Blade - Unbound

"Watch out!"

"Get out of the way!"

The constables completely lost their composure. None of them had actually expected Li Yan to attack. After all, they were nothing more than local thugs from Fengyang County. Though they had practiced a few martial techniques, years of drinking and womanizing had hollowed out their bodies.

Qiao Sanhu's truly capable men had all been stationed at Manchuan Pass. That place was rich in profits and crowded with gangs from both north and south. The local gangs still gave Qiao Sanhu some face, but the gangs from Ezhou in the south feared him little. They had already made several attempts on his life.

Thus, within Fengyang, those constables lorded over others while wearing official uniforms. They called themselves law officers, but in truth they were no better than common street gangs. The moment they encountered a genuine monster, they panicked.

Li Yan showed no mercy whatsoever. Negotiation was impossible. If they were captured and thrown into prison, there would be no chance of survival. Outnumbered as they were, any hesitation would be fatal.

His Guanshan blade drove straight into a man's abdomen. The victim was a fat fellow with two chins and layers of flesh hanging from his neck. His constable's hat flew off, revealing a shaved scalp. Combined with his vicious-looking face, he was obviously the sort of thug ordinary citizens avoided on sight.

Now, his expression was one of endless terror. "H-hero... spare... spare me..."

When he looked up at the blood-covered Li Yan, whose eyes shone like cold stars, fear and agony left him unable to complete even a plea for mercy.

Li Yan couldn't be bothered to listen. With a roar, he twisted his waist and arms. Still impaling the man on his blade, he shoved him forward more than ten zhang. The move just happened to avoid two slashes aimed at his back.

After pressing forward, Li Yan kicked the fat man aside. At the same time, he yanked out the Guanshan blade and swept it upward through a spray of blood, blocking two incoming strikes.

"Get lost!"

Zhao Kui was furious as well as he brought his curved blade crashing down.

The curved blade was a weapon that first appeared during the Song Dynasty. It combined a long handle with a steel blade, sitting somewhere between a broad blade and a single-handed blade. Since it could be wielded with both hands, its strikes were exceptionally powerful. As a result, it became widely popular.

Zhao Kui practiced the Water and Land Curved Blade Manual. One branch was designed for combat aboard ships while the other was designed for land combat. Because Manchuan Pass served as both a river and overland transport hub, the technique had spread rapidly after being introduced by the Canal Gang.

Zhao Kui had grown up around Manchuan Pass. His blade skills were decent, and he had entered the Dark Jin Realm. However, the area was full of experts and dangerous figures. Unable to make a name for himself there, he had eventually thrown in his lot with Qiao Sanhu.

Despite the level he had reached, a brief lapse in attention that night had killed seven or eight of his men. Remembering Qiao Sanhu's ruthlessness filled him with fear and anger. Naturally, he struck with all his strength.

The downward chop he unleashed carried immense force. Li Yan was already occupied by other attackers. If that blow landed, he would be split in half. Too bad for Zhao Kui, Li Yan reacted faster. His Guanshan blade sank downward, pushing two constables down and causing their footing to falter.

Li Yan spun smoothly. His left hand shot out and unleashed Silkhand, seizing one constable by the shoulder and shoving him forward. The movement was swift and precise, sending the constable right into Zhao Kui's blade. The unfortunate constable's head was cut in two instantly.

Meanwhile, Li Yan had already pushed himself off the ground. Using two consecutive Coiling Dragon Steps, he closed on another cluster of weaker constables. Though the constables were numerous, their abilities varied wildly. Poisonous snakes harassed them constantly, and flames flickered unsteadily.

The battlefield was in complete chaos, but Li Yan's divine ability gave him complete awareness of everything nearby. He dodged strike after strike while delivering his own, harvesting lives amid the confusion.

A furious Zhao Kui was hot on his heels. "Brat! Stop running!"

Unfortunately for them all, Li Yan wasn't the only source of chaos. Lu San had sent in the venomous snakes, who were providing timely support.

He already held a deep grudge against those people. Seeing Li Yan attack, he naturally showed no restraint. As he whistled to summon more beasts, he moved through the darkness. His arms continuously flickered in the dark.

The young man was actually a hidden weapon expert. Shuttle-shaped darts, combined with hidden force, carried terrifying power as they flew through the air. Some pierced straight through chests while others embedded themselves in skulls.

Each casual flick of his hand claimed another life.

Sha Lifei wasn't idle either. He joined forces with the remaining porters and Old Meng the cart driver to guard the ancestral hall entrance with blades, staves, and spears.

They knew their limits. Charging into the enemy formation would only create problems. Instead, they worked together. Blades and staves swung in coordinated defense, repeatedly driving back charging constables.

Inside the ancestral hall, only Wang Daoxuan remained.

"Hahaha..." The possessed porter let out a cold laugh. "Your time is almost up. They're all my people. When the moment comes, all of you will die."

He wasn't wrong. Since Li Yan’s group lacked any means of breaking this kind of possession technique, defeat seemed only a matter of time. Yet Wang Daoxuan ignored him. He brought over a large stack of spirit paper and fed it into a brazier, bringing a flame over a zhang tall to life.

The possessed porter mocked, "Burning paper money for yourselves in advance?"

Unexpectedly, Wang Daoxuan glanced at him, removed the Summoning Writ from his forehead, and held it over the brazier. "If you try to possess anyone again, I'll burn this immediately. Remember, this thing isn't important to us."

The possessed porter froze. He clearly hadn't expected this move.

His expression changed drastically. "Wait! What do you want?"

Wang Daoxuan replied solemnly, "If you can capture us without using possession techniques, then I'll admit defeat."

He knew the man would never let them go. As long as Li Yan remained a living yin emissary, he had to die. Moreover, the constables outside wouldn't back down either. The only condition Wang Daoxuan could force was preventing the use of possession.

"Hahaha..." The porter laughed coldly. "Fine. I'll show you. Even without possession, I can kill all of you with ease!"

The next moment, the porter's eyes rolled back and he collapsed unconscious. Wang Daoxuan let out a slight sigh. Only then did he turn over his palm, revealing a yellow talisman.

Driving the enemy away had merely been the first step. Using the talisman was his true objective. Just because he couldn't break the technique didn't mean he couldn't strike back.

Wang Daoxuan walked to the ritual altar, producing a straw doll from within his robes. Then he formed hand seals and placed it on the altar.

There was something he hadn't told anyone. Perhaps because of the long road he had walked in pursuit of the Dao, and the countless miscellaneous arts and bits of knowledge he had acquired, the Secret Curse of the Seven Arrows was not difficult for him to execute.

In fact, the straw doll had succeeded on his very first attempt. The proper name for such a doll was a Spirit Effigy. In ancient times, they were straw figures buried alongside the dead.

The Book of Rites recorded: Clay carts and straw effigies have existed since antiquity, serving as funerary objects.

When it came to curse techniques, they all needed a target. During the battle at Niubei Ridge, the enemy ritualist had seized the aura of Wang Daoxuan's ghost soldier. Likewise, when the Summoning Writ had been removed earlier, Wang Daoxuan had secretly gathered the opponent’s aura through a talisman.

All the conditions for the Secret Curse of the Seven Arrows had been fulfilled. His brows knitted tightly and his expression became solemn. The terrifying nature of the curse was clear from the book.

It was simple in appearance, but its effects were deadly. The first three curses could be mastered by ordinary ritualists. Even common folk cursing straw dolls technically counted as the first curse, though such attempts almost never succeeded.

Beyond the fourth curse, however, difficulty increased dramatically. Only those of exceptional talent could perform them.

The possessing ritualist had murdered his fellow disciples and wielded sinister arts with ease. Using this curse against him would not violate Wang Daoxuan's oath. He simply hadn't expected to use it so soon.

However, he had no other choice. Wang Daoxuan threw away his hesitation as he formed hand seals. He picked up several chopsticks, bit his fingertip, and smeared them with blood. The arrows used in the curse affected its power, but circumstances were urgent. Improvised blood-coated chopsticks would have to suffice.

Next, Wang Daoxuan painted a blood talisman upon his forehead. Stepping through ritual patterns, he wound cinnabar-stained red string around the straw doll.

The string formed the Golden Headband.

Now, the curse altar was complete and a chill yin aura rose from the ground. Wang Daoxuan felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.

Still gritting his teeth, he chanted, "Dark are heaven and earth, hidden are sun and moon.

Invisible shadows form the shroud. Let it cover all evil beings. Heaven covers, earth covers, gods cover, ghosts cover. Let the villain fall into confusion and be trapped within my shroud. Seven arrows above the crown, piercing the heart day and night. Move urgently as I command!"

As the incantation echoed, yin energy gathered around the chopsticks. Yet before it could stabilize, it dissipated.

Wang Daoxuan remained undeterred and he immediately began chanting again.

Outside, the battle situation shifted.

Zhao Kui roared, "Spread out!"

His curved blade flashed, cutting a venomous snake in half before he charged Li Yan once more.

The constables had finally regained some semblance of coordination. While waving their blades to drive away snakes and insects, they regrouped and reformed their ranks. Only then did they realize how catastrophic their losses had become.

More than half their number was already down. Some lay writhing from snake venom and others were unquestionably dead. Blood splattered across the clearing as severed limbs littered the ground.

Torches burned fiercely and the air reeked of blood.

Li Yan had just forced Zhao Kui backward. Surrounded by so many opponents, even his skill couldn't prevent injuries. Combined with the blood splattered on him from those he killed, he now looked like a man who had crawled out from the underworld.

He was a true blood-soaked demon.

Damn it. We've run into a monster...

The constables couldn't help cursing silently. Had they known tonight would be so troublesome, they would have found any excuse to avoid it. Now they weren't even sure they would survive.

Li Yan leveled his blade as the killing intent in his eyes grew stronger. The terrifying strength of the Great Luo Dharma Body was on full display. Ordinary martial artists fighting against overwhelming numbers would eventually exhaust themselves. Even experts in the Dark Jin Realm would weaken after prolonged combat. After all, injuries were inevitable from a rain of blades. If they didn’t retreat, they would eventually be overwhelmed and killed.

Unfortunately for the constables, Li Yan possessed the Great Luo Dharma Body. As long as he wasn't killed instantly, he could continue fighting indefinitely. Sooner or later, he would slaughter every last one of them.

Lu San leaped in from the outskirts and came to stand beside him.

His darts were exhausted, leaving him with a stolen spear. Though he too had suffered a blade wound, his grip remained steady as a mountain.

"Lu San! So it really is you!" Zhao Kui yelled in delight rather than alarm.

So many men had died tonight that Qiao Sanhu would certainly be furious. But if Lu San could be eliminated, Zhao Kui's merits would outweigh his failures.

He sneered. "I don't care what background you people have. Killing imperial officers means that you’ve started your rebellion. You'll never escape, no matter where you run."

While speaking, he made several hand signals behind his back and the constables immediately understood. A few quietly withdrew. They dragged out a large black iron net reinforced with hooked blades from the nearby grass.

It was the dreaded Ghost's Sorrow.

They were experienced in using it. No matter how skilled a fighter was, once trapped beneath it, death was inevitable. A Dark Jin Realm swordsman had once passed through Fengyang. Filled with righteous spirit, he had sought to kill Qiao Sanhu for the people's sake. In the end, he too had died beneath the Ghost's Sorrow.

Naturally, such small movements couldn't escape Li Yan. Nor could they escape Lu San, whose hearing was extraordinary.

The two exchanged a glance and a plan was immediately formed. Though the Ghost's Sorrow was vicious, it had one fatal weakness. If it failed to trap its target on the first throw, retrieving it became extremely difficult.

Just as they prepared to act, a sinister wind howled once more. Even the torches flickered wildly as though they were about to be extinguished.

Hoofbeats sounded and a rider approached from the darkness.

Zhao Kui turned and his expression immediately brightened. "Mister Lu!"

The newcomer was the possessing ritualist himself. Threatened by Wang Daoxuan's promise to burn the Summoning Writ, he hadn't dared gamble. Instead, he had emerged from his coffin ahead of schedule.

Just as Zhao Kui called out, he noticed something wrong. Several constables accompanied Mister Lu, the very men left behind to assist him. Yet every one of them had blank stares as they looked into the distance. Their faces were pale as corpses. Also, all of them walked on tiptoes.

"Mister... they..." Before Zhao Kui could finish, Mister Lu dismounted.

His mourning staff swept through the air. The constables couldn't see it, but Li Yan and Lu San could clearly sense a vast number of spirits gathering.

Wherever the mourning staff pointed, a constable's body stiffened. Moments later, his eyes changed as he was possessed. Within moments, four or five men had already fallen victim.

Mister Lu had only remained in Fengyang for the Summoning Writ. Now that he finally had a lead, he had no interest in wasting time with Zhao Kui and his gang.

"Kill him!"

The constables finally realized something was wrong and reached for their weapons, but then, something horrifying happened. The possessed men suddenly lunged and tackled their former comrades to the ground.

Each possessed body possessed monstrous strength. No matter how desperately the others struggled, escape was impossible. Those who fell were quickly possessed as well.

One became two, and two became four. In a matter of moments, every constable except Zhao Kui had been taken over. Their expressions were vacant, their faces were completely drained of blood.

When they got to their feet, all of them stood on tiptoe as cold yin energy radiated from them.

Zhao Kui gritted his teeth. "Damn it!"

He turned to flee, vanishing into the darkness.

Li Yan spoke coldly. "Brother Lu, he can't be allowed to live past the night."

Lu San immediately understood and gave chase. He didn't know how Li Yan intended to deal with the ritualist, but he did know one thing. If Zhao Kui survived, endless trouble would follow.

Meanwhile, Mister Lu stopped wasting words. With a sweep of his mourning staff, every possessed constable charged forward with blank expressions.

However, they were as swift as zombies sprinting across the ground. As they lunged at Li Yan, he fearlessly kicked the nearest one away. However, the second he made contact and pushed the first one away, he retreated.

Those people who ran at him weren't merely stronger. They had no fear of death. The man he had just kicked was now coughing blood from shattered ribs, yet he still charged forward.

At that exact moment, Wang Daoxuan finally succeeded. Gripping a blood-soaked chopstick, he drove it violently into the straw doll.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Mister Lu let out a horrific scream before crashing to the ground.