Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 393 - 30 Sudden Change in the Situation

Chapter 393: Chapter 30 Sudden Change in the Situation

Chapter 393: Chapter 30 Sudden Change in the Situation

In Liaodong territory, there are boundless primitive jungles and long-stretching desolate mountain ranges that even the most experienced hunters dare not enter.

Before the entrance of Hao Xian Valley.

The lush towering ancient trees covered the sky, obscuring the sun, and it was unknown how many mountain monsters and wild creatures resided therein. Even the Huang and Bai families among the Five Immortals Outside the Pass took this place as their stronghold.

Usually, there would not be a trace of human activity within a hundred miles of this place, but today it was somewhat lively.

“Big Brother Li, it’s not that your sister wants to offend you, it’s true that the Five Immortal families are like branches of the same tree, but that’s only when one of them encounters a disaster, the other four cannot stand idly by. However, as for the matter of the Dragon Tiger Banner, the Huang, Bai, and Grey families have long stated that they would not get involved, so please don’t make things difficult for our Huang and Bai families.”

A beautiful young girl looked troubled, behind her was a deep cave, extending as far as the eye could see.

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Before the girl stood Hu San, dressed in a yellow robe like a scholar, accompanied by dozens of fierce monsters.

Among the Five Immortal families, Hu the Immortal was the leader, Chang the Immortal was first in magic duels, Huang the Immortal was the most united and uncompromising, Bai the Immortal was the foremost in healing and saving lives, and Grey the Immortal was adept in divination, pursuing fortune and avoiding disaster.

Hu San sighed, “Miss Huang Erxia, your words truly chill my heart. I was merely passing by and thought to ask, is there any reason not to pay a visit when passing by a relative’s doors? Moreover, isn’t today the old lady’s birthday?”

Upon hearing this, Huang Erxia broke her worry with a smile, “Big Brother Li has a good heart, I will go right away and inform the old lady.”

As the girl turned and entered the cave, Hu San then turned to Wu Sanqing at his side, “What news is there of Miss Yu Zan, who has been gone for several days?”

Wu Sanqing’s expression was grave, “There is news, the Pig-Mouthed Taoist Zhou Quan went to investigate in Lian Port; more than a dozen demon girls have been beaten back to their original form, dying a tragic death. There’s no word on Miss Yu Zan’s whereabouts, just a message saying she has no way to face the flag-guard and does not seek death by further probing, nor has the face to return.”

“As expected, if she managed to save her life, she would have likely leaked our movements.”

Wu Sanqing paled with shock, “Then, what should we do?”

“No matter,” Hu San said placidly, with a hint of chill, “If they send the Dragon Tiger Servants to press me, I can handle it…”

Hu San’s expression remained indifferent, and even though he had been served by an old fox demon with a nose like a wine vat for many years, even he could not fully understand Hu San’s thoughts.

It wasn’t long before Huang Erxia returned, “Big Brother Li, the old lady asked you and Heavenly Master to come in.”

Hu San hesitated, gesturing backward, “What about these brothers of mine?”

The girl replied without hesitation, “Would they lack food or drink? Just bring them all in.”

Hu San and the monsters entered the cave to find another world, a luxurious feast in the deep forest, with guests bustling about like a revolving lantern, music and celebration everywhere, red curtains hung all around, various gardens, rockeries, wooden furniture, and gold and silver calligraphy and paintings beyond count. Handsome men and beautiful women were drinking and laughing together as if they were in a fairyland.

In front of a giant golden character for ‘longevity’ sat an old lady wearing a jade circlet, her features sharp and ugly, but she was surrounded by a crowd of people. She glanced at Hu San and snorted coldly, “Sweet talker, but you come empty-handed.”

“How could that be, old lady? Is my slight ability not known to you?”

Mr. Hu San drew out a piece of blank paper, reached inside, and pulled out a red longevity peach the size of a meditation cushion.

“I wish the old lady fortunes as enduring as the waters of the Eastern Sea and a longevity like the evergreen pines of the Southern Mountain,” said Hu San with a smile on his face.

“You’ve put in some effort. Li, as your elder, I advise you, don’t dwell too much on the matter of the Dragon Tiger Banner. Do you think the Heavenly Masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain are so easy to deal with, if they’ve managed to suppress the two capitals and thirteen provinces for so many generations? Don’t let the good things cloud your judgment.”

“Man proposes, God disposes, old lady, there’s no need to bring it up anymore.”

As they were speaking, a boy came in from outside, “Great Ancestor, it seems there’s another visitor outside.”

The old lady didn’t seem to care and commanded her daughter, “Erxia, go and see, it might be the brothers from the Grey family coming to visit this old woman.”

With a crisp response, the girl lightly stepped out to the front of the cave, only to see an old man with white hair, wearing red sleeves and grey clothes, sporting a goatee, with just one left arm.

“Where do you come from, old man?” Huang Erxia asked with a smile.

The one-armed old man glanced at her coldly, his fingers formed into sword shapes, and with a flash of golden light, Huang Erxia’s head flew up into the air, her black blood spilling all over the cave.

Zhang Shouhan shook his sleeve, and lying before him was a headless Yellow Skin.

The sound of footsteps grew denser. Behind the old man, numerous figures in red sleeves and grey clothes stood densely, many of them white-haired, and among them were many with disabilities missing arms or legs.

The sound of horse hooves grew increasingly dense, exuding an icy aura of military might,

The Liaodong Guard had deployed thousands of troops, fully equipped with crossbows, iron armor, firearms, and even dozens of barrels of fiery oil…

Qiao Dayong, the commander of Haizhou Guard, carrying a bow and sword by his side, approached Zhang Shouhan. “Elder Zhang, are those demon people like Wu Sanqing hiding in this cave?”

“The demonic aura surging from this cave touches the sky; it must be the place. Besides the demon immortals who clashed at the county city station that day, there seems to be others…”

Qiao Dayong’s brows furrowed. “Does that mean we should delay for a moment?”

“Why?”

Zhang Shouhan asked coldly and then, with a downward swipe of his hand, declared, “It’s merely exorcising demons and protecting the Tao.”

…

The next day, the sun shone after the wind had passed.

After Cao, Cha, and Li arrived at the port, Li Yan first presented the officials with his documents and tally, and returned the horses and carriage borrowed from the station. At Li Yan’s request, the officials approved the loan of a two-masted flat-bottomed civilian ship for Li Yan and his group. The ship’s bosun, along with two sailors, would guide them towards Jin Kou Port in Shandong.

Governor Li, a formidable fifth-rank official with a decree from the Divine Emperor, had merely borrowed three fishermen and a two-masted ship, which frankly seemed rather shabby.

But the modest port town of Lian, part of Gaizhou, didn’t have much to offer, not being a lucrative post for the officials and clerks—cats large and small amounted to just two or three, to put it plainly—and resources were spread thin.

Li Yan wasn’t one to fuss over appearances, and he had no intention of making things difficult for them. Even if he had wanted to borrow large official ships and naval forces, it would have been more appropriate to request them at a major port like Jin Kou. Hence, the local magistrate and head clerks were extremely grateful and bid farewell to Cao, Cha, and Li as they set out.

On the day they set sail, Li Yan took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze, and his spirit was invigorated as if he shared a profound connection with the dark blue sea before him.

Even though “Quanlang Sea Ghost” and “Destiny Yak” were at odds with each other, unlike the other states that had been devoured without resistance, “Quanlang Sea Ghost” was still at a disadvantage under the oppressive “Destiny Yak.” This was evident from the occasional appearance of the golden vertical pupils symbolic of “Destiny Yak” in Li Yan’s eyes.

However, once at sea, “Quanlang Sea Ghost” truly held its own against “Destiny Yak.” Li Yan could even feel his skin, bones, and muscles crackle with eagerness, like drought-ridden land relishing a much-needed rainfall.

Li Yan glanced at the white mackerel sky above and sniffed. “Looks like it’s going to rain.”

“Lord Governor certainly has the makings of an old hand at sea,”

The bosun was a short-statured fisherman with dark skin who was once rumored to be a salt smuggler. Reserved and taciturn, he treated Li Yan with great respect. The other two sailors were his son and son-in-law.

On the verge of speaking to the bosun, Li Yan suddenly turned his attention in a particular direction, as did Cha Xiaodao, who had been napping on a fishing net.

A pale golden origami crane was flying in from the northeast. Its paper wings were spotted with dew and dust, indicating it had traveled some distance.

The crane circled apprehensively around the ship before crashing towards Li Yan. However, before it could reach him, it lost all its strength and collapsed onto the deck.

Cao Yongchang scurried over, picked up the crane, and after inspecting it for a while, lost interest as it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary paper bird.

“Boy, bring it here for me to see,”

Li Yan called out, and Cao Yongchang ran back, handing the paper crane over to him.

Li Yan unfolded it and found a red square seal at the end that read “Dragon Tiger Authentic One.” The small seal bore the name of Zhang Shouhan, a wayward disciple of Dragon Tiger Mountain. The content was written in a wild and unrestrained hand, dotted with blood:

Personal to Governor Li, it’s been several days since we parted at the county city. The day you executed Guo Zhengtao, you were but dutiful to the nation, beyond reproach. We of the Heavenly Master Tao are not a bunch of foul and greedy cowards. The case of the Water Corpse was a spell cast by the heretic Wu Sanqing, leading to people’s deaths. We received a tip days ago and confronted the villain Wu Sanqing at Hao Xian Valley, killing him on the spot. Hundreds of demonic creatures were eradicated alongside him, countless dead, injured, or scattered, the Den of Hao Xian Valley now lies in ashes. This dispatch should at least partly address the urgency from the Governor, but as for Supervisor Guo’s death that day, I dare not make unilateral decisions about the intricacies. I have already referred the matter to our ancestors and grandmasters of Heavenly Master Tao. When you, Governor, visit Dragon Tiger Mountain in the future, there will be a public record…”

The letter, stained with bloody handprints, suggested that Zhang Shouhan must have been seriously injured while writing it, just barely holding on.

Cao Yongchang craned his neck. “What does this mean, the monsters were dealt with by the old Taoists? So we don’t have to worry anymore?”

Li Yan nodded. “That seems to be the case. The last few harsh lines suggest they want to seek retribution for Fatty Guo’s death, but this kind of finger-pointing is unlikely to yield results. They’re just flexing their toughness, which is typical of Dragon Tiger Mountain.”

Cao Yongchang snatched the paper crane from Li Yan and eagerly presented it to Cha Xiaodao. “Uncle, take a look.”

Li Yan didn’t initially take much interest in the matter but suddenly frowned as if he remembered something.

On the other side, after reading the letter, Cha Xiaodao exclaimed, “That’s not right. There were only around seventy or eighty creatures left at Five Blessings Tower at most. What does he mean by ‘annihilating hundreds of demonic creatures’ in the letter?”

Letting out a sigh, Li Yan cursed, “Old Cow Nose has probably landed me in trouble.”