Chapter 668
"The remnants of the Xuanyin Sect?" Fu Shaoping asked in a deep voice, holding his sword in front of him.
The old man laughed strangely: "Remnants? No, no, no. I am a gravekeeper, and I have been waiting here for the day when Xuanyin Sect will be revived." He suddenly opened his arms, and countless black bats flew out from under his black robe, "And you will become the sacrifice!"
Nangong Wan quickly made a gesture, and a golden barrier appeared in front of the two of them. The black bat hit the barrier, shrieked piercingly, and turned into black smoke and dissipated.
"Fu Shaoping, destroy the coffin in the center of the formation! That is the source of the evil spirit!" Nangong Wan shouted, and at the same time threw out seven copper coins from his sleeves, arranged them in the shape of the Big Dipper in the air, and shot them towards the old man in black robe.
Fu Shaoping rushed to the black jade coffin, holding the heavy sword high. Just as the blade was about to fall, the coffin lid suddenly exploded, and a dry hand suddenly stretched out and grabbed the sword!
"Trespassers will be killed." A dried corpse sat up in the coffin, wearing the clothes of an elder of the Xuanyin Sect, and green flames were dancing in its empty eye sockets.
Fu Shaoping felt a huge force coming from the sword, and it almost slipped out of his hand. He gritted his teeth to steady himself, and quickly formed a seal with his left hand, pressing on the end of the hilt: "Break!"
All the runes on the heavy sword lit up, bursting out a dazzling red light. The mummy's hands were shaken away, and it let out a shrill howl. Fu Shaoping seized the opportunity and slashed at the mummy's neck with a sword.
At the same time, the battle between Nangong Wan and the old man in black robes also entered a fierce stage. The old man's black robe had been pierced with several holes by the copper coins, revealing his shriveled body underneath, but the black fog he summoned became thicker and thicker, almost filling the entire space.
"Nangong family's Seven Stars?" The old man laughed strangely, "Twenty years ago, it was you, the righteous sects, who destroyed Xuanyin Sect. Today, I want you to pay with blood!"
Nangong Wan did not answer, and the compass in his hand spun rapidly, inducing the power of the underground spiritual veins. Seven rays of starlight fell from the sky, penetrating the thick soil layer and landing accurately on the seven bronze lamps. The flames of the lamps shook violently, and the formation began to become unstable.
"No!" the old man screamed in horror, but it was too late to stop it.
Fu Shaoping seized the moment when the mummy was weakened by the formation and pierced its chest with a sword. At the same time, he slapped a thunder talisman with his left hand and stuck it on the mummy's forehead: "Thunder and fire kill evil, destroy!"
The mummy roared unwillingly and turned into ashes in the thunder and fire. As the core was destroyed, the entire formation began to collapse, the stone pillars collapsed, and the bronze lamps went out one by one.
"You have destroyed twenty years of hard work." The old man in black robe knelt on the ground, and the black lines on his body quickly faded away. "But the Xuanyin Sect will not end here. The master has awakened."
Before he finished speaking, the old man's body suddenly shrank, leaving only a pile of clothes and scattered bones.
The underground space shook violently, and rubble began to fall from the top.
"This place is going to collapse! Let's go!" Fu Shaoping pulled Nangong Wan up, and the two of them rushed towards the tunnel quickly.
Just as they were about to reach the wellhead, a huge rock fell from the top, blocking the way. Fu Shaoping swung his sword without hesitation, but the rock was too big to be completely destroyed in a short time.
"Get out of the way!" Nangong Wan bit his finger and drew a blood symbol on the compass. The compass shone brightly, and a golden light shot out, blasting a gap in the boulder that was barely passable.
The two squeezed through the gap and climbed up quickly using the hemp rope. When they finally climbed out of the well, a muffled sound came from behind them. The well collapsed, completely sealing off the underground space.
The townspeople gathered around and asked about the situation. Fu Shaoping simply explained that there was a source of evil spirit underground, which had been sealed off. Nangong Wan seemed to be worried and looked at the collapsed wellhead from time to time.
"The gravekeeper said, 'The master has awakened.'" On the way back to the town, Nangong Wan whispered to Fu Shaoping, "I'm worried that the remnants of the Xuanyin Sect have really escaped and are planning something."
Fu Shaoping nodded: "I will increase patrols around the town. In addition, we need to send a warning to the cultivation world."
Nangong Wan hesitated for a moment: "Before confirming it, it is best not to alert the major sects. Some of the inside stories of the encirclement and suppression 20 years ago were not glorious."
Fu Shaoping looked at her deeply and asked, "What do you know?"
"It's just a guess." Nangong Wan shook his head, "I need to check some ancient books to confirm. By the way, the 'master' mentioned by the gravekeeper before he died makes me very concerned."
The two walked back to the town in silence, each with their own thoughts. Qingyun Town seemed to have returned to peace, but a bigger storm was brewing in secret.
On the seventh day after the ancient well collapsed, Qingyun Town welcomed a long-awaited sunny day.
Fu Shaoping stood in front of the window on the second floor of the town hall, watching the morning light penetrate the clouds and sprinkle on the bluestone road. His rough fingers gently tapped the hilt of the heavy sword, and his thoughts were still in that cold underground space. The gravekeeper's words before his death were like a thorn, deeply piercing his heart.
"Brother Fu, this is today's list of chores."
The young disciple respectfully handed him a scroll of bamboo slips, interrupting his thoughts. When Fu Shaoping unfolded it and took a look, his brows immediately knitted into a knot.
"The Xijiao Lingquan is blocked again? This is the third time this month."
"Brother, it is said that the Baicao Garden upstream was expanded and the waterway was changed."
Fu Shaoping snorted coldly. Baicao Garden was the property of Qingxia Sect, and those immortal cultivators never cared about the lives of mortals. He grabbed the sword and was about to go out, but ran into Nangong Wan who hurried over at the door.
"Just in time to find you." Nangong Wan changed into a plain white gown today, with her hair tied up in a simple bun and the bronze compass hanging around her waist. "The spiritual spring in the western suburbs is not only blocked, but the water quality is different. Several townspeople who came to get water showed symptoms of spiritual disorder."
Fu Shaoping's eyes were stern: "The remaining poison from the Xuanyin Sect?"
“Not sure, let’s go check it out first.”
The two walked side by side on the increasingly lively street. When they passed the ancient well, several craftsmen were rebuilding the well platform with bluestone. Seeing them, the townspeople saluted and greeted them. Since the crisis of the ancient well was resolved, they were asked by the mayor to stay and help govern this special town where immortals and mortals lived together.
"Master Fu! Fairy Nangong!" An old man carrying a medicine basket stopped them. "I am a herbal farmer in the western suburbs. This morning when I was drawing water, I found that not only was the flow of the spiritual spring smaller, but the water surface was also emitting a strange purple light."
Nangong Wan took out a jade bottle from his sleeve and handed it to the old man: "Let those who show symptoms take one pill a day, it can temporarily stabilize their spiritual power. We will go and check it out now."
Leaving the center of the town, the road gradually becomes rugged. The western suburbs are where the spiritual vein tributaries of Qingyun Town are located, and there are several natural spiritual springs scattered around. They are not only a place for cultivators to practice, but also an important source of water for mortals to irrigate.
Before he got close to the spiritual spring, Fu Shaoping noticed something unusual - there was a sweet and fishy smell in the air, which was similar to the smell of some kind of medicinal powder used by the Xuanyin Sect in his memory.
"It's not evil spirit." Nangong Wan squatted beside the spring, the compass suspended in her palm, the needle trembling violently, "It's alchemy waste. Someone dumped the unprocessed medicine residue upstream."
She lightly touched the water with her fingertips, and a wisp of purple smoke was drawn out by the spiritual power, condensing into a strange rune in the air. Fu Shaoping's pupils shrank slightly - the shape of the rune was very similar to the mark of the Xuanyin Sect, but it was a little different. "Besides Baicao Garden, what else is there upstream?"
"Over that mountain is the Chixiao Sect's medicine garden." Nangong Wan put away the compass, his face solemn, "But the Chixiao Sect is known for its fire magic, so they shouldn't have this kind of cold and yin-like elixir."
Fu Shaoping was already striding up the mountain: "Just ask and you'll know."
The mountain road was steep, but it was like walking on flat ground for cultivators. Halfway up the mountain, a medicinal garden covered by a barrier appeared in sight. Strangely, the entrance that should have been guarded by disciples was empty, and the barrier also showed unnatural fluctuations.
"Someone broke the barrier by force." Fu Shaoping's hand was on the hilt of the sword, and he keenly sensed the traces of fighting in the air. A few charred leaves on the ground showed that a confrontation of fire magic had taken place here not long ago.
Nangong Wan's compass suddenly pointed to the depths of the herb garden: "There are more than one living creature in there."
The two looked at each other and acted separately in tacit understanding. Fu Shaoping rushed in from the main gate and split the fluctuating barrier with his heavy sword; Nangong Wan went around to the back, with seven copper coins suspended beside him, ready to form a formation at any time.
The scene in the herb garden was shocking—the neatly arranged spiritual plants were tilted here and there, more than a dozen large vats were overturned, and the purple-black medicinal liquid flowed all over the ground. Three disciples wearing the uniforms of the Chixiao Sect were unconscious, and their bodies were covered with strange purple crystals.
"It's the backlash of the elixir poison." Nangong Wan quickly checked the injured, "They forcibly interrupted the refining of some high-level elixir."
Fu Shaoping kicked over a remaining medicine jar, and the purple medicine residue inside was exactly the same as the pollutants in the spiritual spring. He was about to take a closer look when he suddenly heard a sound of breaking air from behind.
"careful!"
A fire symbol shot out from the darkness, Fu Shaoping dodged it sideways, and swept the heavy sword across, splitting the second fire symbol. A middle-aged monk with an angry face walked out of the shadows, with the flame emblem of the Chixiao Sect embroidered on his robe sleeves.
“Who trespasses into the forbidden area of the Chixiao Sect!” The cultivator clasped his hands together and twelve fire talismans appeared around his body.
Nangong Wan took a step forward, and the compass shone brightly: "Elder Qi from the Chixiao Sect? We are from the Qingyun Town Affairs Hall, and we are investigating the pollution of the spiritual spring here."
Elder Qi was stunned when he heard this, and his fire talisman dimmed slightly: "The spiritual spring is polluted?" He looked at the mess on the ground, his face turned ugly, "So that's it. It's those hypocrites from Qingxia Sect!"
Through Elder Qi's angry narration, the two gradually figured out the whole story. It turned out that Chixiao Sect had recently obtained an ancient pill recipe, which was said to be able to greatly improve the cultivation of cultivators with fire spiritual roots. However, refining it required a special cold and yin medicinal material, so they had to ask Qingxia Sect, which was good at cultivating yin spiritual plants, for it.
"We paid three times the price, but they gave us adulterated Yinming grass!" Elder Qi pointed at the purple crystals, "The furnace exploded halfway through the refining process, three disciples were attacked, and the medicine seeped into the ground."
Nangong Wan frowned: "Why would Qingxia Sect do this?"
Elder Qi sneered, "Because they don't want to see the rise of the Chixiao Sect! The spiritual veins around Qingyun Town are limited, and one more powerful sect means one more resource to share."
Fu Shaoping stood with his arms folded: "So you just let the poison contaminate the spiritual spring? There are hundreds of mortals living at the foot of the mountain who rely on that spring for their livelihood."
"I..." Elder Qi was speechless, and then said firmly, "Mortals should avoid matters in the world of immortal cultivation!"
The heavy sword was suddenly unsheathed, and the tip of the sword was only an inch away from Elder Qi's throat. Fu Shaoping's voice was as cold as ice: "Twenty years ago, the Xuanyin Sect also thought so. Now the grass on their graves is already three feet high."
Cold sweat broke out on Elder Qi's forehead. Only then did he notice the ancient runes on Fu Shaoping's heavy sword - they were the demon-slaying patterns that were specifically designed to restrain evil cultivators.
"We will deal with the pollution." Nangong Wan tried to smooth things over. Seven copper coins flew out and formed a purification formation in the air. "But Chixiao Sect must compensate the affected townspeople and confront Qingxia Sect face to face."
Elder Qi nodded with difficulty under Fu Shaoping's sword: "Okay."
It was already dusk when the pollution in the herb garden was dealt with. Nangong Wan's purification array basically removed the poison that had seeped into the ground, but it would take time for the spiritual spring to fully recover. Fu Shaoping supervised the disciples of Chixiao Sect to temporarily open a new water point at the foot of the mountain, and personally tested the water quality before allowing the townspeople to use it.
On the way back to the town, Nangong Wan was thoughtful: "I looked at the fragments of the ancient pill recipe mentioned by Elder Qi. There are several runes that are very similar to the Xuanyin Sect's alchemy."
Fu Shaoping paused and said, "Do you think someone is spreading the Xuanyin Sect's skills to other sects?"
"It's possible." Nangong Wan said softly, "The gravekeeper said 'the master has awakened'. If there are really high-ranking people in the Xuanyin Sect who escaped, they can use this method to secretly develop their power."
"Let's go meet Qingxia Sect tomorrow." Fu Shaoping gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, a fierce look flashing in his eyes, "If we find out that there is any connection with Xuanyin Sect——"
"Collect evidence first." Nangong Wan interrupted him, "Qingyun Town cannot withstand a war between sects. We need to be more cautious."
When the two returned to the town hall, a disciple ran over in a panic: "Brother Fu! The people from Qingxia Sect beat up our disciples who were patrolling in South Lane, saying that we favored Chixiao Sect!"
Fu Shaoping laughed in anger: "Good, very good. It saves us from coming to your house."
Nangong Wan held him back, "Wait a minute. This is too quick a reaction. We just dealt with the matter of Chixiao Sect. The news shouldn't spread so quickly." She turned to the disciple, "Who is the one from Qingxia Sect who is causing trouble?"
"It was Elder Zhao and his disciples who said that someone from the Chixiao Sect stole the spiritual herbs from their herb garden."
Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan exchanged glances. What a coincidence - both sides attacked at the same time, as if someone was deliberately instigating them.
"I'll go to South Lane." Fu Shaoping said in a deep voice, "Go check if there are any strange cultivators entering or leaving Qingxia Sect in the past two days."
Nangong Wan nodded, took out a brocade bag from his sleeve and handed it to him: "It contains my improved Calming Talisman. If it is really the Xuanyin Sect behind this, their skills are best at stimulating the dark side of people's hearts."
Fu Shaoping put away the brocade bag and strode towards the South Lane. After turning three blocks, he heard the sound of magic exploding and the screams of the people in front.
South Lane is the magic weapon trading area of Qingyun Town, where monks usually gather. At this moment, five Qingxia Sect disciples stood in formation in the middle of the street, with green spiritual energy forming a barrier. Opposite them were three injured Chixiao Sect disciples, one of whom had a charred chest, obviously poisoned by fire.
"Stop!" (End of this chapter)