The night was dark, with乌云笼月.
The hall was quiet, with all the courtyards dark, save for the patrolling disciples who wandered about, yawning incessantly.
On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, though it wasn't snowing, it was exceptionally cold. Dusk brought weariness and sleepiness.
“The front is the Central Courtyard. I thought I saw a shadow flash by just now. Should we go take a look?” one of the night patrol disciples asked.
Another replied, “Go look at what? Hall Master Fang's temperament has changed greatly recently, and he's very irritable. Not long ago, an ignorant night patrol disciple, meddling in things, thought something had entered the Central Courtyard and followed in to investigate, hoping to please Hall Master Fang and earn praise. As a result, he died inexplicably two days later. Let's not get close to the Central Courtyard if we can help it.”
“That's right. I still want to live a few more years. As for wealth and glory, we can discuss it later.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
Inside the Central Courtyard.
Yuhe dragged the corpses of Xu Bin and Fang Baiyu to the eaves outside the main hall and made Wang Ziwen kneel outside as well. How could Wang Ziwen dare to object? He hurriedly knelt under the eaves, shivering. Suddenly, he thought of something and desperately begged Yuhe for mercy.
Yuhe coldly refused, “I am just the master's maidservant. Begging me for mercy is useless.”
Wang Ziwen was so frightened that he was out of his wits and hurriedly begged Xie An for help in the main hall.
Yuhe said, “The master needs peace and quiet now to calm his emotions. You'd better keep quiet. If you displease our master because of this, I'm afraid…”
Wang Ziwen immediately stopped wailing, but he couldn't stop the twitching at the corners of his mouth. He covered his mouth tightly with both hands, trying not to make a sound. Even so, he was so nervous that he could hardly breathe, as if the slightest carelessness would cause him to suffocate.
Xie An, in the living room, naturally didn't pay attention to whether Wang Ziwen was nervous or not. All his attention was focused on absorbing the Undying Qi.
After silently chanting “Absorb,” Xie An clearly felt a slight tremor in the white Dao talisman in his mind, as if… a greedy tiger was enjoying a delicious meal. Xie An tried to feel the subtle changes within.
But… he didn't feel anything at all. He only “saw” a faint white light emerge from the white Dao talisman in his mind.
Very faint… almost invisible.
However, it was a little brighter than the last time he absorbed the Undying Qi from the Azure Wood Black Corpse.
In the blink of an eye, the white light dimmed.
[First-Level Longevity Fate has gained growth.]
[Current Fusion Degree: ]
Hmm?
Still only increasing by one ten-thousandth?
This Bronze Corpse's strength and Undying Qi are clearly much stronger than the previous Azure Wood Black Corpse.
It should reasonably increase by two ten-thousandths, right?
Xie An felt a little disappointed.
Compared to expectations, there was quite a gap.
You should know that Undying Qi is very rare. Xie An has had his Fate activated for almost three years now, and he has only had two opportunities to absorb Undying Qi.
As a result… it didn't meet expectations.
But something is better than nothing.
Xie An quickly adjusted his mentality and immediately pulled up the panel:
[Fetal Breathing Technique: Divine Light Manifestation (500/1000)]
[Bright Jade Skill: Beginning of Spring 98/100]
[Remaining Years: 40 Years]
Seeing the data, Xie An finally smiled.
Before this, the progress of Divine Light Manifestation was 400, and the progress of the first solar term, Beginning of Spring, of the Bright Jade Skill was 88.
It was estimated that in another half a month, he could fill up the first solar term of the Bright Jade Skill. He wondered what kind of changes would occur then.
Based on the experience of practicing the Bright Jade Skill this year, Xie An hadn't noticed any difference in his body. He thought that the Bright Jade Skill was a bit similar to the Longevity Fate, both being very large units.
The slight improvements in the beginning weren't very noticeable. It would take enough accumulation to have a huge improvement.
The Bright Jade Skill has a total of twenty-four solar terms. Completing the first one… should give some reaction, right?
Thinking of this, Xie An was very expectant.
After slightly adjusting the Bright Jade Skill and the Fetal Breathing Technique, and adapting to the new progress, Xie An came back to his senses and looked down at the Jade Bronze Envoy on the ground, finding that it was already dead beyond death.
As if it had been drained by something, its appearance was even more frightening.
Xie An couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
The Azure Wood Black Corpse sucked human blood, and the Bronze Corpse was even more powerful in this regard. It could even speak and had human thoughts… And such a perverted thing was instantly drained by his Fate…
Hiss…
Even Xie An couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.
Fortunately, Xie An wasn't a newbie and was open to many things. “Yuhe, take a trip to the pier and have Chen Qing come over. Then, bring all the deacons who are staying in the hall to the Central Courtyard. Tell them I have something to say.
Also, have someone go to the Tiger Wolf Gate headquarters and notify Elder Tang Qingyun of the Kao Gong Hall to rush over overnight.”
Although the White Feather Hall was at the bottom of the seven halls of the Tiger Wolf Gate, Fang Baiyu was, after all, the Hall Master.
The death of the Hall Master was a major matter.
How to handle the aftermath still required attention.
Otherwise, things could easily go wrong.
…
Early morning, at the beginning of Yin time.
The originally deserted hall suddenly became extremely lively, brightly lit.
Almost all the deacons of the hall were summoned, and even the nearby disciples came to watch the excitement. Everyone gathered outside the gate of the Central Courtyard, discussing animatedly.
“What's going on? Summoning us in the middle of the night is a very rare occurrence.”
“It's Master Xie who summoned everyone… This is thought-provoking.”
“That's right, why isn't it Hall Master Fang summoning everyone?”
“Make way, make way, Master Chen Qing is here.”
Surrounded by the crowd, Chen Qing walked over.
Among the four Masters, Chen Qing ranked second, second only to Blood Ridge Master Xie An. This was something everyone knew, so they were very respectful of Chen Qing's arrival.
Some enthusiastic disciples even asked, “Master Chen Qing, do you know why Master Xie An summoned us here in the middle of the night?”
Chen Qing had a vague feeling, but he wasn't very clear. “I don't know.”
Although he said so, a very bold idea instinctively popped into Chen Qing's mind: This guy wouldn't, would he…
Thinking of this, Chen Qing's heartbeat inexplicably quickened a lot, and he raised his head to stare at the closed gate of the Central Courtyard.
The crowd gathered became more and more numerous. Everyone vaguely had a bad feeling, and the discussions rose and fell, never ceasing.
Until—
Creak.
The moment the Central Courtyard was pushed open, the hundreds of disciples and deacons outside the gate immediately quieted down and looked sideways. They saw a fair-skinned woman in a brown fur-lined, waist-tied long dress open the heavy door and then step over the threshold, standing at the door.
Following closely, Wang Ziwen came out, almost frantically shouting with excitement, “Thank goodness, thank goodness. Brothers, thank goodness.”
These words confused many people, and everyone asked the reason. Wang Ziwen then said, “I just learned that our Hall Master Fang has joined the heretical demons of the Corpse Refinement Hall. He even allowed the Bronze Corpse of the Corpse Refinement Hall to reside in the Central Courtyard… Fortunately, Master Xie is divinely brave and valiantly killed the Bronze Corpse!”
These words were like a huge wave, crashing heavily on everyone's heads, instantly setting off a huge uproar.
Some were surprised, some were relieved, and some were skeptical.
At that moment, Tang Qingyun and Xie An walked out.
The noisy atmosphere immediately quieted down.
After learning the news, Tang Qingyun rode over overnight and entered the Central Courtyard early to understand the course of events. After all, the matter was of great importance, and Xie An had been waiting for Tang Qingyun to discuss it.
Now that the closed-door discussion was over, they opened the door to meet people and announce the news.
Tang Qingyun glanced at the entire field, “What Wang Ziwen said is true.”
Afterwards, Xie An raised Fang Baiyu's head high, showing it to everyone to see, “Fang Baiyu, colluding with the heretical demons of the Corpse Refinement Hall, has been killed by me!”
Bang.
Xie An threw the head in front of the crowd, scaring everyone back a large circle. Looking at the bloody head, everyone's eyes were about to fall out.
No one dared to believe that the previously prestigious Hall Master Fang was actually… killed by Xie An.
After a long daze, everyone looked up at Xie An standing on the eaves steps, and immediately felt an indescribable deterrent force.
Tang Qingyun then said, “The Corpse Refinement Hall demons have become increasingly active recently, as everyone knows… This is the second case. Now is a very critical period, and everyone needs to be on high alert. On the one hand, pay attention to safety, and on the other hand, prevent the infiltration of the Corpse Refinement Hall demons. There must not be a second Fang Baiyu.”
"In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are required. After careful consideration and extensive consultation by the higher-ups, Xie An will temporarily serve as the Hall Master of the White Feather Hall. From now on, all matters, large and small, within the hall will be decided by Xie An. We hope everyone will assist Hall Master Xie well and overcome these difficult times together."
Hiss!!
Everyone present gasped, their minds buzzing. They seemed unable to recover from the shock.
Fang Baiyu, who had been the Hall Master for ten years, had his head chopped off by Xie An…
And then, Xie An became the Hall Master of the White Feather Hall!?
One year to skyrocket from Disciple to Branch Leader, and another year from Branch Leader to Hall Master…
This promotion speed is simply too astonishing!
Unsure which clever fellow was the first to recover, they shouted, "Greetings, Hall Master Xie."
Only then did people come to their senses, and then a thunderous voice erupted.
"Greetings, Hall Master Xie!"
…
"The matter is of great importance, so we have no choice but to entrust Brother Xie with this heavy responsibility. The safety of the hall still requires Brother Xie to put in a lot of effort."
After announcing the news, Tang Qingyun returned to the central courtyard and discussed the upcoming matters with Xie An. "I need to take the Copper Corpse's body and rush back to the county overnight. If there is any news, I will come and inform you."
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Xie An didn't feel anything unreasonable about Tang Qingyun taking the Copper Corpse away.
After all, matters related to the evil cultists of the Corpse Refinement Hall are major events.
"Alright, Brother Tang, be careful on your way."
"Brother Xie, be careful."
Tang Qingyun had Tong Shan find thick sackcloth to wrap the Copper Corpse tightly, ensuring that the odor wouldn't leak out before hurrying away.
Yu He also had people clean up the bloodstains in the central courtyard, then returned to the living room. "Master, I'll have a mage come here another day to set up an altar and perform a ritual to dispel the bad luck here, so it's convenient for you to settle down here."
Having become the Hall Master, the most grand and splendid central courtyard of the hall naturally belonged to Xie An.
Xie An happily agreed, but he couldn't be happy.
He vaguely remembered that when Xie An was promoted from a Disciple to a Branch Leader, he felt very gratified. But now that he was a Hall Master, he was burdened with worries.
Small officials are carefree, but great officials bear responsibility.
Xie An clearly felt that he was becoming more and more closely connected to the Tiger Wolf Gate. As his status increased, so did his responsibilities.
Previously, Xie An only needed to manage the food and martial arts resources of more than thirty brothers of the Blood Ridge lineage.
Now… he had suddenly taken over the entire hall with three hundred people.
It would be unrealistic to say there was no pressure.
It was already dawn, so Xie An chose to rest here.
Under Yu He's guidance, Xie An became familiar with the courtyard.
It's really big.
It's almost a four-section courtyard. It's even bigger than the one Li Hongming in Black Bridge Town gave him, and it's very luxurious inside.
The treatment of the Hall Master is really good.
There are independent medicinal bath rooms, practice rooms, and an underground vault for storing weapons. In the open-air courtyard in the back, there are stone locks and two rows of weapon racks…
This treatment is much better than that of a Branch Leader.
It seems that Fang Baiyu, who has been the Hall Master for ten years, really has a lot of treasures in his collection.
He'll have to search it thoroughly when it's light.
At night, the light is not good, so it's not very convenient.
Xie An came to the practice room, sat down cross-legged, and circulated the Bright Jade Skill.
There are only two points of progress left before the Beginning of Spring is complete. Xie An wants to rush through it as soon as possible to see what mysteries there are.
The next morning, Yu He invited a mage to perform a ritual in the central courtyard to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters.
This is the usual practice in this world. When someone dies in a house, they find a mage to perform a ritual and let it pass.
After completing the ritual, Yu He came to Xie An to ask for leave.
Xie An: "Have you encountered any difficulties?"
Yu He has been by his side, serving him for a year.
This is the first time she has asked for leave. Xie An only thought that she had encountered difficulties.
Yu He said with a smile: "No. I just encountered some personal matters that will probably take ten days and a half months. Please grant me permission, Master."
Seeing that she was unwilling to say, Xie An didn't ask any more questions and agreed readily. "Alright, then go early and return early. Master is still waiting for you to come back and celebrate the New Year together. If there is anything you need, just say it. Miss Yu He's affairs are Master's affairs. Oh, right…"
Xie An seemed to remember something, took out a two-hundred-tael silver note from his satchel, and stuffed it into Yu He's hand. "Take this with you. It's inconvenient for a girl to go out without any money."
Yu He's eyes were a little red. She gave Xie An a standard blessing. "Thank you, Master. Yu He will definitely be back before the New Year to accompany Master for the New Year."
Xie An looked indifferent. "Go, go."
"Take care, Master."
Yu He said goodbye and turned to leave.
From beginning to end, Xie An sat in the chief seat, showing an indifferent appearance. After Yu He walked out the door, Xie An secretly walked to the door, watching the desolate figure disappear into the cold wind.
Suddenly, he felt as if something important was gradually drifting away.
…
Tang Family Fortress.
Central Courtyard.
Tang Qingyun and Tang Qingfeng stood solemnly outside the pavilion, with Yu Tong's body on the ground.
The sackcloth had been opened, revealing Yu Tong's hideous and terrifying appearance.
Tang Zhengyang stood beside him and stared for a long time, sighing deeply, "The Corpse Refinement Hall is so bold that they even dare to send Copper Corpses down the mountain, completely disregarding the original agreement. It seems they feel they have grown strong enough. Perhaps, some drastic changes have occurred internally."
Tang Qingfeng said: "Foster father, you are Li Changchun's direct disciple. You and the Corpse Refinement Hall…"
Tang Zhengyang immediately denied, "I am me, and the Corpse Refinement Hall is the Corpse Refinement Hall. There is no connection. Master's original intention was only to give the remnants of the Everlasting Life Sect a way to survive, and he didn't want to form any Corpse Refinement Hall to harm the world. It was all that High Priest who fueled the flames. The Corpse Refinement Hall was also established single-handedly by the High Priest. Because of this, Master and the High Priest demarcated their boundaries."
Hearing this, the two sons breathed a sigh of relief.
Tang Qingyun asked: "Foster father, how should we deal with this corpse?"
Tang Zhengyang said: "Hand it over to the Demon Suppression Bureau in the county."
Tang Qingfeng wrapped up the Copper Corpse and carried it away with Tang Qingyun.
Alas.
Tang Zhengyang, left alone in the courtyard, sighed deeply, "The appearance of the Copper Corpse… means that the Corpse Refinement Hall, which has been lurking for a hundred years, has begun to show its claws. What I'm most worried about… is still Master."
…
The Eight Hundred Li Great Yin Mountain stretches endlessly, with towering trees blocking the sky and miasma permeating the air.
Ordinary herbalists and hunters only dare to hunt and gather herbs on the periphery during the day, and would never dare to venture deep into the Great Yin Mountain.
And deep in the Great Yin Mountain, there is a very large canyon.
The canyon is shrouded in miasma all year round, making it impossible for outsiders to see the area, making it extremely easy to get lost.
Inside the canyon is a mass burial ground, with broken tombstones, exposed corpses, cawing crows, wailing ghosts, and howling winds.
Beyond the mass burial ground is a neat and orderly cemetery.
This cemetery is very strange, without tombstones or graves, but rows of black coffins, arranged in a large circle, with the heads of the coffins facing the center of the circle.
In the center is an upright red coffin.
Da da da.
An old woman with a hunched back, leaning on a cane, tottered across the mass burial ground, finally arriving at the circular cemetery, walking step by step to the upright red coffin.
The old woman had white hair, a severe hunchback, almost bent over ninety degrees, making each step extremely difficult. The wrinkles on her face were even more frightening than tree bark, but her eyes were particularly bright.
Suddenly, the old woman raised the cane in her hand, against the coffin lid of the red coffin, and said hoarsely, "Li Changchun, why did you have to do this? You were a member of the Everlasting Life Sect in life, and you are a ghost of the Everlasting Life Sect in death. You even wanted to take two disciples to break away from my sect and seek the art of longevity on your own. Little did you know that your fate was already closely linked to my Everlasting Life Sect. In the end, wasn't it this old woman who helped you complete the Bright Jade Skill!?"
Humph.
The old woman snorted coldly, with a victorious posture, "Fetal breathing feigned death, passing through the suffering of rebirth; Yin water nourishes life, washing away the karma of this life; Bright Jade sees the light, the time to return to youth.
A hundred years of bitter cultivation, a hundred years of Everlasting Life Sect's fortune, should be reborn.
Come out, Li Changchun, and conspire with this High Priest for great things. Also, let me see the eternal youth of the Bright Jade Skill's completion."
As the words fell, the coffin lid of the red coffin collapsed with a bang, splashing dust all over the ground.
After a moment of silence—
Da!
A footstep came from inside the coffin.
A burst of laughter echoed through the cemetery.
"A hundred years of time, time flies, Bright Jade has finally been completed. I, Li Changchun, am back!"
