novelraw Chapter 35: Soldiers Burn Blue Stone Platform
Chapter 35: Soldiers Burn Blue Stone Platform
"Young Immortal..."
Song Gang, the elder of the Song brothers, finally couldn't help but step forward and call out in a low voice.
Li Qiuchen turned to glance at him. The two brothers felt their vision go black, and their eyes, which had recovered some intelligence, became clouded again.
This was already his third time speaking up, or rather, his third time repeating the same mistake.
The Soul Pulling Technique was called "pulling" rather than "controlling" mainly because the caster couldn't completely control the victims. Advanced operations like modifying memories weren't possible.
He could only stimulate the seeds buried in their bodies, briefly replacing their brain's thinking, inputting suggestions, and guiding them.
This situation was similar to when Li Qiuchen had taken the Spirit Gathering Pill and nearly had his spirit collapse and body possessed by plants and trees.
"Old Immortal Master!"
Song Gang spoke for the fourth time, but his form of address had changed.
This was because at this moment, what he saw in his eyes wasn't Li Qiuchen, but old Daoist Fang Hong.The Li family's ocular technique's illusion ability, combined with the Soul Pulling Technique's influence, successfully brainwashed the two, leaving them with no doubt about the person before them's identity.
"What is it?"
Li Qiuchen asked softly.
"Old Immortal Master..."
Song Gang looked back at his brother, gritted his teeth and cupped his fists, saying, "We still have an elderly mother at home with no one to care for her. Please, Old Immortal Master, show great mercy and let my brother return home to fulfill his filial duty. I'm willing to stay and serve as your ox and horse, absolutely without complaint."
Li Qiuchen smiled, saying, "Do you still remember why this poor Daoist took you two as servant boys?"
A drop of cold sweat seeped out on Song Gang's forehead. He gritted his teeth and said, "It was because we three, father and sons, presumptuously disturbed the Immortal Master's cultivation..."
Li Qiuchen shook his head, saying, "Wrong."
Ah?
Song Gang was confused.
Song Yu beside him spoke up, "It's because our father spoke disrespectfully to you."
"Also wrong."
Li Qiuchen questioned bit by bit, slowly extracting the whole story from the two brothers.
Actually, put simply, it was just two matters.
There's a saying: "How can one allow others to sleep soundly beside one's bed?"
The old Daoist had come to the village with the tree root to preach, and happened to encounter the Song father and sons fishing for pearls.
Song Laosan, as a mountain guest, was well-traveled and saw through the old Daoist's background at a glance. The old Daoist naturally didn't dare let their father and sons leave and reveal his whereabouts.
The second matter was actually quite simple too—that "connection" in the county seat.
Many people worked themselves to death their whole lives yet never left the three mu of land beneath their feet. Simply put, they had no connections.
Country folk entering the city was no different from Earth people transmigrating to another world.
At most, they could sell some rural products. What else could you do?
Xiao Tian wanted to be restored to his official position, Song Laosan wanted to find wives for his two sons.
The old Daoist also had his own life pursuits.
Emotionally, Li Qiuchen expressed understanding but now, if there was a chance, he also really wanted to walk this "connection."
Looking up to see a black dot rapidly approaching, Li Qiuchen raised his hand and waved, making the Song brothers quiet down again.
The white crane flapped its wings and descended from the sky.
"Gaga!"
When anxious, it still went gaga—this habit still hadn't changed. Clearly it could call out beautifully when in the sky.
"They're here?"
Li Qiuchen's spirits lifted. The soldiers had finally come.
The soldiers had come, Blue Stone Platform was saved!
Before long, a cavalry troop slowly approached from the end of the official road in the distance.
Li Qiuchen stood on the mountain and roughly estimated that this cavalry had over a hundred people. Everyone wore armor, fully armed, in neat formation—clearly well-trained elite troops at a glance.
Seeing they'd reached the location, the cavalry commander raised his hand in a gesture, and immediately a group of cavalry split from the formation, circling around to the rear of Blue Stone Platform.
This one knew what he was doing.
Even knew about flanking maneuvers.
Before Li Qiuchen could finish his commentary, the cavalry on the official road accelerated and charged toward Blue Stone Platform.
Tsk... just praised him and now he charges straight in.
Since Mohe the Perfected Being considered Blue Stone Platform his territory and had the confidence to widely invite fellow Daoists to gather here, he wouldn't have made no preparations.
Just as the cavalry charged to the entrance of Blue Stone Platform's town street, two large trees on both sides of the road suddenly uprooted themselves. Like door gods, one left and one right, they blocked the cavalry's path but the soldiers calmly drew out arrows from their backs. Dozens of sharp arrows flew out, igniting into roaring flames in mid-air, instantly setting the two large trees ablaze, flames shooting skyward.
The leading cavalry commander untied a gourd from his waist, opened the lid and lightly patted it three times toward the front. Countless fire crows frantically poured out, rushing toward the town.
In just moments, black smoke rose throughout Blue Stone Platform.
Li Qiuchen's brows slightly furrowed.
These soldiers' methods were truly forceful. No wonder the Medicine Master followers, who grasped such miraculous power, were still suppressed to the point of gaining no momentum, like street rats living in constant fear but it was also a bit too forceful.
With this fire burning, the entire Blue Stone Platform would probably be razed to the ground.
Of course, he also knew he was speaking from a position of comfort.
He knew better than anyone how troublesome Medicine Master followers were. The residents in the town had probably all been bewitched by Mohe the Perfected Being long ago, turned into puppets. If they showed mercy to them, that would be irresponsible toward their own comrades' lives.
Just as Li Qiuchen's heart was conflicted, the Medicine Master followers in the town finally launched their counterattack.
Li Qiuchen focused his gaze and saw rounds of colorful radiance blooming from the town, but none lasted long before thunderously dissipating.
The soldiers' efficiency in solving problems somewhat exceeded imagination. Almost like cutting vegetables, they completed one-sided domination. Those Medicine Master followers who mastered one or two evil techniques suffered heavy casualties under their spears and sharp arrows.
Of course, the term "heavy casualties" for Medicine Master followers might not really be that "heavy."
The Medicine Master's blessing wasn't such a simple thing.
Sure enough, just when only a few relatively powerful characters in the town were still struggling to hold on, a familiar figure pushed through a sorghum field and stumbled in the direction where Li Qiuchen was hiding.
The old Daoist not only wasn't dead, he was also clutching a thick peach tree root in his arms.
Li Qiuchen had only casually deceived him, but hadn't expected he'd actually do it—seizing the opportunity of the soldiers' siege and chaos in the town to steal the Immortal's dharma remains from Mohe the Perfected Being's hands.
Alright, the old guy really has some skill.
Li Qiuchen nodded in satisfaction, then without hesitation turned and ran.
He didn't just see the old Daoist, he also saw two cavalrymen chasing far behind him.
Two legs, no matter how fast, couldn't outrun four.
The old Daoist scrambled through the sorghum field. Hearing the sound of hoofbeats behind him, he was greatly alarmed. In desperation, he shouted toward the mountain, "Junior Brother, save me!"
Before his words fell, two long arrows landed on his back, bursting through his chest.
The crimson runes on the arrowheads flashed faintly. Scorching heat waves thunderously burst from the old Daoist's facial features and seven apertures, directly burning him into a human torch.
The two cavalrymen caught up, one blade severing the old Daoist's head, while simultaneously looking up toward the distant mountain forest.
"He still has a junior brother? Should we chase?"
"Can't even see the person, who are we chasing? Don't underestimate the enemy and fall for the demon's scheme. First return and report to the Young Master, then we'll make plans."