Blade - Unbound

Chapter 73: Wooden Puppets Hidden Within the Ghostly Forest

Zheng Heibei and Yuan Qu hurriedly flattered him.

“Master Chen’s abilities are truly profound!”

They might not understand rituals, but that did not mean they lacked the ability to kiss up to people.

However, Chen Fakui showed no trace of a smile. His expression remained dark as he urgently said, “What’s there to celebrate? This technique merely blocks others from climbing the hill. The real threat lies below! The ones coming must be my fellow disciples.

“One command astral qi signal has already been sent. Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, they’ll release the second. Once the third command astral qi signal rises, the City God Temple’s yin soldiers will arrive. At that point, we all die!”

Fear instantly appeared on Zheng Heibei’s face. “Ah? Then shouldn’t we be running now?!”

“Run?” Chen Fakui gritted his teeth. “To accomplish great things, one must endure calamity. If tonight fails, I’ll have to wait another three years. I cannot wait that long! Yuan Qu, head down the hill. There’s no need to fight. Simply disrupt their ritual casting!”

Yuan Qu’s face instantly paled. Just as he was about to make excuses, Chen Fakui had already swung his peachwood sword, lifted a talisman, ignited it, and pointed it sharply at him while chanting, “Om hum hum! Heaven attach, earth attach, earth attach to man, flying soul crossing the sea, seize and attach living souls. Go!”

Yuan Qu stiffened. He could feel a surge of yin energy filled with icy killing intent rising from beneath the earth and pouring directly into his body.

His entire being plunged into freezing cold, and his mind went blank. Yet very quickly, the yin energy flowed back out from his body and merged into the blood-red talismans covering his skin. Only then did his consciousness return.

Beside him, Zheng Heibei gulped nervously. “Y-you alright?”

Yuan Qu stared at his own hands in disbelief before clenching them violently.

Crack! Crack!

Pops rang through the air as power coursed through him. A savage grin quickly spread across his face. “I’m fine. Actually, I feel damn good!”

He could feel strength surging into his body from seemingly nowhere, and his skin felt as though it had been wrapped in a layer of icy iron armor. Not only had all fear vanished from his heart, but endless killing intent now flooded his mind.

Faintly, a voice continuously echoed beside his ears. “Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Without hesitation, Yuan Qu reversed his grip on his twin daggers and leaped four or five meters in a single bound. Then, kicking off with both feet, he shot out of the tomb.

Zheng Heibei stared in shock. That was the Ape Leap from the Zhou Family’s Monkey Fist, a technique that explosively unleashed hidden force through the legs in a single instant, allowing one to close the distance and assassinate an opponent.

To some extent, it counted as a trump card, but it consumed tremendous energy. Normally, one would have to catch their breath afterward or risk exposing a fatal opening to the enemy.

Thus, it was only used at critical moments. Using it merely for travel was absurdly extravagant. More importantly, Yuan Qu wasn’t even stopping to catch his breath between leaps!

So this is the power of the mystic arts...

Zheng Heibei’s confidence rose dramatically. Meanwhile, Chen Fakui’s expression remained gloomy. With his fingers, he constantly calculated the timing as anxiety flickered within his eyes.

***

Within the dense forest, Li Yan and Luo Mingzi continued advancing.

The slope was exceptionally steep, and the soil and rocks were loose beneath their feet. Fortunately, dense pines and cypresses covered the hillside, providing them with enough grip to make their climb easy.

Luo Mingzi seemed entirely unsurprised to see thin mist begin to rise around them.

“As expected, preparations were made. This is the Nine Essence Sect’s Yin Ghost Mountain Locking Art. It is a technique that mobilizes the earth veins’ yin killing qi to attract wandering ghosts and create ghost walls. With yin energy this dense, those ghostly things can see clearly, but they can't perceive us because you possess the concealment art. So long as you do not look directly at them, they will not discover you.”

Li Yan nodded seriously. “Yes, Senior!”

He knew Luo Mingzi was deliberately teaching him the ways of the mystic path. Naturally, he would not reject such goodwill.

Having already opened his Nose Root, he could smell the icy yin energy surrounding them. He could also sense decayed and sorrowful scents rising far beneath the distant earth. Sure enough, they soon encountered strange phenomena: they faintly saw a short man dressed in coarse black clothing beneath a pine tree, his face as pale as paper. He stood still with his back toward them.

The moment Li Yan saw the clothing, he immediately guessed, A grave robber!

Sure enough, an ancient robber tunnel appeared nearby in the earth, overgrown with wild grass. He was most likely some unfortunate soul murdered by his own companions.

It was not the first time Li Yan had seen such a thing. Having mentally prepared himself, he quickly turned his head away and continued up the hill. Not long after, they encountered even more wandering souls. They retained both their clothing and appearance when they died.

Some were in plain garments, with bodies that had been torn apart. They were likely herb gatherers attacked and devoured by wild beasts while climbing the hill. Some were in ancient craftsman robes, their heads separated from their necks. There were very few richly dressed tomb owners. After all, the Wei and Jin dynasties were simply too ancient. Few wandering souls could survive until the present day.

Just as Luo Mingzi described, once the wandering ghosts appeared, the decayed and sinister killing qi hidden within the rocks and dead leaves immediately gained a proper direction, circling continuously around the forest paths.

Killing qi would invade the spirits of ordinary people caught in such circumstances, causing hallucinations, disorientation, or even spirit possession. The phenomenon was known as “ghost walls.” However, Li Yan possessed a divine ability. Such petty tricks naturally could not stop him.

Maintaining his hand seal, he continued onward with Luo Mingzi.

Rustle! Rustle!

Just as they neared their destination, violent noises suddenly erupted ahead, as though something were rapidly rushing through the forest. Luo Mingzi instantly dragged Li Yan behind a tree as a figure came sprinting toward them at astonishing speed. The person charged straight through branches like a madman, not even attempting to dodge. Thorny vines ripped open his clothing as he barreled forward.

In the blink of an eye, the figure vanished again.

Li Yan frowned. “Yuan Qu?”

He was right; the person who had rushed past them was indeed Yuan Qu. However, yin killing qi had wrapped around him like a ghostly possession, and his strength had clearly increased dramatically.

“That’s the spirit-medium method.” Luo Mingzi merely glanced once before speaking calmly. “He simply invited some yin ghost or evil creature to possess him. It’s a technique from a minor path. Daoist Zhao and the others can handle it.”

Though worried, Li Yan also knew what mattered most. They had to destroy the altar and rescue Wang Daoxuan’s living soul.

Once they had accomplished those, everything else would naturally resolve itself.

Shockingly enough, just as he turned around, a shout suddenly echoed from behind them. “Little Yan, wait for me!”

The voice drifted faintly through the woods. There was no mistaking it; it belonged to Sha Lifei.

Why did Sha Lifei follow us up the hill?

Just as Li Yan was about to turn around, Luo Mingzi urgently warned, “Don’t respond! It’s a puppet Soul-Calling Art! Your concealment art is too crude. You’ve already been discovered. If you answer, you’ll fall into the trap!”

Li Yan froze before he slowly turned around. He could already smell an icy chill approaching. Ten meters away, hanging upside down from a tree branch, was a wooden puppet in a painted opera heroine costume. Barely arm-length in size, it clung to the branch like a spider while staring directly at him.

Its rigid mouth opened and closed continuously as the call echoed without end. It truly was a Soul-Calling Art!

Having once experienced something similar when dealing with the Cold Altar Soldier, Lin Yan did not panic. Such arts specialized in exploiting human emotions. Earlier, after seeing Yuan Qu leave, he had worried about Sha Lifei. Naturally, the puppet had used Sha Lifei’s voice to try to bait him out.

Just as Luo Mingzi said, Li Yan’s concealment art was only foundational. After learning it for just one afternoon, it might fool wandering ghosts, but not things like this. More importantly, the puppet’s attention remained entirely focused on Li Yan. It completely ignored Luo Mingzi, who was beside him. Clearly, it had not detected the man at all.

Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!

Suddenly, branches shook all around them.

Sheng. Dan. Jing. Mo. Chou.

All five puppets had appeared, surrounding him completely.

Li Yan whispered, “Senior, I’ll draw them away. Do not reveal yourself!”

He let the hand seal on his left hand lapse, abandoning the concealment art entirely. Right after, he turned and fled.

Luo Mingzi frowned slightly and followed behind him. He understood Li Yan’s intentions. Since the concealment art was already useless, Li Yan intended to use himself as bait, drawing Chen Fakui’s attention and creating an opportunity for Luo Mingzi to launch a surprise attack.

Though dangerous, it was the best possible strategy. Now no longer hiding his movements, Li Yan’s speed instantly increased. Naturally, danger followed just as quickly.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The five puppets leaped and crawled along the tree trunks like spiders, moving at terrifying speed as they tightened their encirclement. At the same time, the wandering ghosts across the hill also locked onto him.

Yin winds howled through the forest as shadowy figures flickered into view all around.

Li Yan drew his blade and, along with it, the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin tassel. The tassel swayed lightly as a terrifying killing aura exploded. The treasure’s power was extraordinary. The wandering ghosts scattered in terror like startled rabbits.

Watching their reaction, Luo Mingzi’s eyes immediately lit up. He had never expected the youngster, who hadn’t even properly stepped into the mystic path or constructed his inner temple yet, to possess such a powerful artifact.

Of course, the wooden puppets were not frightened away. The old-man puppet, which was dressed as an elderly scholar, suddenly came whistling forward. Though its white hair and beard framed a kindly face, it still sent the dragon-headed cane in its hands forward like a sharpened spike at astonishing speed.

It was aimed straight at Li Yan’s head!