Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 597 - 539: Iron Mace
On his way back to Chang’an, Li Ang had anticipated being interrogated by the garrison and had prepared what he would say.
The only two people who knew the truth were Galuo and Lu Yunan. Li Ang had already spoken with Galuo and coordinated their stories. As for Lu Yunan, there was absolutely no chance of her leaking the secret.
Qi Ji, his face expressionless, continued, "After you arrived at the Turkic town, why didn’t you immediately send a message back to Yu Country through a spy, asking us to retrieve you? Why did you choose to sneak back into Yu Country alone?"
"Because I suspect Zhao Ming has spies within Yu Country."
Li Ang said calmly, "The mission to the Turkic territory was classified as top secret. Even so, Yuan Sou and Ghost Shovel were already lying in wait in Tongluo City, ready for us to walk right into their trap. We didn’t inform the Turkic side of our route, which means the leak could only have occurred within Yu Country. Moreover, Yuan Sou and Ghost Shovel said that Zhao Ming had issued orders to capture me alive. I needed to be more cautious."
Qi Ji asked, "Why does Zhao Ming want to capture you alive?"
"That should be something for the garrison to investigate."
Li Ang spread his hands. He didn’t believe Jun Qianzi’s order for Yuan Sou and Ghost Shovel to capture him alive was because of some old grudge with Pu Liuxuan. Speculating with absolute rationality, there had to be another reason.
"That’s true."
Qi Ji nodded. "In that case, there’s just one last step..."
He took out an antique, long wooden box from under the coffee table.
Gently opening the wooden box, he revealed a strangely shaped metal weapon inside.
It resembled an iron whip, about four feet long and edgeless, with a square cross-section. Every six inches, there was a groove shaped like a bamboo joint. Above the handguard, there was a movable fine steel component shaped like a prayer wheel, its surface engraved with tadpole-like characters.
Cheng Juxiu’s pupils suddenly dilated, and he blurted out in astonishment, "The Exorcism Charm?"
Hearing this name, Li Ang’s expression remained unchanged, but the muscles in his hand hidden under the table tensed subtly.
The Exorcism Charm, a treasure of the garrison, could exorcise evil spirits and suppress misfortune. It was a divine weapon specifically designed to deal with demons.
"That’s correct."
Qi Ji spoke slowly, "The Taotie Demon residing in Ghost Shovel’s body was inherently evil and dangerous. After he spent twenty years, day in and day out, feeding it cultivators to nourish and strengthen it, it grew even more difficult to handle. The garrison doesn’t distrust you, Mr. Li, but with Zhao Ming and demons involved, we must be cautious. Cultivators like Doctor Qiu, He Zhongyun, and others who returned from the Turkic lands, and even Esteem Shen Tu from the Imperial Palace, have all been tested with the Exorcism Charm to confirm they are not under Zhao Ming’s influence or control."
Qi Ji’s implication was clear. Li Ang had disappeared for four days in the heart of Turkic territory and had also accomplished two seemingly impossible "feats": killing Ghost Shovel and surviving the fall into Li Yuan.
From the perspective of the common people of Yu Country, this naturally demonstrated that Li Ang was blessed by fortune. However, for the garrison, responsible for the long-term peace and security of Yu Country, they had to consider the possibility that Li Ang had been turned or even possessed by a demon.
"You clearly said beforehand this was just an inquiry, and now you pull this," Cheng Juxiu said, his voice laced with anger. "Is this how the garrison shows its courtesy?"
"The garrison received orders to thoroughly investigate all matters related to Zhao Ming." Qi Ji, unyielding, looked directly at Cheng Juxiu and said, "Using the Exorcism Charm for verification is already the most ’polite’ method available."
If it weren’t for Li Ang’s status, his refusal to explain how he managed to instantly teleport away from Tongluo City alone would have been enough for the garrison to imprison him for rigorous interrogation.
Cheng Juxiu gritted his teeth. He knew Qi Ji wasn’t lying—the garrison was clearly acting under orders from higher-ups to test Li Ang.
As the atmosphere grew tense, Li Ang suddenly asked, "How is this mace used?"
"It’s very simple," Qi Ji replied. "The wheel on the mace’s handle is inscribed with scriptures. Just rotate the wheel and then touch the subject with the body of the mace. Any demon or evil spirit will disintegrate and be expelled from its host’s body," he said. "Like this."
He picked up the iron mace from the wooden box. With a light flick of his right thumb on the wheel, it immediately began to spin rapidly, emitting a grand, sonorous, and solemn hum.
The teacups on the coffee table resonated, vibrating and shaking. The tea inside sloshed around, spilling onto the tabletop.
It wasn’t just the teacups; the flower vase in the corner of the room and the wind chimes hanging under the doorframe also began to resonate and tremble.
HUM!
The Mo Si inside Li Ang reacted as if electrocuted, shrinking and retracting, converging towards his spine to get as far away as possible from the direction of the Exorcism Charm. Many threads even burrowed out of the skin on Li Ang’s spine, spreading across his back.
The movement of the Mo Si tugged at his internal organs, causing intense pain.
Li Ang held his breath, his face expressionless. His hands tightly gripped his knees as he endured the excruciating pain, simultaneously circulating his Qi Sea and releasing spiritual power to control the Mo Si’s movement. He made the threads hidden in the interlayers of his clothes retract.
This was merely from hearing the sound of the Exorcism Charm. If he were to directly touch the spinning Exorcism Charm, the Mo Si inside him might even be forcibly stripped away...
Qi Ji stared intently at Li Ang’s face, trying to detect any flicker of change. His thumb was poised above the wheel, ready to flick it again at any moment.
"It’s been a long time since I last heard the sound of the Exorcism Charm," a familiar elderly voice came from the courtyard. The three people inside simultaneously turned to look outside.
Academic Palace Master Lian Xuanyao and Garrison Commander Lin Hongbo walked in side by side.
The three men in the room rose to greet them. The Mountain Master waved his hand and said, "Ghost Shovel committed countless bloody crimes across many countries. Now that he is dead and has met his retribution, it can be considered a comfort to the wronged souls in the netherworld."
"It’s just a pity that the Taotie he harbored also plunged into Li Yuan with him," Lin Hongbo said meaningfully. "If it could have been recovered and put to use by Yu Country, our odds of victory against cultivators from other countries in the future would be higher."
"When weighing two evils, one chooses the lesser. Besides, one or two alien entities won’t play a decisive role in the outcome of a war. Success depends on human effort." The Mountain Master shook his head and said to Li Ang, "Risheng, how is that matter I asked you to handle progressing?"
Li Ang paused for a moment, then, Eh? he quickly understood and replied, "It has been taken care of."
A faint smile, carrying the meaning of ’a promising student indeed,’ appeared on the Mountain Master’s face. "That’s good. Return to the Academic Palace to report on your duties."
"Wait," Qi Ji couldn’t help but interject, "Mr. Li hasn’t been tested with the Exorcism Charm yet..."
The Mountain Master shook his head. "Didn’t we just hear the sound of the wheel? If Li Ang were possessed by the Taotie Demon, he would have shown some abnormality just now. Hearing the sound of the Exorcism Charm too often is detrimental to a cultivator’s cultivation, so let’s skip it."
"But..."
Qi Ji still wanted to argue, but he noticed Lin Hongbo subtly shaking his head. He had no choice but to cup his hands and say, "The Mountain Master’s words are most wise."
Li Ang and Cheng Juxiu followed the Mountain Master out of the garrison headquarters.
Qi Ji watched Li Ang’s back disappear through the courtyard gate, his brow tightly furrowed. He lowered his voice and said to Lin Hongbo beside him, "A Telekinesis Master at the Cloud Patrol Early Stage actually managed to fight a Martial Arts Grandmaster to a mutual demise. How could there not be something questionable about that?"
