Chapter Ten: Silk Manuscripts and Talismanic Scrolls

“Scoundrels! How dare you act so brazenly in front of a sorcerer!”

The two men whose hands had been seized struggled desperately to pull free. But the man who had stepped forward was clearly of uncommon strength; no matter how hard they strained, their faces flushing with exertion, his grip remained unyielding. Seeing this, the two men let out furious shouts.

At their outcry, the man glanced at the figure of the Taoist, a flicker of hesitation passing across his face. His grip slackened unconsciously, allowing the two burly fellows to break free.

“It’s not insolence. It’s just that such young children can’t be parted from their mothers. I beg your understanding.”

The middle-aged man took a step back, speaking earnestly.

But his words fell on deaf ears. The two men, once freed, had no intention of listening to his explanation. Relying on the Taoist’s authority, they barreled into him, raining blows upon him as they shouted:

“You rogue! Clearly a troublemaker! If we don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never learn the rules here!”

Seeing their relentless aggression, the middle-aged man flushed with anger. His eyes widened, and he nearly struck back, but a glance at the Taoist on horseback made him swallow his rage. Instead, he raised his arms to fend off their attacks.

Thus the scuffle turned into a full brawl, the three men darting left and right, scattering the already disjointed crowd. Shouts of anger, cries for peace, and the wailing of children rose and fell, chaos reaching its height.

“What’s going on, Qingzong? I sent you to gather the people, not to start a riot!”

The commotion reached the ears of those inside the earthen fortress. An older Taoist appeared atop the city wall, sternly addressing the Taoist known as Qingzong. From the way he called his name, it seemed the horse-riding Taoist, like Lu Qingcai, was also a member of the Lu clan.

“Uncle, these mountain folk know nothing of the law and grew unruly. I’ll make them quiet at once,” replied Lu Qingzong, who had remained silent throughout. He looked up at the fortress, a careless smile on his lips, then turned back to the noisy crowd, his face darkening. With a thunderous shout, the clamor faded as if the crowd had been struck drunk, their bodies swaying unsteadily. Only a few sturdy men, including the middle-aged one, remained standing firm after the shout.

“Oh? Under my Soul-Grasping Technique, so many can still stand. No wonder you dare cause trouble—you have some backbone. Judging by your bearing, you must be trained militia, aren’t you?”

Lu Qingzong’s surprise was evident as he scrutinized their stances, realization dawning on his face as he questioned the middle-aged man.

“We mean no disrespect, Master Sorcerer, it’s only—”

The middle-aged man instinctively stepped back as he began to speak, steadying himself to explain. But before he could finish, Lu Qingzong cut him off.

“I’ve no time for your excuses! You soldiers never know your place. Even within the fortress, you’d stir up trouble. Most things are minor, but if you disrupt the altar and ruin the formation, a thousand deaths wouldn’t repay your crime. You need your spirits broken before you can be made to serve.”

Lu Qingzong glanced at him coolly, his tone indifferent.

At these words, the middle-aged man drew a deep breath, lowering his head slowly. With a heavy voice, he replied, “You jest, Master Sorcerer. We are ordinary folk with no spirit to break. Once inside the He family stronghold, we’ll obey the rules and never dare hinder your work. We only beg your mercy, that the little children might stay with their mothers.”

“How noisy! Since these are the rules, how can they be changed at a whim? Looks like you’re asking for another beating!”

Impatient with the man’s pleading, the Taoist, still astride his horse, drew a stack of silk talismans from his robe. With a deft motion, he divided them into five, each inscribed with crimson symbols. Murmuring incantations, he formed a spell with his fingers, and a chill wind rose, sending the talismans swirling into the air, eerie and ominous.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man paled. He shouted a warning to the others who still stood, telling them to flee. The others, though unclear about the danger, quickly retreated. Only the middle-aged man himself, delayed by his words, failed to escape in time.

The five talismans swept past him, and in an instant, his body turned purplish-blue, as if he’d been struck by a winter wind in thin clothes.

“How can this be?”

The middle-aged man clearly held sway among his peers, but before Lu Qingzong's sorcery, he hadn’t even the strength to resist. The shock left the other sturdy men staring in stunned silence.

Seeing their terror, a trace of satisfaction curled Lu Qingzong’s lips. He prepared to send the talismans against the remaining men, intent on ending their resistance in one stroke. But just as the five talismans were about to strike, Lu Qingzong’s expression suddenly changed. He recalled the talismans to shield himself and turned, shouting toward the spot where Liu Chen was hidden.

“Who’s there!”

Liu Chen, discovered, stepped from his hiding place and regarded Lu Qingzong’s defensive stance with a faint smirk.

He had intended to avoid trouble and leave, but on seeing the Taoist’s ornate robes, he hesitated, curious about their intentions. Witnessing the thuggish behavior of Lu Qingzong’s men and the crowd’s suppressed anger stirred a desire to intervene.

Yet, mindful of the stories he’d seen in his past life—of those who helped others only to be dragged into disaster—he hesitated, unable to decide. Only when his presence was uncovered did he finally make up his mind.

“Sneaking about like that—you can’t be up to any good! If you know what’s best, surrender now!” Lu Qingzong relaxed slightly on seeing it was only Liu Chen, but called out loudly, three talismans circling to protect him as he sent the other two hurtling toward Liu Chen.

“You Taoist, how ruthless! To break the bond between mother and child—were you born of stone yourself?”

As the talismans flew toward him, Liu Chen advanced, cursing as he moved. He had witnessed everything and, even setting aside the fact that Lu Qingzong’s family was his enemy, such actions were enough to earn his contempt.

“Ignorant peasant—what would you know?”

Seeing Liu Chen use martial arts, the Taoist sneered, dismissing his anger and contemptuously applying the same sorcery he had used on the middle-aged man.

But Liu Chen was not that middle-aged man. Even without mentioning the black spiritual flame in his eyes that could break sorcery, he had more than enough means to deal with these talismans.