Weird Cultivation, I have a five-organ temple

Chapter 616 A dark and windy night is the perfect time to kill the traitors!
Shang Lu quickly wiped his face, donning the mask of a boar-bodied, eight-legged, snake-tailed god. As the earthy energy surged, he swiftly vanished underground.

As he burrowed underground, he released several copper ants, which spread their wings and flew towards the direction from which the sound of horses' hooves came.

As the copper ants flew out of the village, pokeweed also used them to survey the village's situation.

At this time, everyone in the village was fast asleep, and Shang Lu did not notice anyone behaving abnormally.

"It wasn't someone from the village who informed on us," Shang Lu concluded.

In fact, after arriving at this village, Shang Lu never let his guard down and sent paper figures and evil spirits to keep a close watch on them.

If someone had sent a message to inform on him, he would have found out long ago.

"Could it be that there's something on me that attracted these people?"

The only thing that could attract pursuers to Shang Lu is the treasures seized from Fang Zhuo, Ding Qiu, and others.

However, he not only hid those treasures in the Impermanence Token, but also wrapped and sealed them with witch talismans, and has not taken them out in recent days.

Even if there were pursuers who could use special means to locate these things, they should have caught up with him long ago, why would they wait until now?

"They're not here for me? But what could possibly be in such a remote mountain village that would attract officials from the Chu Kingdom?"

Since practicing the Heart Sutra of Supreme Goodness is Like Water, Shang Lu's kidney energy has greatly increased. Not only can he practice the Yin-Yang Cantong Qi more deeply and for longer, but his hearing has also been greatly improved.

At that moment, he could tell from the rapid and powerful sound of hooves that it was no ordinary horse.

An ordinary horse wouldn't have such strength and speed.

With these questions in mind, Shang Lu instantly fled the village and hid in a suitable spot where he could accurately observe the approaching person.

As the sound of hooves drew closer, the hunting dogs on night watch in the village also noticed.

However, before the hunting dogs could bark, a spell of witchcraft descended upon the village, enveloping the dogs and instantly transforming them from a state of high alert to one of unfocused and dazed expression. They then collapsed and fell into a deep sleep.

Not only the hunting dogs, but also the chickens, ducks and other livestock raised in the village, and even flies and mosquitoes, all fell into a deep sleep under the influence of this witchcraft spell.

The villagers were fast asleep, and no amount of noise could wake them.

Shang Lu, who had escaped from the village, saw this scene and frowned, becoming increasingly confused about the identity and intentions of the newcomers.

If they are indeed officials from the Chu state, what exactly are they trying to do that would lead them to use such methods?
The doubts of the pokeweed did not last long.

The warhorses galloped very fast, and in just a few breaths, a dozen riders arrived outside the village.

These people were all wrapped in black robes, as if they had blended into the night.

But Shang Lu, with his sharp eyes, immediately noticed the leather armor he was wearing under his robe—it was the standard military armor of the Chu Kingdom, with simple witchcraft patterns on it to enhance its defensive capabilities.

The group reined in their horses outside the village and did not rush in through the gate.

The squad leader, holding a gu-like object, surveyed the village and whispered, "The Black-Clad Guards said that a baby was born in this village—where is the treasure they bestowed?"

"it's here."

A knight rode forward, took out a scroll wrapped in witchcraft runes, and handed it to the squad leader.

After hesitating for a moment, the knight couldn't help but ask, "Boss, what do you think these adults in the Black-Clad Guards want a newborn baby for?"

The sergeant glared at his subordinate and scolded, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't be asking."

He paused for a moment, then added with a stern face, "You're asking me? I don't know either. We ordinary soldiers only need to follow the orders of our superiors!"

The knight, despite being scolded, couldn't help but say, "But I've heard some rumors lately... Boss, do you think it could be related to those rumors?"

Seeing that he was about to speak again, the platoon leader flew into a rage and shouted, "Silence! These are not things we should be discussing! Are you trying to get us all killed?!"

They were carrying a secret treasure bestowed upon them by a high-ranking member of the Black-Clad Guard!

Given the eeriness and terror of the Black-Clad Guards, it's hard to guarantee that these treasures might contain something with "ears."

If they were to speak ill of the emperor and the Black-Clad Guards found out, not only would they be doomed, but their relatives and clansmen would also suffer.

The knight was taken aback by the scolding, then realized he had said something he shouldn't have, and quickly shrank back and shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

Whether the scroll the squad leader was holding had an ear hidden inside, no one knows.

However, Shang Lu, who was hiding in the shadows, heard everything these uninvited guests said.

"Are the Black-Clad Guards searching everywhere for newborn children?"

Shang Lu raised an eyebrow, his face instantly darkening: "Was it captured for the King of Chu? The King of Chu, who has turned into a monster, needs a newborn baby to prevent his condition from worsening?"

This possibility is not impossible.

The King of Chu could even turn his own son into a flesh pill, so eating the children of the common people was nothing to him!

Moreover, as far as Shang Lu knew, during that chaotic dark age, there were many evil and unorthodox methods for seeking immortality and increasing cultivation levels, which relied on cannibalism to achieve their goals!
They not only prey on those who practice spiritual cultivation, but also on ordinary people.

Among ordinary people, the best "supplement" is a child who is just born or a person with great fortune!
While Shang Lu was guessing, the squad leader had already unrolled the scroll in his hand.

The painting depicts a hideous, blue-faced demon with fangs, so lifelike it seems to be real.

The knight beside him had already taken a leather bag from the bundle on his horse.

The squad leader took it, opened the stopper, and a strong smell of blood immediately wafted out.

He poured the blood onto the painting, and the painting instantly boiled. The demon in the painting immediately awoke, opened its fanged mouth to catch the blood, and crawled out of the painting.

Although the knights had expected it, they were still taken aback and gripped their weapons tightly, looking on guard.

The blue-faced demon didn't take these knights seriously at all, a hint of disdain flashing in its crimson eyes.

If it hadn't known these people were still useful, it would have devoured them whole the moment it emerged from the painting.

The squad leader forced himself to remain calm, resisting the urge to throw away the scroll. He bowed to the blue-faced demon, about to speak, when the demon transformed into a wisp of black smoke and flew towards the village.

At this moment, Shang Lu's best option was to ignore everything and watch the evil spirits take Le Tian away, thus avoiding being targeted by the Xuan Yi Wei.

"But if I ignore this, what difference is there between me and these accomplices? Today, I may be able to evade the pursuers, but this matter will surely become a knot in my heart, turning into a demon in my future cultivation..."

The sixth level of the Mind Cultivation Realm focuses on refining the mind.

All experiences and choices are trials and tribulations to one's state of mind!

Shang Lu made up his mind in an instant. Now that he had witnessed this, he couldn't ignore it.

With a swift movement, he vanished underground and quickly returned to the village.

The dozen or so riders guarding the gate of the stockade did not find any pokeweed from beginning to end.

They were just ordinary county soldiers recruited by the Xuanyi Guard from the county. They were not even comparable to Shang Lu, let alone the few personal guards that Shang Lu had brought out from the bandit gang. How could they possibly have discovered Shang Lu's existence?
In the village, due to the curse, all living things were asleep, so quiet that you could clearly hear their breathing.

They were completely unaware of the intrusion of the blue-faced, fanged creature.

As the blue-faced demon passed through the village wall, it caught sight of the shamanic symbols drawn on the wall and let out a mocking snort. "Bang bang bang..."

Several talismans immediately burst into flames and were instantly reduced to ashes.

"Such a clumsy method, and you dare to show it off? How laughable!"

The voice of the blue-faced demon was cold and shrill, and the dozen or so riders outside the gate shuddered upon hearing it.

The blue-faced demon who entered the village took a deep breath.

"It really does have the scent of a newborn baby!"

It quickly locked onto the direction and flew towards Chunsheng's house. It arrived in an instant, went straight through the wall and into the house, and saw Chunsheng's son, Letian.

"It is your honor to be the medicinal ingredient for such a distinguished person..."

The blue-faced demon grinned maliciously, spewing out a cloud of black gas that transformed into a sharp blade, about to rip open Le Tian's chest, rip out his heart and kidneys, and suck all of Le Tian's blood.

A newborn baby is born with a pure yang constitution, and its blood is a great tonic for the blue-faced evil spirit.

The blue-faced demon stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, and the sinister smile on his face turned into horror.

It was because it saw that the black gas that had just been spewed out did not dig out Lotte's heart and kidneys, but instead mysteriously disappeared into thin air!

"what happened?!"

"There's an ambush!"

The blue-faced demon reacted extremely quickly; one moment it was surprised, and the next it sensed danger.

Without the slightest hesitation, it immediately abandoned the idea of ​​digging out its heart and kidneys, and turned into black smoke to escape.

They also wanted to send a signal to warn others and request assistance.

"boom--"

A surge of vital energy rushed in like a raging torrent, instantly engulfing it and pinning it to the ground, rendering it unable to move.

At the same time, a cylindrical banner appeared out of thin air in the house. The banner ribbons fluttered, like thousands of tentacles, instantly wrapping around it and dragging it into the banner.

From beginning to end, this hideous, blue-faced demon did not even struggle, let alone resist.

These sudden forces are all natural enemies, preventing it from unleashing its ferocity.

Shang Lu, who had returned in time, turned to look at the tube banner after collecting his essence.

Inside the bamboo banner, the blue-faced evil spirit was not only being burned by yin fire and struck by yin lightning, but also surrounded by countless rampant ghosts that were tearing at its soul and devouring its spirit.

The memories of the blue-faced demon were continuously extracted during these tortures.

"It is a ghost slave raised by the Black-Clad Guards, ordered to take the heart, kidneys and essence of the infant. It only knows that a noble person wants these things as medicinal ingredients, but it does not know which noble person it is or what kind of medicine it wants to make."

"It left Chu Capital with the Black-Clad Guards half a month ago. These days, they have been searching everywhere for newborn babies. The babies must be less than seven days old. If they are older than that, they do not meet the requirements for the medicinal ingredient!"

"During this period, it took advantage of carrying out its mission to devour the yang energy of many living people, and even ate the livers and lungs of many infants!"

"The black-clad guards who command it are currently in a county town dozens of miles away from here..."

Third Sister told Shang Lu about the memories of the blue-faced evil spirit that she had extracted.

"They left about two weeks ago?"

Shang Lu raised an eyebrow, becoming even more certain that these black-clad guards were searching for the medicinal ingredients for the King of Chu.

Not to mention that the Black-Clad Guards only obeyed the orders of the King of Chu, the fact that they set off was precisely after the White Bone Immortal Realm and the Rotten and Deadly Land had been destroyed.

Having lost his "divine flesh," the King of Chu, in order to continue his desire for immortality, began to try the dark ages' secret arts that were forbidden by all the states. He not only ate his own son, but also sent out the Xuanyi Guards to search for the hearts and kidneys of infants everywhere.

Infants under seven days old are still in a state of innate pure yang, full of vitality. In particular, their heart and kidneys, one fire and one water, conform to the principle of yin and yang. In the dark ages, they were the most popular medicinal ingredients for mad cultivators!

"Liu Quan, include this matter in the prophetic nursery rhymes as well!" Shang Lu ordered coldly, his face dark.

"Yes!" Liu Quan revealed himself, clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

Shang Lu squinted at the blue-faced demon whose soul had been torn apart inside the banner, and pondered, "Simply getting rid of this demon won't be enough. There are still county soldiers outside, and Black-Clad Guards in the county town... At the very least, we have to get rid of the Black-Clad Guards in the county town! Otherwise, by the time they realize what's happening, everyone in this village will be dead!"

To help someone, go all the way; to save someone, go all the way.

Similarly, when it comes to murder... it has to be all wiped out!
"Perfect! Let's kill these few Black-Clad Guards and seize their Black-Clad Tokens. They might come in handy later!"

Shang Lu made up his mind immediately, but did not rush to leave. He took out his paintbrush and urged Wu Mo to quickly draw a concealment talisman while Le Tian was asleep.

As the talisman took shape, the talisman ink surged rapidly, gathering into a single drop that merged into the center of Le Tian's brow and disappeared.

This concealment talisman will remain in Le Tian's body for a period of time, preventing anyone from detecting his presence through witchcraft, thus avoiding other Xuan Yi Guards from discovering his existence and sending evil spirits to rip out his heart and kidneys.

Putting away his paintbrush, Shang Lu vanished outside and sped off towards the dozen or so riders outside the village.

Along the way, he took out the Ice Crystal Blue Lotus, made a hand seal to activate the magic, and released specks of blue light.

In a short while, he left the village.

Upon his arrival, the dozen or so county soldiers guarding outside the village not only did not draw their swords in preparation, but were not even surprised. Instead, they clasped their hands in salute and addressed him as "Sir."

They actually mistook the pokeweed for the Black-Clad Guards.

These county soldiers were all ordinary people. Shang Lu used the Ice Crystal Blue Lotus to create an illusion and alter their memories. How could they possibly defend themselves against it?
In their memory, their group had followed Shang Lu, a high-ranking officer in the Black-Clad Guard, all the way to this place.

When they return home, this memory will vanish, and they will forget that they ever visited this village.

Shang Lu raised his head and put on a stern face, ordering, "Return to the county town."

"Yes!" The soldiers hurriedly accepted the order, and one of them even gave up his own warhorse to ride with his companion.

While doing this, the county soldiers couldn't help but wonder: "Why didn't we prepare a horse for this lord when we came?"

Shang Lu ignored the county soldiers, mounted his horse, and stretched out his hand to the leader: "Give me the Ghost Scroll, and the remnant spirit of the sleep bug you released earlier."

The squad leader, without suspecting anything, obediently handed over the ghost painting and the drowsy remnant spirit to Shang Lu.

The blue-faced evil spirit had already vanished, rendering the ghost scroll useless. However, fearing to alert the enemy, Shang Lu did not destroy it. Instead, he activated the Earth Lord Seal on his back, releasing a wisp of death energy to create the illusion that the blue-faced evil spirit was still there, so that the Black-Clad Guards in the distant county town would not become alert.

As for the lingering spirit of sleepiness, Shang Lu first had the squad leader put away the Sleepiness Gu before putting it into the Impermanence Token.

This thing is quite useful; it might come in very handy in the future.

I just don't know what level of cultivation it can put into a deep sleep?
We can only conduct the research after tonight.

Tonight, with its dark and windy night, it's the perfect time for murder!
"set off!"

At Shang Lu's command, the troop of soldiers immediately spurred their horses and took him back to the county town.

(End of this chapter)