novelraw Chapter 458 - 1: Assassin
Chapter 458 - 1: Assassin
The Great Wei succeeded the previous dynasty, its territory vast. At the inception of the dynasty, the Grand Ancestor Emperor divided the world into Nine Provinces.
Jizhou,
Zhaonan Prefecture,
the prefecture has a county named Gu’an, meaning long stable peace.
Not far from the county town is Dingseng Mountain, on the mountain sits Cien Temple, and in the temple is an old Monk, whose Dharma name is Wuyuan.
The eighth day of the fourth month,
Buddha’s birthday.
On this day, a distinguished guest arrived at the temple.
The master of the Fang Mansion, Fang Zheng!
This man appeared in Gu’an County twenty years ago, his origins unknown, rumored to be from once wealthy ancestors.
In twenty years,
Fang Zheng rose from obscurity to become a local overlord, with deep achievements in Martial Dao and Magic.
Nowadays, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that a stomp from him would make the whole city tremble.
"Donor Fang."
Wuyuan, holding a Zen Staff, stood before the stone pavilion, speaking as his snowy white eyebrows slightly trembled:
"How about this place?"
"Very good!"
Fang Zheng stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the stone pavilion, gazing into the distance.
He was tall and robust, his facial features as if chiseled with an axe, giving an impression of unapproachability.
The long robe on his body concealed the explosive muscles, adding a touch of elegance to his demeanor.
On his left waist hung a white short stick, and on the right side, a black pouch, known respectively as Desolate Pole and Five Ghosts’ Pouch.
The Desolate Pole could shake others’ Souls, and within the Five Ghosts’ Pouch were five Fierce Ghosts, both extremely frightening Magical Artifacts.
"The mountain’s expanse, its ups and downs akin to a dragon coiled with tigers entrenched, residing here would undoubtedly broaden the mind."
Fang Zheng turned around, making direct eye contact with Wuyuan:
"Master, are you injured?"
Twenty years ago, though the abbot of Cien Temple had white hair, he still had abundant Qi and Blood.
But now,
he had grown old.
His aura appeared unstable.
"Indeed, I can’t hide it from you, Donor." Wuyuan smiled bitterly, taking a step forward with his staff, standing shoulder to shoulder with Fang Zheng:
"You have only spoken of the scenery here, can you discern anything else?"
"..." Fang Zheng pondered momentarily, then spoke:
"The mountains are like shackles, with Dingseng Mountain as the lock, furthermore, it’s the node where land’s veins intertwine."
"Though this place has abundant Spiritual Mechanism, it’s also prone to being struck by Evil Qi!"
"Indeed." Wuyuan nodded:
"Unexpectedly, Donor Fang is proficient in Feng Shui and Qi Observation Skills, saving this poor monk considerable trouble."
He paused, then continued:
"In the past, a Zen Master established Cien Temple here, firstly to widely disseminate Buddhist Skill, and secondly to suppress anomalies within the mountains."
"Dingseng Mountain is where the Qi flows converge, should there be anomalies wishing to emerge from the mountains to trouble the people, this place would be the first impacted."
"Cien Temple has a Martial Arts Academy, which can rely on the mountain’s form for defense."
"The compassion of predecessors." Fang Zheng pressed his hands together in salute:
"I am in admiration!"
"Alas!"
Wuyuan sighed lightly:
"In the past, seniors had profound Buddhist Skill, capable of subduing threats for a century, but I am far lesser now."
He shook his head, saying:
"When a country is about to fall, demons will surely rise!"
"Nowadays, with the turbulent times, Heaven and Earth’s Qi Mechanism frequently exhibits anomalies, resulting in the spawning of demons everywhere."
"Not long ago, this poor monk sensed the emergence of a demon within the mountains and went to investigate with Yuanxing."
"The result was..."
"If not for Yuanxing’s mastery of the Vajra Arhat body, this poor monk might not have returned to Cien Temple."
"Oh!" Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow:
"What kind of demon, that it was so formidable?"
The so-called demons, are mostly creatures tainted by Evil Qi or devouring Spiritual Objects, born by chance.
Such creatures, without any guidance, driven by their beastly nature, would wreak havoc.
However, the strength of nascent demons is generally not strong, merely possessing slightly more brute strength than ordinary beasts.
Yet Wuyuan and Yuanxing were no match?
"It was a Wolf Demon."
Wuyuan’s brow furrowed deeply, speaking:
"That Wolf Demon had Copper Skin and Iron Bone, moved like lightning, and could call upon a wolf pack to attack, nearly costing us our lives."
"Donor Fang,"
"Your prowess is immeasurable, and your subordinates are filled with experts, may I implore you to eradicate this threat for the people!"
"Consider it done." Fang Zheng nodded slightly:
"Master, please elaborate on the specifics."
Abbot Wuyuan is a Mage who has cultivated for many years, proficient in Demonic Suppression Spells, while Yuanxing is a Qi Refining Martial Artist, practicing the Vajra Arhat Technique.
Together, even he would be cautious, naturally, he wanted to understand the situation before deciding.
"Yes."
Wuyuan agreed, gesturing with his hand:
"Donor Fang, please have a seat."
"Abbot."
At this moment, two little novice monks entered the stone pavilion, one holding a teapot and cups, bowing their heads in greeting:
"The tea is ready."
"Good."
Wuyuan smiled, saying:
"Cien Temple is backed by the mountains, occasionally obtaining Spirit Tea, such is this one, Donor Fang, please have a taste."
Saying this, he lifted a tea cup, taking a sip first, and raised the cup as a gesture of invitation.
"Long have I heard of the Spirit Tea of Cien Temple, today I must savor it well." Fang Zheng sat down, lifting the tea cup.
The tea entered his belly, and just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed.
"Something’s wrong!"
"The tea is poisoned!"
"Ah!" Wuyuan was momentarily stunned.
The novice monk who poured the tea turned pale, shaking his head repeatedly:
"It wasn’t me!"
"It wasn’t me!"
"Swish!"
The accompanying little novice monk appeared behind Fang Zheng at an unknown time, holding a dagger, stabbing fiercely.
His speed was fast, his hand even created afterimages, yet not a sound was made.
Clearly, he was skilled in the art of assassination.
"Ding..."
The dagger abruptly halted a short distance from Fang Zheng’s body, unable to move an inch forward.
"Protective Force!"
The little novice monk’s expression drastically changed:
"You’re not a Great Zhou Celestial Martial Artist, but a Flawless Martial Artist!"
Common people who practice martial arts must first perform Blood Exchange, after Three Blood their Essence flourishes, nurturing True Qi, known as Qi Refining Martial Artist.
Becoming a Martial Artist makes one a master!
Martial Artists are further divided into Minor Circulation, Grand Circulation, and Flawless.