Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 69 Entering the battle
Seeing Xie Gui coming towards them with great momentum, the three men knew they were no match for him and looked towards Ren Yuan.

"I never dreamed of this step!" Ren Yuan said so, but he still made a prompt decision and shouted, "Follow me!"

He led everyone to escape into the thick fog not far away.

That was the Eight-Gate Maze that Dong Dangmen had set up yesterday to trap the stone statue.

I don’t know if that guy left in too much of a hurry or was too righteous, but he didn’t even take the flag with him.

~~
After everyone entered the formation, they saw the fog dissipate to a height of ten feet above their heads. Although they still could not see the sky, at least they could see the road ahead clearly.

But all around, there were strange rocks standing in a forest, overlapping like mountains. As we walked forward, we still saw all kinds of stone piles and hills, here in a cluster, there in a patch, densely packed together, with no pattern at all, forming a huge maze where it was difficult to tell east from west and to identify the way back.

They fled all the way to the depths of the stone forest, only then stopping to treat the wounded.

"What are your plans?" Tian Liangzi asked while letting Ren Yuan help him bandage himself.

"Let's take it one step at a time." Ren Yuan sighed.

The plan he formulated had three goals - to rescue most of the villagers; to release Donghun Hou so that the truth could be revealed; and to stay alive as long as possible.

Considering the huge disparity in strength between the two sides, it is already a miracle to achieve the first two now... In fact, if Xie Gui could be buried in the collapsed underground palace as he expected, he could even achieve the last goal.

But when he saw Xie Gui coming out from underground, he knew that his careful planning could not defeat absolute strength. The current situation was completely out of his control.

But we must not give up until the very end. He calmly analyzed: "If Xie doesn't dare to chase us in, we can just hide inside for a few days. If we make such a big noise, the imperial court will definitely send people down to investigate, and we can make a plan then."

After a pause, he continued, "If he chases in, it's at least safer here than outside. We can also trap him, so he won't go out and cause trouble to the villagers again."

At this time, a roaring voice was heard not far away: "You rats, it's useless for you to hide here. Dong Dangmen has already told me the secret of this formation. Look, I will catch you out right now!"

Apparently, the guy surnamed Xie followed in regardless...

"It seems like we have really pushed him to the edge." Tian Liangzi said with a smug smile, "It's obvious that he's going to take a few people with him even if he dies."

"I don't want to be a scapegoat for such a scum." Ren Yuan curled his lips and led the way inside, with the three senior sisters following closely.

~~
Xie Gui was actually bragging. It was true that he had entered the battle formation for the second time, but he was led out in a daze last time and had no idea what was going on.

But he also had something to rely on - although asking for directions through the planchette could not lead him out of the formation, it could point out the direction for Ren Yuan and the others to escape.

He also had a horse with superb armor and speed, and no matter how hard the four men tried to circle around, he could still catch up with them.

Fortunately, Ren Yuan and his men had the "Five Ghosts Mutual Mobility Technique", which allowed them to escape from Xie Gui many times.

But using four Five Ghosts Transporting Talismans at a time was too much of a drain. The little they had on them would soon be exhausted...

"No, if we continue like this, we'll all be wiped out." Ren Yuan suggested while walking quickly and panting, "Let's disperse and let as many of them as possible escape."

"It's not good to separate them." Liu Zhongjun shook his head firmly and said, "He is more familiar with this formation than us. We will only be caught and killed one by one."

"But if we are together, we will just be killed together." A Yao said with a wry smile.

"No," Liu Zhongjun said in the most calm tone, saying the most shocking words: "You have a way to defeat him."

"We?" A Yao pointed at his nose, incredulous.

"That's right, the 'Shangqing Five Thunder Talisman' your master taught you is enough to turn him into charcoal." Liu Zhongjun nodded.

"Shangqing Five Thunder Talisman? That's a purple talisman, how can I have that ability?" Ah Yao smiled bitterly and said, "Drawing a blue talisman is my limit. The true spirit required for a purple talisman is more than ten times that of a blue talisman. I can't draw it even if my life is taken away."

"No problem, I'll help you." Liu Zhongjun said confidently, "I can't help you with other talismans, but the Heavenly Thunder Talisman is perfect for me."

"That's great!" A Yao and Ren Yuan were overjoyed. "..." Tian Liangzi looked at Liu Zhongjun worriedly, and the latter shook his head slightly, signaling him not to say anything more.

"However, even with Liu Zhongjun's help, it will take us an incense stick of time to draw this talisman..." A Yao said worriedly.

"It's been so long." Ren Yuan's smile froze.

"Of course. This is the Shangqing Purple Talisman that can shake the heavens and the earth, control ghosts and gods, split mountains and seas and draw thunder. It requires complicated rituals and no step can be skipped!" A Yao said as a matter of course: "Even the master can't do it in an instant, let alone a half-baked person like us."

"That's a blind guess." Tian Liangzi sighed, "Xie won't give us that much time."

"Yes." Ren Yuan nodded and said in a deep voice: "He is too fast. It only takes him a quarter of an incense stick to catch up with us."

"I can only hold him back for a quarter of an incense stick..." Tian Liangzi also calculated, "His sword restrains monsters. Although I have thick skin and flesh, I can't stand being slashed by him for more than a hundred times."

"I have a way to make you last longer." Liu Zhongjun said calmly, "Do you dare? Do you want to do it?"

"Dare, do it!" Tian Liangzi said without hesitation.

"Okay." Liu Zhongjun nodded and said to A Yao first: "Let's find a secluded place and start. No matter what happens, don't stop."

"Yes." A Yao nodded heavily, and then said to Ren Yuan: "The Shangqing Five Thunder Talisman is extremely yang and strong, and it needs the innate true yang to form the evil spirit. Liu Jun and I don't have this, so I can only rely on you to form the evil spirit."

"Okay!" Ren Yuan nodded without hesitation. Although he had never learned how to draw the 'Shangqing Five Thunder Talisman', there is a saying that 'there are thousands of talismans, but only one way to end evil'. At least in their school, all talismans have only one way to end evil.

According to Ren Yuan's understanding, the so-called "Jie Sha" means to stamp the talisman with the sect's official seal. Maybe only in this way will God approve it...

After the senior sister finished speaking, she looked around, found a big rock for cover, took out a stick of incense, and began to burn it and pray to God.

Liu Zhongjun took out a piece of willow whistle and put it to his mouth to blow it.

The sharp and bright sound of the willow whistle immediately resounded throughout the maze.

"Don't you think we're not dying fast enough?" Tian Liangzi quickly blocked his air hole. "This will not only attract Xie, but also those stone statues!"

"That's exactly the effect we want." Liu Zhongjun laughed and said, "Just wait for those stone statues to come over quickly. Once they arrive, you'll be able to hold on a little longer."

After saying that, he continued to blow it by himself.

Tian Liangzi was about to make some noise, but Ren Yuan stopped him and said, "I think I understand what the old man means."

"how to say?"

"We encountered those stone statues when we were escaping just now. How did you feel, uncle?" Ren Yuan said as he took out yellow paper and cinnabar and nervously replenished the talisman.

"There are more of them, and their skin is thicker than ours." Tian Liangzi recalled: "Fortunately, their movements are not fast, and their attack power is limited. Although it hurts when they hit us, we can still withstand it."

"I understand. Old Liu wants to bring them together with Mr. Xie to cause chaos!" He suddenly realized, "Of course, I will get beaten more this way, but Mr. Xie won't be able to concentrate on attacking me."

"That's what I mean." Ren Yuan nodded.

"Haha, you can't escape anymore!" At this time, the almost crazy voice of County Magistrate Xie sounded again.

"Fight him!" Tian Liangzi gritted his teeth and was about to show his true form, but was stopped by Ren Yuan. "Don't move, I'll buy time first."

"With your limited strength?" Tian Liangzi shook his head and said, "Just stick the talisman on me honestly."

"I have my own way." Ren Yuan said confidently.

(End of this chapter)