Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 368 - 5 Raging Horse Flying Thunder; Demon Arrow
Chapter 368: Chapter 5: Raging Horse Flying Thunder; Demon Arrow Kind Luo
Chapter 368: Chapter 5: Raging Horse Flying Thunder; Demon Arrow Kind Luo
“Each of these Dragon Tiger Banners is cast from the energies of tens of thousands of dragons and tigers, originally designed to break down all heretical forces and has the wonderful ability to draw the course of fate. But now the way of heaven is clouded, and the one hundred and eight Dragon Tiger Banners have been suppressing evil for more than sixty years, some of the evil spirits’ energy has accumulated within them and is difficult to disperse. Once displaced, the evil spirits of the Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces are likely to surface immediately.”
The Taoist said, handing the banner to Li Yan, pointing at the red on the jade banner and said.
Li Yan took over the Sword Box, nodding from time to time in response to the Taoist’s words.
The Taoist hesitated for a moment, then spoke again, “Governor Li, if you need more hands for your journey, our Heavenly Master Tao can also second some Taoist Boys for the trip – even if they are of little help, they might be useful for tasks like making beds, folding blankets, washing clothes, and boiling water. Should you encounter something unconceivable, they might be able to assist.”
“The great Taoist jests, I am on a mission to protect national relics, not to enjoy leisurely travels. Servants and the like are unnecessary,” Governor Li said with a polite but decisive decline.
Li Yan graciously refused.
The Taoist did not insist, taking out a token from his sleeve, “This token is from the Dragon Tiger Cavalry Northern Command. Along the way, summoning a few bailiffs and local soldiers isn’t too troublesome. Please take great care on your journey, Governor Li.”
Li Yan clipped the token to his belt, “Thank you for your trouble, great Taoist.”
After sending the Taoist off, Li Rumei spoke up, “When do you set out?”
Li Yan thought for a moment, “I think… I will set out early tomorrow morning.”
“I ought to see you off, but on second thought, making a fuss isn’t wise. Better to call it off. Like this, you’ll stay in my mansion tonight, and tomorrow morning, I’ll have someone send you on your way.” Li Rumei nodded.
Li Yan showed a slightly embarrassed look, “Sir, there are a few comrades-in-arms who have worked at Guangning Guard over these years and whom I have not seen for a while. I was thinking…”
“Oh, indeed,” Li Rumei slapped his head in realization, “I forgot about that, you go. Also, I have two more things for you, take them with you.”
With that, he stood up and gestured for Li Yan to follow him.
Li Yan followed Li Rumei, who led him all the way to the stables.
“Take a look at this.”
Li Yan followed Li Rumei’s gaze to a majestic tall horse, all black with snow-white hooves, and its most eye-catching feature was its fiery eyes which seemed to show understanding like a human’s.
What was even more surprising was that the horse’s feed box was filled with bloodied meat such as pig’s lungs and sheep’s liver rather than fodder or beans, a sight that was startling.
“This horse shares a connection with you. Back during the Renchen year, there was a peculiar incident where a warhorse refused to eat fodder and only craved raw meat; it also coughed blood day and night, gradually weakening. The Coachman thought the horse was mad and asked the soldiers to slaughter it, but unexpectedly, the crazed horse caused havoc in the stables, even killing a few soldiers, eventually being shot to death with arrows.”
“That crazed horse was the one you rode when you speared Honda. This horse is of its lineage; a fortune teller proclaimed it to have the likeness of ‘Black Clouds Stepping on Snow.’ The Black Charger of the Overlord of Western Chu was described this way. When you brought that horse, you left it in my care; ride this one to Dragon Tiger Mountain.”
[Flying Thunder]: A renowned steed with the likeness of ‘Black Clouds Stepping on Snow’ and a strange lineage, intelligent and combative.
Li Yan nodded, remembering the warhorse he had fed counterfeit Qiongqi blood to.
He approached and tugged on Flying Thunder’s reins. Having been raised on blood, Flying Thunder naturally had a fierce temperament, not easily letting others near. When its reins were tugged, the horse became furiously angry, but after locking eyes with Li Yan for a few seconds and snorting loudly, it backed down, resuming its meal as Li Yan made no further moves.
“And there’s this…”
Li Rumei picked up a quiver from the tray held by a soldier, containing seven black gold arrows twisted with snake bodies.
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“The chieftain of Jianzhou knows of my skill in archery, and he sent this as a gift a few days ago. Be careful, it’s coated in a fierce poison.”
[Demon Arrow Kind Luo]: Coated with the Five Celestial Chang Clans’ hundred-step fierce poison, the toxicity is extremely severe, causing death upon blood contact.
Li Yan hesitated, “Sir, these items are too valuable; I truly do not dare accept.”
Together with that Bullhorn Great Bow, these items were worth more than a fortune, and Li Yan couldn’t fathom why Li Rumei would be so generous.
Li Rumei patted his shoulder, “Today you’ve made me proud, I haven’t been this happy in a long time, no need to refuse.”
Then, Li Rumei’s face turned stern, “Your mission carries the weight of the national relics, it could be said to be a service for the ages, you must learn to act opportunistically, and if necessary… better to kill mistakenly than to let one go!”
“Yes.”
Li Rumei nodded her head, “You should set out quickly. Away from the hands of someone from Heavenly Master Tao, the Dragon Tiger Banner is out of place. Even if you are in the military town, you may be followed by malevolent spirits. Be on your guard at all times.”
“Your servant understands.”
…
There was one thing Li Yan was somewhat prepared for.
The vermillion Sword Box holding the Dragon Tiger Banner couldn’t be placed into the Seal Space, with Yan Fu indicating that it exceeded the maximum carrying capacity.
After leaving the General Military Mansion, Li Yan didn’t make up an excuse to Li Rumei but bought some roast meats and preserved fruits, inquired about the residences of some old acquaintances from the battlefield in Joseon, and even visited the mansion of Zu Chengxun, who had been his commander in name before Li Yan’s rapid rise.
It wasn’t until deep into the night that Li Yan asked for the location Cha Xiaodao had told him, following the main road to the streets in search of the inn mentioned by Cha Xiaodao.
Li Yan, carrying the vermillion Sword Box on his back and leading the Flying Thunder Horse, walked alone on the road.
“You didn’t encounter anything else today, did you?”
The two communicated through spatially separated conversations. To an outsider, it looked like Li Yan was talking to himself on the street while leading a horse at midnight, which was a bit creepy.
“No, but what about you? If the Green Flame Celestial Demon referred to by Heavenly Master Tao is Lady Dan, then should we return this banner or not?”
The punishments for failing a Yan Fu event could be minor or severe, but generally, there was no deadline for such a task, and the punishment often involved being detained. For time-limited events like this, failure would result in deduction of points, which was actually acceptable.
“We must return it,”
Li Yan answered, “Without going to Dragon Tiger Mountain, I can’t even understand the cause of the events. Heavenly Master Tao has closed off the mountain, so this Dragon Tiger Banner is our pass. But there’s no need to hurry. It’s only the end of May now, and the court has given us until September. Let’s first figure out the reason and look for some clues.”
“That makes sense…”
Cha Xiaodao paused.
“What’s wrong?”
Li Yan subconsciously furrowed his brows.
…
Cha Xiaodao fell silent, and after a while, he finally replied, “I’ve run into a little trouble. Be careful on your own, I’ll contact you later.”
After speaking, he ended the conversation.
“Even if the banner isn’t with him, he can still run into trouble, right? That makes sense since we share the same status as travelers. If he’s encountered trouble, it stands to reason that something is bound to happen on my end…”
Clang~
Clang~
At that moment, a crisp metallic sound came from afar.
The stone-paved streets that should be deserted during curfew were empty, but in the thick of the night in the distance, a grey figure staggered towards Li Yan. The figure could not be seen clearly yet, but the clanging of the bronze rings on his staff echoed eerily through the night.
Li Yan’s gaze sharpened, though his steps did not halt.
As they drew closer, the moonlight revealed the monk’s features: dark tan skin, a bulging skull, and blind eyes with only whites visible. He seemed to limp as he walked.
As they approached each other on the wide road, both walking in the middle, the clanging of the bronze rings grew louder. Li Yan could see the murky blood in the strange monk’s blind eyes and made no attempt to avoid him, walking straight on as if to bump noses with him.
“Amitabha~”
Chanting a Buddhist invocation, the monk finally stepped aside.
Li Yan pulled on the reins of Flying Thunder behind him and walked past. He sidestepped the strange monk but kept his eyes fixed on that hunched figure, continuing to watch him even after walking a good distance away. The strange monk made no movement and remained stationary as if frozen in place.
