Day and night tour

Chapter 457 The Tribulation of No Questions
The Butcher's reputation was truly established during the struggle for the Pisces in Huangyuan Prefecture.

Although Zhao Longhu and Zhao Youting, who were inside the car, had never seen what the butcher looked like, they had heard of the formidable reputation of his pig-slaughtering knife.

Moreover, the two of them also knew that the young butcher, who was the incarnation of the spirit of Wuwen Mountain, had a good relationship with Zhou Xuan.

After exchanging a glance with Zhao Youting, Zhao Longhu said, "Second Senior Brother, could it be that Butcher who knows we're going to capture Zhou Xuan and is coming to help us?"

"What's there to be afraid of when there are helpers? We have plenty of patriarchs behind us."

Although Zhao Longhu said this, his gloomy expression showed that he had little confidence in facing the butcher.

"Hey, customers inside, wanna have a pig slaughter? We're free for piglets, but only twelve copper coins for an old pig. You won't take this cheap business?"

The butcher was still shouting outside the carriage.

Having nowhere to avoid it, Zhao Youting had no choice but to lift the carriage curtain. He saw a young man in a long robe, covered in grease, traveling at a pace similar to that of the caravan.

but,

Although the caravan traveled by horse-drawn carriage, the horses pulling the carriages all had "armored horses" tied to their legs.

Taoist armored horses possess the ability to enhance speed, allowing them to travel three thousand miles a day.

Such speed could be described as "lightning fast," but the young butcher simply strolled along as if taking a leisurely walk, and easily kept up.

Zhao Youting dared not underestimate this move alone. He clasped his fists together, gently bowed, and said, "Senior Butcher, to be honest, we are from the Dunjia Sect. We are on official business and are going to another prefecture to handle some matters. We don't have any pigs to slaughter."

"No pigs were slaughtered? I'm not deaf, I could hear the pigs squealing."

The butcher tucked his hands into his sleeves and complained with dissatisfaction.

"Pig squealing? Where's the pig squealing?"

Zhao Longhu replied impatiently.

The butcher said, "This pig is squealing again." He tilted his ear and said jokingly, "Let me hear what this pig is saying... Oh, this pig is still asking, 'Where is the pig squealing?'"

Zhao Longhu realized what was going on and immediately became angry. His face turned red, and he roared, "Butcher, don't think you can speak so rudely just because you're so powerful. Our ancestors are here to keep things in check."

"Since you're holding back, then the Supreme Ancestor of the Dunjia should come out and make an appearance. Don't keep your head covered and remain silent. If you anger me, I'll chop all your disciples and grand-disciples into pieces."

The butcher took one hand out of his sleeve, and immediately a glint of blade energy emanated from it.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

The horses sensed the fierce aura of the blade, and one after another they trembled with fear. After a series of desperate neighs, their feet began to stomp erratically.

The horses were already moving fast, and with the mountains on both sides rushing past, the caravan's carriages were about to tip over if their pace faltered.

At this critical moment, several yellow paper talismans flew out from the last carriage.

The paper talismans transformed into countless hands, which rested on the sides of the carriage. With a little effort, they managed to straighten the heavy carriage, which weighed over a thousand pounds.

"Draw a line on the ground to make a prison."

Another aged voice rang out in the carriage.
On the dirt road where the caravan was traveling, countless muddy hands reached out and grabbed the wheels and legs of the caravan.

The rapidly moving caravan came to an abrupt halt.

The Calabash Taoist, carrying his signature large gourd, stepped down from the carriage, his two white eyebrows raised, and questioned the butcher.

"Butcher, why are you stopping us from doing what the Dunjia Sect is doing?"

"When did Wuwen Mountain become so arrogant?"

From the gourd behind the Calabash Taoist, the sound of ghostly wailing echoed, clearly indicating that a fight was about to break out.

“Old gourd, our Wuwen Mountain and your Dunjia Mountain are both famous mountains in the world. In our glorious days, our two mountains had a lot of exchanges and had quite a good relationship.”

When the butcher saw the gourd-wielding Taoist, he stopped being confrontational and instead pretended to be friendly while preaching.

However, his use of the word "friendship" made both sides feel awkward. The grudges and grievances between the two factions were like tangled threads that could not be cut or untangled.

The Calabash Taoist naturally didn't take the word "exchange" seriously. He coldly retorted with his white eyebrows and sneered, "If we really had a relationship, would my grand-disciple Zhao Jinjia have been hacked to death by Zhou Xuan in your Sword Tomb?"

"Your disciple Zhao Jinjia was very eager to fight Zhou Xuan, and I didn't want to dissuade him. Who would have thought that he was just a pretty face and was killed by Zhou Xuan with the Sixteen Forms?"

The butcher's words, at first glance, were impolite, but upon closer listening, they were barbed and veiled, piercing the heart of the gourd-wielding Taoist.

The Calabash Taoist didn't say much, but made a "feeling" gesture and said, "Butcher, we both know why you stopped the carriage. Why waste words here and show your true colors? Let's see if you've improved after all these years of anxiety."

Confident in his superior cultivation and the presence of other venerable ancestors, he was not afraid of the infamous butcher and immediately prepared to attack.
The butcher waved his hand and said, "Who said I was going to fight you? No matter how fast my blade is, it can't outrun the combined attack of the six great masters of the Dunjia formation."

"Knowing you couldn't win, why did you stop the car?"

Even the gourd-wielding Taoist was a little confused. What was this butcher up to?

He won't fight!

If I don't hit him, he'll block my car!

A toad lying on your foot doesn't bite, it's just disgusting?

The butcher, however, looked worried and said, "Alas, those who know me say I am worried, those who do not know me ask what I seek. I stopped your carriage not to fight you, but simply to save your Dunjia Mountain."

“Our Dunjia Mountain is perfectly fine; we don’t need your help.”

The gourd-wielding Taoist made a move to get into the carriage, but the butcher shouted, "You're going to Mingjiang Prefecture to capture Zhou Xuan, right? I advise you not to go."

"What good would it do to go?"

"Tonight, Mingjiang Prefecture is not a prefecture, but a huge grinding mill of flesh and blood. Anyone who tries to get involved will be crushed to pieces."

The butcher said, "As the saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. Your Dunjia Mountain has encountered the 'Blood Spring Absorbing Spirit,' and your once-prosperous sect is nearing its end. This matter is not actually a dead end."
But if you set foot in Mingjiang Prefecture, that would truly be 'insisting on entering a gateless hell.'

"Whether we live or die is none of your business, you should worry about yourself."

This time, the Calabash Taoist really got into the carriage, and the caravan set off again. But this time, the young butcher did not follow. Instead, he murmured, "I'm afraid from this day forward, there will be no more Dunjia Mountain in the world."

But then he turned around and became excited again, saying with a smile, "However, from today onwards, our Wuwen Mountain will prosper."

After he finished speaking, he turned and headed towards the capital city...

……

Inside the caravan carriage, the Calabash Taoist's expression shifted between light and shadow.
The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt.

Last night, while he was observing Zhou Xuan with the Nine Palaces Talisman in Mingjiang Prefecture, the Ancestral Master Xuan Turtle appeared to him, telling him not to provoke Zhou Xuan.

This has become a thorn in his side.

But for the sake of his future, even if it meant facing a thorn in his side, the Calabash Taoist was determined to gather his men and head to Mingjiang Prefecture to capture Zhou Xuan.

Originally, he had almost forgotten about the ancestral master's miraculous appearance, but unexpectedly, the butcher came along.

The butcher's meaning was quite clear: he didn't want him to go to Mingjiang Prefecture to deal with Zhou Xuan, otherwise, a great disaster would befall him.

"With the patriarch advising him on the left and the butcher advising him on the right, has Zhou Xuan grown three heads and six arms, making so many people worry about him?"

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. So, the gourd-wielding Taoist priest instructed his servant boy to go and talk to Zhao Youting in the carriage.

Zhao Youting was in the carriage, chatting with Zhao Longhu. The two of them set up a tray, placed some wine and dried fruit on it, and had a small drink.

"Second Brother, I thought that butcher was some kind of big shot, but when he saw our Calabash Ancestor, didn't he just tuck his tail between his legs and slink away?"

Zhao Youting became somewhat smug and overconfident.
Zhao Longhu became even more arrogant, saying, "If that bird butcher is really that powerful, how could the Wuwen Calamity have happened back then?"

"What became of the last eighteen Wuwen Swordsmen? Their heads were all cut off and used as wine jugs."

Zhao Youting had heard of the "Catastrophe of No Questions" from years ago. At that time, the "Earth Child" predicted that a person destined for great calamity would emerge from Mount No Questions.

Then a warrant for his arrest was issued, and all the men from Mr. Ye's gang came out of their hideouts to capture him at Wuwen Mountain.

When Wuwen Mountain refused, Mr. Ye's men killed the last eighteen swordsmen of Wuwen Mountain.

This kind of thing happens every year in the nine prefectures of the Jing Kingdom.

As this happened more and more often, no one took it seriously anymore. Mr. Ye and Di Zi's style was just that domineering and arrogant. After being domineering for so long, the people of various prefectures got used to it.

However, Zhao Youting was originally a star official in the Imperial Observatory. He had inadvertently reviewed the files on the "Cataclysm of No Questions" and discovered many suspicious points in the matter.

The biggest point of contention is that Mr. Ye's gang is no match for Wuwen Mountain.

Wuwen Mountain is the strongest fighting force in the Jing Kingdom, and among those eighteen swordsmen, there is a swordsman with the strength of nine incense sticks.

The Swordsman Wuwen, with only nine incense sticks in his hand, would absolutely not be able to defeat Ye Xian's leader, "Earth Child," with just his sword.
But why was that calamity so clean and efficient, killing all eighteen swordsmen without letting a single one escape?
"Of course, it can't be done by Mr. Ye alone."

Zhao Longhu smiled and offered a toast, taking a small sip of the wine before saying, "Junior brother, to tell you the truth, among the Night Masters who went to capture people back then was our Grand Ancestor of the Dunjia Sect."

"The old man, Di Zi, knew that Wuwen Mountain was troublesome and that he probably couldn't win in a direct confrontation, so he arranged for our ancestor to infiltrate it beforehand."

"Back then, our ancestor was able to slay the eighteen swordsmen of Wuwen Mountain. Now, he absorbs the spiritual energy of the mountain every day, and his cultivation has improved considerably."

That butcher may be formidable, but he's nothing more than a stray dog ​​whose lineage has been severed. His skills have regressed rather than improved; what makes him think he can compete with our ancestor?

Zhao Longhu said smugly,

Zhao Youting, however, keenly sensed something.

"Since that butcher is so hostile to our Dunjia Mountain, and was extremely arrogant when he stopped the car,
But after meeting the patriarch, he was a completely different person. Although his words were full of witty remarks, overall he was still quite respectful and amiable.

"Hmm... no... the butcher didn't change his personality after meeting the patriarch. He changed his personality after hearing what Senior Brother Longhu said—that the patriarchs of the Dunjia Sect were all in the caravan."

When Zhao Youting thought of this, he broke out in a cold sweat. The words "stealing the house" kept echoing in his mind.

"With all six Supreme Masters emerging, Dunjia Mountain is now empty. If the Butcher goes to Dunjia Mountain at this critical juncture, who in the mountain can be his match?"

The more Zhao Youting thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Just then, he heard the boy's soft call.

"Senior Brother Youting, the Ancestor requests your presence." "Sigh."

Zhao Youting responded, quickly put down the cup, and stepped out of the carriage.

……

As Zhao Youting and the boy entered the carriage of the Calabash Taoist, a strong smell of alcohol permeated the air.

The Calabash Taoist was very displeased and said, "Too much wine leads to trouble. You've come out to handle such an important task, but you're just like those good-for-nothing fellow disciples, unable to escape the temptation of food."

“The ancestral teachings are correct, but I have something to report to You Ting.”

"Speak," said the Calabash Taoist.

Zhao Youting immediately explained his speculation about the "butcher stealing the house" in detail.

But the Calabash Taoist listened to the whole thing as if it were a joke.

When Zhao Youting's throat was dry from talking, the Calabash Taoist coldly said, "When you're wandering the world, navigating the mortal realm, it's best to have as little intention to harm others as possible, and more intention to guard against them."
But Youting, I'm afraid you're too wary of people.

He sipped his iced tea and said, "If that butcher wants to steal from our Dunjia Sect, he'll face two difficulties."
The first question is, how did he manage to evade the ancient golden bell tree of the capital city?

The Ancient Tree Golden Bell is a monitoring instrument used by the Bureau of Spirits in each prefecture. Whenever a master with more than six incense sticks' worth of skills enters the prefecture, the golden bell will ring continuously.

Once the butcher entered the palace, the golden bell would ring loudly, and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Bureau of Divine Inspection would come to question him.

He wanted to steal the house, but it was as difficult as climbing to heaven.

"Secondly, the mountain gate is not unguarded. Your senior brother, Zhao Zibi, is stationed there. If he sees the butcher, he will surely send us a secret message from the sect."
"I dare not say others, but my junior brother Tongjing and I can return to Dunjia Mountain in an instant. How could such a vast mountain gate be allowed to be disrupted by a mere butcher?"

"But……"

Zhao Youting wanted to say something more, but was immediately interrupted by the Calabash Taoist: "There are no buts... There's no need to say more about the topic of stealing a house. Youting, I only ask you, does Zhou Xuan have anyone to rely on in Mingjiang Prefecture?"

Seeing that his ancestor was angry, Zhao Youting dared not act on his own initiative any longer and could only answer the other party's question, saying,
"Reporting to our ancestors, the so-called reliance of Zhou Xuan is none other than the wandering gods of Mingjiang Prefecture and Pingshui Prefecture."

"Other than that?"

"And the butcher I recently befriended, and... the incense-offering deity."

Zhao Youting felt there was something wrong with his words, so he corrected himself and said, "The Imperial Observatory doesn't have much concrete evidence of the relationship between the Incense God and Zhou Xuan. It's probably just a rumor that a normal relationship has been mistakenly reported as a very deep one."

"Even the deepest friendships are nothing more than this."

The Calabash Taoist's brow finally relaxed, and he said, "The Incense Offering God is a Heavenly God, a Heavenly God of the Well Kingdom. He is under a restriction and cannot truly act in the mortal realm. There's no need to worry."

As for the Imperial Guardian Bureaus of Mingjiang Prefecture and Pingshui Prefecture, I, your ancestor, truly don't take them seriously.

After saying this, the gourd-shaped Taoist stretched and said, "That Zhou Xuan has no reinforcements in front and no magic weapons behind. If we break into Mingjiang Prefecture, capturing him will be as easy as catching a turtle in a jar. What other way does he have but to obediently come with us?"

"A person who is helpless and ready to be captured has made me uneasy. The patriarch must be old. He has not been active in the martial arts world for a long time. He was actually intimidated by such a young brat."

The Calabash Taoist waved to Zhao Youting and said, "Go, go, I also need to conserve my energy."

"Yes, Patriarch."

Zhao Youting lifted the carriage curtain and was about to leave when the Calabash Taoist scolded him, "Go back to the carriage and rest properly. Don't just indulge in drinking."

"Yes."

After getting off the carriage, Zhao Youting was preoccupied with his thoughts.

He increasingly felt that the Butcher was very likely to raid their base and launch a surprise attack on the Dunjia Sect.

But the Calabash Taoist insisted on his own way and refused to listen to his advice.

"Oh dear, if the butcher didn't go to the capital, that would be fine. But what if he really did go?"

Zhao Youting was a star official in the capital. He had already moved out of Dunjia Mountain and built a large courtyard in the capital, where he married and had children.

However... his wife also believed in Taoism, and every month in the middle and at the end of the month, she would take their children to Dunjia Mountain for a few days.

For the past few days, his wife, children, and family members have been living in Dunjia Mountain.

"If the butcher leaves, my Yunniang, Cai'er, and Huanbao will all be..."

Thinking of this, Zhao Youting took out a talisman, wrote a sincere letter of persuasion to withdraw from the party, folded it into a paper crane, and then used his own blood to dot the eyes of the crane.

Looking at the paper crane that flew automatically towards the capital, Zhao Youting sighed and said, "Yunniang, if you see this letter, you must take your family and leave. Don't delay. This is all I can do."

Zhao Youting was a figure of great stature, but in the context of the capital city government, such a figure was far too insignificant.

Even something as trivial as the Dunjia sect asking him to see "Di Zi" (a Taoist master) was something he had to do out of politeness.

Even though he knew that coming to Mingjiang Prefecture to capture Zhou Xuan was most likely a dead end, he still had no choice but to come.
Even his suspicion that the butcher's knife would be used to slaughter the Dunjia Sect could only be addressed by writing a letter to persuade his family to leave.

"Alas, in this chaotic world, it is a blessing from heaven that I, a nobody, can even take care of my family... What I fear most is that I cannot even take care of my family."

Zhao Youting gazed at the departing paper crane, his heart unable to find peace for a long time…

……

Many people from Mingjiang Prefecture entered the city today.
Not for any other reason than that the people in the prefectural city had already received a letter from the prefectural government—Zhou Xuan, the chief scholar of Mingjiang Prefecture, was going to give lectures in Xiejia'ao.

So the people inside the mansion waited enthusiastically, while those outside also wanted to share in the joy and admire Zhou Xuan's heroic figure.

The four city gates of the prefectural city were bustling with activity, and the teahouses, taverns, and cafes that had already opened were doing booming business.

The East Market Street was also bustling with activity.
The whole street was decorated with colorful dragons.

Zhao Wuya and Yun Ziliang looked around at the commotion. After they had seen enough, they returned to the shop one after the other, where Zhou Xuan was writing furiously.

"Brother Xuan, where's Liangzi who's writing the book?"

Zhao Wuya asked.

"Nonsense, what else should we write if not this?" Zhou Xuan said irritably.

"Let me tell you, it's really lively outside. Everyone's making colorful dragons. There are nine of them on this street."

"Why make so many dragons?" Zhou Xuan stopped writing, took the tea Xiao Fuzi handed him, and asked.

"What a joyous occasion!"

Zhao Wuyai spread out his palms and said, "Everyone on the street has heard that tonight, Mingjiang Prefecture will be completely rebuilt. This is a great event, and since you are from our East Market Street, everyone will perform a dragon dance for you and make you the star."

"The nine dragons are really too popular."

Zhou Xuan thought the scene was quite grand.

"You deserve it. I can't even imagine how lively our city will be after the reconstruction of Mingjiang Prefecture is completed tonight."

Zhao Wuyai began to dream.

"Tonight might be a night of murder."

Zhou Xuan's words spoiled the mood, saying, "Stealing the pills is one thing, but there's something else that's very likely to be stolen as well."

"what?"

"The power of will".

Zhou Xuan said.

After the last book talk, the powerful aspiration attracted the gods of dreams—and tonight's aspiration is several times stronger than last time.
Could there be other celestial beings who want to seize this power of will?
"So, tonight might not be peaceful?" Zhao Wuyai asked.

"It would be strange if things were peaceful." Yun Ziliang returned to the house and said to Zhao Wuyai, "When a treasure of the world appears, there will always be people vying for it and fighting over it. The appearance of those twin fish has attracted countless ruthless people of nine incense sticks' worth of power."

Tonight, Ping Shui Prefecture will likely be just as Xuan Zi predicted—a night of murder.

Just as Yun Ziliang finished speaking, another person entered the shop. This person was none other than Si Yu'er, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Brother Xuan, you've lost weight recently."

Si Yu'er carried two baskets of pastries and placed them on the table. Zhao Wuya didn't stand on ceremony and started eating them.

"How rude!" Yun Ziliang immediately scolded him, "Don't you even know to get one for your grandmaster?"

"..." Zhao Wuya.

Si Yu'er was suddenly amused by this pair of lively masters and disciples.

Zhou Xuan greeted Si Yu'er and brought up Si Yu'er's father, Si Ming, saying, "Yu'er, how has Hall Master Si been lately?"

"He's in great spirits."

"Master Si, you don't blame me, do you?" Zhou Xuan asked again.

"Why do you blame me?" Si Yu'er was a little confused.

Zhou Xuan said, "I gave that 'Divine Thief' divine spark to King Xishan, establishing the Hu Clan. From now on, your Si family, the Divine Thief Clan, will no longer be a Heavenly God-level branch. I'm afraid the head of the Si family won't understand."

"Oh dear, Brother Xuan, you're overthinking it. My father is far too insightful. He says he's simply not cut out for cultivation, and the Divine Thief Gang hasn't produced a genius in years. The so-called god-level gang is nothing but a hollow shell."
Ultimately, aren't we master thieves living off the whims of the "Bone Society"?
My father said that the loss of that divine essence is no big deal; in fact, it reduces the burden. He added that if another genius emerges in the temple later and cultivates the "Stealing Heavenly Secrets" technique using nine incense sticks, they can simply go to another temple and steal a divine essence back.

Si Yu'er smiled again and said, "Don't worry about my father's affairs, but... you have to take the Blood Well Society's affairs seriously."

"What's wrong with the Blood Well?" Zhou Xuan asked.

“A new member wants to join, and I need your approval,” Si Yu’er said. “That new member is mentally ill. He says he’s willing to give up a huge secret in exchange for membership.”

"How big is this enormous secret?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"The secret about how Huangyuan Prefecture and Jingchuan Prefecture grew together," Si Yu'er said.

(End of this chapter)