Chapter 19-Part 8

The two quickly scrambled to their feet and shouted, “Senior Brother, how is it?”

The lights inside the Buddha Hall flickered, and loud crashes echoed.

If you listened carefully, it sounded as if something heavy was violently striking the beams, causing a deep, resonant sound that made one’s ears ring and head spin.

Everyone felt nauseous and on the verge of vomiting.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench.

A figure shot out of the fog, seemingly desperate to escape, tumbling to the ground in a hasty retreat.

“Senior Brother!” Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi rushed forward to help.

Lin Chengyou’s Taoist robe was covered in filth and bloodstains.

He staggered several times before he could stand steady.

Without speaking, he first picked up the strong men on the ground and then, with Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, started running at full speed.

They ran all the way to the gate of the back garden.

Lin Chengyou threw the men onto the ground, gasping, “So powerful. I can’t beat it.”

Teng Yuyi and Huo Qiu were not far away.

Seeing even Lin Chengyou in such a disheveled state, they couldn’t help but stop in their tracks.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were shocked, “It escaped?”

“I couldn’t beat it, so I had to let it go.”

The two hurriedly asked, “Didn’t we bind it with the soul-locking chain? How did it still manage to escape?”

Lin Chengyou replied, “It tore off its own tail, splattering me with stinky blood, and released a demonic fog as it fled. That fog is extremely poisonous, but luckily, I ran fast. If I hadn’t gotten out in time, you two would have had to collect my corpse.”

As he spoke, he turned back to head towards the Buddha Hall.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi caught up with him, “Senior Brother, are you going to the cellar?”

“The demon is injured and its lair exposed. It will probably flee elsewhere. We need to find out its origins.”

“Demon? Wasn’t it just a golden flood dragon? Is there something else?”

“A golden flood dragon?” Lin Chengyou replied, “It was clearly a bird demon that transformed into a golden flood dragon to mislead us. But it’s strange; if it was just a bird demon, would it have warranted such a large suppression effort back then? I suspect there’s something even more dangerous down there.”

At that moment, they saw shadowy figures approaching in the distance. A group of people carrying lanterns hurried over, and leading them was none other than E Ji.

E Ji, her face pale, trembled as she spoke to a middle-aged man beside her, “The small Buddha Hall is terrifying. There must be something extremely sinister there. Master, you can’t keep hiding this. If things continue like this, something terrible will happen sooner or later.”

The man was dressed in fine silk and appeared to be in his early thirties. His nose looked as though it had been injured and was unnaturally sunken, marring what would have otherwise been a handsome face. He was also overly muscular, with a somewhat greasy complexion.

This was clearly the owner of Caifeng Tower. Seeing Lin Chengyou, he paused for a moment and then warmly greeted him, “You must be Taoist Qingxu from Qingyun Temple.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi awkwardly chuckled.

E Ji quickly whispered something into the owner’s ear, causing his expression to change slightly.

“So it turns out—”

Lin Chengyou interrupted with a smile, “So it turns out what?”

The owner, understanding the situation, responded, “So it turns out to be the esteemed Taoist from Qingyun Temple. My name is He Mingsheng, and I pay my respects to the Daozhang.”

Lin Chengyou continued, “Are you the owner of Caifeng Tower?” Impressive, hiding such a valuable thing in the back garden.”

The owner’s voice trembled with fear, “Daozhang, when I took over this establishment, I had no idea something like this would happen.”

Lin Chengyou replied, “You saw it just now as well. That demon is not ordinary. If you want to live, you’d better tell me everything you know.”

“I will certainly tell you everything without holding back.”

“The demon has escaped. First, seal off the back garden.”

Lin Chengyou pulled out a stack of talismans from his robe.

“I need about half an hour to thoroughly inspect this place. In the meantime, stick these talismans on all the doors and windows, and instruct the courtesans to stay in their rooms. No one is allowed to move without permission.”

Teng Yuyi ordered Huo Qiu to return Juan Erli to E Ji, saying, “Alright, our business here is done. Let’s go.”

But Lin Chengyou said, “Wait.”

“Wait?” Teng Yuyi turned to him and said, “What else do you have to say?”

Lin Chengyou’s gaze fell on Teng Yuyi’s neck.

“You’ve been poisoned by the demon. If you leave Caifeng Tower, you’ll die instantly.”

Teng Yuyi laughed, “I haven’t even come face to face with the demon. How could I be poisoned?”

Lin Chengyou smiled and slowly approached her, “I’m kindly warning you, but if you don’t believe me, how about I count to three and see if you can leave Caifeng Tower? Three, two, one.”

Teng Yuyi took a step, thinking, Is this guy messing with her?

She took another step and suddenly felt dizzy.

By the third step, she had no choice but to keep moving, as her body started swaying uncontrollably. Her steps faltered, and she stumbled forward several paces.

She struggled to turn around, staring straight at Lin Chengyou. She felt that he seemed to be moving closer and farther away at the same time. She tried to take a step, but her legs felt tangled, and her tongue grew numb and heavy, as if she had just eaten a large plate of pepper. She could hear Huo Qiu shouting in panic beside her but couldn’t understand a word he was saying.

Lin Chengyou gave her a sly smile and said a few words to Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi before turning to leave.

Teng Yuyi’s arms grew stiff, but she still reached for the hidden weapon at her waist.

Uncertain if she had managed to press the trigger or not, she suddenly collapsed forward, losing consciousness.

When she regained awareness, she overheard a conversation.

“Lady Teng is really something; even when unconscious, she still managed to plot against Senior Brother.”

“No wonder Lady Teng dressed as a Hu man. It was to conveniently hide a concealed weapon in her waistband. Who would’ve thought that Senior Brother, who was unscathed after fighting such a terrifying demon, would end up getting stabbed in the arm by Lady Teng’s hidden weapon?”

“Lady Teng is quite guarded. Other young ladies might carry makeup and snacks when they go out, but she carries poison and concealed weapons.”

“It’s not surprising. Don’t be fooled by Lady Teng’s gentle appearance; she’s the daughter of a famous general. I’m just surprised that Senior Brother didn’t manage to dodge it.”

“Senior Brother must have been caught off guard. Who could have expected Lady Teng to still be able to attack him from behind in that state?”

“I don’t think Lady Teng would harm someone for no reason. She probably thought it was Senior Brother who poisoned her, so she fought back with all her might. But she didn’t know that Senior Brother was trying to cure her of the demon’s poison. And who knows what potent poison was on that hairpin; Senior Brother still can’t speak.”

“Ah, this is bad. It’s the first time Senior Brother’s been hit by a hidden weapon. He’s tried all the antidotes but still can’t talk. If we can’t find a solution soon, Senior Brother might just explode from frustration.”

“He’s already pretty upset. Didn’t you see his face—”

“Shh, Lady Teng seems to be waking up.”