Chapter 6: A sudden storm: the ancient temple in the deserted village
The group continued on their journey. Based on reports from Medicine Demon and Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance spies, Di Feisheng and his team quickly tracked down the route of Qiao Wanwan, Xiao Zijin, and others from the Sigumen Sect. They appeared to be escorting a shipment of crucial Nanyin antiques to the ruins of an ancient altar, potentially connected to the Nanyin mystic arts, with the intention of uncovering the truth.
Di Feisheng, unwilling to alert the enemy, followed only a few elite troops from a distance. Li Lianhua, still driving his slow-moving Lotus Tower, followed behind the group, claiming to be "providing medical support at all times," but in reality, his thoughts were preoccupied. The clue to Shan Gudao was like an invisible thread, pulling him forward.
The Si Gu Men and his group chose to spend the night in an ancient temple that had been abandoned for many years. This remote location was the perfect place for all forces to take action.
As night falls and the bonfire is lit, murderous intent arrives!
First, the black-clad killers trained by the Antiques Merchants Association jumped out from the shadows like a ghost and went straight for the carriage loaded with antiques. Their methods were brutal and deadly.
Soon after, another group of mysterious people with unidentified identities but even more bizarre and sinister martial arts joined the battle. It seemed that they not only wanted the antiques, but also had great hostility towards the four disciples, especially the leaders Qiao Wanwan and Xiao Zijin.
In an instant, the sounds of swords and sabers, shouts and screams were heard inside and outside the ancient temple, completely breaking the silence of the wilderness.
The masters of the Golden Yuan League looked at Di Feisheng, waiting for instructions.
Di Feisheng stood in the shadows, his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping coldly across the chaotic battlefield until it finally settled on the nearby parked Lotus Building. He saw Li Lianhua, seemingly startled by the sounds of fighting outside, leaning out of the car window, her face a perfectly composed expression of panic and bewilderment as she fumbled to drive the vixen back inside.
"Secure that building." Di Feisheng's voice was emotionless, but the command was crystal clear. "Everyone else, clear the area. Seize the antiques."
"Yes!" The masters of the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance immediately joined the battle like an arrow from a bow. Their goal was clear: to defeat all contenders and seize the Nanyin antiques.
The battlefield instantly became more chaotic. The entry of the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance broke the temporary balance. Their martial arts were fierce and domineering, and they quickly suppressed the two groups of attackers.
Li Lianhua hid in the Lotus Tower, seemingly trembling, but in reality, he calmly observed the situation outside through the cracks. He saw Qiao Wanwan, her white clothes stained with blood, still fighting fiercely. Xiao Zijin protected her at her side, her swordsmanship sharp but showing signs of fatigue. He also saw the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance's ruthless attacks, targeting the antiques.
In the melee, a mysterious killer who was repelled by the masters of the Golden Mandarin Duck Alliance staggered back towards the Lotus Tower. A fierce light flashed in his eyes, and he seemed to want to use this seemingly harmless building car and its owner as a target for venting his anger or holding them hostage, and suddenly pounced on them!
Li Lianhua screamed in fear and instinctively shrank back, tripping over the threshold and falling backward in a panic. This fall narrowly avoided the killer's determined grasp. The killer's strike missed, and his body was unstable. Just as he was about to pounce again, he was killed by a sword from the master of the Golden Yuan League who was chasing him.
Elsewhere, a palm-sized bronze mirror that seemed inconspicuous among Nan Yin's antiques rolled out when the carriage was shattered by the sword energy, and rolled to the side of the wheel of the Lotus Tower.
No one paid attention to such details in the melee.
Li Lianhua, seemingly still terrified, climbed to his feet and cautiously tried to close the car door. He "accidentally" caught a glimpse of the bronze mirror. His eyes narrowed slightly, then panic returned. He quickly bent down, seemingly picking up an object for self-defense, and tucked the mirror into his sleeve. His movements were as natural as a frightened person's instinctive reaction.
The sound of the flute flying high above makes it all visible.
He saw Li Lianhua "luckily" dodge the attack, and also saw him "accidentally" pick up the bronze mirror. The corners of his mouth curled up in a barely perceptible arc, a mixture of mockery and understanding.
At this moment, something strange happened again!
The mysterious leader, the most skilled martial artist, seemed to have determined that Qiao Wanwan was the key. He broke free from the entanglement and, with the speed of smoke, rushed straight towards Qiao Wanwan. In his hand, a strange poisonous stinger flashing with a faint blue light pierced her back! The attack was silent and extremely vicious. Qiao Wanwan was dealing with the enemy in front of her and was completely unaware!
Xiao Zijin screamed in horror, but was entangled by her opponent and could not rescue her in time!
In a flash, a dark shadow reacted faster than anyone else!
Di Feisheng originally didn't want to interfere in Si Gumen's affairs, but at that moment, perhaps because of Li Lianhua, or perhaps for some other reason, he suddenly moved!
Beifeng Baiyang's internal energy exploded, and he swept into the battle circle like a flash of black lightning, arriving first after being attacked later! He didn't use his sword, but simply slapped out with his palm, and the powerful palm wind accurately hit the poisonous stinger!
boom!
The poisonous stinger was shattered by the palm wind, and the mysterious leader's blood was surging due to this huge force. He retreated several steps and looked at Di Feisheng who suddenly intervened in horror!
Di Feisheng didn't even glance at him, only scanning the entire room with a cold gaze. The pressure and murderous intent in his eyes made all parties in the fierce battle pause involuntarily.
"Get out." He only uttered one word.
The mysterious leader knew he was no match for Di Feisheng, so he gritted his teeth, snorted coldly, and fled into the darkness. The other attackers, seeing this, also fled in panic.
A melee came to an abrupt end due to the sudden intervention of Di Feisheng and the strength of the Jinyuan League.
In front of the ancient temple, only the people of Sigumen were left, looking at Di Feisheng and his subordinates, as well as the mess and corpses on the ground, in shock and suspicion, with a hint of hostility.
Di Feisheng didn't care about their gazes at all. He turned around and walked straight towards the quiet Lotus Building.
Li Lianhua was sticking half of her head out from behind the car door, a look of lingering fear still on her face. She patted her chest and said, "Thank you, Alliance Leader Di, for your help again. This, this is really scary..."
Di Feisheng's eyes fell on his sleeve, where the bronze mirror was hidden, and he said meaningfully, "Divine Doctor Li is quite lucky. He always picks up some 'interesting' things."
Li Lianhua smiled without changing her expression: "I'm in the wilderness, just picking up a piece of scrap metal to protect myself."
The two men's eyes met briefly in the air, and they understood each other tacitly.
The chaos outside the ancient temple has subsided. The people in Sigumen are cleaning up the mess and treating the wounded. The atmosphere is solemn and alert. From time to time, they cast vigilant glances at the quiet Lotus Building not far away and the black-robed man standing outside the building with his hands behind his back.
Di Feisheng ignored those gazes, he was just waiting.
Sure enough, not long after, the window of the Lotus Building was gently pushed open, and Li Lianhua leaned halfway out, his face showing just the right amount of lingering fear of a frightened doctor, mixed with a hint of curiosity about having found something strange. He glanced around, then waved to Di Feisheng, lowering his voice. "Alliance Leader Di, may I have a moment with you? I...I found something that looks a bit odd."
Di Feisheng's eyes moved slightly, and he walked over as he was told. In a flash, he entered the building.
The building was small, lit only by a dim oil lamp. The reflection made Li Lianhua's face appear even paler, but it also softened his usual aloofness. He carefully removed the palm-sized bronze mirror from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
"That's it," Li Lianhua pointed at the bronze mirror, her tone uncertain. "It rolled beside the car in the chaos just now. I didn't think it looked ordinary, so I... I just picked it up. Alliance Leader Di is very knowledgeable, could you help take a look?"
Di Feisheng didn't immediately reach for the bronze mirror. Instead, he gave Li Lianhua a deep look. Her eyes were clear, her expression innocent, as if she were just an ordinary person who had stumbled upon an antique and was feeling both nervous and curious.
He sneered in his heart but did not show it on his face. He picked up the bronze mirror as he was told.
The mirror felt cool and delicate to the touch, evidently made of extraordinary material. The back was engraved with intricate and bizarre patterns. Rather than the auspicious beasts and clouds common in the Central Plains, it instead featured a twisted pattern resembling a symbiotic vine interwoven with strange eyes, imbued with an exotic sense of mystery. The edges were inlaid with a few gemstones, long since tarnished, yet one could still imagine their former splendor.
"The totem of Nanyin." Di Feisheng ran his fingertips across the patterns and said with certainty, "Judging from the craftsmanship and the degree of erosion, it is very old and not a recent imitation." The Jinyuan League has influence all over the world and has its own knowledge of the relics of mysterious ancient countries like Nanyin.
Li Lianhua made a timely "I see" expression, moved closer, and pointed at a subtle groove in the center of the mirror's back, resembling the shape of a rotating petal. "Alliance Leader Di, look here. It seems... there's a hidden secret?"
Di Feisheng pressed his fingertips against the groove, exerting a little pressure, but found it motionless. He injected a little internal energy to test it, but the bronze mirror still showed no reaction.
"It seems to require a specific method or... a key to open it," Di Feisheng mused. He turned the bronze mirror over and looked at the surface. The mirror was blurry due to its age, barely reflecting the outline of a figure. But upon closer inspection, the edge of the mirror seemed to be etched with extremely subtle, almost indecipherable symbols.
"These symbols..." Li Lianhua also noticed them. He looked at them intently, frowning slightly. "They don't seem to be words. They look more like... instructions? Or fragments of a map?"
His fingers tapped twice unconsciously on the table, as was his habit when he was thinking about a difficult problem.
Di Feisheng's gaze shifted from his tapping fingers to his face, a deep look in his eyes. He didn't point it out, simply handing the bronze mirror back to Li Lianhua. "This object might be related to the Nanyin secret arts, or even to some of the evil gods they worship. You just said it rolled over to your car on its own?"
Li Lianhua took the bronze mirror and gave a wry smile. "Yes, what a terrifying coincidence. Alliance Leader Di, do you think... could this be some kind of ominous object? Those killers were fighting so fiercely for it just now..."
"Whether it's an ominous object depends on who gets it and how it's used," Di Feisheng said calmly, but with a hint of meaning. "Si Gu Men values these antiques so much that they've attracted so much competition. There must be a significant secret hidden within. This mirror might be one of the keys."
He paused, his gaze locked on Li Lianhua again. "Divine Doctor Li has always had good luck, always being able to access these core items. I'm afraid things will get even more turbulent from now on."
Li Lianhua seemed not to understand the deep meaning of his words, and just sighed worriedly: "Alas, I just want to live a peaceful life practicing medicine, why am I always involved in these right and wrongs... Alliance Leader Di, you have to protect me." As he said this, he bowed in a formal manner.
Di Feisheng watched him like this, the conflicting emotions of wanting to tear his disguise apart yet keep him tightly in his arms surged again. He snorted coldly, "Your life is under my watch. But since you've found this mirror, keep it. Perhaps... the 'key' will soon find its way to you."
They both knew this was no accident. The bronze mirror's appearance was like an invisible hand pushing them ever closer to the heart of Nan Yin's secrets. While Li Lianhua seemed passively involved, each step she took was crucial.
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