Minglong

Chapter 149 Spectators
"Dong dong qiang—dong dong qiang—"

In the secluded valley, gongs and drums resounded. Nearly three thousand laborers, wearing shackles, sat on the ground in the loess field, while soldiers distributed bowls of wine and a handful of salted peanuts to each of them.

Several actors dressed in dazzling costumes performed the famous folk song "Seven Women Playing with the Buddha" in the center of the venue.

The play roughly depicts seven witches bewitching Buddhist monks. The actor playing the monk sits on the ground while the seven beautifully dressed actresses pose and display their various supernatural abilities around him.

Although male actors also play female roles, once they put on makeup, their figures are no less impressive than women's, and their charm and demeanor are even more captivating than that of women.

Most of the convicts serving their sentences at the imperial mausoleum were serious offenders, many of whom hadn't seen a woman for over a decade. Now, with good wine and food, and the opportunity to watch erotic films, they were already bloodshot and excited without even needing any seduction.

The hundreds of soldiers guarding the prisoners here were obviously not elite troops. Prisoners were only imprisoned for ten or twenty years, while jailers, if unlucky, could be imprisoned for life, because the meat they were given was something they were even more excited about than the prisoners.

The imperial tomb official in charge of supervising the construction of the imperial mausoleum naturally enjoyed the best treatment. He sat on a platform within the site, with chicken, duck, fish, and meat laid out in front of him, and was exchanging views with the officials around him.

"His Majesty is truly benevolent. Even though the Empress is celebrating her birthday with a grand banquet for all the officials, he still remembered to come to this place..."

"Treat the dead as if they were alive. Lord Wang has been supervising this place for many years, fulfilling his duties diligently, and deserves to be rewarded. It's just a pity that affairs in the capital are so busy that we arrived a few days late..."

"Not too late, not too late. The letter from the other day said they would come tomorrow or the day after, and they arrived today. This is already a pleasant surprise..."

"I toast Your Majesty..."

"Ha ha……"

As the drinks flowed, the atmosphere in the valley grew increasingly lively.

More than 3,000 laborers and soldiers, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, gradually became fanatical, and even their original formation became chaotic.

More than forty men, armed and guarding the entrances and exits of the valley, did not allow any prisoners to escape in the chaos. Instead, they gathered eagerly toward the center of the loess field.

In the center of the venue, eight actors waved colorful ribbons, creating a pink mist. Then, dozens of voluptuous, naked women, holding wine jars, the most stimulating meats, and money, beckoned to each other in the mist, emitting silvery laughter.
"Hehehehe~~..."

"Come on~..."

……

More than three thousand people went into a frenzy amidst laughter, trampling and tumbling as they rushed toward the red mist, drenched in sweat and exhaling a faint mist of blood with each breath.

From the sky, the scene looked like countless ants converging on the queen ant from all directions.

Such a bizarre and chaotic scene did not surprise anyone. Even the official sitting on the stage, with a dazed smile, swayed and joined the crowd, reaching out to the voluptuous beauty who was so close yet always just out of reach.

In the heart of the crimson mist, a cloaked figure formed hand seals and chanted a mysterious incantation.

Wisps of blood energy surged from all directions, gradually converging into the palm of the hand.

But just as the blood sacrifice array was proceeding smoothly, a streak of blue-white lightning suddenly flashed across the night sky above the valley:
Boom——

The thunder in the empty valley was like a resounding bell, so loud that even Xie Jinhuan, who was far away on the mountaintop, had his ears ringing!

The three thousand prisoners, who had gone mad, shuddered in shock. The illusions before their eyes vanished, their minds cleared, and they revealed unspeakable terror:

"Sorcery...spells! Run!"

"It's a demonic blood sacrifice..."

……

Because the prisoners were all serious offenders, many of them recognized the scene and fled in panic, their faces pale.

Hundreds of soldiers were also awakened and retreated in unison, swords in hand. A great rout ensued in the valley, and the situation was irreversible.

And the outer edge of the valley.

Seven or eight guards who were keeping watch were lying on the ground, all of them with a single sword to the throat, and they died without making a sound.

Li Jing, dressed in a scholar's robe, splashed blood from his sword and walked against the current through the chaotic crowd:

"More than three thousand people are gripped by fear. It's almost impossible to bring them back into a state of bliss. The person in charge should flee."

Zhang Guan, carrying a tan sword case on his back, walked beside him, gazing at the churning red mist in the center of the valley:
"He hasn't run away yet, but his bloodlust is soaring to the sky. He must have been provoked. This person is highly skilled; we must not be careless."

stomping on...

The scholar and the Taoist strode forward, while countless panicked prisoners fled in all directions. Soon, only a cloud of blood mist filled with murderous intent remained in the center of the valley.

Eight actors carrying weapons charged out from among them. Zhang Guan made a lightning hand seal with both hands, his arms surrounded by a blue light. He silently chanted an incantation, then slammed his palms into the ground. Eight lightning pillars as thick as bowls tore through the yellow earth and instantly spread to the feet of the eight henchmen.

Boom——

In the blink of an eye, the eight actors fell straight to the ground without even making a sound, their bodies surging with blood energy that merged into the blood mist behind them.

Li Jing, carrying his sword Jin Jiao, didn't pause for a moment, and continued to complain along the way:
"You're quite particular; you won't leave the battlefield until all your henchmen are dead."

Thump, thump... As soon as the words were spoken, heavy footsteps came from within the blood mist, sounding like those of a raging bull or elephant.

Nangong Ye had already reached the outer edge of the valley. He frowned and looked around. He could see a figure no less than two meters tall emerging from the blood mist.

The figure had long, slender arms, prominent shoulder and back muscles, and bulging, muscular thighs. It exuded a terrifying aura of bloodlust, with blood-red skin and long, jet-black hair that fluttered in the wind.

Although he was a half-demon, his body displayed remarkable human beauty, and with the black Shura mask on his face, he looked like a blood-soaked warrior.

Upon seeing this scene, Zhang Guan frowned:
"A flawless physique must be forged entirely from the essence and blood of human beings. How could the Jingzhao Prefecture raise such a demonic cultivator?"

Li Jing walked ahead, sword in hand, staring directly at the figure before the blood mist:

"Won't you introduce yourself?"

The tall figure, with flowing hair and beard, did not rush to attack, but instead glanced around:

"Xie Jinhuan didn't come?"

His voice was deep yet full of energy, like the low growl of a lion or tiger.

Li Jing was slightly puzzled: "Young Master Xie is in the capital, why are you waiting for him here?"

"There are some scores we need to settle with him. As long as the two of you are here, he'll definitely be here too."

"Oh?"

Li Jing, considering that Sect Leader Nangong was nearby, felt it wasn't impossible to bring Xie Jinhuan along. To avoid scaring away this hard-won opponent in the trial, he replied:

“Killing you is enough for us two old bones; we don’t need young Xie to get involved.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Jing leaned forward and suddenly sprinted forward, his sword unsheathed along the way, creating a dazzling trail of light. From a distance, he looked like a brocade dragon breaking through the sky, drawing a brilliant semi-circle in the valley!
Zhang Guan followed closely behind, and halfway there, he patted the yellowish-brown sword box on his back. The sword box emitted a faint light, and then:
Choke, choke, choke——

Seven magic swords flew out of their scabbards, scattering like celestial maidens among the blood mist, instantly forming the 'Immortal Slaughtering Formation'.

As he formed the Thunder Hand Seal, his body's energy circulated, and seven swords simultaneously unleashed dazzling bolts of lightning as thick as bowls, like lightning locks, striking the blood-red figure in the center!
Rumbling--

The half-demon, whose long hair fluttered in the wind, was struck by lightning, but his body did not stiffen. Instead, he dragged the electric lock forward like a bull and leaped straight towards Li Jing's central gate.

However, Zhang Guan is the deputy head of Zihui Mountain, and Li Jing is the vice principal of Danyang Academy. Both are elite first-rank cultivators in both the immortal and martial arts paths. Even if they were to fight one against a demon cultivator who had not yet reached the super-rank, they would not be easily defeated.

Rumble…

The entire valley became dimly lit, and the sounds of thunder and swords echoed throughout the mountains and fields.

At the mountaintop, Xie Jinhuan sat among the treetops, holding a telescope in his left hand and dried meat in his right, eating as he watched the show and commenting:

"Old Li's swordsmanship is flashy... The old Taoist's lightning magic is pretty cool. I'll have to find a chance to learn a few tricks from Mo Mo sometime..."

"The demonic body cultivator's strength lies entirely in his physique. He won't have the upper hand at the start, and unless Old Man Li does something stupid, he'll have no chance of turning the tables. Why doesn't he run away..."

"The local gangs seem to be nothing special after all..."

……

Ye Hongshang, carrying a red umbrella, sat down in front of Xie Jinhuan and noticed him engaging in a keyboard warrior-like rant. He responded:
"Those below the highest level are all ants, there's really nothing to see here. How about I show you something more interesting?"

Xie Jinhuan put away his binoculars, glanced at the alluring ghost, and hesitated:

"Is it going to be another choice between two options? I've already had enough time to play."

Knowing that Xie Jinhuan had completed his mission, Ye Hongshang, keeping his promise, was no longer angry. He raised his right hand, and a sphere appeared in his palm, its interior revealing:
Princess, Momo, and Naido formed a three-element formation and performed a video of themselves dancing the Pure Land of Bliss...

Oh~
Xie Jinhuan's eyes lit up. He thought this scene was much more interesting than the three old men fighting in the valley, so he went closer to take a closer look.

However, after observing for only a short while, the red-clad ghost who was playing the video frowned and looked north.

Xie Jinhuan raised his eyelids upon seeing this, looking slightly puzzled:

"what's wrong?"

"Hmm...something's not right. There seems to be a bloodthirsty aura on the other side of the river as well."

"Have it?"

"Yes. But it's very faint, obscured by the blood-red aura surging into the valley."

Upon seeing this, Xie Jinhuan assumed it was a group of fleeing demons committing arson, murder, and looting outside.

Staying here would only make him a keyboard warrior, offering unsolicited advice but ultimately useless. Thinking this, he leaped down from the treetop and, following the ghost's directions, began his ascent towards the Huai River…

(End of this chapter)