This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Chapter 103 The Japanese sorcerers arrive, surrounding and killing Zhong Bai.
Hearing Tan Sitong's praise, Zhong Bai felt a little embarrassed, after all, it was someone else's stuff, and the rightful owner was right in front of him.

Although it's a parallel world and some things are different from before his rebirth, Zhong Bai still felt that Tan Sitong was the same upright and fearless man who faced death without fear.

"Mr. Tan, there's no need for such praise. If I were to say that this poem was written by you in the future, I believe you would believe me."

Upon hearing this, Tan Sitong was taken aback at first, then laughed out loud, "Master Qianhe, I do find it hard to believe, but since you address me as 'sir,' it is enough to show that you are very knowledgeable and at least have some understanding of the West."

Tan Jixun watched his son chatting happily with Zhong Bai and couldn't help but feel fortunate. His son might not understand what Qianhe in front of him represented, but Tan Jixun knew very well that the other party was going to be the leader of Maoshan Sect in the future!
The leader of the Maoshan sect!
Not to mention that the Qing Dynasty is now in decline to the point of imminent collapse, even during its heyday, the leaders of Maoshan Sect wouldn't give them a second thought.

Even Qing Dynasty princes had to consider whether the leader of Maoshan was in the mood to meet him.

Taking a deep breath, Tan Jixun interrupted Tan Sitong, who wanted to continue the conversation.

"Alright, Sitong, Daoist Qianhe has just arrived in Wuchang Prefecture. This is the main street, not the place to talk. We should go back to the Tan residence first and then properly entertain Daoist Qianhe."

"Oh, yes, yes, Father is absolutely right. Look at my brain, it's been so captivated by your knowledge, Master, that I've completely forgotten about this matter."

"Master Qianhe, please!"

Zhong Bai nodded. "You're too kind, Mr. Tan, Mr. Tan."

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhong Bai boarded the sedan chair prepared by the Tan family and returned to the Tan residence, where a banquet had already been prepared.

At the banquet, Tan Jixun did not mention Yangwu County at all, but instead had his son and Zhong Bai discuss their interests with each other.

The shrewd insight of this seasoned official made him realize that his son seemed to have some interest in the other party.

Sure enough, Zhong Bai looked at Tan Sitong and finally couldn't help but say something like that.

"Mr. Tan, if the captain doesn't want to repair the dilapidated ship, it's meaningless for the sailors on board to want to repair the entire ship."

What does Mr. Tan think?

Zhong Bai's reminder was very subtle, mainly because some things couldn't be said directly. This was the Tan residence, and who knew if there were spies who might implicate the Tan family because of this.

"Clearly, although he was initially puzzled, Tan Sitong quickly understood the deeper meaning behind Zhong Bai's words."

His eyes dimmed slightly. "Master Qianhe must know some of my views, but I have been educated from childhood to adulthood with the Four Books and Five Classics, and the importance of loyalty to the emperor and the country. Your ideas are really too advanced. I... I... sigh!"

Tan Jixun was very perceptive; the moment he heard the topic, he waved for all the servants to leave.

Zhong Bai looked directly into the other person's eyes and finally said what he wanted to say.

"Some people would consider my words heretical, but I still want to say that the Qing Dynasty is doomed to fail and has rotted to the core."

The changes are nothing more than minor, insignificant tweaks. Mr. Tan may have a heart set on saving the country and its people, but he must also be mindful of his own safety!

Zhong Bai's words made the Tan family father and son fall into deep thought. He left it at that, feeling that if the other party understood, they would not repeat the same mistakes.

If you still end up on the same path, then it can only be said that fate had already arranged everything.

After the banquet, Zhong Bai left the Tan residence. He did not choose to get too close to the Tan family. He knew that he would eventually be at odds with the Qing court. Having a meal together was fine, but getting too involved would be a crime.

Walking through Wuchang Prefecture, Zhong Bai originally planned to find an inn to rest, but just as he entered a deserted street, his expression suddenly changed!
"Hehe, the Governor-General of Huguang wanted to settle things peacefully, but some scoundrels just wouldn't give up."

"Since that's the case, then let this humble Taoist see what you Eight Banner soldiers are capable of!"

At Zhong Bai's shout, the sound of orderly footsteps approached from both sides of the street, led by none other than Wuchang Prefecture Admiral General Wuerhe.

Although Tan Jixun was a rank higher, Admiral Wuerhe just couldn't swallow this insult. Why couldn't they, as Manchu soldiers, who had lost hundreds of men, lay a hand on a Han Chinese Taoist priest?
Fueled by this resentment, he had been prepared from the moment Zhong Bai entered Wuchang Prefecture. Only after Tan Jixun lowered his guard did he find an opportunity to trap Zhong Bai there.

Looking at the young Zhong Bai, Urhe was furious. This young Taoist priest had caused him to lose hundreds of soldiers. How could he tolerate it?
"Fire arrows!"

Without any further words, Urge immediately ordered the arrows to be released. In an instant, a hundred archers on both sides of the street drew their bows and aimed directly at Zhong Bai, intending to kill him.

Zhong Bai shook his head at these childish claims, saying he wouldn't give up until he hit rock bottom.

Perhaps I was too lenient in killing several hundred Manchu soldiers...

"The profound origin of Heaven and Earth, the root of all Qi. Through countless eons of cultivation, I have attained divine powers. Within and beyond the Three Realms, only the Dao is supreme. My body is enveloped in golden light!"

Golden light surged from Zhong Bai's body. As the arrows flew towards him, his body shone brightly, and all the arrows lost their force and fell to the ground when they were three feet away from Zhong Bai.

Seeing that the arrows were ineffective against the enemy, Urge refused to believe it!
"Keep shooting!"

Round after round of arrows rained down until all the archers ran out of arrows, at which point Urhe looked at Zhong Bai with a solemn expression.

"My friends from Japan, it's time for you to show yourselves!"

Urge came prepared; in addition to leading his army himself, he also brought several Japanese sorcerers with him.

As Urhe finished speaking, eight figures in black robes appeared in front of Zhong Bai.

"Japanese sorcerers... I didn't expect that I would find your trail so quickly!"

Zhong Bai smiled, somewhat disdainful of the arrival of this group of Japanese sorcerers. They were just shikigami; his Samadhi Fire was nothing to them.

"Ursang, let's do it together!"

As soon as the somewhat unrefined words of a Japanese sorcerer faded, a dozen or so men wielding swords stepped out from behind Urhe.

"Oh? A martial artist..."

Zhong Bai was somewhat surprised; it seemed the other party had really gone to great lengths to keep him here!

The Tan residence.

Tan Sitong looked at his father with mixed feelings, and after a moment of silence, he couldn't help but ask.

"Father, you know that Urhe might ambush Daoist Qianhe on the way, so why didn't you leave Daoist Qianhe at the Tan residence?"

Tan Jixun looked at his son and couldn't help but sigh, "Sitong, it's not that your father doesn't want to do this, but that he can't."

Urhe is a Manchu general. As his father, I can use my position to suppress him once, but I can't suppress him a second time. And Master Qianhe is not as simple as you think!
Master Qianhe said something very true today: "Preserve yourself..."

Tan Sitong fell silent. He understood what his father meant. Clearly, whether Zhong Bai slaughtered all of Urhe's Eight Banner soldiers or Urhe successfully intercepted and killed Zhong Bai, the Tan family would not be involved.

"Father...sigh!"

Tan Sitong could only sigh and silently pray for Zhong Bai.

Zhong Bai's situation was not as difficult as Tan Sitong had imagined. The Japanese sorcerers who came were only at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining, and there was only one shikigami that had broken through to the late stage of Ghost Soldier.

Such pressure might make it difficult for an ordinary young cultivator to survive, but for Zhong Bai, it was incredibly easy.

Whoosh whoosh!
These Japanese sorcerers, besides being cultivators, also practiced some ninjutsu. While throwing hidden weapons at Zhong Bai, they didn't forget to control their shikigami to move forward.

In response, Zhong Bai unleashed a torrent of qi and blood from his entire body, coupled with the Golden Light Divine Incantation. This not only deflected the hidden weapon but also caused the Japanese sorcerer's shikigami to feel intense heat.

"Five Thunderbolts of the Divine Firmament, heed my command!"

Zhong Bai's true essence, at the ninth level of Qi Refining, flowed continuously through the Thunder Seal and condensed in his palm. Seeing the shikigami charging at him again, Zhong Bai showed no mercy. A bolt of lightning struck the shikigami, instantly dissipating its ghostly aura. This mid-stage ghost soldier shikigami vanished into thin air.

The speed was too fast. As Zhong Bai used his lightning escape technique, purple afterimages kept flowing across the street, and the mournful howls made Urhe's face darken.

"You guys go and help too!"

With a wave of his hand, the warriors behind him drew their swords and charged forward. Zhong Bai was not deterred; his lightning strikes were deadly, and these mere warriors were nothing more than guards who had not even reached the Transcendent Realm. It was no different from giving them away for free.

As more and more people on his side died, Urge began to feel some fear.

After Zhong Bai snapped the neck of the last Japanese sorcerer, Urhe began to struggle with his decision.

But Zhong Bai wouldn't give him that chance.

He lunged forward, drawing his spirit sword Blue Cat from its sheath. The lightning vanished, and the sword flashed with light.

Severed limbs, broken armor, shouts of battle, the sound of horses' hooves, and pleas for mercy mingled together.

In an instant, blood flowed like a river in the alley, and the number of soldiers around Urhe dwindled until Zhong Bai's spirit sword, Blue Cat, slit his throat. Urhe died without understanding why the two thousand soldiers he brought, with their superior weapons, had met such an end.

Boom!
When Zhong Bai walked out of the alley, it was already dark and gloomy. In the pitch-black night, a thunderstorm fell, and the blood in the alley was washed away by the rain.

Zhong Bai, meanwhile, continued his journey northward in the rain, feeling a bit chilly.

As the rain fell on Zhong Bai, the Yin-Yang Water and Fire Robe emitted a burst of light, automatically repelling all the raindrops and giving Zhong Bai a sliver of light in the darkness.

Inside the Tan residence.

It was already late at night, and Tan Sitong and his son were pacing back and forth in the hall. Tan Sitong's face showed obvious anxiety, while Tan Jixun, though old and frail, remained calm.

With a creak, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter!"

As soon as Tan Jixun spoke, the person outside quickly pushed the door open and entered.

"Tell me, what's the situation? Is it... Master Qianhe..."

The man shook his head. “Master, the situation is somewhat unexpected. All two thousand Eight Banner soldiers died in the alley, along with several Japanese sorcerers. As for Master Qianhe, I did not see him.”

Oh, sir, Urge is dead!

Upon hearing the news of Urge's death, Tan Jixun felt an unbearable headache, indicating that the matter could no longer be suppressed.

Even he, as the Governor-General of Huguang, could only report the matter to the imperial court.

However, since Urge is dead, how this matter is narrated is up to Tan Jixun, which can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"Sitong, can you rest easy now?"

Looking at his son, Tan Jixun felt somewhat helpless. Upon hearing this, Tan Sitong let out a heavy sigh, "Father, I understand!"

The rain tonight is heavy, blurring the vision of too many people and concealing too much killing in the darkness.

The next day dawned.

As the sounds of gongs and drums resounded, the entire Wuchang Prefecture was shaken.

Two thousand Manchu soldiers died in an alley—this is huge news!

Taking time off is so tiring!
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(End of this chapter)