noveltune Chapter 22 - 22 Mystical Sect Iceberg Corner
Chapter 22 - 22 Mystical Sect Iceberg Corner
Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Mystical Sect Iceberg Corner
Hearing of the Cold Altar Rampant Soldier, Wang Daoxuan's expression changed drastically.
Li Yan had been observing his reactions all along and completely relaxed upon seeing this change.
He brought it up directly as a way to test the waters.
Although Wang Daoxuan made a good first impression on him, he appeared somewhat down-and-out. If he hadn't even heard of the Cold Altar Rampant Soldier, then there were some things that did not need to be mentioned to him.
"In all honesty, I've encountered some trouble..."
Once he confirmed that the other party was knowledgeable, Li Yan dispensed with beating around the bush and revealed the matter of the Cold Altar Rampant Soldier directly.
Of course, the pugilistic world is perilous, and it is prudent to reveal no more than a third of what you know. Therefore, he also concealed a few important issues.
For example, regarding Widow Wang, he merely mentioned she was a village priestess who had mysteriously disappeared, without giving away any details to avoid causing complications.
They were in hiding from enemies, after all, and could not afford to repay kindness with malice.
There was also the suppression technique.
These were matters of familial enmity; utmost caution was necessary, as the hidden hand could well be related to someone from the Mystical Sect.
The Substitute Divine Statue was something he would never reveal to anyone.
However, he fully disclosed the matter concerning the smell superpower.
Wang Daoxuan listened intently, his expression first puzzled, then frowning in contemplation, and finally staring at Li Yan with disbelief as he spoke,
"Your Four Pillars of Destiny must be incredibly strong!"
Strong destiny?
With the Substitute Divine Statue, his fate indeed had to be robust.
Li Yan quickly bowed with clasped hands, "I hope the Daoist can enlighten me."
Wang Daoxuan pondered for a moment then shook his head, saying, "Never mind, since you have already awakened your Divine Skills, it means you are destined to be involved with the Mystical Sect. Moreover, this isn't really a secret; with careful inquiry, one could find out anyway, so there's no harm in telling you."
"Speaking of Rampaging Soldiers, one has to mention the armed forces of the Mystical Sect. Whether it's the Proper Xuan Sect or local Magic Veins, or even some heretical practices, raising armies is common."
"There are numerous types of these forces: the Proper Xuan Sect's Lu Soldiers, the City God and Land God Temples' ritual armies, and the various local Magic Veins' Five Directions and Five Camps of Ghost Soldiers, the Immortal Families' Five Directions Immortal Soldiers, and the popular worship's Five Passes Army..."
"These forces are intangible and invisible; common folks can't see them. Mages can use them to search mountains and ruined temples, drive out demons and capture evil spirits, duel with others, and even take human lives..."
"The sources of Rampaging Soldiers are many, and hard to specify in a short time, but their traits include fierce temperaments and difficulty in control, yet their power is not insignificant."
"As for cold altars, these are pathways that have died out, with no disciples to continue the incense offerings, turning into abandoned temples."
"There are many supporters of Rampaging Soldiers, but there is a problem: once the incense offerings cease, they will go out of control, attaching themselves to wild beasts or humans, searching everywhere for blood."
Speaking thoughtfully, he said, "On the surface of Guanzhong, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect chooses fixed times to search mountain ruins, so there are few cold altars. This Rampaging Soldier likely comes from the Qinling."
"If you want to solve problems, that's easy too. I know the local City God Temple Priest, who can perform a ritual for you to seal your Yang Six Roots Divine Skills, so you can at least live as a normal person without being targeted by Evil Spirits."
"If you really want to go to the Taixuan Orthodox Sect, they too will seal your Divine Skills and make you a Daoist who burns incense and sweeps floors, chanting the Huang Ting daily, also entering the Dao and departing from the mortal world."
Li Yan was silent for a moment, then looked up, "I do not wish to accept my fate!"
"Not accepting fate is good," Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard, "If everyone accepted their fate, how could the human world flow, dynasties change, and the Human Dao won't enter a dead-end."
"I also have a technique of Storing God. Although it's not from the Proper Xuan Sect, it's a millennium-old magic lineage. If you can successfully Store God, you can freely control your Divine Skills, and even learn some simple spells."
Li Yan felt grateful and quickly asked, "How much money for the Master's method?"
He had noticed that although Wang Daoxuan had fallen on hard times, he still had a righteous mind and was sincere in his dealings with others; he surely wouldn't cheat money with a fake technique.
"How much money?"
Wang Daoxuan said reflectively, "When I exhausted my family's wealth, seeking help everywhere, I couldn't find the true method and was deceived many times. Disheartened, I met a dying itinerant Daoist who granted me the true technique, only wishing to preserve the lineage unbroken."
"This lineage's reputation, how could I charge money for it? And whether it turns out to be a blessing or a curse for you is still unknown. If you struggle to Store God and get targeted by Evil Spirits, wouldn't I be harming you?"
"I dare not take such money."
Saying so, he stood up, took a secret book from the bookshelf behind, "This is a Secret Book. I've made several copies and checked them carefully; there are no mistakes. Anything you don't understand, just ask, and I'll tell you truthfully."
Li Yan was still somewhat incredulous, "Master, aren't you afraid I'm a bad person who will learn this technique and commit wrongdoing?"
Wang Daoxuan couldn't help but give a wry smile, "You're also a man of the pugilistic world. Even if you learned some simple martial arts, you could kill, but would you dare to kill indiscriminately?"
"In the Mystical Sect, there are rules too. The Law Enforcement Hall of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect is no joke, and people within the Mystical Sect must also obey the laws of the Great Xuan Dynasty."
Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, taking the book, only to see the words "Western Grotto Dark Truths" in large characters on the cover. Opening it revealed densely packed characters: The path of Storing God, not to associate with the wrong types, avoid worldly concerns, maintain aura stealth, hold the vision in mind, subtly preserve the vital, calm the spirit, stabilize the form, then thousands of harms will not touch you, hundreds of ghosts will scurry away, thousands of demons will not tread...
He felt dizzy reading it, so he put it aside and said, "I came for another important matter, Master. Do you remember Sha Lifei?"
"Sha Lifei?"
Wang Daoxuan was confused, frowning as he recalled.
That guy was definitely bluffing!
Li Yan had anticipated this and described, "Bald, with a face full of horizontal flesh, a beard around his chops, likes to boast and talk nonsense..."
"Oh!"
Wang Daoxuan suddenly realized and said, "I remember now, a few years ago, I met that Mr. Sha once, and we had a pleasant conversation."
"I remember it was a spring, he invited me for drinks at Chang'an Zuihua Building, even calling many girls to join. But while I was drunken, he sneaked away alone."
"I almost got a beating, but luckily that brothel had some spirits causing trouble; I was helping people perform exorcisms, so they covered the bill..."
"What, is Mr. Sha coming to repay the money?"