Sword from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 110 The Coldest Man in the Sui Dynasty

Outside Nanyang City, Wolong Mountain stretches out like a screen.

It was the dead of winter, with a fierce north wind blowing. Suddenly, sleet and snow began to fall, initially like salt sprinkled on a curtain, gradually spreading like goose feathers across the fields.

Inside the Wuzhuang Temple, Zhou Yi was listening to the sound of snow and brewing tea over a fire.

At 1:00 PM, a crunching sound came from outside the temple, indicating that someone was walking through the snow.

"Guanzhu."

A Taoist temple disciple reported: "The White Dragon Commander of the Water Dragon Gang says he wants to see you."

Zhou Yi frowned slightly and put down the scroll of scripture in his hand.

The recent developments in Nanyang flashed through my mind, but I still couldn't figure out why this person had come.

Test?
"Invite her in."

"Yes."

The disciples guarding the gate retreated upon hearing this, and shortly afterward, a woman in white carrying several small gift boxes strolled over.

Her face appeared even whiter than when I first saw her, seemingly set against the backdrop of the pristine white snow.

Especially those eyes; Zhou Yi glanced at them once and didn't look at them again.

But all that came to mind were images of Song Shidao's boat, and the words of the Water Dragon Gang Leader still echoed in my ears.

"Miss Ao, please have a seat."

Zhou Yi made room for Ao Zixie by the stove, and she sat down after thanking him.

Then, her gaze fixed on him.

He said softly in a grateful tone:

“I was saved by the abbot that day, but I never had the chance to thank him in person. This time I finally got to see him.”

Zhou Yi handed her a cup of tea:

"No need to be polite. I explained the cause and effect back then, and you sent someone to deliver a generous gift. Since the temple has already accepted it, there's no need for any more words of thanks. I can't be so shameless as to listen to them again."

Ao Zi stopped pursuing the topic.

"I have come here today for another reason."

"Oh? Miss Ao, tell me about it."

Zhou Yi remained outwardly calm, but was inwardly very wary.

She placed her hand on her lower abdomen, her eyes fixed on Zhou Yi:

"In previous years, I developed a chronic ailment in my meridians due to a misalignment during qigong practice. Whenever it rains, snows, or is cold, the qi in my dantian (lower abdomen) fluctuates, causing stinging pain in various meridians. This ailment has plagued me for a long time and is incurable by any doctor."

However, since the last time the abbot performed the ritual, the condition has not flared up for nearly three months.

I thought a miracle had taken hold and relieved my pain, but I never expected this.

She feigned pitifulness, her eyes filled with sorrow, conveying the hurt of shattered hopes. Her voice trembled slightly, yet her emotions did not seem fake at all; they were all genuine.

No one else could possibly learn that pitiful tone of voice.

Especially with those bright, expressive eyes, it evokes a feeling of tenderness and makes one want to hold them in one's arms and comfort them.

Unfortunately, the Taoist priest was a truly hard-hearted person.

Seeing that he remained unmoved, Ao Zi continued:
"These past few days, frost and snow have fallen continuously, turning the Central Plains whiter. I thought that once my old illness was cured, I would go and see the beautiful scene of a thousand peaks losing their green and being covered with a white veil, but unexpectedly..."

"The root cause remains, and it has recurred."

Zhou Yi imitated the way the old man Wu Dexiu treated patients, resting his hand on his chin and pondering for a moment before saying:
"I've heard Dr. Wu mention your type of illness before."

Ao Zi stared intently at him: "Did you say how to treat it?"

Zhou Yi picked up the teapot and added some of the brewed tea to her.

"Dr. Wu said to drink more hot water."

Upon hearing this, Ao Zi felt a sudden chill. She looked up and saw that the young man in front of her had empty eyes, with only a trace of pity on his face.

This truly made her experience the biggest setback since she first entered the martial arts world.

She pretended not to hear those cruel words.

Shaking his head slightly:

"The abbot's true energy is very profound. I would like to ask the abbot to use his power to nourish my meridians."

As she spoke, she opened all the gift boxes she had brought, revealing that they were all valuable old ginseng.

"These few century-old ginseng roots are a small token of my gratitude."

Zhou Yi remained silent at first, then kindly reminded him:

"When true qi enters the meridians, it's easy for someone to unconsciously discover the secrets of your cultivation method."

Before he could finish speaking, Ao Zi interrupted him directly:

"It doesn't matter. My martial arts are not particularly advanced. As long as the abbot agrees, you may investigate."

Ao Zi didn't seem worried at all.

Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Two deep gazes collided, accompanied by a silent confrontation.

As if realizing something, Ao Zi's expression changed slightly.

The next moment, she suddenly became bolder than before, and a smile appeared on her lips.

The tone of her voice carried a subtle allure.

"Master, can you help them?"

Zhou Yi chuckled dryly, completely unperturbed.

"Okay."

Ao Zi got up, took a straw cushion, and sat cross-legged.

She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she were at someone's mercy.

Zhou Yi was basically certain of her identity and knew how dangerous this enchantress was.

but,

She does have some attractive qualities.

That was her bizarre martial arts.

To avoid revealing too much, I followed the same method as when I treated her last time, walked behind her, circulated my profound energy, and placed my palm on her back.

Ao Zi felt this true energy, and the familiar feeling came over her again. She couldn't help but open her mouth slightly and exhale hot air.

Zhou Yi didn't hold back at all, directly channeling his true energy along the Ren and Du meridians into her Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian.

When he treated her wounds last time, he acted out of gentlemanly virtue and did not pry into her secrets.

This time, however, she took the initiative to come to us.

If an ordinary person's true energy were to enter her twelve meridians, they would definitely not be able to discover any secrets.

The Heavenly Demon Great Art is second only to the Supreme Secret. Once one cultivates to the eighteenth level, the Reincarnation Chapter, one is close to reaching the level of a demon immortal.

Furthermore, this is a supreme mental cultivation method imbued with the profound mysteries of space.

Zhou Yi's true energy flowed through her Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, passing through all the ordinary acupoints along the way, which were nothing special.

But
He keenly sensed that the faint air gaps on some ordinary caves contained something eerie.

The mysteries of space are condensed in the mortal acupoints. The spatial force field pulls the energy in the acupoints to generate energy, transforming them into hidden acupoints.

Therefore, it could not be investigated.

This ability to manipulate space is truly an unbelievable and bizarre skill, which deeply impressed Zhou Yi.

I felt that my knowledge of martial arts was still shallow.

Faced with a completely unfamiliar secret method, he dared not be greedy and only focused on her Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian.

After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, he immediately withdrew his palm strike.

Ao Zi breathed a sigh of relief and opened her eyes, still feeling unsatisfied.

"Is this the end?"

"Your old ailment is temporarily cured."

Zhou Yi needs time to digest this; if he continues to practice his internal energy for an extended period, he will be the one who suffers.

After all, without a proper method, relying solely on the study of acupoints is somewhat difficult.

Zhou Yi withdrew his hand, but Ao Zi still had her back to him.

However, her voice gradually changed, becoming younger and younger, eventually transforming into a charming yet understated girlish tone:

"You already know who they are, right?"

Zhou Yi had intended to play dumb, but the other party didn't want to keep their tacit agreement.

Listen,

He sat down, replaced the cold tea in his cup, and added hot water.

His gaze was fixed on the tea: "I guessed something by chance."

"How did you guess that?"

"Actually, I know Ao Zi. Your personality is somewhat different from hers. I thought you liked this kind of role-playing, so I didn't intend to expose you. But now you're the one who wants to say it."

"I like it?" Her body swayed slightly, as if she were laughing.

"Why are you assigning preferences to people so arbitrarily?"

She continued:

"I'm just worried that if I reveal my true face to you, you'll think about me day and night, which will hurt someone, and that's not good."

My master said that there is no true affection in practicing the martial arts of our school; he was only doing it for your own good, to prevent you from falling into his trap.

Zhou Yi didn't believe her nonsense: "You're really overthinking it. Actually, I'm the coldest-hearted person in the Great Sui Dynasty."

"No matter how beautiful you are, in my eyes you are nothing but a beautiful but empty shell. What is there to be tempted by in a mere physical appearance?"

"Oh??"

She chuckled softly and extended her slender hand with her back to Zhou Yi.

At this time,

The wind and snow outside the Taoist temple were pulled by a strange spatial force, and the goose-feather-like snowflakes turned into fluttering, agile butterflies, all flying to her hands.

The snow melted into water as she touched it, and when she brushed it across her face, it turned into a wisp of mist.

Then she turned her face away, and 'Ao Zi' disappeared.

Instead, a stunningly beautiful woman took her place.

Her skin was as white as snow, almost eerily beautiful. Her eyes, adorning her face, displayed all their liveliness without reservation. Against the backdrop of the swirling snow, she was like an elf in this silver world.

A little water droplet dampened her hair, which curled softly around her cheek.

Her stunning beauty was complemented by a touch of delicate charm.

Anyone who suddenly turns around and sees such a person will feel that the world loses its color, and only she remains forever.

"My name is Wanwan."

She gazed at Zhou Yi's face with infinitely alluring eyes, and softly parted her thin lips to utter a captivating voice:
"The most indifferent man in the Sui Dynasty, are your eyes still empty?"

Zhou Yi awakened the sleeping Master Sanchi, repeatedly activating the Mind Zen.

Thanks to Master Sanchi's efforts, the Celestial Master's dignity was ultimately preserved.

After calming down from the overwhelming beauty of that captivating world, Zhou Yi regained his composure.

Wanwan smiled: "It seems you're not as cold as you think."

Zhou Yi didn't answer, but poured the cold tea in front of her into his palm.

He simply clenched his fist, and when he flipped his palm over, a snowflake-like ice crystal appeared. He clenched his fist three times, and three types of snow crystals appeared: hexagonal, needle-shaped, and hollow.

“Every snowflake is different, and I appreciate their individual forms, just like I appreciate you now.”

"It was just a fleeting moment of appreciation."

The little demoness smiled and picked up three snowflakes, throwing them all into the fire: "Don't lie to me."

Hearing the hissing sound, Zhou Yi leaned back.

"What is Miss Wan's purpose in coming here?"

"My relationship with your faction is not that good."

Wanwan said, "My master is in charge of matters within the sect. Since my master is not here, the elders naturally have the final say."

"If you want to ask about what happened on the Baihe River, I don't really care. But if Elder Wen really captures you, I might try to find a way to rescue you in Xiangyang."

Zhou Yi didn't believe it, but still asked anyway:

"So you want me to 'cure your old ailment'?"

"The fact that someone is stuck in a bottleneck in their cultivation technique is a kind of mental ailment, so I'm not lying to you when I say this."

Zhou Yi stopped there and moved on to the question that concerned him:

"What does your faction intend to do? Are you going to fight me to the death?"

Wanwan nodded, then shook her head.

"The elders don't agree, but who told you to be so powerful? You even injured Er Mei, and they hold grudges very well."

Zhou Yi gave a cold laugh: "It was rushed at the time, otherwise I would not have intended to let them live."

He then cast a cold glance at the little vixen:
"Anyone who dares to scheme against me will be punished."

Wanwan wasn't afraid of him at all. Instead, she moved her face closer, stared into his eyes, and said in a mournful tone:
"I didn't lay a hand on you, and I even offered myself up for you to study. I have no secrets from you at all, so please don't be so mean to me."

Heh, they're clearly using my inner energy to practice their skills.

How could Zhou Yi not understand her thoughts? If it weren't for this relationship, they probably wouldn't have had the chance to talk at the same table.

However, this vixen is indeed good at flirting.

Every smile and frown of hers carried the unique charm of the Heavenly Demon, coupled with her stunning beauty. If he hadn't been so determined and skilled at dealing with bewitching magic, he would probably have been completely bewitched by this little vixen.

"Miss Wan, there's no need to beat around the bush. Just state your purpose."

Looking into Zhou Yi's still clear eyes, she began to believe the description that "the Sui Dynasty was the most indifferent."

Wanwan circled the stove and moved a little closer to him.

Her elfin eyes remained fixed on him. She opened her mouth, paused for a few moments, and then asked slowly:
"Interested in making a deal, Brother Yi?"

A warm, fragrant scent seemed to be wafting onto my face.

At this moment, Zhou Yi remained calm and unaffected by the romantic atmosphere.

"What deal?"

His change in demeanor made Wanwan move back a little.

When she looked at Zhou Yi again, her expression changed slightly.

"I need your help to practice my skills."

"Why?"

Wanwan said, "My Heavenly Demon Great Art originates from Taiyin and ends at Jueyin, focusing on the twelve primary meridians, as you must know."

"If I'm not mistaken, your Taiping Hongbao is the same. Otherwise, you wouldn't have directly channeled your true energy into my Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian."

"Is that right?"

Zhou Yi remained silent, gesturing for her to continue.

"I suppose we are both practicing the same Daoist scriptures, and therefore your Daoist techniques are beneficial to me. This is why I have come to find you."

"According to rumors in the martial arts world, the Taiping Hongbao is the fifth extraordinary book, but it is still inferior to the highest secret in the Heavenly Demon Strategy. Its status is similar to the cultivation technique I practice."

“I have benefited from your profound skills, and you have also learned some of the mysteries of the Heavenly Demon from me.”

After saying this, Wanwan glanced at Zhou Yi.

She felt that she was not qualified.

Because it's easy to spot someone's weaknesses by looking into their acupoints, but to trace back to the source and reverse the technique is incredibly difficult for a martial art like hers, which is based on the Heavenly Demon Strategy.

Thinking of this, she added:
"Besides practicing martial arts together, they can also help you out of danger."

"How do you solve it?"

Wanwan said:
"Because of the title of Taiping Celestial Master, the elders still have the intention to recruit you. If you face a death situation, you can surrender directly and join our sect. I have a way to save you and prevent you from being tortured by Elder Wen."

Zhou Yi stared at her, naturally not believing empty words.

Some even suspect that this was orchestrated by the Yin Gui School itself.

One person pretends to be a good person, and the other pretends to be a bad person; this kind of tactic is commonplace in the Demonic Sect.

"Does the Empress Yin also have this attitude?"

"You're trying to find out where your master is, right?"

She smiled slyly:
"I can tell you that Master is not here. She chased a master of evil to the Three Gorges, ran into an old friend, and went after that old friend."

"If Master were here, I have no idea how she would treat you."

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yi asked directly, "How many people did you send?"

Wanwan did not hide anything:

"We already have three demons, three elders, and one Uncle Bian. He will return from Yanmen in a while to make a final decision, at which time we will gather the four elders of our sect."

"Unless you remain hidden within Nanyang City and constantly under the protection of a large army, otherwise..."

"They won't even have a chance to escape."

Zhou Yi's heart sank: "Why didn't Miss Wan include herself in the calculation?"

"Of course I don't want to make things difficult for you. On the day you fought on the Baihe River, I was already waiting for you in Xiangyang."

"If I agree to Elder Wen's arrangement and join them in the attack that day, no matter how skilled you are in lightness techniques, you won't be able to escape."

"I will remain in Xiangyang this time, using the excuse of practicing martial arts to avoid it."

"As long as you help me wholeheartedly, I can be your fallback plan."

Wanwan stared at Zhou Yi, seeing in him the hope of completely defeating Cihang Saintess.

"still have a question."

"You said."

Zhou Yi looked towards Champion City:
"Although I have good relations with the major powers in Nanyang, I have been contacting my friends in the Daoist sect to guard against the Evil Extreme Sect. I have heard that your sect is at odds with the Evil Extreme Sect. Aren't you worried about them coming after you for doing this here?"

"You really do know a lot about my two sects and six paths."

Wanwan revealed a serious expression:
"To be honest, our sect has been keeping a close eye on their movements. When the elders make a move against you, they will definitely take these people into account."

Zhou Yi let out a soft sigh: "Aren't you afraid I'll run away right now if you tell me all this?"

Wanwan seemed to see right through him: "I have been searching for Taiping Hongbao and know a lot about you."

"You are a kind and compassionate person, unable to let go of worldly attachments."

"So, cooperating with me will only give you another identity with the Holy Gate, and the situation in Nanyang will not change."

She was already certain of victory, and smiled alluringly:
"If I take control of the Holy Gate in the future, and you assist me wholeheartedly, I will naturally not treat you unfairly."

Zhou Yi seemed resigned to his fate:
"Alright, I agree. I hope you can protect me when we get to the Yin Gui Sect. I have absolutely no interest in your Elder Wen or any of your demons or monsters."

Wanwan placed the old ginseng in front of Zhou Yi with satisfaction.

It roughly means, "You should take good care of yourself."

Then, his figure drifted into the snowstorm like a ghost.

A figure in white stepped onto the roof of the Taoist temple, and her embroidered cloth shoes had disappeared without her noticing.

With the true energy of the Heavenly Demon attached to her crystal-clear jade feet, there were no footprints when she stepped on the pure white snow.

She was like a little fairy who came to absorb people's yang energy. She turned around and gave Zhou Yi a charming look that seemed to have a thousand turns of her eyes. In the instant she turned her head, a snowflake blew in from outside and hit Zhou Yi's cheek.

The sounds in the snow were clear and distinct.

"Master Zhou, I'll be waiting for you in Xiangyang."

The moment she disappeared, she seemed to wink seductively.

The snow sprites blended into the pristine white world.

Zhou Yi had to admit that the little vixen was indeed somewhat captivating.

However, he had no interest in thinking about those alluring and seductive things right now.

My mind was racing, trying to come up with some solutions.

Seeing a pair of embroidered cloth shoes on the ground, Zhou Yi picked them up and placed them in the wooden cabinet of the eldest prince.

Then light two incense sticks and insert them into the incense burner.

I blew on it to make the incense burn even brighter.

He looked at the statue of Huang Lao Er and couldn't help but sigh.

"You two elders, you see? Some people want to absorb my essence, and some people want to absorb my vital energy. Your disciple is really going to turn into a cicada."

He bowed to Huang Lao.

Seeking some solace, Zhou Yi returned to her room and locked herself inside.

To directly confront the Yin Gui faction, we must utilize the power of Nanyang.

The opponents are all experts; their movements are incredibly agile.

Continuing to drag this out is not a good strategy.

Moreover, there is still no solution when the Yin Queen arrives.

I thought about it for a long time.
A loud "bang" came from the room as Zhou Yi slammed his hand on the bed.

He rarely acted this irritably; he felt a sense of pent-up frustration.

I feel that my skills are improving very quickly, but it's only "quick" because the time is too short.

From nothing to something, it's only been two years since the end of the year.

It's still too slow.
Go to Chang'an Yuema Bridge to activate the mechanism and find the Evil Emperor's Relic.

Find the mechanism, solve the puzzle, and enter the core of Yang Gong's Treasure Vault, without considering how to absorb the primordial essence.
After eliminating all these factors, the appearance of the Evil Emperor's Relic is indeed detectable.
Zhou Yi shook his head; there were too many unknown factors, and it wasn't reliable.

If it weren't for the current crisis, given his current state of mind, he would never have thought about these external things.

It seems my mind is truly in turmoil.

How could someone possibly be a lackey of the Yin Gui School?

Elder Wen, those people, Bian Bufu, they really deserve to die. Zhou Yi paced back and forth in the room, deep in thought.

By evening, the wind and snow had intensified.

He pushed open the door, and the room was immediately filled with a westerly wind.
Three days later, Zhou Yi sent someone down the mountain to deliver some messages to Chen Laomou and Yang Dalongtou.

Five more days have passed.

Zhou Yi, who was meditating in the temple, opened his eyes and found that the ninth meridian, the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian, was completely open.

Next is the tenth meridian, the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian.

This also means that I can now practice the Blazing Fire Sword Technique.

This was the day before the Lunar New Year. With this progress, Zhou Yi should have been happy to celebrate the New Year.

However, he had many worries on his mind, and if he could not find a way to break the deadlock, he would have to move the entire temple into the city after the New Year.

The head of the gang had already arranged accommodations in advance, right next to the Nanyang gang.

But having come all the way from Yongqiu, I really don't want to move again.

On this day, the snow on Wolong Mountain had not yet melted.

The mountain path has been cleared, and the snow piled up beside it is quite thick. Snow falls from the ancient cypress trees from time to time, and the branches rustle as they shake.

What Zhou Yi didn't expect was that...

Some people even managed to wade through the slippery mountain path and arrive at Wuzhuang Temple just as the sun was setting.

He stood at the gate and looked closely; it was indeed Chen Laomou.

Furthermore, Chen Laomou also brought along an elderly man who looked anxious and appeared to be over sixty years old.

The two greeted each other and exchanged New Year's wishes.

The old man clasped his hands and called out, "Master."

Master Chen said briefly, "Master, take a look at this first, and then I'll introduce it."

He took out a letter.

The envelope was unsigned, so I don't know who sent it.

"This is."

Old Chen said, "It was sent from the Dugu family."

He glanced at the old man. Chen Laomou hadn't avoided mentioning the Dugu family, which meant the old man was also related to the Dugu family.

Zhou Yi opened the letter and saw the first four characters: "Little Celestial Master Zhou".

In an instant, he took a few steps away from Chen Laomou.

The letter also stated:

"I'm almost convinced Grandma that I can give you a surprise next year."

Upon seeing this sentence, the gentle and lovely smiling face of the little phoenix involuntarily flashed through my mind.

Although the Dugu family's martial arts were impressive, Zhou Yi didn't have high expectations for them at this moment.

But that didn't prevent a glimmer of light from shining in his gloomy heart.

What followed, however, gave him a jolt.

“I heard from the Kun Gang that you’ve run into trouble in Nanyang. If you need my help, have them pass on a message and I’ll come to your aid immediately.”

"In addition, the Zhang family of Yanyang are my grandmother's friends. They contacted my family this time, wanting us to help them."

“I heard the news and it seems that what he’s asking for is related to you.”

"You can ask around. If it's unimportant or just a trivial matter, don't worry about it. Just leave it to Chief Hou of the Zhenyang Gang."

Zhou Yi put the letter away and looked at the old man.

At this moment, Chen Laomou said, "This is Zhang Chenliang. You may not have heard of his name, but you must have heard of the Medical Sage of the Eastern Han Dynasty."

Zhang Zhongjing!
Nanyang Prefecture and Yanyang County.

Zhou Yi reacted quickly: "Is your father-in-law a descendant of the Sage of Medicine?"

"Exactly."

Zhang Chenliang said, "It's a pity that my branch has lost the glory of our ancestors."

"There are also the 23rd and 26th generation descendants, who were imperial physicians in the Sui Dynasty. I am just living in Yanyang, guarding some of the family business."

"I wonder what trouble Mr. Zhang encountered in Yanyang?"

Zhou Yi was not surprised that they had a connection with the Dugu family.

After all, Grandma Dugu had sought out many renowned doctors after her injury.

Zhang Chenliang's face showed a look of distress:
"The trouble came from the Zuo family in the same county. They were originally a local tyrant in Yanyang, but they usually gave my family some face and we got along peacefully. But recently they have suddenly changed their nature and have been demanding all sorts of medical classics from me."

"Especially books related to poison."

The old man sighed, “I asked a few respectable people in the county to speak on my behalf, but I didn’t do anything. They only told me that the Zuo family has a very powerful backer and that we shouldn’t mess with them.”

"They advised me to give them everything they wanted, no matter what they asked for."

"I don't want to cause trouble, so I gave you the 'Suwen,' 'Lingshu,' 'Nanjing,' and 'Yinyang Dalun,' all of which are medical books that my ancestors read and annotated."

"However, the other party was not satisfied, so I copied a copy of 'Record of Fetal Medicine' from Mr. Wu."

A glint flashed in Zhou Yi's eyes, and he pressed on, "And then?"

"They want the 'Tangye Jingfa' (a medical text), but I really don't have it. I can only make an excuse to go to the Eastern Capital to find the imperial physician Zhang to get it."

He then recounted what happened after he sought help from the Dugu family, and Zhou Yi had already sorted out his thoughts.

The location of Yanyang County flashed through my mind. It was located on the Yanshui River, next to the Tuan River, and not far from Nanyang.

"What is the background of this Zuo family?"

The old man said:
"They are prominent figures in the region. The ancestor of Zuo Yunzhi, the head of the Zuo family, was Zuo Xiong, a renowned figure in Yanyang. He was the governor of Jizhou during the Han Dynasty and even served as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Although the family has declined, it is still the largest clan in the area."

"Furthermore, they not only maintained good relations with the forces in Nanyang, but also knew Qian Duguan in Xiangyang, and they liaised with each other to trade silk."

Zhou Yi breathed a sigh of relief, composed himself, and first addressed Zhang Chenliang:
“Old Zhang, let me think of a solution for you, but right now you need to find Mr. Wu Dexiu and ask him for more medical books, so as to buy some time.”

"No, no, no!"

He waved his hands repeatedly: "I have already troubled Elder Wu once, how can I ask again? Besides, these are ancient medical books, wouldn't that put him in a difficult position?"

"It doesn't matter."

Zhou Yi said, "Tell Old Wu that this medical book should be attributed to me."

Zhang Chenliang hesitated.

“That’s settled,” Old Chen decided for him. “Master, do you have any further instructions?”

Zhou Yi wrote two notes in the temple.

One was for him, and the other was for Yang Dalongtou.

Old Chen took it and led his men down the mountain.

Watching the two disappear down the mountain path, Zhou Yi picked up the letter sent by Little Phoenix.

Back at the temple, I wrote her a thoughtful reply.

Afterwards, I carefully recalled the information I had just learned.

Qian Duguan of Xiangyang, the classics related to poisons, and those medical books.
Within the Yin Gui Sect, there is a deeply hidden figure who entered the palace after undergoing castration. Although not listed among the eight great masters of the Demonic Sect, he possesses the abilities of one of them.

This person authored the "Treasury of Ten Thousand Poisons" and was a master of poisons.

Zhou Yi absolutely refused to believe that Eunuch Wei had also come to this place to deal with him.

However, it can be confirmed that the Zuo family is related to the Yin Gui School.

He had previously spoken with the leader about the Yin Gui Sect, which is why the Nanyang Gang, the Gray-Clad Gang, and the Tian Kui Sect dispatched a large number of people to search the city.

The Yangxing Society had long been targeted, and it was absolutely impossible for the Yin Gui Sect to operate safely within the city.

Then
This Yanyang Zuo family is very likely the new base that the Yin Gui Sect has sought.

very good!
What kind of bullshit Elder Wen and Bian Bufu are they? Let's see who plays whom this time.

As night fell, Zhou Yi had changed into all black.

Just as he was about to leave, Aruina stopped him.

Zhou Yi has been preoccupied lately. Although she is aloof, she is perceptive and can naturally sense it.

"Cousin, will you take me sketching?"

"You are not fit to go."

Zhou Yi gave a word of advice: "Be careful around the Taoist temple."

"it is good."

As soon as Aruiyina responded, Zhou Yi flew out of the Taoist temple.

She returned to the backyard and saw two young Taoist boys practicing 'health preservation kung fu'.

Their meditation postures were somewhat peculiar, yet they gave people a sense of simplicity and authenticity.

The girl naturally knew what it was.
At this moment, he couldn't help but turn his head to look in the direction Zhou Yi had left.

She didn't go forward to disturb them, but instead carried her sword to the top of the Taoist temple and meditated in the night.

It was late at Hai hour.

Nanyang City, the inner courtyard of Yangxing Club.

Ji Yinong knelt under the eaves, his neck hunched, not daring to raise his head, his heart filled with extreme fear.

The figure on the rooftop was a nightmare he could never erase.

"With the Holy Emperor's arrival, is there anything I can do to help?"

He was terrified, but also incredibly impressed.

The Evil Extreme Sect is indeed more sophisticated than the Yin Gui Sect. Their arrival at this time clearly indicates that they are fully aware of the Yin Gui Sect's whereabouts.

"What are Wen Caiting and her group planning to do after moving to another location?"

Ji Yinong immediately said:

"The elders disagreed and were worried that our Holy Extreme Sect would benefit from this, so they wanted to investigate our sect first before taking action against Wuzhuang Temple."

"Then Yangzhen mobilized manpower within the city."

"In order to avoid being exposed, all the members of the Yin Gui Sect secretly left the city."

Ji Yinong told him everything he knew.

"Don't run around, or you'll end up dead."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yinong quickly replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

Before he could finish his long speech, the demonic shadow on the rooftop had vanished.

Ji Yinong wiped the sweat from his forehead, his mind in turmoil.

Originally, it was a battle between the Yin Gui faction and Yang Zhen's faction from Wuzhuang Temple, but now things are completely chaotic.

If the Evil Extreme Sect makes a move, Champion City will probably not sit idly by either.

Yang Xing was being watched, so to prevent leaks, the Yin Gui Sect did not take him on this mission.

Ji Yinong returned to his room and lay down, feeling very fortunate.

Thinking of a whole host of things and the torment of these past few days, I couldn't help but scratch my head.

Go ahead and stir it up, all of you just keep stirring it up.
Damn it, I'm going to bed early tomorrow for the New Year.

Ji was exhausted, and he snored loudly and slept soundly that night.
Ten years into the Great Enterprise era, the year draws to a close.

There were more people on Wolong Mountain, but it wasn't as lively as last year.

Especially in the evening, one of the Taoist masters didn't even eat his New Year's Eve dinner.

He was nowhere to be seen in the Wuzhuang Temple.

at the same time,

The city of Champions was bustling with activity.

King Garuda Zhucan held a grand banquet, inviting a group of high-ranking officials and generals, as well as three sect leaders.

The sect leader wearing the Heavenly Crown and carrying a large pair of scissors looked more like an emperor than him.

Zhu Can was somewhat overshadowed.

In the past, he definitely wouldn't have been happy about it.

However, after developing greater ambitions, he became more tolerant of others.

While others feared these leaders of the demonic sects, Zhu Can got along well with them.

Zhu Mei, who sat below him, was in the same situation.

These partners only study martial arts all day long, and they don't care about fame or fortune at all.

Zhu Can originally intended to appoint them to high-ranking official positions, but the three sect leaders were too lazy to even glance at them and directly refused.

It is easy to imagine that his position as Garuda King is as secure as Mount Tai.

Zhu Can glanced around the main hall and saw that many of the people there were from the Crimson Shadow Legion. Anyone who had a seat was a well-known figure in the martial arts world.

Even Yuwen Wudi, one of the four great clans, is now serving the Garuda Kingdom.

Zhu Can almost died laughing.

One can imagine that as long as the old patriarch Zhou continues to exert his influence, the four major clans, the five surnames and seven noble families, and the ministers of the Eastern Capital will all have to obey orders here sooner or later.

Elder Zhou was his great benefactor!
When Zhu Can raised his cup to toast everyone, he first toasted the three sect leaders, and then several of his capable subordinates.

Then he nodded to the man above Yuwen Wudi.

This man was a carpenter named Huo Yu. Although he wasn't the best craftsman in the county, he was skilled at making coffins.

The coffins he made had a sinister beauty that pleased the old patriarch Zhou.

Therefore, he was given an important position.
The tenth anniversary banquet of the Daye era was a grand celebration, with demons dancing together in Champion City, a unique and prosperous scene in the land of China.

Old Zhou sighed and Jin Huan drank happily together.

Emperor Ding looked at the well-arranged layout of the main hall with satisfaction, and drank quite a bit of wine with his junior brothers and sisters.

Just when everyone was in high spirits and the atmosphere in the hall was at its most intense.

suddenly
Several whooshing sounds came from outside the main hall, followed by something crashing loudly in the center of the hall.

"Hahaha!"

The unrestrained laughter faded into the distance.
"You Niaojuan has disappeared without a trace. Why don't you three junior brothers take a coffin and retrieve the bird's body?"

“You have arrested my men, Bi Shouxuan. Today I am giving you a warning.”

"If you don't release them, I will make you pay the price."

Upon hearing this, the mentally unstable Pharmacist Lin shouted outside:

“Master Pi, I am here voluntarily. You should come over quickly and discuss the Dao with Sect Master Zhou.”

Old Zhou had already shot out!

Jin Huanzhen and the Emperor followed closely behind, but by the time they reached the outside of the main hall, the man had already slipped away.

The three did not give chase, but instead looked on with suspicion, not believing that this person was Bi Shouxuan of the Yin Gui Sect.

He turned back to look at the things that had been thrown into the main hall.

There were three human heads.

These three men were Zhou Laotan's subordinates who were patrolling Champion City.

The silence within the city indicated that the person was killed quietly.

Those with this skill can filter out a large number of people.

Old Zhou picked up a head and examined the wound closely. Instantly, ghostly fire blazed in his eyes, and his anger surged like a raging torrent!

After examining the heads, Jin Huanzhen and Emperor Ding also showed expressions of fury.

"Such pure demonic energy, and faintly sharing the same origin as ours, can only be a martial art from the Heavenly Demon Strategy."

He glanced at Pharmacist Lin again.

His elder brother, Lin Shihong, was the most outstanding disciple of the old monster Bi Shouxuan, and he himself had also learned some demonic skills.

It can be almost certainly concluded that these are people from the Yin Gui School.

It is reasonable for Bi Shouxuan to seek revenge.

The two sides had a feud in Nanyang and had hunted each other down.

Blackstone Mortuary was burned down because of the Yin Gui Sect.

At this time, they deliberately came over at the New Year's Eve banquet to disgust people.

In an instant, the anger of the three evil sect leaders suddenly surged.

Jin Huanzhen was the first to calm down: "The Yin Gui Sect is still looking at us with outdated perspectives."

Emperor Ding raised his head slightly, his face, beneath the towering crown, was filled with coldness: "Bi Shouxuan deserves to die."

Upon hearing this, Pharmacist Lin couldn't help but clasp his hands in greeting and say:
“Three sect leaders, Master Pi has a unique skill in dual cultivation. Why not invite him to discuss the Dao together?”

Old Zhou's gaze swept over the group of experts, radiating an unparalleled aura:
"Just in time."

"I've long wanted to teach the Yin Gui Sect a lesson, and also let the other factions see who really calls the shots in this Holy Sect."

Jin Huanzhen said, "I just don't know where they are hiding."

Zhu Can, his mood ruined, was furious. He pounded his chest loudly, his expression fierce: "Three sect leaders, I will immediately mobilize the city's manpower to search everywhere!"

"As long as they are in Nanyang County, they won't be able to hide from me!"

Although the three knew this was just him boasting, they were currently united in purpose and naturally wouldn't say anything to discourage him.
On New Year's Day of the eleventh year of the Daye era, demons surged out of Champion City.

Twelve days later.

Upon receiving the intelligence, Garuda King Zhucan, after verifying it, ordered his subordinates not to act rashly and excitedly rushed towards the Coffin Forest Hall.

"Hehehehehehe~!!"

Zhu Can laughed wildly: "Sect Master, I have found the rats' burrow."

"And it's not just a small place, there's also a large cave!"

Zhu Can asserted, "Many experts are undoubtedly here for the sect leaders."

"where?"

This long-suppressed sound extinguished all the ancient bronze lamps in the Coffin Forest Hall.

Zhu Can's voice came from the darkness:
"The Zuo family of Yanyang, the Qian family of Xiangyang"

As soon as he finished speaking, a continuous series of "click-click-click" sounds rang out from all around.

In the darkness, all the coffin lids were opened.

One after another, powerful demonic figures with surging malevolent aura stepped out of the coffins, transforming the entire Coffin Forest Hall into a ghostly demon palace.
"Boom~!"

Spring thunder roared, echoing across the Central Plains.

In the ancient city of Yanyang, at the residence of Zuo Yunzhi, the local overlord, everyone was welcoming a distinguished guest who had come from Yanmen.

He was a tall, thin, middle-aged man dressed as a scholar.

He was fair-skinned and beardless, quite dashing, and exuded the charm of a mature man.

At this moment, he entered the house with his hands behind his back, only glancing at the approaching head of the Zuo family. His eyes opened and closed, exuding an air of aloofness and arrogance.

When his gaze swept over the group of female disciples practicing the art of Yin-Yang cultivation, a lewd glint appeared in his eyes.

"Senior Brother Bian~!"

At Wen Caiting's shout, all the female disciples paled, while Bian Bufu, feeling an itch to go, went to meet her.

"Did Caiting call me over just for such a trivial matter?"

Wen Caiting asked, "What decision does your senior brother over there make?"

Pei Xiao, Sheng Mei, and Qian Xiao remained silent, simply watching from the sidelines.

The three beauties held a lower status than the elders and did not make decisions.

Beside the three demons stood a strange middle-aged man, holding a medical book in his left hand and flipping through a poison manual with his right.

His name was Wei Wei, the adopted son of Eunuch Wei when he castrated himself, and he was personally trained by this master.

Their skill level was even higher than that of the three demons.

However, he was not a senior member and was of a lower generation, so he could not make decisions.

Yun Caiwen spoke first: "Senior Brother Bian, the sect leader instructed us before he left that Xiangyang and Nanyang should be the priority, followed by the Evil Extreme Sect. We should not provoke the Daoist sects again."

After hearing this, Bian Bufu looked at Elder Xia.

She smiled and said, "It's up to you all to make the decision."

Wen Caiting raised an eyebrow at Bian Bufeng, who said directly, "It takes so many people to make a decision about capturing a junior from the Daoist sect."

"Junior Sister Yun, I originally had no intention of provoking people from the Daoist sect."

"However, with such a large-scale operation, if we don't do something in Nanyang, how will we save face if others find out?"

Yun Caiwen shook his head: "Senior Brother Bian, we gathered together for the sake of the Evil Extreme Sect's highest secret technique, which is related to the Sect Master's grand plan."

"Eh~!"

Bian Bufu waved his hand:
"I naturally take the sect leader's affairs to heart, but dealing with a junior from the Daoist sect is just a piece of cake."

Qian Xiao interrupted coldly in an aged voice:

"I'm afraid it's not as easy as just lifting a finger, otherwise how could Pei Xiaoshengmei have gotten injured?"

Pei Xiao and Sheng Mei remained silent; this matter was extremely embarrassing, and of course they did not want to bring it up.

Bian Bufu didn't take it to heart:
"Since I am here, I will naturally take action when the time comes."

"All right."

He looked at the sky: "It's getting late, I'll get some sleep first and make my move tomorrow night."

Wen Caiting and Bian Bufu entered the Zuo family compound together and began to engage in mutual sexual intercourse.

At this moment
The head of the Zuo family looked up at the sky, frowning. There were still several hours until nightfall.
That night.

The gates of Champion City were shrouded in night, and in the darkness, someone was carrying a coffin on their back.

East of Yanyang.

A cold-looking man in black removed his mask.
He stared intently at the west bank of the Yan River, holding a duck in both hands, and devoured it.
……

(End of this chapter)