bookbashuk Chapter 34 Death as an Apology
Chapter 34 Death as an Apology
At this moment, under the watchful eyes of everyone,
Zhong Xuan spoke slowly, as calmly as if discussing the weather: "Master Zhang, you may not be a genius in talisman techniques, but you are certainly a genius in combat techniques."
That statement is completely incoherent.
But Zhang Chengming's expression changed in that instant.
"Your talismanic spells activate quickly and are very powerful, seemingly done casually," Zhong Xuan continued.
His gaze was fixed on Zhang Chengming's face like a mirror, directly pointing out the key point: "But in reality, after each talisman is activated, it is your own powerful magic that is secretly supporting it."
This statement caused astonishment from all sides.
Previously, I had clearly heard Master Zhang praise me several times, saying that I could draw certain talismans at certain ages.
I thought he was a genius in talisman magic, but it turns out he isn't?
The Rakshasa woman, who was in the shadow of a nearby city tower, was particularly intrigued.
That's it! She felt something was off earlier!
Zhang Chengming unleashed more than a dozen talismans in succession, yet their power remained undiminished, which defied common sense.
So each talisman consumes its own magical power to be cast quickly and increase its power?
That makes sense!
Before the crowd could react and were still speculating, the clever ones had already taken a closer look.
Then he saw Zhang Chengming's expression change drastically, and he instantly understood.
He tried his best to hide it, but fine beads of sweat had already seeped out from his forehead and temples.
The two nuns on Master Jingyuan's side were overjoyed and shouted excitedly.
"You guessed right!"
"That Taoist priest's magic power is almost exhausted!"
Upon hearing this, Abbess Jingyuan did not want to reprimand them for their loss of composure.
The head monk, Jingchen, rallied and decisively ordered, "Yuantong, lead men to restrain the Golden Warrior! The rest of you, fire arrows! Advance! We must exhaust his magical power!"
These officials finally saw a glimmer of hope, and although their hands were trembling, they gave it their all.
Because the head of the household is a prince, if something happens tonight, these officials will not have a good ending either.
In an instant, arrows rained down on Zhang Chengming.
The monks formed a battle formation and pressed forward step by step.
But they were clearly just a group of ordinary people!
This made Zhang Chengming's face turn ashen. He stared at Zhong Xuan, the killing intent in his eyes almost tangible.
They wanted to hold all their hatred against this monster!
This boy is not only exceptionally gifted in his understanding, but also has such a keen eye!
If we let him grow up... no, there is no future. He must die tonight.
Whether for oneself or for the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain!
Zhang Chengming gritted his teeth, took out a jade bottle from his bosom, poured out three pills the size of longan, put them in his mouth, and chewed them up forcefully before swallowing.
Even the most potent and dangerous medicine was no longer of concern.
boom!
A powerful aura rose from his body, and the dim golden armor lit up again, with runes flowing and the light shining even brighter than before!
Even the flames of the Samadhi True Fire surged by three points, and the pillar of fire grew thicker.
In an instant, the true fire forced the Buddha's light on the lotus platform to tremble violently, and another lotus leaf shattered.
Zhang Chengming glanced around at everyone, a cruel smile creeping onto his lips.
"What about the foundation of my prestigious and righteous family that has stood for thousands of years?"
"This single bottle of Qi-restoring pills is something you rogue cultivators, you scoundrels and clowns couldn't even buy with your entire fortune!"
He raised his hand and waved it, and the Samadhi Wind and Fire suddenly changed direction.
The pillar of fire moved away from him, no longer attacking Zhong Xuan and the monkey, but instead swept towards the martial monks and officials!
"ah--!"
Screams of agony rose and fell!
In the blink of an eye, flames erupted from the three warrior monks at the front.
The Samadhi Fire, once it touches the body, penetrates into the skin and flesh, burning from the inside out.
They dropped their weapons, rolled wildly on the ground, and desperately patted the flames off their bodies with their hands.
But the fire couldn't be extinguished at all; the more you tried to extinguish it, the more it burned.
The flames penetrated their flesh and burned their bones, making their screams hoarse and shrill.
"Demon!" Chief Jingchen's eyes were bloodshot. He rushed forward and tried to desperately put out the fire with his bare hands and sleeves, but he ended up getting splattered with the flames as well.
"Senior Brother Jingchen!" Master Jingyuan, disregarding her weakened magical power, turned around and rushed over with two nuns.
She desperately sprinkled the willow branch dew, but the fire seemed to have a life of its own, burning ever more fiercely.
The dewdrops fell on it, making only a soft hissing sound, and were instantly evaporated into white smoke.
More than twenty people rolled on the ground, howling in agony. The stench of burning flesh filled the wilderness, pungent and unpleasant.
The Rakshasa woman stared at this scene, her hand gripping the sword trembling violently, her mind increasingly conflicted.
But she knew that in her current state, rushing out would only mean certain death.
She could only watch helplessly as those people struggled in the fire, listening to their screams grow weaker and weaker with each passing moment.
This feeling reminded her of her mentor's dying moments.
Rakshasa took a deep breath, unable to control her emotions.
Previously, she could suppress her emotions towards the boy, but now she is touching the most painful part of her heart.
"Don't panic, everyone! I'll put out the fire!"
The Rakshasa woman leaped out from the shadows of the city gate!
She held a banana leaf fan in her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, the fan unfolded to a height of more than three feet.
Under the moonlight, her stunningly beautiful face was filled with determination.
She gently fanned the warrior monks and officials who were rolling on the ground!
call! ! !
A gust of cold wind arose out of nowhere and swept past, extinguishing the eerie Samadhi True Fire like a candle flickering in the wind!
Rakshasa's face also turned pale suddenly, and a strange firelight shone in her eyes. The five elements in her body suddenly surged out of control like boiling magma, and she staggered and almost fell.
But he gritted his teeth and refused to give in.
When she saw the boy's concerned gaze, her eyes welled up with tears and her heart ached.
At the same time, Zhong Xuan glanced at Rakshasa and nodded.
Then he looked away.
He looked at the monkey, and the monkey looked at him too. Their eyes met, and no words were needed.
This Master Zhang has completely fallen into demonic possession and must be killed as soon as possible.
"Charge over there and kill him!" Zhong Xuan only said three words.
The monkey grinned, revealing a mouthful of blood-stained teeth, picked up the iron rod, and charged forward.
Zhang Chengming saw everything, snorted coldly, and casually cast a stun talisman.
The talisman flew out, burned in mid-air, and transformed into a golden rune that shot straight at the monkey's back like a meteor.
With the talisman on its body, the monkey froze, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on its back.
The mountain pressed down on it, making its spine crack and its legs tremble, almost causing it to kneel.
But it gritted its teeth, its muscles bulging, and the golden runes were gradually stretched open by it.
Cracks began to appear at the edges of the runes, and the cracks grew larger and denser.
Although the monkey was slow, it never stopped moving, taking one step, two steps, three steps... step by step, it approached Zhang Chengming!
Although the lotus-shaped Buddha light on the human and monkey had dimmed, it never disappeared.
Behind her, Abbess Jingyuan's once lustrous black hair gradually lost its shine, and wrinkles began to creep onto her face.
At the same time, Zhong Xuan, together with the monkey, attacked from the flank!
The two clubs fell simultaneously, slamming heavily onto Zhang Chengming's golden armor!
clang.
The golden armor trembled violently, cracking open with fine, spiderweb-like patterns.
Zhang Chengming's expression changed slightly, and he was about to retaliate.
Just then, a clear, sharp voice rang out: "Old dog Zhang, prepare to die!"
It was a Rakshasa woman; she had already saved the officials.
Now we don't care anymore, we don't care about imbalances of the five elements or going astray in cultivation.
She just wanted that old dog dead, otherwise things would get really messy tonight.
"Get out of the way!"
She shouted at Zhong Xuan, her voice sounding like she was about to cry from the pain.
If that weren't the case, why would she have been hiding and watching all along the long street?
She then took a deep breath, held the fan in both hands, and poured her magic power into the fan while chanting incantations.
The sound of wind and thunder could be faintly heard on the fan surface.
The banana leaf fan was originally a magical treasure created by nature after the beginning of chaos behind Kunlun Mountain. It is the essence of the sun and can extinguish fire. If someone is fanned with it, they will be blown 84,000 miles away before the yin wind stops.
However, for such innate spiritual treasures to unleash their power, they must be matched with one's cultivation level.
Rakshasa is currently only at the True Person realm of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, yet her five elements are imbalanced...
Her stunning beauty revealed a resolute and sorrowful demeanor, making people feel sorry for her emotional journey.
"Oh? It's actually a primordial spiritual treasure!" Zhang Chengming raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on the fan, his pupils shrinking slightly.
First was the Lesser Chaos Bell, an extremely precious acquired treasure involving cause and effect and destiny.
It was another innate spiritual treasure, a fan that looked radiant with spiritual light and exuded boundless Daoist charm.
It seems I'm destined to meet tonight!
Without saying a word, his greed and joy surged, and he took out a golden talisman from his bosom, raised his hand and threw it out. The talisman burned and transformed into an invisible barrier that enveloped his entire body.
It is a rather precious wind-fixing talisman!
A chilling wind howled in, but it couldn't budge him in the slightest!
The invisible barrier surrounding his body trembled violently, and the rune light dimmed rapidly, but it still managed to block the attack.
"A fine fan," Zhang Chengming stared at the banana leaf fan in the Rakshasa woman's hand, a greedy glint in his eyes, "but unfortunately, you are not worthy of it!"
Before he could finish speaking, his right hand had already secretly formed a hand seal, and a thin, thread-like Samadhi Fire silently circled out from the side, heading straight for the Rakshasa woman's back!
The Rakshasa woman was fully activating the banana leaf fan, and by the time she realized what was happening, it was too late to dodge.
As the fire reached her, she let out a muffled groan and flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground. Her long hair burst into flames, and even her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth were filled with fire.
She curled up in a ball, trembling in pain, but never let out a scream.
Zhong Xuan glanced back, then suddenly the stick disappeared from his hand.
A short figure emerged from the ground behind him, handing him a new weapon.
He held a mace in each hand behind his back. The maces were curved like ram's horns, dark blue in color, with flowing cloud patterns. They were the demonic horn weapons of the Green Ram Demon.
Not far away, a figure in a gray robe was hidden in the shadows, watching with curious eyes.
It was Feng Lisheng, a monkey spirit who came to deliver demon soldiers, guided by the incarnation of the mountain god.
Once the green mace is handed over, how can the golden armor withstand it?
After all, a demonic weapon combined with the Seven Star Steps is no small feat.
Furthermore, Zhong Xuan possessed a profound understanding of the subtle arts, with internal and external strength flowing smoothly, and his essence, energy, and spirit perfectly integrated...
No matter what it is, it all transforms into a transparent and coherent whole, forming a combined force to strike!
The French armor was breached, and flesh was pierced through; in an instant, there was a loud "poof" sound!
Zhang Chengming suddenly looked down at his chest.
A dark blue mace tip protruded from his chest, and blood from his heart dripped down the mace.
One drop, two drops, three drops...
Zhang Chengming's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. He slowly turned his head and saw the boy standing a step behind him, holding the mace that had pierced his heart in his right hand and another in his left, which was tightly locking his right arm.
"This is... the horn of the Green Goat Spirit..."
"Impossible... I was watching you the whole time... When did you...?"
Blood trickled from the corner of Zhang Chengming's mouth, and his voice became hoarse; he couldn't believe this unexpected turn of events.
Clearly, none of the cultivators here possess weapons or spells capable of breaking through magic armor.
Zhong Xuan simply looked at Zhang Chengming, his gaze as calm as if he were looking at a stone.
"Those who act against the will of the people will find few supporters."
He slowly pulled out the mace, turned around calmly, and strode towards the Rakshasa woman.
Zhang Chengming's knees buckled, and he knelt heavily on the ground.
He clutched his chest wound tightly, blood gushing from between his fingers. With his last strength, he reached into his robes to retrieve a talisman.
Suddenly, a crack appeared in the ground, and a head popped out.
Yet it was on this very land that an old man with white hair and beard appeared.
"You've finally met your match!"
He stared at Zhang Chengming, his eyes filled with deep-seated hatred.
Just an hour ago, Zhang Chengming, in order to establish his authority, forcibly pulled him out from underground and publicly humiliated him by stepping on his head.
"You—" Zhang Chengming's eyes widened as he roared fiercely!
"You lowly earth god! How dare you associate with demons! Once I recover, I will extract your soul, grind it into lamp wicks, and torment your soul for a thousand years!"
Before he could finish speaking, the monkey had already charged forward with his stick!
"Bark! Eat this stick!"
With a single blow, it forced Zhang Chengming to raise his hand to block.
The hand that was about to reach for the talisman was forcefully bent by the blow!
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tu Di nimbly stepped forward and snatched the unused Muscle Regeneration Talisman.
"Hahahaha!" The monkey put his left hand on his hip, leaned on his stick with his right hand, and laughed loudly.
All the grievances he had suffered before have now been redressed.
"Serves you right for stepping on people... Serves you right for destroying their hearts! Destroying their hearts! Now you know you regret it, don't you?"
It was laughing for a moment when it suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Zhong Xuan.
So... this is what Brother Ren asked Sister Tiger Demon to tell him about the three prohibitions?
The monkey looked again at the previously arrogant, powerful, and terrifying evil man.
It looked at the inconspicuous little old land again and suddenly understood the instructions.
So the retribution that Brother Ren occasionally mentioned was unintentionally fulfilled here?
Zhang Chengming's knees gave way, and he suddenly knelt on the ground.
He stared intently at the crowd, his eyes filled with a venomous resentment that seemed almost tangible.
His lips moved as if he were about to utter a final curse.
Suddenly, his gaze became unfocused, his head drooped, and he died.
Dead? The monkey was overjoyed and was about to rush towards Zhong Xuan.
"Watch out!" Chief Abbot Jingchen shouted sharply, "He's not dead yet!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a phantom light and shadow floated out from Zhang Chengming's corpse.
It was his Yin spirit, its face twisted and contorted, about to flee into the night sky!
"Trying to run?" Abbess Jingyuan sneered and raised her hand, unleashing a golden light.
The golden light transformed into a wooden fish, which hung in mid-air and was gently tapped.
clang!
Zhang Chengming's spirit was struck as if by lightning, his body frozen in mid-air, his face showing extreme fear. A suction force came from the wooden fish, forcibly pulling him into it.
He hates it—
The look of terror on the monkeys' faces on the ground gradually faded.
"Is that a ghost?"
It scratched its head and tried to run towards Zhong Xuan, but after only two steps, Yuan Tong grabbed it.
Yuantong looked at him strangely and gestured in that direction with his lip: "Wait a minute, your brother is talking to a girl right now."
The monkey was startled and looked in the direction indicated.
In the wilderness, Zhong Xuan and Rakshasa sat cross-legged facing each other, their palms touching.
The two men were radiating heat and flames, so intense that no one dared to approach within several feet.
Their magical powers and vital energy flowed back and forth between them, truly merging together.
It was Zhong Xuan who, at the risk of being contaminated by the unbalanced five energies, willingly used his own body as a dam to harmonize the nearly out-of-control five energies within the Rakshasa woman's body.
Even with her eyes closed, Rakshasa could feel the rampant Five Elements energy within her body being relieved.
Even though the five energies were still clashing and causing pain in her body, a sense of peace and gentleness appeared in her eyes.
After a long while, their anger subsided, and the two opened their eyes at the same time.
Their eyes met—
The Rakshasa woman suddenly realized she was still holding his hand, so she quickly let go and turned her face away.
The surroundings were quiet, and everyone was watching with unspoken expressions.
The Rakshasa woman raised her hand to touch something, only to find nothing; her veil was gone.
Under the moonlight, a stunningly beautiful face was clearly visible, with a faint, unnatural blush still lingering on her jade-like skin.
Without saying a word, she suddenly raised her hand, and a gust of wind arose, carrying her away.
Zhong Xuan stared in the direction she had disappeared, slightly taken aback.
Then she recalled a piece of information from her past life: that Rakshasa woman, eight hundred years later during the Journey to the West, was still an enlightened female immortal who had cultivated since childhood, but her family was very strict, and there was not a single child in her cave... Now that so many people have seen her like this, it would be strange if she didn't run away.
As soon as the monkey put down its stick, it took off running towards Zhang Chengming's corpse.
While tugging at Zhong Xuan's sleeve, it pointed its furry finger at the fallen Taoist priest, stamping its feet anxiously and repeatedly shouting, "Brother! Eat! Eat!"
The golden retriever still had blood on it, but its eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, as if it had discovered some incredible treasure.
"Cannibalism?!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the several monks who had just been rescued changed drastically, and they instinctively took a half step back.
The monkey was taken aback, then quickly realized what was happening and became even more anxious.
It didn't want to be mistaken for a man-eating monster by its brother!
"No, no! He's dead! We need to apologize!"
It scratched its head and blurted out, "Take it away quickly, or someone else will pick it up!"
As she spoke, she pointed to the bulging talisman bag at Zhang Chengming's waist, and then to the corner of the book that was vaguely visible in his arms, and paced around anxiously.