Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 832 Starting with the Finishing Touches

Xu Xuan slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was the familiar dome inside the imperial carriage.

The twinkling starlight traced the paths of the celestial sphere. Beneath me lay a soft silk cushion, and a faint, calming fragrance lingered around my nose.

In fact, he woke up very quickly, and the imperial carriage had only just left the Dongting Lake area.

After all, it was just a matter of a broken foundation, depleted soul, regressed realm, disintegrated golden body, severed meridians, and sealed acupoints. There was no need to mention the internal organs and bones.

It didn't hurt much this time either, because I was numb.

It felt as if all the nerves in my body had been disconnected; I couldn't even feel anything in my fingertips. I just watched myself being manipulated like a rag doll, which felt quite strange.

Of course, Baoan Hall did attempt to resuscitate the person; otherwise, the person would not have just been numb, but dead.

Upon closer inspection, a unique blood energy was nourishing the damaged body. The medicinal power was rich and contained a watery essence, most likely contributed by Turtle... Hopefully, it wasn't taken on the spot.

The swirling energy within the inner landscape should be the innate purple energy elixir of the Shangqing School. Wherever the purple energy passes, the broken meridians are slowly being repaired.

In addition, there were various miscellaneous medicinal forces mixed in with his body, including externally applied ointments, internally taken pills, and even a few talismanic powers flowing between his acupoints, barely maintaining his vitality.

If one were to take a detailed account, the names of these medicinal herbs could probably fill thousands of words, including many rare treasures that an ordinary cultivator might never see in their entire life.

"Looks like all these years of hard work haven't been in vain..." Xu Xuan chuckled to himself.

After sensing his own condition, he forced himself to stay alert and slowly scanned the people inside the imperial carriage.

It's normal for there to be casualties in a bloody battle.

He recalled the overwhelming demonic souls at the final moments of the battlefield, and those terrifying ancient shadows, each one enough to shatter the soul of an ordinary cultivator.

Although everyone is said to be carrying the destiny of heaven and the protection of the Confucian blessing of heaven, it is still possible that someone might be unlucky.
After looking around, it seems the most miserable ones are myself and... Qingyou.

The others were just listless and had some external injuries.

Master Mao's beard was half gone, the left side cut off at the root, while the right side remained intact; the hem of his Taoist robe was torn into tassels, yet he still stubbornly maintained his ethereal and otherworldly sitting posture.

Yan Chixia's face was swollen, looking like a steamed bun stuffed inside. His right hand, holding the sword, trembled uncontrollably, but his back remained ramrod straight.

Of the new Shushan Swordsmen team, only Li Yingqi remained energetic; the other four were practically collapsed in the car. Even the three heroes looked like homeless people, and Ji Rui was still apologizing to Bai Lu.

As for Xiaoqing...

His gaze fell on her, and he was both amused and exasperated.

The girl was sleeping in a crooked position, coiled around Bai Suzhen like a snake, her head resting on Bai Suzhen's lap. Her golden eyes were closed, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she were having a sweet dream.

The girl in white was indeed fair-skinned and beautiful. Her delicate profile, slightly furrowed brows, and the shadows cast by her drooping eyelashes... were all so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

In particular, her eyes were as clear as West Lake after the rain, shimmering and deep as the starry sky, as if they held endless stories.

Strange, why would I have such a thought?

Suddenly realizing what was happening, I felt a chill run down my spine and quickly glanced at the other side.

I caught a glimpse of that horrific figure in the corner.

Qingyou the monk had an eerie bluish-white complexion, and his skin was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, as if it would shatter into pieces at the slightest touch.

The dense cracks were just as numerous as itself.

The Buddhist light emanating from the crevices was mending these wounds, while Guangliang, sitting to the side, was looking at Xu Xuan with resentful eyes.

Mr. Xu ignored it; the situation was so urgent that he couldn't care less about anything else.

It is said that the monk Qingyou also took the initiative to cover the retreat, which explains why he was beaten so badly.

It has nothing to do with me anyway.

His gaze unconsciously drifted back to her, continuing to marvel at how beautiful Miss Bai was.

Then Bai Suzhen tapped his forehead with her finger, and a cool breath entered, helping him to focus his thoughts.

Oh, forgot.

Xu Xuan suddenly realized that his unusually active thoughts at this moment were not accidental.

He tried to use his divine sense to look inward and indeed found the problem.

Originally, one should not have reached the state of "detachment from desires and purity" through the Pure Land practice, and one should have the first-class mental cultivation method, the "True Scripture of the White Lotus Descending to Earth," to protect one's state of mind.

But at this moment, the soul is like a shattered glass lamp, unable to restrain the restless mind. Those distracting thoughts that were suppressed by Buddhist teachings grow wildly like weeds, rampaging through the sea of ​​consciousness.

That's why Xu Xuan had these absurd ideas.

Normally, these thoughts would be purified by the white lotus image as soon as they arise.

For others, a disordered mind might at most result in a qi deviation, but for Xu Xuan, it could be a matter of life and death.

Those memories from another world, those insights that transcend time, once leaked out of control... will incur divine retribution.

He then used the method of "Guarding the One and Returning to the Spirit" from Master Mao's "Book of Divine Ways" to regulate himself. This method is a rare one that can be practiced by newcomers to the Tao, which is very interesting.

The cool spiritual energy that Bai Suzhen brought became a stabilizing force, temporarily calming the turbulent sea of ​​consciousness.

Xu Xuan seized this precious opportunity and began to sort out the post-war matters.

The once solemn and sacred image was now covered in cracks, creaking as it turned. Gathering even a trace of spiritual energy was like an old ox pulling a broken cart—extremely strenuous. But at least... it was still usable.

It took him a full incense stick's time to sort out his thoughts.

First, we need to get a group of people off the bus. Without my and Master Qing's supervision, everyone has become far too lax.

The end of a battle is not counted from when the BOSS is defeated, but only after everything is finished.

The current turmoil in Dongting Lake is so turbulent that it also involves the Dongting Lake demons who have not been fully subdued, making the cleanup process even more complicated and complex.

The settlement time hasn't arrived yet, and the second half will be a tough challenge for Baoantang.

So he opened his mouth and said, "Aba, Aba..."

Helpless, Bai Suzhen could only temporarily repair someone's mouth, which was comparable to a great supernatural power, using her Taoist magic.

The imperial carriage then became the temporary command center.

"Ahem, Turtle Big."

The turtle understood instantly, and its short, thick front claws steadily caught the small jade gourd.

This is a treasure that contains the true spirit of the demon race, and it is also the tool used to capture the demon race of Dongting Lake.

King Xiaoqing was fast asleep, his golden eyes tightly closed, and there was a suspicious water stain on the corner of his mouth, so he was obviously not to be relied upon.

Only he, a top agent who had once infiltrated Dongting Lake, could do it.

It deftly stuffed the small gourd into the crack of the tortoise shell, then turned around and appointed the two guardian deities, Qilishi and Qilicha, as its assistants.

The three-zhang-tall, domineering ghost king already possesses immense power of intimidation in Dongting Lake.

With the help of the Taihu Lake demons, including Yu Bai in the water, this matter will not be difficult.

It's finally the turtle's turn to show its skills in the job of exorcising demons and raiding homes!
Then he jumped off the vehicle and rode the clouds back to Dongting Lake.

"Ahem, Yingqi, can the new Shushan Swordsmen hold on?"

Who is Li Yingqi? He is the leader of the Three Heroes and Two Clouds, the direct disciple of Qing, the head of Baoan Hall, and the rightful successor of the Yue Nu Sword. He is someone who cares a lot about his reputation.

He ripped off the blood-stained bandage from his arm, revealing the newly scabbed wound underneath.

She waved her hand dismissively: "Those small fry in Yunmeng Marsh aren't even qualified to warm up for me!"

Although she was somewhat listless and tired, she was not intimidated at all.

This is the spirit of charging ahead in every battle.

The four friends behind him stared wide-eyed; they were really having a tough time.

"That's good. Let's lead the new Shushan swordsmen along Dongting Lake to practice their chivalrous ways."

“Kill all the demons who cause trouble, regardless of whether they are friend or foe.”

Well, these are things you have to do even if you have to grit your teeth.

Each person swallowed a handful of pills, and feeling the surging medicinal power in their meridians, they immediately felt confident. As for what happened afterward... they could slowly repair their foundation.

The spiritual philosophy of Baoan Hall is so advanced and extreme.

As the five sword lights burst forth from the imperial carriage, Li Yingqi took the lead, his purple and blue sword energy leaving a hundred-meter-long tail in the night sky, cleaving through the clouds wherever it passed.

Four sword lights from behind were also chasing desperately; whoever backed down was a coward.

"Brother Yan, I would like to trouble you to go to Wuchang County and take charge of the Baoan Hall branch."

"That is a crucial point for the transfer of supplies."

Relief supplies and medicines prepared months in advance are now being transported to Wuchang via the Yangtze River. Although Zhuge Yu is capable, he may not be able to handle the overwhelming influx of disaster victims and the watchful eyes of various forces.

Not to mention... some demons and monsters have probably already smelled the blood.

Yan Chixia immediately accepted the order and left.

"Master, lead your disciples to do what we should do. Travel through the five surrounding prefectures to heal the sick and save lives."

Xu Xuan's tone became even more serious. Compared to the fierce fighting with swords flashing, this was the truly tough battle.

The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic states: "Dampness harms people, causing many diseases such as cholera."

Floods can create conditions for the spread of infectious diseases by damaging the environment, sanitation facilities, and the health of the population.

A great flood is always followed by a great epidemic, and more people die from the disease than from the flood itself.

For example, during the Yongle reign in history, a major epidemic broke out in Jianchang and Fuzhou in Jiangxi Province, and Jianning and Shaowu in Fujian Province, with more than 80,000 people dying.

In the ninth year of the Zhengtong reign (1444), the Yangtze River sandbar overflowed with high tide, drowning over a thousand people. Subsequently, a plague broke out in Shaoxing, Ningbo, Taizhou, and other places, with the death toll exceeding 30,000.

The Taoist priest's skills and duties are most suitable and reassuring, and this is the perfect time to cleanse the world of its pathogenic energy.

However, because of the precedent set by Taiping Dao, the imperial court did not allow civilian organizations to carry out large-scale cross-regional disaster relief. The previous good deeds of Baoantang were all within the limits.

This time, we might have to cross a line a bit.

So there is still danger, and it might even cause some people to worry about it.

But as I said before, this isn't the first time our Baoan Hall has risked our lives. Even the Taoist priest himself is a true hero who has gone through fire and water.

What are you afraid of?

If anyone tries to stop them, all they will do is kill them.

(End of this chapter)