Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 656 Ba Hui
"Black Bounty?"

Qin Huai raised an eyebrow, his features hidden beneath the fierce-looking mask, revealing no expression. He was currently contemplating the difficulty and risks of the Black Bounty, as well as the Fishing Official's intentions.

Qin Huai didn't really have a concept of what kind of troublesome issues the Black Reward represented. Although he had already completed a Red Reward, it was actually just a welfare task used by the Killing Department to determine the rank of newcomers, and its difficulty should be much simpler than a normal Red Reward.

After all, the words and actions of Abbot Yiren of Wenshu Monastery and Yu Gongcao, as well as the fact that the clay evil spirit was confined to the Shanmen Hall, have already explained a lot of things.

'Blue, cyan, vermilion, purple, black; iron, bronze, silver, gold; since the Black Bounty is equivalent to the Gold Medal, this mission will at most encounter enemies at the Seven Palaces level, so the danger isn't really that great.'

Qin Huai thought to himself, nodded to Yu Gongcao, and stretched out his hand: "Gongcao, I want to give it a try. Even if I can't complete it in the end, life and death are in the hands of fate, I won't blame you."

"Alright. Then go to Yishan in Yazhou, Shuxi. If you don't go mad in the end, you will receive a blessing from Sichen [Bahui]. Whatever that blessing is, bring it back."

Yu Gongcao gave Qin Huai a deep look, then carefully took out a black leather scroll from his bosom and stuffed it into Qin Huai's hand.

A slightly cool, stinging sensation emanated from the scroll, seemingly penetrating deep into his bones. Qin Huai stroked the scroll, which felt somewhat similar to his own, and asked, "Ba Hui? What is the nature of this Si Chen?"

"[Pain], endless pain, his religion is Zoroastrianism and Nestorianism, a bunch of arrogant madmen."

Yu Gongcao picked up his pen and pointed to the dark leather scroll in Qin Huai's hand, saying, "All the information about this mission is in there. You can go back and read it at your leisure."

'Zoroastrianism? Isn't that a religion that came from Persia during the Tang Dynasty? How could it be related to the Yi people of western Sichuan?'

Upon hearing the word "Zoroastrianism," Qin Huai was taken aback. He had dealt with this sect before at the Tianrui Fruit event and knew it fairly well, so he found it hard to imagine the relationship between the two.

Seeing that Yu Gongcao was clearly unwilling to say anything more, Qin Huai had no choice but to take his leave and pack his belongings to head to the troubled Shuxi region.

"Old fisherman, how is it?"

After Qin Huai left, Wei Xiaolian emerged from the shadows and leaned against the counter as if no one else was there, chatting idly with Yu Gongcao, who was pausing to write.

"We can't tell what this kid is made of just from his visit to Wenshu Monastery on Qingyang Mountain. Let the herds of Ba Hui test him for us. If he is indeed a true talent, then he will not be afraid of being tested by fire."

Yu Gongcao opened the ledger in front of him. There was only a few strokes of ink on it, with only a lifelike crimson lotus flower drawn on it: "If it is not, then we need to investigate the strange movement of the sword bone carefully."

"If he isn't, could it be related to that Hundred Lotus Demon Thief [Bitter Tea Seed]? The Dingbei Camp has searched almost every inch of Xijing City these past two days, but still hasn't found anything."

Wei Xiaolian thought of something and immediately asked.

"I don't know. Ever since the Golden Crow fell into the valley, the celestial secrets have been in chaos. Even the divination performed by Master Sa with the help of Mahakala is only accurate on the first of each ten-day period. It's too difficult to find the thief's trail again. Besides, everything must give way to the Emperor's bloodshed right now. As long as that Bitter Tea Child doesn't cause trouble, let him be."

Yu Gongcao shook his head, seemingly unconcerned about the fleeting beauty of the blue lotus.

Da Da Da~
The sound of horses' hooves echoed continuously on the muddy road of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Because of the rain, there were few people on this road from Jinguan Post Station to Guangdu Post Station, which allowed the two horses pulling Qin Huai to barely move.

A light drizzle was falling. Qin Huai sat in the carriage, holding a black leather scroll that was impervious to water and fire. On the outermost cover were a bunch of incomprehensible, curled characters, which looked like the various postures of different snakes, or like a series of incredible yoga poses.

"You don't recognize him? Is it because you've never seen Si Chen in the Demon-Infested Illusion?"

Having learned from the previous experience with the "Drinking God Technique," Qin Huai habitually associated it with demonic influence.

Opening the cover, the scroll contained several sheets of green sandalwood paper recording secrets, telling the story of a strange tribe living in the continuous mountains of Yazhou in western Sichuan, isolated from the world and almost unknown to people.

The story of this strange tribe dates back to thirty years ago, when Yu Gongcao, under the instruction of Zhang Xianzhong, the King of the Western Kingdom, established a special unit to deal with evil spirits and demonic calamities, modeled after the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard).

In March of that year, due to the impact of the Sichen War, natural disasters struck, and earth dragons rose up all over the land, bringing with them a surge of various evil spirits. Yu Gongcao led a group to western Shu to cleanse the demonic atmosphere. In Yazhou, he encountered a group of strange people shrouded in wide robes who never spoke.

Because there were too many evil spirits at the time, Yu Gongcao had no time to deal with them. Little did he know that this small oversight would later lead to a horrific tragedy.

The details of what happened were vaguely described by Yu Gongcao on the Qingtan paper. He only knew that many people were pulled into the embrace of the Ba Hui by that group of strange people, received blessings, and were transformed into monsters that were neither human nor ghost.

Since then, the population of Yazhou has decreased sharply, and many Yi villages have disappeared in large numbers, with the entire ethnic group moving into the continuous mountains along the Sichuan border.

The Da Xi Sha tribe seemed to have reached some kind of agreement with that tribe, only sending a few soldiers to be stationed on the border year-round to help the people of Yazhou kill evil spirits. Apart from that, they did not interfere in any other way. The tribe also stopped showing itself in public. On the surface, Da Xi was still the master of the entire Sichuan border.

"Because of their faith in the Bhadra, in order to better understand suffering and accept power, they chose to actively embrace sexuality, thus becoming a being that is neither human nor ghost?"

After reading the contents recorded on the green sandalwood paper, Qin Huai seemed to be deep in thought.

Having gained a general understanding of the mission's objectives, Qin Huai took out the black seal separately, slowly caressed it, and began to examine it more closely.

Judging from its appearance alone, this is a very ancient piece of leather, resembling snakeskin tanned using a special process. Its edges are neatly trimmed, and it is jet black, approximately six inches wide and a foot long. However, what truly captivates the eye are the unique symbols written in the center of the black leather. These characters are not painted; they resemble the tiny scales naturally grown on a snake, only slightly darker than their surroundings. This contrast creates a primitive pictographic effect, similar to oracle bone script or bronze inscriptions.

According to Yu Gongcao's account, this type of leather scroll was called "Zisomo" by Ba Hui's followers, roughly meaning "dragon's molt" or "skin left behind by the dragon." Of course, in Qin Huai's view, it was more likely that it was Ba Hui's own old molt, or some biological tissue from his retinue.

The records about Zisuomo are said to be older than Jumu Wuwu, the common ancestor of the Tibetan, Yi and Han ethnic groups. No one knows exactly when or by whom they were passed down.

Qin Huai examined the Qingtan paper containing the mission information several times, but could only come to one conclusion.

That is, the so-called "Zisomo" is the proof of the Bhadra—those who obtain or create Zisomo can transcend the limitations of mortals and enter the underworld, which only the mountain gods can reach. The strange symbols written on the scrolls are the script used by the mountain gods, and understanding them allows believers to learn the way to ascension and attain liberation.

"Embrace pain, believe in Ba Hui, ascend like this, what will you become in the end?" After thinking carefully, Qin Huai realized that he had not seen any strange monsters that could be barely matched with the name Ba Hui in the demon-infected illusion before entering the fruit, and a little curiosity arose in his heart.

The iron-clad cartwheel rolled slowly on the dirt road, its wheels leaving tracks in the muddy ground due to the immense weight of Qin Huai's body.

Qin Huai carefully put away the unfolded Qingtan paper, wrapped it in a black leather scroll, took out the scarlet bamboo slip that Wei Xiaolian had forced on him, and began to read it. The first paragraph was the preface written by the Great Western King for this [Asura Technique], titled "Seven Killings Stele".

"Heaven creates all things to nourish humankind, yet people still complain that Heaven is unkind. Little do they know that locusts and other pests ravage the land, causing immense suffering to the people and even to the king's subjects."

The characters, carved with iron-like strokes and silver hooks, were filled with murderous intent. Qin Huai steadied himself, looked down, and began to concentrate his killing intent with all his might. He then circulated his qi according to the steps in the book.

Qin Huai circled around and around, sitting cross-legged in the carriage. He was like a demon descending to earth, so terrifying that no one dared to look directly at him. Wisps of faint blood energy emanated from his body, and his body seemed to have grown larger.

"Interesting. Using the very blood and bones of military strategists as a vessel to carry their murderous aura and unleash the power of the Divine Star?"

When Qin Huai opened his eyes again, he had already used his past experience to push the [Asura Technique] to an extremely high level. He only needed to accumulate enough baleful energy to have the strength comparable to the peak of the Eight Extremes.

However, to reach the level of Li Dingguo, one must unleash pure killing intent to arouse the murderous aura throughout one's body, attract the attention of the Blood Asura, receive his blessing, and gain his approval.

Qin Huai himself has a questionable background. If Blood Asura discovers any wrongdoing, things could easily spiral out of control and lead to unpredictable consequences.

"I wonder if this host body can withstand the Blood Asura's blessing. If it can get away with it..."

Qin Huai thought of the blood-receiving ceremony that Zhang Xianzhong, the King of the Western Kingdom, was preparing for recently, and some strange thoughts suddenly arose in his mind.

Although the [Asura Technique] that Wei Xiaolian gave him was only the basic version and lacked knowledge about [Blood Receiving], Qin Huai could guess, even with a fool's eye, that this so-called [Blood Receiving] was the ritual and path for the military strategists of the Great Western Kingdom to ascend to immortality. If given the opportunity, Qin Huai naturally wanted to get closer and observe it properly.

After all, this world is too crazy, with many different natures and chaotic power. Each sect has its own ascension ceremony, and most of them contradict each other. If he doesn't want to feel his way across the river by trial and error, then the [blood transfusion] that is right in front of him is undoubtedly a very valuable reference.

"Although every step is fraught with danger, we can only take it one step at a time. It's a difficult situation."

Qin Huai frowned, but did not put down the scarlet bamboo slip in his hand. Instead, he continued reading until he found the cultivation method of the Four Military Strategists and began to read it with great interest.

"The situation is like thunder and wind, arriving first despite starting later, constantly shifting and changing, requiring swiftness and decisiveness to defeat the enemy."

As Qin Huai murmured softly, the baleful energy within his body combined with the blood of the Yaksha, forming an array of troops within his meridians, which were as wide as a great river. Flame-like blood light emanated from his fingertips, flickering erratically.

"Is this the [Bloodfire] that allows the commander to briefly unleash a burst of power and boost their strength?"

Qin Huai glanced at Xue Huo, then threw himself out of the carriage and landed on the backs of two strong horses.

The next instant, the strong horse pulling the cart neighed, its dark purple veins bulging from under its skin, and its bulging muscles thrashed about like little mice, causing the cart to suddenly accelerate.

Hearing the creaking of the cart wheels, a strange light flashed in Qin Huai's eyes as he silently calculated the time.

After about fifteen minutes, when the bloody light surrounding the horses disappeared, they slowly returned to normal.

"Seven minutes, ten miles, and that was in the rain and on mountainous terrain. Bloodfire is impressive. No wonder the Killing Department's intelligence is so timely."

Looking at the warhorses covered in blood and sweat, Qin Huai moved the reins, and the carriage immediately headed towards the river at the foot of the mountain.

Upon reaching the shore, Qin Huai let the horses drink and rest on their own. He then took out a large iron pot, filled it with water, and retrieved rice and dried meat from the carriage. He quickly gathered firewood, started a fire, and cooked a meal.

Although the weather was uncooperative, with a continuous drizzle, Qin Huai simply pointed a finger at the fire, and the flames ignited the damp pile of firewood, burning for a long time.

Soon, a pot of fragrant yak meat porridge was freshly cooked. While waiting, Qin Huai, who had set up the rain awning, put away the scarlet bamboo slips and prepared to eat.

Just then, the faint scraping sound of scales slicing through grass and gravel suddenly rang out all around. Qin Huai looked up and saw an unusually large giant snake that had somehow crawled out of the dense forest and was raising its upper body, looking at Qin Huai and his two horses from afar.

This giant snake must have been five or six meters long and more than a meter wide. Its entire body was dark blue-green, without any patterns or spots. It didn't look like a snake species that would be found in the Sichuan region at all.

"Evil?"

Before Qin Huai could draw his sword, a voice from a middle-aged man, weathered by time, came from the mountain.

"(Daqing)!"

Qin Huai looked closely and saw that the person who had called out was carrying a load on a shoulder pole, his whole body covered by a bamboo hat. Although he couldn't see his face clearly, he could vaguely make out the standard headscarf worn by Yi men, so he guessed that he must be a peddler who traveled from street to street.

Upon hearing the shout, the giant snake hissed as it flicked its tongue and circled back to the man's side, seemingly quite affectionate, though its cold, serpentine eyes remained fixed on Qin Huai.

"Sir, my snake can't resist the smell of blood. Please forgive me if it frightens your horse."

The man dressed as a peddler pointed to the two military horses by the river, which were covered in blood and sweat, and offered a clasped-fist salute as he explained.

"It's alright. Peddler, is this giant snake your pet? It's quite a feat to have grown so big!"

Looking at the peddler, Qin Huai's eyes flickered, and he tentatively asked.

(End of this chapter)