Blade - Unbound

Chapter 96: Nuogao!

“Of course.” Li Yan nodded.

The Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique was the very first mystic art he had ever learned.

Once a practitioner of the mystic path awakened a divine ability and successfully established their inner temple, even if they could not set up a ritual altar, they could still crudely activate certain magical artifacts or cast some spells. Li Yan had depended on activating his Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coins and Thundercloud Divine Drum when he needed them.

The Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique had been taught to him by Luo Mingzi of the Enforcement Hall when they dealt with Chen Fakui. Depending on the variation of the Six Invocations used, it could either repel evil entities or intimidate wild beasts. It was an extremely practical technique.

According to Chen Fakui, the technique had been left behind by Immortal Elder Ge and passed down throughout the mystic path for disciples entering the mountains to avoid calamities. As such, it was not considered particularly rare and could be taught openly.

However, after asking Wang Daoxuan about it, Li Yan learned that things were not so simple. It was true that the technique meant little to the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, but it was still a genuine mystical art. Many lineages and sects only passed it on after rigorous evaluation. Even Wang Daoxuan himself had yet to learn the complete version.

Thus, Li Yan held Luo Mingzi in particularly high regard. The only troublesome aspect of the technique was that it required a spiritual artifact to assist its activation. Even if two people knew the same Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique, the results would differ greatly depending on their cultivation level and the quality of their treasures.

The yarrow stalks Li Yan used, for example, were far inferior to the Profound Bamboo Envoy Talismans used by disciples of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

Wang Daoxuan immediately grew interested. “From what you're saying, Daoist friend, could it be that this Divine Tiger Token can be used together with the Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique?”

Chenyuan nodded. “It was refined from the remains of our Patriarch. Naturally, it is no ordinary artifact. Its effectiveness far surpasses the Taixuan Orthodox Sect's Profound Bamboo Envoy Talismans. It also carries the tiger's might. With it in hand, one may enter the mountains without fear of disturbance from wild beasts.

“Furthermore, our lineage possesses another spell passed down by the Medicine King. It shares the same origin as the Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique. Since it was recorded in the Thousand Gold Supplementary Prescriptions, it is called the Thousand Gold Protection.

“This can even harm a person's spirit. In mild cases, the victim becomes drowsy and confused. In severe cases, they become trapped in illusions...”

Li Yan's eyelid twitched. “I experienced that spell firsthand today.”

Daoist Chenyuan sighed, “Please don't take offense, Daoist. Our Patriarch's fragment of true spirit has endured for a thousand years. Moments of clarity are rare.

“Most of the time he remains dormant and is little different from an ordinary temple deity. When threatened, he retaliates instinctively. The spells of the Medicine King lineage are primarily used for healing and saving lives. We are not skilled in combat.

“Only this spell, inherited from the pre-Qin era, excels at repelling enemies. When combined with the Divine Tiger Token, its power becomes even greater.”

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. “Daoist, I suspect you have another purpose in telling us all this.”

Chenyuan sighed and nodded. “The Medicine King originally passed down these methods so his disciples could gather herbs in the mountains while avoiding evil entities, ferocious beasts, and bandits. That is why the publicly circulated Thousand Gold Formulas contain none of these techniques.

“Lin Hui is not a practitioner of the mystic path. If he injured me and stole the token, then someone must have manipulated him. He likely intends to sell it. If the treasure falls into the hands of evil people, the consequences could be disastrous.

“I am not skilled in combat, and my disciples possess only shallow mystical attainments. So I would like to offer the Thousand Gold Protection as payment. Brother Li, please, recover the Divine Tiger Token. And if you succeed, the token itself shall also be yours.”

Li Yan was somewhat surprised. “The Divine Tiger Token is your sect's treasured artifact. Are you truly willing to part with it?”

Chenyuan shook his head with a bitter smile. “Our lineage does not compete with others. We originally kept the Divine Tiger Token as a memorial to our Patriarch. The Zhongnan Mountain is safe, and we rarely have cause to use it.

“Now that its existence has been exposed, keeping it will only invite disaster. This time, I was the target. Next time it may be my disciples. As long as our incense continues and our healing work never ceases, that is what truly matters.

“Besides, I do not wish to see it fall into the hands of someone with evil intentions.”

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. “Daoist, what if I'm one of those evil people?”

Chenyuan smiled. “I trust my Patriarch's judgment.”

At that point, Li Yan no longer hesitated. He clasped his hands and bowed slightly. “Daoist, focus on recovering from your injuries. I'll take the job.”

With that, the three men bid the man farewell and left the room.

***

Back in their guest room, Sha Lifei scratched his head before shaking it slightly. “This won't be easy. It's already been nearly two days. It's been raining this whole time! The guy could be anywhere by now.

“If he headed for Chang'an, you're not going to chase him for a thousand miles, are you? Moreover, we've got our own business to handle. We can't afford delays. If snow starts falling on the Qinling mountain roads, we'll end up stranded ourselves.”

Wang Daoxuan also looked troubled. “It's a pity my cultivation isn't deep enough. The Qinling Mountain Range is covered in astral qi. Otherwise, I could return to the scene, establish an altar, and perform a ritual. If I did that, perhaps we could uncover some clues.”

Li Yan pondered for a moment before speaking. “No matter what, we should at least try.”

After speaking, he found one of the junior Daoists and went to Lin Hui's former quarters. He memorized the scent and headed out to search. Unfortunately, just as Wang Daoxuan had predicted, the autumn rain had washed most of the scent away.

Even when he activated his divine ability, the mountain's innate astral qi obscured everything. Left with no choice, Li Yan returned to the temple when a thought suddenly occurred to him. He entered the temple's main hall and respectfully lit three sticks of incense.

“Senior, I'm helping your temple capture the culprit. If you know anything, could you please tell me?”

Unfortunately, no response came, no matter how long he waited.

Li Yan sighed softly. He already had a suspicion. The Tiger Daoist's true spirit had endured for a thousand years because of a single obsession, to see the Medicine King once more. If not for saving lives, he likely would never have revealed himself. Why would he concern himself with a worldly possession?

At that point, there was little else they could do. The pallbearers and coachman were still waiting. Once their task was complete, they needed to hurry home so they could reunite with their families before the Winter Solstice. There was no reason for them to stay and investigate.

Besides, the deceased could not remain on the road indefinitely.

Li Yan helplessly informed Chenyuan of the situation. He promised to keep an eye on news from the jianghu and reclaim the Divine Tiger Token if the opportunity arose.

***

Before dawn the following morning, the group prepared to depart. Just then, a Daoist novice hurried out of the temple gates carrying a wooden box.

Holding it out respectfully with both hands, he said, “Honored benefactors, Master asked me to deliver this to you. He said that whether the item can be recovered is ultimately a matter of fate, and you guys should not burden yourselves over it.

“You saved his life, and such kindness must be repaid. Unfortunately, Master possesses few worldly goods, so he wishes to gift this spell to you.”

Li Yan already knew what was inside the box and he nodded slightly. “Thank you. Please tell Daoist Chenyuan to focus on recovering. If the opportunity arises, we'll come visit.”

After clasping his hands in farewell, he mounted his horse. “Move out!”

At his command, the convoy resumed its journey.

As they left the Zhongnan Mountain, the eastern sky had already begun to pale. Li Yan couldn't help looking back. In the hazy distance, beneath the mountain, he could almost see an old tiger. A bronze ring hung from its mouth as it gazed blankly at the heavens...

***

The wagon creaked forward with difficulty.

The Qinling Mountain Range divided north from south, and its weather was notoriously unpredictable. The day before had been wrapped in clouds and mist. Yet only a day after leaving the Zhongnan Mountain, the skies suddenly cleared.

The final remnants of autumn heat baked the mountains and valleys. Some roads had dried completely. Others, shaded from the sun, had become even muddier, deeply scarred by wagon ruts.

“This road is terrible!” After helping the pallbearers push the wagon through a muddy rut, Sha Lifei mounted his horse again and couldn't help complaining.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. “The Qin-Chu Road is extremely old. The section from Xianyang to Zhongnan Mountain was built during the Qin Dynasty. The section we're currently traveling was carved out during the Han Dynasty.

“The route is far too long. How can the government possibly afford to maintain all of it? This stretch is actually considered decent. The ancient roads leading west toward Bashu are even worse. Their plank roads have decayed and collapsed over the years.

“If you're unlucky enough to get stranded there, the journey becomes much harder.”

Their conversation was merely a way to pass the time.

Meanwhile, Li Yan sat atop his horse, staring thoughtfully at a cloth scroll in his hands. It was the Thousand Gold Protection gifted by Chenyuan. The scroll contained diagrams for practicing the big dippers and hand seals, as well as incantations. The contents appeared extraordinarily complex.

They would be beyond comprehension for an ordinary person. In the past, even Li Yan would never have understood it. But after entering the mystic path and receiving Wang Daoxuan's constant guidance, he now possessed a basic understanding.

More importantly, it strongly resembled the Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique, especially the incantations.

The Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique started in a similar vein: “Nuogao, I alone open the descendant Wang Jia. Six Jia Azure Dragon, Six Yi Encountering Star, Six Bing Bright Hall, Six Ding Hidden Yin...”

The Thousand Gold Protection’s chant was: “Nuogao, three stars upon the left, three prisons upon the right. Heaven overturns and Earth reverses. All nine paths are sealed. Let your mind be lost as east become west, south become north...”

After pondering for a moment, Li Yan asked, “Daoist, what exactly is Nuogao?”

Wang Daoxuan became interested as well. “That is actually something I know a little about.”

Slowing his horse to ride beside Li Yan, he took the scroll and examined it carefully. After a long while, he recalled, “When I was wandering through the territory of Chu, I once happened to find an ancient text in a family's study. It was from the Dream Chapter of the Qin Scripture.

“The incantation was used to dispel nightmares and it went something like this: ‘Nuogao! I dare report to you, Wanqi: I have suffered an evil dream and have come seeking Wanqi's protection...’

“Wanqi refers to Boqi, one of the Twelve Nuo Beasts. Unfortunately, only the incantation survived, and the bamboo slips were incomplete. Later, I asked a senior in the mystic path about it. He told me that some scholars had researched the matter.

“Nuogao was likely the name of an ancient Supreme Yin deity. However, its exact identity has long been lost to time. Fortunately, the spell still functions. With so many gods and spirits in existence, few people bother investigating the matter any further.

“According to Daoist Chenyuan, both the Baopu Mountain-Climbing Technique and the Thousand Gold Protection share the same origin from the pre-Qin era. Perhaps they are connected to the early Daoist practitioners of the Qin imperial court.”

Li Yan felt slightly disappointed. “I see.”

He carefully rolled up the cloth scroll. The Thousand Gold Protection also required a spiritual artifact to be activated. Of course, the Divine Tiger Token was not the only one that could do the job. Any remains from a powerful mountain beast that had started cultivation could be refined into a suitable artifact.

If the opportunity arose, he would definitely have one made.

“AHHHHH!”

A scream suddenly echoed faintly from ahead.

Li Yan's expression changed. “Be careful!”

He raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop. Activating divine ability, he sniffed the air before speaking with a grim expression, “A ferocious beast is attacking people ahead. Stay where you are. Uncle Sha, protect everyone and wait for my signal.”

With that, he flicked the reins and spurred his horse forward. After passing two bends in the road, the screams and beastly roars became much clearer. The scent of blood and wild animals filled the air.

Staying calm, Li Yan bent over the horse's back and tightened his legs around its sides. He drew two throwing knives from his waist and held it at the ready.

The battle at the mass grave had shown him the advantages of throwing knives. He had also spent plenty of time hunting roadside animals as practice. Combined with his divine ability, he wasn't a true master of the art, but he was competent enough.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The moment he rounded the bend, both arms snapped forward to send his throwing knives at the target.

In the hollow beyond the bend, a merchant caravan had established a small camp beside the road. There were roughly seven or eight people, surrounded by more than a dozen vicious wolves. Some bared their fangs threateningly while others launched sudden attacks to harass the group again and again.

That was the wolf pack's hunting strategy.

Inside the camp, two men possessed decent martial skills. Holding broad blades, they protected the others behind them as their blades flashed left and right. Several wolf corpses already lay before them.

Yet just as Li Yan himself had once experienced, unless one was unreasonably powerful, there was no way to beat groups of attackers who came in endless waves.

The two men were barely holding out. Two members of the caravan had already been dragged beyond the defensive line and had their bodies torn to shreds by the wolf pack. Their flesh was already mangled beyond recognition.

Thud! Thud!

Li Yan's knives struck two wolves, but because he was throwing based solely on scent, neither blade struck a vital point.

His attack only enraged the pack.

The wolves of the Qinling Mountain Range were already larger and fiercer than ordinary wolves. The alpha, in particular, radiated a savage ferocity. With a low growl, it directed several wolves toward Li Yan.

When the ferocious beasts turned toward Li Yan, the black horse beneath him immediately panicked. Snorting frantically, it began backing away. After all, it was only an ordinary horse. It was gentle by nature and correspondingly timid.

However, Li Yan showed no fear. His throwing knives had merely been intended to interrupt the wolves' assault. The Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coins were far more effective against creatures like them.

His hand had already gripped the hilt of his blade as he focused on his spirit visualization. A cold murderous aura erupted, causing his horse to collapse in terror. At the same time, the charging wolves abruptly halted. Whining miserably, they turned and fled.

Wild beasts were far more sensitive to killing intent than humans. The aura emitted by the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coins filled them with terror.

“AWOOOO!”

A fierce howl from the alpha echoed through the mountains. Perhaps it was unusually bold, or perhaps it had encountered similar situations before. Whatever the reason, it showed no fear. It continued howling, attempting to force the pack back into the attack. But in doing so, it created an opening in the encirclement.

One of the caravan guards immediately charged forward. His eyes widened in fury as he let out a thunderous roar. His broad blade descended in a powerful arc.

The strike was overwhelmingly heavy. Caught completely off guard, the alpha wolf's head was severed in a single blow, sending blood spraying through the air. The severed head rolled across the ground, eventually coming to a stop near the pack.

With their leader dead, the remaining wolves lost their sense of unity. They scattered in every direction and vanished into the forest.

Seeing that the danger had passed, Li Yan slowly pushed his partially drawn blade back into its sheath. He then crouched beside his collapsed horse, stroking its neck to calm it.

Fortunately, the horse was somewhat simple-minded. After receiving two carrots, it quickly recovered, standing up and affectionately licking Li Yan's palm.

The man who had killed the alpha wolf finally relaxed once the pack was gone.

Walking over, he clasped his hands respectfully. “Many thanks, young hero, for your assistance...”

Nearby, sobbing filled the air as members of the caravan began cleaning up the aftermath.

Sha Lifei and the others soon arrived as well. They quickly started to help gather the bodies. Meanwhile, Wang Daoxuan rang his Soul Calming Bell and recited a scripture to guide the dead.

The era was different from Li Yan's previous life. Travel was difficult. Meeting someone on the road was a matter of fate. Though one should always remain cautious, one should also help when help was needed.

Besides, it was an excellent opportunity to gather information. A casual remark from a stranger might save their life one day, or lead them to unexpected fortune.

Surprisingly, the group was not a professional merchant caravan, but instead, villagers from near Zhashui in Shangzhou. Their wagons carried large quantities of handmade bark paper intended for sale in Chang'an.

After examining the goods, Wang Daoxuan asked in surprise, “Zhashui bark paper is famous for its quality. It ranks among the best in all of Shanzhou! Professional merchants usually purchase it directly; why transport it yourselves?”

Bark paper was also known as spirit paper or funeral paper, depending on the region.

“Whose fault do you think that is?” The man with the broad blade spat viciously onto the ground as his pent up resentment erupted. “Obviously, it’s those damned bandits!”