Chapter 92: The Act of Performing Virtuous Deeds Leaves No Room for Error
There is a fundamental distinction between immortals and Taoists.
In the general sense, a Taoist was considered the norm of the Taoist school. They were required to be granted Taoist certificates and conduct rituals by setting up an altar and performing liturgical ceremonies.
Once, there was a remarkably agile and chubby individual who had starred in a movie titled "Ghost Duel". The most thrilling part of the plot revolved around the intense encounters between two accomplished Taoists, Master Xu and Master Qian, as they engaged in a duel. As the climactic final stage approached, they resorted to requesting divine possession as a substitute in their battle… This was the epitome of a captivating face-off between Taoist practitioners, where both sides had to conduct elaborate rituals. Only by employing a wide array of props and demonstrating their true power, would they be able to exert their mastery to perfection.
Even when requesting divine possession for someone else to fight in their place, the Taoists never personally stepped down from the ritual altar. This was because leaving the altar would severely diminish their abilities by at least fifty percent.
A Taoist capable of using a Bagua mirror, a peach wood sword, a whisk made of floating dust, and a stack of yellow talismans to vanquish demons, exorcise evil spirits, and slay zombies. Such Taoists are not just rare, but virtually non-existent.
In the Ming Dynasty, the majority of the Taoist schools emphasized transcending the mundane while being actively involved in the world. Therefore, these Taoists often found themselves unable to perform on-site rituals and ceremonies. After contemplating for a prolonged period, they eventually transformed into a faction focused on practical combat. If they possessed the firepower to engage from a distance, why bother engaging in hand-to-hand combat and close-quarter battles?
Bai Wei, with one swift stroke, cleaved open the noodle stall, driven by this very purpose.
He wasn't sure if this noodle stall was the Taoist's ritual altar, but if it was, he had to promptly break it open.
When Bai Wei laid eyes on the noodle stall, the exclamation mark on the missing person notice finally transformed into an activatable state, and the events were simultaneously triggered.
[The event has been triggered].
[Perform good deeds.]
[Slayed demons, banished evil]
[Reward: Perhaps something would be obtained?]
[Friendly tip: These two individuals seemed weary from the burdens of life. Perform a kind deed and offer them a helping hand]
Is this considered a good deed…? People will eventually die, but some individuals only need a small amount of help.
Bai Wei brandished his broadsword, the blade swiftly cutting through the air with a powerful gust. With one decisive strike, he cleaved the noodle stall in half, sending splatters of hot soup and boiling water in all directions. In an instant, the ignited firewood brought the stove to life.
Taoist Liu, as it was evident, wasn't particularly skilled in close-quarters combat. When a blade swung towards his head, he instinctively tried to dodge, but still ended up taking a solid hit on his shoulder.
He let out a loud scream of pain, and was forcefully propelled backwards for about three to four meters. There was profuse bleeding from his shoulder, but it was merely a surface wound.
In its place, his yellow undershirt, concealed beneath the white robe, had been torn apart.
"Disaster-blocking technique?" Bai Wei raised an eyebrow, and continued to swing his sword. The glimmering blade struck relentlessly, while Taoist Liu rolled and crawled to avoid the attacks. In the blink of an eye, he sustained several additional wounds, his outer garment torn apart, revealing a pale yellow Daoist robe, along with yellow talismans hidden under his sleeves.
Taoist Liu bit his tongue, causing a small discharge of blood, and quickly scattered talisman paper in front of him, creating a barrier.
Bai Wei effortlessly wielded his sword, splitting it apart with a single strike.
"Blade energy! A warrior, or perhaps a highly skilled second-ranking expert!" Taoist Liu widened his eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief. "You! How can you possess such capabilities? Instead of staying within the Ming Country, why did you venture to Yingzhou, engaging in acts of chivalry and righteousness?"
He was greatly frightened, and if he had continued to be mercilessly struck by the opponent a dozen times, he would have eventually died.
Ignoring the pain in that moment, he frantically shook the bronze bell and shouted, "Quickly summon the Five Valiant Guards to protect me! Quickly summon them!"
Inside the burning vehicle, several dark auras suddenly emerged. All of them were sealed jars adorned with inscriptions and yellow talismans.
Sinister ghostly energy surged out from the jars, and in the blink of an eye, more than twenty dark ghostly figures formed. They were eerie and elusive, with indistinct features.
The Taoist army was divided into upper altar and lower altar. The lower altar army, known as the Five Valiant Guards, was actually the summoning of ancient generals and soldiers to aid in battle. According to general rumors, their origins can be categorized into two types. One type consists of warriors and soldiers under the command of Emperor Xuanyuan in ancient times. They rest eternally in the Furnace Iron Dynasty Mountain of Fengdu, following the orders of talismanic commands. The other type refers to the demons and monsters that were vanquished and reclaimed by Zhang Tian Shi during his battles against mountains and temples. They all belong to the ancient Five Valiant Guards, with deep foundations, a long history, and formidable strength.
The level of mystery is equal to power, the older it is, the stronger it becomes. This is a rule that is difficult to describe.
However, these are already part of history. Even if the most powerful Taoist practitioner of our time were to perform the Meishan Five Valiant Curse, it is not guaranteed that they could truly open the pathway to the Furnace Iron Dynasty Mountain of Fengdu and awaken the spirits of ancient battle ghosts. This task is even more challenging than recruiting the mighty warriors of the Yellow Turbans.
In fact, at that moment, Taoist Liu summoned what he called the Five Valiant Guards, but they were actually tormented vengeful spirits and fierce ghosts who had met tragic ends. These were the army he had cultivated himself, with their ashes stored in a cabinet at the ramen stall. The invocation was nothing more than the usual summoning ritual.
Ordinary tormented spirits and fierce ghosts were completely powerless against the immensely strong warriors. Just by releasing a hint of killing intent, these ghosts would most likely have to flee on their own.
However, Taoist Liu was confident because the fierce ghosts now had vessels to inhabit.
Dozens of Valiant Guards didn't rush towards Bai Wei, but instead charged towards the blood-soaked Sato Zaki, transforming into dense black smoke that seeped into his mouth, ears, eyes, and nostrils, eagerly and competitively vying for entry.
Bai Wei shifted his gaze to the side, and at that moment, the phrase above Sato Zaki's head was tainted with a deep black hue and underwent a sudden transformation.
[Five ferocious demons]
[Health bar: 2000%]
The font appeared in a pale red color, which was previously a light yellow color, indicating a significant upgrade.
In Sato Zaki's eyes, there was finally no trace of humanity left, only an endless presence of ferocity and brutality.
Taoist Liu seized the opportunity and dipped his fingers in blood, drawing crooked and twisted characters on the talisman. He shouted loudly.
"Hurry up!"
He waved the bell and through gritted teeth, he gave the order, "Kill this person!"
Bai Wei was attacked by a ferocious spirit, which had already transformed into a wild beast. Bai Wei, wielding his sword horizontally, tried to intercept it. Under the influence of the power derived from dozens of vengeful ghosts contained within him, he experienced considerable pressure. Cracks appeared on the ground beneath his left foot, and the corners of the concrete floor were trampled into pits.
"Tsk!" Bai Wei clicked his tongue and took a few steps back, then flicked his finger against the blade of his Han sword. The sword resonated with a melodious hum, akin to a tiger's roar.
The fierce tiger teeth at the end of the sword handle seemed to produce a ringing sound as they bit into the iron ring.
He switched to holding the sword with both hands, took a deep breath, and swung the sword down, causing a faint phantom of a fierce tiger to emerge.
The ferocious spirit, ignorant of fear, stubbornly took the blow, as Bai Wei swung his sword and cleaved it on the shoulder. It was as if its head was being firmly held by a glaring white tiger, and it crashed violently onto the ground… Those who have raised cats know that the claws of feline creatures are indeed very powerful.
With a loud crash, the ground caved in as the ferocious spirit was struck by a mighty cleave. It pounced onto the ground, blood flowing from its seven orifices, an eerie dark red hue seeping out. Its bones, shattered into numerous fragments, echoed with the mournful cries of crushed vengeful spirits. In an instant, over half of its health bar evaporated.
Bai Wei glanced at the Han sword, while the nameless sword proudly shimmered under the moonlight, basking in its own glory, as if seeking recognition.
He had just unleashed the inherent power of this sword, rather than relying on his own strength. Its power was much stronger than last time, was it strengthened?
It seems that the value of the evil god's blood was quite high.
Devour and evolve… are they its abilities?
Swinging his blade, Bai Wei severed the limbs of the ferocious spirit. He looked towards Taoist Liu and, as expected, he had already fled. Such individuals cherish their lives the most; it was impossible for them not to run.
After all, he was a Taoist, so he surely had many means of escaping. As long as he wasn't instantly killed, he would have had various ways to hide after leaving.
Bai Wei had a method to track him, and an exclamation mark cannot be hidden.
The event has already started, and at all times and places, they were in a state of combat readiness, with exclamation marks constantly marking their locations.
Walking around the corner, he looked at the loose round manhole cover, kicked it open, smelled the strange odor emanating from inside, and immediately abandoned the idea of pursuing further.
He decided to wait at the exit for the other person to come out.
…
Taoist Liu emerged from the sewer, which happened ten minutes later. He found it quite challenging to endure the foul smell of the sewer, but he had no choice but to wade through the water in order to survive. He continued onward until he reached the gathering place for sewage discharge, where he speculated that he was approaching the sewage treatment plant. With utmost caution, he carefully emerged from a particular passage.
No one chased after him.
He put his relieved mind at ease, sat down, and took a deep breath.
Unable to catch up… he consoled himself.
The scent on his body had long been masked by a foul odor.
He had long ago used Taoist techniques to shield his own presence, making it impossible to detect unless someone had a higher level of proficiency in Taoism than himself.
That man is a warrior, not an immortal being.
Wait a little longer, wait for dawn, and find a place to start over… It's just a fresh start, it's not the first time anyway.
He had experienced too much; last time he survived, this time he survived, and the next time he would survive as well. He always managed to escape hardships and the relentless pursuit of death.
"Hahaha…" he couldn't help but burst into laughter and said, "In the end, I survived… Master, senior brother, did you both witness it?"
His senior brother said that his life was short, and that it would be better for him to leave the mountain and live a wealthy life. So, he murdered his senior brother and seized the inheritance.
His master said he wouldn't live past thirty years old, so he killed the master, seized the inheritance, and went into exile overseas.
The doctor said he wouldn't live for more than half a year. He didn't do anything in particular, but now twenty years have passed. The old doctors from that time may not even be around anymore, but he is still alive.
In the past, many people sentenced him to death, but those people died. Only he remained alive, living alone up until now.
From childhood to adulthood, for several decades, everyone, including the world, didn't want me to live a peaceful life.
Therefore, I could not die, I absolutely could not!
"I survived by battling against fate! I defied the heavens and mocked the divine!"
"What wrong had I done?"
"What mistakes had I made?"
Taoist Liu, in his accusations against the heavens, uncontrollably burst into laughter and ridiculed the predetermined fate imposed upon him by the divine.
However, this time, destiny played a fatal joke on him. In the quiet of the night, a clear blade's sound suddenly echoed.
The wild laughter abruptly ceased.
