Chapter 231: Meeting the City God Again
(Happy New Year to everyone, mwah mwah~)
Chen Ping'an's forceful entry was met with waves of precise and orderly arrows. The elite troops that General Ma had stationed in the Governor's Mansion were all top-tier warriors brought back from the border, possessing astonishing physical strength and seasoned by countless battles. Even when facing a cultivator, they moved in perfect coordination. From the moment Chen Ping'an leaped from the rooftop to the moment he landed deep within the Governor's Mansion—a mere blink of an eye—he had to use his hands to deflect two arrows that were both fierce and unerringly accurate.
The silver-belled girl shouted loudly, "I am Liu Gaoxin, the governor's daughter. That venerable immortal is an ally here to help! I beg you all to lower your bows!"
Chen Ping'an landed at the main entrance of the official residence. Without turning his head, he sidestepped twice and reached out to catch an arrow that shot toward him from behind. The arrow was engraved with ancient cloud patterns and had three fine grooves, with light flowing through them. Chen Ping'an casually tossed it aside, embedding it into the ground, and said in a deep voice, "Senior Xu, Zhang Shan, are you in the hall? That old man who displayed his divine powers at the lakeside pavilion that night is the mastermind behind the City God Shrine's calamity!"
The bearded swordsman was the first to rush out, followed by the armored general and the Daoist Zhang Shanfeng.
A bronze giant over ten feet tall charged forward with a thunderous roar, throwing a punch at Chen Ping'an without a word. Chen Ping'an had no choice but to raise his palm to block the fist. This bronze giant, meticulously crafted and enchanted by the Daoist Chongmiao, was no ordinary creation. Though its grade was not high, its combat power rivaled that of a second-tier peak pure martial artist. Yet, when Chen Ping'an caught its fist with five fingers, the joints of its body trembled violently, emitting a series of screeching sounds, unable to advance even a step.
Governor Liu hurried out of the main door, looked up, and saw the silver-belled girl standing on the wall. He immediately shouted, "That's my daughter! My daughter Liu Gaoxin! Brave warriors, do not harm her!"
The bearded swordsman quickly explained to the others, "He's our friend, Chen Ping'an. He went to investigate the City God Shrine earlier."
The armored general nodded and made a military gesture with his arm. The archers hidden in various positions did not immediately lower their bows but instead tilted their arrowheads downward, relaxing the taut bowstrings in perfect unison, as if following a single command.
Xu Yuanxia, who had traveled extensively, was keenly observant. After witnessing this scene, he was deeply impressed. He never expected that in such a scholarly place as the Kingdom of Colorful Garments, there could be such a disciplined and fierce army. General Ma, now stationed at the East Gate, must indeed be a man of great military talent.
Chongmiao the Daoist formed a hand seal to recall the bronze giant, which had failed in its first attempt. His expression darkened, and he sneered, "The old immortal Huang is the mastermind? Hahaha, you mouthy brat, I think you're the one trying to fish in troubled waters!"
The bright-robed old Daoist turned to Governor Liu and the general, saying, "If the divine old immortal Huang, with his heaven-reaching Daoist arts, is the villain with ulterior motives, then why are we still plotting here? We might as well just wait to die. Besides, if Old Huang were the culprit behind the scenes, why would he bother warning us in the first place? That would be like taking off your pants to fart—utterly pointless!"
Governor Liu pondered and said, "That logic doesn't hold."
The general, however, spoke a fair word for the youth, "Evil cultivators and heretics are best at taking risks and acting unpredictably. They cannot be judged by common sense. For now, it's best we trust no one. Let's first hear what the young man has to say."
The girl Liu Gaoxin jumped down from the wall and ran over, her movements full of spiritual energy, especially the jingling of her silver bells, which sent golden ripples spreading around her. It was clear she was an initiated cultivator. Governor Liu, momentarily forgetting to wonder why his daughter had become a flying immortal, anxiously asked as soon as she arrived, "Are you hurt anywhere? You reckless girl, the city is so chaotic now! What are you running around for? Nonsense!"
Liu Gaoxin pointed at Chen Ping'an, "The venerable immortal..."
She suddenly realized she had said something wrong. Earlier, while traveling, the venerable immortal with his earth-shattering flying sword arts had told her not to say too much about the battle at the City God Shrine. He wasn't ready to reveal his identity yet, in case there were demon spies in the Governor's Mansion as well.
Liu Gaoxin quickly covered up, "Chen Ping'an, Young Master Chen, and I encountered a skeletal female ghost at the City God Shrine. It was the same one who appeared at the lakeside pavilion that night as the Colorful Garment Talisman Beauty—she's one of the demons plaguing the city. We barely managed to subdue her, but then the City God himself and his two civil and military attendant deities fell into demonic possession, with black smoke billowing from their orifices, trying to kill us. Fortunately, a venerable immortal with flying swords appeared out of nowhere and saved us. But even he was severely injured and told us to come and warn you. That man named Huang, together with his allies, has been scheming for a certain treasure. He told me to tell you, Father, never to let the wolf into the house! The venerable immortal also said that when the time is right, after he recovers his Qi sea and natal flying sword, he will strike again to help us slay the demons!"
Chen Ping'an maintained a calm expression, inwardly praising the girl's quick thinking.
Compared to Zhu Lu from Qidun Mountain or those arrogant young warriors at the dilapidated temple, the silver-belled girl named Liu Gaoxin was indeed far superior.
Everyone hurried back to the main hall. Before they could even sit, an armored soldier covered in blood entered, reporting that many citizens within the city had succumbed to demonic possession, crazily killing people—friends, family, neighbors, none spared. These possessed citizens, seemingly like pure martial artists who had gone berserk, shared a common trait: blood oozed from their eye sockets, and they moved with surprising agility, making them extremely difficult to handle. Many government soldiers and constables had already been injured.
Moreover, in several places in the city—both bustling stone arch bridges and secluded alleys—crimson light had simultaneously appeared. Within a radius of over ten zhang, grass and trees withered, and fish floated belly-up in the water.
The atmosphere in the main hall was tense. Governor Liu forced himself to stay calm and began issuing orders. Besides sending someone immediately to the East Gate to warn General Ma to be wary of the old immortal Huang, he assigned everyone in the hall to form pairs and go to the various locations of the strange phenomena, ready for any eventuality. Anyone found to be a possessed citizen or a demon creature could be executed on the spot.
Furthermore, all clerks in the Governor's Mansion were to leave the residence and inform the city's residents to return home immediately and not go out until further notice. Anyone found outside would be severely punished under the curfew laws. The bearded swordsman Xu Yuanxia and the Daoist Zhang Shanfeng were paired up—a pure martial artist and a Daoist, a good match. Chongmiao the Daoist and the armored general formed another team. Under Liu Gaoxin's earnest request, she insisted on following Chen Ping'an. Though Governor Liu was selfless, he couldn't bear the thought of his precious daughter going into danger. Fortunately, the chivalrous martial artist volunteered to accompany Chen Ping'an to the Zhao Mansion. Governor Liu finally relented, but not before repeatedly exhorting Liu Gaoxin not to act impulsively and to follow the instructions of the two experts.
Liu Gaoxin, of course, was overjoyed and agreed readily. Governor Liu, afraid she wasn't taking it seriously, pulled her aside for more instructions.
The girl grew a bit impatient, until the "old sword immortal" beside her spoke up, "Miss Liu, don't let the governor worry."
Liu Gaoxin paused, turned to look, and saw Chen Ping'an—neither angry nor condescending, simply stating something straightforward, as if telling her to handle this matter better. Though confused, she patiently bid her father farewell, promising not to act on impulse. Governor Liu was somewhat reassured and finally bowed to Chen Ping'an and the warrior, saying sincerely, "I entrust my daughter to your care, good sirs."
The two returned the bow.
The trio quickly headed to the Zhao Mansion, which was only two streets away from the official residence.
The warrior surnamed Dou looked up at the sky, shook his head, and sighed, "Whether they are immortals or demons, deep down, they never really care about human lives. It shouldn't be this way."
Chen Ping'an didn't know how to respond, so he remained silent.
When they arrived at the Zhao Mansion's gate, possessed men and women with bloodshot eyes were already charging out, brandishing claws and moving swiftly. Outside, the swordsmen and archers were mostly city constables and government runners, accustomed to dealing with bandits and petty thieves at best. They had never seen such a scene before, their faces pale, their aim atrocious. Moreover, these possessed servants and maids of the Zhao Mansion, even when struck by arrows, continued to advance. Chen Ping'an saw a blood-covered youth hit square in the chest by a powerful arrow from twenty paces away. The force sent him flying backward, but he struggled to his feet despite having the arrow sticking out of his chest, vomiting blood as he charged forward again.
The archers' and swordsmen's loose formation was shattered almost instantly. They had no choice but to engage in close combat with the fearless possessed. If not for Chen Ping'an's timely arrival, the endless stream of possessed from the Zhao Mansion would have spread like a swarm of locusts, causing widespread disaster. Unsure if the possession could be reversed, Chen Ping'an mainly used his fists and feet to knock the possessed back to the gate area. Liu Gaoxin's bells rang loudly, golden flowers scattering in all directions, and any possessed touched by them would fester into a pool of blood and pus, emitting a foul stench.
The warrior surnamed Dou drew his blade, which shone with a dazzling white light. Each swing of his sword cleaved the possessed—men, women, old, young—cleanly in two. His swordsmanship was extraordinary, clearly reaching a master level of returning to simplicity. His movements were direct, without any unnecessary flourishes. However, compared to the bearded swordsman Xu Yuanxia's blade style, this man's strikes lacked the roughness of the battlefield, carrying instead a hint of transcendence. He was likely a fourth-tier or higher martial grandmaster. This showed that his low-key demeanor in the main hall was truly a case of "the real master doesn't reveal himself easily."
After blocking a wave of possessed from the Zhao Mansion, Liu Gaoxin found herself surrounded by blood and dismembered limbs. She crouched down and vomited.
A crimson flash appeared briefly within the Zhao Mansion, exuding a thick, gloomy aura.
Seeing that the gate was temporarily safe, Chen Ping'an lightly tapped his foot and, as light as a swallow, leaped over the high wall, heading straight for the source of the red light.
Following the faint traces of the red glow, Chen Ping'an arrived at a serene courtyard with a three-story private library. A white-robed young master sat on the steps outside the building, lounging lazily, with his elbow on the armrest, one hand propping up his cheek, the other holding an ancient book, yawning.
The extraordinarily handsome young man glanced sideways at Chen Ping'an and said with a smile, "Why so late? This young master has an extraordinary bearing—are you a cultivator from the mountains? Or a scion of a martial arts lineage?"
Sitting up straight, the Zhao Mansion's young master wet his finger with saliva and turned a page. Between the pages, a flash of crimson light flickered again.
The red light converged into a thick rope, writhing in the air like a serpent. It lingered by the courtyard wall for a moment before rushing into another part of the mansion, trying to attach itself to the people inside.
Chen Ping'an patted the sword-nurturing gourd at his waist.
The crimson serpent was severed in an instant.
The white-robed young master raised an eyebrow. "Oh? A little Sword Immortal? Impressive, impressive. I've heard that fifth-tier sword cultivators have immense killing power but tire easily. A few streams of sword qi, dazzling to behold, but then nothing. I wonder if you're more capable?"
Holding his book with one hand, the young master flipped through the ancient pages from beginning to end with a rustling sound.
Dozens of thumb-thick crimson snakes shot up from the library, about to scatter in all directions. But the young master saw that the youth with the cinnabar-red wine gourd still had the leisure to unscrew the gourd and take a sip of wine. Before the Zhao Mansion's noble son could sneer, his smile froze.
All the little red snakes, named Crimson Serpents, were instantly sliced to pieces by a crisscrossing white rainbow in the sky.
Then he felt a chill between his brows. His eyes widened suddenly, as if seeing a ghost in broad daylight, and he died with his eyes open.
Not only had a flying sword pierced through his skull from the forehead, but the wisp of sword qi that had infiltrated his body and soul had instantly shattered all his vitality.
Chen Ping'an adjusted his wine gourd as the two flying swords, First and Fifteen, leisurely returned to the nurturing gourd.
On the courtyard wall, the warrior surnamed Dou stood watching. Seeing this, he clasped his hands in salute to Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an's mind stirred, and he said to him, "Tell Liu Gaoxin that I need to go to the Earth God Temple immediately. I'll be back shortly."
The warrior laughed heartily. "There's no more danger here. Just a few stray dogs and cats. Master Chen, go with ease."
Chen Ping'an felt a bit helpless. He had wanted to finish quickly, but now someone had witnessed his flying sword killing. He nodded to the warrior, tapped his foot, and disappeared in an instant.
---
Chen Ping'an raced all the way, leaping over walls. Following the intermittent ripples in his heart-lake and the "words" from "that person's" guidance, he arrived at a secluded Earth God Temple. Looking up, he saw a refined scholar inside the temple waving at him with a smile. However, the figure flickered like the last ember of a lamp, about to be extinguished by the slightest breeze.
Chen Ping'an hesitated briefly, then leaped forward.
The deity stood inside the dim threshold, while Chen Ping'an stood on the slightly brighter outer side.
The scholar first made a deep bow. Straightening up, he smiled and said, "This is our second meeting. I am Shen Wen, the City God of Yanzi County. I have watched over this city for several hundred years. The fruit of today is the seed of yesterday. It was my dereliction of duty first. Had you not broken the seal and successfully prevented me from falling into the demonic path, I, the rightful Golden City God of the Kingdom of Colorful Garments, might have ended up abetting evil and harming the people under my jurisdiction. I must thank you."
Saying this, the scholar laughed freely. "Before, I was on the verge of demonic possession without realizing it, so all my actions must have made a fool of myself before the young immortal master. This gratitude is twofold: first, for helping me avoid harming the common people and staining my name in history; second, for your pure heart, willingly returning that green wooden box earlier."
When he had first stepped into the City God Hall, the youth returning the wooden box was a good deed, a virtuous act.
Though he possessed a storage artifact, when he handed over the wooden box, he did not take it from the storage but directly from his sleeve. This meant that the young outsider had recognized from the start that the wooden box belonged to the City God Hall.
That was another virtuous act, a kind heart.
Chen Ping'an carefully examined this City God Shen, seeing no trace of demonic possession. He breathed a slight sigh of relief.
After a moment's hesitation, he clasped his hands and said, "Earlier in the City God Hall, to save myself, I had no choice but to damage your golden body..."
The City God, no longer manifesting as a golden deity statue, waved his hand and changed the subject. "Young immortal master, are you a scholar?"
Chen Ping'an felt a bit embarrassed. He shook his head. "I'm not a scholar. I just know how to read books and take notes, hoping to learn more characters and understand the principles of life taught in books."
Shen the City God asked with a smile, "Do you know the use of the golden body fragments?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head again; he truly didn't know.
Shen the City God said softly, "Those golden body fragments must be kept safe. All deities who enjoy incense offerings in the world—whether mountain and river gods, or us City Gods and the two temples of civil and military officials—have golden bodies. First, the imperial court confers titles and sculpts the deity statue; then the deity themselves nurtures a spark of divine nature. However, golden bodies also have grades, similar to officialdom. Generally, the five sacred mountains have the highest-grade golden bodies, followed by great river gods and City Gods of the capital, and so on."
"That green wooden box contained the 'Seal of the City God of Yanzi County, Kingdom of Colorful Garments, Granted by the Celestial Master of Mount Longhu's Celestial Master Mansion.' It is an extremely powerful artifact imbued with majestic heavenly might, but it requires the Five Thunder Heart Method to use. Although I am the current City God of Yanzi County, as a local deity, I cannot use the Thunder Method of the Dao lineages. In fact, when the Celestial Master Mansion bestowed this item, it was more symbolic, to help protect the county's Feng Shui, not for the cultivators or City God of the Kingdom of Colorful Garments to wield it as an authority. If not for this small Celestial Master Seal invisibly suppressing the demons, the mass grave outside the city, which had accumulated heavy resentment during its early formation, would have already surged into Yanzi County."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and asked, "Do you need me to hand it over to Governor Liu? Or to the emperor of your Kingdom of Colorful Garments?"
Shen the City God stared into those clear eyes, flicked his sleeve, and declared with a hearty laugh, "The sages taught: 'The divine vessels of heaven and earth belong only to those who possess virtue!'"