Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 394 - 31 The Five Immortals Stir Up Trouble in

Chapter 394: Chapter 31: The Five Immortals Stir Up Trouble in the Bohai Sea (Part 1)

Chapter 394: Chapter 31: The Five Immortals Stir Up Trouble in the Bohai Sea (Part 1)

“`

Hao Xian Valley, once a place of pristine beauty, was now a scene of utter devastation.

Foul-smelling black smoke drifted everywhere, and charred old trees pierced into the mountain caves.

The black soil was dry and cracked, the springs had run dry, and the bodies of animals lay toppled in pools of stagnant water.

Suddenly, the wind howled as a thick, viscous black fog rolled in from all directions, enveloping the remnants and ruins of Hao Xian Valley.

Spots of ghastly green ghostfire flickered on within the mist.

“Woo, woo, woo~”

The faint sound of a woman’s crying could be heard, laden with sorrow.

Soon after, an old man’s hoarse cries joined in, and before long, the sobbing of a little girl was heard, louder and louder, as the number of mourners seemed to multiply…

Among the cries were those of the old and the young, the tender voices of children, and the deep, resonant sobs of men, all heart-wrenching, weeping for the tragic deaths of their loved ones and friends.

Gusts of chilly wind blew in burst after burst as the dense, incessant wailing spread throughout the valley, sending shivers down one’s spine.

Splash!

Covered in blood, Hu San fell to the ground with a splash, only to continuously knock his head against the earth in silence.

After what seemed like an eternity, the black fog gradually dispersed into the woods, and without anyone noticing when, an enormous mound of earth had been erected in the once battered Hao Xian Valley, covered with black stones.

Hu San swayed unsteadily to his feet, exhaling chilling white breath. His body swelled, tearing the robe as numerous white tails flailed and snaked about, sharp noses burst through the skin, and fierce teeth were bared—a gigantic, fierce white fox, over ten meters tall.

Within the swirling black mist, pair after pair of blood-red eyes horrifyingly snapped open, like countless crimson stars in the sky. A black cyclone shot up into the heavens, and the harsh, resentful voices of men, women, and children intermingled, echoing through the valley:

“Heavenly Master Tao dogs, you slaughtered my wife and children, my brothers and sisters, destroyed my clan and temple! How can the Huang Clan (Bai Changhuang) stand between the Black Mountain and White Water without avenging this enmity!”

…

Li Yan cursed, biting his middle finger and spitefully scrawling on the back of the paper crane, “You old tiger bitch!” Then he threw the paper crane into the sea.

Oddly enough, the paper crane that had seemed like mere paper on the ship suddenly flashed with a golden light as it moved away from Li Yan. Taking flight with a shake of its wings, it soared towards the distance.

Cao Yongchang was utterly confused: “What do you mean? What do you mean? How did that just cause trouble?”

Cha Xiaodao calmed down and then pondered, “This matter isn’t easy to determine yet. If the Dragon Tiger Servants and the soldiers indeed have the power to crush all the demon people of the Outside of the Pass in one fell swoop…”

“Then they should have done it already.”

Li Yan interrupted Cha Xiaodao: “Beyond the Pass, there are many mountains and dense forests; it’s naturally a place where demon people dance in a frenzy. If you don’t kill a snake completely, it becomes endlessly troublesome. The Jade Hairpin Demon has said that the Five Immortals family isn’t united in their opinion concerning the Dragon Tiger Banner affair. But if Zhang Shouhan is pushing the Demon Immortals to a desperate situation where they have nothing to lose, things could take a turn for the worse…”

As Li Yan spoke, another thought crossed his mind. Perhaps Zhang Shouhan had been set up by someone… Hu San?

“`

“When soldiers come, we’ll block; when floodwaters rise, we’ll cover it with earth. If the Five Immortals seek revenge, they’ll first find trouble with the Dragon Tiger Servants, after all, it was they who laid hands directly. We’re only a few days away from Shandong. Maybe they won’t blame us for it?”

Cha Xiaodao stood up for no apparent reason.

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Li Yan nodded, “That is also true.” With that, his gaze shifted toward a certain direction out at sea.

“Aren’t the two of you a bit too optimistic?”

The leisurely voice came from far across the sea.

Li Yan wasn’t surprised to hear it and immediately ordered the bow chief to take people and hide inside the cabin.

The bow chief, having roamed the jianghu in his early years and possessing keen judgement, called out in a loud voice to his son and son-in-law to enter the cabin.

“Lord Governor, please take extra care.”

The dark-skinned bow chief left a word of caution and slipped into the cabin himself.

A flatboat, pushed by the sea breeze, headed straight for the two-masted ship. A middle-aged man stood at the bow, hands behind his back, dressed in fine clothes, with two streaks of white amidst his sideburns. A large mud ball floated behind him, mixed with grass roots and chunks of stones, with eye-like features for a face, smiling at Cha Xiaodao.

The flatboat’s prow crashed against the side of Li Yan’s ship, and the well-dressed middle-aged man raised his head to greet both Li Yan and Cha Xiaodao with a clasped fist.

“This humble one’s surname is Feng, styled Feng Deming, traveling here and wishing to request a bowl of wine from the two of you.”

Li Yan responded, “There is wine, but it won’t scald the mouth of those who drink with their real name.”

The middle-aged man smiled, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes, “Feng Deming isn’t a false name, but brothers and sisters on the road always refer to me as the Wind Snow God.”

He gestured toward the ball of mud at the stern of the boat, “This is my good brother, Cai Genni.”

Li Yan nodded, “We came from Guangning, with the heavy snow sealing the mountains all the way underfoot. Was it you causing mischief?”

The Wind Snow God sighed, “Given the complexities of human relationships, I had no choice. To speak unpleasant words, though Feng may not be a match for the two of you, if I truly intended to obstruct, I could also summon a sky-filling heavy snow to spoil things. The two of you would naturally be fine, but that young fellow beside you, I’m afraid, might not endure it.”

Li Yan gave no reply, merely waving a hand, “Come aboard.”

One by one, the man and the mud climbed onto the masted ship. Li Yan took two unopened jars of wine sealed with mud from a corner and tossed them to Cha Xiaodao, who caught them. With just a squeeze of his hand, the two wine jars immediately became scalding hot. Then, he flung them to the Wind Snow God and Cai Genni.

Cai Genni opened his large mouth and swallowed down the wine jar in one gulp, without even letting out a belch of satisfaction.

The Wind Snow God pulled the clay seal and guzzled several mouthfuls of wine.

Li Yan wasn’t in a hurry, simply folding his arms and waiting.

After the Wind Snow God finished a jar of wine, he sighed deeply before pointing at Li Yan, “Governor Li, you are at death’s door and yet you have no idea.”

Li Yan remained unperturbed, “I am all ears.”

“That Zhang Shouhan…” the Wind Snow God smacked his lips and continued, “In the process of capturing the night-patrolling demon Wu Sanqing, he stumbled upon Madam Huang Si of the Five Immortals celebrating her birthday, with all sorts of demons and immortals gathered together, drinking themselves into a stupor. That cruel and ruthless Dragon Tiger Taoist not only had his troops surround the cave entrance with a tight blockade but also had soldiers build walls and deer fences outside the cave, brought in firewood, poured on kerosene, and set the entire Hao Xian Valley ablaze! As the demon immortals broke out, he led the Dragon Tiger Servants in a slaughter, countless creatures having no chance to escape before being burnt alive. How many descendants of the Yellow and White Immortals perished wretchedly, nobody knows.”

“`

The Wind Snow God paused, “Do you know that the massacre has aroused the animosity of the Five Immortals, who have made three blood oaths, vowing to fight with the Heavenly Master Tao of Dragon Tiger Mountain to the death?”

Li Yan asked, “May I inquire, what are the three blood oaths that the Five Immortals have sworn?”

“The first and foremost, the Five Immortals have specified, they want the heads of three named officials from the court, and they will not cease until they achieve this, even if it means pursuing them to the ends of the earth. These three are Qiao Dayong, the commander of Haizhou Guard, Zhang Shouhan, the judicial assistant of Jin County of the Tiger Banner, and you, Li Yan, the left governor of Daning Guard!”

“The second, they want Guangning Guard and Haizhou Guard to be encased in ice, where snow and wind shall persist throughout all seasons, regardless of the year. No crops will grow, the forests will wither, and the rivers and lakes will cease to flow.”

“The third, they want Guangning Guard and Haizhou Guard to be overrun with epidemics, leading to untimely deaths.”

“Humph humph, haha haha~”

Upon hearing this, Li Yan laughed, clutching his shoulders. He continued laughing for quite some time, unable to stop.

Seeing this, the Wind Snow God just shook his head, “My, my, unusual people have unusual ways. Lord Governor, if you take this as nothing, then consider it as if my brother and I have come here in vain.”

Li Yan stopped laughing, “I am curious, why did you two decide to inform us of this news?”

The Wind Snow God replied, “My brother and I are nurtured by the essence of heaven and earth, and naturally feel an affinity towards precious objects such as the Dragon Tiger Banners, but that doesn’t mean we have lost our minds. We know very well what to choose. With the Five Immortals creating such a ruckus, I fear it might lead to great turmoil beyond the Pass, with bodies strewn everywhere. And that is not something we idling Wild Gods wish to see,”

“If the commoners are displaced, who will worship at my temple of the Wind Snow God? Where will my brother Cai Genni go to feed on the tiles and lamp wicks along the walls of the living? So, I do hope, Lord Governor, that you and the other two live long lives. If the Five Immortals are hell-bent on hunting you down, they naturally won’t bother the commoners.”

“Now, the Five Immortals are in Hao Xian Valley, mourning their dead, only waiting for their rites to end before they come for your lives.”

Li Yan gave a slight bow of thanks, “Then I shall thank you both for your kindness.”

“No need for courtesy, no need for courtesy.”

The Wind Snow God laughed heartily, called out to Cai Genni, and the two leaped off the sailing ship.

As he boarded the skiff and turned his head, he said to Li Yan, “Governor Li, should fate allow it, we’ll meet again in the jianghu.”

Li Yan smiled and watched the two demons depart, his expression indifferent.

…

The city was shut tight and snowflakes drifted before the beige-colored walls.

Qiao Dayong was warming himself by a stove on the city gate tower, across from him sat Zhang Shouhan, his face showing signs of illness and marked with a deep claw wound.

The sky was filled with dark clouds as several dull thunders echoed.

“The weather in Liaodong is becoming more unpredictable. Yesterday was a rare sunny day, but today it’s overcast again. In ten days, we barely see the sun for eight. The Jurchen and Tartar have no more pastures and are bound to invade the border sooner or later. If war breaks out, even if evil spirits run rampant, the soldiers will have no strength left to intervene.”

Qiao Dayong said this without any particular reason.

Zhang Shouhan did not respond.

…

Qiao Dayong spoke again:

“We burnt down Hao Xian Valley in pursuit of Wu Sanqing, but we didn’t know beforehand that the cave was the ancestral site of the Huang Clan. Now that the case is closed, the Demon Immortal of the Huang Clan won’t let things lie. This is a serious matter. Should we request to resign due to guilt and let those above make a decision?”

Zhang Shouhan warmed himself by the fire, the smell of medicine on him detectable from a distance. After listening to Qiao Dayong, he responded after a long moment, but did not address the other’s question.

“The general just said, the Tartar have no pastures and their people have no food, so they want to invade the border, to move south, to start a war.”

Seeing Zhang Shouhan’s lack of response, Qiao Dayong was somewhat anxious.

He managed to reply, “This is what the officials in the court have presented. I think there is some rationale to it.”

“I don’t see it that way.”

Zhang Shouhan said slowly, “The Tartar invade because they are Tartar! Lush pastures mean they raise strong horses and fat sheep, with their people robust and brave. Naturally, they harbor thoughts of invasion. When pastures deteriorate and their people are left with no food, in the quest for survival, the Tartar will just as well invade our borders! A general who guards the national gate and slays enemies when they appear is simply fulfilling his duty.”

He opened his eyes wide, “Just as when demons appear, Dragon Tiger Mountain must exorcise them.”

Zhang Shouhan, who lived his life without a wife or children and spent most of it exorcising demons and upholding the Tao, had an almost fanatical determination ingrained in his bone and blood.

Suddenly, he looked towards the city’s outskirts.

All he saw was a sky filled with dark clouds and an endlessly dense fog of black rolling in!

He watched in stunned silence for a while before Zhang Shouhan slowly let out his final words:

“In eradicating the Demon Immortal of the Huang Clan, you and I were simply fulfilling our roles; whence comes the guilt?”

A golden paper crane flew in from the west, but before it could reach the city, it was shredded by the black fog into a shower of golden specks, the sight of the blood-red lightning alone enough to strike fear into anyone who witnessed it.

Dark clouds loomed over the city, threatening to crush it!

…

Night fell, and the Bohai Sea glistened with the wavelets reflecting the light, while clouds unfurled overhead. Occasionally, a green-headed fat fish would surface, gazing at the moon with its mouth opening and closing.

Gulp~

A pig bone was thrown into the water, startling the fish away. Cao Yongchang yawned as he held the remains of a pig foot in hand, once again muttering lewd verses.

Cha Xiaodao rested on the masthead, lulled by the sea breeze. The ship’s carpenter and two sailors were busy rolling up the sail.

In the cabin, Li Yan lit an oil lamp, beside him, fourteen Dragon Tiger Banners were neatly arranged, emitting red and gold glows.

Focusing on the shimmering banners in his hands, he squinted and murmured to himself, “Commit fewer killings…”