Swing the sword at the future female devil

Chapter 298 Zhang Tianshi's Last Words
Duan Huaige recalled the background information of the old Celestial Master and had guessed the reason why the earth vein dragon energy of Qingyang Town was extracted—the mastermind behind the extraction of earth vein dragon energy was simply for the sake of the incomplete map of the Jiangshan Sheji.

So Taiqing mistakenly thought the incomplete map was on me, which is why he lurked around me trying to find it?

For a moment, Huai Ge felt the situation was getting tricky, because Tai Qing's disguise had become even more sophisticated. Before, it was only a temporary possession, but now he could change his appearance at will...

This time, he was able to distinguish Qin Shuangjiang because he understood her. But if she kills the person she's impersonating next time, such as the prodigies of the Kunlun and Luban sects, how will Duan Huaige be able to tell the difference?

The next test might just be a massive werewolf game. Duan Huaige not only has to work with his teammates to find the truth behind Zhang Tianshi's death and the fragments of the Jiangshan Sheji Map, but also has to guard against Taiqing's betrayal…

We can only take it one step at a time… Duan Huaige sighed and stepped forward to carefully examine the wound, especially the area around it. It was quite obvious that Zhang Tianshi had been killed by a sword.

Not only were there sword wounds on the corpse, but there were also sword marks of various sizes on vital organs such as the heart. The old face was covered with bloodstains, and the lifeless and cloudy eyes looked particularly desolate. Although Duan Huaige did not have many memories of spending time with this Taoist master, he was still a hero who sacrificed himself to seal away evil spirits.

He reached out his hand to let Zhang Tianshi close his eyes, but unexpectedly, the eyes that had just closed suddenly opened again. Duan Huaige was startled, thinking that the corpse had come back to life, but unexpectedly, Zhang Tianshi still had a strong death aura, but his eyes were fixed in one direction, and his fingers were pointing at the ground.

The statue in the City God Temple was somewhat dilapidated due to years of neglect. Duan Huaige got up and looked around, then followed Zhang Tianshi's gaze to the statue...

"What are you looking for?"

“Zhang Tianshi kept looking at this place before he died. I suspect that there might be some mechanism hidden in this statue.”

Qin Shuangjiang walked over, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly placed her hand on the statue. She slowly poured spiritual energy into it, and the statue began to glow. Finally, large pieces of clay were peeled off, revealing the sword-carved patterns on the back.

However, the pattern was quite strange, and no matter how much spiritual power Qin Shuangjiang poured into it, it remained unmoved. Duan Huaige sensed the aura of the Celestial Master's Mansion technique on it, and with a thought, he leaned his arm against it.

The Five Thunder Suppressing Evil Seal and its markings on his arm resonated, radiating light that shone on the wall. Zhang Tianshi's figure appeared above, speaking solemnly:

[Little Friend:]
If you have discovered the secret here, it means that I am likely in grave danger and my chances of survival are slim. For us cultivators, life and death are trivial matters. I only regret that I have the will to kill the traitors but am powerless to save the day. I hope you will have pity on the innocent people of Qingyang and continue to search for the four directions to suppress the dragon energy of the earth veins.

The seal I hold contains the aura of the Azure Dragon of the East. Though slightly damaged, it can still serve as a Azure Dragon seal to suppress the dragon's energy. If your friend has already obtained the Vermilion Bird Feather, he should go to the well in the south of the town to seek the Black Tortoise's Tear. Remember to be extremely careful!

Young friend, though not a cultivator, you possess the ambition to help all living beings, which I deeply admire. However, you have been possessed by demonic energy, which may shorten your lifespan. If you can suppress the dragon energy of the earth's veins, I can use the remaining thunderous power of my Azure Dragon Seal to help you completely eliminate the demonic obstacles within you, cleanse your marrow and prolong your life. This would be a small compensation for my failure to protect you properly!

Duan Huaige stared into deep thought as he read Zhang Tianshi's last words. It seemed that these were pre-recorded words, specifically for him.

Did Zhang Tianshi already foresee the misfortune that awaited him when he set off for Qingyang Town? Could it be that he actually knew about the existence of the mastermind behind it all?

Duan Huaige was suddenly speechless. If you're going to leave a will, just leave one, why make it so mysterious? Like this... Zhang Tianshi mentioned three talismans for the four directions, but where are we going to find the talisman for the White Tiger of the West? We can't expect Duan Huaige to pay for it out of his own pocket, can we? Perhaps Zhang Tianshi didn't say it because he felt it wasn't necessary? Or did he convey it in some other way?

"There are more words here." Qin Shuangjiang, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, pointing to the spot beneath Zhang Tianshi that he had been obscuring. Duan Huaige immediately came over to examine it and discovered several crooked characters, seemingly left by Zhang Tianshi on his deathbed:
"Well, pregnant female corpse, White Tiger evil spirit, currently missing."

Duan Huaige: ?

Good news! We've found the last clue to the Western White Tiger Suppressing Object, the White Tiger Evil Spirit.

Bad news: there might be some terrible filth in the well.

Duan Huaige pondered the connections between these clues, especially the last one, which seemed to have no beginning or end, but might actually be the key.

Ever since Duan Huaige and Qin Shuangjiang went to the City God Temple, the Mirror of Heaven lost its view of them, since the Mirror of Heaven could only see what was happening in Qingyang Town. Xiao Jiang and Yan Qiuxi outside were anxious, fearing that Qin Shuangjiang would seize every second to devour Duan Huaige.

"Sisters, I think the virginity mark plan can't be delayed any longer. As soon as Duan Huaige returns to Longhu Mountain, we'll make our move!" Xiao Jiang said seriously. "The longer we wait, the more things might go wrong. If we don't strike first, we might end up eating Qin Shuangjiang's leftovers!"

Yan Qiuxi wasn't thinking about all that nonsense at the moment. She stroked her chin and pondered, "Didn't you think Ah Jiang acted a little strange just now?"

"No, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I just feel like she's not the real person." Prince Yan's wit goes without saying; he noticed something was wrong simply by observing through the Heavenly Mirror.

"The mist outside Qingyang Town looks a bit like the legendary Nightmare Qi," Yan Qiuxi murmured to herself. "Nightmare Qi is related to puppets. Could the secret here be related to Lu Ban Dao?"

No, my friend read a miscellaneous book that seemed to say that the 51st Celestial Master and the then-master of the Lu Ban Dao sect were very close friends. Could it be that Celestial Master Zhang was not actually there to subdue demons, but to clean up the mess?

It seems that Zhang Tianshi in this Demon-Subduing Karma Formation wasn't necessarily a completely good person. Perhaps the mystery hidden behind his death could uncover a long-buried secret?

The more Yan Qiuxi thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She couldn't wait to go in and solve the mystery with Duan Huaige. Although her combat skills were currently inferior to the King of Qin, when it came to all sorts of strange and unusual experiences, Yan Qiuxi was definitely far superior.

"What a pity. If I had gone in, I'd probably already be at the MVP awards screen," Yan Qiuxi thought with a touch of melancholy. Just then, Xiao Jiang beside her suddenly nudged her arm and exclaimed excitedly:

"Look! Duan Huaige and the others are back from the City God Temple! Hmm? Wait, why did they go straight to an inn and book a room?!"

(End of this chapter)