Chapter 354: Blow You Up, Taoist

Chapter 354: The Daoist Will Blow You Up

No wonder you're one of the oligarchs of the Daoist sect, the Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain—your insight is impressive; you saw through my origins at a glance.

My broad knowledge is only part of it; the real key is that the aura on you is simply overwhelming.

Chen Qisheng tucked his hands into the sleeves of his dao robe, jabbed his chin at the person before him, his expression unsmiling.

"You killed his informant in front of Fan Wujiu, and now you've slain my Longhu Mountain flesh‑letter yan in front of me—what's the deal? Are you picking a fight with me?"

"Heavenly Master Chen, you flatter me."

Song Shan wore a faint smile, "Your flesh‑letter was tampered with in the dark; after delivering the message it never returned to its sealed state. I killed him to help you."

"Oh?"

In Chen Qisheng's contemptuous sneer, Song Shan lifted the head in his hand, lightly brushed his forehead, flesh splitting under his fingertips to reveal the decryption talisman Chen had previously inscribed.

Yan flesh‑letter, decrypted by spell.

Since my talisman remains, it means the information stored in this yan has not been re‑locked and is still accessible.

Damn the Daoist Ancestor—someone actually wants to screw me over!

Chen Qisheng's face darkened visibly, he tightened his skin and said, "Whoever tampered with this did it so covertly that even I, a dao initiate, saw no clue—how did you find out?"

"There's no wall without a crack; some things need not be seen."

Song Shan tapped his own ear, "You can hear the answer as well; this is precisely the forte of our Honghu."

"You knew beforehand someone would target me—who is it?" Chen Qisheng asked urgently.

Song Shan gave a faint smile, "Since Heavenly Master Chen wants this answer and I happen to have it, why not make a deal?"

"Just the same old trick from your Honghu."

Chen Qisheng lifted the hem of his dao robe, sat back on the steps, languidly saying, "The gullible are beguiled; the wary are outmaneuvered. Those who see through the deceit get a straight‑faced proposal for a trade."

"What era is this? Don't you have any fresh tactics?"

Chen Qisheng tilted his head, a look of disdain on his face.

"As the old saying goes among the enlightened, 'All hustle and bustle arise from profit; all strife and turmoil flow from gain.' Even you daoists stress 'wealth, law, companions, land'—you can't escape trade, so does it matter whether the method is new or old?"

Song Shan's smile didn't waver, "A trivial gesture can net you the identity of whoever in Longhu Mountain seeks to harm you. And if Heavenly Master Chen is interested, we can even eliminate that hidden threat for you—multiple gains, why not?"

"That makes sense, I must admit it stirs my heart."

Chen Qisheng let out a long sigh, raised his thumb toward Song Shan, "I have to say, in the art of conversation, your Honghu folks are still the best."

"In doing things, sincerity brings efficacy."

Song Shan, his palm still slick with synthetic blood, patted his chest, "Our Honghu rely not on numerology but on a sincere heart—a heart that stands in your position, Heavenly Master Chen, and thinks of you with genuine intent."

"No wonder after all these years the Zhu Ming imperial house has fallen so low, neither the Confucian nor the Legal orders could uproot you completely—there really is some knack to it."

Chen Qisheng sighed, "So what little task do you want me to do? Stab the Jinyiwei of Jianshan City in the back?"

"Not bad for the youngest full‑fledged person‑immortal of Baiyu Jing—you hit the nail on the head."

Song Shan chuckled and countered, "To you, Heavenly Master Chen, that should be a trivial matter, right?"

"You got that wrong."

Chen Qisheng stretched his legs, rotating his shoulders as he spoke, "To back‑stab a lone martial sequence six warrior who halts violence, and who might even break into sequence five any day—call that a small thing? I don't want to be turned into mincemeat by that brute's fist."

"We won't put you in direct conflict with him."

Song Shan flicked a finger upward, pointing at the sky where wind and snow raged.

"All we need is for you, at the right moment, to ask the heavenly Dao Ancestor to drop a little thunderbolt."

"You think the Dao Ancestor's surname is Chen? Daoist, I don't have to pay him to summon him?"

Chen Qisheng rolled his eyes, "I've hung around Longhu Mountain for years—plenty of people dislike me—but to flush out someone daring enough to act, I'd have to waste my Huangliang quota to summon the Dao Ancestor once. Would I still be cultivating immortality then?"

"We won't let Heavenly Master Chen lose out."

Song Shan smiled faintly, placed his two index fingers together, and made a cross sign toward Chen Qisheng.

"Besides Longhu Mountain, the other daoist forces sent to the Wa region still have ten masters; we can give you their exact intel and whereabouts. With your ability, Heavenly Master Chen, taking them out while they're unsuspecting should pose no problem, right?"

These folks even know about Baiyu Jing's 'supplemental earth immortal' affair—leaking a secret of this level shows the 'Wen' department's bunch of wine sacks and rice bags really ought to be disbanded.

When I, the Daoist, return to Longhu Mountain, I'll file a report upstairs and have you all posted to the penal district, so you can learn proper intelligence work from the Honghu.

Chen Qisheng's mind buzzed with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, yet he gave no consideration to even the tiniest detail of the deal Song Shan proposed.

"Heavenly Master Chen, how's your deliberation going?"

Song Shan gazed at that face that alternated between a grimace and a twist, momentarily puzzled.

"Ah, I zoned out unintentionally—don't hold it against me."

Chen Qisheng snapped back, gave Song Shan an apologetic smile, "By the way, you just said I should back‑stab whom?"

That remark came out of the blue, downright bewildering.

Song Shan couldn't believe he'd just said those words moments ago; it seemed this daoist would forget them entirely.

Not knowing why he feigned ignorance, he patiently repeated himself.

"Help us kill the Jianshan City Jinyiwei centurion, Yan Jun!"

"Hey, Old Li, did you hear that? Someone's out to get you."

In the wake of Song Shan's eyes widening, Chen Qisheng shouted at the empty air, "Daoist, I haven't sold you out! All right, once this is over, you'll have to help me settle those—yeah, I'm really eyeing that supplemental earth immortal slot."

"Why?"

Song Shan's brows knotted tight, a look of bewilderment on his face.

He couldn't fathom why Chen Qisheng would so decisively abandon the stronger Honghu in Wa to aid the obviously doomed Jianshan City Jinyiwei.

"What else could it be? You think only your Honghu schemers plot against people? Let me tell you, Daoist, I've been blowing this cold wind for ages just to lure you out!"

Chen Qisheng burst into a grim laugh; a black line erupted from the snow before him, tail flame scorching bright, swift as lightning, kicking up a piercing shriek, dragging countless snowflakes, the blade hurtling straight for Song Shan.

Thud..thud..

Like a war drum, the heartbeat thundered from Song Shan's chest; his body swelled visibly, straining the pale feather‑woven garb, his palms clapped together before his chest, crushing the vicious flying sword that came at him.

Wind and snow howled in the alley, blotting out sky and moon.

A blue‑clad figure surged forth, icy crystals speckling his raised sword‑brows.

Chen Qisheng's sleeves fluttered, his palms gripping two scarlet wood‑block talismans, which he slammed fiercely toward Song Shan's face!

"You're asking for death!"

Song Shan bellowed, his half‑naked torso suddenly sprouting two thick, iron‑like arms from his back, skin bluish‑black as forged steel, fists clenched and swung at Chen Qisheng!

The blast of wind hit his face, making Chen Qisheng involuntarily narrow his eyes.

His grin never faded; he roared, "Marquis Ma!"

"Here."

A huge black shadow flashed behind Song Shan, two genuine iron arms clamping his hands.

"I shall blast you to cinders, in the name of the Dao!"

Chen Qisheng's eyes flared with brilliance as he brought his hands down in a sweeping arc!

Boom!

A searing pillar of flame surged toward the heavens, and amidst the colossal explosion, there roared a sonic wave that set the blood racing!