Blade - Unbound

Wang Daoxuan had chosen the timing of his curse perfectly.

Mister Lu had dared to abandon possession and personally enter the battlefield because he had confidence in his own abilities. In terms of martial skill, he was not among the very best, but years of hard training had brought him into the Dark Jin Realm.

As for his cultivation, he had long ago constructed the second floor of his inner temple and reached the second level. Just as he had claimed, he was more qualified than Wu Laosi to wield the Summoning Writ in every respect.

The technique he had used earlier was called the Nine Nether Demon Soldier Art. Its name was sinister, and its power equally formidable. The art allowed wandering souls to possess living bodies and transform them into ghost soldiers. It resembled puppet techniques, except it used living humans as vessels.

If the human body was a machine, then it was a machine designed with restrictions. Operating at full capacity inevitably caused damage. That was why people on the verge of death could sometimes unleash extraordinary strength, only to fall gravely ill afterward or even lose their lives.

Those possessed by spirits through this technique had no such concerns. Their strength increased to the point where even severe injuries could not stop them from fighting.

The art originated during the late Tang Dynasty. It was an era when the Dao had declined, demonic paths flourished, and the realm was plunged into chaos. Evil ritualists served in armies and formed special death battalions of demon soldiers, meant to launch desperate counterattacks when battles turned unfavorable.

Although Mister Lu possessed only fragments of the art, twenty-odd fearless demon soldiers were already enough to inflict devastating losses. If they were allowed to run rampant, Li Yan might have been the only survivor, but Wang Daoxuan's intervention completely disrupted his plans.

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Mister Lu rolled across the ground, clutching his head and screaming. Wang Daoxuan had only unleashed the first curse. It could not kill him, but Mister Lu felt as though a sharp awl had been driven into his skull.

The pain was unbearable.

At the same time, the charging constables froze in place. Li Yan naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity. Holding his blade horizontal, he lunged forward, intending to cut the ritualist down.

But at the critical moment, Mister Lu endured the agony and yanked a bamboo tube from his waist to point it directly at Li Yan.

Danger!

An overwhelming sense of mortal peril surged through Li Yan.

Grinding his teeth, he twisted sideways as hidden force exploded through his legs. He used a motionless constable as a kickpad with all his strength. Using the recoil, his entire body flew to the side.

At that exact moment, the bamboo tube erupted.

Boom!

Red and white phosphorus fire sprayed outward along with a stream of oily liquid.

Li Yan narrowly avoided it, but the constables were not so fortunate. The burning mixture drenched them from head to toe, and they immediately burst into flames. In an instant, they became human torches.

"AAAAAHHH!"

Agonized screams echoed through the night. The phosphorus flames dispersed the possessing spirits. Freed from possession, the burning constables felt the full horror of their injuries. They ran wildly, grabbing at anything nearby. Those who had escaped the initial blast suffered as well. Their flaming comrades tackled them to the ground, spreading the fire.

Sha Lifei screamed while pushing someone away. "What the hell? Fuck off!"

All of them were equally alarmed. When flaming figures stumbled toward them, they immediately thrust them away with long poles.

What a vicious hidden weapon!

Li Yan's heart pounded. Wang Daoxuan had told him many stories about the mysterious arts. The ancient Daoists and later alchemical cultivators had never truly mastered immortality. Instead, they created countless strange inventions. Some spread among common folk, such as common tofu and gunpowder. Others became deadly secret weapons.

The Thunderfire Pills from the Taixuan Orthodox Sect were one example. The ritualist had obviously used something similar.

Li Yan could smell white phosphorus, saltpeter, lamp oil, and several other ingredients he couldn't identify. The formula was complex. Meanwhile, the battlefield was filled with the smell of charred flesh and thick smoke, making the odors almost unbearable.

What troubled Li Yan even more was that the ritualist had already recovered somewhat and was reaching for another bamboo tube.

At that moment, Wang Daoxuan once again stepped through the ritual pattern inside the ancestral hall. He formed hand seals as the blood-stained chopstick stabbed downward.

"ARRRRRRGH!"

The ritualist screamed again and collapsed. The unused bamboo tube slipped from his hand and rolled away.

Without hesitation, Li Yan exploded forward, hidden force surging through both legs. He shot across the battlefield like an arrow, and brought his Guanshan blade in a sharp slash.

The strike carried overwhelming force, severing the ritualist’s head instantly. Even then, Li Yan still wasn't satisfied. Activating the energy he gathered through Spirit Visualization, he poured it into the Three Talent Demon-Suppressing Coin tassel.

The tassel swayed from side to side as cold killing intent erupted outward, dispersing the lingering aura around the corpse.

Inside the ancestral hall, the straw doll on the altar suddenly burst into flames. Wang Daoxuan exhaled in relief and collapsed to the floor. The suffocating chill that had enveloped him rapidly faded away.

The phenomenon meant the curse had concluded. Either the target had broken the curse and Wang Daoxuan suffered backlash, severe injury, or death, or the target had died.

The curse allowed only one outcome. Either the target died, or the caster would. Fortunately, it seemed luck had favored him.

The fire blazed fiercely and the smell of burning flesh spread everywhere.

Li Yan drove his blade into a constable's chest as he asked, "Talk, how many of you came?"

"H-hero, please! There are forty seven..." The man's eyes quickly lost focus as he trailed off.

Li Yan pulled out the blade without expression. Nearby, the porters were dragging corpses and severed limbs into a dilapidated wooden building beside the ancestral hall.

The entire structure had been set ablaze. They had even torn apart nearby houses for additional fuel.

Sha Lifei jogged over, looking worried. "We counted them. There are only forty six!"

These men certainly deserved death. That night had been a battle where only one side could survive. However, all of them had worn official uniforms. The bodies had to disappear, otherwise clues would remain.

Li Yan smiled faintly. "No problem. The last one just arrived."

He looked to the right, where Lu San had emerged from the darkness. His face was pale, and a huge slash wound crossed his shoulder. But he carried the severed head of Zhao Kui, Fengyang's chief constable.

"Well done, brother!" Sha Lifei praised loudly, then he hurried over. "A head isn't enough, where's the body?"

"Old forest two li away, beside the official road."

"Got it!"

Sha Lifei immediately mounted a horse and rode off to retrieve the corpse. At that moment, Scarry Yue and several others approached hesitantly. They kept nudging one another forward, clearly unsure what to say.

Li Yan understood immediately. "Don't worry. No one in Fengyang has seen us. Take a detour on your way back. Eat, drink, live normally, treat this as though it never happened. Remember to keep your mouths shut."

"Rest assured, Young Hero Li." Scarry Yue visibly relaxed. "We were involved too. If we leak even a word, may heaven strike us dead."

Truthfully, they weren't afraid of what had happened that night. Such things occurred frequently in the jianghu. What they feared was Li Yan deciding to silence them permanently.

There was the incident in Niubei Ridge, and now, at Wu Family Gully. Though both incidents had been acts of self-defense, more than fifty people had died at Li Yan's hands. He was practically a living god of death.

Li Yan saw the expressions on their faces and he sighed to himself. However, he eventually paid them no mind. Instead, he looked toward the sky.

"It's about time."

***

"Funeral procession!"

Ding!

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Wang Daoxuan shook the ritual bell as Li Yan struck the drum.

"Those who repent the sins of the body, for the body is born carrying them. Killing, stealing, lust, greed, and indulgence. From this day forth, let the penitent swear to abandon killing, stealing, and greed, to forsake anger and desire, and cease all foolish attachment..."

As Wang Daoxuan chanted, Sha Lifei carried the soul-summoning banner. Lu San followed him, dressed in mourning clothes. He circled a brazier repeatedly, which symbolized the karmic fires of hell. Beside it, two bricks stood supporting a roof tile. Together they represented the gates of the underworld.

Wu Laosi had been a living yin emissary who had failed in his duties and died. Wang Daoxuan had no idea whether Wu Laosi was now suffering punishment in the underworld. Thus, before moving the coffin, he performed a simple rite to cleanse the dead man's sins.

As for Lu San, he acted in the role of the filial son.

Next, Wang Daoxuan recited the Underworld Breaking Incantation. Stepping through ritual patterns and forming seals, he drove a peachwood ritual sword downward.

Crack!

The tile shattered instantly, symbolizing the opening of the gates of hell.

Finally, Wang Daoxuan raised the peachwood sword and yelled, "With one stroke, heaven opens! Eight Vajra Guardians descend. Raise the treasure!

"Lift the coffin!"

At his command, the porters hoisted the coffin.

Wang Daoxuan walked in front, holding the Soul-Calling Bell in his left hand and Soul-Guiding Incense in his right. To avoid trouble, they did not scatter spirit money along the road.

With Li Yan, the living god of slaughter, accompanying them, no wandering ghost would dare block the way.

Sha Lifei carried the soul banner as Lu San held Wu Laosi's memorial tablet. The porters grunted softly as they carried the coffin up the mountain.

Old Meng remained behind near the ancestral hall. He carefully searched the area to ensure no traces remained. Only then did he drive the cart and lead the horses away to wait elsewhere.

The sky had yet to brighten, but Wu Family Gully once again fell silent. Only the burning wooden building remained, and it was filled with charred corpses.

"With two strokes, Earth's gate opens! Earth God, Earth Goddess, emerge! Receive the treasure below! Azure Dragon to the left, White Tiger to the right, Vermilion Bird to the front and Black Tortoise behind... Listen to my command!"

As the Burial Incantation concluded, the coffin was gently lowered.

Wang Daoxuan waved a cinnabar brush through the air while chanting, "Rise high beneath the heavens, achieve glory and descendants. This is no ordinary brush. One point clears the heavens, one point sanctifies the earth. Let this cinnabar brush descend into the underworld. Let Wu Laosi's three souls and seven spirits return to their rightful place..."

He continued chanting while scattering the Five Grains of the Five Elements in every direction within the cliff tomb.

Nearby, Lu San had already buried the collected remains of the villagers.

"Seal the tomb!"

At Wang Daoxuan's command, the porters immediately began filling the cliff tomb entrance with the earth, rocks, and sand they had prepared. When they were done, they climbed back to the top using ropes.

The ropes and all traces of their work were carefully erased by the time the first pale light of dawn appeared on the horizon.

Everyone finally relaxed when it was done. It had been a thousand-li journey escorting a coffin, running into countless hardships along the way. Now, it was finally over.

Li Yan spoke solemnly. "Everyone, descend from the other side of the mountain. Sha Lifei will take you to Capital Passage City. There, he'll ask fellow jianghu friends to help cover your tracks.

"Remember. No matter what happens in the future, you only ever visited Capital Passage City. You know nothing about what happened in Fengyang."

"Thoughtful as always, Young Hero Li."

"We understand."

Scarry Yue and the others nodded repeatedly. Li Yan was completely separating them from the incident. That alone was enough to earn their wholehearted respect.

After seeing them agree, Li Yan nodded, then he turned to Sha Lifei. "Uncle Sha, stay in the city after this. When the Daoist and I return from Tianzhu Mountain, we'll meet up with you."

Sha Lifei's expression grew serious. "Be careful."

The ritualist’s accidental revelations from the previous night still lingered in his mind. The Cold Altar Wandering Master had no connection to this lineage, and members of Wu Laosi's lineage were apparently still alive. The journey ahead might involve yet another struggle in the mystic arts.

"Don't worry." Li Yan nodded before turning to Lu San. "Brother Lu, people have to move forward. After what we've done, the authorities will definitely investigate. If you stay here, you'll be in danger, why not leave with us?"

Lu San remained silent for a moment, then he shook his head. "No."

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Watching him disappear into the distance, Sha Lifei snorted. "Damn it. That kid's as stubborn as a mule. He doesn't know what's good for him."

"Forget it." Li Yan looked toward the horizon. "Let's go."

The group descended the mountain. After rejoining Old Meng, they traveled dozens of li before splitting up at a crossroads and gradually going their separate ways.

***

In the Wu Family Gully, outside the ancestral hall, Lu San stared at the burned remains of the wooden building, still releasing thin wisps of smoke. Then he looked around the abandoned village.

With a faint sigh, he muttered, "Is there really anywhere left to hide?"

Squeak, squeak!

Several mice came running from every direction as Lu San tilted his head and listened. "Is someone coming after me? I understand."

With a whistle, the mice immediately climbed up his trouser legs and disappeared into the pouch at his waist.

Rip!

Suddenly, he tore off his white mourning clothes. Using the still-fresh blood from the wound on his shoulder as ink, he wrote boldly across the outer wall of the Wu Family’s ancestral hall: Lu San of Manchuan Pass killed them all!