Supreme Pure Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman

The quiet chamber lay in the rear courtyard of Golden Wind Hall. Dappled bamboo shadows screened out the clamor beyond, sunlight streamed through carved lattice windows, and curls of sandalwood incense drifted through the air, leaving one dazed.

Hong Xin invited Gu Zhao to sit and served him fragrant tea.

Gu Zhao accepted the cup and asked, "Brother Hong is the one in charge of this Golden Wind Hall?"

"Indeed!" Hong Xin grinned. "The Sect Master thought highly of me and made me an Altar General."

Perhaps he was rather proud of it, perhaps the remark had scratched his itch, or perhaps he had returned to his own den and no longer cared to hide it. As Hong Xin spoke, his eyes went black for an instant, and a trace of ghostly aura spread out before vanishing in a flash.

"So Brother Hong is the most formidable person from Golden Wind Hall in Xiu Yue County?" Gu Zhao asked again, smiling as well.

"Of course!" Hong Xin laughed heartily, then teased, "What, does Brother Zhang want to join the sect?"

Gu Zhao asked curiously, "Didn't you invite me here because you wanted to draw me into the sect?"

At that, Hong Xin let out a deliberately regretful sigh. "Brother Zhang has a handsome bearing and extraordinary appearance. Under normal circumstances, I couldn't beg enough for a talent like you."

"Hm?" Gu Zhao blinked, genuinely surprised.

He had thought Hong Xin had snatched him away from Painter Lu because he did not want Painter Lu to kill him. He had assumed Hong Xin wanted him to join the Golden Wind Sect and offer his spiritual mental power to the Golden Wind Divine King.

Having grown up in a new era, he lacked neither meat nor eggs, with fruit and vegetables in ample supply. His body was strong and his spirit full, so by all rights, he should have been a rare incense battery. That was why, when he had composed a poem earlier, he had acted a little "simple-minded," putting on the look of someone easily fooled.

But from Hong Xin's words, that was not the case?

Meeting Gu Zhao's curious gaze, Hong Xin smiled faintly. "A few days ago, an elder came to the residence. As a junior, I naturally had to show some filial devotion before my elder."

At this point, Hong Xin sighed again. "Unfortunately, Xiu Yue County is a small place. I selected several gifts for my elder, but my elder was not particularly satisfied with any of them.

"I was nearly worried to death. I had been wandering outside like a headless fly when I happened to learn that Lu Sheng had encountered an outsider. I had only intended to treat a dead horse as if it were alive, but who would have thought that at first sight, Brother Zhang's elegance would shine so brilliantly? It truly relieved me."

Gu Zhao understood. "So... I'm the gift?"

Hong Xin looked at Gu Zhao with great interest, his smile utterly unrestrained. "Looks like Brother Zhang isn't stupid after all!"

As he spoke, Hong Xin took a step back and stood at the entrance to the quiet chamber, blocking Gu Zhao's escape. At the same time, he lowered his head and softened his voice. "Great Protector, are you satisfied?"

The next moment, a hulking man half a head taller than Hong Xin, broad-backed and bear-waisted, with coarse features, lifted the door curtain and strode in. His gaze traveled up and down Gu Zhao's body, wicked light gleaming in his eyes as he nodded in satisfaction.

"This one isn't bad. Much better than the crooked melons and misshapen dates you offered before. The ones I like aren't those weak scholars, but pretty youths like this!"

"It is good that the Great Protector is satisfied." Hong Xin finally let out a breath of relief.

"You may leave." The large man waved a hand, then walked toward Gu Zhao with naked greed. Seeing Gu Zhao's incredulous expression, he grew even more satisfied and laughed lewdly. "Young man, come, come. Let uncle cherish you properly."

Gu Zhao remained expressionless as he watched the man draw closer and closer.

Hong Xin gave him a pitying look and turned to leave. But the moment he turned around, he felt a ripple of mana behind him and heard Gu Zhao's cold yet brisk voice. "Three Primes and Three Officials, nine rivers of Jiang and nine rivers of He. Transform into iron chains and bind his entire body."

Hong Xin spun around sharply and saw his own Great Protector crash to the floor.

"What?" Hong Xin was greatly startled.

The large man crashed down, revealing Gu Zhao behind him. A wisp of ash drifted away from Gu Zhao's hand. With nothing between them now, their eyes met, and Hong Xin finally saw Gu Zhao's expression.

He was smiling too.

"Thank you for letting me get close to him without arousing suspicion," Gu Zhao said with a smile.

"Hong Xin!" The large man was shocked upon hearing this. He turned to Hong Xin and roared sternly, "You dare betray the Divine King!"

"I didn't!" Hong Xin blurted out instinctively.

In the gap while the two spoke, Gu Zhao reached into the cloth pouch at his waist with his left hand and drew out another triangular-folded piece of yellow paper. He pointed at Hong Xin with his right hand, and a stream of spiritual energy transformed into iron chains, crossing space to coil around Hong Xin.

Hong Xin realized what was happening and tried to resist, but before he could mobilize the mana within him, he heard Gu Zhao's voice. "Three Primes, three..."

As Gu Zhao's incantation continued, Hong Xin felt the spiritual-energy chains enter his body and bind tighter and tighter, locking all his mana and divine consciousness within him. He was completely unable to mobilize them.

As the final word of the incantation fell, the iron chains inside him instantly formed a closed loop. With that, Hong Xin could no longer even stand steadily. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

"He truly did not," Gu Zhao said, nodding to the large man. "I only said that because I wanted to stop him from running away."

The large man's eyes nearly split open in fury.

Hong Xin's heart stirred, and just as he was about to shout, he saw Gu Zhao make several hand seals with his right hand. The sound Hong Xin made became like that of a cat with its throat pinched shut.

"This is called the Supreme Pure Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman," Gu Zhao kindly explained. "Its basic function is to restrain your Dantian and Sea of Consciousness, preventing you from using mana or spiritual thoughts.

"Beyond that, it has some auxiliary functions that can be adjusted temporarily—for instance, your basic physical strength, whether you can speak, and the functions of the five viscera and five senses."

Gu Zhao thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "It's probably like a single-target anti-magic spell with an added immobilization effect."

Now that the iron chains had entered their bodies, Gu Zhao could sense clearly that the broad-backed, bear-waisted man was a standard fierce ghost, while Hong Xin was a living man. However, a ghost was hiding within Hong Xin's body, and it too had been bound by the iron chains.

"Who are you?" the large man asked. Ghostly aura surged autonomously within him in resistance, battering the iron chains in his body until they shook.

"Oh?" Gu Zhao raised a brow, took out another Supreme Pure Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman, and then...

Only after seeing the large man rendered completely unable to move did Gu Zhao ask, "Who are you?"

The large man ground his teeth, utterly incredulous. "You don't even know who I am?"

Gu Zhao could not help sighing. His left hand formed the Overseer Seal, while his right hand became a Sword Finger. "The heavenly net spreads in season, densely covering the four directions; it gathers and captures evil demons, leaving ghosts nowhere to hide."

A streak of fire shot from his fingertips and struck the large man.

The next moment, the fire transformed into a radiant net and sank into the large man's body. It slowly tightened from outside to within, gradually burning away his ghostly form.

"Ahhh!" The large man howled hoarsely. He felt himself being scorched by this righteous, yang fire, his ghostly body collapsing bit by bit, while the mana and ghostly aura inside him were firmly restrained by two iron chains, leaving him utterly unable to resist.

"I am Ren Tianhe, First Protector God under the Sect Master of the Golden Wind Divine Cult!" the large man shrieked.

"That's more like it. I ask the questions now, and you answer." Gu Zhao nodded and sat back down in his chair. "The rules have been set. Now we can begin our pleasant chat."