bookandnovel Chapter 20 Grave
Chapter 20 Grave
Lead-like clouds cover the moon
The wispy glow of the sunset enveloped the full moon, filtering through its gaps and spilling onto the earth.
That night, the shadows of the surrounding trees seemed ghostly.
It twists and spreads, crawling in the darkness.
A group of people, holding torches high, appeared in the mountains and forests under the cover of night.
The funeral banners fluttered, and paper money spilled everywhere. The suona horns and drums, resounding through the air, awakened the silent mountain range.
The long procession stretched all the way to the top of the mountain, with a vermilion coffin in the center of the procession.
At some point, the sand piled up and formed a tower, forming a circle around them.
"Is this the place?"
Fang Hongxuan's voice was very soft, almost inaudible.
The compass in his sleeve had already begun to vibrate wildly. In just a moment, even the wooden box shattered.
As Liu Yisheng approached Fang Hongxuan, his face, hidden in the darkness, appeared slightly eerie. Only when the torch drew near did his warm expression reappear.
"Nephew, the coffin has now been laid to rest. The night is long, and I fear it will be just the two of us left here alone."
"We must wait until the hour of Yin (3-5 AM) to compact the soil around the grave. My safety here depends entirely on you, my dear nephew."
The fireflies in the distance gradually went out, and the vast crowd disappeared without a trace.
A cold wind blew, as if someone was murmuring in the wind, but it was impossible to hear clearly.
"At a time like this, Uncle, why don't you have a chat to relieve your loneliness?" Fang Hongxuan leaned against a big tree, a broadsword tucked in his hand, the firelight making his face appear flickering.
Liu Yisheng smiled, his face beaming with joy: "It just so happens that I have some good news to share with my nephew. My new daughter-in-law became pregnant several months ago."
My son's mother passed away early, and he is my only son. I imagine that in a few months, the Liu family will be blessed with a new member.
When this was mentioned, Liu Yisheng seemed rather indifferent. The half of his face illuminated by the firelight appeared extremely kind, while the other half, hidden in the darkness, looked much more ferocious.
Fang Hongxuan sighed. After a long while, he looked at Liu Yisheng and said, "Uncle, if I were to tell you that you are already dead, what would you do?"
Liu Yisheng's expression suddenly changed drastically. He was no longer the kind-looking man he had been before. His canine teeth protruded, his face became gaunt, and he looked like a demon from the deepest hell.
As the moon's shadow flashed by, a yellow dog appeared in the shadow of Liu Yisheng, whose appearance had drastically changed. When the full moon rose and fell again, Liu Yisheng had returned to normal.
As if he had thought of something, Liu Yisheng's face turned bitter, and the torch in his hand accidentally fell to the ground. He lowered his head and remained silent.
A burst of barking dogs pierced the silence.
A pack of bright red yellow dogs surrounded Fang Hongxuan. They bared their teeth, drool dripping from their mouths. Their eyes were fixed on Fang Hongxuan, as if they would swarm him at the slightest move.
Rumble...
The unburied vermilion coffin trembled violently, and wisps of resentment seeped out from the cracks.
The sound of fingernails scratching at the coffin lid was incessant, followed by suppressed, low roars. This strange phenomenon was as if a peerless demon was about to be born.
Liu Yisheng, who had been silent, suddenly looked up. The madness in his eyes was terrifying and made one's hair stand on end.
Fang Hongxuan showed no fear. He swiftly drew his sword and flung it from its sheath to defend himself. Then he charged straight at Liu Yisheng.
The surrounding yellow dogs were not to be outdone, and they attacked in a chaotic yet orderly fashion.
In a swift and agile movement, Fang Hongxuan easily dodged the yellow dog's pounce. What followed was a fierce slash.
The immense force instantly cleaved the still-moving yellow dog in two. The ferocious dog's head tried to bite again, but Fang Hongxuan kicked it away.
Just as Fang Hongxuan was caught off guard, Master Liu leaped up. Like an eagle catching a chicken, his sharp claws aimed straight for Fang Hongxuan's vitals.
"Old man..."
The steel claws, as sharp as refined iron, struck Fang Hongxuan squarely, but the copper-brown light emanating from the claws blocked the attack for him.
'Copper Armor Talisman'
The runic armor shimmered with light, and as the faint glow gradually rose, Fang Hongxuan, clad in bronze armor, seemed like a celestial warrior descending to earth, majestic and extraordinary.
After fighting for dozens more rounds, Fang Hongxuan still did not sense any zombie-like aura emanating from Liu Yisheng.
In other words, even if he were to turn his Iron Shirt technique around, it wouldn't be enough to make up for the deficit.
"Fine..."
Fang Hongxuan sighed, his chest heaving, and he suddenly inhaled through his mouth and nose. An unnatural blush appeared on his face.
Before obtaining the Yin Pill, he had already figured out on his own how to use essence and blood to stimulate the living corpse's constitution.
After partial activation, strength and speed can be greatly increased.
"boom!"
Fang Hongxuan's eyes grew increasingly bloodshot as his bones cracked and popped, and bloodthirsty and violent emotions gradually surfaced in the depths of his mind.
The blade flashed like lightning, its edge as sharp as frost.
With just one downward slash, Master Liu caught the blade with both hands and knelt on one knee.
Such force was enough to leave even the seemingly indestructible Master Liu with a bloody gash. Crimson blood gushed from the tattered brocade belt beside his shoulder.
Although the yellow dogs around them looked fierce, they also knew how to protect their owners.
Seven or eight yellow dogs swarmed forward, attempting a diversionary tactic to relieve the siege of Wei. However, Fang Hongxuan refused to leave, his rune-encrusted armor clanging loudly, clearly indicating he was at his wit's end!
In just a moment, it transformed into streams of light and scattered in all directions.
'Click'
The sharp palm pierced the throat of the lead yellow dog, and strands of blood flowed into Fang Hongxuan's body through the gaps between his fingers.
The wind blows away the floating clouds, and the waning moon casts its radiant glow.
Fang Hongxuan, covered in blood, looked like a madman, his sword already dulled. Even so, the pack of yellow dogs were routed and fled in disarray.
The patriarch of the Liu family knelt on the ground, his hands hanging limply at his sides. Even the ferocity in his eyes had largely dissipated.
The blunt blade was held against Master Liu's neck, and Fang Hongxuan, panting heavily, suppressed the tremor in his heart as he prepared to strike.
After taking several deep breaths, Fang Hongxuan finally managed to regain his senses from the bloodthirsty throbbing.
...
The three of them chased after each other and finally reached the top of the mountain.
Qianying quickened her pace, while Li Shouxin, whose eyes shone like torches, stood there dumbfounded.
"Junior brother, what happened up ahead?" Li Shoujing asked.
Even when swords were aimed at him, Li Shouxin simply smiled calmly. However, he had never seen his junior brother lose his composure like this before.
"So ferocious! He's truly a god among men!" This was the first time Li Shouxin had felt such admiration for someone's martial prowess.
Under the moonlight, the mangled carcasses of dogs were scattered all over the ground, roughly numbering in the dozens! Red, white, and yellow rubble mixed with grass clippings and withered branches stained the mountaintop.
Just as the pale-faced Fang Hongxuan was about to swing his knife, a beautiful woman in a light purple dress stopped him.
Fang Hongxuan's expression remained calm, but the force in his hands grew increasingly heavy.
Tears welled up in the woman's eyes, her beautiful face showing pleading. All of this made it difficult for Fang Hongxuan to act.
"Ahead lies that young hero, Fang. Not only did he single-handedly slay dozens of demonic hounds, but he also nearly killed Master Liu!"
After calming himself down, Li Shouxin recounted what he had seen and heard. The old Taoist priest and Li Shoujing were both greatly surprised upon hearing this.
"That's amazing!"
Having suffered at the hands of the demonic dog, the old Taoist priest couldn't help but harbor some resentment. Comparing the two, he was even more shocked.
"Let's meet up with them first."
The old Taoist priest made a decisive move, quickening his pace and completely disregarding the steep cliffs. His two apprentices exchanged a glance and followed...