Weird Cultivation, I have a five-organ temple

Chapter 572 Life is like a game of chess, a plan laid out long ago
In fact, Shang Lu and his men had discovered this patrol unit of the Chu army long ago.

Gongshu Ling's lifelike mechanical bird kept circling in the sky, not to mention the rampant ghosts released by Third Sister and the flower and grass spirits scattered by Uncle Huai.

Even Cheng Ren's large ears could hear the sound of horses' hooves from tens of miles away in advance—although he and the Judge of the Underworld had covered their large ears and blood-soaked blindfolds with their remnants of spirit, this did not affect their hearing.

If he's downwind, he can hear even further.

But the rats on their hunting expedition showed no intention of avoiding or taking a detour.

He led the group straight into the patrol team.

Seeing the bow drawn and arrows nocked on the opposite side, and the accompanying shaman chanting incantations, Lü Yang raised his hand and slapped the sword box tied to his horse's back, intending to summon his flying sword and start a massacre.

"Don't make any rash moves!"

Shang Lu hurriedly spoke up to stop him: "The inspector must have his own plans, don't ruin things."

Seeing this, Zishu Xunshou swallowed his words and changed his tune, saying, "Shanglu is right. Don't make any rash moves or say anything out of line. Watch me."

Before the Chu army could launch its attack, he took out a shamanic tablet covered with mysterious runes from his sleeve.

"Om-"

The witch's talisman was activated by the Rat's Hunting, and with a soft sound, it flew out of my hand and into the air, releasing a black cloud that, as it churned, transformed into a black bear with four wings on its back.

The commander and his accompanying shaman of the Chu army opposite him changed their expressions upon seeing Fei Xiong and hurriedly ordered their men:

"Don't act rashly!"

"Do not fire arrows without orders!"

At the same time, the accompanying shaman also took out a shaman's tablet, which, after being activated, emitted a shamanic light that collided with the flying bear's light and shadow in mid-air.

The two beams of magical light did not clash or explode; instead, they quickly converged and merged into one.

Upon seeing this, the Chu army shaman's vigilance lessened further.

But he still demanded, "Which faction are you from? Why did you come from enemy-occupied territory?"

The verification of the shaman's token confirmed to the Chu army shaman that the group of people in front of him should be one of their own.

But their appearance was different from that of the defeated soldiers who had escaped from the enemy-occupied area—they showed no signs of being disheveled at all.

Shang Lu and the others also realized this, and they all secretly exclaimed "Oh no!" They hadn't noticed this detail at all.

When it comes to ginger, the older the better.

The Rat remained calm during its hunt. After putting away the witch's token, it took out a new token—a seal.

After being infused with magical power, a sharp cry immediately emanated from the seal.

Immediately afterwards, a nine-headed bird covered in blood flew out of the seal.

"So you are the superior of the Ghost Carriage Guard. We were blind to your abilities. If we have offended you, please forgive us."

The Chu army commander and his accompanying shamanic officer changed color again, and even hurriedly dismounted to pay their respects.

The Rat, on patrol, put away the seal. After the two finished their greetings, he didn't return the greetings, but said coldly in a Chu accent, "Enough. Ignorance is no excuse. Besides, this is your duty, so why would we blame you?"

"Thank you for your understanding, sir."

The Chu army commander and the accompanying shaman both breathed a sigh of relief.

Zishu Xunshou nodded, saying no more to the two men, and simply called to Shang Lu and the others: "Let's go! Hurry up, don't ruin this important matter!"

Shang Lu and the others didn't respond, but instead spurred their horses and galloped behind the horses of the Rat on his hunting expedition.

Upon seeing this, the Chu army commander and his accompanying shaman hurriedly restrained their soldiers, ordering them to move aside and not obstruct the Ghost Chariot Guard's superior from traveling.

He also reprimanded several slow-reacting soldiers, ordering them to take the arrows and put away their bows.

Only after Shang Lu and his men had gone far away did the Chu army commander and the accompanying shaman order their soldiers to continue patrolling.

At the same time, they also sent a message to the surrounding troops, informing them that it was a false alarm and that they did not need to come to their aid.

The soldiers under their command, unable to contain their curiosity, asked one after another:

"Boss, who are these Ghost Chariot Guards? Why aren't they wearing uniforms? They came from enemy-occupied territory, but they don't look disheveled at all?"

"These guys are all so arrogant, they don't even give us a second glance."

"It's not just that they didn't look at us properly. I saw a guy carrying a big box, I don't know if he was carrying a coffin with him... The way that guy looked at us was clearly malicious."

"How could the Ghost Chariot Guards not be arrogant? They're all wizards! They're responsible for espionage outside and purging inside."

The Chu army commander said with lingering fear that he was glad he hadn't acted rashly, otherwise even if they were in the right, they wouldn't have fared well.

The Ghost Chariot Guards are notoriously arrogant and difficult to get along with.

The accompanying shaman was curious: "These Ghost Chariot Guards said something big happened... I wonder what it is?"

"No matter how big the problem is, it's none of our business to worry about it."

The Chu army commander said, "We just need to patrol diligently and not let any Ba army spy infiltrate."

The shaman then laughed confidently, "With our brotherly cooperation, the Pakistani spies won't be able to cross our patrol area."

On the other side, after running for a while, Shang Lu and the others finally couldn't contain their curiosity and asked how the Zi Shu patrol could have the witch tokens of the Chu army and even the Gui Che Guard.

"What's so strange about this?"

Zishu Xunshou said casually, "We Wei shamans have the authority to conduct external espionage. We've also planted quite a few informants within the Chu Kingdom. How could we not obtain a few shaman identity tokens?"

Lü Yang, Xu Zhen, and the others nodded in understanding.

Shang Lu, however, did not think this matter was simple. If it were just ordinary Chu army witch tokens, that would be fine, but the witch tokens of the Ghost Chariot Guards were not ordinary.

It's like the nameplate of a sorcerer; as long as the person is alive, the nameplate exists; when the person dies, the nameplate disappears.

Even if someone is arrested and their license is confiscated, they can't use it if they don't know the methods.

Even if the method is obtained through torture, the witch card is bound to the soul and the fluctuations of witch runes. If someone else uses it, they will only suffer a backlash.

Therefore, the Ghost Chariot Guardian's witch card in the Rat Hunter's hand definitely has a story behind it.

However, Shang Lu didn't ask; he was just worried about Da Zhu.

Along the way, he had already learned from the hunting sergeant that the King of Ba had sent another envoy to order the withdrawal of his troops.

They also learned that the Grand Master had decided to defy the imperial decree.

He just felt that the Grand Master shouldn't return to Wushan. A general in the field can disobey the emperor's orders. Once he goes back, no one can predict what might happen.

Thinking of this, Shang Lu whispered the question he had wanted to ask earlier, but was interrupted by the Chu army patrol.

"The Grand Master of Ceremonies is returning to Wushan during his inspection tour. Will something happen to him?"

"Don't worry, if something really happens, it's the princes and nobles who should be worried."

The Rat on patrol sneered, its meaning implied rather than explicitly stated:
"Da Zhu is a master of star observation. The current situation is like a game of chess, and the star chart is even more complex. He made his moves and laid out his strategy long ago."

Shang Lu was taken aback, then remembered something: the spirit liquid pills distributed by Wei Wu were all free of hidden evil energy. But the spirit liquid pills distributed elsewhere, whether from the Wu Academy, the county, or even the rewards from Wushan, all had an indistinguishable evil energy hidden within them.

If that malevolent energy doesn't explode, all is well; but once it does, at best, one's cultivation will suffer a backlash, declining and damaged. In severe cases, one will be disturbed, go mad, or even die suddenly.

Could it be that this was also a scheme orchestrated by Da Zhu?

Shang Lu took a deep breath.

If that's the case, then Da Zhu's scheming and methods are far more ruthless than imagined, and there's really no need to worry about him.

Shang Lu said no more, and simply followed Zi Shu on his hunting expedition through the Chu army's defenses.

With the Ghost Chariot Guards' shamanic tokens in hand, they traveled without hindrance. Even the audacious Rat Patrol, relying on the Ghost Chariot Guards' shamanic tokens, actually went to inspect the Chu army's deployment as a Ghost Chariot Guard.

Moreover, they actually found several inappropriate things, and not only did they severely scold the Chu army officer in charge, they also ordered Shang Lu, Lü Yang and others to tie him up and whip him.

This approach not only convinced the Chu soldiers of the identity of the Zishu Hunting Ghost Chariot Guard, but also left Shang Lu, Lü Yang, and a few others speechless with astonishment.

After dealing with the derelict officials, Zishu Xunshou, along with Shang Lu, Lü Yang, and others, swaggered away.

The Chu army here not only did not suspect anything, but also escorted them all the way, and swore to the heavens and the earth that they would rectify the problems as soon as possible.

After riding his horse for a while, Lü Yang looked back at the Chu army waving goodbye and couldn't help but sigh to Shang Lu in a low voice: "I'm already considered bold, but compared to the imperial patrol, I'm still nothing... Good heavens, he really thinks he's the Ghost Chariot Guard of Chu!"

“That’s called getting into character,” Shang Lu said. “If you want to fool others, you have to get into character yourself first. If you don’t even believe it yourself, how can you fool others?”

Lu Yang tilted his head and thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "That makes sense."

While the two were talking in hushed tones, Zishu Xunshou, riding on horseback, took out several shamanic talismans from his bag.

He quickly made hand seals and activated his magic, recording all the information he had seen along the way, such as the Chu army's deployment maps and patrol routes, into these few shamanic talismans.

After he finished, he subconsciously raised his hand to pull out his hair, conjured up a rat, and sent the talismans back.

My hand touched the hair, but I didn't pull it out.

However, the Rat changed its mind at the last minute during its hunt.

His hair is thinning day by day. If he keeps plucking it like this, it won't be long before he becomes bald. Then, if he wants to turn into a mouse again, he'll have to pluck the hair from other parts of his body.

Regardless of the effectiveness, the mice that are conjured up will probably be curly-haired.
After a moment's thought, Zishu turned and called Shanglu, Gongshuling, and Xuzhen to his side.

"Use your paper figures, ghosts, puppets, and other such items to send these talismans back, making sure they reach General Yan, Chief Priest Li, and the Rabbit Hunting Officer."

Shang Lu, Gongshu Ling, and Xu Zhen bowed and accepted the order, each handing over one or two talismans.

Gongshu Ling sent out copper ants to burrow into the ground and deliver the talisman.

Xu Zhen then summoned a moth from a witch's mark on the back of his hand.

At first glance, this moth looks similar to an ordinary moth, but the fact that Xu Zhen can exist inside his body in such a strange way means it must be extraordinary.

Xu Zhen rolled the talisman into a ball and presented it to the moth.

The moth's head immediately shattered into pieces, transforming into an ugly, ferocious mouth that snatched the ball of talisman into its mouth and swallowed it whole.

It then returned to its original state, flapped its wings and flew into the air, and soon disappeared from sight.

Seeing this, Lü Yang swallowed back the words that were already on the tip of his tongue.

He originally wanted to complain that the moth was too ordinary and whether it could deliver the magic talisman.

Now it seems that this moth is not ordinary either.

At least he couldn't, like that moth, split his head into pieces and turn it into a mouth...

Shang Lu was also secretly amazed, never expecting that Xu Zhen was also skilled in controlling Gu worms.

I've never seen him use this move before in the Rotten Wasteland.

On second thought, it seems normal.

Within this rotten and perilous land, chaotic consciousness lingers. If Xu Zhen were to release the poisonous Gu, it's uncertain whether it would actually help anyone.

Pokeweed did not use the technique of cutting paper into soldiers.

His paper-cutting skills were limited, and the paper figures he made using this method were often strangely shaped, which attracted attention.

After a moment's thought, Shang Lu took out a paper figure he had drawn before and infused it with divine power, just in case.

After thinking for a moment, he took out the Mountain Spirit's talisman.

The mouse on patrol saw this and was startled.

"What are you trying to do? You can't communicate with spirits in broad daylight."

Shang Lu quickly explained, "Don't worry, Inspector, I don't want to communicate with the gods. I just want the Mountain Spirit to grant the paper figure the ability to escape into the earth."

"Can one request the mountain spirit to bestow magic without communicating with the gods?" The Rat Hunting Master's face was full of doubt.

Although he was not a Nuo shaman, among the twelve patrols, there were people skilled in Nuo shamanism, and he knew a little about it.

Shang Lu didn't know how to explain, so he simply proceeded directly: he lit an incense stick, but did not perform any divine rituals. He simply held the mountain spirit tablet and circled it around the incense.

Then, using it as a seal, he stamped it onto the talisman on the paper figure, leaving a trail of incense ash. He then made a hand seal and shouted, "Go!"

The paper figure immediately came to life, grabbed the talisman, and jumped to the ground.

It truly vanished upon landing, disappearing without a trace.

"Really?"

The mouse on patrol looked surprised and clicked its tongue in amazement.

It's not just because pokeweed used this method to give the paper figure the ability to escape into the earth.

Furthermore, he discovered that when paper figures used teleportation techniques, their magical energy fluctuations were extremely low, making them very difficult to detect.

After the paper figure disappeared using earth magic, Shang Lu did not rush to put away the Mountain Spirit God tablet, but instead allowed it to continue to enjoy the incense offerings.

Pokeweed would never do something like crossing the river and then burning the bridge.

Without his instructions, Third Sister had already released a swift ghost from the banner, instructing it to carry another talisman and hide in the shadows, waiting for nightfall to begin its journey.

At this moment, Shang Lu suddenly thought of something.

When he left the rotten and dangerous place, he left behind a few paper figures in the underground palace.

Unfortunately, after the rotten and dangerous land completely collapsed and chaotic foul air was released, it is unknown whether the underground palace and the forbidden area it belonged to became a ruin or completely chaotic.

In short, the pokeweed lost contact with those paper figures.

Therefore, he didn't know whether Jing Chunshen and the others escaped the rotten and dangerous place in the end.

They also don't know whether the traps they set have come in handy.

While releasing paper figures and ghosts to transmit military intelligence, Shang Lu and his men did not stop their journey at all.

However, just as they were about to cross the border defenses of the State of Chu and enter its heartland, a troop of Chu soldiers, all of whom were shamans, arrived and blocked their path.

Among this Chu army composed entirely of sorcerers, one particular figure aroused everyone's suspicion.

That person, like Cheng Ren, had a pair of large ears.

It was none other than the Listening Envoy of the Chu army!
This Chu army, composed entirely of sorcerers, dispersed immediately after stopping the crowd, forming an encirclement.

The Listening Envoy swiftly performed hand seals, causing his ears to instantly become congested and red.

His gaze swept over Zi Shu Xun Shou and Shang Lu and the others, and with an interrogative tone, he coldly asked, "Are you really the Ghost Chariot Guards?"

It's going to happen!

Shang Lu and his companions were secretly alarmed.

Xu Zhen, Cheng Ren, and the little girl who judged Yin Tong, in particular, were very clear about how strong the Listening Envoy's ability to detect lies was.

To deceive the discerning ears of the Listening Envoy, one must either be a master of the School of Names or the School of Diplomacy, or possess a cultivation level of at least the third rank.

This group of people does not meet either of these requirements!

Everyone tensed up instantly, preparing to fight their way out!

(End of this chapter)