Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 190 Yan Chixia

Zhao Yu took Lin Chaoying's hand, stepped over the broken threshold, and entered the temple.

As soon as they entered, the two exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

The atmosphere inside the temple was completely different from that outside. The pervasive, chilling coldness had faded considerably, replaced by a faint warmth.

It is likely that Yan Chixia, who has lived here for many years, suppressed the evil aura of the tree demon with his masculine and righteous energy and his Taoist cultivation.

The temple grounds were overgrown with weeds and littered with broken wood and stones.

The two followed the path towards the main hall, but halfway there, a rough, hoarse voice came from inside, tinged with impatience: "Boy! If you don't want to waste your lives with that little wench, get out of here! There are inns in Guo Bei County, just keep going!"

The sound was so loud that the dust accumulated on the eaves fell off in a flurry.

Lin Chaoying's eyes narrowed.

The person speaking had long, steady breaths and a strong voice, indicating a considerable level of internal strength; he was clearly a master.

She turned to look at Zhao Yu, her eyes asking a question.

Is this the person you're looking for?

Zhao Yu nodded slightly and said loudly, "I know where this place is. Yan Chixia, once the chief constable of twenty-six provinces in Guandong and Guangxi, known in the martial arts world as the ruthless judge, hated evil as if it were his enemy. Now he lives in this desolate mountain temple. Don't you think it's a pity?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the temple fell silent.

A moment later, a tall figure strode out of the hall.

The newcomer had a full beard, his hair was messy and tied back, he wore clothes that had been washed until they were faded, and a long sword was at his waist. His eyebrows and eyes were sharp as knives. It was Yan Chixia.

He sized Zhao Yu up and down, then sneered, "You're young, but you know a lot. What, are you trying to use me, Yan, as a stepping stone to gain some fame in the martial arts world?"

In his view, the young master who brought the beautiful woman into Lanruo Temple was probably aware of his reputation and wanted to challenge him to make a name for himself.

He had seen many such arrogant young martial artists over the years. They all thought they were geniuses, but most of them ended up as snacks for the tree demon.

"Brother Yan, you misunderstand." Zhao Yu said calmly, "I'm not here to cause trouble, but to make a deal with you."

"trade?"

Yan Chixia waved his hand, turned and walked into the hall, his tone impatient: "I have nothing to trade here. Go back to where you came from. Don't lose your lives here and defile my place."

"What if I told you that I could help Brother Yan completely eradicate the tree demon Granny who is entrenched here?"

Zhao Yu's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached Yan Chixia's ears.

Yan Chixia suddenly turned around, his steps halting abruptly, staring intently at Zhao Yu: "Good lad, you really do know quite a lot."

He lived in seclusion at Lanruo Temple for many years, fighting countless rounds with the Tree Demon Granny, neither of them able to defeat the other.

This matter was kept extremely secret; even the local mountain people only knew that the temple was haunted, and very few people knew about the existence of the tree spirit.

The young man before him saw right through him, leaving him no choice but to be surprised.

"However—" Yan Chixia looked Zhao Yu up and down, his face full of suspicion, "You?

Zhao Yu smiled slightly: "Brother Yan, won't you invite us inside to discuss this in detail? Standing here in this windy spot is not the proper way to treat guests."

Yan Chixia stared at him for a long time. Seeing that he looked calm and composed, not like he was faking it, she snorted coldly, turned around and stepped into the main hall: "This place is not mine either. You can come in or not if you want."

Zhao Yu and Lin Chaoying exchanged a glance and then followed him inside.

The interior of the hall was even more dilapidated, with the gold of the Buddha statues peeling off, the offering table crooked and twisted, and a few sheets of dry grass spread on the ground. Next to them were a wine gourd and an iron pot, which was probably Yan Chixia's residence.

There wasn't even a proper table and chairs.

Zhao Yu didn't mind. He casually took out a food box and two sealed wine jars, and placed them on the ground.

The food box was opened, and the aroma of several exquisite side dishes filled the air. The mud seal on the wine jar was broken, and the rich aroma of the wine instantly spread out.

This is a tribute wine that Zhao Yu specially sought out from the Song Dynasty palace.

"Brother Yan, please."

Yan Chixia's eyes lit up. He sniffed, took a few steps over, squatted down, and without any hesitation, grabbed the wine jar and took a big gulp.

Liquor dripped down his beard, and he smacked his lips: "Good liquor! Strong enough!"

Upon seeing the fine wine, most of the impatience on his face vanished.

"My name is Zhao Yu, and this is my wife, Lin Shi."

Zhao Yu gave a brief introduction before getting straight to the point: "To be honest, I've come here specifically because of the tree demon at Lanruo Temple. That tree demon has been entrenched here for many years, controlling female ghosts and sucking the life force of passersby, causing countless deaths. Brother Yan has been guarding this place for many years, so I imagine you've long wanted to get rid of it."

Yan Chixia put down the wine jar, wiped his mouth, and glanced at him sideways: "You seem to know quite a lot. Then tell me, what methods do you have to exorcise demons?"

Zhao Yu reached out and took out a talisman. With a flick of his finger, the talisman ignited without wind, turning into a pale golden flame: "How about this?"

Yan Chixia glanced at it and scoffed, "A mere trick. With such paltry skills, it wouldn't even be enough to tickle a tree demon. Are you here to make a joke of yourself?"

This talisman is only good for dealing with ordinary wandering ghosts; in front of a thousand-year-old tree demon, it's no different from a piece of waste paper.

Zhao Yu wasn't annoyed. He smiled and raised his hand to strike out a palm into the void outside the hall.

"boom"

The palm strike ripped through the air, raising dust in the courtyard outside the hall. A withered tree several feet away snapped in two and crashed to the ground.

As his inner strength surged, waves rose from the still-windless hall, causing Yan Chixia's Taoist robe to flutter wildly.

Yan Chixia's expression suddenly turned serious.

He suddenly looked at Zhao Yu, his face full of shock: "Your martial arts skills—"

He had traveled all over the country for many years and had seen countless masters, but he had never seen anyone with such profound internal strength at such a young age.

Such skill would place one among the top masters in the martial arts world.

"With such skill, is it possible to fight a tree demon?" Zhao Yu withdrew his palm, his tone calm.

Yan Chixia shook his head, his expression serious: "No matter how high your martial arts skills are, it's useless."

"That tree demon's true form is a thousand-year-old locust tree, its roots spreading throughout the entire mountain forest. The trees within this radius of dozens of miles are all its body. No matter how strong your palm strike is, can you split a tree in half, or even clear the trees from the entire mountain? Unless you cultivate to the level of moving mountains and filling seas, it's difficult to harm its essence."

He paused, looked at Zhao Yu, and his tone became much more sincere: "Kid, I know you're young and promising, and your martial arts skills are hard-earned. But demons aren't martial arts practitioners; they can't be dealt with by fists and kicks alone. It's one thing for you to throw your life away, but to take your wife with you is quite another. What kind of man are you?"

"Take my advice and hurry down the mountain before it gets dark."

Zhao Yu remained silent.

He was well aware of this principle.

If it weren't for the troublesome tree demon, he wouldn't have waited until today to step into this world.

But now Shi Zhixuan is like a persistent, relentless pest; if he cannot advance further, he will ultimately be forced to take the beating.

On the path of cultivation, one either advances or regresses. If one retreats at the first sign of trouble and loses the drive to strive for progress, it will be difficult to make any further progress in one's martial arts realm.