The cold wind was chilly, and the ground was covered with withered leaves. The winter in Chuan was usually warm, but today it was the coldest day in ten years. The sky was low, and dark clouds covered the sky. The cold wind blew through the empty streets, like the mournful cries of demons and ghosts. It was a sign that a snowstorm was coming.
There were few pedestrians on the street, but the vermilion gate of the Yang mansion was wide open. The head of the family, Secretary of Shuzhou, stood in the cold wind with a group of servants, looking at the city gate from time to time. The patriarch was in the prime of his life, but his fair face seemed to be shrouded in a black aura. He looked weak and frail. After standing for a while, his body swayed, and his strength seemed to be lacking.
"Master, the immortals are here." A servant pointed to the distance. The head of the family focused and looked in the direction he was pointing. He saw two vague figures, one big and one small, entering the city gate. They seemed to be walking at a steady pace, but their footsteps were very fast. In the blink of an eye, their figures became clear. They were two Taoists.
The leader was an old Taoist with a horsetail whisk in his hand. His face was thin, and he looked like an immortal. When he walked, his sleeves fluttered, and he looked like an expert. The Taoist child carrying a sword followed closely behind him. He was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. He was delicate and handsome, and the childishness between his eyebrows had not faded, but he looked very heroic. It made people feel that this young man was like the ancient sword on his back. The sword in the scabbard was already extraordinary, and when the sharpness was fully revealed, it would be even more dazzling.
Seeing the appearance of these two people, Secretary Yang was greatly relieved. He stepped forward to welcome them and said, "I have long heard of Taoist Qing Ku's great name. It is my honor to meet you today. I would like to drink with you, but I am not feeling well and am unable to drink with you. I am afraid that I will spoil your mood. Therefore, I am thick-skinned and would like to ask you to lend me a helping hand. "
The Taoist returned half a bow and went straight to the topic, "It is I's fault for making Secretary Yang wait for so long. Fellow Taoist Ce has already explained to me what happened in your mansion. Secretary Yang is righteous, but he was attacked by demons and ghosts. I think the fengshui of your mansion has changed. Thank you, Secretary Yang, for showing me around your mansion. "
Supervisor Yang did not stand on ceremony and turned sideways to lead the Taoist into the mansion. As he walked, he said, "Recently, there have been many young girls in the city and nearby villages who have been kidnapped. While I was busy, I unexpectedly contracted a strange illness. My spirit is weak and my body is weak. I can't sleep well every night. Medicine is useless and the divine doctor is helpless. Fortunately …"
Before he finished his sentence, the Daoist stopped in his tracks and stared. Housekeeper Yang followed his line of sight and saw that it was the locust tree in the inner courtyard. This tree was over twenty feet tall and its leaves were all gone, making its branches look like coiled dragons, vigorous and powerful. "Did you see anything?" Yang Sihu probed.
"How old is this tree?" the Daoist asked.
"That's right. This locust tree is nearly seven hundred years old, long before the Yang residence was built. I couldn't bear to cut it down, so I let it grow in the backyard."
"Sigh!" The Daoist sighed and said, "The locust tree is the ghost of the wood. It has a long life and can easily gather Yin energy. You also placed it in the inner courtyard, allowing it to be nourished by the Yin energy of the women. This is a great taboo. The people that Housekeeper Yang sent to invite me said that there are often ghostly cries and demonic cries coming from the backyard."
Housekeeper Yang panicked and said, "That's right. At first, my daughter heard the low, strange cries during the night. I thought that the thief had his eyes on my daughter, so I sent some people to watch over her. I didn't expect that the cries would never stop. Instead, it was me who became weaker and weaker. I couldn't find any medicine or cure. Luckily, I was given the advice of an expert and was able to find the Immortal."
The Daoist muttered, "So that's how it is. I'm afraid that this tree has become a demon and wants to kill you."
Housekeeper Yang heard this and was shocked, "How can this be? I saved it from the hands of the carpenter and asked people to take care of it. I watered it and trimmed its branches. Does it not know how to be grateful and wants to harm me?"
The Daoist sneered, "The spiritual consciousness of demons is chaotic, and their temperament is unclear. I am already used to seeing them return kindness with enmity. Could Housekeeper Yang please lead me into the backyard and let me take a closer look?"
Minister Yang looked at the locust tree again, and felt that the tree, which he used to call 'dragon claw', now looked more like the claw of a ghost. His back was soaked in cold sweat, and he hurriedly signaled the maidservants to inform the womenfolk to leave, while he led the Taoist into the inner courtyard.
Although it was winter and the flowers and trees were all withered, the interior of the courtyard was still elegant and lively. It showed the ingenuity of the owner of this place. The house facing the south and facing the sun should be Miss Yang's room. At this moment, the doors and windows were closed to avoid guests. Next to it was the living quarters of the maids and the incense corridor. In the middle of it was the locust tree.
The Daoist looked around the inner courtyard and walked half a circle around the tree. Then he stood in the position of Qiannan. The Daoist boy also stood behind him. He did not say anything and was still in a daze.
The Daoist did not set up an altar to worship, nor did he draw any talismans or chant any incantations. His eyes flashed and he pointed at the tree and shouted, "Demon, why are you pretending to be dead? Why don't you show yourself? "
As soon as he finished speaking, the locust tree shook and a green gas seeped out from the trunk. The green gas became thicker and thicker, like the rolling clouds. Gradually, it condensed into a half-real, half-illusory demon shadow. Its face was blurred and its upper body was about the same length as a normal person, but its shoulders were twice the width of a normal person. It struggled to pull its lower body out of the tree and let out a silent roar at the crowd.
Some of the family members thought that the Daoist was just trying to scare them. They did not think that there really was a demon. They were all scared and their faces were ashen. Only Housekeeper Yang had seen some of the world and managed to stabilize himself. He cupped his fists and said, "It's really … There's a demon, and … Daoist priest, please … Use your supernatural power to subdue this … Demon … Demon. "
The Daoist sneered and said, "It's just a demon. Its spiritual intelligence is muddled and it can't even speak human language. How dare it fight with I?" The Daoist stood with his hands behind his back and said, "My disciple will obey the heavens. If he can't subdue it in ten moves, he will be punished to copy the Tao Te Ching a hundred times."
The Daoist child, who was still absent-minded after seeing the demon, seemed to be energized when he heard this. His eyes flashed and he stepped forward. He slapped the scabbard on his back and the ancient sword flew out of the scabbard and into the Daoist child's palm. The Daoist child shook the sword and caressed it with his finger. The sword reflected his clear eyes.
"If I can't defeat it in three moves, Ying Feiyang will be expelled from the sect!"
Outside the Yang's mansion, dark clouds loomed over them. Inside the mansion, the green gas was billowing.
The Daoist child was not in a hurry. He waited for the Wood Demon to pull itself out and stand still. One man and one demon faced each other. The difference in size was like that of an adult and a baby. Everyone in the Yang's mansion broke out in cold sweat, afraid that the Daoist child would be crushed by the demon. However, the Daoist child was not afraid at all. He shouted and attacked with his sword.
Rather than saying that he attacked with the sword, it was more accurate to say that he shot himself up with the sword. His legs, waist, abdomen, chest, and arms were all exerted in this attack. It was surprisingly fast. Accompanied by the sound of the sharp sword breaking through the wind, the Daoist child was like an arrow released from a bow. He went straight for the demon's chest. The demon seemed to be unprepared and hurriedly crossed its hands in front of its chest. The demon's hands were wide and thick, so it blocked the sword unscathed. However, it was a hasty block and its body still staggered half a step back. In the eyes of the crowd, it was as inconceivable as a baby repelling an adult.
Before the crowd had time to be surprised, the Daoist child did not stop. He turned around and went around to the demon's left side. There was a whistling sound of the sword. In an instant, he attacked three times, all stabbing under the Wood Demon's armpit. The swords were fierce and accurate. The three swords almost hit the same place at the same time. Even though the demon had thick skin and flesh, it could not defend against such a small breakthrough. The swords pierced through its armpit and into its shoulder.
The demon roared in pain. However, it seemed that because the tree had not become a spirit for long, it had not developed vocal cords. It could only roar but not hear the sound. However, everyone in the Yang's mansion was shocked, as if they could feel the anger and ferocity of the Wood Demon.
With its left arm injured, the demon became even more ferocious. It rotated its right arm, wanting to slap the Daoist child away. The Daoist child pulled back his sword and leaped back. The demon followed closely. Its right arm, which was as thick as the Daoist child's waist, waved repeatedly, as if it was chasing a fly. The Daoist child was unable to fight back. The crowd was sweating profusely. In the blink of an eye, the Daoist child was forced to the front of the locust tree.
The demon's huge palm slammed down. Seeing that the delicate path was about to be turned into meat paste, a few timid female servants couldn't help but close their eyes and scream. However, they could only hear the women's screams, not the Daoist child's screams. The female servants slowly opened their eyes. The Daoist child was still standing, but the demon was already kneeling on the ground, motionless. Only the sword in its throat was still trembling.
The female servants didn't know what was going on. Housekeeper Yang and the other servants were also confused. Only a few guards with good eyesight and some basic martial arts skills could see some clues. The Daoist child first crippled the Wood Demon's left arm, then retreated, causing the demon to only attack and not defend. The Daoist child seemed to have nowhere to retreat, but in fact, his back was pressed against the giant tree to stop his retreat. He then turned his body and, like a snake coiling around a tree, made a half circle around the tree, and then advanced. The sword in his hand was thrust out horizontally. The demon couldn't stop its momentum in time and crashed into the blade of the sword.
The three moves only lasted for a moment, but everyone was stunned. The Daoist child's swordsmanship was secondary. What was more rare was that he advanced and retreated, using ingenuity to break the force. The crowd was still in a daze until the demon's body dissipated and turned into green gas.
"Good swordsmanship!"
A clear bird's cry woke up the crowd. The Daoist child looked in the direction of the sound. The door of a nearby room was half open, and half of a young and pretty face peeked out. The Daoist child then remembered that he was in the backyard of the women's residence. It must be the young lady of the Yang family peeping outside the door. He hurriedly withdrew his gaze, but then he felt that the pretty face that he hadn't seen clearly was incomparably beautiful, brightening the lonely and dark winter day. He secretly glanced at it from the corner of his eyes.
But the door was already closed, and there was no trace of the fragrance …
In a room somewhere in the city of Chengdu. A wave of anger was gathering. The birds on the eaves seemed to feel the anger of the people in the room and flapped their wings to escape.
"Seven more days, only seven more days, this Nine Yin Qi Lock Formation would have killed the sick demon of the Yang family without a sound, and the 'disaster' would have entered the Northern Land, under the control of my king. I didn't expect that there would be a side issue, and all my efforts would be wasted!!" Hu Bugui couldn't hide the hatred in his heart. His elegant face was filled with anger, and five fingerprints were left on the pear wood table.
Hu Yan, who was standing at the side, was flustered. He forced a smile and advised, "Second Uncle, don't be angry. Isn't he just an ordinary person? I will sneak into the Yang family tonight and take his life. I guarantee that he will die without a sound. "
It would have been better if he didn't speak, but once he did, it gave Hu Bugui a place to vent his anger, "Kill? Who do you want to kill? Do you think this is the Northern Land? With the protection of my king? This is the center of Sichuan! This is the territory of the Peacock Master. The Western Shu's Jin Ping is a great demon that is as famous as my king's Northern Mad Dragon. Do you want to kill under his nose? What is further south? It's the Li Chen Path, where all the cultivators in the world gather! That Yang Xuanyan is a seventh-rank official, and he is also a member of the Hongnong Yang family. If he dies in the hands of my clan, will the cultivators of the Li Chen Path not move? You are surrounded by strong enemies. Your reckless actions will not only cause you to lose your life, but it will also cause a 'disaster' to escape from our control. "
Looking at Second Uncle, who was known for his elegance and wisdom, who was so angry that his hair and beard were standing on end, Hu Yan couldn't help but lower his head and mumble, "What disaster? What can a little girl do? That Seventh Sister of mine always paints her eyebrows and says that she is a beauty that can cause the downfall of cities and countries. I might as well let her try."
When Hu Bugui heard this, he was so angry that he became happy, "Oh, Hu Xiaojiu, you are making fun of your Seventh Sister? Your Seventh Sister seems to be carefree, but I trust her when she does things. Unlike you, you don't think before you do things, wasting your great talent and natural evil eyes. This time, the Green Hill Fox Clan is under the order of my king. I only brought you and your third brother. Didn't I want you to learn from your third brother's steadiness? When you can learn half of Hu Yu's, then go and make fun of your Seventh Sister. "
Seeing that his uncle's tone had softened, Hu Yan knew that he was wise and resourceful. At this moment, he had suppressed his anger and took the opportunity to change the topic away from himself. He said, "Then, Second Uncle, what should we do next?"
Hu Bugui asked in a low voice, "What do you think of the two Taoists today?"
Hu Yan sneered and said with disdain in his eyes, "Are street tricks worth mentioning? That old Taoist's breath is messy. It is obvious that he is a Jianghu swindler who learned all kinds of tricks to swindle money from somewhere. That wood demon was obviously summoned by him to trick some village women. It only has its form, but not its body. The little Taoist has a solid foundation, but he is young and his cultivation base is shallow. He is not worth looking at. "
"What about their sword moves? Can you tell their origins from their sword moves? "
Hu Yan pondered for a moment and said hesitantly, "Looking at their posture, it seems like they came from the Ling Xiao Sword Way. However, the way they used it is neither fish nor fowl. I can't tell what kind of move they used. Yes, that old Taoist must be an external monastery master who was kicked out of the Ling Xiao Sword Way. He took that little Taoist as his disciple. A lame disciple taught by a lame master!"
Hu Bugui snorted, "Lame? When you, Hu Xiaojiu, were at his age, you almost cut off your own ears when you were practicing with the knife. "
Hu Yan was afraid that his uncle would turn the spearhead to him again. He laughed and did not dare to reply.
Hu Bugui continued, "Jianghu swindler accidentally broke through my formation. Isn't it too much of a coincidence? Although the little Taoist's foundation is shallow, his swordsmanship is not bad. Although the fight was fake, his cultivation base is genuine and orthodox. It is not something that a Jianghu swindler can teach. It seems that the old Taoist is hiding his strength. "
"Hiding his strength? That's impossible. If he is really a big shot, Second Uncle, how could you not have heard of him? " Hu Yan said. Second Uncle was Bei Longtian's confidant and was one of the few great demons in the world. If Second Uncle could not see the real situation, then that Taoist was enough to make others fear him.
Hu Bugui also touched his head and muttered to himself. After a while, he said, "If I'm not wrong, I'm afraid we have fallen into someone's trap. Recently, the demons in Shu heard some rumors and went to look for some spiritual lady. They stole a lot of girls. There were also a few who did not open their eyes and wanted to attack the Yang Residence. I had to make a move to get rid of them. “
"We have been so secretive. How could the news be leaked? What should we do next? Why don't I follow those two and see if they are real? "
"Even if you want to go, it won't be your turn. Look at how energetic you are. The whole city will know about you. Third Brother, your Art of Concealment and Art of Escape are both top-notch. When the two Daoists leave the mansion, follow them and see where they came from. “
Hu Bugui said to the corner of the room. He saw a blurred figure step out from the dark corner. The figure gradually became clearer. There was a third person in the room. Needless to say, this black-clothed, ordinary-looking young man was the third brother that Hu Bugui mentioned. He was Hu Yan's third brother, Hu Yu.
"If something goes wrong, retreat when you need to. Don't be greedy." Hu Bugui was worried and reminded him again.
Hu Yu nodded his head and slowly retreated to the corner of the wall, blending in with the darkness.
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