novellaaa Chapter 230 Last night's scene wasn't even a warm-up.
Chapter 230 Last night's scene wasn't even a warm-up.
Chapter 230 Last night's scene wasn't even a warm-up (4600)
The remaining bluish-white lightning on the Thunder Token was suddenly forced out by him.
The thunderous energy was not strong, even somewhat thin, but it was extremely pure, like a line of cold lightning that splits through the dark clouds on a winter night outside the Great Wall, striking straight towards the southeast leak.
Lu Yuan almost simultaneously cast the "Suppressing Evil Technique".
Bring your two fingers together, press your thumb against the base of your ring finger, and turn the back of your hand outwards.
"town!"
Thunder energy, talismanic light, and altar energy combine and press down along the earth's veins.
「Click」6
A very faint cracking sound came from deep within the valley.
The sound wasn't like wood cracking; it was more like a bone that had been buried underground for many years being forcefully shaken open, creating a crack.
The next instant, the old willow tree let out a low, hoarse, almost frantic wail.
All the drooping willow branches whipped wildly at the same time, and the evil eye in the center of the tree trunk suddenly opened to its limit, its blood vessels bursting open, as if it wanted to suck in all the surrounding black mist.
In the southeast corner of the ground, from the "leaky eye," a black and red aura shot into the sky and condensed into a human figure.
The figure was dressed in a theatrical robe and wore a helmet. Most of the white powder on his face had peeled off, and his eyes had no pupils, only two points of green flame.
As soon as it appeared, it opened its mouth and let out a shrill cry: "Give me back my life—!"
Song Qinghe's expression changed.
"They're out!"
Lu Yuan's gaze was as cold as a knife.
"Don't let it hit the ground."
"This is the main spirit that was nurtured from the roots of the tree."
"If it tries to take over a body as soon as it lands, that would be a huge problem."
Before he finished speaking, he had already picked up the magic sword, and with three more steps of the Yu Step, he swept to the front of the altar like the wind.
"May all evils be shunned, and may the magic sword be consecrated."
"I obey the command of the Supreme Lord Laozi, may it be done immediately!"
The sword flashed and landed squarely on the figure's shoulder.
But the shadowy figure only swayed for a moment, and actually withstood the attack.
Seeing this, Zhou Heng gritted his teeth, took a step forward, brandished his peach wood sword, and shouted, "Senior brother! I'll take over!"
He thrust out his sword, not as swiftly as usual, but it struck the Shadow Demon's left ribs perfectly.
Song Qinghe was not slow either, casting three cold talismans simultaneously and placing them at the feet of the evil shadow.
"seal up!"
A burst of cold air erupted.
The shadow's lower body was instantly frozen by half an inch.
Lin Zhaoxuan suppressed his injuries, pressed his hands on the Thunder Token, and roared, "Lightning, come!"
With a jolt of thunder, a thin, bright blue-white lightning bolt fell again, striking the shadowy figure squarely on the head.
"boom!"
The figure trembled violently, and white powder, black smoke, and green flames exploded simultaneously, instantly tearing a large gash in the entire soul shadow.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan immediately shouted, "Second Brother, bring the Corpse-Suppressing Nails!"
Xu Erxiao had been waiting for this sentence. He suddenly grabbed three lightning-struck jujube wood nails and hammered them into three fatal spots under the shadow's feet.
"A single nail locks the soul!"
"Two nails are broken!"
"Seal the door with three nails!"
As the three nails hit the ground, the Shadowy Shadow let out a shrill, ear-piercing howl, its body seemingly nailed to the spot.
Lu Yuan's eyes turned cold. Before the commotion subsided, he made a sword finger with his left hand and flipped his right sword so that the spine of the sword faced the sky. He then chanted the final incantation that combined salvation and restraint: "Soul, return to your way; spirit, return to your homeland."
"No lingering, no causing trouble."
"If there are any grudges, bring the talisman into the altar."
"If there is any evil root, it will be burned along with the thunder."
"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"
After finishing his incantation, he thrust his sword down.
The sword tip did not pierce the soul shadow, but instead pointed directly at the root of the yin energy beneath the soul shadow's feet.
"receive!"
The yellow talismans on the altar trembled in unison, and the golden and white talismanic light instantly converged inward.
Under the combined suppression of thunder, talisman, nails, and cold, the figure finally let out a long hiss, its body collapsing rapidly as if its skeleton had been removed.
Finally, only a charred, human-skin-like paper shadow remained, which Lu Yuan slapped down with a talisman, pressing it firmly under his sword.
The old willow tree in the valley also trembled violently.
The evil eye on the tree trunk slowly closed.
Countless willow branches drooped down as if they had lost their support, like a breath that had finally stopped.
The black fog began to dissipate.
A faint gray-white tinge appeared on the horizon.
The night is finally almost over.
The sky was just before dawn.
The black fog that had been pressing down in the Wild Man Gully for half the night was now dissipating towards the valley entrance, as if it had been split open by a knife.
In the distance, the collapsed wooden beams of the stage were still emitting wisps of smoke, with the occasional soft cracking sound, like bones breaking from the heat.
Lu Yuan stood before the altar, not in a hurry to sheathe his sword.
He stared at the old willow tree for a moment and saw that the evil eye in the center of the trunk had completely closed, and the black lines on the tree that were originally swollen like blood vessels were slowly fading away, with the branches drooping.
Although it was still withered and gloomy, it had lost the ferocity it once possessed, which was like a living creature.
"It's done."
Lu Yuan uttered two words, his tone very soft, yet they made the group of people who had been tense for most of the night visibly relax.
Xu Erxiao was stunned for a moment, then sat down on the ground with a thud, letting out a long breath of white air.
"My God—it's finally over."
Wang Chengan raised his hand to wipe away the sweat. His hand was covered in a mixture of incense ash and cold sweat, and his lips were white, but he still made sure to right the overturned incense burner.
Song Qinghe supported Lin Zhaoxuan, her eyes still a little red, but her brows had relaxed considerably.
Zhou Heng simply stuck the peach wood sword into the ground, leaned against a piece of dead wood and panted, the wound on his shoulder still bleeding slightly.
After observing the state of the old willow tree, Lu Yuan slowly sheathed his sword.
He didn't speak immediately, but walked to the tree and circled half of its roots.
The "leaky hole" on the ground that had been blasted open by the lightning magic had mostly collapsed back, and the black and red evil energy had dissipated, leaving only a ring of scorched mud marks, as if it had been baked by lightning and fire.
Near the tree roots, several pieces of white bone and a few pieces of tattered opera robes had turned to ashes, which were scattered by the wind.
Lu Yuan raised his hand and gently tapped the tree trunk with his knuckles.
"Du."
The sound was muffled and there was no echo.
He looked down again at the charred shadow of the paper on the ground, which was being pressed down by the talisman.
The paper shadow was smaller than before, with its edges curled up as if it had been burned by something, and a fragmented human figure could still be vaguely seen.
Lu Yuan used the tip of his sword to lift a corner of it, and saw that it had dense red and black patterns, like a theatrical score, or the base of some kind of soul-binding paper.
"It's not me."
He said in a low voice.
"It's a puppet created by borrowing a tree."
"Once the soul dissipates, this thing is useless."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaoxuan's expression finally relaxed completely, and his voice became softer than before.
"So—that old willow tree really did weigh it down?"
Lu Yuan nodded.
"With the Thunder Technique deeply ingrained, the Evil Eyes are closed, and the Path of Evil is severed by seventy percent."
"It will take at least ten or eight years for it to wake up again."
Upon hearing this, Xu Erxiao slapped his thigh.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's warm ourselves by the fire!"
Upon hearing this, even Wang Cheng'an couldn't help but chuckle.
Once a person has stepped back from the brink of life and death, it's as if all the bones in their body have been suddenly removed, and no one wants to put on airs anymore.
Especially since that night was both cold and terrifying, and after several hard-fought battles, everyone was already exhausted.
Lu Yuan glanced at the sky; a sliver of pale gray was already rising on the horizon. Although it wasn't fully bright yet, it was enough to find his way.
"Light the fire."
He said it succinctly.
Xu Erxiao was the most efficient. He immediately picked up a few dry wooden beams from the collapsed stage and took out fire tumbleweed and pine oil paper from his bundle.
Wang Chengan then brought over a few drier pieces of broken plank and cleared a space next to the tree roots.
Before long, a bonfire was lit under the old willow tree.
The flames were small at first and almost went out when the morning breeze blew them out. Fortunately, Xu Erxiao was quick and added a few more pine branches and dry moss, which helped the fire to rise steadily.
The orange-red firelight shone on the tree trunks, casting dappled patterns that made them appear less gloomy and more desolate, characteristic of an old forest.
The group sat down around the fire to rest.
Zhou Heng re-bandaged his shoulder, wincing in pain, but he still couldn't help glancing at the old willow tree, as if afraid it would suddenly open its eyes and come back to life.
Song Qinghe sat down next to Lin Zhaoxuan, took his pulse again, and occasionally wet a handkerchief with hot water to apply to his forehead.
Lin Zhaoxuan's face was still pale, but the burning redness had faded considerably, and his breathing had become much more steady.
He leaned against the tree roots, his hands resting on the Thunder Token, as if he had barely escaped death and still dared not let go completely.
Lu Yuan sat on the other side of the fire, his magic sword lying across his lap, and he was slowly wiping the talisman ash off the sword with a strip of cloth.
The firelight illuminated half of his profile, his expression calm, as if the life-or-death struggle just moments before had left no trace on him.
Wang Cheng'an poured the remaining water from the teapot into the small iron pot by the fire, then looked back at Lin Zhaoxuan and the other two, and then at Lu Yuan.
He couldn't help but whisper, "Brother Lu, something sounded off when they were chanting the incantation earlier."
"It sounds like—but not like the accent from outside the Great Wall."
As soon as he said this, Xu Erxiao nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I could tell too."
"Their pronunciation, with a delicate ending sound, is quite different from ours."
Xu Erxiao and Wang Chengan dared not speak absolutely, after all, they were still no match for them.
Lu Yuan then stopped what he was doing.
He raised his eyes and looked at Lin Zhaoxuan through the firelight.
"Which branch of the Northeast are you from?"
The question was asked calmly, even in a casual tone, but Lin Zhaoxuan and the other two were clearly taken aback.
Zhou Heng was taken aback at first, then lowered his head somewhat embarrassed.
Song Qinghe pursed her lips and looked at Lin Zhaoxuan.
Lin Zhaoxuan remained silent for a while, then reached out and gripped the Thunder Token in his hand, as if considering how to answer.
A spark popped and exploded in the fire.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice lower and more steady than before.
"We are not from outside the Great Wall."
He looked up at Lu Yuan and said seriously, "We are from inside the pass."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan paused slightly in the act of wiping his sword.
The firelight flickered in his eyes, making them appear even calmer.
"From inside the Great Wall?"
He looked up at Lin Zhaoxuan and the other two, his voice low but carrying a hint of subtle inquiry.
"Then why don't you stay put inside the pass and instead come here to freeze to death outside? What's the point?"
The question was direct, even somewhat cold.
If it were someone else, they would feel uncomfortable.
Zhou Heng had just taken a sip of hot water when he heard this and almost choked, coughing so hard that the wound on his shoulder twitched.
Song Qinghe quickly patted his back, but she also looked up at Lin Zhaoxuan, clearly wanting to hear his answer.
Lin Zhaoxuan leaned against the tree root and remained silent for a while.
His fingers unconsciously traced the cracks on the edge of the Thunder Token, his fingertips turning white from the rough copper surface.
The fire crackled, casting flickering light on his face.
After a long while, he whispered, "Master is gone."
The moment the four words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.
Even Xu Erxiao subconsciously fell silent, his hand, which was poking at the fire, stopped in mid-air.
When Lu Yuan heard the words "Master is gone," his expression didn't change much. He simply folded the strip of cloth in his hand twice and casually tucked it under his sword sheath.
The crackling of the fire illuminated his serene expression.
He didn't press further, but simply nodded.
"Since you're unwilling to say more, I won't force you."
Lin Zhaoxuan looked up at him, as if he hadn't expected him to stop talking so quickly.
Lu Yuan turned his gaze away and looked at the old willow tree. His tone was calm, but he immediately revealed the true nature of this Savage Gully.
"However, there's something I need to say upfront."
He raised his hand and pointed to the scorched mud beneath his feet, then to the old willow tree that seemed silent but was still shrouded in gloom.
"This place is not your average haunted ditch."
"It is a place of worship for evil gods left behind by the Ghost-Controlling Liu family, one of the ten families outside the pass."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Heng, Song Qinghe, and Lin Zhaoxuan were all visibly taken aback.
Even Xu Erxiao, who had been silently biting into his dry biscuit, couldn't help but look up.
Lu Yuan continued, "The Liu family rose to prominence by controlling ghosts. Outsiders only thought they were good at raising spirits and commanding evil creatures, but in reality, they were even more ruthless. They used the energy of living people, the energy of corpses, incense, and theatrical offerings to feed the evil gods layer by layer."
"This Savage Gully is one of the lands they left behind in the past."
"The stage, lanterns, and skeletal soldiers you just saw are merely the outer shell, used to deceive and guide the way."
The "leader" of the feeding performance.
As he said this, he looked up at the crowd, his voice lower but deeper.
"The real challenge is yet to come."
Lin Zhaoxuan's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but ask, "What's next? What else?"
Lu Yuan did not answer immediately, but picked up a branch from the fire and casually drew a few lines on the ground.
He first drew a tree, then added three circles under the roots.
What you just saw was in the tree.
"The offering to evil spirits requires attention to the 'three plates' (a specific arrangement of objects)."
"The upper plate represents a lamp, using the play to guide the soul; the middle plate represents a tree, using the wood to hide evil spirits; and the lower plate represents a burial site, using the earth to nourish the spirit."
"When the stage is destroyed, the lights are extinguished; when the thunderbolt strikes, the tree's eye closes."
"But the most dangerous point is that acupoint in the lower body."
He pressed his fingertip heavily on the bottom circle.
"Since this acupoint hasn't been opened, the scattered soul shadows you've dealt with are merely scraps it spewed out."
"The one that's actually being kept is still asleep down there; not even its fur is showing."
Song Qinghe's face turned pale upon hearing this, and her voice lowered.
"You mean—those things from last night weren't the real thing at all?"
"no."
Lu Yuan answered decisively.
"That's just a guard dog let out from under the closed door, at best an appetizer."
"Since the Ghost-Controlling Liu family dared to leave a place for worshipping evil gods here, it's definitely not as simple as just setting up a tree and a play."
Zhou Heng couldn't help but swallow, his shoulder wound throbbing with pain, and his face stiffened.
"Then, what is the real person?"
Lu Yuan looked up at the shadow under the tree, which was not illuminated by the morning light.
"It's too early to say."
"It might be a vengeful corpse, an earth spirit, or some kind of Yin spirit that has been corrupted by someone."
"But one thing is certain: it is not the opera troupe you think it is, nor is it a few wandering ghosts that have become powerful."
""
"If you really treat it as a stage for your own amusement, you won't even know how you died later."
Lin Zhaoxuan felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but shrink back, whispering, "Is this thing really that sinister?"
Lu Yuan looked at Lin Zhaoxuan, his gaze containing no reprimand, but only a very direct reminder.
"It's even more sinister than you think."
"You young people are full of vigor and high aspirations, I can see that."
"But before they've even mastered the skills, they've already shown off their audacity."
"If I hadn't set up this altar here first tonight, and if you guys hadn't had some connections, we probably wouldn't have been able to break out of this predicament, let alone get out of this ditch."
Lin Zhaoxuan remained silent, offering no rebuttal.
Lu Yuan continued, "Right now, your injuries, the effects of the pill fire, and the backlash from the lightning token all need to be addressed."
"Although the yin energy here is suppressed, the main deity has not yet shown himself."
"If the few of us go any further in, it will definitely be a head-on confrontation."
"If you know what's good for you, leave Savage Gully as soon as it's light and before the evil aura dissipates."
He paused, then made his point clearer.
"This is not a place you can stay for long."
"I'm not driving you away, I'm saving you."
The area around the fire fell silent for a moment.
The morning light had already seeped in from the valley entrance, making the scorched ground under the old willow tree appear slightly white.
Yet the shadow at the tree roots still resembled a silent, deep well, making one feel cold just by looking at it.
Lin Zhaoxuan looked down at the Thunder Token in his hand, his knuckles slowly tightening.
After a long pause, he said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Lu, I have remembered what you said."
He didn't agree to leave immediately, nor did he say anything else; he simply answered the question very calmly.
Lu Yuan glanced at him, knowing that although the man had kept his mouth shut, he might not really back down immediately.
But he didn't say anything more.
Some things are best left unsaid.
The roads beyond the Great Wall are treacherous, and those with a strong will often refuse to turn back easily.
But once they actually see what's down there, they'll probably realize that last night's performance wasn't even a warm-up.