Chapter 111: San Tong
The group did not waste another moment and continued onwards, going deeper and deeper into the Gold-Consuming Lair. While they have not obtained any new clues on the giant pangolin’s whereabouts, they were certain that there was something unusual about their destination and every step that they took was filled with danger.
The two voodoo dolls led the way forward. Wen Leyang followed right behind them while Luo w.a.n.ggen’s flying-sword-conjuring zombie brought up the rear.
Wen Buzuo was bored after a few steps. He walked beside Luo w.a.n.ggen and asked, “Brother, what’s up with this zombie of yours? How can it even conjure a flying sword?”
Luo w.a.n.ggen smiled proudly, “To reply brother Wen’s question, this zombie…” He suddenly lowered his voice and said in a mysterious voice, “Is the corpse of a cultivator! It took a lot out of Crow Ridge to find him. We eventually managed to break into his tomb and obtained his body and magical item. After we refined it, it was cleverer than normal zombies and can even conjure magical weapons!”
Wen Buzuo was bug-eyed with astonishment. He gave a thumbs-up and praised sincerely, “That’s nice, controlling a cultivator’s corpse!” He then slapped his thigh, “I should’ve s.n.a.t.c.hed the old priest Zi Que’s corpse. If we refined that, we don’t have to fear anyone from the Five Blessings anymore!”
The formerly shy Luo w.a.n.ggen also made a pitiful gaze and sighed with a sour expression, “Yeah, that would have been good material…”
Wen Buzuo chattered on, “If we first controlled Zi Que’s corpse then helped it to retake ‘Yin’s Error Yang’s Mistake’, hehe, then the ‘Sun and Moon’s Unmovable Disaster’!”
The jade knife Guo Huan scolded them, “You two are fools who do not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth! Do you intend to cook an elephant with the stove you use to roast melon seeds? That walking corpse is only a small fry, when it was alive it wasn’t even equal to Zi Que’s pinkie. That’s why you could control it!”
Luo w.a.n.ggen chuckled. He knew that the jade knife Guo Huan had spoken the truth. This zombie was an experiment of the Luo family and he knew how hard it was to refine it. It had taken most of the elites from the clan’s team to refine it. This unlucky fellow must have been quite weak when he was alive or his flying sword would not have become so rusted.
Wen Buzuo wasn’t one to show weakness. He speedily rebuked, “Our three families’ secret techniques had been inherited from Grand Master Tuo Xie. If it were him, taking on ten of you won’t even mess up his mealtime.”
The jade knife Guo Huan was so angry that he laughed, “That Tuo Xie brat does indeed have some prowess but that jar-face of his is completely humiliated by his descendant’s disciples! Speaking of prowess, you lot aren’t even fit to be the dirt in his footprint!” Having said that, he immediately felt that it was too harsh. He added while smiling, “But dear Wen Leyang is still quite acceptable.”
Wen Leyang’s pores were opening and closing steadily. He had been quietly feeling about his lifeless surroundings. For the moment, he had not noticed anything amiss. When he heard that the subject had turned to him, he answered while smiling drily, “Naturally, our abilities can’t be compared to Grand Master Tuo Xie’s.”
A vast, dull and lifeless empty s.p.a.ce continued to stretch out in front of them. The deeper they went, the more the huge rocks and trees resembled metal. Their features also turned sharper as sharp edges could be seen on the rocks and trees which tapered to a point, looking like long spikes pointing skywards.
These rocks and plants had been corroded by the force within the Gold-Consuming Lair for thousands of years which had polished them into sharp edges. The smaller rocks had been turned into sharp knives that stuck out on the ground. They occasionally gave out a crisp ring, making people shudder when they hear it.
Wen Leyang was carrying Wen Xiaoyi on his back once again. Wen Buzuo giggled from the side, “Xiaoyi, by tomorrow I’ll give you a saddle, riding boots, and a whip; the entire package!”
Wen Leyang was both annoyed and amused, “Get yourself a bridle while you’re at it.”
After they left that devastated place, they did not encounter anything else of note along their journey. They chatted casually but also kept their guard up as they walked at a steady pace. The Gold-Consuming Lair was so vast that it seemed completely boundless, as if they would never get to the end of it.
When it turned dark, Wen Leyang decided to stop for the day. Wen Buzuo then found a little cave and made camp.
Other than Wen Xiaoyi who had no martial arts foundation and slept as soon as she lied down, the others weren’t feeling sleepy at all. They discussed the strangeness of the place in hushed tones. According to the ugly youth Qin Zhui’s statement and their findings along the way, there might be some obscure cultivators living in the Gold-Consuming Lair. There were also possibly some outsiders who have entered the place but they were unsure which side the giant pangolin was on.
The more they talked about it, the more confounded they became. Other than the fact that a fight had taken place here, they had no other proof. They listed down some equally probable scenarios. Finally, the jade knife Guo Huan grew impatient and decided to change the subject. He asked Wen Leyang, “Boy, I don’t understand. All of you are Tuo Xie’s descendants but how come there’s such a huge gap between them and you?”
Wen Leyang recounted the process of how he had mastered Wen Lazi’s method. After he finished his explanation, he asked, “You said that my method was the same as Grand Master Tuo Xie’s. Could it be that ancestor Wen Lazi had come up with a method that was the same as Grand Master’s skill?”
The jade knife Guo Huan clicked his tongue in surprise for a moment before explaining, “It’s not about your methods but your approach! Those days Tuo Xie had also relied on that quirky boxing style that you use…”
Wen Leyang chuckled, “That’s the Faulty Punch and it’s a boxing style which had been left behind by Grand Master Tuo Xie.”
“That’s true, back in those days Tuo Xie had relied on the Faulty Punch to break the other cultivator’s magic weapons and spells. The force contained in the Faulty Punch was not only much denser than yours, it was also more interesting!” He paused for a moment then continued his question, “How about the other two families? Aren’t they also Tuo Xie’s descendants?”
Wen Leyang nodded. He then explained about the three ultimate techniques which had been pa.s.sed down to the Wen, Miao, and Luo families in a straightforward manner.
The jade knife Guo Huan was silent for a moment before he spoke again slowly, “That’s impossible. Three disciples with three different ultimate techniques… I thought that Grand Master Tuo Xie was…” He spat mid-sentence and cursed at Wen Leyang, “After this don’t mention Grand Master Tuo Xie this, Grand Master Tuo Xie that in front of me. I’m starting to pick it up…”
Wen Buzuo tried hard to cover his laughter, he was overjoyed, really! “Hahaha, Guo Huan, if you were to enter the Tuo Xie Sect, then you would be our junior…”
The group laughed in a hushed tone. Even the silly zombie managed a forced smile on his greenish-black undead face. Suddenly, a mournful wail like that of a dying owl reached them from afar. In the silent, lifeless night, it sounded especially ear-piercing!
Everyone stopped talking immediately. Wen Xiaoyi was also awakened and opened her eyes abruptly. Her big eyes were full of fear.
Wen Leyang jumped to his feet and took a few steps towards the source of the sound before stopping. He knotted his brows and hesitated – if he were to leave this group of people here he wouldn’t be at ease but if he were to bring them along, then they might be detected by another cultivator’s telegnosis ability.
The jade knife Guo Huan commented, “Relax, the metal element’s fearsomeness is dense in the Gold-Consuming Lair. A normal cultivator’s telegnosis ability is weaker than your natural hearing and eyesight. Let’s all go together!”
However, Wen Leyang was stunned. Ever since he had entered the depths of the Gold-Consuming Lair, he always felt that the metal element’s fearsomeness was pressing down on him. It almost feels like there was a sharp shaving knife slowly sc.r.a.ping past his skin at all times but his spirit sense was not affected at all.
Guo Huan guessed what he was thinking about, “Your method rejects Heaven and Earth so the fearsomeness force is no obstacle to you. For the cultivators it’s the complete opposite, other places are fine, but here they’re handicapped!”
Wen Leyang nodded happily. A few years ago, when they were on Zhanyan Peak, the elites of the Great Mercy Temple had cast the Heaven’s Omniscient Eye spell, sealing the eyesight and telegnosis abilities of the rogue cultivators. His own spirit sense was the only thing which remained unaffected and he had even stumbled upon the hidden path which had led to the ancient cave, finally leading them to Chang Li. The situation now was almost similar to the time on Zhanyan Peak. The cultivators’ telegnosis will be blocked by the Gold-Consuming Lair’s fearsomeness but his own 360 degrees panoramic movie was still playing as usual.
Wen Leyang carried Wen Xiaoyi and led the way. The group moved faster than a cat spirit and walked lighter than a poison serpent, heading swiftly towards the direction of the sound.
The zombie was practical. It had wanted to retrieve its big backpack but was pulled away by Luo w.a.n.ggen.
The wailing had continued without ceasing. The waves of the painful cry along with the fearsomeness of the land of the metal element were like an awl which p.r.i.c.ked everyone’s eardrums. Wen Buzuo caught up with Wen Leyang and said, “Something’s wrong! I think it’s luring us over!”
Guo Huan chuckled, “Even if it was to lure someone it won’t be luring us. Quit blabbering and get a move on. There’s bound to be some interesting things to see!”
Wen Buzuo then advocated that they should not approach stealthily from the front. He eventually led the group in a huge detour and circled in from the side.
The wailing sound was getting clearer. After stealthily moving for a while, a bright bonfire showed itself without reserve in front of everyone. They immediately lay flat on the ground and used their respective family’s shadow sneak technique. Those from the Wen family crawled like lizards; those from the Miao family swam like fish. However, it was Wen Leyang’s first opportunity to witness the Luo family’s sneaking technique. They lay flat on the ground with their faces facing upwards. Luo w.a.n.ggen and the zombie looked as if they had been sentenced to death by hanging. It’s as if the ‘Black and White Impermanence’ had circled their necks and were closing in on them. They did not make any perceivable movements but were steadily and stiffly moving towards their destination.
Wen Leyang approached slowly until he could finally spy clearly on the happenings around the bonfire. He felt goose b.u.mps spreading from his spine towards his sides. Wen Xiaoyi was lying on his back. She covered her mouth with her little hand and her big eyes were tightly shut as she dared not take another look!
The jade knife Guo Huan transmitted his voice into everyone’s ears, “Don’t move, that’s a dark art. That person is dead, it can’t be helped!”
Someone’s head had been placed face-up in the center of the bonfire camp. Below the head was a piece of white silk which had the drawing of a body on it. The head seemed to be connected to the drawing and would blink occasionally as well as make all sorts of agonized expressions.
A headless corpse lay beside the head. This looked to be the victim’s actual body.
A heavily muscled man was snickering as he hit the headless corpse with a whip. With every strike, the head let out a terrible shriek.
There were a few other people standing around the bonfire. When Wen Leyang s.h.i.+fted his gaze over he shuddered again, he had seen one of them before. He recognized the first aristocrat of the rogue cultivators who was also the Lord of the Leyang family of Painting Town – Leyang Wen.
When Wen Leyang had gone to Mount Emei to look for his four missing elders, he had met Leyang Wen on Zhanyan Peak. Wen Leyang remembered him well: firstly, it was because of the surprising technique Leyang Wen had used when he fought with the elites from the Great Mercy Temple by rousing the force of the mountain with a painting. Secondly, it was because of the very similar p.r.o.nunciation of their names.
The short-statured Leyang Wen was still dressed like someone from high society; wearing a black s.h.i.+rt with black pants and clutching a small bag under his armpit. On his head was a black stubble of inch-long hair and he wore a jack-of-all-trades smile on his face. Around him were a few muscular cronies and an elderly man.
The old man had a white beard. His white hair was long and messy, spreading out haphazardly all over his shoulders. It was clear that he’s the artistic type.
Their focus was on the depths of the Gold-Consuming Lair. The old man and the short-statured Leyang Wen had turned their heads to the side and were seemingly conversing in a low voice. If Wen Leyang had not taken the detour as suggested by Wen Buzuo and had sneaked over directly, they would only see the backs of those two men’s heads. Now, they can clearly see their faces from the side.
Guo Huan projected his voice, “Everybody freeze, something’s bound to happen! Especially you, Wen Buzuo. If you as much as fart I’ll split you into two!”
Wen Buzuo was bug-eyed. He was pained for not knowing telepathy and couldn’t talk back so he could only hold back his anger. Other than the four Wen elders, this was the first time in his life that he had not fought back when he was scolded.
Sure enough, after a short wait, the icy ring of a sword traveled through the air. A tiny flying sword flew swiftly from the depths of the Gold-Consuming Lair and started dancing about above the bonfire. Every time it swung, it left a black cut in the air. After a brief moment it carved out a sentence, “You fanatics, what do you want!?”
Those few words gave out a dense chill which stayed for a long time in the air. The flying sword rang in a high pitch after carving the words, as though it was asking a question.
Leyang Wen had a scornful look and ignored the flying sword completely. He turned and looked at the man who was whipping the corpse, speaking in a thick accent, “Liu’er, have you had your dinner yet?”
The man grunted loudly in response as the whip in his hand became even more furious.
The flying sword paused and stopped its ringing. It then turned and flew away. The people around the bonfire did not try to stop it.
After another pause, a furious voice was heard in the air, “You fanatics! You are trespa.s.sing on the Qilian Immortal Sect’s lands and are hurting our disciples!”
Wen Leyang’s heart jumped. Everybody had thought that after the Exquisite Ice in Mount Qilian had been destroyed, everyone in the Qilian Immortal Sect had dispersed. n.o.body had expected that their descendants have hidden in the depths of Gold-Consuming Lair.
Leyang Wen did not utter a word. He gestured to the whip-wielding man who increased his whipping speed. The whip cracked loudly and the sound of bones breaking along with the shrieks from the head mingled into one.
Wen Leyang squinted his eyes and slowly reached for the blunderbuss in Wen Xiaoyi’s hand behind him. Suddenly, the area was lit up by a dazzling glow from a sword which completely dispelled the dense darkness. The bonfire’s glow dimmed in comparison to the bright and glaring sword glow.
When the glaring brightness was gathered and the sword glow faded, five middle-aged priests stood in the middle of the bonfire camp.
Guo Huan laughed scornfully, “The Qilian Immortal Sect are still so useless! These tricks of the eye will only be the joke of others!” He projected his voice and explained to Wen Leyang, “The sword glow is a sword glow, they are them. It’s a trick, not magic!”
Wen Leyang did not know whether to cry or to laugh and silently noted, “I should learn this trick when I have the chance.”
The people from Painting Town, however, did not have that kind of eye to detail. When five old priests appeared out of thin air after the quick flash of sword glow, they had thought that those people had jumped down from a flying sword. This level of cultivation was only attainable when a cultivator has refined their body into an energy-like form which was both substantial and insubstantial. Only then could the cultivator attach himself to the flying sword. The cultivator can then travel to wherever he wishes on the sword and it was a legendary technique only possessed by a sword saint.
The man who had been hitting the corpse threw his whip away and appeared beside his master. Leyang Wen’s expression was also shaken. He had not expected that amongst the Qilian Immortal Sect there were legendary sword saints, and five of them had shown up at once! With a force like this, they could even establish a Federation of the Earth.
The Lord of Painting Town Leyang Wen pulled the white-haired old man aside and retreated a few steps but the old man shook his sleeves and broke free. He swore, “The men of Painting Town do not retreat!” His voice has barely faded when a sound like a watermelon bursting could be heard. n.o.body had noticed the moment when the old man had smeared some ink onto the brows of the burly man who had been abusing the corpse. The ink had then caused the man’s head to split into two!
The white-haired old man grunted, “Useless slave!”
Leyang Wen stood beside the white-haired old man and his expression quickly returned back to normal. His eyes flashed and he looked like he just got an idea. He did not take a step back but moved forward, speaking to the five ghastly-faced priests with a Jianghu accent, “These few esteemed immortals have finally shown themselves. We have made an arduous journey just to meet you but we were stopped by these vile men…”
“Silence, you smooth-talking fanatic!” The leader of the priests bellowed. He then flicked a finger towards the head and painting on the ground. The white silk with the painting of a body twisted painfully before bursting into embers and was reduced to ashes with a series of cries.
The head let out a long, relieved sigh. It then closed its eyes and no longer showed any trace of life.
Leyang Wen smiled, “Esteemed immortal, please calm down. This man had tried to stop us from completing our pilgrimage. Now that the death sentence has been served…”
The old priest suddenly inhaled deeply and his furious expression calmed down. He asked the short Leyang Wen coldly, “The Qilian Immortal Sect have long secluded themselves in the depths of the mountain, no longer meddling with worldly affairs. Yet your eminence and your party had trespa.s.sed into restricted grounds and harmed my disciple. To what end?”
Wen Leyang and Wen Buzuo who was beside him looked at each other in astonishment. The old priest looked strong on the outside but was soft on the inside. Someone had tortured his disciple yet he was still asking nicely about their purpose. If it were anyone else, they would have just attacked without killing them and then questioned them.
As expected, the short-statured Leyang Wen smiled even more confidently, “I see this sword saint has a good temper. Why do you ask when you already know the answer? If you cannot decide, then please summon your leader. However, one of you must stay behind to replace him!” As he said this he pointed at the beheaded corpse of the now dead Qilian disciple on the ground, “Do discuss amongst yourselves. Either one of you will do, we won’t mind.”
The old priest’s face flashed with anger. He barely said a word when a voice filled with righteous indignation rose up from behind Leyang Wen’s group, “The bandits shall not mock the sect under the heaven!” Suddenly, an emerald-colored flying sword flew towards them with an angry howl. A dense sword aura flowed in the air and the heads of two musclemen were chopped off from their bodies before they could even squeak.
Leyang Wen was utterly stunned, he had not known that there were enemies hiding behind them. He bellowed in anger, “B*stard!” He then flashed out a bald paintbrush and his two hands worked tirelessly. A long strip of cloth floated in the air as the bald paintbrush worked continuously on the long silk.
The long silk was soon filled with a painting of a large spirit snake! It came to life under Leyang Wen’s brush and tangled itself with the emerald flying sword.
Following the flying sword, a beige-robed old priest revealed himself. He was making a sword-controlling sign with his hands and commanded the flying sword. He cried out in rage, “Eyang Sect’s enlightened light bearer, San Tong! It’s surprising that Painting Town is full of evildoers. The righteous sects under the heavens will punish it!”
The short-statured Leyang Wen did not want to show weakness. He laughed coldly and retorted, “I’m sure Master San Tong has been lying there for a long time. Don’t you think that it’s a little too late to hypocritically jump out to earn favors?”
Wen Leyang looked at Wen Buzuo, impressed. If he had not advocated the detour and circled to the side of Leyang Wen’s party, they would’ve definitely b.u.mped into the Eyang Sect’s old priest.
Wen Leyang has not met the enlightened light bearer before. He was not there recently on the Nine Peaks Mountain. Judging by his name, he should be of the same level as the head of Eyang Sect, San Wei. It was unclear when he had entered the Gold-Consuming Lair but he had obviously been attracted by the shrieks. Wen Leyang had not sensed him as he had been out of range of Wen Leyang’s spirit sense.
Wen Leyang originally had no good impressions regarding the Eyang Sect but when he saw that this Eyang Sect’s elite was acting out of honor to aid the weak and bullied priests of the Qilian Immortal Sect, he felt completely satisfied. Wen Buzuo, on the other hand, was trying hard to repress a laugh. He did not seem to care about the happenings in front of him. He tried desperately to mouth some complicated words to Wen Leyang but Wen Leyang failed to understand him even after he had repeated it several times.
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Eventually, it was the jade knife Guo Huan who spoke to everyone through telepathy, “What he was trying to say is that this old priest is a plumber by profession! I know how to read lips. What’s a plumber? Is that a t.i.tle?”
Not only Wen Leyang but the whole group almost burst out into laughter. They were trying desperately to hold their breaths and suppress their shaking bodies. The name San Tong (T-joint pipe) definitely matches with a plumber’s profession.
As Wen Xiaoyi was suppressing her laughter on his back and her small body suddenly became pliable, Wen Leyang suddenly felt a tickle in his heart. If it had not been for the sudden furious bellow in the bonfire, his mind would still be wandering somewhere.
Leyang Wen from Painting Town’s magical painting abilities has improved greatly. On Zhanyan Peak, as he faced off against the first seat of the Great Mercy Temple’s Ten Supreme Monasteries, they had been tied in strength. Now, the long silk spirit snake drawn by the brush was a close match to the skills of the Eyang Sect’s priest.
The musclemen following Leyang Wen weren’t weaklings too. Especially the ghastly-faced white-haired old artist, by his looks he must be an elder from Painting Town.
The musclemen took out their magical weapons and surrounded the enemy. The enlightened San Tong calmly formed the sword-controlling hand gesture. His mighty face unleashed a delighted smile as he shouted loudly, “Happiness, happiness appears on the eyebrows!”
The musclemen were stunned and they could not help but laugh along with the old priest. As soon as they started laughing, their laughter immediately turned into terrified screams. Fresh blood gushed out in a frenzy from the seven apertures on their heads.
Leyang Wen had barely withstood the laughing spell of the Eyang Sect’s priest. The muscles on his face twitched as he tried desperately to suppress his smile.
The elder from Painting Town, who had been facing off against the five Qilian Immortal Sect, became worried about Leyang Wen. He abandoned his enemies, gave a shout and pounced on the enlightened light bearer.
But what surprised everyone was that the five old priests from the Qilian Immortal Sect did not seize the opportunity to join forces and slay their enemy. Instead, they collected the body of their disciple, turned around, and left!
Wen Leyang was fuming yet curious. If that was the case, why had the five old priests come here for? Was it just to collect their disciple’s body?