Weird Cultivation, I have a five-organ temple

Chapter 585: Dark Moon and High Wind, Killing Night
Tonight, the thick night fog completely swallowed up the moonlight.

The entire capital of Chu was plunged into complete darkness, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

The air was sticky, damp, and cold, exuding an unsettling, eerie atmosphere.

In the backyard of the fur shop, Shang Lu and his men were making final preparations for their operation.

Pokeweed donned the witch's armor.

Lü Yang, Xu Zhen, and the others were also fully armed.

Through the gaps in the armor plates, one could vaguely see the densely packed various sorcerer runes pasted on the inner leather lining—the tadpole-shaped Shadow Rune, specifically used for concealment; the crimson Boiling Blood Rune, which could temporarily increase speed and strength; the dark blue and tough Iron Bone Rune, which strengthened defense… and several array runes with mysterious sorcerer patterns, for emergencies.

"What if the capital of Chu doesn't descend into chaos as we wish tonight...?"

Lu Yang stuffed several speed talismans into his breastplate, and while checking the flying swords in the sword box, he couldn't suppress his anxiety and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"Isn't it chaotic?"

Shang Lu covered his face with a bronze shaman mask, the ferocious mask blending seamlessly with the shaman armor, making him appear as if he had transformed into a demon-suppressing Vajra.

He sneered, "Then we'll personally turn it upside down!"

"Shang Lu is right. Tonight, we must throw Chu into chaos! If we drag this out, more and more people will realize something is amiss... By then, it will be too late to make a move!"

The door to the dormitory communal room creaked open.

Steward Sun, holding a torch, stepped in first. The flickering flames illuminated the equally heavily armed Rat Guards following closely behind.

Behind them followed Gongshu Ling, whom they hadn't seen for two days.

It seems the Yunmengze amulet has been secured, otherwise Gongshu Ling wouldn't have gone to rescue Daxingren and Dianke.

The night fog in the courtyard seemed to have a life of its own, and as soon as the door to the dormitory room was opened, it tried to rush inside.

Hidden within the night fog, the Eye Demons and Fog Nightmares wriggled, eager to rush in and devour people. Only the firelight held them back, causing them to pace restlessly at the edge of light and fog, emanating an eerie aura of hunger.

The rat, on its hunting expedition, didn't close the door, letting the thick fog swirl around it. It glanced at the assembled group, then asked in a deep voice:

"Are you all ready?"

"Ready!"

Shang Lu and the others responded in unison.

"Alright!" A glint flashed in the eyes of the Rat Hunting Man, and he waved his large hand like a command flag: "Let's go!"

"If they don't cause trouble, we'll give them a push!"

"Yes!" Shang Lu and the others clasped their hands in acceptance, then lit torches and followed Zi Shu on his patrol out of the fur shop, heading straight for the residence of the third prince of Chu, which was closest to the West Market.

The residence of the third prince of Chu was quite large.

Unlike the pitch-black streets and houses elsewhere, the mansion of the third prince of Chu was brightly lit.

Dozens of bonfires crackled and popped, and hundreds of torches were held high. The firelight not only dispelled the darkness but also deterred the eye demons and fog nightmares in the night fog, forming an invisible barrier that kept all the evil spirits that were stirring in the night fog out.

Seven or eight black-clad guards, leading hundreds of armored and armed city guards, surrounded the prince's mansion completely.

On the makeshift watchtower, a shaman sat with a four-eared, five-eyed beast, constantly monitoring the situation inside the mansion, not missing even the slightest disturbance.

At this moment, the Black-Clad Guards and City Guards surrounding the mansion felt like they were caught in a dilemma.

The royal decree had not yet been issued from the palace, leaving them in a dilemma: neither dared to lift the siege nor rush into the residence to search and arrest anyone.

Xiong Ji, the third prince of Chu, was also having a hard time inside the mansion.

His elder brother's sudden imprisonment had already given him a bad feeling.

The rumors that spread like wildfire last night that "the king is treacherous and will devour his own children and ministers" made him tremble with fear.

As the third son of the King of Chu, he knew all too well that his father's health had been declining day by day in recent years, and even his cultivation level had begun to decline as his lifespan was coming to an end.

In an attempt to prolong his life, his father tried every possible method, but all to no avail.

If there were truly an opportunity to prolong one's life, let alone devour one's own children or subjects... even if it meant sacrificing the flesh and souls of millions of people, this ruthless father of his would not hesitate for a moment.

Knowing his father's character well, Xiong Ji had already believed the rumors to a great extent.

When the Black-Clad Guards surrounded his residence at dawn and placed him under house arrest on charges of "suspected defamation of the emperor," all remaining doubts vanished.

In this situation, it's not like they're waiting for a royal order to investigate; they're clearly treating him like livestock to be imprisoned and slaughtered!

Once that monster in the palace has finished enjoying his elder brother, it might be his turn!

In a secret chamber within the mansion, Xiong Ji's eyes were bloodshot, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, as he let out a suppressed growl: "Those lackeys of the Black-Clad Guards are clearly treating me like pigs and sheep. They talk about lifting the siege once they find out the truth, what a load of nonsense! They're waiting! Waiting for that old monster in the palace to finish devouring my elder brother's bones and blood before they come to eat my flesh and drink my marrow!"

However, his aides showed no alarm; instead, they were filled with an almost fanatical excitement.

"My lord, rather than waiting to be killed, we should seize the initiative!"

"The capital is in turmoil, rumors are rampant, everyone knows the Demon King has seized the royal court and seeks immortality by devouring his own child! This is an act that angers both heaven and man, gods and men alike. My lord, you are of royal blood, you should step forward, lead us out of the mansion, storm the palace! Slay the Demon King! Shatter the demonic dust!"

"Exactly! Our lord can use this righteous cause to command the ministers, unite them in this righteous act, turn the tide, and save the nation from collapse!"

"When this is accomplished, our lord will surely have the support of the people and unparalleled prestige! He will surely ascend the throne!"

Although his advisors were excitedly shouting things like "Make a move," "Slay the Demon King," and "Ascend the throne," which were quite inspiring, Xiong Ji seemed hesitant when he heard them.

"But if... if things fail, there will be no hope of redemption..."

"My lord! You yourself have said that the demon king in the palace regards you as a pig or a sheep! Whether you die sooner or later, it's all the same – certain death. Fighting your way out offers a sliver of hope, and you can even contend for supreme honor! My lord, why fear to take a gamble?"

"This... let me think about it some more, think about it some more." Xiong Ji was still hesitating, his fingers tapping incessantly on the cold table, unable to make up his mind.

Several advisors exchanged anxious glances, wishing they could immediately carry their indecisive lord out into the fray.

At the same time, outside the mansion.

A guard in black robes was complaining to his colleague, "This damn job, where we're caught in a dilemma, is fucking awful..."

Before he could finish speaking, the four-eared, five-eyed beasts on the simple watchtower suddenly let out a sharp "Awoo-Awoo" cry.

Their four ears flapped wildly, and their five eyes simultaneously shot out a horrified light, as if they had sensed danger.

"Boohoo, boomboo-!"

Almost simultaneously with the beast's roar, a sharp, piercing sound suddenly erupted from the depths of the thick fog in all directions!

"not good!"

The expressions of the several guards in black robes changed drastically, and they shouted in unison, "Enemy attack! Form ranks—!"

Their reaction was incredibly fast; their hands moved with lightning speed, forming hand seals.

Some wanted to find the attackers, while others wanted to use witchcraft to defend against the sneak attack.

But it was still a fraction of a second slower.

"Puff puff puff puff——"

Seven or eight jet-black "Evil-Breaking Nails," their surfaces wreathed in spiraling, blood-red lightning patterns, pierced precisely through the heads of the four-eared, five-eyed beasts atop several watchtowers, like deadly venomous bees!
The blood-red patterns lit up, and a burst of violent lightning power erupted instantly.

"Boom——!"

Blinding flashes of lightning exploded in succession on several watchtowers!

The stench of blood and flesh mixed with charred fur was blasted into countless fragments!
The seven or eight four-eared, five-eyed beasts that the Black-Clad Guards had deployed here were instantly blown into clouds of blood mist.

"what--!"

"my eyes!"

Screams kept coming!
Following closely behind the Demon-Slaying Nail were several cunning and ruthless sword lights!
Like venomous snakes, they prey on the gaps in armor!

At the same time, strange, dark green witch fire suddenly ignited, seeping into the gaps in the armor plates and instantly setting the city guards' flesh ablaze.

Furthermore, gusts of chilling, bone-chilling wind swept across the ground.

Any soldier hit by the attack instantly felt weak and powerless. Then, several ghostly insect-like shadows silently burrowed into their mouths, noses, and ears!

To make matters worse, several campfires and a large number of torches were precisely extinguished during this surprise attack!

The light suddenly dimmed!

In the night fog, the Eye Fiends and Fog Nightmares, already agitated by the smell of blood, immediately transformed into twisted gray shadows and frantically pounced on the chaotic city guard ranks!
But amidst this chaos, a deafening roar of battle cries echoed from the depths of the night fog:
"Kill--"

"By order of the young master, break through the encirclement and rescue him!"

"The young master has ordered: punish the demon king and save all living beings!"

These sounds sounded like they were coming from many people in different directions.

In reality, it was Shang Lu alone who, through his silver tongue and the sophistry of renowned figures, created the commotion among the hundred or so people. And because of the power of his silver tongue and sophistry, his words were incredibly persuasive.

This not only convinced the Black-Clad Guards and City Guards, causing an uproar as they believed it was the Third Young Master's private army of assassins who had come to raid the mansion and rebel, but even the real Third Young Master's henchmen, hidden in the night fog, were incited and rushed out to fight.

"Kill these demon king's lackeys and rescue the young master!"

"Slay the Demon King, save all living beings!"

"The victory for the fallen will be decided tonight! Gentlemen, follow me and kill!"

Amidst the chaos, there were also those with clear minds who attempted to turn the tide:

"Don't panic! Don't panic! This is sophistry from the School of Names! Stay calm... Ah!"

"Someone is trying to incite us to attack the Black-Clad Guards and the City Guards, in order to frame the young master in an unjust way... Uh!"

These people had barely uttered a few words when they were spotted by the Rat Patrol.

He hid in the shadows, using the chaos and the night fog as cover, and instantly closed in on the speakers. With a swift stroke of his knife, he killed them all in a flash.

These people didn't even have a chance to react before their eyes widened in resentment, and they collapsed to the ground in despair.

Shang Lu's voice rang out again, this time mimicking the terrified tone of the city guards, continuing his sophistry:

"The Third Young Master has rebelled!"

"Quickly! Capture Xiong Ji! We can't let him escape!"

Some of the guards in black robes also realized something was amiss. They formed hand seals and uttered a thunderous cry: "Enlighten your mind and see your true nature! Distinguish truth from falsehood instantly! Hah—!"

A phantom image of words suddenly spread out from him, which was the Confucian "Words of Clear Discrimination," specifically designed to break through deceptive and evil arts!

However, the halo of truth had only spread out for a few feet—

"Om-!"

Deep within the dense fog, the twisted runes on an array plate suddenly lit up!
A chilling, filthy, and mentally disturbing "evil spirit array" power suddenly erupted! It suppressed the aura of truth, and apart from a few people around the black-clad guard who regained their senses, the rest became even more frenzied.

The chaos outside the mansion was immediately relayed to Xiong Ji and his advisors in the secret chamber.

"Who is it? Who is acting without authorization?!"

Xiong Ji was furious.

The advisors exchanged glances, but were not overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events; they calmly analyzed the situation:

"My lord! This was absolutely not our doing!"

"How dare the men waiting outside the mansion act without orders? It must be that the Black-Clad Guards were plotting something, which is why the brothers who were waiting outside risked their lives to protect their master!"

"My lord, things have come to this point. Hesitation now is tantamount to waiting for death! Indecision will only lead to more chaos!"

Xiong Ji also knew that there was no turning back now.

He finally stopped hesitating, drew his sword from his waist, and slashed it hard at the corner of the table.

"Qiang!"

The broken corner of the table fell to the ground with a thud!

"The person in the palace is no longer my father. He has been possessed by a demon! We are not rebelling, but helping the king to exterminate the demon within him! We are acting on the mandate of Heaven and doing what is right!"

"All the loyal and brave men in my household, follow me and fight your way out of the mansion!"

"Charge into the palace! Slay the demons! Set the world right!"

The staff were overjoyed and echoed in unison, their voices shaking the rooftops: "Slay the evil spirits! Restore order to the world!"

Soon, the heavy mansion gates burst open!

Armored warriors, like a flood bursting its banks, charged out fiercely, led by several shamans wielding bone staffs and chanting incantations!

On the walls of the mansion, bowstrings crackled and poisoned arrows rained down like locusts upon the chaotic enemy ranks!
"woo woo woo woo--"

The sharp, piercing howls of ghosts echoed throughout the night.

Several spirit banners fluttered in the wind as the wizard danced.

Countless vengeful spirits and ghosts with twisted and painful faces, accompanied by a biting cold wind and intense resentment, shrieked as they rushed toward the battlefield!

Shang Lu and his group, who had caused this bloody chaos, left quietly under the cover of the night fog.

They then moved on to the next mansion surrounded by the Black-Clad Guards and the city guards.

Time slipped away silently amidst the thick fog and bloodshed.

In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed.

Shang Lu and his group stirred up several disturbances in succession.

Their strategy was simple, efficient, but deadly.

The Black-Clad Guards and City Guards surrounding the mansion were already in a tense, almost hostile situation with the besieged young master and high-ranking officials.

As soon as Shang Lu and his men arrived, they immediately took action, either killing several members of the Black-Clad Guards and City Guards, or releasing witchcraft and poison into the surrounded mansion.

This is tantamount to throwing firecrackers into a powder keg.

It's not like it'll explode at the slightest touch, is it?
Even if someone senses something is wrong, they can't salvage the situation. Instead, it will only attract concentrated fire from Shang Lu and his group in the night fog!

Most of the members of the Xuanyi Guard had cultivation levels comparable to Shang Lu and Gongshu Ling.

If it were a direct confrontation, the outcome would be uncertain.

But now, the Black-Clad Guards are in the open, while Shang Lu and his group are hiding in the shadows, not to mention the Rat on patrol.

Although Zi Shu Xun Shou's cultivation level had not reached the fourth-grade Celestial Phenomenon Realm, it was at the peak of the fifth-grade Inner Palace Realm.

Among the Black-Clad Guards, there are also experts at the fifth-rank Inner Palace Realm, but their cultivation is still a step below that of the Rat Patrol.

But the Rat's hunting prowess lies in concealing his tracks and launching sneak attacks. On nights shrouded in eerie fog, he is like a fish in water, each strike unpredictable and impossible to defend against!

However, when Shang Lu and his group hurriedly arrived at their next destination—the residence of Dian Ke, one of the Nine Ministers—the scene before them took them by surprise.

Flames soared into the sky both inside and outside the mansion.

The sounds of clashing weapons, shouts of battle, screams of agony, and the explosions of witchcraft filled the air!
The battle was raging!
"What's going on? We haven't even made a move yet, how did a fight break out here?"

Lü Yang clicked his tongue in amazement and whispered, "Could it be that they lost their composure after hearing commotion elsewhere?"

Shang Lu squinted. Although the night fog obscured the view, he activated his spiritual insight and quickly made a discovery.

Almost at the same moment, the Rat on patrol also locked onto a certain location in the night fog.

"There's someone over there!"

The pokeweed and the rat on patrol almost simultaneously pointed to a corner in the night fog.

"It was them who started this bloodshed!"

"There are people in the same profession doing this?"

Lu Yang placed his hand on the sword case, ready to act at any moment, and asked in surprise, "Who is it?"

"Who cares who he is?" Shang Lu snorted. "Looks like there are quite a few people who want to throw Chu Capital into chaos tonight!"

Zishu Xun sneered, glanced at the fierce battle ahead, and called to the others, "We don't need to get involved here. Let's go to the next place!"

Deep within the night fog, the few people discovered by Shang Lu and Zi Shu during their patrol were unaware that they had been exposed.

They were very pleased with themselves for instigating the fighting.

But they didn't linger either, and taking advantage of the cover of the night fog, they moved on to the next place.

Although they did not find Shang Lu and Zi Shu Xun Shou, they knew that tonight, besides them, there were others taking advantage of the night fog to stir up chaos and fighting.

But their thoughts were the same as Shang Lu and Zi Shu's hunting expedition: "It doesn't matter which side they are friends from, as long as they can turn the world upside down in the capital, that's good!"

Only by creating chaos can they reap the greatest benefits!

To achieve their goals, they became even more unscrupulous in their methods.

It not only instigated a bloody battle between the Nine Ministers and the Black-Clad Guards and the City Guards.

They also impersonated the Black-Clad Guards, using evil spirits and poisons to break into the homes of other court officials and government officials, kidnapping people and stealing their souls!

They have only one goal.

The more chaotic the capital, the better!

(It seems the college entrance exam results are out? Wishing all the students taking the exam the best of luck in getting into their desired universities.)
(End of this chapter)