Dense Forest Duel with Evil Beggars

Chapter 37: Duel with Evil Beggars in the Dense Forest

Screams and barks of dogs erupted into chaos.

The lantern the beggar was holding fell to the ground, igniting some dry grass. The firelight, along with thick smoke, spread out, making the wild dogs even more frenzied.

The remaining beggars immediately scattered.

"They've found us, watch out for the Hidden Darts!"

"Snake, attack him, make him one with the heavens!"

"Don't disturb that ghost!"

They dodged the wild dogs while exchanging coded phrases.

While the Jianghu Vernacular had its unique variations across different regions and sects, the entire Jianghu shared a set of common phrases. If you heard them enough, you could decipher them.

Translated, these phrases meant, "We've been discovered, watch out for the hidden weapons," "Release the snakes, kill him," and "Don't alert the ghost."

These words were only effective against outsiders. Li Yan, however, understood them perfectly.

Beggars were experts at handling snakes. Since they could use secret techniques to control wild dogs, it was only natural for them to release snakes to ambush him.

But the phrase "Don't alert the ghost" made Li Yan's heart sink.

This was likely the beggars' trump card.

Summoning a troublesome entity could lead to unpredictable consequences.

With this thought, he no longer concealed his presence. He leaped up, emerging from the hillside and charging down towards the foot of the mountain.

Woof! Woof woof!

The already agitated pack of wild dogs immediately spotted him.

These creatures were already in a frenzy. Some chased after the fleeing beggars, but more bared their fangs and lunged at him.

Not only that, but the few beggars also unfastened their cloth bags, loosened their clasps, and threw them forward. Instantly, over a dozen black snakes shot out, slithering rapidly across the ground and charging towards Li Yan.

Clang!

Li Yan's expression remained unchanged as his Guanshan Knife was drawn from its sheath.

With a single thought to preserve his spirit, the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin Sword Tassel swayed left and right.

Having crossed the threshold into the Xuan Gate and successfully preserved his spirit in his sea of consciousness, he hadn't yet built his tower, and the deities he visualized were merely blurry orbs of light. However, he could already use this Buddhist Instrument.

Guided by his divine sense, the malevolent energy emanating from the sword tassel immediately spread.

The entire blade felt like ice, exuding a chilling aura.

According to Wang Dao Xuan, the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin, when combined with the plaque bestowed by the Imperial Court, formed a subtle and vicious "Yan Sheng" formation that could operate autonomously.

When the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin was removed on its own, it would generate "momentum."

Although this "momentum" was born of Yin energy, it was fierce and powerful, making it ideal for suppressing evil.

These wild dogs, though merely mortal beasts, had long subsisted on the flesh of the dead. It was inevitable that they would be tainted with Yin energy, making them highly sensitive to its presence.

"Woo woo~"

The moment Li Yan drew his sword, the wild dogs' fur stood on end. As if encountering their natural predator, they turned and fled in all directions.

The black venomous snakes also fled.

These creatures were even more insidious. They retreated the way they came, some slithering back into the cloth bags, while others suddenly struck out, attacking the beggars.

Clearly, the venomous snakes had also lost control.

The beggars were greatly alarmed. Although caught off guard, they were, after all, experts at handling snakes. Hearing the rustling sounds, they formed their right hands into claws and snatched the snakes by their vital points in mid-air, stuffing them haphazardly into their bags.

But in that brief moment, Li Yan had already closed the distance.

Squelch!

Before one beggar could react, his neck was slashed. Blood spurted out, and he fell to the ground, only able to emit gurgling sounds as he clutched his throat. Soon, he was lifeless.

The old beggar beside him, clearly more experienced in combat, leaped backward while whistling his Dog Beating Stick down.

This move was called "Strike the Dog's Head."

When beggars encountered vicious dogs, the moment the latter lunged, they would leap back to create distance, simultaneously bringing their staff down vertically to strike a vital point.

When used against humans, it wasn't necessarily the head that was targeted.

The staff, being a long weapon, only needed to hit the enemy's wrist to shatter the bones, forcing them to drop their weapon. Then, they would advance and strike the Adam's apple with a diagonal slash.

If the opponent dodged, they could use the opportunity to create distance.

This old beggar had a clever plan, but Li Yan's speed was clearly superior. As he killed the first beggar, he rolled sideways, dodging the staff.

The old beggar smoothly retracted his staff, twisted his body, and prepared for a sweeping attack.

However, as Li Yan rolled to his feet, he had already grabbed a handful of gravel and dirt, flicking his wrist to throw it.

The old beggar was showered with the debris.

He panicked and was about to retreat when he felt a chill at his neck. His vision spun as his head was severed by Li Yan.

This was a life-or-death struggle, and Li Yan's swift blade showed no mercy.

"The target's tough, the wind's strong, let's bail!"

The remaining beggars, seeing how fierce Li Yan was, turned and fled.

The Beggar Gang across the land had always been numerous and a mixed bag.

Though they were skilled fighters within their own ranks, they usually only bullied ordinary people. When encountering peers from the Jianghu, they would rely on their numbers and use methods like driving dogs or playing with snakes to catch their opponents off guard.

But against a ruthless person like Li Yan, their methods of driving dogs and playing with snakes were useless, leaving them no choice but to flee for their lives.

Li Yan let out a cold snort and pursued them closely.

He was in a dangerous situation now and couldn't afford to be careless.

He had to figure out why these beggars were causing trouble.

The few beggars ahead scattered and fled. Although they had lost their lanterns, they knew the terrain well and headed for the densest patches of trees.

Although Li Yan could sense everyone's location with his Olfactory Mystical Power, these guys were slippery. Some even burrowed directly into grave holes and disappeared.

There were secret tunnels beneath the mass burial grounds!

Li Yan realized something was wrong. As he ran, he bent down, picked up a stone, and flicked his wrist to throw it.

"Ouch!"

A beggar was hit on the back of the head, slipped, and crashed headfirst into a tree. His head buzzed, and his vision went black.

Clang!

Just as he was about to get up, he felt a chill around his neck. The Guanshan Knife was already at his throat.

"Who sent you? Why did you attack us?"

Li Yan didn't waste time and asked coldly.

Unexpectedly, the beggar, with the knife at his throat, showed no fear. He chuckled, revealing a mouth full of rotten teeth, and pursed his lips to whistle.

"You're asking for death!"

Li Yan's eyebrows shot up. He flicked his wrist, slitting the man's throat.

Whistling in the middle of the night was a major taboo.

Especially in this mass burial ground where Yin Energy converged.

Wang Dao Xuan had told him this before.

In ancient times, when writing was not yet invented and people used knotted ropes for record-keeping, they relied on various hand gestures and whistles for hunting.

These were the origins of various hand seals and witch curses.

Similar to these were white and red.

White symbolized extreme cold, and red symbolized blood.

These things were deeply imprinted in the soul and bloodline, passed down through generations. Even today, many sorceries were related to them.

For example, some Dharma Veins and folk Witch Doctors still used whistles in conjunction with techniques like Soul Summoning and Ghost Appeasement.

This beggar was clearly trying to drag him down.

However, it was too late.

Just as the beggar's throat was slit, a strong Yin Wind suddenly swept through the surroundings. Amidst the chilling, damp mist, the sound of shouting and killing seemed to echo.

At the same time, Li Yan smelled a cold, bloody scent.

It was weaker than the Cold Altar Rampaging Soldiers he had encountered before, and it lacked the musky odor of wild beasts, but it was full of killing intent, like rusted blades.

Soldier Soul!

Li Yan's eyelids twitched. He quickly retreated, sheathing his blade.

Wang Dao Xuan had told him about this type of Yin entity.

There was no shortage of wars on this land of the Divine Land.

From the great tribal wars of ancient times, the conflicts of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, to every dynastic change, countless people died in wars. When Yin Energy converged, coupled with the karma of killing, and their Heavenly Souls did not disperse, Soldier Souls would appear.

In some places, they would gather in large numbers, becoming passing Netherworld Soldiers.

These entities roamed the land and were also a source for recruiting troops.

The characteristic of Soldier Souls was that they could not tolerate the aura of blades and weapons. Once detected, they would pounce like wild dogs, driven by the lingering memories of their past lives.

There was once a case where passing Netherworld Soldiers appeared outside a town. The constant sound of shouting and killing continued daily. A charlatan offered a foolish suggestion, telling the villagers to wave kitchen knives and clash their blades, hoping to scare the Netherworld Soldiers away.

The result was predictable: no one in the entire town survived.

Although Li Yan possessed the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin, he had already dealt with Rampaging Soldiers and knew these things couldn't be treated with common sense.

He should avoid them if possible, lest he extinguish another Life Fire.

Whoosh~

The Yin Wind grew deeper, and the chilling bloody scent emerged from the graves. It drifted and wafted, actually entering the corpse of the beggar.

Crack!

With an abnormal twisting of bones, the beggar's corpse stood straight up.

Li Yan held his breath and slowly retreated.

He had originally wanted to get away from this thing, but he hadn't expected the corpse to stagger and walk towards him, its chilling bloody aura growing stronger.

Li Yan stopped immediately, a fierce light flashing in his eyes as he gripped his saber's hilt.

It seemed he couldn't shake this thing off.

But this Soldier Soul had made a mistake. Its yearning for a physical body led it to possess a dead person.

The body is a boat, but also a cage.

If he simply destroyed the physical body, the entity would leave directly and find another host. However, he had the Three Talents Demon Suppressing Coin. As long as he seized the opportunity, he could kill it.

"Wait!"

Just as he was about to act, a sound suddenly came from behind him