The Terror of the Heavens Begins with Gu

Chapter 275 The Reputation of Master Ji and the Preparation for the Magical Duel at the Ma Family Ancestral Hall
After finishing the roast chicken, Master Xu, carrying a magic sword, set off with Zhang Dadan to find the "magician" that Zhang Dadan had described as extremely powerful.

The mortuary and the Ma family ancestral hall were both located in the east of the city, neither too close nor too far apart. After about a quarter of an hour, the two saw the carriage parked under a large tree.

“That’s the carriage,” Zhang Dadan pointed to the carriage.

Master Xu glanced in that direction, quickened his pace, and walked towards the carriage.

As soon as they reached the carriage, Zhang Dadan wanted to speak, but Xu Zhenren stopped him with his hand.

As soon as he approached the carriage, Master Xu smelled a peculiar stench of decay.

Having dealt with zombies for a long time, he was very familiar with this smell.

He took a few breaths by the carriage and immediately realized there were zombies inside.

Looking towards the front of the carriage, Master Xu saw Li Zhen, wearing a bamboo hat, leaning out of the carriage and looking at him.

The red-eyed bats that were gripping the edge of the carriage with their claws also looked at Master Xu.

Sensing the deadly danger, Master Xu felt a chill and quickly looked away, no longer daring to look into the eyes of the red-eyed bat.

Zhang Dadan then introduced, "Master, this is Master Xu, a very powerful master. I survived last night thanks to Master Xu's help. I happened to meet Master Xu on the road and told him about what happened last night. Master Xu then said he wanted to meet you, Master."

Li Zhen asked with a half-smile, "Was it a coincidence that we met?"

Zhang Dadan gave an awkward laugh and was about to speak when Xu Zhenren waved his hand to stop him.

Then Master Xu clasped his hands in a fist and said to Fellow Daoist, “To be honest, after meeting you, Zhang Dadan was impressed by your methods, but he still felt uneasy. That’s why he came to me and asked me to accompany him to meet you.”

Zhang Dadan felt even more embarrassed.

Li Zhen didn't care: "It's only natural. My coming here has little to do with Zhang Dadan. I just happened to run into him, so I asked him to do something for me and save his life in the process."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "You should know that I'm not talking nonsense; someone is trying to harm him behind the scenes."

Master Xu frowned and said, "I wonder why someone of your stature has come to this small place?"

Fearing that Li Zhen might misunderstand, he immediately explained after saying this: "With this county town as the center, the area within a radius of 10 or 20 kilometers seems relatively peaceful. However, if any major changes occur, without prior preparation, it may harm many innocent people."

Without hiding anything, Li Zhen said frankly, "I came to this place to chase a demon."

"A demon?" Master Xu's expression turned serious. "What kind of demon is worth your personal visit, fellow Daoist?"

“A cat demon,” Li Zhen said. “That cat demon is ferocious. If I hadn’t come, there would definitely have been a big problem.”

"Oh! I get it!" Zhang Dadan slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing, "No wonder you told me to look for the fishy smell, it was to find that cat demon! That makes things easier, let's go together, kill that cat demon and we're done!"

Li Zhen shook his head: "That cat demon is very clever. If I enter the city, it will definitely escape, and then we'll be in trouble."

"This is a bit tricky." Zhang Dadan scratched his head. "Since it's a cat demon, it must be dangerous. You can't go, and I dare not go to catch it."

“For ordinary people, that cat demon is far more than just dangerous,” Li Zhen said simply. “That cat demon has nine lives, and it must be killed nine times to be completely killed. A monk who came down from Maoshan killed it once, and his descendants spent hundreds of years killing it seven more times. It is only by killing him one last time that it can be completely killed.”

Even a novice like Zhang Dadan could sense the terrifying power of the cat demon.

Nine lives...

They've been killing them for hundreds of years but haven't been able to completely kill them...

This is simply an absolutely terrifying beast!
So, when he tracked down to the Changsheng Inn, he almost saw the cat demon?
He felt fortunate for his good luck, but also felt a lingering fear, saying, "I found the place you were looking for that smelled fishy; I almost got killed by it!"

Li Zhen shook his head: "It is seriously injured and dares not come out now. Even if you encounter it, it probably won't take the initiative to kill you."

"It's still terrifying." Zhang Dadan wiped his sweat. "I don't dare take you to that horrible place anymore."

At this moment, Master Xu interjected, "I wonder which senior from Maoshan did such a great thing to suppress such an unparalleled demon?"

He came from the Maoshan lineage, and although he was not a direct disciple of the Maoshan Shangqing sect, his lineage was clear, and he presented himself as a Maoshan disciple. He knew a lot about Maoshan, but he had never heard of the matter that Li Zhen mentioned.

Li Zhen said, "A senior from Maoshan surnamed Zhang."

After saying that, he asked in return, "Is Master Xu also a disciple of Maoshan? I wonder if he has any connection with Master Ji?"

Master Xu smiled wryly and said, "I am ashamed. Although I call myself a disciple of Maoshan, I am not a disciple of the Maoshan sect. As for Master Ji, I have long admired him, but unfortunately I have never had the chance to meet him."

Li Zhen said, "Master Ji is in Fukang County, which is only a few dozen miles away. If you have time, you can go and see him."

Master Xu's eyes lit up: "It is said that there are zombie activities in Fukang County, so it is normal for Master Ji to go there. I just did not expect Master Ji to have come to Fukang County now. I must pay my respects to Master Ji when I have time!"

Changing the subject, he suddenly asked, "I wonder what's in this car? I smell... the stench of a corpse."

Li Zhen sat up straight and lifted a corner of the carriage curtain: "Master Xu, please take a look."

Master Xu took a step forward, glanced into the carriage, and his expression suddenly changed.

Curious, Zhang Dadan tried to peek, but only saw Li Zhen lower the carriage curtain, which made him even more curious.

"So that's what it is." Master Xu took a deep breath. "This thing, like the cat demon, is no ordinary being. Even when sealed, it can still emit this kind of aura. It's truly terrifying..."

At this point, he looked at Li Zhen and said, "I see that some of those talismans are from Maoshan, and the sealing techniques also show traces of Maoshan. Could it be the work of Master Ji?"

After seeing what was inside, he had no more doubts about the connection between Li Zhen and Master Ji.

Having practiced Maoshan magic for so many years, he was very familiar with Maoshan talisman techniques and believed that he could not possibly have made a mistake.

Outside Maoshan Gate, Ji Tianshi, who led his disciples down the mountain to subdue demons and monsters, held a supreme position, and no one dared to disrespect him.

With the Heavenly Master's endorsement, he no longer doubted what Li Zhen said.

After saying the above, he immediately added, "To be honest, according to Zhang Dadan, the area with the strongest fishy smell is at the Changsheng Inn, and my senior brother is staying at the Changsheng Inn. This matter may be related to my senior brother."

Thinking of his senior brother who was obsessed with money, he sighed: "My senior brother has been greedy since he was a child. When my master was alive, he could keep him in check and not let him do anything out of line. But after my master passed away, my senior brother's true nature was revealed. He did everything he should and shouldn't have done."

"The zombie in the Ma family ancestral hall was prepared in advance by my senior brother, just to kill Zhang Dadan. I don't need to look for my senior brother, I know he must have been paid by someone else."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dadan's expression changed several times: "I knew it! How could there just happen to be a zombie! So someone really was trying to harm me! Master Xu, you're really unreliable, you didn't even tell me about this!"

Master Xu sighed again: "What's the use of telling you? If my senior brother wants to harm someone, it's impossible to guard against. Even if you don't go to the Ma family ancestral hall, he will still find a way to harm you. In that case, it will be harder to defend against him."

"I'm hiding in the shadows, and knowing his methods of harming people, I can also teach you how to escape." "I originally thought that as long as you escaped once, he might not target you again, but realistically, he will obviously do it again. The person who hired him must have paid him a lot of money."

Zhang Dadan was quite frightened: "Then I'm in big trouble?"

“It’s not just big,” Master Xu said seriously. “Although my senior brother is greedy and lustful and has forgotten our master’s teachings, his magical skills are not fake. Even if I were to break off all pretenses and fight with my senior brother, I might not be his match. We might both die together.”

"And now... you heard it too, he's hanging out with that terrifying cat demon again, who knows what they're plotting."

Zhang Dadan swallowed hard and pleaded with Li Zhen, "Master, you must save me! I've already investigated that place for you, you...you..."

"Don't worry, now that I'm here, I won't just watch you die in vain." Li Zhen stuffed the somewhat restless red-eyed bat into the carriage. "Since this matter involves Master Xu's senior brother, Master Xu should take action."

Master Xu nodded: "This matter is indeed related to me, but even if my senior brother and another demon were added, I would still be no match for them."

After thinking for a moment, Li Zhen said, "Tonight, they will probably manipulate that zombie to harm Zhang Dadan. I will go to the Ma Family Ancestral Hall with Zhang Dadan. If possible, I will fight them from a distance, break their spell, lure the cat demon out, and then try to suppress it, or at least injure it again."

"Master Xu should lie in ambush near the Longevity Inn. If he discovers that the cat demon is trying to escape or is about to harm anyone, he should stop it."

Master Xu hesitated and said, "That cat demon is so powerful, I'm afraid I can't stop it."

Li Zhen said, "As long as we can hold it off for a while, I'll get there."

Seeing that Master Xu was still a little worried, Li Zhen comforted him, "That cat demon only had one life left before, and it was injured. It's not as strong as before. It's hiding and not daring to come out now, so it must be healing. There's no need to worry about it too much."

Master Xu nodded: "Alright, then I'll do as you say. I'll go back to the mortuary in Shili Pu to prepare some things, and then wait next to the Changsheng Inn."

"Based on my understanding of my senior brother, he will likely cast the spell around 2 AM. Fellow Daoist, please be prepared."

Turning to Zhang Dadan, he instructed, "Be careful yourself too."

After saying that, he turned and left decisively.

Zhang Dadan watched Xu Zhenren's figure disappear, then glanced at the colors and looked at Li Zhen: "Master, it's getting dark soon, what should we do now?"

Li Zhen glanced at the sky and then said, "Go prepare some food, I'll wait for you here. After you come back, we'll go to the Ma Family Ancestral Hall together."

Zhang Dadan responded and ran towards the city.

But after running a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around and said to Li Zhen with a bitter face, "If I go back to the city like this, will that monster come looking for me?"

Li Zhen said speechlessly, "You're just a nobody, why would it go to all this trouble to find you? But things might change once the person who wants to harm you casts their spell tonight."

Zhang Dadan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to run into the city.

Li Zhen returned to the carriage to continue resting.

The red-eyed bat pounced on Li Zhen and rubbed against his arm.

"Don't eat them. They're all good people. They'll find you something good to eat tonight." Li Zhen patted the red-eyed bat's head to comfort it.

Actually, if the red-eyed bats had fully recovered, this matter wouldn't have needed to be so complicated.

If the Mahjong Ghost were also there, things wouldn't necessarily be so complicated.

The problem now is that after the battle with the Corpse King, Li Zhen's allies were either crippled or escaped, and he has not yet recovered from what was in some sense his weakest state.

Although he has many methods of his own, evil creatures such as red-eyed bats and demonic fetuses are also indispensable.

If these evil entities go wrong, they will encounter trouble whenever they want to do something, like now.

Zhang Dadan left quickly and returned just as fast. Before it got dark, he returned to Li Zhen's carriage with a lot of delicious food and eagerly offered it to Li Zhen.

Seeing that Li Zhen didn't take off his straw hat even while eating, Zhang Dadan felt a little strange, but didn't say anything.

After finishing his meal, Zhang Dadan patted his bottom, stood up from beside the carriage, and said he would lead the way.

Li Zhen had Zhang Dadan get into the carriage and drove directly to the Ma Family Ancestral Hall.

Driving a carriage was Zhang Dadan's specialty. He had driven such carriages before, so he happily climbed onto the carriage, lashed the horse's back with his whip, and drove the carriage toward the Ma Family Ancestral Hall.

On the swaying carriage, Zhang Dadan glanced back and, through a corner of the curtain lifted, vaguely saw a "person" covered in talismans and dressed in tattered clothes lying in the carriage.

He only glanced at it, but felt a chill run down his spine and quickly looked away, not daring to look again.

The carriage soon arrived in front of the Ma Family Ancestral Hall.

This place has long been abandoned and has been rumored to be haunted, so few people dare to come here during the day.

Apart from Zhang Dadan's activity, there was no sign of any living person here.

After parking the carriage in a suitable location and tying up the horses, Zhang Dadan led Li Zhen into the Ma Family Ancestral Hall.

Just as Li Zhen had predicted, the Ma family ancestral hall was on the verge of collapse, with not a single good wall or door panel.

Leading Li Zhen into the ancestral hall, Zhang Dadan looked at the dilapidated coffin placed in the center of the hall and said fearfully, "The zombie is inside."

Li Zhen looked at the coffin and could indeed sense the aura of death inside, but it wasn't very strong. It should be an ordinary purple or white zombie.

He tidied up a clean spot and sat down directly.

Zhang Dadan ran to Li Zhen's side and whispered, "What should I do now?"

Li Zhen casually said, "Let's tidy up a clean place for sleeping."

"Sleep? Okay!" Zhang Dadan cleared out a clean spot away from the coffin and tried lying down.

Time flies by.

When the moon was high in the sky, the coffin lid suddenly shook.

"Mage..."

Lying on the ground, Zhang Dadan, who had been keeping an eye on the coffin, felt a sudden jolt in his heart and quickly looked at Li Zhen, only to find that Li Zhen was already looking at the coffin.

(End of this chapter)