The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1659: Chapter 841: Winds and Clouds Begin to Stir (Part 2)

The cheers and shouts from the people on the shore were about to drown out the river waves.

"This Dragon Boat in Guangfu is much more lively than those in the North!" Wu Ba marveled, still holding a recently purchased salted meat and egg yolk zongzi.

The others continued to wander around. Long Yan’er bought a sachet woven with five-colored threads and filled with star anise and sandalwood from an old woman by the street. Kong Shangzhao squatted in front of a stall selling old miscellaneous goods for a long time. Wang Daoxuan was chatting with some local Mystical Sect members, discreetly inquiring about the current situation of the Magic Veins in various parts of Nanling...

The festive atmosphere slightly diluted the bloody aura from days of conquering.

As for the captured Wokou leader, he became an insignificant burden.

The man was tightly imprisoned in the secret dungeon beneath the Crown Prince Mansion, personally guarded and probed with spells by Zhou Qingyuan from the Jade Emperor Sect.

Unfortunately, the result was disheartening.

The Japanese Chief’s three souls and seven spirits seemed to have been charred by fierce flames, or shattered like porcelain by a heavy hammer, already scattered and in disarray, resembling a wasted man.

No matter what means of guidance or stimulation were applied, not a single coherent or meaningful sentence could be extracted from his mouth.

The fellow merely curled up in a corner, emitting meaningless howls or foolish laughter, his gaze blank and drooling profusely.

"The soul and spirit foundation has been entirely obliterated," Zhou Qingyuan said with a sigh to Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan, who came to inquire.

"The action is extremely fierce and domineering, not caused by ordinary spell backlash. It seems more like... some force forcibly annihilated the source of intelligence, and now it’s just a shell that can still breathe."

This clue was essentially severed.

A mere shell could naturally provide no information about the specific location, activation method of the "Pillar of Passage," or the associates.

This was within Li Yan’s expectations.

After all, regarding the Netherworld Yin Bureau, even leaving one alive is rare.

For now, hope could only be placed on the upcoming court reinforcements and the large-scale mountain search operation led by the Xuan Sacrificial Officer.

...

Days passed in an instant.

The Crown Prince Mansion was bustling with people as various experts summoned by the court had all arrived in Guangzhou, gathering in the main hall.

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng seated at the head position, looked solemn and personally introduced them one by one.

"This is Zhang Xuanling, Master Zhang of the Heavenly Punishment Institute, who specializes in capturing demons and examining abnormalities in the Dharma Realm. This operation will be overseen and coordinated by him."

The Crown Prince pointed to a middle-aged Daoist dressed in a dark purple Daoist robe, with a lean face and sharp eyes like an eagle.

Zhang Xuanling nodded slightly, exuding an aura of authority, with a Token engraved with complex thunder patterns hanging from his waist, precisely the Demon Hunting Order from the Xuan Sacrificial Officer.

"This is Mr. Shen from Qiankun Academy, specializing in ’Dragon Erosion.’

The Crown Prince’s gaze shifted to the other side.

A tall young man dressed in dark cyan attire made a fist salute; his skin was dark, with thick finger joints, clearly skilled in external skills.

Behind him stood seven equally dressed, composed men and women, each carrying an unusual Compass, exploring rods, and long magic artifacts wrapped in oilcloth.

They also counted as newcomers from Qiankun Academy, showing great respect for the Twelve Primordial Spirits.

"This is Mr. Lai Kong from the Lai Family in Ganzhou, a Feng Shui descendant."

The Crown Prince introduced an older man dressed in a linen long shirt, wearing hemp shoes, and with a sharp face.

Lai Kong, fiddling with a few strands of goatee, with a small bronze feng shui compass and brass bell hanging at his waist, bowed in salute but said nothing.

"This is Daoist Qingwei, High-level Mage from the Heavenly Master Mansion on Dragon and Tiger Mountain."

The last introduction was of an elder with a youthful demeanor, dressed in a pale yellow Eight Trigrams Daoist robe, holding a silver thread duster, whose demeanor was peaceful yet dignified, precisely the expert sent by Dragon and Tiger Mountain to preside.

Li Yan, Wang Daoxuan, and others greeted these new faces one by one.

The atmosphere in the hall was serious, everyone knowing the danger of the mission, neglecting small talk.

After introductions, Master Zhang Xuanling went straight to the point.

He took out a thick stack of maps, unfolding them, precisely the preliminary suspect areas combined from old records and local Magic Veins investigations.

"The mountains overlap endlessly in Nanling, once known as plague-ridden lands, with complex Magic Veins, and the Earth Vein paths are even more intricate and changeable."

Zhang Xuanling’s voice was steady and full of strength, "’The Pillar of Passage’ must be set above either an ancient altar or the ominous spot at an Earth Vein intersection. Mr. Lai is proficient in feng shui divination, and his qi observation and dragon seeking skills are unmatched in Gannan; Daoist Shen brings the ’Dragon Erosion’ team, whose ’Dragon Seeking Ruler’ and ’Diameter Plate’ are unique creations of the Academy, extremely sensitive to Earth Vein fluctuations; Daoist Qingwei’s talismans communicate with God and can suppress evil spirits while breaking magic barriers."

"There’s also Young Hero Li and the Twelve Primordial Spirits, who are renowned worldwide; we need to collaborate comprehensively, supporting each other."

Lai Kong nodded slightly; his thin fingers traced over several marks on the map and spoke in a low voice, "The mountain shapes are like dragons and snakes coiled around, and the place where the qi veins gather must be peculiar. Field reconnaissance is necessary to observe the qi of the mountains and waters, and smell the breath of the vegetation before making a decision."

His Gannan accent was pronounced, yet each word was clear.

The Crown Prince, seeing everyone was properly arranged, said in a deep voice, "To ensure everything, I have ordered the Guangzhou Prefecture and surrounding garrisons to mobilize elite soldiers, crossbowmen, and firearms soldiers totaling thirty thousand, all commanded by Wuzhou Guard Commander Ma Qianhu, awaiting Master Zhang’s orders!"

"They will be responsible for clearing the perimeter, blocking key routes, transporting supplies, and removing obstacles for all of you!"

"Additionally..."

The Crown Prince glanced at them, "The latest ’Lu Ban’s Wooden Sparrow’ developed by Qiankun Academy has arrived. This contraption can carry several people, ascending hundreds of feet into the sky, providing a bird’s-eye view to compensate for the lack of manpower in exploration."

Li Yan listened and finally felt relieved.

Thirty thousand troops! Lu Ban’s Wooden Sparrow! Such an arrangement far surpasses typical pirate suppression campaigns, almost akin to a small-scale warfare!

Xuan Sacrificial Officer, Dragon and Tiger Mountain, Feng Shui Master, elite traveling immortals team, thirty thousand heavily armored and armed court army, along with the mechanical creation capable of soaring the skies... such a mighty force gathered, certainly not a small movement.

News spread quickly, becoming the hottest topic on Guangzhou’s streets, even overshadowing the commotion caused by the introduction of steam engines to Thirteen Lines a few days earlier.

Teahouses, bars, docks and ports were abuzz with discussions about the court’s grand operation to annihilate the "Mountain Demon", filled with curiosity and awe towards the flying "wooden bird".

At dawn the next day, Guangzhou City’s north gate opened wide.

The ground trembled slightly.

Leading out of the city was the courtly army, like a steel torrent.

Banners overshadowed the sun, spears and halberds like a forest.

The heavy footsteps, clashing sounds of armor, and the dull thuds of horse hooves mixed together, creating a terrifying oppressive aura.

The infantry phalanx was neat and uniform, crossbowmen carried strong bows and powerful crossbows, firearms soldiers wielded new firearms, and the thirty thousand troops slowly moved toward the direction of Nanling like a winding giant dragon.

Following the army were Li Yan, Zhang Xuanling, Shen Lian, Lai Jiuling, Daoist Qingwei, Wang Daoxuan, among other core individuals.

Some rode horses, others traveled in carriages, their expressions solemn. Sha Lifei, Kuai Dayou, Long Yan’er, Situ Hua, Wu Ba, Lv San, Kong Shangzhao were also among them.

Particularly eye-catching in the team were the dozen large objects being tightly protected, covered with oilcloth, transported by specially made carts, with wheels deeply embedded in the soil — these were the "Lu Ban’s Wooden Sparrow".

Inside and outside the city gates were crowded with onlookers.

Voices were bustling, everyone pointing and talking.

On the edge of this bustling crowd, near the noisy harbor’s fish market, in an inconspicuous corner squatted a dark-skinned, weather-worn fish vendor.

He wore torn hemp cloth shorts, pants rolled up high, with mud and fish scale stench on his shins, and two half-empty fish baskets before him.

Between his rough fingers pinched a low-quality roll of dirt tobacco, occasionally puffing as his murky eyes scanned the departing troops.

When the army completely left, the fish vendor’s eyelids lifted slightly, hardly noticeable. Deep in his murky gaze, a cold glimmer flickered.

He casually stubbed out the cigarette butt, threw the remaining fish into a tattered basket, picked up the basket, hunched his back, and shuffled into the crowded flow of the port.

Winding through several turns, he deftly avoided the bustling main street and slipped into a narrow back alley filled with the scent of salt, sweat, and cheap tung oil.

Deep in the alley piled with discarded fishing nets, broken wooden barrels, and rotting vegetable leaves.

He stopped before an inconspicuous wooden door of a dilapidated warehouse, paint peeling off, cautiously scanning left and right, confirming he wasn’t followed before curling his fingers and knocking on the door with varying rhythm.

"Knock, knock-knock, knock."

After a moment of silence inside the door, a deep voice with a thick Min Province accent asked, "What fish is out of the water?"

The fish vendor lowered his voice and replied through the door crack:

"Saltwater granny, sunk to the bottom."

As he spoke, a cold smile crept at the corner of his lips...