No mistake—it was definitely gunpowder!
A shudder ran through Li Yan, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
Ever since Chen Fakui had threatened them with explosive packs and Zhou Pan had met his end by a newfangled firearm, Li Yan had paid exceptional attention to gunpowder.
Gongfu demanded bitter training, and magical arts required diligent practice, but gunpowder weapons could be wielded by anyone. One slip of vigilance, and a person's life and cultivation would both be extinguished.
Fortunately, his nose was sharp enough.
Before long, Li Yan spotted his mark.
Near the altar grounds, aside from the people of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, there were also several camp followers.
These so-called camp followers were, to put it plainly, logistical drudges. Unskilled in combat, they handled chores like feeding horses, chopping firewood, cooking meals, and digging trenches.
Erecting the altar grounds required leveling the surrounding terrain and clearing trees. With the City God Temple shorthanded, these men had been hired from the yamen to do the work.
Now that the liturgy had begun, some of the camp followers stood with solemn, reverent expressions. A few had even dropped to their knees, burning incense and kowtowing to seize this rare chance to pray for their families' blessings.
Only one man was slowly pushing a wooden cart forward.
He had a burly build, a face full of stubble, and a simple, honest look. The wooden-wheeled cart carried only dirt, debris, and dry straw.
Yet Li Yan caught a faint trace of the gunpowder smell drifting right out of that dirt.
Forming a Yang hand seal to sharpen his senses, the scent grew unmistakably clear.
The fellow was alert as well. The instant he noticed Li Yan looking his way, his pace quickened, and his gaze turned dark and vicious.
"Trouble!" Li Yan barked in a low voice, lunging forward.
At the same time, he bent down, scooped up several stones from the ground, and whipped them out using the locust stone technique.
He had heard earlier that the Taixuan Orthodox Sect's investiture of the mountain god was a deed of merit, and having just received guidance from their senior, he naturally felt obligated to lend a hand.
Still, it was gunpowder!
To prevent any mishaps, he had to rely on the locust stones.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
Three stones whistled straight toward the man's forehead.
The fellow possessed remarkable skill. With a swift twist and a sway of his head to either side, he dodged the locust stones with ease.
At the same time, he dropped his disguise entirely. Striking a flint against the wooden cart, sparks showered outward, setting the dry straw ablaze.
It was soaked in lamp oil; the flames flared up instantly.
"To hell with your grandfather!" he roared, putting all his strength into both arms to shove the burning cart toward the altar.
At that moment, several Daoists from the Enforcement Hall drew their swords and charged.
"Look out, it's gunpowder!" Li Yan shouted in warning.
Though shock flickered across their faces, the Daoists did not slow their pace.
They were guarding the altar grounds and would not retreat in the face of danger.
Two of them unleashed hidden jin beneath their feet, shooting through the air with their wide sleeves billowing. Twisting midair, they kicked the wooden cart at the exact same time.
*Crash!*
The wooden cart flew backward, but the earth and debris tumbled free, dropping several explosive packs onto the ground.
On the packs, the fuses had already burned to their ends.
*Boom!*
A deafening explosion roared, and thick smoke rolled out.
At the same time, whistling shrieks filled the air.
Li Yan's expression changed, and he threw himself flat against the dirt.
The explosive packs had been stuffed with concealed weapons. When the blast went off, shards of metal sprayed in every direction like scattering flower petals.
The Enforcement Hall Daoists, being closest, bore the brunt of it.
Their gongfu was formidable, and their spinning longswords deflected a good number of the projectiles, but the barrage was far too dense. Several were struck on the spot, grunting in pain.
"Ouch! You cowardly bastard!" Sha Lifei shrieked at the same time.
They were farther away. At Li Yan's warning, Sha Lifei had immediately grabbed Wang Daoxuan and tackled him to the ground, but a throwing dart had still caught him right in the buttocks.
The Enforcement Hall Daoists plucked the projectiles from their bodies. To men of their skill, non-vital hits were usually nothing of concern.
Yet when one Daoist drew out a weapon and took a cautious sniff, his face turned pale.
"It's poisoned!"
Meanwhile, the burly man turned on his heel and fled.
Whatever had been mixed into the explosive packs kicked up a dense, acrid smoke that formed the perfect cover, swallowing his figure in an instant.
The moment Li Yan heard it was poison, he scrambled up without a word and gave chase.
*Clang!*
Drawing his blade across his chest, he sprinted a few strides, then abruptly unleashed hidden jin from his legs. He sprang upward with a *whoosh*, sweeping his saber down in a vicious slash.
This technique had been picked up from the Zhou family.
Red Fist was renowned for agile footwork. Powered by the explosive force of hidden jin, his leap carried him twenty feet through the air as he unleashed the Guanzhong fast blade, slashing down like a soul-reaping specter.
Blessed with divine nose power, fighting at night was no different to him than fighting by broad daylight.
A mere plume of smoke was nothing.
The burly man lacked speed. Sensing the razor-sharp edge descending from behind, he twisted sharply and crossed his forearms to shield his head.
*Clink!*
A crisp metallic ring sounded, and Li Yan frowned slightly.
His internal cultivation was still lacking. Funneling hidden jin into his legs for that soaring leap had left the power in his arms somewhat depleted.
Still, the Guanzhong fast blade did not rely on brute strength.
Even a master of transformative jin was made of flesh and blood; a blade would still draw blood.
Yet the man's wrists were reinforced with iron.
The Guanshan blade had sheared through both his sleeves, exposing a stacked row of copper rings.
Li Yan's eyes narrowed. "Iron Wire Fist?"
As the explosion echoed away, the thundering of hooves could already be heard in the distance.
The Enforcement Hall Daoists had been caught off guard by the poisoned darts, but nearly a hundred Commandant Bureau riders were guarding the outer perimeter.
Facing Li Yan, who stood blade in hand, the burly man knew that unless he drove this opponent back, he had no hope of escape. With a cold snort, he threw a punch.
Iron Wire Fist belonged to the Hung Gar lineage, widely practiced in the south. It emphasized rooted stances, strong bridges, and the Twelve Bridge Hands as its framework, blending yin and yang to project internal force with formidable power.
The man was powerfully built, wearing nine copper rings on his arms. He was likewise an adept of hidden jin, and though not at its absolute pinnacle, his foundation was far deeper than Li Yan's.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
His strikes were fierce and relentless, each move accompanied by the howling of wind. Combined with the signature breathing and vocatives of Iron Wire Fist, the force was truly terrifying.
Li Yan felt as though he were facing a seasoned military champion. Those fists pounded like relentless war hammers, driving him back step after step.
The man's advances were not particularly fast, and they even showed slight openings.
Yet Li Yan only dodged, refusing to rush into an attack.
His father had once mentioned that for all its outward ferocity, Iron Wire Fist favored defense over offense, excelling at turning weakness into strength.
Every technique was a bridge hand. As the saying went: *Where there is a bridge, cross it; where there is none, seek one.* Those apparent openings were all traps; the man was swift without being reckless, deliberate without growing slack.
Moreover, the fellow wore iron rings. In skilled hands, a flick of the wrists could catch and trap a blade in the gaps between the rings.
The moment Li Yan struck, his opponent would seize the chance to deliver a lethal blow.
He only needed to stall the man. Why risk his life in a reckless clash?
"Slippery brat!"
Seeing that Li Yan refused to take the bait, the man spat and turned to run.
"Oho, such heavy fists, and yet you run?" Li Yan sneered, stepping forward to slash once more.
His footwork was razor-sharp, and the Guanzhong fast blade prioritized speed above all. In the space of a single breath, the edge was already aimed at the hollow behind the man's neck.
Yet the man seemed prepared. Twisting around, he raised both fists in an execution of Tiger Lurking in Hiding. The copper rings clattered as they clamped onto Li Yan's blade. He had feigned flight merely to lure Li Yan into striking.
With the weapon trapped, he could step in for the kill.
Yet he had underestimated Li Yan.
Li Yan might have lacked the man's depth of internal force, but he had far sharper wits.
The moment he threw the strike, he had already anticipated the trap. Letting go of the saber, he pivoted on his shoulder and drove a side kick straight into the man's midsection.
*Thud!*
Hidden jin detonated through the kick, launching the man off his feet.
He crashed to the ground with a muffled groan, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Such was combat between martial artists; life and death, victory and defeat hung on the slimmest thread.
Li Yan had weaker internal force, but his mind was keen and his tactics ruthless. Coupled with the man's desperation to escape, the balance had tipped.
*Whoosh!*
Only then did the knocked-away Guanshan blade finish its tumbling arc through the air.
Without even looking, Li Yan caught it smoothly and sheathed the weapon.
That kick had delivered ferocious hidden jin, rupturing the man's internal organs. He could not run far now, and even if he tried, his chance was gone.
Sure enough, hooves thundered in the distance.
*Swish! Swish!*
Two barbed wolf-tooth arrows shrieked through the air.
With two dull thuds and splashes of blood, the arrows pinned both of the man's legs to the ground.
Li Yan frowned slightly, though he said nothing.
These were men of the Commandant Bureau, and this was their way. To prevent an enemy's escape, they crippled the legs first; whether the captive was left permanently maimed was none of their concern.
The burly man was tough. Though he could not help letting out a strangled shriek, he clamped his teeth shut immediately after, closing his eyes as if awaiting death.
*Neigh!*
Horses whinnied as several riders dismounted and strode over.
At their head was Chang Xuan, the centurion of the Commandant Bureau. He cast a blank glance at the fallen man and said calmly, "Drag him off for interrogation. Take him further away so as not to disturb the Daoist masters."
"Wait!"
A Daoist rushed over at that moment—one of the Enforcement Hall members from earlier. His face was dark as he said, "The projectiles carry poison, and an extremely virulent one at that."
Even as he spoke, he crouched down to search the man's body.
"Save your breath, I don't have an antidote."
Sweat poured down the man's face from the agony, and his lips were pale, yet he offered a cold, mocking sneer. "If you have the skill, cure it yourselves. If not, you'd better speak politely to your daddy!"
The Enforcement Hall Daoist's eyes turned sharp. "Ignorant fool. It's nothing more than corpse gu poison. Once the ritual concludes, there are those who can purge it."
The man broke into a laugh. "I just worry you won't last that long!"
Just then, Guan Wanche remarked coldly, "As expected of a fanatic from the Maitreya Sect. Let's see whether your tongue is tougher than the Commandant Bureau's methods."
"The Maitreya Sect?"
The man was visibly taken aback, shaking his head at once. "Don't pin false charges on me! I was only hired by someone. This has nothing to do with the Maitreya Sect."
Guan Wanche and Chang Xuan exchanged a quick glance.
Chang Xuan said calmly, "Whether you belong to the Maitreya Sect no longer matters. Using gunpowder is already a capital offense. Speak clearly, and you might earn a quick death."
The man took a deep breath and laughed. "Don't try to scare me. Now that I've fallen into your hands, whether you butcher or slice me, I'm your dog if I beg for mercy.
"Still, someone asked me to pass along a message. His Venerable Self has no desire to make an enemy of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, but the thing inside the mountains must be taken.
"Either you halt the ceremony and save your people—and the antidote will be handed over—
"Or a few of you can die to keep me company!"
Meanwhile, Luo Mingzi had returned. Surveying the scene, he said in a heavy voice, "More than one faction is at work. These are all diversions to draw our eyes away. Under cover of the blast and the gap in our lines, someone has already slipped into the mountains."
Guan Wanche nodded. "Sounds like a seasoned thief!"
Listening to them speak, Li Yan pieced together the full picture.
The opposition's strategy was indeed shrewd. They had never intended a direct assault, sending men to cause explosions and sicken guards with gu poison as a diversion and threat.
Once the investiture of the mountain god began, it could not be interrupted.
If the Taixuan Orthodox Sect halted the ceremony to save lives, their opponents could retrieve the treasure unhindered. If they did not stop, the sect would still have to divert most of their forces to manage the wounded, creating the perfect opportunity for the thieves to slip away.
And from what Guan Wanche implied, people from the Maitreya Sect were involved as well?
Beside them, Luo Mingzi spoke in a firm tone. "The ceremony will not stop. If I am not mistaken, one compromise will only make you push your luck and demand more."
Seeing that negotiations had failed, the man fell silent.
Chang Xuan said coldly, "Do you realize this is a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire clan?"
The man smirked. "I have no attachments in this world. It doesn't matter."
"The jianghu is just about earning a meal," Chang Xuan said. "Is it worth it?"
The man's face grew serene. "A life owed is repaid with a life!"
With that, he closed his eyes.
Chang Xuan nodded slightly. "A pity."
*Squelch!*
A man stepped forward and drove a blade straight through his heart.
The captive was bent on death; wasting further breath on interrogation was pointless.
The group returned to the altar grounds. Sure enough, the investiture ritual had not stopped. Qingyangzi and several senior Daoists remained atop the altar, solemn and meticulous as they carried on with the liturgy.
Nearby, all the wounded had been moved into tents.
Their faces were ash-gray, their eyes tightly shut, and their breathing faint. In that short span of time, their bodies had begun to reek of a putrid corpse stench.
Among them was Sha Lifei.
A lotus lamp had been placed beside each person, talismans were affixed to their chests, and a strange incense burned inside the tent.
Li Yan could smell that the fragrance of the incense was actively suppressing the stench of death rising from their bodies.
"This is corpse gu poison," Luo Mingzi said gravely. "Only sinister sorcerers who deal with corpses year-round possess such methods. Depending on the cavern conditions where the corpse was buried, the cure varies in thousands of ways.
"Only Martial Uncle Qingyangzi can use his arts to forcibly purge the poison, but only one person at a time. With our arts suppressing it, they should hold out until tomorrow..."
"Rest assured, Daoist masters," Chang Xuan spoke up suddenly. "Since they've entered the mountain, we'll trap them like turtles in a jar. Once we catch them, we'll have the antidote."
Li Yan glanced at the unconscious Sha Lifei and said in a low voice, "I'm going too."
With time running short, Luo Mingzi dispensed with pleasantries. "Very well. The junior brother who shares your talent for divine nose power has been poisoned. With Young Friend Li's help, we will surely catch this band."
Just then, a squad commander of the Commandant Bureau hurried in, clasping his fists. "Reporting to the Lord, we've captured three alive!"
The group exited the tent to find three men thrown onto the ground. All of them had arrows through their legs, bleeding profusely, their eyes wide with terror.
These three lacked the burly man's backbone. Without needing to be tortured, they trembled and babbled, "Mercy, my lords! We were coerced!"
"I was poisoned by Mo Laowai..."
"Who is he?"
"An old grave robber."
"I was forced by Master Shan, the beggar chief..."
It turned out these men were also decoys.
They had been poisoned and sent running in every direction to lure the Commandant Bureau away.
According to them, two main factions were involved: one led by a well-known tomb robber from Guanzhong, and the other by Master Shan, the fugitive western beggar chief.
The two groups had clashed at first, but upon seeing the tight defenses around the mass graves, they had joined forces temporarily to enter the mountains and seize the treasure, each relying on their own luck.
The one who had supplied the poison was none other than the old grave robber, Mo Laowai.
Hearing these two names, a flicker of disappointment crossed Chang Xuan's eyes.
Li Yan, however, suddenly recalled the black-robed elder he had encountered while looking for Zhao Lvzi. He spoke in a low voice, "That man is also a treasure stalker from the mystery-seeking lineage. I have a friend living in seclusion at the mountain god shrine in Shangyi Village who is a treasure stalker as well. He might be able to neutralize the poison."
"The mystery-seeking lineage... no wonder..."
Luo Mingzi nodded to a Daoist attendant beside him, who immediately mounted a horse and galloped off.
After finalizing their arrangements, the rest of the group set out toward the mass graves...
Chapter 87