Chapter 265
Chapter 265
In the battle of wits between mother and son, Old Madam Hui narrowly emerged victorious.
But just as Hui Moqiong had said, a cunning rabbit always had three burrows. Hui Cong would not be brought down so easily.
Besides, he had plenty of brothers and sisters. No matter which of them wanted to seize power, their first move would be to join forces with Hui Cong.
First, they had to remove Old Madam Hui from her position as head of the family. Only then would it be time for the siblings to fight among themselves.
As long as Old Madam Hui remained in power, none of them would openly turn against one another.
Still, Old Madam Hui maintaining control of Gray Immortal Hall before we made our move was the greatest help we could ask for.
Now that Hui Cong had been backed into a corner, he would watch the Corpse Fiend even more closely.
The Corpse Fiend… was probably his only chance to turn the tables.
The pressure was now on us.
After regrouping with Hui Moqiong, we spent our time discussing our plans for the following night.
After all, the Corpse Fiend was due to Undergo a Tribulation tomorrow night.
What none of us expected was the torrential downpour that arrived that evening.
Weather like this was rare in early spring. The raindrops struck the skin with an icy sting, as though mixed with tiny bits of sleet.
The storm had come without warning. I specifically checked the forecast for that part of Chang City, and it clearly predicted sunny weather for the entire week.
Liu Junyan stood beneath the eaves with his hands clasped behind his back. Gazing at the flashes of lightning and intermittent rumbles of thunder beyond the curtain of rain, he said, “It seems someone summoned this rain through ritual magic.”
For some reason, the moment Liu Junyan said that, images of the Great Lama conducting rituals sprang into my mind.
The incident surrounding Old Lady Bai’s death…
The incident at Niuhu Mountain Prison…
The Great Lama and others like him seemed to be everywhere.
And during the battle on Niuhu Mountain, the Fake Ascetic Monk had ultimately escaped capture.
They were the most skilled practitioners of Corpse-Nurturing.
So many corpses had eventually been unearthed beneath the Temple on Niuhu Mountain. Those corpses had even been trained to deploy formations!
What if… what if Chang City was another one of their strongholds?
This rain…
“Moqiong!” While I was still speculating, Liu Junyan suddenly called out and ordered, “Send a team into the mountains. Choose people with a good sense of direction, keen eyesight, and quick feet. Have them slip in quietly and search the mountains and peaks for any ritual sites or an Altar used to summon rain. Tell them not to alert anyone. If they find something, they are to report back immediately.”
Hui Moqiong asked no questions. He obeyed without hesitation and immediately left to make the arrangements.
I stepped over to Liu Junyan and asked, “You also suspect someone deliberately summoned this storm?”
“Yes,” Liu Junyan replied. “If my guess is correct, they may intend to use this downpour to set the Nine Heavens Soul-Locking Formation in motion.”
My heart lurched. “You mean they’re planning to release the zombies from the mine tunnels?”
Liu Junyan nodded. “We have to move our plan forward. Xiao Jiu, check everything you’re taking into the mine tunnels. We’re breaking the formation tonight.”
I had brought plenty of supplies.
I had some high-grade Talisman Paper with me, though I had already distributed part of it to Hui Moqiong and the others.
Everything else I normally carried was with me as well.
The only extra item was the Soul-Guiding Lantern.
I checked it and found it brimming with Light of Merit.
Then I silently recited the list once more to make sure I had not missed anything.
An hour later, a message came back from Hui Moqiong’s team.
Contrary to my suspicions, it was not the Great Lama conducting a ritual. Instead, it was one of the scenarios Liu Junyan had proposed — someone had erected a ritual altar atop a mountain peak and begun a ceremony to summon rain!
Even more disturbing was the chorus of frogs echoing through the valley.
This was how Hui Moqiong described it: “You couldn’t see a single toad. Their cries came from underground and seeped out through every crack.”
Hui Moqiong asked Liu Junyan, “Should we keep waiting?”
“No,” Liu Junyan replied decisively. “We must disrupt their ritual as soon as possible. If those toads infiltrate every anchor point in the mine tunnels, it’ll be too late.”
Hui Moqiong asked, “The Altar is on top of the mountain — the highest and steepest peak. Are we going to storm it head-on?”
“I’ll handle it.” With that, Liu Junyan stepped into the curtain of rain.
We immediately followed.
Then, yet another unexpected development arose. Before we could reach the hollow between the mountains, one of Hui Moqiong’s men rushed over to report that Master Hui Quan had arrived.
Back when we were dealing with the aftermath at Qiu Fengnian’s home, I had left everything in Master Hui Quan’s hands.
If I remembered correctly, Qiu Fengnian had hired Master Hui Quan and his disciples to perform Taoist rites for an entire month to settle the disturbances in his home.
Master Hui Quan had received a sizable payment for his services. He had even called me afterward to express his gratitude.
“He’s still in Chang City?” I asked. “What is he doing here at a time like this?”
The subordinate replied, “Master Hui Quan brought four disciples with him. As soon as the five of them arrived, they set up a Formation at the foot of the mountain where the rain-summoning ritual is being held. By the time I left to report back, they’d already begun performing their ritual in the storm.”
Understanding dawned on me. Master Hui Quan was trying to break the Formation behind this torrential rain!
Some of the tension in my heart eased, and I couldn’t help exclaiming, “Master Hui Quan couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Liu Junyan took my hand and said as we walked, “Xiao Jiu, this is the good karma you’ve forged. Naturally, it will bear good fruit.”
Carrying the Soul-Guiding Lantern, I practically had to jog to keep pace with them.
A piece of black cloth covered the Soul-Guiding Lantern, yet the golden light of Merit spilled out from beneath it, gilding even the curtain of rain.
Before we reached the foot of the mountain, an explosive clap of thunder erupted nearby. A bolt of lightning as thick as a baby’s arm shot down in a single direction, bleaching the entire world stark white for an instant.
Boom!
A deafening crash shook the earth and mountains.
All of us stopped in our tracks.
Hui Moqiong clapped his hands and cried excitedly, “Ha! That little old man actually broke it!”
“Moqiong, tell your men to help Master Hui Quan and his disciples evacuate as quickly as possible,” Liu Junyan instructed, calmly issuing his orders. “Xiao Jiu, head east. Conceal yourself as best you can and wait for my signal.”
I nodded, then vanished from sight and hurried east with the Soul-Guiding Lantern in hand.
Now that Master Hui Quan had destroyed the Altar on the mountaintop, the enemy was bound to launch an all-out counterattack. Liu Junyan had to get there immediately and suppress them before they could retaliate.
As for me, I had to wait until the Corpse Fiend was forced out of the burial pit. Only after Liu Junyan activated the Nine Heavens Soul-Locking Formation could I make my move.
My target was the mine tunnel beneath the Formation.
I had barely hidden myself on the eastern side when I saw Liu Junyan soar into the air and streak toward the mountain peak that had just been struck by lightning.
I raised a hand over my forehead and narrowed my eyes, following Liu Junyan’s figure through the downpour.
I saw him form a hand seal. Several dozen Golden Copper Coin artifacts instantly linked together into a Copper Coin Sword, which he swung toward the mountain peak!
Another tremendous explosion rang out.
Broken rocks clattered down the mountainside in a roaring avalanche.
At the foot of the mountain, Hui Moqiong had already escorted Master Hui Quan and his four disciples to safety.
But just then, a chorus of croaking toads erupted, echoing ceaselessly throughout the mountains.
In a hollow to the west, I saw dense black energy spreading rapidly in every direction.
Ding!
The clear, ancient chime of a Copper Bell rang out from the hollow, followed by a shrill voice chanting, “I humbly summon the ghostly troops of the five directions. The Ghost Soldiers and ghost generals are true spirits…”