Chapter 232
Chapter 232
The Night-Wandering God Qiao Kun in this story was one of the Day-Duty Star Gods serving under the Taisui Department.
Originally a wandering cultivator of Baiyun Cave on Mount Wuyi, he was struck by black sand fired by Sun Liang inside the Blood-Transmuting Formation during the Battle of Investiture of the Gods and dissolved into blood.
His soul drifted into the Register of Invested Gods.
Later, at the Investiture Altar, Grand Duke Jiang invested him as the Night-Wandering God.
Even in life, Night-Wandering God Qiao Kun had been warmhearted, generous, and devoted to justice.
His temperament remained unchanged after his investiture.
He stared at Hua Jiunan for a long time, then sighed.
“Your hidden virtue runs deep, and more remarkably, you belong to an orthodox Daoist lineage.
“You should not have violated the laws of Heaven and Earth by intruding upon the Underworld Court. There is still time to turn back!
“In the future, remember-”
Before Night-Wandering God Qiao Kun could finish, Day-Wandering God Wen Liang gave a cold snort.
The plaque in his hand, inscribed with “Day Patrol,” released a beam of light that shot straight toward Hua Jiunan.
“What does an orthodox Daoist lineage matter? Qiao Kun, do not forget our duty!
“Whoever dares trespass in the hells of the Underworld Court-dies!”
The attack came so suddenly that Hua Jiunan had no time to react.
Fortunately, Eighth Master Chang was alert. His tail curled around Hua Jiunan and placed him on his back.
“Young master physician, the wind’s against us-let’s scram!”
(This was an old underworld code phrase meaning that when the situation turned unfavorable, one should immediately withdraw. It was commonly used by bandits and robbers.)
Before Eighth Master Chang could move again, the “Day Patrol” plaque released another beam of white light directly at him.
“A petty snake demon dares behave so brazenly? Take this!”
With no time to think, Eighth Master Chang shrieked and dodged in haste.
Unfortunately, his body was too enormous. His front half escaped, but the attack blasted a transparent hole straight through his tail.
Agonizing pain struck. Eighth Master Chang barely managed to set Hua Jiunan down before rolling across the ground in torment.
He begged without cease.
“Honored god, please stop! We were merely passing by and had no intention of offending you!
“We’ll leave now! We’ll leave right away, all right?!”
Day-Wandering God Wen Liang had been a bandit in life. There was no reasoning with him.
He ignored Eighth Master Chang’s pleas and fired another beam of white light.
“The Naihe Bridge is a forbidden place. Do you think a petty snake demon can pass through as he pleases?!
“Enough nonsense. Die!”
Hua Jiunan flew into a rage. Drawing the Copper Coin Sword, he shouted angrily,
“Honored god, haven’t you gone too far?!”
“Seven Primes of the Northern Dipper, your divine qi governs Heaven. Great Sage of the Celestial Bulwark, your majestic radiance is boundless. Above Heaven and below Earth, sever every source of evil.
“Rise upon the clouds and descend before this altar. Let true qi arrive, passing through water and entering smoke. Transmit it across the Three Realms, and make myriad demons raise their fists in submission.
“Slay gods and erase their traces; reverse death and ascend to immortality. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the command!”
In his desperation, Hua Jiunan cast aside all restraint and directly invoked the Great Northern Dipper God Incantation.
The Great Northern Dipper God Incantation, also known as the Northern Dipper Sevenfold Killing Incantation, was one of Daoism’s great secret killing incantations.
Its purpose was to invite the Lords of the Seven Primes of the Northern Dipper to subdue demons and vanquish monsters.
In an instant, killing intent surged around the Naihe Bridge.
Starlight unexpectedly blazed in a sky that had not seen daylight in countless years.
Amid the stars, seven majestic golden-armored divine figures took shape. They bore the likenesses of the Lords of the Seven Primes of the Northern Dipper:
Lord Tanlang, Yangming Star of the Northern Dipper; Lord Jumen, Yinjing Star of the Northern Dipper; Lord Lucun, Perfected Star of the Northern Dipper;
Lord Wenqu, Xuanming Star of the Northern Dipper; Lord Lianzhen, Danyuan Star of the Northern Dipper; Lord Wuqu, Beiji Star of the Northern Dipper; and Lord Pojun, Tianguan Star of the Northern Dipper.
Although the seven golden-armored figures had vacant expressions, they moved with extraordinary speed.
Seven differently shaped weapons crashed toward Day-Wandering God Wen Liang amid the roar of wind and thunder.
Wen Liang did not dare be careless. He hurriedly raised the wooden plaque embodying the power of his divine office to block them.
“Why does your Dipper Department obey a heretical Daoist and attack me, a Taisui God?!”
An explosion thundered.
The shockwave shattered the bones on both sides of the Naihe Bridge, hurling fragments through the sky.
Amid repeated coughs, the backlash from the art struck Hua Jiunan. He grunted and fell to a seated position.
Azure energy flickered around him. His soul was plainly unstable and showed signs of scattering.
The summoned Lords of the Seven Primes of the Northern Dipper vanished with it.
Day-Wandering God Wen Liang was not in good condition either.
He had only heard the Night-Wandering God say that Hua Jiunan belonged to an orthodox Daoist lineage. He had never expected the boy to be a Celestial Master’s successor.
Still less had he expected Hua Jiunan to ignore every convention of honorable combat and open with a forbidden incantation.
Caught off guard, Wen Liang had been battered senseless. Even the wooden plaque in his hand had fallen to the ground.
Seeing Hua Jiunan and Eighth Master Chang injured one after the other, Chen Daji immediately lost his temper.
He took down the blood-red longbow, drew it, and loosed an arrow.
“You long-haired freak, I’ll kill you!
“This young master will shoot you right in the crotch!”
Whatever the arrow’s destructive power might have been, its insulting power was immense!
Day-Wandering God Wen Liang flew into such a towering rage that he seemed ready to burst. Slapping his forehead, he revealed the true form of his divine office:
He had three eyes, a face blue as indigo, and hair red as cinnabar. He rode a red-sand horse, wore golden armor and a red robe, possessed a treasured white jade ring, and wielded two wolf-tooth clubs.
“You’re courting death, boy!”
Note: Wen Liang and Ma Shan were originally bandits.
Later, during the Battle of Investiture of the Gods, Erlang, the Manifest Sage and True Lord, and the Great Deity of the Three Altars and Sea Assembly killed him. After his death, he was invested as the Day-Wandering God.