A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 167 A Thousand Miles of Hidden Dragons: How Can It Be Said There Is No One?

The government's granary was located in the eastern corner of the city. After the news from the Imperial Guard arrived, all the elite troops that could be mobilized in the vicinity were put on alert.

Those with exceptional martial arts skills from the government offices and the army were stationed both inside and outside the granaries to oversee operations.

Most of these people were dressed in light armor, but one of them, who was regarded as the backbone of the group, was dressed in the robes of a civil official, with high cheekbones, a long white beard, a sword on his left side and a dart pouch on his other side.

Suddenly, a loud bang came from about two or three miles away, followed by a sentence that made everyone's faces turn pale.

"With Shao Lingxiao here, who dares to come looking for him?"

The sound wasn't particularly loud when it reached this point, but the faint echoes, carried from high places and far away, reverberated through the streets and alleys, among the houses, lingering around the blue bricks and eaves.

This seems to give the statement an irresistible, inescapable magic.

Those who heard the voice near the granary felt their internal energy surge, as if it were about to resonate with the rhythm of the words, deviating from its original path of internal energy flow.

The higher a person's skill level, the clearer this feeling becomes.

"Shao Lingxiao!"

This name was familiar to everyone present; it was the name of the leader of the evil cult that had been mentioned on the streets for the past ten years.

The story of the five grandmasters slaying the leader of the demonic sect has been told and performed countless times, and has inspired countless young people and passionate young martial artists to yearn for those peerless masters and the profound mysteries of divine skills.

If someone had heard this name not long ago, they might have thought it was just a coincidence. But after receiving news of the resurgence of the Demonic Sect and the rampage of evil people, if someone suddenly introduced themselves with this name, probably no one would dare to doubt the authenticity of their identity.

Following the deafening blast of air and the disturbing, eerie sounds, a bolt of lightning struck from a clear sky.

It was a deafening roar, both explosive and muffled, that could only be heard beneath the heavy, oppressive clouds that seemed to weigh down a thousand acres of wind and rain.

Unlike the previous demonic sound, which resonated more deeply with those who were skilled, this deafening roar had no distinction between high and low status, bringing the same experience to everyone.

The soldiers guarding the granary, and even the people on the streets, in teahouses, taverns, mansions, and residences, young and old, all within a radius of several miles, heard the sound.

One sound followed another, each more muffled than the last. Many people seemed to smell the dark clouds, the wind and rain, and the thunder and lightning in these sounds, and felt a slight coolness and dampness, and involuntarily raised their heads.

But the sun still blazed overhead, its rays reaching far and wide, illuminating everything and making the black tiles on the eaves paler, turning the blue bricks grayish-white, and making the hairpins tied up in the hair shine slightly.

"This isn't thunder!"

The government officials and military officers guarding outside the granary finally realized what was happening and exchanged glances.

"Could it be... the sound of drums?"

"Is there a master drumming? What is Shao Lingxiao planning to do?"

Everyone was filled with trepidation, gripping their weapons tightly and gazing in the direction from which the sound had come.

The muffled thud grew increasingly dull, transforming from a series of explosive and shocking sounds into a lingering vibration that seemed to be hidden deep within the heavy clouds.

Suddenly, another tremor erupted, accompanied by a deafening roar and the melodious, clear sounds of countless shattered jade and silver plates colliding. The sounds were numerous and chaotic, like raindrops flying everywhere.

Everyone's ears were telling them that they were experiencing a heavy rain that had come to the city. The different sounds that fell on the streets, houses, leaves, pots, and water tanks, near and far, were all experiences brought to them by the heavy rain.

The mist stirred up by the rain blurred and enveloped everything outside. The only people who could be seen were the family and friends inside the house.

But they couldn't see any raindrops, and when they reached out their hands, they couldn't catch even a single drop of rain, only the high, bright sun.

Many people found it hard to accept such a disparity, and some even simply closed their eyes, found a place to sit down nearby, and leaned against the wall, attracting the attention of passersby.

They couldn't help but forget the sunshine, welcome the rain, embrace the sound of the rain, and put aside those trivial matters that perhaps didn't need to be so anxious about, enjoying this "rain" baptism.

The officials and soldiers at the granary had their duties to fulfill, so naturally they couldn't make such a choice with a clear conscience.

The more wondrous the experience brought by the sound of rain, the more alert they became, resisting the sound with intense hostility. The soldiers, both young and old, were increasingly tense.

Finally, a figure came rushing towards them from the direction they were looking at.

Many people instinctively drew back their bowstrings and leveled their spears, but fortunately, the long-bearded civil official raised his hand in time to stop them: "Wait."

The person who came was a friend, not an enemy. The face with the blindfold and only one eye open was a familiar one to many.

"uncle!!"

The one-eyed man approached, but his lightness skill was too fast, and he tripped and tumbled. He scrambled to the long-bearded civil official's side and grabbed his sleeve.

"The Demon Cult Leader has arrived, and a pipa player is blocking his way, and they've even made a bet..."

He spoke hastily and incoherently, but the one-eyed man repeated a few key points in a rambling manner, and still managed to make his meaning clear to others.

The people around him had various expressions. Some said with a hint of disbelief, "Is he really the leader of the Demonic Sect?"

"Shortly after he left Laojun Mountain, he commanded hundreds of demons to wreak havoc. From what we have heard, he has caused at least a dozen major disturbances within the city. The tragic events that those demons encountered in the villages and caravans they passed through are still not fully described in the news from the Imperial Guard, but one can imagine what they were like."

"Why didn't you take immediate action after arriving here, but instead made this kind of bet?"

In the minds of many people in the Tang Dynasty, Shao Lingxiao's image was like that of a hellish demon in temple murals—powerful, terrifying, vicious, and surrounded by thousands of evil spirits.

The one-eyed man's retelling of the bet made this ghostly leader, who came from the story into reality, seem a little different from the people's subconscious impression, and more human.

If that person were so vicious as to walk straight over the blood-soaked ground, it would be one thing, but the way he looks now is rather unsettling.

Some people thought: "The handsome musician holding the pipa must be Ju Buyong, one of the three great masters of Chang'an, known as 'Ten Thousand Sounds.' It sounds like he could hold his own against Shao Lingxiao?"

"We'll have to go and see for ourselves to find out what really happened."

The long-bearded civil official pulled back his sleeve and gave orders, saying, "I'll go over there first. You lot, go and fetch the people. Nephew, go find the Imperial Guards and spread the word! Quickly!"

The people in the government office originally thought that those demons were completely unrestrained in their actions, and their movements were unpredictable. Therefore, it might not be the right thing to do to concentrate all the useful fighting force in one or two places.

The numerous martial arts sects and masters scattered throughout the land can be considered a natural safeguard; it's best to let them stay in their familiar places.

But now the situation is completely different. Facing the leader of the demonic sect, we have far too few people. It would be good to have more help.

only……

The long-bearded civil official had some unspeakable worries: they were willing to resist the unruly and vicious demons, and they had no choice but to resist them, but what would they choose if it were a demonic cult leader who never took the initiative to seek them out?

On his way to see Shao Lingxiao, the long-bearded civil official was still just imagining the choices those people would make.

The man surnamed Li, who had been drinking with the one-eyed man, had already witnessed the choices some people made.

This man surnamed Li, whose full name is Li Feihu, is quite famous in the martial arts world. Although he is still a little short of the level of a first-class master, his lightness skill is said to have surpassed that of several first-class martial artists.

After all, the one-eyed man had connections in the government, while Li Feihu had even wider connections among the outlaws of the martial world, so he could know things that even the local government didn't know.

For example, Shi Qingshi, the old leader of the Guanzhong bandits, held a banquet this morning at the Shan Family Restaurant in the north of the city to thank his grandson for his teacher.

Li Feihu was getting a bit bored staying there, so he ran away from the banquet and met the one-eyed man to go drinking together. At this time, the people at Shan's Restaurant should not have all left yet.

Sure enough, when he arrived there, at least 40% of the seats were occupied by guests, who were chatting in a scattered manner.

Li Feihu made his way inside and arrived at the hall where Shi Qing was.

"Gentlemen!" he said, clasping his hands in a fist salute as he entered, laughing heartily. "I, Li, am truly honored today! I am incredibly fortunate!"

His mouth was dry, and he glanced at a small, empty table next to him, where nearly twenty wine jugs were scattered haphazardly. Some of the jugs had their lids off, but there was still wine inside, so he picked one up and took a couple of gulps.

Those sitting in this hall are quite different from the people outside. They are all prominent figures in the martial arts world, some righteous, and some with a solitary and unpredictable reputation.

The two heroes of Gusu, Murong Xiao and Murong Gu, Qingping and Tieguai Jin Qianchuan, and the great hero of Hanshan, Ying Xiaowo, etc.

Shi Qing was a slightly hunched old man with a wrinkled face. Seeing Li Feihu barge in, he wasn't annoyed at all and said with a smile, "Wait, wait. Our Green Forest Tavern may not have much else, but we have plenty of drinks. I wonder what good fortune Brother Li has encountered today that makes you so happy?"

"I might have used up all the luck I'd accumulated over three lifetimes in these two days. First, this morning I had the privilege of attending Master Shi's banquet and meeting all the great figures in the martial arts world. And then..."

Li Feihu put down the wine pot. "Just now, I met Shao Lingxiao, the leader of the Demonic Sect, and overheard a bet."

"Shao! Ling, Xiao?"

Jin Qianchuan, who had been smiling at Li Feihu, gasped in surprise upon hearing this. He paused for a moment before uttering the next two words in a low voice, his eyes darting around to the others.

The smiles on the faces of those around them froze and disappeared, and the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Li Feihu grinned and explained what had happened in a few words.

Jin Qianchuan frowned, his eyes darting around unconsciously, and said, "Shao Lingxiao has actually arrived here. That's a good thing, though. I must thank Brother Li for informing me."

He stood up and clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd. "Now that he's here, I'll go back and pack my things. I'll head east out of the city, and hopefully I can avoid this whole mess."

Ying Xiaowo was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Brother Jin, Shao Lingxiao's bet is clearly a provocation to the entire Guanzhong martial arts world. Even if we don't accept the challenge, we should at least go there and take a look, otherwise wouldn't we be showing a lack of ambition?"

"Hey, you don't know, I also went to the Southwest ten years ago. At that time, the great war was about to end. I was just curious about what good things the Demonic Sect had collected after occupying the Southwest for more than two hundred years. As a result, I saw the traces left behind by the bases of several Grandmasters."

Jin Qianchuan shuddered as he said this, "Those who visit those ruins later will not understand how terrifying those destructive marks were when they were first imprinted on the mountains and fields."

"Master Ying, Elder Shi, I'd like to offer you some advice: the resurgence of the Demonic Sect is something that Lao Jun Mountain, Shaolin Temple, and the imperial court will naturally concern themselves with. We don't need to get too eager to get involved. Their infighting is unpredictable, so why should we risk our lives?"

His words were truly earnest, his expression sincere. After speaking, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, turned, and left.

No one in the hall, regardless of what they originally thought, dared to speak again.

Shi Qing beckoned over a waiter, pointed to the table with the most wine jugs, and asked, "Where did that customer go after he left?"

"They went west."

"He must have gone to eat preserved plums in the west; he always thought that stuff could cure a hangover."

Shi Qing muttered to himself twice and said, "Fellow martial artists, this banquet will end here. Those who wish to stay are welcome to do so, and I will cover all expenses for food and drink. If you have urgent business, there is no need to come and say goodbye. Martial arts people are not bound by formalities. Please take your leave."

After saying this, he got up, made up an excuse, and hurriedly went out, saying, "I should go see how that kid is sober."

Li Feihu watched from the sidelines, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

He had originally decided that once the news spread, whether or not to go would depend entirely on what those people thought; he would rather not say anything more to avoid causing trouble later.

However, he couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. This old man, Mr. Shi, was a hero he had always respected the most. He had been a hero all his life, but he never expected that he would still be short of breath in his old age.

Just as Ying Xiaowo said, even if they don't participate in this bet, the leader of the Demonic Sect has the courage and boldness to show up here. Don't the people of the Guanzhong martial arts world dare to go and watch the show?

Li Feihu, unwilling to watch what the people in the hall were doing any longer, laughed and hurried back with half a pot of leftover wine.

The Demonic Cult Leader knocked him flying with a tap of his chopsticks on his wine glass. Li Feihu knew he could never join the bet, so he went back to see how many experts would be willing to go. He would go far away and find a high place so he could use it as a topic of conversation later to show off his experience as a seasoned veteran.

The more he thought about it, the better he felt. Not running far away showed he had courage. Not wanting to stand against the leader of the demonic sect showed he had self-awareness. Being blasted away without thinking of revenge further demonstrated his magnanimity and indifference to the small specks of dust on his clothes.

As a member of the Guanzhong martial arts world, and as a citizen of the Tang Dynasty, one should be magnanimous, generous, and wise.

When he was halfway there, he had drunk too much and his vision and ears were blurry. Somehow, he misjudged the way back, went astray, and started running wildly again.

Like a fox with wings.

Foxes are cunning, foxes are cowardly, foxes... are also ferocious beasts!

The faint sound of a pipa can still be heard in the city. That sound, like a heavy rain, is now becoming sparse. This unused tune, who knows how long it will last? Perhaps it will stop in a moment.

Li Feihu continued running, searching from house to house, even venturing outside the city. He never knew in his life that his lightness skill could reach such a level.

He had already notified three sects with top-notch experts and two martial arts families, and then continued.

Guanzhong, Guanzhong, a golden city stretching for thousands of miles, where seventy percent of the world's top masters have gathered, and those around the city are certainly even more numerous than those in the wilderness.

Moreover, this city is the first place the annual grain shipments reach after crossing the river; it is the eastern gateway to Guanzhong.

Li Feihu left quickly, but he was only one person. The news from the inner guards spread like fireworks, reaching far more places than he could.

The piece of music that was not used was longer than expected.

But those who are knowledgeable in music can tell that it is indeed a complete piece of music. It is not that he is deliberately delaying. The piece he chose is "The Great Music of the Wind," which made him famous in Chang'an when all the sounds of nature were deafening. It is a piece that can be played for nearly three hours.

Back in Chang'an, at dusk he plucked the pipa, leading people into a dream. That night, thousands of people in the East Market had the same dream.

The wind blows the vast wild grass low, the rain pours down, wild horses cross the border, the sky clears after the rain, the general goes beyond the border, and the great banner flutters in the long wind.

It was not simply martial arts or the supernatural power of divine weapons, but also the power of music.

When he had played one-sixth of the piece, the long-bearded civil official, the two heroes of Suzhou, and the great hero of Hanshan had all arrived one after another, while many other people whose martial arts skills were not first-rate watched from a distance.

At first, it was just a sparse forest, then a thin wall of people, and then an even thicker crowd.

When the music had been played for a third of the way, looking out a hundred feet away, one could see that in every direction, a dense crowd had gathered, as thick as dark clouds.

There are now even more people standing within a hundred feet.

For example, Shi Qing, whom Li Feihu believed had made up an excuse to leave casually.

The old man was also holding the hand of a young man with a flushed face and a strong smell of alcohol.

By the time the music had been played for two-thirds of its length, nearly thirty people dared to stand within a hundred feet of it.

Shao Lingxiao sat there, slowly savoring the wine and tasting the mushrooms, and then poured out the last drop of wine from the pot.

"As expected of Guanzhong. The sheer number of experts here is already quite impressive, but the fact that you all dared to come is even more gratifying."

Shi Qing's voice was old and slow, and he chuckled weakly, saying, "A bet between some barbarian tribes in the deep mountains—would the warriors of the Tang Dynasty be afraid?"

Shao Lingxiao looked at him and said, "It seems that the Li Tang Dynasty is really popular, which is why you are so actively defending it and taking pride in the Tang Dynasty."

The drunken young man suddenly said, "The Tang Dynasty was started by Li Shimin leading the charge, but it has long since become more than just the Tang Dynasty of the Li family."

"Master Lingxiao, if you still remember, whether it was in the southwest or the Western Regions ten years ago, all those who claimed to be from the Tang Dynasty, in places that did not belong to Tang, always believed that we were part of the prosperous era."

"This is our Great Tang Dynasty."

It's one thing for someone who doesn't belong to the Tang Dynasty to dare assassinate the emperor, but back then, there were thirty-six rebel kings in the martial arts world and seventy-two places of turmoil in the Jianghu. The one who became emperor was just the luckiest of them all.

But you still dare to provoke the heart of the Tang Dynasty, to provoke the most spirited people in this heartland.

How could we not dare to come?

"You're speaking from our own soil, want to see who can stand up?"

The drunken young man suddenly moved, leaping dozens of feet to Ju Buyong's side.

"Then let's give it a try."

(End of this chapter)