Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 225 224 The Eastern Capital Falls, Storms Arrive

"It's a pity that I couldn't comprehend the 'Dongxuan Jing' during this deduction."

The fiery wheels sped across the battlefield, leaving trails of fire and carnage in their wake.

Thinking about this, Li Cunxiao still felt a little regretful.

Clearly, his actions in helping the dragon boat had earned it some recognition, but before it officially acknowledged him as its master, he still lacked the ability to fully grasp its essence.

Based on the incomplete ultimate skill "The Supreme Secret of the Southern Heaven Scripture", and with the addition of several martial arts taught by Qici, the "Nine-Headed Dragon King Scripture" he derived, even if it is only half of a divine skill, is enough to make him invincible.

If it were truly developed into a divine skill, what kind of power would the original form possess?

"In the next simulation, we might not have a power bank as useful as Yang Ying. We'll need to accumulate more malevolent energy."

"However, now that I have mastered all the Buddhist martial arts, Master Taiyi will most likely urge me to learn the true Taoist skills."

"The Azure Dragon True Scripture is a unique martial art composed of the seven superior martial arts of the Seven Constellations and Seven Divisions of the Azure Dragon. It must be mastered one by one until it is perfected."

"Tsk, the baleful energy is simply not enough."

Thinking of this, the flames on the fire dragon ropes surrounding Li Cunxiao became even more intense.

The originally densely packed thousands of demon soldiers became sparse and scattered under his charge.

Correspondingly, the previously dimmed vajras were lit up again one by one.

"little beast"

Li Guibo dodged the sword and blade energy swept from Bai Xiangshan's pipa, and glanced at the battlefield out of the corner of his eye. His eyes grew colder and his face became even more ashen.

Originally, it was thought that with Envoy He Buping present, the two could quickly take over the city, but Bai Xiangshan suddenly revealed his Xuan Guan realm cultivation.

With the fighting strength evenly balanced, the battlefield situation remained deadlocked for seven days, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats.

But Li Guibo knew that the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for them.

Our side only has one Grandmaster, Qin Fengquan, while the opposing side has four.

Even if half of them don't make a move, they're still at a disadvantage.

Knowing this, he took advantage of the time while the others were in the secret realm to try and take Songzhou City in one fell swoop.

What happens when the grandmasters come out after the victory?
He never intended to hold out, and the task given to him by the cult leader was not to manage the city.

But all of this depends on first conquering the city.

"There's no chance now."

Despite his anger, Li Guibo did not lose his reason.

Li Cunxiao originally entered the secret realm with several grandmasters. Now that he has appeared, those grandmasters will probably arrive soon, or perhaps they have already arrived.

Qin Fengquan, as a master general on their side, has yet to appear. Even if he is not dead, he is probably seriously injured and has fled.

The Ming Cult and Huang Chao are partners and allies, but not close friends who would share life and death.

Anyway, these troops aren't our own, so if we don't leave now, when will we?

Upon thinking of this, Li Guibo and He Buping, who was entangled with Dezheng in the distance, exchanged a glance, and the two of them simultaneously unleashed their true energy.

The moment he forced Bai Xiangshan and his companion to retreat, he was about to transform into a streak of light and escape the battlefield.

"Trying to escape now? You two are really too slow."

After holding out for seven days, the reinforcements were finally on their way, and Governor Bai was in high spirits.

With a sarcastic remark, he plucked the pipa with even greater speed with his ten fingers, and sang a long verse:
"At the head of the Xunyang River, I saw off a guest at night; the maple leaves and reeds rustled in the autumn breeze!"

Zheng! ! !
The sound of the pipa filled the air, yet a deadly intent lurked beneath. The notes echoed across the fields, and suddenly, a vast river and a lone boat appeared in mid-air, seemingly real.

Bai Xiangshan stood at the bow of the boat, playing the pipa, and sailed downstream along the surging river. In an instant, he caught up with Li Guibo and He Buping.

"The large strings roar like a sudden rain, while the small strings whisper like private words."

The music, a cacophony of notes, played in a symphony of sounds, like pearls of all sizes falling onto a jade plate.

The chanting mingled with the sound of the pipa, and the true energy stirred the power of heaven and earth, actually causing a light rain to fall.

The rain fell in a flurry, like a shower of flowers from a celestial maiden. With each raindrop that struck Li Guibo and He Buping, their pace slowed down slightly.

"The warbling of orioles is gliding beneath the flowers, and the murmuring of springs is difficult to quell beneath the ice."

The icy spring water is cold and astringent, the strings seem frozen and silent; the sound ceases, the music is cut off.

As soon as the words "凝绝" were uttered, a sudden winter descended upon the vast river, with frost freezing over it. Li Guibo and his companion moved even slower, their eyes filled with even stronger killing intent.

On the demonic face armor and the golden mace, the appearance of a demon king appeared, baring his fangs and claws, howling like gods and ghosts.

However, Bai Xiangshan showed no fear. On the frozen river, his small boat moved even faster, almost charging straight towards the enemy's attack.

The long scarf on his head fluttered behind his head, and Bai Xiangshan's face was slightly pale. It was clear that it was still very difficult for him to hold back two experts of the same level at the same time.

But at this moment, his face was filled with a carefree and unrestrained spirit, a genuine and uninhibited nature.

Having shed my official robes, I regain my carefree spirit and live a life of ease!

"A silver bottle suddenly shatters, water gushing forth; iron cavalry charges forth—swords and spears clash!"

Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!
Ten fingers danced like butterflies flitting among flowers, while the music resounded like the clanging of swords and spears.

The frozen river suddenly thawed and shattered, the water and ice mist condensing into a vast army, thundering and galloping, its hooves pounding, riding the wind!
"asshole."

These troops, drawn by Bai Xiangshan's true energy, could not withstand the onslaught of Li Guibo and He Buping and were shattered one by one.

However, the more they broke through, the deeper they became trapped, making it difficult to escape unless they could quickly kill Bai Xiangshan. But Dezheng had already taken this opportunity to surround them again.

The warning of death resounded in Li Guibo's heart like a bell, yet he could not accurately determine where this crisis came from or who it came from.
Even if Bai Xiangshan and Dezheng joined forces, they could only hold their own against the two of them. If their lives were truly in danger, then there was only one option left.
"Master?!"

Li Cunxiao looked up in surprise and saw a thick mace, as thick as a house beam, crashing down from the sky.

The Sanskrit characters on it were interwoven, like golden lightning. Even before it was fully suspended above their heads, Li Guibo and He Buping's expressions changed, and they roared as they unleashed all their true energy.

However, the Ghost Whip Staff's direct attack on the primordial spirit was too powerful. Just three zhang above their heads, the two men experienced splitting headaches, their true essence dissipated uncontrollably, and they almost collapsed to their knees.

When the ghost whip and staff actually struck, the two men's limbs and below their chests exploded, turning into hideous worms amidst their shrill screams.

Qi Ci slowly descended from the sky, reached out and grabbed the arrogant Ming envoys in his hand, then snorted in the direction of his disciple.

"So cruel?"

Li Cunxiao swallowed.

At this moment, Bai Xiangshan and others had already reacted, shouting that their army had won a great victory and that the enemy general was dead, and led their troops to sweep across the battlefield.

Among those demons, those who had taken less madness drugs still retained some sense of reason, but by this time they were terrified and dropped their weapons to kneel and surrender.
Those who had taken too much mad drug were in a daze and fearless of death, so they charged the most fiercely, and were basically all killed by Li Cunxiao.

"Master is incredibly powerful!"

Li Cunxiao, riding on his Wind and Fire Wheels, approached the big monk with a smirk. Before he could speak, Taiyi, who appeared out of nowhere, grabbed his shoulder.

"Well, kid, you've grown wings and dare to challenge your master to a duel?"

The old Taoist priest spoke in a cryptic manner, but Li Cunxiao knew that he was referring to Yang Ying, who was refining spiritual treasures, in the secret realm.

"This disciple wouldn't dare. However, I'm fine, and I've even made some gains."

Upon hearing the word "harvest," both the senior monk and the old Taoist priest raised their eyebrows, but they knew this was not the time to open up to each other.

Yang Lingjun and Zheng Lang have arrived.

"Junior Brother Li, I'm so glad you're alright!"

Du Guanglei was the first to rush forward, and seeing his sincere expression, Li Cunxiao felt a greater sense of closeness to him.

Putting aside everything else, this Senior Brother Du truly considers him one of his own.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Du. I was just lucky to be ejected from the secret realm without getting hurt."

While hiding behind his two masters, he recounted his experiences in a modified way, omitting the part about competing with Yang Ying for the dragon boat.

“Junior Nephew Li is a person with great fortune,” Zheng Lang said with a smile, but his eyes were scrutinizing.

"Not only did he narrowly escape death, but his martial arts skills also improved greatly. He has truly undergone a complete transformation."

“It is indeed a complete transformation,” Yang Lingjun thought to himself, adding a few more guesses to his mind.

Looking at Li Cunxiao, who was being shielded by the senior monk and the old Taoist priest, he suddenly changed the subject:

"The tyrant is wicked and probably cannot subdue the spiritual treasure. The one destined to receive it is likely someone else."

The atmosphere among the four people immediately became subtle after such blunt words were spoken.

Seeing this, Taiyi coughed and tossed his whisk over his arm.
"We all belong to the righteous path, how can we be suspicious of each other? If you ask me, perhaps Qin Fengquan used evil magic to forcibly take away the spiritual treasure."

“That makes sense,” Qi nodded approvingly.

“Look, after leaving the secret realm, all four of us were still here, except for Qin Fengquan who fled alone. There must be some hidden story.”

"If he weren't guilty, why wouldn't he even dare to show his face?"

Because he's not stupid.

Zheng Lang watched the monk and the Taoist priest putting on their act, his expression becoming increasingly strained. If Qin Fengquan had stayed, he would probably already be minced meat hanging on a spiked club.

You can't just shift the blame like this, can you?
However, as Taiyi said, since they are both on the righteous path, it is impossible for him and Yangling to really dwell on whether Lingbao has recognized a master, who he recognizes as his master, and whose hands he is in.

Because if a fight were to break out, in a two-on-two situation, our side might not necessarily lose, but the two younger ones...
Zheng Lang and Yang Lingjun exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other.

Even without Du Guanglei's intervention, Li Cunxiao alone could easily beat Deng Xuanjing and Zheng Ya.

We're afraid to act rashly, lest we inadvertently harm the innocent.

'But Li Cunxiao's martial arts improved so much before and after leaving the secret realm; he must have encountered a great opportunity.'

'Taiyi and Qi, in covering for their disciple, weren't they also covering for themselves?'

'The magic weapon is probably in the hands of these two.' x2
Zheng Lang and Yang Lingjun had similar thoughts, but their expressions returned to normal.

"Thank you for your help, senior."

Bai Xiangshan arranged for his men to clean up the battlefield and gather the remaining soldiers. They arrived shortly afterward and bowed deeply to Qi Ci.

The latter accepted it readily, his expression revealing considerable admiration.

"Serving as an official for one term, protecting the people in one's jurisdiction, you deserve these eight words."

"Those who attain enlightenment will naturally receive much help."

Abbot Dezheng and the group from Tiangu Temple also noticed this place, but their expressions were mostly complicated as they looked at the several masters and Li Cunxiao beside them.

"If I could follow a master of alchemy like Senior Taiyi and receive his personal instruction..."

De Cong looked envious, but the words he uttered made De Zheng's lips twitch, and then he gave a helpless smile.

Perhaps only a pure-hearted person like my junior brother could disregard the guidance of a grandmaster and devote himself wholeheartedly to the Dao of Alchemy.

"Although we won this battle, the aftermath will be no easy task."

Everywhere you look, there are corpses strewn across the fields, severed limbs and broken bodies.

Thanks to Li Cunxiao joining the battle, the losses suffered by the prefectural government in today's battle were not heavy.

However, the two sides had already been fighting for seven days before that.

After the prisoners were gathered and the city gates were reopened, Li Cunxiao looked around and saw that every house was covered in white, and the pedestrians were bleak. It was as if everything he saw was shrouded in a dark cloud, and there was no joy of victory at all.

"In the seven-day battle, more than half of the thousands of city guards were killed or wounded."

Fortunately, it did not affect ordinary people too much, which is a blessing in disguise.

Upon arriving at the government office, Chief Clerk Zheng Yanchang immediately led his men to greet him. After hearing about the battle outside the city, he frequently glanced in Li Cunxiao's direction.

But the latter didn't care about any of that. When he saw the mournful scene in the city, his heart was already with the Flying Tiger Escort Agency.

However, Bai Xiangshan knew about his relationship with Taiyi and Qici, and always took good care of the escort agency.

If the other party can talk openly, then nothing serious is likely to happen.

"what?"

Zheng Ya suddenly called out in a low voice. Everyone looked over and saw Zheng Yanchang behind Zheng Lang saying something before stepping away.

The latter's expression also became more serious, and he turned to look at Bai Xiangshan, seemingly to confirm something:
"Prefect Bai, Luoyang."

Luoyang, the Eastern Capital?

Wasn't Qin Fengquan's army blocked in Songzhou?
What could possibly happen in Luoyang?

Li Cunxiao's attention was immediately drawn back, and everyone's eyes were focused on Bai Xiangshan.

Upon hearing this, the latter's expression became complicated, and he said with a sigh:

"Just three days ago, Huang Chao led his troops to besiege Luoyang, and the city fell in less than half a day."

"He has now proclaimed himself emperor, established the state of Qi, and changed the era name to Jintong."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The expressions on everyone's faces varied; some were deep in thought, some frowned, and some looked melancholy.

But no one denounced the traitors, nor did anyone feel righteous indignation. For these masters, this day had long been foreseen.

Moreover, this wasn't the first time the two capitals had fallen. Back then, Emperor Xuanzong was forced into exile in Jiannan Road by the An Lushan Rebellion. If it weren't for General Guo Si's recapture of the two capitals, it's hard to say whether the Qin or Yan dynasties would be in power now.

"Qin Fengquan's army was blocked in Songzhou, and Huang Chao still had to mobilize troops. It was impossible for them to leave no trace."

Zheng Ya glanced at his great-grandfather's expression and took the initiative to speak.

"How was Luoyang captured?"

Bai Xiangshan sighed, "He is the military governor of Wu'an Army."

Wu'an Army was located in Shannan East Circuit, to the north of Dongji Circuit where Luoyang was located, and to the east of Henan Circuit.

Zheng Ya came from a prestigious family and was extremely knowledgeable about mountains and rivers. Upon hearing this, he immediately understood:

"Did Huang Chao bypass Dengzhou and Tangzhou, taking a roundabout route from the northern part of Shannan East Circuit to infiltrate Luodu?"

"Would Carpenter Ma really give him passage? Isn't he afraid of being caught off guard?"

The military governor of Wu'an was surnamed Ma. Before joining the army, he was a carpenter. Later, he rose to a high position, and people rarely called him by his real name, but instead called him Carpenter Ma.

Yang Lingjun smiled and said, "I've heard that this Military Governor Ma is an eccentric."

"Serve the emperor above and the people below; do not wage war, protect the borders and keep the people safe."

"Is it to avoid war with Huang Chao?"

"Not necessarily," Zheng Lang said, rubbing his fingers together, his expression relaxing as if he had figured something out.

“I remember that Carpenter Ma was a former subordinate of King Liang.”

Several masters showed expressions of understanding one after another, and Li Cunxiao, after a few moments of thought, also understood.

Huang Chao's entry into Luoyang was deliberately instigated by someone.

With numerous regional military governors (jiedushi) establishing themselves as kings, ignoring the imperial court, and passing power down to their sons and generals.

But staying in one's local area and being a local tyrant is one thing, while raising a flag and rebelling is another.

If a military governor were to raise the banner of overthrowing the Qin Dynasty, he would not be met with widespread support, but rather with attacks from other regional military governors.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down; rather than risk offending the court yourself, it's better to let the rebels go first.

Whether it's to deplete the court's manpower, test the royal family's reaction, or even, if the rebels are strong enough, to thoroughly ravage the two capitals, it would be best to wipe out a large number of those deeply entrenched powerful clans.

If we raise an army then, it will not be out of malice, but out of loyalty to Heaven and to quell the rebellion and restore order to the nation.

Of course, having rendered such great service, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect him to seek a regency or become the sole prime minister. And then...?
The room was silent; no one spoke.

Anyone could see that Huang Chao's capture of the Eastern Capital and his self-proclamation as emperor had ushered in a period of chaos.

The imperial court may still have the strength to punish Huang Chao, but it is afraid it will be powerless to deal with the various regional military governors across the country.

As the storm brewed, Li Cunxiao felt a tightness and stagnation in his chest, and only the faint connection between his brow and the dragon boat offered him some solace.

After everyone left the governor's mansion, Zheng Lang, after saying something to Bai Xiangshan, also left with Zheng Yanchang, seemingly to discuss something.

To Li Cunxiao's surprise, his two masters actually followed him back to the Flying Tiger Escort Agency.

"What, you're not welcome?"

The senior monk glanced sideways at his disciple, who naturally smiled.

"how come?"

The city has just been ravaged by a major battle, and people's hearts are in turmoil. If the two grandmasters could stay at the Flying Tiger Escort Agency for one night, who knows how many dark thoughts they would deter.

How could he refuse such a good thing that he could only dream of?
"Alright, now that everyone's here, tell me, what exactly happened in the secret realm?"

Taiyi Zhenren retrieved the Bone-Illuminating Mirror from his disciple, and with a wave of his hand, an almost transparent halo enveloped the three of them, clearly a means to prevent outsiders from eavesdropping.

Li Cunxiao knew that his two masters would definitely ask about this matter, and after leaving the secret realm, he had been thinking about how to explain it.

But after much thought, he realized that apart from the vajra, which was the foundation of his existence, there was nothing else he couldn't say.

Out of affection, whether it was for cultivation or to take care of the old friends of the escort agency, Taiyi and Qici treated him exceptionally well.

Logically speaking, the two grandmasters deserve credit for obtaining the spiritual treasure. If they hadn't fought against the demons and humans, he wouldn't have had the chance to snag it.

Although a spirit treasure can only have one owner, the dragon boat is full of good things, not to mention the "Dongxuan Scripture" which can be studied after the dragon boat recognizes its owner.

The only thing to hide is the role of the vajra in the story, and to elevate the spirit of the weapon. It should be said that Yang Ying was old and decaying, but still fought like a cornered beast. In the end, he was sealed by the dragon boat, and Yang Ying was just the one who got lucky.

"To be honest with my two masters," Li Cunxiao said without hesitation once he had made up his mind.

"The dragon boat is on my body."

"Uh-huh?"

"Um?!!"

(End of this chapter)