Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 110 The illness was still intense, and a single palm strike produced a lotus flower.
In the dead of night at Huguo Temple, only the sound of hundreds and thousands of long banners fluttering in the wind remains.

The remains of dozens of members of the delegation lay peacefully in coffins in the square in front of the Maitreya Hall.

Above each coffin was a white canopy supported by four bamboo poles.

During the day, people who come to worship will walk through the central aisle to the Maitreya Hall, where they will offer incense and pay their respects to the dozens of memorial tablets on the offering table.

Spices used to mask the smell of corpses, incense on the clothes of worshippers, and incense burned in temples.

Such smells and sounds were all mixed together.

It gets quiet here at night.

The moonlight spilled onto the corridor like a layer of silver frost, and the night wind swept away most of the unpleasant smells.

Inside the Maitreya Hall, only Guan Changling remained, sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat beside the offering table.

He faced the offering table, his eyes fixed on it, neither looking at the scenery outside the hall nor at the Buddha statues inside.

The commander of the Left Guard of the Inner Guard seemed to be wholeheartedly keeping vigil for the fallen envoys.

At this moment, the entire temple exudes a sense of stillness and coldness in its sounds, colors, lights, and smells.

The two large white candles on the offering table burned with a quiet, dim yellow flame.

Even as it sways in the night breeze, the candlelight shines without smoke, flickering silently.

Hurrah! !

The flames inexplicably lengthened, becoming flat like tongues, and their flashing speed increased, producing noise.

Suddenly, a thin mist blew over the threshold and entered the hall.

Hai Donglai, dressed in red and holding an umbrella, stepped into the main hall amidst the eerie aura of the soldiers' spirits.

Guan Changling looked up, moved, and said, "Lord Hai, you've really come."

“You have already avenged them by killing the Tibetan high priest. If you come again tonight, they will be able to rest in peace.”

Hai Donglai looked at the memorial tablets but did not go forward to take incense.

"I'm already here, what are you pretending for?"

He didn't even look at Guan Changling. "There are things we both know about our gathering tonight."

Guan Changling's smile remained unchanged.

"Lord Hai, you became famous because of your martial arts skills, but to become the commander of the Imperial Guard, you are indeed more than just a brute."

"I tampered with the Nanzhao Imperial Guards in an extremely secretive manner, yet you still managed to detect it and destroyed some of the files. In retrospect, the physician Chu Tianshu who intercepted the Yuwen family assassins was among the files you destroyed. You are truly a very good subordinate."

"Since you're here today, did he come too? Or perhaps Zheng Hui's group is also here?"

Hai Donglai's gaze shifted: "It seems you've admitted to being the mole. But you're already in a high position of power, why would you betray us?"

Guan Changling smiled and said, "Do you remember the Princess of Gao Kingdom?"

Back in the Tang Dynasty, Princess Gaoguo was quite powerful and had close ties with the generals of the Imperial Guard, the Crown Prince's tutor, and the Prefect of Shuzhou. Initially, she was accused of cultivating supporters for the Crown Prince, and later she was accused of plotting a rebellion.

As a result, the emperor demoted several ministers, had several people beaten to death, and imprisoned the eldest princess in her residence.

Hai Dong has seen this file.

"Back then, there was a skilled swordsman among the Princess's retainers. He was a master swordsman with superb knife skills and a mysterious identity. He repeatedly helped her. After the incident, his identity was revealed. He was said to be the leader of a wandering knight in Chang'an at that time."

Hai Donglai said, "I remember that the wandering knight was separated from his wife and children, fled the Tang Dynasty, and his whereabouts are still unknown."

"Now it seems that you framed that person. The real swordsman under the Princess's command is you."

Guan Changling sighed, "That's right, it's me."

"The eldest princess was imprisoned for three years before dying of illness. What kind of grudge did she have against the court? And what kindness could she possibly have done for you?"

Hai Donglai chuckled softly, "If you truly harbored deep-seated hatred and wanted revenge against the emperor, why would you have waited until today instead of planning an assassination sooner?"

Guan Changling was perfectly entitled to an audience with the emperor.

If a sudden assassination is launched when manpower is limited, it may not be impossible to succeed.

"No, no, no, is killing someone enough to be considered revenge? The emperor targeted the princess to secure his throne, so I'll make sure his throne is never secure."

Guan Changling smiled broadly.

"Did you know that poison is actually made up of countless strangely shaped little insects? It's these little insects that cause damage to the human body?"

“A vast country is like a person. The emperor is only part of the brain. If you want to make the brain suffer, you can’t just attack the brain.”

"Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, soldiers, the land, and the treasury—all harbor hidden poisons. Poison an entire nation, detonate all the toxins, and watch how the poison takes effect."

"This will be the pinnacle of poison arts."

Guan Changling's eyes were full of expectation as he said, "Nanzhao is the needle I used to poison you. You can't break it before I do."

No sooner had he finished speaking than mold suddenly appeared on Hai Donglai's umbrella.

Those patches of mold, some white and some green, were rapidly growing fuzzy mycelia and steaming.

Guan Changling's expression changed.

He had already poisoned this hall; Hai Donglai was poisoned as soon as he stepped into it.

But now it seems that all the poisonous power has been absorbed by the soldier spirit from Haidong.

The boiling sensation also caused the poison on the umbrella to be rapidly destroyed.

Guan Changling had always known that Hai Donglai was an anomaly.

He was someone whose achievements in the art of enduring strength surpassed even those in the art of blood-refining military strategy.

For him, the Soul of the Warrior was merely a tool, not a deadly weapon that other martial artists treasured like a precious treasure.

Such an attitude would inevitably prevent him from grasping the nuances of the soldier's spirit.

But now, the compatibility between that soldier's spirit and Hai Donglai's is clearly beyond previous estimates.

Guan Changling stepped back, abruptly leaving the prayer mat and moving about ten feet away.

Hai Donglai did not make a move.

He continued to look at the memorial tablet.

When people worship ancestral tablets, the most comfortable and subconscious distance they should choose is about three feet.

Hai Donglai was more than six feet away from there.

His gaze was not focused on the memorial tablet, but on the three feet in front of him.

A figure silently descended onto the roof beam.

That was Duan Zhong. His robe sleeves billowed in mid-air, and when he landed, he made no sound, landing exactly three feet away.

"Those who followed the vegetarian diet did not die unjustly."

When Duan Zhong mentioned his deceased nephew, his voice was calm, and his eyes were remarkably clear.

“From the moment you stepped in here, there wasn’t the slightest flaw. Even Guan Changling’s retreat just now didn’t make you even slightly inclined to make the first move.”

It is now past midnight.

The top experts from the Tang Dynasty and the Nanzhao Kingdom did indeed meet on the fifteenth of March.

Hai Donglai's eyes lit up with interest as he frankly said, "You're very good too, extremely good!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen someone who, while suspended in mid-air with no support, can still exude such a strong sense of threat to others."

As the two were talking, Hai Donglai's umbrella slowly rotated.

Duan Zhong's robe sleeves would suddenly bulge to the side and then suddenly deflate, caused by the expansion and contraction of airflow due to changes in temperature.

For a moment, the two candle flames on the offering table seemed to lean and elongate towards Duan Zhong's back.

The murderous aura emanating from their two warrior spirits was so intense that it sent chills down one's spine.

Duan Zhong recalled the stone lion that had been thrown into the gate of the Prince's mansion, and the pavilion that had collapsed halfway.

Hai Donglai was probably still injured at that time, but he has likely recovered by now.

Even greater physical strength, coupled with an unfathomable gaze and murderous aura...

"Guan Changling".

Hai Donglai suddenly said, "Are you willing to risk your life for your ally and create a weakness in me?"

Guan Changling smiled and suddenly blew a whistle.

There is someone else who is truly willing to risk their life to create weaknesses in Hai Donglai's character!
Even if the helpers from Haidong, like Zheng Hui and his men, arrive, the Yuwen family will handle them.

Who else can stop the Kunlun slaves?
Behind the Maitreya Hall is also a square.

Dark figures were darting out from the buildings at the edge of the square.

There are too many people coming and going in front of the Maitreya Hall during the day, and the corpses and coffins were all arranged by the Nanzhao people, so there was not much opportunity to tamper with them.

Guan Changling's men were to be hidden, naturally in the rear.

Dozens of Kunlun slaves gathered in a group and rushed towards the back door of the Maitreya Hall.

But behind them, on the roof of the main hall, two figures jumped down.

One of the figures landed and rolled forward.

Another figure, upon landing, shattered and dented a five-foot-square, thick stone brick with just one right foot.

His left foot had already stepped forward.

Bang bang bang! !

Three explosions rang out on the ground in quick succession, and the figure had already caught up with the Kunlun slave.

The two Kunlun slaves at the very back sensed something was wrong, turned around abruptly, and simultaneously reached out with all four hands.

Their hands could pierce through three-inch-thick wooden boards, and their fingernails could leave clear dents in marble.

But the figure chasing after him simply spread his arms and continued charging forward.

Both Kunlun slaves were struck in the chest by the horizontal arm. The dull thuds coming from their bodies didn't sound like flesh and blood, but like solid wooden stakes wrapped in thick iron.

But with the impact of those two arms, their chests caved in, and blood gushed from their backs.

Multiple broken ribs, gleaming white, burst forth amidst the spray of blood.

Dangdang Dangdang! !
Those Kunlun slaves who were struck by the broken bones all shuddered slightly, but the broken bones were also deflected.

There was only one unlucky one. He had just turned his head when a broken bone pierced his eyelid. He died on the spot without even uttering a sound.

The corpses of the two Kunlun slaves also fell over, but were simultaneously held down by seven or eight black hands.

Chu Tianshu's charge only killed two enemies before he felt a slight setback and paused in place, quite surprised.

He instantly changed his fighting style, slamming his body to the side and forward, his right arm shooting out to grab the belly of a Kunlun slave.

Kunlun slave's belly was as hard as iron, but under his grasp, it softened and deformed like a pile of fat, and he held it firmly in his hand.

Then the Kunlun slave was thrown out and crashed seven or eight zhang away.

Just then, the blind man arrived at the scene and, hearing the enemy approaching, dodged to the side.

Bang! !

The Kunlun slave crashed to the ground, but his body was tough enough that he bounced back up.

The wind blade suddenly slashed at his chest with a loud clang.

The cut left only a dented white mark, without breaking the skin.

But the knife still had some strength left. After the first slash, it suddenly made a horizontal cut, using the lingering echo of the blade's trembling sound.

On the Kunlun slave's belly, there were still five finger marks from when he had been pinched and squeezed.

The cut left a mark that strung together the four finger marks.

A knife wound flashed, and blood splattered.

The hardened skin was broken, and the curve of the blade severed the internal organs, sweeping across the spine.

The Kunlun slave thrashed about like a dead fish, clutched his stomach, turned to the side, and curled up motionless.

Thump thump thump thump!

In an instant, most of the Kunlun slaves were thrown over and slammed to the ground.

It's either on the stomach or on the neck.

They always have a mark on their bodies, the scars caused by five fingers pinching and tearing flesh when someone is thrown out.

Because the grabbing and throwing were too fast, focusing only on efficiency, and the inward force was insufficient each time, little damage was caused.

However, after they landed...

What awaited them was a knife that, with just a slight graze, would reveal their weaknesses.

The force of the grabbing and pinching, the impact of the slamming to the ground, and the resulting stress changes were all utilized by the blind man.

His body moved in circles, as if chasing his own shadow under the moonlight.

The knife dragged in his hand flashed and swept, the sound of the blade whistling higher and higher.

Those Kunlun slaves at his feet, some with broken throats, some with broken backs, all died as soon as he swayed past them.

If the two of them were to confront these Kunlun slaves head-on, even with Chu Tianshu's strength and Cheng Xiaozi's alertness, it would probably take them nearly half an hour to wipe them all out.

The problem is that these Kunlun slaves were originally assassins.

If it takes that long, then the other party has already completely achieved their goal.

Therefore, Chu Tianshu only threw them away without killing them.

Using the force of the earth's impact, the blind man unleashed the full power of his Loulan Slash.

In just three or four breaths, a large number of those Kunlun slaves had died.

A slight change in combat strategy can lead to drastically different results.

The Yuwen family subordinates who had just rushed out from the side could hardly believe their eyes.

Only Yuwen Qing was quick to react.

The old man held a longbow in one hand and a handful of bullets in his other.

There have always been two types of slingshots.

One type is a wooden fork with a cow tendon tied to it; the force of the projectile depends entirely on the extension and retraction of the cow tendon.

Another method is to use a bow to fire projectiles directly, with the power primarily coming from the deformation of the sturdy bow back.

The latter is generally stronger than the former.

However, when firing the latter, one must have enough strength in their hand to twist the bow and slightly deflect it so that the projectile does not hit the back of the bow or their own hand when it is fired.

Yuwen Qing used the latter.

He mastered the Bronze Sparrow Bow and was confident that he was almost as good as his ancestors.

However, although the arrow has a long range and a large target, it does not need to hit the arrowhead. As long as a skilled person hits the shaft, the arrow will deflect.

Therefore, he switched to bullets, which were smaller and harder to defend against.

hum! ! !
Yuwen Qing's bowstring left a trail of afterimages.

He fired a handful of bullets in quick succession with his right hand.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty bullets were launched.

All of Chu Tianshu's vital joints, as well as several possible dodge locations nearby, were covered by the projectiles.

With such a unique skill, Yuwen Qing had originally suggested that he create a weakness for Hai Dong.

However, bullets have a straight trajectory and are unstoppable once launched.

If Hai Donglai were to slip by, it could easily affect Duan Zhong and Guan Changling, and it's hard to say who would have been created with a weakness.

Guan Changling was too wary of Hai Donglai, and his suggestion was rejected on the spot.

Now, when used on Chu Tianshu, there are no reservations.

The bullet was approaching, and in the darkness of night, not a trace of it could be seen.

Chu Tianshu didn't miss it. His foot had somehow gotten into the gap between the floor tiles, and he suddenly flicked it up.

collapse! ! !
The five-foot square stone slab did not break at all despite such a short burst of force.

The force of the immortal's energy caused the entire floor tile to suddenly bounce into the air.

Chu Tianshu's figure vanished in that instant.

He lowered his head and shoulders, pulled his feet up, and completely shrank behind the stone slab.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
The few remaining Kunlun slaves around him were covered in blood.

The skin could withstand the small crossbow, but not this kind of bullet; it would be embedded in the flesh.

The thick, large stone slab was hit by six or seven projectiles and shattered instantly.

However, the force of the projectile decreased sharply when it shattered the stone slab.

A hand suddenly burst out from behind the broken stone slab.

This palm strike, with its five fingers spread wide like a bucket, is as large as a bushel and moves like thunder.

The only spot you could hit with your palm was a small section in the middle of the stone slab.

But just as the stone slab was about to shatter, it was struck by this force, causing even the slabs at the edges to be pulled apart and shatter.

Under the moonlight, it looked like a dusty lotus flower in bloom.

The enormous lotus flower, with a mouth five or six feet in size, was facing directly at the Yuwen family members.

Boom! !
Yuwen Qing's heart skipped a beat, as if he could really hear a clap of thunder right next to his ear.

His hand was just pulling out the second bullet, and as it left the deerskin pouch, his fingers suddenly loosened, causing the bullet to fall from his fingers.

Yuwen Qing looked down and saw a small hole in his chest, from which blood was oozing.

It was faintly visible that a small fragment of stone was embedded there.

This was the true target of Chu Tianshu's palm strike, the fragment that came into contact with the center of his palm.

Woo! !

A golden light suddenly illuminated Yuwen Qing's face, and a golden divine weapon appeared in front of him.

The weapon was long like a spear, but its tip was crafted to resemble a phoenix.

The two edges of the blade resemble phoenix wings, and the tip resembles a phoenix beak.

The weapon arrived extremely quickly.

Yuwen Chiming, wielding this weapon, was actually able to track the trajectory of Chu Tianshu's small fragment even in the moonlight.

But the danger wasn't aimed at him personally; by the time his weapon reached out to block it, it was a little too late.

Uncle Qing!!
Yuwen Chiming only roared angrily in his heart.

In an instant, his face shone like gold paper, exuding an imposing aura, with taut muscles radiating from his cheeks to his temples.

The aura of the evil weapon caused the people of the Yuwen family nearby to have the illusion that their bodies were rising and falling with the waves.

Chu Tianshu charged forward with a powerful kick, his trajectory perfectly straight, severing the illusion of the undulating environment, and punched their patriarch.

His dark blue fist was as hard as steel.

However, when they got within seven feet, even Chu Tianshu felt that the situation ahead was really strange.

A dark golden light suddenly flashed above their heads.

It crashed down with a heavy thud!

(End of this chapter)