp caves, where yin and yang are balanced, and the pure and impure are distinct, making them excellent places for cultivators to practice. However, ghosts do not tolerate poisons."

Upon closer inspection, Gu Xu's escape light flashed, and when he reappeared, he was already on a small plain. There, a crude altar was set up, roughly divided into three levels, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Each level was filled with the skulls of various animals, bloody and terrifying. On the top level was a strange bronze statue.

The bronze statue was dark red, with four heads and eight arms, a ferocious face, and a white bone crown on its head. The aura emanating from it made Gu Xu frown slightly. This thing was obviously not a proper object.

Beside the altar, a dozen or so demons were worshipping it, with bright red hearts respectfully placed on it. Just then, the bronze statue's eyes flashed red, and the dozen or so hearts floated in front of it. In just a few breaths, they turned white and yellow, and finally scattered into a pile of powder that drifted away in the wind.

Upon seeing this, the demons below became frenzied, babbling incoherently. Although Gu Xu couldn't understand what they were saying, he could guess that they were mostly words of praise.

Just as Gu Xu was observing the movements below, a ghost suddenly ran over and said something to the leader of the ghosts. The latter's expression changed visibly, and he immediately bowed down to the bronze statue, muttering incantations. After a while, the bronze statue emitted a dazzling red light, shining on the ghost that had brought the message. After a miserable howl, it left no trace, frightening the other ghosts into trembling.

After devouring the offering, the bronze statue seemed satisfied. A beam of blood-red light shone in front of it. The leading demon was startled and reached out. When it pulled its hand back, it found that it was a three-pronged fork.

Upon receiving the trident, the red light dissipated, and the bronze statue returned to its original state. The demon who had obtained the trident was overjoyed, dancing with glee, while the other demons cautiously raised their eyes, watching with envy.

After seeing the three-pronged fork, Gu Xu finally understood the origin of the bronze statue. He had previously seen it in the regional section of the Tong Clan Bamboo Slips. It was said that in the Nanling Prefecture area, there was a strange god called Tianwu, who was the deity worshipped by all the witch villages.

This shaman created many magical spells, won the worship of believers, and built many temples. As a result, he became the king of Nanling Prefecture. Later, for some unknown reason, the temples collapsed, the believers scattered, and some of the records were destroyed. This three-pronged fork is called the "shaman's fork" and is the shaman's personal weapon.

Tong Shi only learned about this matter because he had previously helped the previous dynasty to eliminate poisonous insects and had unearthed some remaining inscriptions.

"Why is this evil god, who vanished thousands of years ago, getting involved now?"

Reaching down, a sharp sword light descended. The Heavenly Witch God sensed the danger and immediately blazed with red light to defend against the incoming sword light. However, to its surprise, the sword light did not sever the body, but the spirit, specifically targeting the soul. With one strike, the already incomplete soul of the evil god vanished into nothingness.

With a few cracking sounds, the bronze statue shattered into a pile. Without the statue to suppress it, the altar immediately exploded with a deafening roar, and the shattered stones killed several demons who had no time to dodge.

As the smoke cleared, the remaining eleven demons stared in terror at the golden ball of light above. Feeling the pressure emanating from above, they immediately knelt down, trembling uncontrollably.

The leader of the demons looked fearful, gripped his trident tightly, and struggled to look up at the sky. The golden light ball receded, and a Taoist with a handsome face and an ethereal aura descended step by step, finally landing in front of them.

The leader of the ghost demons felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Gu Xu emerge. Even the sacrificial deity was dead; how could they possibly be a match for him?

Listening to the rambling words from the other side, Gu Xu frowned, then sent out a beam of spiritual light that entered the head of the ghost leader.

The latter was slightly taken aback, then felt the changes in his body. Although he could not speak, he could communicate with his mind without any problems.

With the help of the knowledgeable musical notes, Gu Xu finally understood what the other party meant: they wanted him to become their god so that they could offer sacrifices to him frequently.

Gu Xu chuckled. This ghost leader was quite pragmatic. Seeing that his backer had fallen, he immediately replaced him with another. However, Gu Xu had no intention of becoming their god. He reached out and grabbed the "Witch God Fork," then squeezed it tightly, and it instantly turned into countless points of light, which quickly disappeared.

"You have been bewitched by an evil god. This thing must not be kept. This place will surely become a blessed land in the future. You may well find a path to cultivation there. I'm giving you this jade talisman. Take care of yourselves. If you dare to act recklessly, I will deal with you myself."

With a flick of his wrist, Gu Xu vanished and returned to Yunmeng Marsh. After Gu Xu left, the Ghost Demon leader carefully took the jade talisman. The moment his fingers touched it, some characters began to appear in his mind.

The ghost demon immediately realized the value of the jade talisman and respectfully bowed in the direction Gu Xu had left. The other ghost demons, not understanding the meaning, followed suit. Finally, the ghost demon leader led his people to clear the plain and begin a new life.

Just as Gu Xu was flying towards Yunmengze, he suddenly noticed a group of people below, and they were familiar faces. His escape light paused, and Gu Xu gracefully landed.

Yin Zhongzheng was leading a team of guards in the Yunmeng Marsh in search of the Blood Python when he suddenly looked up at the sky and saw a golden light descending from the heavens. As he became wary, the light subsided and a young Taoist priest emerged.

Who is Your Excellency?

Yin Zhong spoke in a deep voice, and with a wave of his hand, his accompanying guards immediately drew their weapons.

"This humble Taoist priest is Gu Xu. Greetings, Master Yin."

Upon hearing Gu Xu introduce himself, Yin Zhong was startled and his heart couldn't help but race with excitement.

He had long heard of Gu Xu's name, and heard that his cultivation was extremely high. Now that he saw it, it was indeed true. In fact, this was not surprising. Just looking at Elder Zheng and the others who had fought alongside him before, he knew the strength of the True Martial Hall.

"So it's Daoist Gu Xu in person. Yin Zhong is very polite."

Yin Zhong immediately clasped his hands in a salute, and with a wave of his hand, the iron guards behind him immediately sheathed their weapons.

"Why did Master Yin travel thousands of miles to Yunmeng Marsh instead of resting at the manor?"

"To be honest, Daoist Master, I've come here in search of the Blood Python."

Yin Zhong's heart stirred. He looked at Gu Xu without any attempt to hide anything. He thought to himself that since Daoist Gu Xu was here, he might be able to get some clues, which was better than searching blindly.

"Looking for the Blood Python? Why? This creature is exceptionally ferocious, insidious, and extremely difficult to deal with."

"I am seeking the Blood Python for my son, Yin Qing. He has insufficient blood and energy and may not live to the age of thirty. A divine physician advised me that if I were to obtain the blood of the Blood Python and refine it, it might prolong his life. That is why I have come to search for it."

"I see. Master Yin's compassionate heart is truly touching. It just so happens that I know the whereabouts of a blood python, but it is still very young. I wonder if its blood can be used as medicine?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhong was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Anything but a blood python will do. Please guide me, Daoist Master."

"This place is quite far from there, so I, this humble Taoist priest, will escort you all for a while."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yin Zhong felt the world turn upside down and he felt dizzy. He didn't know how much time had passed before he opened his eyes and saw that he and Tie Wei had arrived at the outer edge of a marshland. In front of them was a large lake, dark red in color, with several horned crocodiles beside it.

"This is the habitat of the blood python, and those are crocodiles, which are the blood python's favorite food."

Yin Zhong looked up at the sound and saw Gu Xu standing not far away, his eyes fixed on the front.

Before they even got close, Gu Xu said, "You're here."

(End of this chapter)