Chapter 117: The Ambush and Siege

In the wilderness, three figures approached Qinghe County silently—one riding a bamboo raft, another astride a bone leopard, and the third shrouded in yellow smoke. They were Jiang Chen, Gray Bone, and Black-Heart Elder.

Like Jiang Chen, Black-Heart Elder was moved by the conditions proposed by Gao Sixing. In his eyes, with a seasoned Qi practitioner like Gray Bone leading, and with himself and the corpse master as support, eliminating a Qi practitioner in the early stage would be no problem at all.

Even if the target was a sword cultivator who had slain a practitioner at the small success stage, it was nothing to fear. He knew of Luo Qiao from the Fishing Spirit Sect—just an ordinary figure who reached small success mainly due to age, without any formidable skills.

“Up ahead is Rooster’s Cry Mountain. The Taiping Sect’s temple is on Wooden Fish Island, nestled against the mountain’s back,” Black-Heart Elder said first, his slender frame wrapped in hemp cloth, his yellowed skin giving him the appearance of a humble mountain farmer rather than a fierce warrior.

Hearing this, Gray Bone, seated on the bone leopard, also halted. “The day is still young; let’s strike at night,” he decided after glancing at the sky.

Neither Jiang Chen, in his guise as the corpse master, nor Black-Heart Elder objected.

Time slipped by silently. When the moon hung high and the night was deep and still, the three infiltrated the Taiping Sect under Gray Bone’s lead.

“Heh, just a fallen sect,” Black-Heart Elder sneered, crossing the numerous sentries while looking at the flooded, still-unreconstructed Taiping Sect. Even Gray Bone’s last trace of worry melted away.

Though sect construction often amounted to mere show, if a sect couldn’t even manage the facade, it was unlikely to be formidable.

Soon, without alerting anyone, they reached the Freshheart Cottage—the best-constructed building on Wooden Fish Island, standing out conspicuously.

“This must be the Freshheart Cottage from the intel, the cultivation place of Taiping Daoist,” the corpse master spoke with a cold, aged face.

Sensing the spiritual aura inside, Gray Bone and Black-Heart Elder were convinced this was their target.

“Corpse master, it seems you have great insight in this matter. Perhaps we might collaborate more in the future,” Black-Heart Elder grinned, revealing a few missing teeth as he looked at Jiang Chen.

Though Wooden Fish Island was neither large nor small, Jiang Chen’s transformation into the corpse master was instrumental in their smooth progress. Several times he had helped them avoid hidden sentries and traps, and pointed them in the right direction.

In truth, they hadn’t expected such an easy mission. They had prepared for discovery, even to the point of causing chaos to lure Jiang Chen out. But this plan was more complicated and riskier than a straightforward beheading.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen glanced at Black-Heart Elder silently.

The elder felt something odd in Jiang Chen’s gaze but couldn’t pinpoint it. At that moment, Gray Bone pulled out a spirit talisman from his storage pouch.

“This operation went smoother than expected. I’ll use this silence talisman to isolate the area inside and out. The three of us will strike together to kill Taiping Daoist Jiang Chen as quickly as possible.”

“Taiping Sect has recruited many martial artists. Though mediocre, their numbers could be troublesome.”

Holding the talisman between two fingers, Gray Bone prepared to move. The talisman, supplied by Gao Sixing, could cut off all sound within a small area. It had no offensive power but ensured no noise escaped.

Hearing this, Black-Heart Elder quietly drew a beheading blade. Before entering cultivation, he had been an executioner. Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate either; he released his fighting corpse.

The moment the fighting corpse appeared, its fierce, savage aura startled both Black-Heart Elder and Gray Bone.

“What a ferocious zombie. I underestimated the corpse master before. After this is over, perhaps I can truly befriend him,” Gray Bone thought as he glanced at Jiang Chen.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. Circulating true qi, he activated the silence talisman.

In the next instant, an invisible light shield enveloped the entire Freshheart Cottage.

“Go!”

The bone leopard transformed into armor, shielding Gray Bone. Summoning a white bone magic sword, Gray Bone charged into the cottage first. He had already locked onto an extremely pure spiritual aura inside, a Qi-level presence—surely Jiang Chen.

Seeing this, Black-Heart Elder followed closely, while a shadow flickered in Jiang Chen’s eyes as he moved slightly slower.

“Taiping Daoist, you are surrounded. Come out and meet your death!”

With the talisman sealing the area and the encirclement complete, Black-Heart Elder shouted deliberately when Jiang Chen did not respond.

At that moment, the sounds of a turtle’s call and a snake’s hiss burst forth. Two chilling and murderous auras suddenly exploded from within the cottage.

“Trouble, there’s someone else.”

Sensing danger, Gray Bone and Black-Heart Elder both assumed defensive postures.

Then a low growl escaped Jiang Chen’s lips. Channeling the Four-Armed Vajra technique, his body swelled monstrously. The fighting corpse lunged—not at those inside the cottage, but at Gray Bone.

“You...”

Sword light pierced the cold air, and Gray Bone’s figure was swallowed by the shadow cast by the fighting corpse. Shocked and enraged, he never expected the corpse master to turn on him.

Hum! Caught off guard, Gray Bone unleashed the full power of his medium-grade magic artifact, the Tiger-Leopard Armor, forged from the bones of two fierce beasts. Besides transportation, it bestowed the wearer with the strength and defense of tiger and leopard.

Roaring, the four arms swung fiercely, gusts of wind howling. The fighting corpse unleashed its full might, sending Gray Bone flying.

At the same time, Jiang Chen acted. A silver-white sword light shot from his sleeve like lightning, aiming straight at Gray Bone.

At last, Gray Bone understood.

“Flying sword? You’re not the corpse master—you are Taiping Daoist Jiang Chen…”

Barely steadying himself, he used the white bone magic sword to narrowly block the silver sword light, eyes filled with suspicion and disbelief.

His condition was dire. The Tiger-Leopard Armor behind him was visibly damaged. Blood stained his lips, and a domineering yin energy surged through his body, ravaging his life force—this was the Yin Absolute True Qi.

Had it not been for his considerable cultivation, with forty true qi orifices and two medium-grade magic artifacts for protection, his situation would be far worse.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen said nothing, manipulating the Immortal Crane Needle to transform the sword light, launching attack after attack.

As for Black-Heart Elder, he faced the twin elders alone. Furthermore, prepared disciples of the Taiping Sect had already closed in. Though a Qi practitioner in the early stage was formidable, even he had his limits.