Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 469 The Mystery of the Finger Flag
The sun was bright and clear, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

The entire city of Chang'an was bathed in this warm sunlight.

But for many, these past few days have been a period of fear and turmoil.

Among the prominent families, the Li, Kong, Pei, and Wu families, which had become extremely powerful in recent years, had all their residences and properties in Chang'an confiscated.

As a result, businesses in Luoyang and other places also began to be liquidated.

The Imperial Guard presented a large amount of evidence in the court, pointing out that these four families had members who colluded with bandits and outlaws, held positions without performing their duties, engaged in dishonest business practices, deceived their superiors and harmed the people, and embezzled farmland.

In both the government and the public, anyone who has kinship, personal connections, or business dealings with these four families is now living in constant fear, lest they be implicated in the purge.

Some families even took the initiative to plead their case, claiming to conduct a self-investigation and bringing out a group of culprits from their own households, pinning all the blame on these people.

However, now that the internal security forces have found such a good entry point, how could they let it go so easily?
Anyone found guilty should be promptly imprisoned pending further investigation and should not be punished by vigilante justice.

All cases of alleged self-inflicted crimes have been filed and are awaiting thorough investigation.

Many households in Chang'an felt a sense of unease and fear.

However, the envoys from various countries who came for the martial arts competition still made the city more and more lively.

Old Chang'an was divided into 108 wards and markets, 14 streets running north-south, and 11 streets running east-west.

The area of ​​Chang'an today is very different from that of the past, but the general division method is still consistent with that of the past.

Among the many wards and markets, there is Xuanyi Ward, which is where Hai Donglai's residence is located.

Envoys from various countries often lingered for a long time when passing by, gazing at the high walls.

They were well-informed and naturally knew that this was not only Hai Donglai's residence, but also that someone else had recently been staying here.

Chu Tianshu has been staying at the mansion recently.

dong dong!

Chu Tianshu sat on the railing of the long corridor, with his back against a large vermilion pillar, his left leg stretched out and his right leg hanging down to touch the ground inside the corridor.

He looked at the colorful flowers in the pond next to him, holding the drum in one hand and lightly tapping the drumhead with the fingertips of the other.

Sunshine, fragrance of flowers, swimming fish, frogs.

It brings peace of mind and a sense of calm and elegance.

In such an environment, it is just right to contemplate the artistic conception of "The Flower in the Stone, the Colorless Palm".

Guo Lingwei and Feng Bohu stood in the corridor, seemingly admiring the scenery.

But every time Chu Tianshu's drumbeats rose and fell, the two of them couldn't help but deepen their breathing and adjust their blood and qi, clearly using the drumbeats to temper their will.

"Hey, the mood I'm using when I'm drumming right now is the gentlest of gentle, which doesn't match the martial arts styles of the two of you."

Chu Tianshu turned to look at them, "Can't you come back when I'm playing 'The Dragon King Landing Song'?"

Feng Bohu chuckled and said, "According to the philosophy of the Tang Dynasty, extreme strength will turn into gentleness, and I also want to pursue the gentle side."

Guo Lingwei said respectfully, "It is a great fortune and a blessing to hear the seniors play the drum. Even if I miss a single note, I will toss and turn and have trouble falling asleep."

"No matter what kind of music it is, I don't want to miss it."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "You speak nicely, but you're too literary. Alright, go see if there are any snacks in the kitchen and get some for us to eat first, then we can listen to the drums."

The mansion of Hai Donglai was not crowded.

From over a hundred years ago to sixty-seven years ago, people tirelessly sent him various beauties, hoping to become his relatives.

However, aside from having a daughter who was seriously ill and could not be exposed to sunlight since childhood and died young, he seemed to have lost interest in this matter later.

With his martial arts skills, he may have many wives and concubines, but as long as he has no such desire, he will naturally have no new offspring.

After his wives and concubines also grew old and died, the mansion was often deserted.

He himself did not live here often, so he simply issued an order that all members of the Guo family from Huayin who returned to Chang'an could stay at his place.

Old friends of the Imperial Guard may also stay temporarily at the residence.

Therefore, Guo Lingwei was actually much more familiar with this place than Chu Tianshu.

Guo Lingwei responded and strode towards the kitchen.

Feng Bohu seemed unwilling to even part ways for a short time, so he simply followed along.

As the two walked to the end of the corridor and through the courtyard gate, Nie Hongxian walked in.

"what?"

Chu Tianshu asked in surprise, "How come you have time to come over?"

Nie Hongxian changed into the attire of an inner guard commander, wearing a black gauze crown, a scarlet robe, a jade belt around her waist, a ceremonial sword, and swift boots with arrow sleeves, looking heroic and dashing.

But judging from the fact that there was still some dust on the hem of her robe, you could tell how busy she had been lately.

"Uncle Master!"

She clasped her hands in a gesture of respect and handed several silver mirrors to Chu Tianshu in her right hand, saying, "I am truly ashamed, as I have come here again to ask you for help."

"Look at these mirrors, do they contain any military spirits?"

Chu Tianshu turned the divine drum over, and it looked just like a basin. He placed several mirrors inside, and his right fingertips caressed the mirror surface as he pondered in silence.

Nie Hongxian continued, "These are the things we found after we searched the mansions of the four major families, looked through many hidden compartments, and took stock of their assets."

"This item is hidden in the secret compartments of all four houses; it should be a complete set."

"But the chief craftsman in the workshop said that this casting style does not seem to be produced in the Tang Dynasty, but should be made by people from the Western Regions."

"I suspect this might be a treasure used to communicate with foreign tribes in the Western Regions, but I can't figure out how it's used for the time being."

That night, Chu Tianshu visited four mansions, but his attention was mainly focused on subduing the living and searching for secret manuals; he didn't really pay attention to any mirrors.

Now, he used his mental power to examine the situation carefully and quickly noticed something amiss.

"These mirrors do indeed contain the spirit of a soldier, but there is only one, and its state of existence is rather peculiar."

Chu Tianshu pondered, "This set of mirrors should have more than four mirrors."

"Its spirit is like an octopus, with many tentacles. Its main body resides in a certain mirror, while it only uses its tentacles to connect to the other mirrors."

Nie Hongxian was slightly surprised: "An octopus? The kind of octopus that lives in the sea?"

During the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu referred to octopus as Zhangju. The Minyue people of the Tang Dynasty already enjoyed blanching this fish fresh and then eating it with ginger and vinegar.

Chu Tianshu nodded slightly when he heard her question, but he found it a little funny.

This Tang Dynasty in another world is a bit too ridiculous.

In the history of my hometown, the word "shark" in the Tang Dynasty did not refer to a giant shark in the sea, but in this otherworldly Tang Dynasty, the name "shark" has clearly been given to that kind of fish in the sea.

However, words like "octopus" have not yet become the norm.

"Anyway, although I can sense its spirit form, there's nothing I can do about it."

Chu Tianshu picked up a mirror and tossed it twice.

"Unless I know the correct way to switch masters, if I try to forcefully touch this soldier spirit, I'm afraid it will immediately cut off its legs to survive."

Nie Hongxian nodded and put the mirror away.

"Thank you, uncle."

She thought for a moment, then said, "I'll go ask the Imperial Observatory."

Chu Tianshu asked curiously, "Doesn't the Imperial Observatory only calculate natural disasters and not human events?"

Nie Hongxian explained, "The Imperial Observatory has a large number of staff, but only the Director is responsible for calculating natural disasters. Some of them are also good at calculating things related to objects."

Chu Tianshu grunted, thinking of Li Ju's last words.

I have a feeling that apart from natural disaster algorithms, which have stood the test of time, other forms of divination still seem unreliable.

Nie Hongxian was already saying goodbye to him, bowing and leaving in a hurry.

"So busy..."

Since it's a raid, they're definitely motivated.

Chu Tianshu originally intended to say that, but his ears twitched, and he suddenly laughed, "Hai Donglai is really despicable."

"He goes out to enjoy himself while making that young girl shoulder the heavy burden."

A gentle breeze rustled through the corridor.

The man in white and red robes folded up his red umbrella, held it behind his back, and strolled leisurely toward Chu Tianshu.

"Do I need to remind you? The young girl in your eyes is in the prime of her life, while I am already an old man nearing the end of my days." Hai Donglai walked in front of Chu Tianshu, turned around and looked at him, his eyes slightly shifting.

"It's been over a hundred years, and you seem to be even younger than Hongxian?"

Chu Tianshu raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked, "How did you figure that out?"

"Feel."

Hai Donglai offered a universal answer, turning his gaze to the pond.

"Moreover, your words and actions in Nanzhao back then were quite strange. The more I think about it, the more I feel that you seem out of place with that era."

"Since there are things like the operation of heaven and earth, the return of the universe, and the return of ancient military spirits, could there also be another universe?"

Chu Tianshu gasped and gave a thumbs up.

Back in the wasteland, no one recognized him as a visitor from another world.

Unexpectedly, an ancient person guessed it.

"You really are something else?"

Sensing his affirmation, Hai Donglai's lips twitched. "So, in just a few years, you've already reached this level of cultivation?"

Before Chu Tianshu could answer, Hai Donglai sighed again.

“I ran into some trouble in Lingnan, so I went to an inner guard post station to inquire about the recent situation. As for the news about you, I reported it all to you.”

"No wonder you're so energetic; you're still a teenager at heart."

Chu Tianshu tapped the drum in dissatisfaction: "Hey, even if there's an age gap now, don't even think about elevating your seniority to my grandfather's generation."

Hai Donglai chuckled softly, his gaze falling on the drum, his smile gradually fading.

"The Mountain King's Drum has truly fallen into your hands..."

He spoke a little slowly, “Then, if the old monk continues to study this drum, that would save him a lot of trouble.”

Chu Tianshu sensed something unusual and asked in surprise, "What do you mean? Has the Mountain King researched something else amazing?"

Flowers sway in the pond, and little frogs leap from the petals into the water.

With a soft thud, the water rippled gently.

Hai Donglai, resting with his eyes closed amidst the gentle breeze and ripples, recounted a past event.

In his final battle with the Mountain King, he had cracked the Mountain King's skull and destroyed the Mountain King's soul.

The mountain king's body fell into a glacial cave.

In places like glaciers, even a seemingly insignificant little blue puddle can be easily crossed.

Once someone actually steps in, they might fall straight into icy water hundreds of feet deep.

Hai Donglai was seriously injured at the time and was unable to intercept the body in time. He searched for it several times afterward but could not find it. It was probably swept away by the undercurrent, so he did not pay much attention to it.

Until Du Fanchuan's dying prophecy.

“I’ve heard of this.”

Chu Tianshu said, "I heard that when he was dying, he divined the culprit who would ruin the fate of the Tang Dynasty, but he could not say it clearly. He just pointed to a Buddhist banner."

Hai Donglai nodded slightly.

"Indeed, Du Fanchuan's predictions have never been wrong. His pointing finger has given me much to think about."

"The Buddhist community is a mixed bag, with both good and bad elements, which does cause trouble, but it is only a minor problem. It can be dealt with by cracking down on it, confiscating its contents, and cleaning it up."

"If that banner doesn't point to Buddhism, could it be referring to Tibet? Although Tibet reveres Buddhism, it is fragmented and unlikely to rise again."

"Or perhaps it refers to the color of the banner?"

“Since ancient times, all five colors have had extraordinary significance. Could that yellow banner refer to the Huang family?”

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu couldn't help but cough lightly.

They even brought up the surname Huang... Indeed, the Tang Dynasty next door was wiped out by Huang Chao.

However, in this Tang Dynasty, the time for Old Huang to wield his power had long passed.

Hai Donglai glanced at him, but didn't ask any questions, and continued talking.

"But in this era, there is no one with the surname Huang who has the power to rebel. Moreover, if the prophecy refers to a surname, there are too many variables. Someone in any generation may change their surname to Huang."

"Du Fanchuan's predictions throughout his life were all accurate, and he was kind-hearted. His poetic sentiment was said to be inherited from Du Fu, earning him the nickname 'Little Du.' His last divination would definitely not have been about his surname."

Hai Donglai said softly, "So, only a little bit is left."

Buddhist and Taoist temples and monasteries would often send banners to the Imperial Observatory to pray for blessings when natural disasters occurred.

That Buddhist banner was also used to pray for blessings in the face of natural disasters.

But what kind of natural disaster is it?
Hai Donglai ordered his men to search all the records in the Imperial Observatory and found the answer.

—Locust plague!!

During the more than 300 years of the Tang Dynasty, it experienced hundreds of locust plagues.

The locust plague was considered even more terrible than drought and flood in the minds of the people of the Tang Dynasty.

Hai Donglai therefore dispatched many people to various places to check for signs of locust plagues and to recruit wise men from the people to seek methods to control the locusts.

He himself also traveled around, and whenever he heard of someone who had achieved something, he would go to check it out.

"Then……"

Hai Donglai's expression turned strange. "Seven years ago, I encountered the Mountain King again."

“He seemed not to recognize me anymore. His eyes had become like those of a locust, two long whiskers had sprouted from his forehead, and he even had membranous wings hidden on his back. He was naked and walking in the mountains.”

Rather than calling it a human, it was more accurate to say that it was a complete monster.

If ordinary people saw this, they would probably be scared to death.

When Hai Donglai saw him, he immediately prepared to tear him to pieces and grind his bones to ashes.

Unexpectedly, this monster managed to escape from his grasp.

Hai Donglai suspected that he was faking madness.

Therefore, in the same year, when the eldest disciple of the Mountain King challenged him to a duel, Hai Donglai deliberately dragged it out for thirty moves, wanting to see if the Mountain King would show himself.

The Mountain King never appeared.

Later, Hai Donglai discovered that this demon indeed had no interest in the Mountain King's disciples, and had not even returned to Tibet, but lingered only on the land of the Tang Dynasty.

Wherever the demon passes, it emits a unique aura that causes locusts to multiply rapidly.

The locusts, which would normally be eaten by birds, chickens, and ducks, produce toxins in their bodies, causing birds, chickens, and ducks to instinctively avoid the locusts and stop eating them.

The mountain king seems to have become the king of locusts.

"So, you've been investigating this...monster for the past few years?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu's heart skipped a beat.

By the way, it is mentioned in common knowledge about the Da Yu Stele.

In fact, as long as one can cultivate to the state of no leakage, it is already considered a great success of "transformation", and one can try to break through to the state of "returning light".

The Realm of Returning to the Light is essentially a state of seclusion where one subtly allows their internal condition to return to its pre-birth state, thereby correcting their innate defects and breaking free from their natural shackles.

It's like transforming yourself into a more powerful life form, undergoing a regeneration.

However, with a foundation of perfect purity, the probability of failure in attempting to reach the realm of enlightenment is already quite high.

There are no readily available cultivation methods in this world to refer to; one can only rely on one's own exploration.

It is highly likely that the mountain king will fail to break through the pass.

It's just unknown what kind of being he originally wanted to ascend to, which would have led to his physical body turning into this monster after his original soul was destroyed.

Does he want to become the embodiment of disaster for the Tang Dynasty?
"hiss!"

Chu Tianshu gasped in shock, his eyes fixed on Hai Donglai.

Fortunately, judging from Hai Donglai's cultivation technique, he was trying out the path of dual non-leakage.

Fortunately, he didn't rashly attempt to break through the barrier.

Otherwise, if Hai Donglai had also failed to break through to the Backlight, who knows what kind of mess this world would be in now.

(End of this chapter)