Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 353 The Imperial Seal
Hezhou.

The wind tonight carried a chill. After midnight, a figure suddenly appeared on the deserted street. This person seemed to emerge from underground and walked along the street to the City God Temple in the south of the city.

"Brother Lu."

The illusory figure bowed towards the military officer statue below the City God Temple. Then, a flash of spiritual light appeared on the statue, and a rather heroic man walked out from inside the statue. He held an iron whip, exactly the same weapon as the statue. After his figure appeared, two attendants dressed as patrolling constables also appeared on the clay statues on both sides of the City God's seat.

"Brother Song."

Lu Jun cupped his hands in greeting to the Taoist-dressed man in front of him. His burial site was small, just a short walk in and out, so he didn't invite him into the burial site under the City God Temple.

This man surnamed Song was a Taoist priest in life. After his death, he unexpectedly cultivated the path of the ghost and was no longer subject to reincarnation. He originally cultivated on a mountain dozens of miles away, thinking that one day he could become a ghost immortal and perhaps also attain a carefree life.

However, the difficulties of the ghost realm exceeded his expectations. By chance, he encountered Lu Jun capturing a fierce ghost and offered his assistance.

The two became acquainted after a few interactions, and it was only through this Song Daoren's deliberate attempt to befriend him that he was trying to secure a government position.

If he could find a job within the City God system, it would be better than being a rootless, wandering ghost.

"Let's go."

Lu Jun glanced at the statue of the City God, bowed in greeting, and then walked out of the temple.

The bright moon hangs high.

As the group walked out, they heard someone talking in their sleep coming from next door. Lu Jun turned around, glanced at the room, and laughed, "That idiot's drunk again."

The temple keeper in question was his former servant and attendant.

The four walked swaggeringly along the long street. Lu Jun led the way with an iron whip in his hand, followed closely by Song Daoren carrying a wooden sword on his back. Behind them were two Yin spirits dressed as constables on patrol, one holding a soul-binding rope and the other a wooden ghost shackle.

A parade, of course, requires regular street patrols.

The Yin gods under the City God system have their own sphere of activity and cannot easily leave. However, Lu Jun has become quite famous recently, and the people believe he is efficacious, so they offer him extra incense and sacrifices. His sphere of activity has gradually expanded from a county to a prefecture.

During his lifetime, he was a local hero with a great reputation for chivalry. After his death, he became a military officer and was very diligent in patrolling the county town every day. Then, he would take two constables to visit the surrounding mass graves and other places.

This action is not to subdue ghosts and monsters, but to deter villains.

"Brother Lu."

"I've heard there's a ferocious water ghost in the upper reaches of the West River. Why don't we get rid of it and accumulate some merit?"

The Taoist priest, Song, was eager to get a government job, and his expression was quite enthusiastic.

These days, the county is very peaceful. Since the City God system was established, there aren't enough haunted houses left in the county town.

But without merit, how could he possibly obtain an official position?

If Lu Jun is promoted to the position of Night Patrol God in the future, he can take over the position and serve as the military officer in charge of patrolling the county.

Within the City God system, the local City Gods are like county magistrates in the underworld. Below them are officials such as clerks, military officers, and inspectors, responsible for apprehending wandering ghosts. If their Taoist cultivation is high enough, dealing with ordinary minor demons and monsters is no problem. Outside of the City Gods, there are the day and night patrol gods, who are worshipped by the local people and are specifically responsible for dealing with fierce and evil spirits. Only those deceased souls with Taoist cultivation and martial arts skills can take on this role.

From the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period to the present, countless people have died unjustly. The day and night patrols are only responsible for dealing with elite monsters; there are other divine positions above them.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun smiled faintly, glanced at Song Daoren beside him, and pondered for a moment before saying, "Very well."

"Let's take a trip."

Just then, a watchman appeared ahead. Since mortals cannot see ghosts and gods, they didn't pay much attention to them.

"It seems like there are people fighting over there."

Song Daoren, who also possessed some cultivation, glanced into the distance and said, "They seem to be people from the martial arts world."

Separated by Yin and Yang.

Whether it's a battle in the martial world or petty bandits, these underworld military officers on patrol don't care. Their duty is to capture ghosts. Occasionally, they might deal with some minor demons or monsters, but as long as they don't harm people, they'll just turn a blind eye.

There aren't that many mountain spirits and monsters in this world. Those who dare to enter the human realm all possess some level of magical power.

"what?"

Just as the group was about to leave, Lu Jun suddenly stopped, his expression gradually becoming serious, and said, "It seems that there are some experts exchanging blows."

This is making a huge commotion.

He gripped the steel whip tightly and rushed towards the direction from which the muffled sound came, passing directly through the wall. Yin spirits are spiritual entities; unless they use magic to manifest, even martial arts masters cannot see them. However, those who have cultivated magic have many methods to detect their movements.

"Hand over your stuff!"

A hoarse voice rang out, accompanied by a chilling wind. A figure emerged from the woods, resembling both a human and a ghost, with disheveled hair. He was surrounded by demonic energy, his five fingers forming claws, like the hand of the King of Hell. He directly grabbed at the fleeing individuals. One of them stayed behind to cover their retreat, but after only a few moves, his skull was crushed, and his brains splattered out.

Lu Jun's expression hardened, and he thought to himself, "A member of the Demonic Sect?"

"wrong!"

"Why does this sound a bit like martial arts from the Western Regions?"

This person's martial arts skills were extremely high; even he himself couldn't defeat him in his lifetime.

As for the few who fled, judging from their accents, they seemed to be Han Chinese from the north. One of the burly men threw out his bundle and tossed it to the man with the talisman on his foot, angrily saying, "Third brother, go first, hurry to the Prince Xing's mansion!"

The tall, thin man caught the package, his eyes filled with sorrow. He made a hand seal and fled without hesitation, almost like a spell to travel a thousand miles.

At this moment, Song Daoren's figure passed through the wall. He glanced at the tall, thin man and suddenly said, "There should be treasure in that package."

In just a moment, another of the men left to cover the retreat died under the claws.

A sharp whistle came from the north.

The tall, thin man who had taken the package and used the Divine Speed ​​Spell let out a muffled groan. Blood burst from his back, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud. Before he died, he seemed to see something, his eyes widened, and he suddenly threw the package at Lu Jun, who was wearing a military officer's uniform and holding an iron whip.

"This person practices Taoist arts; did he see me?"

Lu Jun couldn't help but step forward to see what was inside the package. Suddenly, a golden light flashed, and he was blasted away, his expression a mixture of shock and elation.

Inside the package was a piece of jade, which his Yin spirit body couldn't even touch.

"Brother Song, come quickly to my aid!"

"A tremendous opportunity has come our way!"

Without hesitation, Lu Jun unleashed his magic, stirring up a gust of yin wind. Just as a figure reached out to grab Bao, he revealed his yin spirit form and wielded a steel whip, striking the person.

boom!
A cold wind blew up a flurry of fallen leaves.

A sinister-looking man killed several people in quick succession. As if sensing something, he instantly leaped into the air. Looking at the fleeting ghostly figure, he exclaimed in astonishment, "A ghost messenger from the underworld?"

"Are you even trying to steal it too?"

Without hesitation, Song Daoren made a hand seal, and the wooden sword on his back flew out. He cultivated the art of the Ghost Immortal, and his cultivation was even higher than Lu Jun's.

"Where did these wandering ghosts come from!"

"How dare you ruin my plans?"

A roar suddenly came from afar, and an old man with red hair and a red face appeared strangely. With a wave of his hand, the sound of ghosts and gods crying was heard. The demonic aura on his body soared into the sky. When his true essence was activated, it was no less than the Taoist magic. Lu Jun took the claw head-on with his iron whip. In an instant, he was sent flying. When he landed, his face was ashen, and he could not even maintain his spirit form.

clang.

The old man reached out and grabbed the wooden sword that Song Daoren had raised, crushing it with his true essence and demonic energy, and coldly snorted, "Ghostly Dao?"

"act recklessly!"

Blood God Claw.

With a wave of his claws, the old man conjured a blood-red ghost claw over ten feet long before their eyes. Martial arts cultivated to this level were no less than magical arts.

But just then, a seductive figure appeared in the woods.

Mysterious Yin Palm.

A beautiful woman dressed in black palace attire suddenly appeared. She raised her hand and struck out with her palm, plundering the ground three feet deep. The surrounding grass and trees froze into ice, and the icy coldness penetrated to the bone marrow. Even Song Daoren, who had already died once, felt a chill run through his body.

"The Xuan Yin Sect?"

After exchanging several blows, the beautiful woman in palace attire forced back the red-haired old man in front of her, raised her palm and sucked the package into her hand.

At this moment, Song Daoren also caught his breath. His face was pale, and his figure seemed a little blurry. He came to Lu Jun's side and asked, "What's inside?"

Why are so many people scrambling for it?

Holding an iron whip, Lu Jun, invisible in his Yin Ghost form, gazed at the numerous demonic sect experts confronting him and whispered, "The Imperial Seal!"

"Go and inform Lord Ji immediately."

what?
The Imperial Seal of the State?!
By this time, most of the martial arts masters dressed as Han Chinese from the north were dead. The two remaining men, one wielding a golden knife and the other a spear, forced back the enemies in front of them and landed beside the beautiful woman in palace attire. They glanced at the package in her hand and stood side by side facing the many enemies who surrounded them.

"Is the Xuan Yin Sect going to get involved in this matter too?"

The red-haired old man seemed quite wary of the beautiful woman in palace attire before him. He looked around and whispered to the person next to him, "Be careful of the Bone Rakshasa."

“Yin Hua is here.”

"Other members of the Xuan Yin Sect are probably nearby as well."

Yin Hua is the beautiful woman in front of you. She is the daughter of the previous leader of the Xuan Yin Sect. Now she holds the position of Transmission Elder and her cultivation level is comparable to that of a half-step Daoist.

Bone Rakshasa is an enforcer under the Xuan Yin Sect, and is considered one of the top three ghostly assassins in the demonic sect.

The beautiful woman in palace attire had an icy expression and said coldly, "The actions of the Xuan Yin Sect are none of your business."

936 AD.

Shi Jingtang sent envoys to the Khitan for help, declaring himself a puppet emperor in exchange for a Khitan army of 50,000. Li Congke of the Later Tang dynasty, unable to withstand the attack and seeing that all was lost, took the Imperial Seal, Empress Dowager Cao, Empress Liu, his son Li Chongmei, and others to the Xuanwu Tower, where he committed suicide by burning himself to death.

The whereabouts of the Imperial Seal of the State have remained unknown for nearly twenty years.

This was the last time the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal of the State were clearly recorded in official history. Ten years later, Emperor Taizong of Liao, Yelü Deguang, claimed to have obtained the Imperial Seal, but most people believed it to be a forgery. Later, during the Song Dynasty, a farmer supposedly found the seal in the ruins of Li Congke's residence and presented it to Emperor Zhezong of Song, but it was ultimately determined to be a forgery.

From then on, the Imperial Seal of the State disappeared without a trace, and later dynasties mostly produced imitations of it.

There are too many experts here.

In his lifetime, Lu Jun was merely a chivalrous hero from the southern border, considered a top-tier martial arts master. By chance, he was appointed as a patrolling servant under the City God because of his reputation as a hero. Although he retained some of his cultivation from his previous life and received incense offerings and some magical power after his death, he was still helpless against so many top-tier masters in the mortal realm.

The soul-binding ropes held by the constables behind him were fine for binding the souls of mortals, but binding their souls was something they dared not even think about.

If these people were to die, he could easily restrain them from capturing their souls, given his status as a member of the underworld.

"Go quickly and get reinforcements!"

Upon receiving Lu Jun's instructions, Song Daoren took off running without saying a word. He had cultivated many magical arts in his lifetime, and even in his ghost form after death, he could barely fly on the wind. However, his magical power was shallow, and when he flew, he was similar to the female ghost in A Chinese Ghost Story, and he might not even be as fast as the top masters.

After Song Daoren left, the mortal experts immediately fell into a chaotic battle.

Led by the beautiful woman in palace attire, the Xuan Yin Sect members fought against overwhelming odds, retreating as they fought. When the red-haired old man saw her trying to escape, he immediately became enraged and, disregarding everyone else, leaped into the air. His palms turned into a blood-red color, and the two exchanged several blows from a distance. Yin Hua was no match for him and coughed up blood.

call out!
A bone spur appeared in the darkness. Just as the red-haired old man was about to seize the Imperial Seal, a ghostly figure suddenly appeared, holding a spine sword. Such a bizarre weapon was unheard of in the martial arts world. Blood gushed out the moment they clashed. The masked ghost pierced his kidneys with the bone sword and then reached for his skull with his five fingers.

dead!
The red-haired old man roared and activated his protective qi, shattering the bone sword. He narrowly avoided the bone claws and struck the Bone Rakshasa with a palm, causing her to vomit blood and her sternum to cave in.

"Do not bother me."

"Go quickly and retrieve the Imperial Seal. If we alert that person, there will be no more chances."

The red-haired old man used his internal energy to seal the acupoints. He picked up the corpse of the Bone Rakshasa, removed the mask, and under the mask was an old woman in her fifties, who had long since stopped breathing.

The Xuan Yin Sect doesn't have many members, but it has quite a few experts. Bone Rakshasa is an elder from the previous generation. If there are other helpers nearby, the longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for them.

The discovery of the Imperial Seal of the State is a recent, unexpected event.

When Li Congke of the Later Tang Dynasty committed suicide by fire, Shi Jingtang searched the ground thoroughly but could not find any trace of the Imperial Seal of the State. For more than ten years afterward, countless people went to the ruins of Xuanwu Tower to search for the Imperial Seal of the State, but all to no avail. Even people in the martial arts world had not heard of it.

Suddenly one day...

Rumors circulated that a fisherman near the Yellow River had retrieved the Imperial Seal of the State. Everyone thought it was just a rumor and didn't take it seriously until a bloody storm swept through the martial arts world of the north, at which point others came to their senses and began to understand its significance.

If it were fake, why would so many people be fighting over it?
Just then, news came from within the Liao Kingdom that Yelü Xiyin had rebelled last year, and it was said that the Imperial Seal of the State in the Liao Palace had also been lost. Suddenly, news of two Imperial Seals of the State appeared in the martial arts world, instantly stirring up a bloody storm in all directions.

No one can be sure whether these two Imperial Seals are genuine or not, but the appearance of two Imperial Seals at once has attracted countless experts to compete for them.

One of the Imperial Seals of the State ended up in Kaifeng, which was part of the Northern Song Dynasty.

This particular item was brought to the Southern Tang territory by more than ten wandering knights from the Han people of the North, and later, with the help of the Xuan Yin Sect, it was escorted all the way to the border of the Southern Han.

The red-haired old man in front of him didn't know which one to snatch. Based on the principle that people of the Demonic Sect never leave empty-handed, he decided to snatch the Imperial Seal that the Demonic Sect members were fighting over.

The beautiful woman in palace attire was seriously injured. She used her movement technique to fly dozens of miles away, but gradually her true energy was exhausted, and she could not shake off the pursuers behind her.

Just as she was surrounded by a group of enemies.

Don't know when.

A ghostly, blood-red figure appeared. The newcomer was dressed in a blood-red robe. Before anyone could react, two heads flew off, and blood gushed out like a waterfall. The figure, resembling a female ghost in red, floated to Yin Hua's side and snatched the package from her hands in an instant.

The eerie woman in red was extremely beautiful, but she exuded a sinister aura that sent chills down one's spine; she seemed not to be a living person at all.

She took out a jade seal and stared at the eight characters engraved on it: "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous." Her brows furrowed involuntarily.

"Fake!"

Ji Shaojiang coldly asked, "Where is it really?"

The air was filled with murderous intent.

She went to great lengths for this, only to return with a fake Imperial Seal. How could she possibly explain this to His Majesty?
what?
fake?

The red-haired old man's expression changed, and without hesitation, he fled. They had all been tricked.

The one that was sent to Kaifeng is the most likely to be the real Imperial Seal of the State!

The figure of the red-clad female ghost vanished in a flash.

Come whenever you want?

Just leave if you want?

It's not that easy. Leave your life behind first.

Warhorses gallop!

Behind the red-haired old man, the sound of galloping warhorses suddenly came from the darkness. Dozens of Xuanjia Iron Cavalrymen wearing ghost masks moved as fast as lightning, exuding murderous intent. The leading general held a Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) and was dressed in bright armor. As the Mo Dao swept across, the Qi raged, and several falling leaves were directly shredded into powder.

True energy is infused into the warhorse, and fierce energy ignites its bloodlust.

The masked general leading the group wielded the Huanhou Spear Technique with unparalleled dominance, combining military aura with the true essence of martial arts.

Go first!

Kill the general!

Capture the flag!

Their resolve to charge into battle is one of certain death!
Blood suddenly appeared.

Heads flew up.

The dozen or so Xuanjia Iron Cavalry at the forefront wielded their spears like dragons, their spears piercing the sun like rainbows, their true qi and fierce energy raging forth, pulverizing countless autumn leaves into dust. The dozen or so Xuanjia Iron Cavalry following behind took down their war bows, channeling their true qi into their arrows, and streaks of light flew by. All that could be heard was a dense whistling sound as the old demon's disciples and grand-disciples fell to the ground, wailing in agony.

Several figures were shot down from the sky. Before they could even use their movement techniques, the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry pierced their chests with long spears and lifted their corpses up!

Eight Mother Spears, Huanhou Spear, Overlord Spear.

Every inch is stronger.

The military aura pierced through the protective true energy of these demonic sect masters, and with just one charge, it killed more than ten martial arts experts.

The leader's murderous aura enveloped the many armored cavalrymen; his bloodthirsty bravery was awe-inspiring and terrifying.

The red-haired old man was filled with horror; he had no idea when the Southern Han had acquired such a terrifying army.

At this moment, he even thought of the military strategists and fierce generals of the Three Kingdoms period, those fierce men who had routed the Yellow Turban warriors of the Taiping Dao, and he even thought of the three thousand Xuanjia Iron Cavalry led by Emperor Taizong of Tang when he broke through the enemy lines.

kill!

There was a loud shout.

Dozens of Xuanjia Iron Cavalry trampled the heavily injured Demonic Sect expert into a bloody pulp, while the leading fierce general swept his Mo Dao, aiming straight for the head of the red-haired old demon in front of him.

Spears stood like a forest, and they moved like thunder.

Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain.

Who can shake him!

The red-haired old demon's expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he activated his protective true energy, his figure suddenly soaring into the air, and he fled without looking back.

This army is strange; any one of them could be a top-notch martial arts master.

If we get trapped by them, we'll probably be surrounded and killed.

—A piercing arrow!

The leading warrior took down his war bow, drew back the string, but instead of an arrow, he saw an invisible stream of true energy and malevolent energy converge, eventually condensing into a point of light that vanished into the darkness in an instant.

Military secrets and combat skills of generals.

The secret techniques of military strategists in this world are all passed down from the Three Kingdoms period, but it has been a long time since any military strategist has mastered the art of wiping energy. If one were to appear, the strength of his soldiers and personal guards would increase dramatically, because wiping energy resonates.

The red-haired old man let out a muffled groan, and a bloody wound exploded on his back.

A ghost in red.

Followed by.

Dozens of Xuanjia Iron Cavalry mercilessly slaughtered the remnants of the Demonic Sect present. No matter how many moves or techniques they had, they were all dead under the Eight Mother Spears. Every move was simple and unadorned, but their protective true energy shattered at the slightest touch.

The combined attack formations strike vital points with every shot.

The military strategy is like an iron torrent, crushing everything in its path.

After counting the breaths.

The eerily beautiful woman in red slowly walked out, carrying a head with crimson hair and beard. She glanced coldly at the battlefield and said, "Clean it up."

"There are also survivors to be taken back for interrogation."

She also held the fake Imperial Seal in her hand. With this severed head, she could take a fake one back and still get by.

The Imperial Seal of the State disappeared for more than 20 years and then suddenly reappeared; this matter is probably a bit suspicious.

not far away.

The beautiful woman in the black palace dress trembled all over, her expression horrified. What was happening before her eyes had completely overturned her understanding of the martial arts world over the past few decades.

More than a dozen demonic sect experts were slaughtered by these Xuanjia Iron Cavalry like chickens and dogs!

At this moment, the leading warrior removed her mask, and her long hair fluttered in the wind. She was none other than the valiant woman from a military family who had fought against the cannibals outside Jinling City years ago.

The lingering power of the Tang Dynasty, the black-armored cavalry.

During the conquest of the Western Regions, the swords of the Tang generals were stained with the blood of many Western Region masters.

………………

at the same time.

In front of a Taoist temple in Kaifeng, the Taoist Lingsu walked to the pond with a smile, holding something in his hands. He looked at the refined man fishing and said, "Senior brother's methods are truly superior."

"Even a fake Imperial Seal caused those demonic cultivators to suffer heavy losses."

When should we present this item to Zhao Kuangyin?

The man fishing smiled faintly and said calmly, "No rush."

"Junior Brother Lingsu."

"Who told you that the one in your hand is the real Imperial Seal of the State?"

what?
Could the one I have in my hand also be fake?
Ling Su Daoist was greatly alarmed.

The fisherman said unhurriedly, "If Master wants to borrow the destiny of the world, the Imperial Seal of the State is the best medium."

"That real imperial seal should have been taken away by Master long ago."

"but."

"The Imperial Seal of the State in your hand is definitely more authentic than the one sent to the Southern Han."

The man slowly picked up a carp.

"Zhao Kuangyin's acquisition of the country was illegitimate, even less so than the Liao Dynasty's inheritance of the legal system from the late Tang Dynasty."

"But with this Imperial Seal, he should be able to salvage some of his fate."

Tell a joke.

In terms of legitimacy, the Liao Dynasty established by the Khitans was almost as legitimate as the Song Dynasty.

If this were in the Europa Universalis game, its legitimacy would probably not even reach fifty points.

………………

(End of this chapter)