Blade - Unbound

On the fifth day of the year, the sound of firecrackers echoed ceaselessly throughout Chang'an. Amid the festive atmosphere, a column of Daoists rode back into the city. It was the Chang'an Enforcement Hall, returning after a long absence.

However, nearly every one of them was wounded. Their robes were torn, stained with blood, and bore the unmistakable marks of fierce battle. Their eyes remained sharp, and the killing intent clinging to them had yet to dissipate.

A large contingent of garrison soldiers cleared the way for them, while others guarded the rear. Even members of the Military Surveillance Department were mixed into the escort.

Li Yan's heart skipped a beat. At a glance, he could tell that the numbers were wrong. The Chang'an Enforcement Hall consisted of a hundred members. Though small in number, every one of them had been raised and trained by the Taixuan Orthodox Sect since childhood, specializing in combat and killing. They also worked together flawlessly and could form Daoist sword formations.

Yet now, nearly half of them were missing!

What had they encountered?

Just then, Li Yan spotted Luo Mingzi among the procession. The upper half of his body was wrapped in bandages, but he appeared to be in good spirits. Riding on horseback, his cold eyes constantly swept the surroundings, as though searching for someone.

Suddenly, he noticed Li Yan leaning against the window. Li Yan relaxed and smiled, cupping his fists in greeting. Luo Mingzi returned the salute before immediately resuming his vigilant scan of the surroundings.

Li Yan instantly understood. They were on guard against someone...

Guo Luquan suddenly cried out again, "Look over there!"

Everyone leaned farther out the windows and saw an ox cart behind the procession. Upon it rested a coffin cast entirely from bronze. Age had covered it in verdigris, while the intricate carvings decorating its surface had weathered until they were barely recognizable.

Thick iron chains, each as thick as a man's arm, wrapped around the coffin layer upon layer. Not only that, it was plastered with peachwood talismans. Even stranger were the seven holes in the coffin lid. Arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper, each hole held a rusted iron spear.

"A Corpse-Suppressing Coffin!"

Guo Luquan sucked in a sharp breath and gasped, "So they really exist. I always thought they were just rumors."

The elderly carpenter beside him furrowed his white brows. Holding his fingers a few inches before his eyes, he measured the coffin from afar before revealing a look of astonishment. "My goodness... its dimensions deliberately correspond to the four inauspicious measurements! Illness, Separation, Calamity, and Death. Whoever built this absolutely did it on purpose."

Curious, Li Yan asked, "A Corpse-Suppressing Coffin? Is it specifically used to imprison zombies? Why not simply burn the corpse?"

Guo Luquan explained, "I'm only repeating what an old coffin bearer once told me. Some especially powerful zombies absorb yin killing qi for so long that they themselves become walking disasters. They're already terrifying enough, but if you actually kill one, plague, pestilence, and baleful energy immediately spread everywhere, bringing endless calamity. The only option is to suppress it and slowly wear it down using either innate heavenly qi or the power of incense offerings.

"Judging from the coffin, it's been around for quite a while. The Taixuan Orthodox Sect really ought to send something like that to Mount Hua or the Zhongnan Mountain. Why are they hauling it into Chang'an instead?"

"What do you know?!" The old carpenter shot him a glance. "That isn't an ordinary zombie. See those spears in the coffin lid? Those are Seven Star Soul-Suppressing Nails, derived from the Secret Curse of the Seven Arrows. It's an exceptionally vicious curse. Whoever's inside must have deeply offended someone in life..."

"As expected of Senior!"

Everyone immediately began flattering him, but the old man merely shook his head gravely. "I've only heard of such things myself. All I know is they're unbelievably inauspicious.

"Why did I have to see something like this today?! Ptui! Ptui! Ptui!"

He spat three times after speaking.

"Ptui! Ptui! Ptui!"

The others hurriedly followed suit.

Soon afterward, however, everyone's attention shifted to what came behind the coffin. The wooden prison cart contained an old man. Hooks pierced through his shoulder blades, while more than a dozen iron spikes had been driven into his body. His clothes were soaked with filthy blood. His head hung low, making his face impossible to see.

"Who's that?"

"How would I know?"

"But he's definitely someone important..."

The room once again erupted into speculation. Only Li Yan frowned deeply. He had recognized the scent emanating from the prisoner.

Tomb Serpent Dugu Qian of the Maitreya Sect! They had actually captured him? So that was why the Enforcement Hall had mobilized in full force.

Li Yan had guessed as much. However, an even greater question immediately arose. He knew Dugu Qian well enough. His cultivation should have been around the third or fourth level. Though formidable, and accompanied by that savage Crowned Serpent Spirit he raised, he simply wasn't strong enough to inflict such heavy losses upon the Enforcement Hall.

Could it have something to do with the Corpse-Suppressing Coffin?

After witnessing all this, Li Yan naturally lost all interest in drinking.

Once the Enforcement Hall procession disappeared, he estimated they had already returned to the City God Temple.

He bade everyone farewell and headed toward Guangde Street.

Sure enough, the City God Temple had been placed under strict guard. Although Li Yan was not allowed inside, he had long since become acquainted with the young Daoist standing watch. He asked the boy to pass a message to Luo Mingzi.

The junior Daoist soon returned, telling him only to wait.

The wait lasted a full two hours. Just as Li Yan was beginning to wonder what was taking so long, Luo Mingzi finally emerged from a side gate of the City God Temple, looking apologetic.

"There was too much to deal with. I just finished. Come on, let's find somewhere to drink. I've been stuck in the mountains for two months, and I'm going stir-crazy!"

Most of the restaurants nearby maintained ties with the Taixuan Orthodox Sect. The two randomly picked one that had just reopened for business and entered a quiet private room.

The moment the food arrived, Luo Mingzi began stuffing himself. He alternated between a mouthful of wine and a mouthful of meat as he devoured everything like a starving ghost reborn.

Just as Li Yan was about to speak, Luo Mingzi shook his head. "Don't ask. Even if you do ask, I can't tell you. Let's just say this mission was disastrous enough."

Wasn't it just an operation to capture a Tomb Serpent?

Li Yan found himself speechless, but still, he chose not to press further. He knew things could not possibly be so simple. Though Dugu Qian was ruthless, they should have simply executed him when they captured him. Why go through the trouble of bringing him back alive?

Perhaps, they intended to use him as bait for his accomplices. In any case, it had nothing to do with Li Yan. He had no desire to put Luo Mingzi in a difficult position, so he simply kept quiet.

Only after finishing several plates of food and half a pot of wine did Luo Mingzi wipe his mouth and smile. "I heard about Xiangji Temple. You did well. If it hadn't been for you, we'd never have realized the Maitreya Sect had laid out such an extensive scheme near Chang'an."

Li Yan's expression became serious. "Speaking of that, I want to know who Zhao Changsheng really is."

Luo Mingzi shook his head. "Why are you asking about him? He isn't active in the Guanzhong Plains. What happened here was probably just one idle move on his chessboard. The best thing you can do is stay far away from him. He's not someone you can afford to provoke."

Naturally, after the Xiangji Temple incident, the sect had questioned everyone involved. It came as no surprise that Luo Mingzi already knew Zhao Changsheng had been behind it.

Li Yan remained silent for a moment before speaking quietly. "My father's death had something to do with him."

He then recounted Lu Gongyuan's testimony, along with everything that had happened at the brothel.

That was the first time he had told anyone what had happened.

"Your father?" Luo Mingzi looked genuinely surprised. "Your father was only a wandering bladesman of the jianghu. Why would he investigate Zhao Changsheng's background?"

Li Yan answered gravely. "I have a suspicion, but I need to know Zhao Changsheng's identity to verify it. Was he ever a member of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect?"

Luo Mingzi remained silent for quite a while. After taking another drink, he finally spoke. "This is considered taboo within the sect, but since it concerns your father's death, I won't hide it from you.

"However, you must never tell anyone else.

"Zhao Changsheng was originally known as Chang Kongzi. He was once one of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect's greatest prodigies. But something happened later, and he betrayed the sect."

Li Yan's eyes narrowed. "Did he ever serve in the capital, overseeing the distribution of spiritual plaques to the army?"

Luo Mingzi looked startled. "He did spend time in the capital."

Li Yan's voice grew heavy. "Then it really was him. My grandfather fought in the Northern Frontier War. The Imperial Court awarded him a plaque that states: Mighty Through a Hundred Battles, to protect his household from evil.

"But only last year did I discover that someone had secretly placed a curse upon it. In fact, the curse was designed with extraordinary subtlety. It activated only very slowly, making it almost impossible to notice.

"If hung for many years, it would ensure the victim's bloodline died out. Fewer than a hundred soldiers survived that final pursuit campaign in the Northern Frontier. After coming to Chang'an, I had someone locate the roster of those veterans. Over the years, after they returned home, some met with terrible disasters. Others also lost their descendants under mysterious circumstances.

"Even Yuan Xizhong, the commander who had led them, spent his later years plagued by countless illnesses before eventually being convicted and executed together with his entire family.

"I believe my father contacted my grandfather's old comrades and discovered something suspicious. He eventually traced everything back to Zhao Changsheng..."

That was the sequence of events Li Yan had pieced together from all the clues.

Luo Mingzi looked visibly shaken at the story. He muttered softly, "He tampered with plaques personally bestowed upon imperial veterans?"

"It seems so." Li Yan nodded. "But there's one thing I still can't understand."

As he spoke, he took out the coin tassel woven from the Three Talent Demon-Suppressing Coins and spoke softly. "This was why the curse escaped the Imperial Court's notice entirely. The Three Talent Demon-Suppressing Coins were forged from Yang Yi's demonic blade.

"There are only one hundred and eight of them. While they aren't among the absolute greatest treasures, they're still extremely valuable. However, my grandfather and the others were nothing more than illiterate peasant soldiers. They had no connection whatsoever to the Daoist world. So why would someone expend such precious resources merely to harm them?"

As he finished speaking, Li Yan stared directly into Luo Mingzi's eyes. The question had troubled him for a very long time.

Luo Mingzi sighed. "I know why. Very few people know this, and it was one of the Imperial Court's harshest decisions.

"The Northern Frontier Rebellion wasn't simply the ambition of the frontier marshal. Several tribes supported him behind the scenes. However, the ones who incited them were the surviving Great Shaman lineage of the former Wolf Kingdom.

"A State Preceptor skilled in fengshui and geomancy advised His Majesty that those shamans had already begun gathering the Northern Frontier Dragon Vein in an attempt to found a new kingdom.

"In the end, the Imperial Court did more than send troops. They specifically selected veterans with exceptionally resilient birth charts from the army. They were sent deep into the Northern Frontier to destroy the shamans' ritual sites and hunt down the surviving royal bloodlines of those tribes all the way across the frozen plains.

"The Shaman faith believes all things possess spirits. Their ritual grounds were usually located amid mountains and rivers. They contained carved stone idols, stone towers, and wooden pillars. They made bone masks, and hung them from trees.

"So long as all of those were destroyed, the Dragon Vein could no longer gather."

Li Yan's pupils contracted. "So that's what happened..."

He suddenly remembered what his grandfather had once told him. He said that their commander, Yuan Xizhong, had gone mad. He had ordered every village they encountered burned to the ground, even Han villages. That was precisely why Li Yan's grandfather had quarreled with him.

His grandfather had also spoken of countless stone pillars they destroyed. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, white blizzards would suddenly sweep through the land. Some soldiers lost their minds, claiming to see strange women. Others froze to death, only to be found later with eerie smiles frozen upon their faces.

Luo Mingzi continued, "The ordinary soldiers only carried out the destruction. Aside from Commander Yuan Xizhong, no one knew the true purpose of the campaign. Their military banner was itself a magical artifact inherited from the previous dynasty that suppressed nearby evil spirits.

"They deliberately kept everyone ignorant as they feared the soldiers would lose heart. If one knew no fear, ghosts and spirits found it difficult to invade. Thus, while the soldiers marched, Daoist battles raged all around them.

"Only after the remnants of the Wolf Kingdom's Shaman faith had been completely crushed did everything end. Later, some survivors fled and were sheltered by the shamans living beyond the frozen plains. Those shamans were enemies of the royal family of the Luosha Kingdom and constantly fought among themselves.

"They also served as one of Great Xuan's buffer forces, so we withdrew without pursuing further. From then onward, the Northern Frontier truly became peaceful. His Majesty later relocated large numbers of people beyond the passes and opened trade, allowing them all to become subjects of Great Xuan.

"The one leading the Taixuan Orthodox Sect at the time was Chang Kongzi. He suffered severe injuries and after returning to the capital, he spent some time serving in the Ministry of Rites. Then, he suddenly disappeared. When he resurfaced, he had become the Deputy Leader of the Maitreya Sect and changed his name to Zhao Changsheng.

"Back then, he had inexplicably proposed gathering every Maitreya branch throughout the Guanzhong Plains to launch an uprising. Many people believed he was an undercover agent. It turned out they were mistaken. Even his own master tried persuading him to return and was killed by him."

Li Yan suddenly exclaimed, "I understand now! He's a Returned Yang Soul! When he came back from the Northern Frontier, he was already no longer Chang Kongzi. After leaving the Ministry of Rites, he even traveled to the eastern islands and brought another yin yang master back to life!

"No wonder. Only that explanation makes everything fit. It must have been one of those powerful shamans from the Northern Frontier who returned to life by seizing Chang Kongzi's body.

"When he first returned to the Ministry of Rites, he hadn't fully recovered. He feared discovery and consumed by hatred, he resorted to such a vicious scheme. My grandfather and the others had destroyed the Dragon Vein. Once Chang Kongzi had been possessed, it was only natural that everyone else involved would become targets for revenge."

Luo Mingzi's expression changed dramatically. "Possession?!"

He shot to his feet and yelled, "Zhao Changsheng has appeared all across the Divine Continent over the years. If he truly is one of those surviving shamans, then whatever he's planning must be enormous!

"This is a matter of the utmost importance. I have to report it to the capital immediately.

"Remember, do not tell anyone. If Zhao Changsheng could possess Chang Kongzi, then he's certainly hiding the true extent of his cultivation. Act as though you know nothing. Don't get involved. If he notices you, no one will be able to save you."

With that, he turned to leave.

Li Yan suddenly asked, "Is he a God Ascendant?"

Luo Mingzi turned back and smiled bitterly. "So you even know about that? Damn you Night Crier...

“However, based on what you've told me, Zhao Changsheng is almost certainly a God Ascendant. That also makes him extraordinarily dangerous, far beyond anything people like us can deal with.

"A God Ascendant... Since you're a living yin emissary, you had best stay as far away from them as possible! Most who walk that path are no longer truly human."

With that, he hurried out the door and rushed downstairs.

By the time Li Yan paid the bill and left the restaurant, Luo Mingzi had already ridden out from the City God Temple, disappearing rapidly into the distance.

Watching him leave, Li Yan fell into thought. There were countless unresolved matters still awaiting Luo Mingzi in Chang'an, yet he had abandoned everything and ridden straight for the capital. That alone showed just how serious the situation truly was.

Of course, Daoist Luo thought rather too highly of him when he told him to stay away from the man.

Zhao Changsheng was shrouded in mystery. His schemes were directed against an entire empire. His cultivation was unfathomable. Li Yan had absolutely no intention of provoking such a monster.

Now that Zhao Changsheng's true origins had been exposed, the imperial court's countless experts would naturally hunt him down without mercy. Thus, at least, for the time being, Li Yan wouldn't dream of touching the man. However, if one day Li Yan himself reached that level and Zhao Changsheng was still alive, he would personally settle the score.

After he thought about it, Li Yan turned to leave. Just as he was about to take his first step, his nose twitched and he looked into the distance. He had just caught a whiff of a scent that seemed strangely familiar. However, he could not remember whose it was.

Before he could identify it, the scent had already vanished.

Shaking his head, Li Yan strode out onto Guangde Street. Far away on the street, several men carried an elegant sedan chair that looked like the type reserved for women. Since many married women returned to their parents' homes after the New Year, it attracted no attention whatsoever.

Inside the sedan, yellow talismans wrapped with red cords sealed off every trace of its occupant's aura.

Seated within, was a woman dressed in white. She was none other than the concubine from the Lu Family in Gushui Village!

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