Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 890 The Chaotic Two Sides

As expected, the lurking plague demons on the earth did not retaliate after the golden dragon collapsed.

Last year's dragon fire that burned the entire land was so thorough that the newly formed ash fog over the past year is pitifully thin.

In Yangzhou, the peach wood charms in front of every household moved without wind, the cinnabar-painted charms flickering and extinguishing the plague demons that tried to invade like a spider web.

Although there was some unrest in other prefectures and counties, the natural world operates according to its own rules, and the alternation of yin and yang eventually dissipated the insignificant haze.

Only in a few ancient battlefield ruins and mass graves are there some sinister creatures stirring, but they cannot cause any trouble.

Although the process of renewal has been interrupted, it continues to advance slowly. Just like a mighty river, even though it is blocked by huge rocks, it will eventually flow eastward.

The real chaos occurred in only two places.

The Bao'an Hall in Qiantang was currently being overwhelmed by a massive amount of intelligence. Even more absurdly, among these urgent reports were dozens of "letters of request for battle" in various handwritings:
"Master Xu! When will we head north? I am willing to be the vanguard!"

Xu Xuan speechlessly tossed aside the letter of challenge, whose handwriting was terrible but whose sword aura was soaring.

Did I say I wanted to rebel?
What exactly are you trying to do? Last year, I was only forced to slap that bastard to activate the dragon energy of humanity.

Honestly... that palm strike felt great, but that's not a reason for my northern expedition.

What made him even more dumbfounded was the letter from his sect. The nameless old monk had sent him a palm leaf with the inscription: "The golden alms bowl is ready. Would you like it?"

“Buddha above…” Xu Xuan sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Our Pure Land Sect is supposed to be a reputable and righteous sect that guards all sides, so how come they are all more belligerent than the Demonic Sect?”

He froze as soon as he said it.

Think of Senior Brother Ruoxu's heroic figure chasing after the great demon of the Northern Border, think of the earlier "demon monk"'s illusionary operation on the mural, and go back further to the story of the White Lotus Saint Mother overturning half of the cultivation world.
“Okay…” Xu Xuan awkwardly touched his nose, “Indeed, they are of the same lineage.”

Zu Ting's protectiveness was understandable, but his expression became quite subtle when he unfolded the jade slip sent by Bailu Academy.

“My dear brother Hanwen: I have heard that you intend to undertake a great undertaking, and I have prepared this jade disc to assist you.”

The signature at the end was Shen Shan's elegant and flamboyant handwriting.

"Old Shen..." Xu Xuan held the jade slip, somewhat bewildered. "When did I ever tell you the story of how I dressed in red and summoned a dragon?"

But then I thought again, that "Azure Jade" used for the sacrificial ceremony was indeed a rare treasure, capable of mobilizing literary fortune and blessing the fortune of humanity...

"Well, since you've said so..." Xu swiftly stuffed the jade slip into his sleeve, a helpless yet secretly pleased expression on his face. "I'll remember this favor and use it next time."

Why is Zhang Hua from the underworld getting involved? Is the underworld paying so much attention to the mortal world now?

It was also said that the five major Ghost Emperor dojos were simultaneously shrinking their defensive range in preparation for the impact on the mortal realm.

Montenegro has slid to the brink of the Sixth Great Prison and is preparing to seek refuge in the open sea at any time.

As for?
I really want to fly up to the sky and shout that this time it really wasn't me.

But it was no use; I was burdened by my reputation.

I can only hope that the people in Luoyang will step up their game, find the real culprit, and clear my name.

Otherwise, when he arrives, he will surely cause a bloodbath!
The city of Luoyang was already engulfed in bloodshed.

The armored guards rampaged through the streets and alleys, and amidst the flashing swords, cultivators occasionally fell from the rooftops.

Archers had already taken up positions on the bell towers and watchtowers, their arrows, coated with a deadly poison, gleaming with a chilling blue light under the moonlight, coldly aimed at every suspicious figure moving at great speed. Occasionally, a cultivator who dared to defy the odds would attempt to rise into the air, only to have several crossbow bolts pierce through his protective aura the next second, causing him to fall like a bird with broken wings.

Even more terrifying was that the Imperial Observatory's "Star Observation Platform" was slowly turning, and the eighty-one demon-revealing mirrors embedded on it illuminated the entire city, leaving no place for it to hide.

It's not that the dynasty lacks resources to target cultivators; it's just that in the past, the dynasty's fortune alone was enough to provide shelter, so it has never used them.

But people these days... they're all crazy, you can't say for sure.

Great cultivators from all over the Nine Provinces activated their Water Mirror Techniques or magical treasures, and countless divine senses crossed mountains and rivers, focusing on Luoyang.

Everyone wanted to know: What kind of trouble is this humanitarian center going to cause this time?

"We can't... have another 'Dragon Roams the Nine Provinces, Slaps the Emperor' story, can we?" someone murmured, expressing the hidden worry in everyone's heart.

Many people couldn't help but glance towards the outskirts of Luoyang, their divine senses carefully scanning every inch of land on both sides of the Luo River, their hearts secretly hoping for a familiar figure.

They eagerly await the arrival of a great sorcerer in red robes, who will once again ride the waves of the Luo River to stage a world-shaking battle under the watchful eyes of the masses.

Emperor Jin thought the same thing, so he dared not go out even more, gripping the cuffs of his dragon robe tightly until his knuckles turned white. The backlash from the imperial destiny gave him a splitting headache, but compared to the slap he received three years ago, this pain was insignificant.

And... I've gotten used to it.

Three years is enough time for an emperor to develop a resilient mental fortitude. "Grand Preceptor!" he suddenly roared, "Why aren't you going to subdue the demons?!"

If I can't deal with the enemy, can't I at least deal with you?

I'm hiding here, and you're coming to 'protect' me too?
The Imperial Preceptor had no choice but to stand at the entrance of the secret chamber, the Buddha's body beneath the golden silk robe emitting a faint "click-clack" sound.

He had already cursed a thousand times in his heart, but his face remained solemn and dignified.

"Your Majesty..." The Imperial Advisor's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and he swallowed back the death knell that was about to escape his lips, replacing it with a sorrowful and resolute tone, "This old minister... will go and subdue the demons and protect Your Majesty!"

As he pushed open the heavy iron door, he silently encouraged himself:

This place is the center of human destiny, where all laws are forbidden and dragon energy suppresses all! No matter how great your supernatural powers or how boundless your magic, you will be suppressed and reduced to a mortal here!

Last year, I was merely observing cautiously and weighing the pros and cons, which led to a momentary lapse in judgment, allowing that petty thief to escape! It was not out of fear!
But the moment I stepped across the threshold, I couldn't help but tremble.

Although there are no true immortals in this world, there are several monsters that are completely unreasonable.

Thinking back to three hundred years ago, he only wanted to "form a good relationship" with the Dragon King of the Yangtze River, but he was shattered by a single claw, losing half of his demonic body. It was truly terrifying.

And that white light from Mount Shu, though three thousand miles away, almost revealed his true form. If he hadn't instantly traversed tens of millions of miles underground, he might have been caught.

Moreover, it had seen the White Lotus Mother from afar when she was dominating the land, so crazy and arrogant, so powerful and unbelievable, so evil that even demons feared her.

If it were truly invincible, why would it need to rely on the increasingly corrupt imperial fortune to carry out these underhanded schemes and tricks?

In short, how can one contend with these monsters without attaining the true form of a dragon?

He took a deep breath and slammed his nine-ringed staff into the ground. Golden Buddhist light rippled out like water, and the deadly chant brewing in his throat was ready to be unleashed. All the magical artifacts in his sleeves were activated. At this moment, the red-clad figure was sure to strike with lightning speed!
The entire city of Luoyang has become like a frightened bird.

Time flowed slowly in the suffocating silence: a quarter of an hour… a quarter of an hour… an hour…

As three full hours passed, and the last rays of the setting sun sank completely below the horizon, a chilly twilight enveloped the entire city. Almost everyone who had been on high alert felt stiff in the neck and their hands and feet were ice-cold.

it's dark.

A whole day passed, and since the golden dragon dissipated, everyone from emperors to cultivators to the lowest-ranking soldiers had been waiting in utter loneliness.

There was no red-robed great witch riding the waves as expected, no earth-shattering second duel, and not even a trace of decent spiritual energy fluctuation appeared.

As the moon rose high in the sky, its cold light bathing the desolate streets and alleys, and the occasional wisp of smoke rising from the chimneys of old mansions where people were preparing late-night snacks, the tense nerves belatedly began to relax. An absurd and embarrassing thought surfaced in everyone's mind: Could it be... a huge misunderstanding? Was it all just a mistake?

Pudu Cihang suppressed the awkward feeling in his heart and personally went forward to examine the shattered corpse of the High Priest.

A radiant light flowed from his fingertips, and after a careful examination, he frowned.

It wasn't his own elixir, nor was it any respectable spiritual poison. Instead, it was an extremely insidious and rare poison, a blend of many rare herbs and minerals, which silently eroded his heart meridian.

With another grab, he pulled the beast shaman wearing the Birch mask, who had survived by sheer luck but was now terrified, to his front. He then roughly circulated his magic power through the beast shaman's body, examining him again and again... There was indeed no problem; he was just an ordinary mortal shaman who had been scared out of his wits.

At this point, the situation seems quite clear.

It's likely that the entire city of Luoyang, from the emperor to the lowest servant, was thoroughly outmaneuvered by some hidden force!
The person behind the scenes never intended to confront them directly. Instead, they precisely exploited the collective psychological trauma caused by last year's incident and the intense focus of attention at that moment, subtly and humiliatingly disrupting this grand Nuo ritual that concerned face and fortune.

There must be a deeper conspiracy and scheme hidden behind this.

Judging from this style of doing things and the precision with which he grasped the timing within the palace, there was a very familiar feeling about him... very much like a "local," or rather, very much in line with the power struggles and conspiracies that were always present in the depths of the Luoyang imperial city.

In this city, in this palace, it's all too common for fathers and sons to kill each other, brothers to fight each other, and ministers to murder the emperor for that position.

Having figured this out, Pudu Cihang's tense heartstrings finally relaxed completely, and even a secret joy welled up within him.

It seems that the terrifying monster from last year ultimately failed to completely escape the backlash and pursuit of the Golden Dragon of Fortune, and at least for now, it dares not show itself easily again.

So, in this city of Luoyang, am I still the most powerful person right now?
In an instant, that detached and enlightened monk's demeanor returned to him.

He straightened his slightly disheveled golden robe, his face regained its compassionate and solemn countenance, and the nine-ringed staff in his hand emitted a clear ringing sound, as if the person who had been on high alert and ready to fight just now was not him at all.

His gaze swept over the still bewildered soldiers and cultivators around him, and the Grand Preceptor spoke slowly in a tone that blended detachment and authority, his voice carrying far and wide:

“Amitabha. It is inappropriate for a person outside the secular world to interfere in human affairs. Since His Majesty has made a wise decision on this matter, the law will also make a fair judgment. Since the demons have already fled far away, this humble monk will not linger any longer.”

Having said that, he actually flicked his sleeves, his body shimmering with Buddhist light, and gracefully departed amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd, concealing his merit and fame.

All that remained was a scene of utter devastation and a city of weary souls, scattered and disoriented in the night wind.

(End of this chapter)