I Killed Gods and Demons in Song Dynasty

Chapter 287 New Situation and Undercurrent
On the ruins of Bianjing, the rising sun cast a faint light, sprinkling between the broken walls and dilapidated buildings, as if covering this ancient city that had experienced a catastrophe with a layer of golden gauze.

In the streets, vendors have just set up their stalls again, and the aroma of boiling hot soup slowly spreads in the morning mist, making people feel as if they have returned to the peaceful days before the war.

But Li Qingyun knew clearly that behind this seemingly peaceful scene, there were still undercurrents lurking.

He stood at a corner of the city wall, overlooking the craftsmen who were repairing the battlements. He felt somewhat relieved, yet vaguely uneasy.

Since the last series of fierce battles, he has entered the realm of "true god" of "Hunyuan Taiyi Immortal", immortal, spotless, no longer bound by the shackles of the mortal body.

When the people in the city saw him, they often bowed down as if they were seeing a god, calling him "True God Li", which made him feel helpless.

He was not afraid of this admiration, but he was worried that the excessive piety of mortals would once again attract the covetousness of gods and demons.

A light footstep was heard.

Mu Guiying rushed to the top of the city wall wearing untidy armor, bowed deeply to him with a solemn expression.

"Qingyun, the north gate has been repaired, but many parts of the gate are still damaged and difficult to fully restore."

There was fatigue in her words, but the determination in her eyes was as strong as ever.

Li Qingyun nodded.

"The people have worked hard enough. We just need to build a defense line first, and the rest will come slowly."

He said this in a gentle voice, his eyes cast into the distance, taking in the morning light that was like the first clear day after the rain, but with a hint of gloom in it.

That night, the palace was brightly lit.

Zhao Zhen discussed state affairs with several important ministers, and in the end he couldn't help but want Li Qingyun to support him.

Li Qingyun spoke modestly and often responded with just a smile.

But when he returned alone and stepped into the courtyard, he suddenly felt a sharp pain passing through his body, as if something was gently tearing deep in his flesh.

His expression changed slightly, and his previous calmness was replaced by vigilance.

Looking up, I saw that the night sky was as black as ink and the moonlight was dim, as if obscured by an invisible gray fog.

A cold wind blew, and he suddenly activated his divine power to suppress the strange feeling in his body.

A vague and low buzzing sound lingered in his ears, as if an old voice was calling his name in the dark.

He was deep in his heart, thinking to himself: "Sure enough... it's here again."

In just a few breaths, the pain suddenly disappeared, as if it was just an illusion.

Li Qingyun walked slowly into the room, sat on the couch in silence, closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.

As soon as his mind relaxed, he felt a strange gray mist passing through the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness, carrying with it an indescribable cold aura.

He seemed to see the stone walls in the corridor cracking, black lines twisted into all kinds of strange shapes, and faint cries echoing all around.

This blurred image came and went quickly.

Li Qingyun suddenly opened his eyes, and a drop of cold sweat fell on his lapel.

In the past, he fought against the ancient army with swords, blood and fire, but now, he has to deal with invisible shadows.

He took a deep breath and didn't say anything, but just made a note of it.

The next morning, a bizarre incident shocked Bianjing.

Late at night, the incense table of a "Li Zhenshen" temple located in the northern corner of the inner city overturned on its own, black cracks appeared on the doorposts, and a black rune appeared under the altar.

What was even more bizarre was that more than a dozen pilgrims who went to burn incense at night screamed in unison, saying that the rune had countless twisting little tentacles, like living creatures wandering on the surface, which scared them out of their wits.

When the news spread in the city, the people were terrified, worried that it was an invasion by demons, and they crowded outside the temple to watch.

Li Qingyun rushed over after hearing the news and felt a faint fluctuation of supernatural power from afar, as if it resonated with some kind of power in his body.

He stepped into the main hall of the temple and saw the dark symbol exposed in the crack. It was quite similar to the pattern emerging from the gray fog in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Seeing him appear, the originally noisy crowd immediately stepped back three steps and bowed in greeting, as if waiting for a miracle.

Li Qingyun frowned slightly and secretly used his divine power to investigate. Sure enough, he felt a mysterious and evil aura lingering under the floor. It was completely different from the ancient demonic power, but it was inexplicably familiar to him.

The rune was glowing black and had faint spiral patterns, sometimes like a venomous snake swinging its tail, sometimes turning into a shrill, grinning ghost face.

Even though he was a true god, Li Qingyun still felt a little nervous.

Suddenly, the beam in the hall broke with a bang, and half of the purlin almost fell on the pilgrim's head.

He was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He raised his hand and grabbed the broken wood, turning it into powder in mid-air. He threw it on the ground casually, shocking the people around him.

However, the black rune shook a few times as if frightened, and it rolled out a sticky black liquid that slowly spread across the ground, causing the people present to retreat in fear.

Li Qingyun's eyes flashed, and then a golden blade light condensed from his right hand, splitting the black liquid into pieces.

The stench and smell of corruption filled the air and dissipated as white smoke in the blink of an eye.

The crowd had not yet recovered from their shock and were running away in all directions.

When only some guards and rebels were left in the hall, Li Qingyun squatted down and gently touched the ground with his fingertips.

Although the remaining liquid had evaporated completely, the gloomy aura seemed to be engraved in his mind, causing the divine power in his body to fluctuate again.

He sighed lightly and signaled everyone to leave for the time being, as he wanted to stay in the hall and investigate further.

Half a minute later, when there was no one around, Li Qingyun simply sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

He let his consciousness sink into the palace within his body, hoping to get to the bottom of it.

In an instant, he seemed to step into a dark corridor, with broken stone slabs under his feet and gray mist in the air.

The mist was originally the power stimulated when he practiced the "Law of Nirvana", but it also carried a weird smell of decay.

He looked around and saw that the originally dilapidated corridor had become even more twisted, and there were many cracks on the walls, as if it had been torn apart since ancient times.

Every time he took a step forward, there was a "click" sound behind him, as if a door was slowly pushed open.

"lonely"……

This was a thought that emerged from the deepest part of his soul, and it was like an icy breath that made him feel cold all over.

He quickened his pace, wanting to see clearly what was behind the door.

But the gray fog grew thicker and thicker, and suddenly transformed into countless slender tentacles, wrapping around his hands and feet, preventing him from moving any further.

He struggled hard, mobilizing the power of the true god, and with a flash of his sword, he chopped off half of the fog touches.

However, the fog still kept coming, entangling him so that he couldn't escape.

"Who is confusing me here?"

He roared, and the blade of his spiritual consciousness blasted out violently, shaking the surrounding gray fog back. In the darkness in the distance, he could vaguely see a pair of cold eyes opened, with a mocking gleam in their eyes.

The word "silence" kept echoing in his mind.

Li Qingyun was covered in cold sweat and suddenly left the palace.

When he opened his eyes again, he was still sitting in the temple, with beads of sweat dripping down his cheeks.

The hall was in ruins, and the sunlight filtering through the holes illuminated his exhausted expression.

"After all... it's just a temporary ban."

He murmured, his eyes passing over the rune cracks, and he was already certain in his heart: the changes in the palace and the awakening of "Silence" were intensifying. If they were not suppressed in time, they would break through the shackles and make a comeback.

He stood up silently, straightened his slightly messy robe, and walked out of the palace.

When the guards and people waiting outside the palace saw him appear, they immediately gathered around him, all with an earnest look on their faces, as if he was the pillar that ensured their safety.

Li Qingyun looked around and saw those pairs of expectant or fearful eyes, and suddenly he felt the burden on his shoulders was extremely heavy.

Although he has become a true god, he still cannot escape the fate of being entangled with higher-level gods and demons.

While comforting the onlookers, he ordered the temple to be blocked and no outsiders were allowed to enter or leave.

As for the terrifying black rune, he would find another way to seal the town.

When everyone saw that "True God Li" handled the matter personally, they felt relieved and respected him even more.

But in that respect, Li Qingyun clearly felt a hint of crisis.

If worship is excessive, perhaps more and more temples will be built, and the power of faith will become more concentrated.

Who can guarantee that "Ji" will not use this opportunity to absorb the incense of the world and escape from his control?
In the afternoon, Li Qingyun returned to the general's mansion in the city. Mu Guiying and Yang Paifeng were already waiting there. They wanted to report to him on the progress of the city defense repair.

It was visible that his face was pale, and both of them looked worried.

"My Lord, are you all right?"

Mu Guiying asked softly.

Li Qingyun calmed himself down and smiled reluctantly, "Thank you for your concern. I believe that we have stepped up our defense recently. If you need people or money, feel free to go to the court to discuss it.

I...I will come back tomorrow to listen to your report."

Although his words were calm, there was a hint of fatigue in them, and he seemed unwilling to say more.

Seeing him like this, Mu Guiying and Yang Paifeng exchanged glances and felt a pang of sadness in their hearts.

"Your Excellency has already reached the divine realm, yet you still have to worry about these mundane matters. No wonder you are so exhausted."

In their opinion, Li Qingyun is worthy of the world's admiration and sympathy.

At night, evening drums echoed outside the city and the street lights were sparse.

Li Qingyun stood alone on the top of the pavilion, overlooking the dilapidated but still tenacious Bianjing.

In the distance, people could be heard singing, as if celebrating the continuation of the reconstruction.

The singing and the sound of the wind in the night blend together, bringing rare warmth.

He silently thought: If the world could enjoy eternal peace, he would be willing to fight against all gods and demons again to protect this land to the end.

However, the gray fog inside him was stirring like a shadow, mocking and provoking him, making him unable to be truly at peace.

He suddenly raised his head and looked at the boundless sky.

I know in my heart that as long as "silence" is not completely defeated, this peace and tranquility will ultimately be just an illusion.

Perhaps, before long, he will have to face a disaster even more terrible than the great war in the ancient times.

He was silent for a long time, and finally with a sigh, he put away the golden light and turned back to the building.

That sigh drifted away with the evening breeze towards the dark outside of the city, and also drifted towards an even more unfathomable destination.

Thus, beneath the seemingly peaceful night in Bianjing, an undercurrent of unrest was once again buried.

……

One month later.

In the city of Bianjing, the sky was just beginning to get light. The thin gray morning light reflected on the broken city walls, as if coating the cracked bricks and stones with a layer of light gold.

Citizens opened their wooden doors one after another and walked onto the streets with caution and curiosity, looking around as if to confirm whether this post-war capital had truly calmed down.

Li Qingyun stood on a ruined wall, looking down at the street with a slightly fixed gaze.

Looking around, makeshift houses were scattered around and the rebel camps were spread out on the outskirts of the city.

In the distance, you can see several teams of soldiers patrolling hurriedly. Their armor is not complete, but they reveal a sense of determination that comes from being reborn.

Occasionally, civilians would recognize Li Qingyun's true identity, exclaiming and gathering around him, calling him "Sir" and "True God who protects the country", their words full of reverence.

He only nodded slightly and said nothing more. In their eyes, this former demigod has now advanced to a true god, dominating the world, like a sharp blade protecting the mountains and rivers of the Song Dynasty.

But Li Qingyun himself felt a little more depressed.

Last night, he once again felt the mysterious palace in his body vibrating faintly, and there seemed to be whispers in his ears, lingering in the depths of his dark consciousness.

The voice was low and hoarse, carrying an indescribable cold mockery.

He originally thought that after beheading the Hades General and defeating the immortals of Yuxu Palace, all the haze would have dissipated and the court and the people would be able to usher in a long period of peace.

However, the evil intention lurking deep in the palace, like a greedy giant beast, had begun to gently wriggle in his body.

He doesn't like this feeling.

After clasping his fists and greeting the surrounding civilians and rebel soldiers, Li Qingyun leaped up and flipped down from the broken wall, landing gracefully on the ground with his robe sleeves slightly fluttering, bringing out a faint golden light.

That was the aura that naturally emanated from him after he was promoted to a true god. The people around him knelt down in worship, not daring to look up.

Li Qingyun gestured to everyone to stand up and continue walking forward, but in his heart he was thinking about how to find out the source of the palace shaking.

Soon, he arrived outside Zhengyang Gate.

This was originally the gateway to Bianjing, and after the catastrophe, traces of the war can still be vaguely seen: mottled bricks and burned arrow towers. But since this morning, the people and craftsmen have been reinforcing and rebuilding, and the clanging sounds of hammering have been heard one after another, sounding like inspiring music.

"Lift this beam up and a little further over there!"

Someone shouted loudly with fiery vitality.

Li Qingyun slowed down his pace, a hint of relief appeared in his eyes - the world after surviving the disaster was not all desolate.

"Qingyun!"

Suddenly someone came quickly from behind.

That was Mu Guiying. She was still wearing her military uniform, her hair a little messy in front of her forehead, but she looked as heroic as ever.

She clasped her fists and said, "During the morning court session, His Majesty asked you to come over for a chat. It seems to be related to the vision of the newly built temple yesterday."

"Vision in the temple?" Li Qingyun frowned slightly, "Are there any casualties?"

Mu Guiying shook her head: "No one was hurt yet, but I heard that the altar table inexplicably cracked, and strange runes emerged, which scared away many pilgrims. Your Majesty is worried that this matter involves evil spirits, and I would like to ask you to check it out first."

Li Qingyun originally wanted to investigate the abnormality in the palace inside his body after daybreak, but he did not expect similar clues to appear in the outside world.

He hesitated for a moment and nodded slightly: "Okay, I'll go to the palace first and see His Majesty first."

Seeing his solemn expression, Mu Guiying couldn't help feeling worried, but she didn't ask any more questions and led the way quickly towards the imperial city.

The defenses along the way were tight.

Officials hurried in and out, all with solemn expressions. Ever since Li Qingyun killed the Heavenly Master of Yuxu Palace, the court had been in awe of him, and many officials would greet him with courtesy when they saw him. Some people also whispered that some remnants of the Taoist sect were still hiding in the mountains, and if they came back, the situation would deteriorate again.

Li Qingyun nodded slightly, pretending to have heard it, but did not express his opinion.

In front of the palace gate, the emperor and several old ministers were already waiting outside the vermilion lacquered palace. When they saw Li Qingyun, they came forward.

"Lord Li." The emperor looked tired, but his eyes were anxious. "Have you heard about what happened last night? I am quite uneasy and afraid that there will be new changes."

Li Qingyun clasped his fists and said, "I have also heard that strange runes suddenly appeared in the temple?"

The emperor nodded. "That's right. According to eyewitnesses, the rune seemed to be constantly twisting. Everyone who saw it felt dizzy and nauseous. Some even nearly lost their minds."

Li Qingyun frowned.

He couldn't help but think of the pain in his soul that he had experienced last night, and the whispers of the gray palace that echoed in his mind. The echo between the two was probably not a coincidence.

"Your Majesty, allow me to go to the temple first and then report the details."

The emperor readily agreed, and immediately arranged for a dozen imperial guards to accompany him, and also sent officials from the Ministry of Rites to go with him. Li Qingyun didn't want to mobilize a large army, but it was not easy to refuse the emperor's order, so he had to take everyone out of the palace.

At noon, the sun is particularly dazzling.

After half an hour's journey, the group arrived at the newly built "Li Zhen Temple". It is located in the south of Bianjing City, on a higher ground. It was originally a renovated abandoned viewing platform. The incense here is quite popular, and the people spontaneously donated money to carve a statue of Li Qingyun for worship.

However, today the temple was unusually deserted.

A few ragged civilians were kneeling at the door, looking terrified. When they saw the soldiers coming, they begged, "Master, spare us. There is a ghost in here. The altar is cracked in a weird way."

Li Qingyun signaled the imperial guards to place them aside, then waved his hand for everyone to remain alert and stepped into the palace gate.

As soon as I entered the hall, I could smell the strong smell of incense and a faint smell of decay. The huge temple was empty, without the bustling scene of pilgrims in the past. Only a few imperial officials were stationed here, with nervous expressions on their faces.

The statue in the center was carved according to Li Qingyun's appearance, and was more majestic than the real person, wearing armor and a long sword. But it looked covered with a layer of dust at the moment, as if the change last night came too suddenly, and no one dared to approach it.

Li Qingyun slowly approached the altar.

The heavy wooden table was split in the middle, and there were indeed some strange runes carved inside. The runes looked like a python coiled around, or a twisted human face, and occasionally flashed a dim light, as if they would come out of the wood at any time.

He reached out and lightly touched the table, and his palm felt slightly cool.

Instantly, an illusion of gray mist emerged in my consciousness, accompanied by a piercing scream.

He suddenly let go, cold sweat oozing from his forehead. The imperial guards were shocked and drew their swords to guard. The officials of the Ministry of Rites were also frightened and stepped back: "Li... Li Zhenshen, this is..."

Li Qingyun waved his hand to indicate that everything was fine, but there was a hint of bitterness in his mouth.

At that moment, he felt the same breath as the palace in his body, as if the power of "silence" was calling for something. If it weren't for his stable consciousness, he might have been caught and lost in the painful nightmare.

He turned and looked towards the top of the hall, only to see the same patterns faintly visible on the beams and pillars, covering the surroundings like a spider web and seemingly gradually emerging at night.

"Remove these runes and close the temple for a few days for repairs. Tell the people not to approach at will."

Li Qingyun ordered in a deep voice.

The officials sent by the emperor did not dare to delay and immediately stepped forward to take action. However, as soon as their hands touched the runes, they felt as if they were burned and drew back with a cry of shock.

The rune seemed to have life and it moved slightly.

Li Qingyun's eyes darkened, and he used his magic power to condense golden light on his fingertips. He swung his sword in the air, and a pure sword energy flew out, splitting the table into several pieces and breaking the dark lines on the beams. A short storm swept through, and smoke and dust rose in the hall.

When the smoke and dust settled, the runes had disappeared, leaving only broken wood chips and a faint smell of burning.

The officials and imperial guards breathed a sigh of relief, admiring and shouting "divine power". However, Li Qingyun did not show any joy at all. He concentrated for a moment and found that the evil aura had fled away like a frightened bird.

If this rune is a projection of the power of "Silence", it means that the other party's infiltration is not limited to the mysterious palace in his body, but has also extended to the places of faith in the world. If left unchecked, will more temples and even towns experience similar changes?

When he thought of this, he felt even more depressed.

The emperor also rushed to the outside of the temple. Hearing that Li Qingyun had used his sword energy to destroy the rune, he looked relieved, but asked worriedly: "My dear, do you know the origin of this rune? Is it related to the remaining evil demons?"

Li Qingyun shook his head slowly: "It is hard to say for sure at the moment, but it is definitely related to the aftermath of the Great Desolation. I need to go back and check the ancient books as soon as possible, maybe I can find a solution."

The emperor hesitated to speak, and finally patted his shoulder and whispered, "I'll trouble you, my dear. I just hope that the Song Dynasty will have no more setbacks."

Li Qingyun's mind moved slightly, but he still promised: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my best."

He had no intention of staying here for long, so he ordered the officials of the Ministry of Rites to seal the temple, and after properly appeasing the pilgrims, he hurried away. Seeing that he looked solemn, Mu Guiying did not ask any more questions, and just followed him silently.

Within half an hour, Li Qingyun returned to the base and locked himself in a quiet courtyard.

He must figure out why the palace resonates with this rune, and he must also be wary of the power of "Silence" that may erupt at any time.

The bloody memory of the Immortal Execution Platform was still before his eyes, and he did not want the Song Dynasty to fall into constant unrest again.

Late night falls.

The lanterns under the eaves swayed slightly, casting the shadows of the old trees in the courtyard on the wall, like the claws of a strange devil. Li Qingyun set up a magic circle, dismissed his attendants, sat cross-legged, and slowly closed his eyes.

A pure and powerful divine power circulated in his body, flowing through his meridians and bones to the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness.

There, the shadow of the mysterious palace was suspended in the air.

As he focused his mind, the scenery around him changed instantly, as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss. When he looked clearly again, he was already in a dark corridor.

The brick walls were broken, the pillars were tilted, and the ground was covered with broken tiles. At the end of the corridor, there was a turbid gray fog, and from time to time, sticky liquid dripped from the cracks in the stone, making a strange "tapping" sound.

Li Qingyun held the phantom knife in his hand and stepped forward cautiously.

This was the atrium of the temple in his body. Although it was dim in the past, it was far from being so lifeless. Now the air was filled with chill, as if some older existence was gradually awakening.

When he reached the corner of the corridor, he suddenly caught a low "hehe" laugh in his ears, like the hoarse vocal cords of a reptile, but with a hint of old majesty.

Li Qingyun's mind suddenly tensed up.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a few black runes emerging behind a collapsed wall, exactly the same as the one he saw in the hall today. The runes were connected to each other, like a huge spider web, flickering in the darkness.

He stepped forward, with the blade blazing behind him, trying to cut it off.

But at that moment, a tentacle transformed from gray mist suddenly swept over, carrying an ominous smell, and rushed straight to his face. Li Qingyun shouted coldly, swung his knife like lightning, and the knife light cut off the tentacle, but more tentacles stretched out from the shadows, making sharp whistling sounds.

These tentacles had some kind of spirituality and kept twisting as if they wanted to devour his soul.

Li Qingyun's true god power burst out with all his strength, and the sword energy was like a violent storm, instantly shattering the gray fog on all sides. A violent roar swept through the corridor, and the walls collapsed, and smoke and dust rolled.

He gritted his teeth to steady himself, feeling both frightened and annoyed.

I'm afraid this is the sign of the infiltration of the "Silence" divine thought. It has already taken root in various places in the palace. Once touched by him, it will turn into sharp claws waiting for an opportunity to strike.

When the dust cleared, a deep archway came into view.

The area behind the archway was dark and gloomy, without any light at all, as if it led to the nothingness before eternity.

Li Qingyun's heart tightened slightly, but he hesitated and did not dare to step in rashly. He could clearly feel that there was extreme danger there. If he rushed in rashly, he would most likely be completely swallowed by "Silence".

At this moment, a faint call suddenly came from inside the door, intermittent, like the desperate roar of an ancient god in the wilderness.

Cold sweat broke out on Li Qingyun's forehead and the blade trembled slightly.

Although he thought he was not afraid of any demons, he was instinctively alert to the indescribable ancient terror. The call seemed to contain the destructive will of the nascent chaos, which made his heart ache.

"It can't go any deeper."

He sighed inwardly, forced himself to focus his thoughts, and withdrew from the palace consciousness.

When he opened his eyes, he was sweating profusely. The lantern outside was about to burn out, and the weak light made his face look even paler.

He calmed his mind and a heavy look appeared in his eyes.

It seemed that "Silence" was indeed stirring deep in the palace, and it was faster and stronger than he expected. The rune that appeared in the temple on earth was probably an extension of the projection of "Silence".

If it is allowed to spread, one day it will corrode all the souls in the human world and even the three realms.

But Li Qingyun was unwilling to sit back and watch. He thought of the civilians in Bianjing who longed for peace, of old friends like Mu Guiying and Yang Paifeng who fought for him, and of his original intention of embarking on the path to becoming a god: to protect his homeland and never allow gods and demons to wreak havoc.

He clenched his fists and whispered, "Ji, if you really want to get involved in the world, I, Li Qingyun, will kill you first!"

After saying that, he looked out the window.

The eastern sky was turning pale quietly, and dawn was approaching. Bianjing was still sleeping in the warmth of the night, but it did not expect that a deeper conspiracy was slowly unveiled.

Li Qingyun took a deep breath, suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind, temporarily closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, waiting for the next dawn to set off.

He knew that this was just the beginning. Although he had reached the realm of true god, he had to face a higher level of threat from within. The battlefield shifted from the wilderness to the heart, from the human world to the palace. The darkness bred in the gray fog was far more murderous than swords and guns.

The night gradually faded, and the light outside gradually penetrated.

People thought that after Li Qingyun defeated the gods and demons, the world would enjoy eternal peace, but they could not see the shadow between the brows of this true god. That shadow was the undercurrent of his confrontation with "silence".

Let's see how he goes against the current. Let's see how he protects the people with a cold sword. No matter how fierce the wind and thunder are ahead, if no one stands up to fight, how can there be a real peaceful sun and moon?
The lantern outside the window burned out, and in the last flicker of fire, Li Qingyun suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes were as sharp as a knife, and he had already made up his mind.

(End of this chapter)