Blade - Unbound

The wind howled as snow swept across the vast, desolate landscape.

"Some people don't want to face that war. Others wish to forget it. Even the history books devote only a few brief lines to it. The chaos of the Five Barbarians, the turmoil at the end of the Tang Dynasty, and the northern invasion were catastrophes not only for ordinary people, but for the mystic world as well...

"Countless lineages were extinguished. As the righteous path declined and the demonic path flourished, our Shang Mountain lineage was reduced to only a handful of people at its lowest point, hiding away in the mountains and barely keeping our incense alive..."

Upon arriving at the ancient battlefield, Luo Faqing unexpectedly became much more talkative. A complicated look filled his eyes as he continued, "This ancient battlefield was saturated with killing qi back then. During the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, it became a notorious demonic wasteland where evil creatures flourished, and all manner of strange incidents occurred regularly.

“The mystic world of the Guanzhong Plains completely exhausted itself trying to deal with it. Back then, every elite member of our Shang Mountain lineage perished here. It wasn't until more than a century into the Great Song that the spiritual formation in this place gradually dissipated."

Sha Lifei raised his brows in shock. "Then why would those evil cultivators choose to hide here?"

"I don't know." Luo Faqing shook his head and pointed ahead. "I sent my spirits to track them. The walking corpse transformed from that child is hiding inside a cave in the valley ahead."

Li Yan nodded and said quietly, "I can indeed still smell the lingering scent. Let's move quickly and not let them escape!"

With that, he flicked the reins and galloped forward. Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan immediately followed close behind. However, Luo Faqing shook his head slightly before urging his horse after them.

In truth, there was something he had left unsaid. The great ritual to dispel disasters and suppress evil back then had nearly wiped out the Shang Mountain lineage. After enduring repeated rises and falls, they had once become nothing more than an insignificant sect, enduring endless scorn and ridicule.

It was precisely because of that experience that the Shang Mountain lineage had gradually changed. No matter how many disasters one dispelled or blessings you bestowed, the world never remembered one's contributions. Yet when people kicked them while they were down or mocked them from the sidelines, none of them ever mentioned those sacrifices...

On the other hand, ruthless offensive techniques and a reputation for merciless retaliation earned fear and respect instead. It was only then that the Shang Mountain lineage's fortunes had steadily improved.

Luo Faqing had once believed that strength was the truth. But after everything that had happened, he could not help feeling that perhaps something was fundamentally wrong.

Relying on his divine ability, Li Yan quickly located the place. "They're inside!"

It was a hidden cave halfway up the mountainside, concealed behind an enormous boulder, with a passage slanting downward. Anyone passing below would never notice it.

The snow covering the slope was also crisscrossed with numerous footprints. Li Yan could already smell the rotten stench of decaying corpses. It was identical to the scent emitted by the evil creature in the Du Family estate.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Perhaps alerted by the approaching group, two arrows shot out from the darkness. They carried tremendous force, burying themselves deep into the rocks upon impact.

Without hesitation, Li Yan pulled a Thunderfire Pill from his waist. Those little toys were made specifically for dealing with enemies hiding in the dark. He lit one and hurled it into the cave. A brilliant flash erupted within, followed by thick white smoke.

The ambushers were instantly blinded, unleashing several arrows wildly into the air amid a chorus of clattering sounds.

An angry roar sounded from inside. "Retreat!"

Li Yan wasted no time and charged in immediately. He knew that if the enemy could retreat, then there had to be another exit leading elsewhere.

The moment he entered the cave, a fierce gust rushed toward him. Though he could not see, his divine sense of smell gave him complete awareness of the terrain and the number of enemies.

The attacker was small in stature, and carried the unmistakable stench of a rotten corpse. It was none other than the deceased young grandson of the Du Family.

Li Yan showed no mercy. Sidestepping, he simultaneously activated the Three Talent Demon-Suppressing Coins as his blade slashed out like a streak of light.

Empowered by killing qi, the little creature's head was severed instantly. It smashed against a rock with a dull thud and burst apart, spilling copious amounts of black liquid, but Li Yan did not continue advancing.

Another figure rushed out of the darkness with a sword. It was clear from the beginning that their swordsmanship was exceptionally refined. Their blade shot forward like an arrow with incredible speed, aiming directly at Li Yan's throat.

A true expert!

And one who had mastered hidden force!

Every hair on Li Yan's body stood on end. He immediately executed an Iron Bridge, bending backward just enough to evade the strike before launching a Kui Xing Kicks the Dipper, aiming to shatter the opponent's wrist.

However, the man had clearly reached the peak of the Dark Jin Realm, and his swordsmanship was extraordinarily deceptive. With nothing more than a flick of the wrist, the sword bent sharply, its tip tracing a strange arc that struck Li Yan squarely in the calf.

Despite reacting as quickly as possible, Li Yan was still wounded. Suppressing the pain, he rolled backward while grabbing a handful of sand and flinging it at his foe.

His opponent appeared to be nothing more than a martial artist, but one equally capable of locating enemies by sound alone. Sweeping his sleeve up to shield his face, he flicked his sword and lunged diagonally, pressing the attack with relentless, soul-reaping precision.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

At that very moment, Sha Lifei threw two burning torches into the cave and the sudden burst of firelight illuminated the darkness. The man reflexively shut his eyes and retreated while swinging his sword defensively, but Luo Faqing had already seized the opportunity.

Using the flickering torchlight as cover, he leapt into the cave from the entrance, thrusting his sword directly at the man's forehead.

Li Yan finally saw him clearly. The opponent was actually a monk clad in Buddhist robes. Though no longer young, traces of his former handsome appearance could still be seen.

As the torches landed on the ground, the cave became fully illuminated.

Standing at the entrance with blade in hand, Sha Lifei’s eyes widened. "Y-you're still alive?!"

Then, as if remembering something, he roared, "Brother Li! That's Lu Gongyuan! Don't let him get away!"

Lu Gongyuan?!

Murderous intent immediately surged through Li Yan's eyes. He would never forget that name. Back then, Lu Gongyuan had operated a male brothel in Chang'an. Li Yan's father had investigated him because of a human trafficking case while searching for someone on behalf of a client.

Who could have imagined that Lu Gongyuan was actually a member of the Maitreya Sect's covert branch? Zhou Pan had deliberately concealed that fact, leading directly to Li Yan's father's death. When Anqing Hall had been destroyed, Lu Gongyuan had managed to escape.

Ever since arriving in Chang'an, Sha Lifei had constantly cultivated relationships with people in the jianghu. Besides finding jobs and gathering intelligence, his other objective had been locating Lu Gongyuan.

He had never expected to find him in a tomb of all places. The moment Lu Gongyuan realized his identity had been exposed, panic flashed across his face. He attempted to flee, but Luo Faqing's swordsmanship was every bit his equal.

Strike after strike targeted vital points, preventing him from escaping.

"Take this!"

Li Yan suddenly exploded into motion, flicking two throwing knives from his hand.

Clang! Clang!

Lu Gongyuan hurriedly raised his sword to knock them away. But in that brief instant, Li Yan had already circled to his flank. He and Luo Faqing attacked simultaneously, both aiming for fatal openings.

No matter how skilled one was, two opponents were difficult to handle at once. Lu Gongyuan's martial prowess was only slightly superior to theirs individually. Now, burdened by his age and thrown into panic, he quickly fell into a disadvantage.

One careless mistake was enough. Luo Faqing's sword struck his wrist and just as Lu Gongyuan tried to retreat, Li Yan smoothly pivoted and swept his blade upward.

"AAAH!"

Lu Gongyuan screamed as his right foot had been severed clean off by Li Yan. Losing his balance, he crashed to the ground. Before he could rise again, Luo Faqing's sword was already pressed against his throat.

One of his accomplices yelled, "Go! Forget about him!"

They were pushing a wooden cart together. A corpse wrapped in white cloth lay atop it, tightly bound with red cords and covered in talismans. There was no doubt about it, it was the remains of the Du Family's ancestor.

Killing intent flashed through Luo Faqing's eyes as he prepared to pursue them.

However, Li Yan's expression changed dramatically the next second, and he grabbed Luo Faqing's arm. "Don't! They've got explosives!"

Boom!

No sooner had he spoken than a deafening explosion erupted. The earth shook violently as rocks collapsed, completely sealing off the passage. A cloud of dust billowed out from the cave entrance.

Eventually, Li Yan and two other figures emerged, dragging the sorry figure of Lu Gongyuan behind them.

Covered in dust from head to toe, Sha Lifei cursed furiously, "Damn it! They used explosives!"

Li Yan grabbed Lu Gongyuan by the collar and with a powerful twist of his fingers, he dislocated the man's jaw. Then, using the tip of his blade, he pried out the false tooth hiding a poison capsule.

There was no way Lu Gongyuan could conceal poison from Li Yan.

Only then did Li Yan ask coldly, "Where's the other exit?"

Blood filled Lu Gongyuan's mouth as he sneered and closed his eyes. "Heh..."

"It's useless." Having just learned the entire story from Sha Lifei, Luo Faqing shook his head and sighed. "These Maitreya Sect followers firmly believe they'll be reborn in paradise after death. You won't get much out of them."

"Reborn in paradise?" Li Yan let out a cold laugh and raised his left hand before Lu Gongyuan's eyes. "Do you recognize this?"

Lu Gongyuan was visibly startled. "T-the Summoning Writ?!"

Fear flashed across his eyes, though he still forced himself to act defiant. "So what if you're a living yin emissary? I'm not an underworld sinner!"

A living yin emissary...

Even Luo Faqing looked surprised. He had never imagined Li Yan possessed such an identity.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "Would the two of you mind stepping aside for a moment?"

Sha Lifei turned and walked away without another word. Luo Faqing understood that Li Yan was about to employ methods he did not wish others to witness. Though curious, he tactfully left as well.

Once they were gone, Li Yan seized Lu Gongyuan by the head. The Soul-Hooking Chain shot into his body before instantly retracting.

The moment Li Yan released him, Lu Gongyuan's face turned deathly pale. He gasped violently, his eyes filled with absolute terror. In that fleeting instant, it had felt as though he had swum through the Yellow Spring River itself.

The cold was endless, and death felt never ending. He was completely severed from the world of the living. The agony of having one's soul bound by the Soul Hook Chain was unimaginable. But for Lu Gongyuan, what terrified him even more was the sensation of having his soul toyed with as though it belonged to someone else.

Li Yan spoke coldly, "If you answer honestly, I'll grant you a quick death and let you reach your so-called paradise. But conceal even the slightest thing, I'll cast you into the underworld to be damned for all eternity."

Lu Gongyuan's face remained deathly pale. His expression shifted repeatedly before he finally gritted his teeth and spoke. "The exit leads into an underground chamber beneath Xiangji Temple! You can enter through the woodshed behind the temple."

"Who's in charge here?"

"Huiqing."

"Who is he?"

"He's a monk from the land across the sea. He fled across the sea twenty years ago and took up residence at Xiangji Temple. He's also a servant of the Deputy Sect Leader."

Li Yan frowned. "The Deputy Sect Leader?"

Now thoroughly intimidated, Lu Gongyuan no longer dared hide anything. "Deputy Sect Leader Zhao Changsheng was the one who orchestrated this entire plan. After my identity was exposed, he stationed me here to assist Huiqing in nurturing the Rakshasa Bird.

"The Deputy Sect Leader hasn't remained here all these years. He only occasionally sent people to inquire about our progress. When the ancient Zhou tomb was blasted open and its fengshui formation collapsed, we had no choice but to activate our plan ahead of schedule and gamble on successfully nurturing the Rakshasa Bird..."

After hearing everything, Li Yan finally pieced the entire sequence of events together. He then asked in a deep voice, "Do you remember the Sick Tiger of the Guanzhong Plains, Li Hu?"

"Li Hu?" At first, Lu Gongyuan looked confused. Then something seemed to click. "You're..."

Murderous intent flickered within Li Yan's eyes. "I'm his son! Were you the one who killed him back then?"

Lu Gongyuan was momentarily stunned before shaking his head. "He was investigating human trafficking. That didn't concern me much, but he was secretly asking around about the Deputy Sect Leader’s past and whereabouts. That's why he was killed.

"The one who carried it out was Branch Master Luan Hong'er. It had nothing to do with me."

Li Yan frowned. "Asking about the Deputy Sect Leader?"

He couldn't make sense of it. Why would his father, a mere martial artist of the jianghu, have been investigating the Deputy Sect Leader of the Maitreya Sect?