Smoke and dust filled the sky.
Compared to his high-spirited demeanor upon departure, the current expression of Yan Weichuan, Commander of the 【Scout Battalion】, was ugly to the extreme. Finally, he couldn’t help but curse:
“That pretentious scholar Li has doomed me!”
“Pretentious scholar” was a derogatory term used in the military for civil officials. That Yan Weichuan would refer to Li Yiran with this term showed just how much grief and indignation filled his heart.
After all, he had gambled his entire career on this, deploying the 【Scout Battalion】 without authorization. Even thinking with his rear end, he knew that old thief Wu Xintai would definitely file a secret report against him afterward. To make matters worse, he was the one in the wrong. Because of Li Yiran’s and Xu Bingzheng’s deaths, the big shots at the Imperial Academy couldn’t possibly step in to protect him either.
How was he supposed to play this?
At this thought, anger rose from Yan Weichuan’s heart, breeding malice. He even considered throwing caution to the wind and just finding a rebel king to defect to.
But then he sighed helplessly.
Defect to a rebel king?
Changle Commandery was located in Central Shu, historically renowned as the Land of Abundance. Coupled with its strategic, defensible terrain, it had always been an isolated utopia.
Where would a rebel king come from in a place like this?
He couldn’t find anyone to defect to even if he wanted to!
Must I just resign myself to fate?
Yan Weichuan’s face was grim as he continuously pondered countermeasures. Seeing his demeanor, the lieutenant following cautiously behind him didn’t dare say a word.
Although facts had proven his initial worries were justified, Yan Weichuan couldn’t possibly accept his authority being challenged at a time like this. The lieutenant knew very well that if he dared say something like “I warned you earlier, Commander,” he would likely be “suicided.”
Forget it, better a dead Fellow Daoist rather than a this poor Daoist dead.
The lieutenant shook his head, abandoning any urge to help. He even felt a bit of anticipation: Once the Commander is dismissed, maybe I can advance a bit?
However, right at that moment.
Neigh!
Abruptly, the marching cavalry jerked to a halt. All the warhorses reared up on their hind legs, ignoring their riders’ control, and let out long, terrified neighs.
“What’s happening!?”
Yan Weichuan snapped back to reality. He hurriedly channeled internal force into the steed beneath him, forcefully urging it forward. He then narrowed his eyes, looking toward the source of the horses’ terror.
A ghostly wind blew, as shrill as a wolf’s howl.
Yellow sand mixed in the wind, like a splash of thick ink staining the sky. And right in the center of this coloration, a figure had appeared out of nowhere.
The figure’s gender was indistinguishable. They held a whisk in hand, and the Daoist robe they wore was densely covered in red talismanic scripts. Their hands, neck, and all exposed skin were tightly concealed. A bronze ghost mask covered their face, but the exposed eyes weren’t human pupils—they were two clusters of jade-green flames.
Yan Weichuan instantly froze in place.
“…”
It wasn’t just him; all the soldiers of the 【Scout Battalion】 were frozen stiff, as if instantly turned into over five hundred motionless stone statues.
Between heaven and earth, only the sound of the wind and sand remained.
Who was this!?
Yan Weichuan’s thoughts nearly stopped. Only after a long while did he recover slightly. Comparing the newcomer to anything but human, he carefully asked:
“Which Extraordinary are you, and why do you block this General’s path?”
The newcomer didn’t answer, seemingly considering something. Only after a moment did they speak: “You are Cheng Bochun’s man. Since that’s the case, why are you leaving?”
Cheng Bochun?
Yan Weichuan was taken aback for a moment before realizing the other party was referring to the “Master Cheng” mentioned by Xu Bingzheng and Li Yiran, the leading great Confucian scholar of the Imperial Academy.
At this thought, he immediately regained some spirit and said in a low voice: “The two disciples Master Cheng sent to Longxing County have both perished in the county town. My forces are isolated and weak, so I can only temporarily withdraw. I plan to send word to Master Cheng first and wait until he sends new disciples before deciding on the next step…”
Hearing this, the fiery eyes behind the bronze ghost mask flickered slightly.
“Dead?”
Their voice carried an eerie distortion, unlike a human voice: “Two boys meant to watch the furnace and light the fire actually ended up die. Truly useless.”
“Never mind, they are just mortals anyway.”
Hearing this, Yan Weichuan emboldened himself and asked in a low voice: “May I ask which Dao lineage you belong to, Extraordinary? Are you a High Master from the 【Fangxian Dao】?”
The newcomer paused upon hearing this, then chuckled softly:
“You may call me 【Wandering Spirit Perfected One】.”
“Alright, since I am here, you don’t need to leave. Turn around immediately and head back to Longxing County. I need you to continue watching the furnace.”
“This… I beg the Perfected One’s forgiveness.”
Yan Weichuan looked troubled: “My deployment this time was already without orders, committing a major taboo. If I mobilize troops without authorization again, my life will likely be forfeit.”
Wandering Spirit Perfected One’s voice turned cold: “What do you want?”
“I ask the Perfected One to vouch for me and write a letter to Master Cheng. As long as Master Cheng is willing to reply and order me to deploy my troops, I will lead my army to Longxing County immediately!”
Yan Weichuan was throwing caution to the wind. No matter what, he had to find someone to shoulder the responsibility, even if it meant doubling down and tying himself completely to the other party’s ship. The lieutenant behind him opened his mouth to speak, but after observing Yan Weichuan’s expression for a moment, proactively shut his mouth.
Meanwhile, Wandering Spirit Perfected One frowned.
“Wait for Cheng Bochun’s reply?”
“Too slow!”
“If we do that, wouldn’t opening the furnace be delayed? No, you must go immediately. I can sense the preliminary work is almost done.”
Yan Weichuan shook his head: “Then I am powerless to help.”
He wasn’t an idiot either. This concerned his life and livelihood. Without a guarantee, he would never obey orders based solely on a few words from the Extraordinary before him.
“…Troublesome.”
Wandering Spirit Perfected One appeared extremely impatient, the fiery pupils beneath the ghost mask burning fiercer and fiercer. Finally, they reached out and pulled two talisman papers from their sleeve.
“Never mind, it’s just two mortals anyway.”
“Having never cultivated, possessing only souls but no primordial spirit… summoning them shouldn’t be too hard.” As Wandering Spirit Perfected One spoke, they folded the talisman papers in their hand.
In no time, they folded two paper figures.
Next, they pointed a finger. The paper figures instantly ignited with jade-green flames, then twisted within the roaring fire, manifesting flesh and blood forms—
Boom!
With a final explosion, green sparks flew, and two figures with blue-tinged skin, resembling corpses, appeared on the spot, standing blankly.
At a single glance, Yan Weichuan cried out in alarm. The soldiers of the 【Scout Battalion】 behind him also gasped one after another in a flurry of commotion—because the two people the paper figures had transformed into were Xu Bingzheng and Li Yiran! Their faces were lifelike, looking as if they were merely asleep!
Is this the strange art of an Extraordinary?
Incredible!
Yan Weichuan’s eyes widened. Yet what left him even more in disbelief was that in the next second, the two corpses actually opened their eyes, revealing pitch-black pupils.
“Am I…?”
A cold, stiff voice emerged from the paper figure Xu Bingzheng’s mouth, even carrying a hint of bewilderment. His unfocused pupils took a moment to slowly converge.
On the other side, perhaps due to higher cultivation and stronger divine intent, the paper figure Li Yiran quickly snapped out of his newly resurrected daze. His voice was haunting: “I see, I died. But how did I die… Who in Longxing County could kill me? Why can’t I remember?”
“Because you are merely remnant Po-spirits.”
Wandering Spirit Perfected One said flatly: “Mortal souls dissipate easily. Your three Hun-souls have already entered reincarnation; only your seven Po-spirits remain. Forgetting some things is perfectly normal.”
“Enough, tell him.”
Wandering Spirit Perfected One pointed at Yan Weichuan and said: “Tell him to immediately lead everyone here back and prepare for the opening of the furnace. I only want to see results.”
“…I understand.”
After a moment of silence, the paper figure Li Yiran nodded and looked at Yan Weichuan: “Commander Yan, do as the Perfected One says. I can vouch for you.”
Yan Weichuan swallowed hard upon hearing this.
After all, the scene before him was far too eerie. A paper figure resurrection art? Was the person before him really Li Yiran? Could this just be a play directed and acted out by this Extraordinary?
But he soon stopped overthinking it.
Because the paper figure Li Yiran actually pulled a seal from his pocket. He saw it clearly—it was the seal of the Li family in the capital. It was trustworthy.
Heaven knows why a paper figure could carry a seal around, but the design was unmistakable.
“Done.”
After the paper figure Li Yiran finished writing a letter of authorization, stamped it with the seal, and handed it to Yan Weichuan, he continued: “Tell me, how did I die?”
“Reporting to Your Excellency.”
Yan Weichuan immediately said: “I don’t know the exact circumstances. I only know a Gilded Cavalry Guard brought a military tally and mobilized the 【Black Armor Battalion】 to besiege the county office…”
Yan Weichuan told everything he knew without holding back. Li Yiran listened intently, then fell into deep thought:
“A mere 【Black Armor Battalion】 couldn’t kill me. Since I called you here, it means I definitely had absolute confidence in the situation at the time.”
“But an accident happened.”
“This accident must stem from that so-called Gilded Cavalry Guard. He killed me and Xu Bingzheng. We are both ranked on the Weapon Register.”
“If that Gilded Cavalry Guard killed us, the Weapon Register must have reacted.”
“Check it. Is there a newcomer on the Weapon Register?”
At his words, Yan Weichuan immediately called for someone. The Weapon Register was published by the imperial court and circulated worldwide; almost all factions, big and small, kept a copy of it.
Soon, a soldier brought the answer.
“Rank 37 on the Weapon Register, 【Dragon Fist】 Wang Ping?”
Seeing the newly added ranking, Li Yiran frowned deeply: “First on the Human List? Emerging out of nowhere… Unless there’s an accident, it must be this person.”
Although he was killed by Wang Ping in a single punch previously, Li Yiran was by no means incompetent. In a short time, with just a few words, he dug out Wang Ping’s existence despite his amnesia. He then directly turned around, looked at Wandering Spirit Perfected One, and said solemnly: “Perfected One, I believe this person cannot be left alive.”
“He is a variable.”
“With him here, holding a military tally and backed by the 【Black Armor Battalion】, even if the 【Scout Battalion】 returns, the opening of the furnace will likely encounter unforeseen complications.”
“Furthermore, this person’s strength is quite formidable.”
“The Weapon Register rankings make no mistakes. First on the Human List—unless the Perfected One acts personally, he should be the strongest person in Longxing County.”
“If this person is not eliminated, our grand endeavor will be difficult to accomplish!”
Hearing this, Yan Weichuan beside them couldn’t help but swallow. A Titled Martial Master ranked first on the Human List, and they talk about killing him just like that? Are Extraordinaries truly that powerful?
The next second, Wandering Spirit Perfected One spoke:
“Then eliminate him.”
Their tone was calm, without the slightest ripple, as if the person they were going to kill wasn’t a world-renowned Titled Martial Master, but a lamb waiting to be slaughtered on a chopping block.
Immediately after, the Extraordinary reached into their sleeve again. After rummaging for a moment, they pulled out a straw man woven from straw. They then took out a piece of talisman paper, wrote the characters 【Wang Ping】 on it, and traced a 1:1 drawing of the portrait from the Weapon Register onto the talisman paper.
Then, they formed a hand seal and tapped lightly.
Poof!
In an instant, a jade-green flame erupted, merging with the talisman paper, and finally poured over the straw man like water, causing its appearance to gradually change.
Hiss!
Yan Weichuan sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. As the flaming talisman paper merged with the straw man, a lifelike face impressively surfaced on the straw man’s head.
It was exactly Wang Ping’s face!
“Done.”
Wandering Spirit Perfected One casually tossed the straw man to the paper figure Li Yiran, then pulled seven miniature iron nails wrapped in red talisman paper from their sleeve.
“Every two hours, perform three kneelings and nine kowtows to this 【Soul-Descending Straw Man】, then pierce its seven orifices with these 【Soul-Suppressing Nails】. After fourteen hours, that person will die a violent death.”
“Thank you, Perfected One!”
The paper figure Li Yiran hurriedly bowed in greeting, a flash of malice passing through his eyes.
Although he had lost his memories, since he had deduced that Wang Ping was the chief culprit behind his death, he naturally developed a heartfelt hatred toward him.
Stinking grunt, did you think killing me was the end?
I bet you wouldn’t have guessed, even in death, that I could resurrect by the hand of an Extraordinary, right? The protagonist of this grand play in Longxing County isn’t me either; the Extraordinaries are the key.
From the very beginning, the fate of this county town had already been decided.
Because this was the decision of the Extraordinaries.
And in the Great Shun Dynasty, the Emperor was merely a ruler in name. Just as the title implied, he was merely the 【Son of Heaven】, while the Extraordinaries were the true 【Heaven】!
…
“The Lin family mansion.”
Longxing County, deep inside a sparsely populated alley, Wang Ping frowned as he examined a large, antique mansion located at the very end.
Just as Liu Ye had said, the front gates of the mansion were sealed with a talisman on the left and right, covered in incomprehensible ghostly talisman scripts. Unlike Liu Ye, who merely felt palpitations when seeing these ghostly talisman script seals, Wang Ping, having condensed divine intent, could sense a deeper change.
Something has entered.
Some indescribable, formless, and intangible existence was currently invading his body, and the medium seemed to be those two ghostly talisman script seals.
“…Bizarre.”
Wang Ping frowned slightly, immediately recalling the intelligence he had gathered while chatting with Madam Su in the past: “Extraordinaries possess miraculous and bizarre arts distinct from martial arts.”
Divine intent couldn’t do anything against them.
Just like now, Wang Ping could detect that something was wrong and had a way to evade it, but he couldn’t actually see it. He could only sense it through intuition.
A pure martial artist would be completely flying blind right now.
Martial artists really are too crude. Cultivating immortality is far more reliable.
At this thought, Wang Ping immediately shifted his approach. A cultivator’s spiritual sense roared outward, rushing from him toward the Lin family mansion.
Boom!
In an instant, under the impact of his spiritual sense, Wang Ping finally saw the true face of the Lin family mansion. Its antique appearance was wiped away out of thin air.
His spiritual sense peeled back the outer shell. Revealed underneath was an impressively dilapidated courtyard, overgrown with weeds, its walls peeling, and the steps covered in moss—as if it had been abandoned for decades. Hanging on either side of the front gates were two white lanterns bearing the character 【Dian】 (Memorial).
The candle flames inside the lanterns flickered, casting a pale, ghastly glow.
This was all his spiritual sense could see. Wang Ping frowned deeply and shifted to circulating his divine intent, trying to intuitively sense just how dangerous this mansion was.
To his surprise, however, the divine intent that normally sensed danger to avoid it now responded—
“There is no danger?”