Chapter 250: Killing Intent

"Slowly. Be careful!"

The courthouse runners of Dangyang County lowered the corpses from the trees one by one. Even though they had grown accustomed to seeing the dead recently, the dense blackish-blue handprints covering the bodies still sent chills down their spines.

The county's head constable was named Yang Desheng. His martial arts were poor, and he could hardly be called shrewd or capable. The only reason he had become head constable was because his father had once held the same position in the county courthouse.

He was a fat man with a thin mustache. He looked somewhat weak, always carrying a handkerchief in his hand to wipe away the cold sweat from his forehead. After glancing at the corpses, unease crept into his heart.

He hurried over to Wang Daoxuan and forced an ingratiating smile. "Daoist, how do you think these bodies should be handled?"

Wang Daoxuan patiently explained, "Burn them. They were harmed by an evil entity, and baleful death qi still remains in their bodies. Find a fengshui master to assist, so no one accidentally runs into the departing calamity."

Yang Desheng looked so grateful he nearly cried. "Many thanks, Daoist. Truly righteous of you."

He had truly been plagued by bad luck recently. The headless rider case had his superiors scolding him every day, while the families of the dead constables came to the courthouse day and night, wailing and making trouble.

A few Daoists had come down from Mount Zigai, but they had barely even looked at him as they ordered him around like a servant. More importantly, they had failed to accomplish anything.

But things were finally looking up. At least he had an explanation to give if he was asked. The headless rider had been the work of the Heavenly Sage Cult. As long as that matter was confirmed, he would have something to tell the common people, the county magistrate, and the Guan Clan. As for actually capturing the culprits? That had nothing to do with him.

Even the imperial court found the Heavenly Sage Cult troublesome. It was perfectly normal that he would be incapable of dealing with them. The more Yang Desheng thought about it, the happier he became. He immediately began ordering his men to carry the corpses away. Once their identities were verified, they would be burned and cremated at once.

Something occurred to Li Yan. "Head Constable Yang, wait."

He quickly asked, "Are there any large ancient tombs near Dangyang County?"

The fat head constable wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking confused. "Huh?"

Old Master Guan scolded, "What do you mean, 'huh'? This is Young Hero Li. It was entirely thanks to him that this case was uncovered. If he asks you something, then answer him!"

Head Constable Yang was secretly surprised. "Yes, yes."

He had not expected the young man before him to be the leader. He hurriedly replied, "Young Hero, Dangyang has a very long history, dating back to the Shang era. There are countless ancient tombs in these mountains. Which one are you asking about?"

Li Yan said, "One where strange things often happen and people die."

"Sss... that kind, huh." Head Constable Yang wiped his sweat again, then suddenly brightened. "I really don’t know, but I can help Young Hero find out. Last winter, the courthouse arrested several grave robbers. They're currently locked up on death row, and will be executed before long. They'll know far more about such matters. Once I return, I'll interrogate them one by one!"

Li Yan nodded in satisfaction. "That will do. I'll have to trouble you."

He really had overlooked that avenue. From what they could tell so far, there were already three separate forces involved: the Heavenly Sage Cult, the tiger demon, and the ancient ghost from the tomb. Moreover, the three sides were apparently battling each other in secret.

For the time being, identifying who they were and where they were hiding was even more important. Every profession had its own expertise. If there were ancient tombs nearby where strange incidents frequently occurred, grave robbers would undoubtedly know them best.

After the courthouse runners carried the corpses away, Old Master Guan finally asked, "Gentlemen, it looks like it's about to rain. Why don't we head to Lord Guan's Mausoleum early?"

Li Yan shook his head. "Old Master, just send someone to guide us.”

But Guan Peide gritted his teeth. "Gentlemen, don't worry. Demons are causing trouble and desecrating my ancestor's mausoleum. Even if this old man dies, I want to see who is behind it!"

They already knew that the Heavenly Sage Cult was causing trouble behind the scenes. However, the repeated lightning strikes at Lord Guan's Mausoleum was the matter troubling him most.

Since he had put it that way, Li Yan did not try to dissuade him any further. The group mounted their horses and, guided by members of the Guan Clan, headed toward Lord Guan's Mausoleum.

Rumble!

The sky grew darker and darker, with faint thunder rolling through the clouds.

Lord Guan's Mausoleum lay northwest of Dangyang County, a little over ten li away. Riding at full speed, they reached it in less than the time it took an incense stick to burn. Yet even in that short span, the weather had changed dramatically.

Lord Guan's Mausoleum faced east with its back to the west, overlooking a river and distant mountains. Perhaps because of torrential rain upstream, the river was roaring violently. Its waters were muddy; waves rose several meters high; and numerous branches were being swept along by the current.

Li Yan looked thoughtful. "What river is this?"

Guan Peide looked anxiously toward the mausoleum beneath the dark clouds, but still patiently explained, "This is the Ju River. Across from it is Mount Jing.”

He recited, "The Classic of Mountains and Seas records: The first of the Jing Mountains is called Mount Jing. It contains much gold and jade. The Ju River rises there and flows southeast into the Yangtze. This is the place it speaks of."

Li Yan asked again, "Does the Ju River flow into the Yangtze?"

Guan Peide replied, "That's right. The Ju River originates in the Jing Mountains. The area has now been occupied by displaced native clans. They have many hidden strongholds throughout those mountains.

“Is Young Hero Li worried they might travel downstream along the river? There's no need. Although the Ju River flows into the Yangtze, its channel is narrow and filled with shallows and hidden reefs, making it unsuitable for travel. Besides, Baokang County lies farther upstream.

"Xiangyang has already stationed troops there. It is basically impossible for them to come through that way."

Li Yan nodded and did not dwell on it further. "Mm. That's good."

Before long, the group arrived outside Lord Guan's Mausoleum.

As they walked, Guan Peide explained, "Lord Guan's Mausoleum was first built in the late Eastern Han. Originally, it was called the Shrine of the Han Dynasty's Righteous and Courageous Prince of Wu'an. Then, successive dynasties continued granting our ancestor higher titles, and by the present dynasty, the mausoleum has already been built to the standards of an imperial tomb. The descendants of our Guan Clan take turns guarding the mausoleum. In addition, the imperial court has also assigned monks here."

Li Yan frowned. "Monks?"

Guan Peide nodded with a smile, his eyes filled with pride. "Our ancestor's loyalty and righteousness were without equal. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism all hold him in the highest reverence.

“To the Confucians, he is the Martial Sage. To the Buddhists, he is the Sangharama Bodhisattva and the Nation-Protecting Wisdom King Buddha. To the Daoists, he is the Great Emperor Who Subdues Demons of the Three Realms, Heavenly Venerable of Divine Might and Far-Reaching Suppression, Sage Emperor Guan. Naturally, everyone wants the honor of guarding his mausoleum."

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan exchanged a glance but said nothing. What Old Master Guan saw was only the surface. The three traditions were truly competing over incense offerings.

There was no other reason. Sage Emperor Guan had already died. Although his martial cultivation had been astonishing, he had certainly not been a God Ascendant. He should have been like the City Gods worshipped throughout the land, a local deity sustained by incense offerings.

It was just that his reputation was simply too great! In the language of Li Yan's previous life, he was top-tier traffic. From north to south across the Divine Continent, from the jianghu to the imperial court, countless people worshipped him.

Precisely because of this, the number of titles granted to him had only continued to grow.

The importance of incense offerings within the mystic sects went without saying. Sage Emperor Guan in particular had become almost a totemic figure throughout the Divine Continent, so naturally everyone wanted a share.

Li Yan did not know the reason behind it, but clearly the responsibility of guarding the mausoleum had fallen to the Buddhists. But it was somewhat strange. With such a major incident taking place, why had no Buddhist experts come?

Full of questions, the group entered the mausoleum grounds.

Lord Guan's Mausoleum had been built to imperial standards. The ceremonial archway leading into the mausoleum was carved with dragons and phoenixes, and by custom, only an emperor was permitted to pass through it.

Naturally, Li Yan and the others would not violate such a taboo. They followed Guan Peide through a side entrance instead.

The Guan clansmen responsible for guarding the mausoleum had already been waiting outside. Seeing them arrive, they hurriedly led everyone in.

"Greetings, Clan Head."

The leader of the mausoleum guards was a tall, solidly built man. His eyes gleamed and his temples bulged slightly. He had clearly already entered the Dark Jin Realm.

To be honest, that level of martial cultivation was only impressive in a local setting. But guarding the mausoleum was more of an honor than anything else. No one had ever had the nerve to try and rob the tomb anyway.

As the man walked, he said gravely, "I have already informed Venerable Miaoshan. I'll take you to see him now."

Li Yan immediately understood. Venerable Miaoshan was certainly a member of the mystic sects. After all, he had to preside over the annual temple fair and sacrificial rites at Lord Guan's Mausoleum. An ordinary monk could not manage such things.

Apparently having heard that fellow practitioners from the mystic sects had arrived, two young novice monks also came out from a side temple. They pressed their palms together and bowed.

"Amitabha. Greetings, Benefactor Guan."

"We have already prepared some tea. Please proceed to the meditation room. Master has some matters to attend to and will come shortly."

Guan Peide frowned. "What urgent matter does Venerable Miaoshan have?"

It was hardly surprising that he asked. At a time like this, what could possibly be more important than solving the problem at Lord Guan's Mausoleum?

The young novice looked troubled. "Master has been extremely busy these past few days. He found many old texts and records to consult, and did not sleep at all last night. He should still be reading now."

Guan Peide's expression eased slightly. "Oh, I see."

Li Yan, however, formed the Yang Seal and drew in a deep breath.

Ordinarily, he would not probe a place like this, lest he disturb the local deity or have his soul struck by the dense energy of incense offerings. But they were investigating a case this time. Naturally, he could not afford to be careless.

As expected, a mausoleum built to imperial standards was truly extraordinary. The fengshui arrangement had already been connected to the surrounding earth veins. The central axis was perfectly symmetrical, and a vast, solemn aura pressed down upon them.

The energy of incense offerings was also as dense as a mountain range. The main hall, sleeping hall, and burial mound each possessed an aura more imposing than the last, making even Li Yan's breathing feel somewhat labored.

His expression suddenly changed, and he pointed to the front-left. "What is that place?"

The young novice looked puzzled. "Master's meditation room."

Li Yan’s expression suddenly changed. "Move! Something happened!"

He unleashed hidden force through his feet and shot forward.

As he neared the meditation room, Li Yan sniffed the air again and called out, "I'll pursue the killer. You save whoever's inside!"

With that, he accelerated, and leaped onto the courtyard wall. He used the impact to launch himself into the air, and vaulted over the high wall surrounding the mausoleum.

Everyone else was startled and hurried into the meditation room. Books were scattered all across the floor. There were ancient works such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Yijian Zhi, along with the Dangyang County Records and various case files, all of them rummaged through and left in complete disarray.

But a monk in yellow robes lay collapsed in a chair. His head looked as though it had been struck by some immensely heavy object and had shattered like a watermelon, spraying blood and gore across the room.

The two young novices trembled all over and threw themselves toward him, crying.

"Master!"

Guan Peide's eyes widened. His face darkened, and he abruptly turned on the mausoleum guards. "What were all of you doing?! A murderer broke in and none of you noticed?!"

The Guan clansmen responsible for guarding the mausoleum exchanged helpless looks.

"Clan Head, we saw the Venerable only moments ago. We didn't hear anything either. How could he have..."

Wang Daoxuan interrupted, "Enough! The other side is an expert. Brother Lu, go assist Brother Yan!"

Without another word, Lu San immediately ran outside.

Venerable Miaoshan was a member of the mystic sects. Since he had been entrusted with guarding Lord Guan's Mausoleum, his cultivation was clearly not shallow. The fact that his opponent had been able to kill him in an instant showed just how formidable the culprit was.

After Lu San left, Wang Daoxuan looked around and frowned deeply. "Everyone, do not touch anything carelessly. Look through the books on the floor and see which one has been tampered with. I'm afraid Venerable Miaoshan discovered something..."

Outside the walls of Lord Guan's Mausoleum lay a fairly large woodland. Since felling trees around the mausoleum was forbidden, the trees had grown tall and dense.

Li Yan chased the scent out of the mausoleum. He had not held much hope of catching anyone, but before long, he spotted a figure rapidly weaving through the forest. Wind seemed to gather beneath the figure's feet, and their speed was astonishing.

Jia Horse talismans!

Li Yan gritted his teeth and accelerated. He had Jia Horse talismans with him as well, but activating the spell required several breaths. It would only take a few moments, but it would still be enough for the other person to disappear without a trace.

Fortunately, Li Yan had kept an eye on the terrain. He knew that the Ju River would appear just beyond the woodland. A mountain flood had erupted upstream, and the river was now violently swollen. Ordinary Jia Horse talismans could not help one leap across it. Perhaps the river could stop the culprit.

Li Yan immediately accelerated again at the thought. He leaped into the air, hidden force erupting through his feet as he kicked hard against a tree trunk. His entire body shot forward like a whistling arrow.

Just as his momentum was about to run out, he used another massive tree to burst forward with force again. At the same time, he twisted his body in midair to adjust his direction.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

He borrowed force three times in succession without touching the ground once.

This was the result of his recent martial arts training. Using the method of borrowing momentum from the Northern Emperor Profound Water Escape as a reference, he had begun dividing force according to yin, yang, and the Five Elements.

He was still far from the true Jin Transformation Realm of using no conscious intent, yet causing collapse upon contact, much less the technique of borrowing and redirecting force, but his control over his strength had clearly improved. It could barely be considered a breakthrough beyond the peak of the Dark Jin Realm. Once he fully mastered it, he would enter the Jin Transformation Realm.

The forest was not large. After borrowing force three times, he had already emerged from the other side. Sure enough, the fleeing figure had stopped at the riverbank.

Only then did Li Yan finally see the man clearly. He was an old man, tall in stature, with dark skin. His disheveled hair was casually pinned up with a wooden stick. He wore coarse clothes with his sleeves and trouser legs rolled up, with a woodcutting axe hanging from his waist. At a glance, he looked exactly like a woodcutter.

Li Yan drew Earth Breaked and shouted thunderously, "Stop!"

The old man turned around. His features were ancient and rugged, while his eyes shone brightly like those of a nocturnal owl, without the slightest trace of cloudiness.

His expression was exceptionally cold. Though Li Yan had caught up to him, he merely glanced indifferently at Li Yan before taking a yellow talisman from his robes and stuffing it into his mouth.

Forming a hand seal, he leaped straight into the Ju River. The muddy river surged violently, and in the blink of an eye, the waves swallowed him completely.

"Water Escape?!"

Li Yan's face darkened as he halted. His Profound Water Escape could still only make use of mist and water vapor. He had not yet cultivated it to the point of traveling freely through water. Even if he entered the river, he would not be able to catch the old man.

Just then, a hawk cried out overhead.

Lu San landed beside him, carrying his Nether Torch in one hand. He said softly, "That was an expert. Don't chase him."

Li Yan nodded, sheathed Earth Breaker, and said thoughtfully, "That old man smelled strongly of underground corpse stench, and he had eyes like a nocturnal owl. He's probably from the treasure seeking lineage. He also carried the scent of that Tomb Blood Beam!"

***

"Found it!"

When Li Yan and the others returned, Sha Lifei was holding up a book that had been torn apart.

"Someone ripped this apart with that much force. It's definitely connected to this book!"

Wang Daoxuan hurriedly took it and glanced through the pages. His brow furrowed, and the confusion in his eyes deepened. "It's Immortal Elder Ge's Biographies of Divine Immortals."

Li Yan had already learned what they were searching for.

He said thoughtfully, "That book can be found everywhere. The important part is probably some particular record inside it."

"Biographies of Divine Immortals?" Guan Peide, standing nearby, fell into thought. "Come to think of it, Biographies of Divine Immortals really does have something to do with Dangyang County..."