Chapter 164 Unable to Beat "Wasn't that you, Huang Lian Tie, just now?"...

"Oh no! Someone's coming!" The mirror polisher stood up, gripping the iron frame, and pressed his ear against the stone wall to listen carefully. A bunch of chaotic footsteps approached aggressively. "Old Fang, let's go!"

Master Fang was squatting in front of a stone slab covered with inscriptions, completely absorbed in the words, oblivious to the mirror polisher's words.

"So many people, they must be up to no good, Old Fang, Old Fang, Old..." The mirror polisher called out several times with his ear pressed against the stone wall, but the other party completely ignored him. The mirror polisher turned around and saw the smelly Taoist priest wishing he could crawl into the stone slab. He almost choked on his own breath on the spot, "You surnamed Fang! Are you deaf!"

The man surnamed Fang was finally brought back to his senses by his anger. He looked up, his face filled with shock and disbelief: "What?"

The mirror grinder really wanted to punch him awake: "Someone's here again, get out of here!"

Who's here?

"There are many people here, come with me."

Master Fang immediately waved his hand: "No, I haven't finished reading it yet."

"What time is it? Do you want to die here?!" The mirror polisher got angry and dragged him towards the stone gate.

Master Fang, unwilling to give up, turned back to look at the stone carving he had only half-examined, and asked anxiously, "What exactly happened? Has that masked man come back again?"

The sound of footsteps in large groups was so chaotic and disordered that the mirror polisher couldn't immediately tell whether it was the ruthless Iron-Mask man returning to attack. The mirror polisher still felt lingering fear just thinking about what happened yesterday. If it weren't for Constable Lu's selfless act of shielding him from the butcher's knife in the moment of crisis, he and Taoist Priest Fang would already be dead, meeting their maker in the underworld.

It was because Constable Lu had restrained the Iron-Faced Man that the two of them were able to escape, tumbling and crawling. They huddled in a pitch-black cave for a whole day, barely daring to breathe, until they finally thought it was safe, and then crawled out, their bodies aching and numb.

There was nothing we could do. That madman was too fierce. His swordsmanship was definitely among the top ten in the martial arts world. If we didn't run or dodge, we were left with only one path: death.

Officer Lu is a true friend; at the crucial moment, he actually chose to step forward. He's really loyal.

Unfortunately, it fell into the hands of the Gu master again. The mirror polisher sighed, "A waste of money."

"What should we do?" he asked Lao Fang after the incident. "Should we still try to save her?"

Master Fang thought for a moment and said, "This time, the Gu Master will definitely step up his guard and keep a close watch on Constable Lu, so we need to plan this carefully."

The mirror polisher nodded in agreement: "That's exactly what happened. Look, Lao Fang, this Constable Lu has no relatives or friends now, and he was kidnapped to Mizhou by the Gu Master and that Iron-Faced Man. It's a long way away, and he's obviously suffered a lot. Look at his arms and legs, you see? They're all knotted muscles! If we don't rescue him, he'll be tricked to death here."

"Did I say we wouldn't save them? I said we need to think this through!" Why was he still trying to persuade him to save them? Master Fang said irritably, "Otherwise, are we supposed to just go up and take them by force? Can you even beat them? If we could, we wouldn't be scurrying around like rats!"

"You're right, if we can't beat them, we'll have to resort to stealing!"

"You think you can just steal a living person like that? The reason you were able to do it so easily before was because they weren't on guard."

“Alright,” the mirror grinder nodded crisply. “I have a way. I’ll get some potent medicine for the horses and mix it into their water and vegetables.”

People need to eat and drink, right? He's been traveling all over the country, so he's familiar with these tricks and methods. Just to be on the safe side, we'll prepare a couple of packets of sleeping powder and blow them through the window. That'll definitely be enough!

Master Fang immediately perked up: "Great idea, Old Jiang! Let's get some strong sleeping potion, but not the kind that kills people, so that Officer Lu doesn't accidentally ingest it."

The mirror grinder happily approved: "Okay, let's do it that way!"

However, before they could even leave the area after finishing their discussion, they heard chaotic footsteps rushing in.

The underground passages were complex, and after they mistakenly entered, they couldn't find their way out. They were now frantically trying to escape like headless flies, and if they weren't careful, they would end up in a blocked dead end.

As they turned around, something crawling on the ground suddenly darted out from the corner, startling the two of them so much that they retreated repeatedly. Could it be that some wild beast, such as a jackal, tiger, or leopard, was lurking in the underground cave?

Master Fang drew his sword with a whoosh, and as the thing quickly crawled closer, the tinderbox in the mirror polisher's hand illuminated a dark and gaunt human face!

people?

Dead or alive?

Or was it the tomb owner who suddenly rose from the dead?

Before he could distinguish between a human and a ghost, Master Fang's mind raced. With swift movements, he precisely slapped a yellow talisman onto the center of the face and shouted, "Back off!"

The face that had suddenly appeared froze on the spot, staring at Master Fang in disbelief. Then, the face broke out in a cold sweat, soaking the yellow talisman paper.

The moisture stained the cinnabar, and the bright red characters gradually became blurred.

This is truly an evil spirit!

Master Fang immediately noticed something was wrong: how could a resurrected corpse still be breathing?

The face beneath the talisman gradually became blurred, like white mist rising from a steamer, or thin smoke, revealing a mask-like dampness that obscured the features, leaving only a vague outline.

The man's face gradually contorted, and he screamed in agony, baring his teeth.

"ah--"

The mirror polisher was stunned: "How could this be?"

The man struggled painfully, yet he seemed to be shrouded in a layer of human-shaped, damp mist from head to toe, like a misty soul wrestling with its body, locked in a fierce and inseparable struggle.

The talisman on his forehead was the culprit that kept him from having peace.

Master Fang was also in a daze. This situation seemed to be a state of unstable soul, but that wisp of damp mist that looked like a human and had an outline was obviously not a soul. It looked more like, more like, what did it look like?

Master Fang remembered seeing it somewhere before, but the more crucial the moment, the less he could recall it.

You're so dense, think of something!

Master Fang wished he could crack open his increasingly forgetful brain. He said, "This situation is a bit like being possessed by something evil."

"Possession?" The mirror grinder gasped.

"I feel like I've seen this somewhere before."

“You bet.” The mirror grinder looked at the hazy shape clinging to the man. “The ghostly shadow in the mirage the other day looked just like this.”

Master Fang suddenly realized: "Yes, it's a mirage! This is the mirage!"

"No way, those shadows that crawled out of the mirage actually possessed someone?"

The facts are undeniable, leaving them no choice but to believe them.

Just then, several fishermen darted out from around the corner of the passageway and rushed towards them. The mirror polisher's expression changed drastically: "Old Fang!"

Old Fang pulled out a stack of talismans from his pocket and, with a series of snaps, stuck them on the faces of these people one by one. In an instant, everyone experienced the same situation as before.

However, the first person to have the talisman applied to their body experienced unusual symptoms.

The cinnabar seeped into the yellow talisman paper, and the person cried out in pain, his hands curling into claws as he tentatively cupped his face.

Under the thin mist, her face first turned red, as if it had been splashed with boiling water, and there was even a sizzling sound. Suddenly, blisters of various sizes swelled up on her cheeks.

At the same time, the faces of the others who had been afflicted with the talismans began to turn red and develop blisters. The blisters burst, revealing the tender, scarlet flesh beneath the broken skin.

Upon seeing this, Master Fang reached out to tear off the talisman, but before he could even touch their faces, merely touching the mirage clinging to their bodies, Master Fang's fingertips felt as if they had been fried in oil. The pain made him pull his hand back, his fingertips already burned.

Master Fang's expression changed. Before he could figure out what was going on, the struggling villagers rushed towards him like madmen.

The mirror polisher, quick as a flash, grabbed the Taoist priest and ran. Villagers chased after him relentlessly. Suddenly, a scalding hot claw grabbed the mirror polisher's heel. He kicked away, and the skin on his ankle felt as if it had been scalded by boiling oil.

As he walked, Master Fang felt around and pulled out all sorts of talismans. After some hesitation, he used them on the villagers.

But it was no use; they only made things worse.

"Aaaaaah, Lao Fang, let's get the knife out."

"No, they are all villagers here."

"Are you suggesting they tear us apart?" The mirror grinder stared at the grotesque, twisted villagers behind him, their figures shrouded in terrifying shadows. "If you can't exorcise them or subdue them... watch out ahead..."

A swift, green shadow swept in from the other side. Before the mirror polisher could finish saying "Watch out ahead," a sharp fan was already at his neck with a "whoosh."

The mirror polisher stared in horror, unable to react at all, and froze on the spot like a stone slab.

bass--

At the critical moment, Master Fang drew his longsword, which grazed the swirling fan.

The next moment, Master Fang's wrist was cut by the fan and bled. As the long sword fell to the ground, Bai Yuan grabbed it in mid-air and pressed it against the mirror polisher's throat. Master Fang was also pressed against the throat by the flipped-up fan.

Just when he thought he was doomed, Master Fang saw the face of the person in front of him clearly and was shocked: "Ting Fengzhi!"

Zhou Yaren looked puzzled; the voice sounded familiar.

Master Fang said urgently, "It's me, Fang Zheng'an from Renzu Mountain. Do you remember? We met in Beiqu and even accidentally entered the Taiyin/Dao Body together."

Zhou Yaren was surprised: "Master Fang?"

He immediately put away the folding fan that was pressed against the other person's neck.

"Yes, yes, yes, it is indeed I, the humble Taoist priest. What brings you to Mizhou? And this is..." As Master Fang spoke, he turned to look at Bai Yuan, and good heavens, he was dumbfounded!

"This...this..." He stammered, startled once again. Wasn't this the wronged one, no, the wronged spirit, who was imprisoned in the Taiyin/Dao Body back then?

Bai Yuan met his trembling eyes and smiled casually: "I remember you."

Master Fang suddenly clasped his hands together, almost wanting to thank him.

"So you all know each other..." Just as the mirror polisher was about to relax, the blade of the sword in his throat suddenly pressed against his flesh.

The mirror grinder, who had only relaxed halfway, stiffened again.

Master Fang quickly stepped forward to dissuade him, saying, "Have mercy."

Bai Yuan had no intention of letting him off the hook: "Weren't you the one who was shaking Lian Tie just now?"

Master Fang paused for a moment, realizing something. He glanced at Ting Fengzhi, wanting to persuade Bai Yuan to put down his weapon: "It's a misunderstanding..."

Bai Yuan ignored him, holding his sword to the mirror polisher's throat: "You were the one who polished mirrors for Sun Xiuniang in Beiqu, and the one who shook the iron in Fenglingdu, weren't you?"

The mirror polisher swallowed carefully, as if afraid that the blades would have no eyes: "It's me."

“You’re quick to admit it,” Bai Yuan said. “Since you’ve confessed, I’ll give you a quick death too.”

"No, no, no!" Fang Daoda exclaimed in shock, almost jumping up. "Don't do it! There must be some misunderstanding here. I can vouch for Old Jiang's character with my life. It's definitely a misunderstanding. He goes around waving that string of iron beads to solicit business, so it's not surprising. Just now, and last time in Beiqu, I know he thought Tingfengzhi was eavesdropping..."

"Eavesdropping?"

"Forehead……"

Before he could explain further, the wailing villagers had already rushed to his side.

Perhaps because the mirages appeared from their bodies, Zhou Yaren could see countless dark shadows crawling towards him, and he was about to defend himself.

"Wait a minute." Bai Yuan was the first to notice something was wrong. The villagers who were originally unharmed were now covered in festering sores and bloody messes.

“Listen to the wind,” Master Fang reminded them quickly, “They are all possessed by mirages. They are extremely hot to the touch; if you touch them, their flesh will fester.”

As he approached, Bai Yuan saw the damp talismans stuck to their faces; the patterns had melted and were no longer recognizable. "What have you done?" he asked.

"I just put up a few talismans to ward off evil spirits and suppress corpses."

Bai Yuan tossed the sword to Master Fang and pulled Zhou Yaren, who was blocking his way, behind him, saying, "The mirage is corrosive."

She took two steps forward, her raised hand seemingly covered with a layer of solid ice, glistening white, and the burst of cold air instantly froze the damp mist, trapping all the writhing villagers in the frost.

It's so cold! Master Fang and the mirror polisher suddenly shivered. They saw Bai Yuan point two fingers at the center of one of the villagers' eyebrows, slightly bend his fingers, and firmly hook the elusive mirage, as if he had precisely pressed down on the mirage's vital point.

Bai Yuan exerted his power slightly.

Master Fang and the mirror polisher stared in disbelief as she tore the possessing mirage spirit from the villager alive, the villagers and the mirage spirit convulsing in agony in her hands.

The villager's body was corroded by the mirage, leaving him a bloody mess. As Bai Yuan tore him off, thin strands of blood, as fine as fungal filaments, were drawn out. Once completely peeled away, the misty, humanoid mirage was stained with blood, wet, sticky, and foul-smelling.

One, two, three, four, five... Just as it was about to be the last one, it was too late. In just a short while, the villager's flesh and blood had been corroded by the mirage into a pool of foul-smelling blood.

The Taoist priest, who was watching from the sidelines, was so frightened that his face turned pale. His fingers gripped the sword hilt so tightly that they ached. He never expected that this thing would be so dangerous.

The separated mirages did not dissipate; instead, they transformed into humanoid blood mists. They were all-pervasive, even seeping out from Bai Yuan's layer of frosty aura, fleeing frantically as if trying to escape.

Zhou Yaren said in a deep voice, "We can't let them out."

Ignoring the unconscious villagers, the four chased after the fleeing mirage.

Even though the humanoid blood mist was as light as smoke, it still had a menacing appearance. Without a human body to inhabit, it could only open its mouth wide and let out a silent wail. Then it slammed its head against a stone door and seeped in through the cracks in the door.

Bai Yuan, who was close behind, pushed hard, and the heavy stone door made a rumbling grinding sound as it rolled on the blue brick floor.

Upon seeing this, the mirror polisher lost his composure: "No, you're going to force it!"

The stone door slowly opened, and a musty smell wafted out from the gap. Master Fang was choked by it, and the others instinctively covered their mouths and noses.

The stone chamber was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.

The mirror polisher took a tinderbox out of his pocket and handed it to him.

Bai Yuan lowered his eyes and glanced at the tinderbox handed to him. Just as he was about to pull it back, Bai Yuan took one away.

The mirror polisher, feeling like he'd been granted a pardon, veered sharply in the middle of handing the tinderbox to Zhou Yaren instead.

He cursed himself inwardly, "How stupid of me! Who would offer a light to a blind man!"

“Master Fang,” Zhou Yaren suddenly spoke up, “how did you end up with him?”

Master Fang quickly stepped forward and said, “Tingfeng may not know, but after I came out of the Taiyin/Dao Body last time, I vaguely heard Constable Lu and the others calling me. I was about to go look for them when a dark shadow suddenly darted out and knocked me into the river. Then I felt like I was entangled by something in the water, and no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t climb out.”

At that time, the Taiyin/Dao body was broken, and what came out was not only a Bai Yuan, but also a Wang Xiang. Therefore, the one who entangled Master Fang in the water was most likely a Wang Xiang.

“Thanks to Old Jiang for saving my life and pulling me out of the river. I know his character, and there must be some misunderstanding between you two.” As Master Fang spoke, he kept nudging the mirror polisher next to him with his elbow and lowered his voice to indicate, “Why don’t you explain yourself?”

The mirror polisher, having received the signal, sighed helplessly: "I didn't know you had some connection with Lao Fang. This matter is indeed my doing. It was at Fenglingdu last time. Actually, it was a friend from the martial arts world who helped me before. This time, he came to me and asked me for a favor, so I agreed without hesitation."

Inside the stone gate was another tunnel. Bai Yuan, holding a torch, scanned the area: "What kind of help?"

The mirror polisher hesitated for a moment: "To tell you the truth, he said he wanted to exorcise an evil spirit, but this evil spirit was with a blind man from Chang'an. They didn't want to harm innocent people, so they asked me to help shake the iron chain so that the blind man couldn't interfere."

Bai Yuan didn't stop walking, his tone calm: "Do you know who the evil spirit he's trying to eliminate is?"

Mirror grinder: "..."

Isn't it you?!

Master Fang: "..."

Is this your explanation? You conspired with others to deal with Tingfengzhi, and then said in front of the main character that you wanted to get rid of her. Isn't this a blatant confession?

Honestly, it's better to continue the misunderstanding.

Bai Yuan turned his head and stared straight into his eyes: "So you colluded with Xu Zhangfang and came to Donghai to be like him, right?"

"What?" The mirror polisher was caught off guard by a powerful blast of cold air, the chill running from head to toe, making him tremble uncontrollably.