SFS Chapter 177 Burning the City
Chapter 177 Burning the City
"The power of a grandmaster!"
Zhou Mingxuan exclaimed in surprise, unable to speak out of his mouth.
This powerful surge of blood energy far surpassed that of the Steel-Dirty Grandmaster; they were on completely different levels, and it was accompanied by a unique oppressive aura.
As a martial artist, he sensed it most clearly and knew that this was the beginning of condensing the initial form of fist intent after becoming a grandmaster.
This involves the realm of mental will, which can transform ordinary martial arts into something miraculous, and even a single glance can cause a low-level martial artist with a weak mind to collapse without a fight.
His face showed deep envy.
This Brother Yang seems to be only nineteen years old, a few years younger than me, yet he has already become a grandmaster. And his martial arts talent is not bad either. His master said that he is expected to break through after he turns thirty, which already makes him a promising talent for the martial arts school.
Thinking of the difference between the two, Zhou Mingxuan shook his head with a wry smile. He had called the man "Brother Yang" all the way, and it was fortunate that the master had a good temper and did not take offense.
at this time.
The boat captain scrambled to his feet and also cried out in surprise.
"That was close! This wall of corpses in the mist almost led us to a place we'd rather die than see!"
It turned out that there was a dangerous place on the river ahead. It was a huge reef that jutted out of the river and was several meters in diameter. An unknown force drove a whirlpool to spin rapidly under the boulder all year round.
If a ship were to accidentally approach the rock, it would be immediately dragged along and crash into the boulder, resulting in the loss of both people and cargo.
The wall of corpses just now emitted a mist that confused one's five senses, heading straight for the Ghost's Sorrow.
If their boat had gone a few more feet, they would have been unable to escape and would have crashed straight into it.
On the river.
Purple demonic power emanated from Daqing's two hind hooves, pushing aside the surrounding water flow. Daqing stood upright and floated on the river, its two front hooves covering its ears.
However, its posture is now somewhat crooked, its eyes are unfocused, and the whole donkey looks like it has been drinking.
Yang Silang, who was originally riding on its back, is now standing on its head.
He slowly closed his mouth, and beneath his long robe, his chest rose as if a large drum was hidden inside, but now it slowly receded.
He had just arrived in front of the illusory wall of corpses, using both his spiritual sense and visual perception to confirm that it was an evil spirit, not a demon. If he hadn't become a grandmaster, it would have been really difficult to deal with.
Although a martial artist's swords and sabers are sharp, they can only be used against things of flesh and blood.
Evil spirits are composed of formless and intangible yin energy. You can't hurt them by slashing with a knife, but they can truly hurt you.
Fortunately, after he became a grandmaster, the powerful blood and qi of a martial artist with fist intent became the sharpest weapon to suppress evil spirits.
So Yang Silang used the Five Elements Force, took a deep breath, and then shouted with thunderous force, circulating his true energy and unleashing the power of his blood and qi through the shout.
boom!
The illusory wall of corpses opposite immediately collapsed, and the accumulated snow and ice were thrown into the furnace, instantly turning into nothingness.
Under spiritual awareness.
A gentle breeze blew by, and countless faint, ethereal souls rose into the air. Chong Yang Silang nodded and bowed to express his gratitude.
A thought struck him.
Inside the Niwan Palace, the true form of the Ruyi Tianzun has nine layers of light, with a thin layer of gold coating the outermost halo.
[Cleanse evil spirits, deliver the souls of the dead, and be rewarded with a round of merit light.]
Effect: Blessed with merit and good fortune.
Under the same level of spiritual attainment, all evils retreat, and external methods are difficult to apply; all poisons cannot harm the body, and one's cultivation will not fall into demonic possession.
Even when facing enemies of a higher level, it can maintain considerable resistance.
Yang Silang was overjoyed.
He figured out a pattern: he always got some good rewards when he got the first kill.
It's probably because this is the first time that evil spirits have been eliminated and the souls of the dead have been delivered that such a generous reward has been given.
Merit Light?
He understood it to mean something good with all the red and blue buffs stacked up.
Unafraid of toxins, unafraid of the growth of inner demons.
If someone of the same cultivation level attacks me, I will be protected by the light of merit despite all difficulties; but if someone of a higher cultivation level attacks me, the power will be reduced and diminished.
As for how many enemies it can defeat, that depends on how strong the enemy is.
Furthermore, judging from the descriptions of all evils and myriad laws, Yang Silang estimated that the reward was mainly aimed at the path of Taoist cultivation. However, this made sense, since he was the one who was purging evil spirits.
Yang Silang patted Da Qing's head with satisfaction.
"Stop practicing drunken boxing, the fog has lifted and people should be looking this way."
"Quickly lie down and swim back obediently."
Upon hearing the instructions, Daqing had no choice but to obediently lower his front hooves, which were covered by his ears, and half of his body sank into the river. As for Yang Silang, he naturally sat cross-legged on his back, ensuring that not even the hem of his clothes would get wet.
"Master... my ears are ringing..." Daqing said aggrievedly, "Next time you yell, can you consider whether my ears can take it?"
"You almost shattered my demonic power just now."
Yang Silang laughed and patted its head.
"You have rendered meritorious service in killing the enemy. Once we reach the shore, I will take you into the city to relax."
Daqing's eyes lit up immediately.
"Master, next time you can yell as much as you want, yell all you want. Big Green is tough and can withstand a lot of torment."
Back to the side of the boat.
The ship's gunwale was surrounded by people. Yang Silang lightly stepped on the big green flag and flew straight up, landing lightly on the deck.
The boat captain rushed over first, knelt down, and was about to kowtow.
Zhou Mingxuan also rushed over, reached out and grabbed his hands, shaking them vigorously.
"Brother Yang, if it weren't for you, the entire ship would be in danger."
"You saved us."
Yang Silang looked at the other man's swollen nose, with two long streaks of blood. The man who used to be a top scholar was now barely qualified to be a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).
"How did you get hurt?"
He had just boarded the ship and scanned the area; it seemed no one was injured except for Zhou Mingxuan.
Zhou Mingxuan gave an awkward smile.
"No, I've been feeling a bit feverish lately, so I punched myself to make my nose bleed and cool it down."
He was too embarrassed to admit that his own boxing stance had been disrupted by Yang Silang's roar and that's why he had hit his nose, so he could only make up an excuse.
At this moment, some crew members and passengers gathered around to express their gratitude. Yang Silang nodded in acknowledgment, said nothing more, and went straight back to his cabin.
For him, if he didn't eliminate the evil spirits, he would also suffer misfortune, so it was something he did on a whim.
However, Yang Silang clearly underestimated the enthusiasm of some people.
Currently reading: Chapter 176 Burning the City, latest chapters available here.
The next day, he simply went out for some fresh air on the deck, and as a result, everyone respectfully called him Master Yang.
Fortunately, he reacted quickly last night and told Zhou Mingxuan not to spread the news that he was a grandmaster.
Zhou Mingxuan gave him a knowing look—Brother Yang, you want to make a name for yourself in the exam? Okay, I have to help you.
Seeing that he was thinking in a distorted way, Yang Silang could only let him think that way.
The people on the boat were very hospitable. For example, the boat captain returned all the expenses. Several wealthy people also learned that he was going to the capital to take the imperial examination and specially sent him travel expenses to try to establish good relations.
The most outrageous thing was that Wang Daniu muttered something.
That donkey was also a meritorious contributor.
It's outrageous that the boat captain actually managed to squeeze a cabin into Daqing's cabin.
The atmosphere on deck was relaxed, after all, everyone had escaped death.
"Brother Yang..." Zhou Mingxuan's nose was wrapped in gauze, and his handsome features were reduced to only 11% of their former glory, making him indistinguishable from ordinary people. Yet he still spoke with great enthusiasm, "We should be able to reach Beijiang Prefecture tonight."
"Beijiang is actually not a large area, but because it connects two provinces, it is very prosperous."
"I have a close female friend there, a female martial arts instructor. She's always been hospitable. When we get ashore, let her show us the hospitality of a host and let us have a good look around."
"The Ten Scenic Spots of Beijiang are quite famous."
Yang Silang nodded in agreement.
He suspected that this woman's confidante was only hospitable to Zhou Mingxuan, but since she had made the invitation, he felt embarrassed to refuse.
The ship continued its journey.
As dusk approached, a pungent, acrid smell suddenly wafted from the river, and a crimson light appeared in the distant sky, illuminating half of it.
The people on the boat, who had been relaxed and discussing how to spend the night on the Beijiang River, felt a sense of unease upon seeing this situation and gradually quieted down from their noisy chatter.
After turning a bend, the view suddenly opened up before us.
Zhou Mingxuan slammed his fist heavily on the ship's side and cried out.
"How could this happen!"
In the distance, a city was ablaze, with pillars of fire shooting into the sky and smoke billowing across half the heavens before spreading onto the river.
Several thousand people were encamped beneath the city walls.
Among them were about a hundred cavalrymen who were laughing and joking as they strolled around the city gate.
The city gates were wide open, and occasionally a person dressed in flames would rush out shouting. Immediately, cavalrymen would rush forward and spear them back into the city gate.
A gust of wind blew by, carrying black burnt particles that hit my face.
Someone on the boat got a mouthful of the wind, suddenly realized what was happening, and started vomiting uncontrollably.
At this moment, a withered tree floated down the riverbank, and someone on it was waving frantically. It was a wealthy man dressed in silk, with several women and young children behind him.
The captain hurriedly ordered his men to board the boat and lower the ropes to pull them aboard.
The wealthy man fell to the ground as soon as he boarded the boat, tears streaming down his face, muttering to himself, "It's all over, all over."
The boat captain hurriedly asked what was going on.
On the contrary, the woman holding the child remained relatively calm. From her, we learned that the Sweeping King had sent a detachment disguised as a merchant caravan to infiltrate the city, seize the city gate, and then storm into the city, sealing off the city gate for three days without sheathing their swords.
Countless bloody incidents occurred during this time. Today, as the troops withdrew, the bandits simply set the city ablaze. Many people were hiding in the city, but they never expected to perish in the flames.
Their family was actually involved in smuggling; their house had a secret passage leading directly outside the city.
When the thieves realized the situation was bad after setting fires all over the city, they went out of the city through a tunnel. When they saw a boat coming, the rich man, who also knew martial arts, found a dead tree and pushed it into the river to try to save his life.
The group looked at each other in bewilderment. Jiangdong Province had previously been occupied by bandits in its county towns, but after they were taken back, the province was generally peaceful. Although small groups of bandits had invaded, they had not caused any major disturbances.
Little did they expect that Jiangbei Province had already progressed to the point of massacring cities and setting fires.
At this point, how could the boat captain dare to stop here?
Although navigating the boat at night was dangerous, he was familiar with the route and knew every bend and straight section of the river by heart. With the moonlight looking good, he immediately set sail, taking the risk.
Zhou Mingxuan looked completely dejected.
His confidante is probably in grave danger; she'll either become a headless confidante or be roasted alive.
Yang Silang could only pat him on the shoulder to offer comfort.
The ship continued its journey for several days.
They would resupply in small towns controlled by the government whenever they had a spare moment, and continue on their way without stopping for a moment. The boatman divided the crew into two groups and sailed day and night in danger.
When asked why he was in such a hurry, he said that officials and thieves are both unreasonable, and if the boat is forcibly requisitioned, then we're doomed.
The ship arrived outside the provincial capital.
After a few days of recovery, Zhou Mingxuan is in much better spirits.
He said to Yang Silang.
"Brother Yang, I originally wanted to invite you for a night tour of Beifu City last time, but something went wrong."
"Fortunately, I also have a close female friend in the provincial capital. She is a wealthy young lady who has always admired martial artists."
"Let's go together, she'll definitely treat us warmly."
Yang Silang readily agreed.
Wang Daniu muttered to himself behind people's backs that Zhou Mingxuan had too many female confidantes.
As they approached the provincial government, they saw no flames and smelled no burning odor, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking at the river, Yang Silang felt a sense of foreboding.
Because of the turmoil in Jiangbei Province, there are very few boats on the river. It seems that they are the only ones on the river today. I hope the provincial government is safe and sound.
Soon, after turning the bend in the river, a dock appeared on the shore.
Behind the dock was an open area outside the city, where two armies were facing each other, with countless heads spread out on the plain, stretching as far as the eye could see.
One side displayed the banner of the Great Shun Dynasty, while the other side's banner was even more extravagant, resembling a sail, decorated with gold thread around the edges, and adorned with jewels, gold, and silver on the tassels below, making it appear extremely gaudy.
In addition, the flag also bears the words "King Who Soars to the Heavens and Sweeps the Earth".
It's a mix of heaven and earth, which is somewhat incongruous.
Although the number of officers and soldiers was small, there were many armored soldiers, and their formation was more rigorous; the Sweeper King's team was like a hodgepodge, with rioters holding wooden sticks in front and no real formation, but behind them were several thousand armored veterans, and even some cavalry.
These veterans looked elite, but they were just arranged in a dozen or so large groups, disorganized and disorganized.