Chapter 125: The Qingwei Sorcerer

“Hehe, little fellow, you’ve got some skills!”

The voice from outside made Liu Dashao’s heart tighten. From its rough and hoarse tone, it was undoubtedly an old man.

He quickly stood up and shouted into the house, “Dad! Wake up! There’s a thief in the house!”

At this point, he could only call for help from his father, but no one responded despite his shouting.

At that moment, a burst of wild laughter came from outside: “Hahaha! Stop shouting, little fellow! Everyone in the village has fallen under my spell. No matter how loudly you call, they won’t wake up!”

As the laughter faded, a figure leaped over the door and landed inside. Liu Dashao admired this person’s skill and secretly observed him.

The figure appeared about the same age as Zhang Enpu. He wore an old man’s hat, a set of black long robes, and stared at Liu Dashao with sharp eyes.

“Hmph, never thought a child would see through my coffin-shadow technique. And you destroyed the ghost I raised earlier. Hmph, you’re quite capable for a little brat!” The old man said, stepping closer.

Liu Dashao stepped back while thinking. He realized this old man must be the Taoist who had tampered with Qian Qing’s father’s grave: “You’re so old, yet you still bully the young!”

Though he spoke defiantly, Liu Dashao was quickly thinking of a plan.

“You’re no ordinary child. To master Daoist techniques so skillfully, you must have practiced hard, hehe!” The old man didn’t stop approaching.

Liu Dashao quickly turned and dashed into the house, ran to the back room, opened the window, jumped out, and fled outside.

He didn’t know where to go, but knew he must buy time. When Liu Dashao finally got too tired to run further and bent over gasping for breath, he realized he had reached the village entrance.

“Was I just running like this? How embarrassing!” Hearing a voice from behind, Liu Dashao thought his running had been in vain.

It seemed he had no choice but to fight. Liu Dashao gritted his teeth, did not turn around, but squatted down and picked up a stone with his left hand. He bit his left middle finger, quickly drew a talisman on his right palm with the blood, placed the stone on the talisman, held a hand seal with his left hand, and whispered, “Borrow the power of Mount Tai, attack the enemy’s essence and soul. Stone General, strike!” Then he hurled the stone at the old man.

The old man simply waved his hand, deflecting the stone aside. With a slight smile, he said, “Your Five Elements technique still lacks power. Hmph, then let this Daoist test your skills!”

Suddenly, he moved his feet and swung his hand, sending a palm strike toward Liu Dashao. Liu Dashao felt an immense pressure on his face and quickly crossed his hands, chanting an incantation, then redirected the strike sideways. A loud “bang” erupted as dust flew from the ground beside him.

Before Liu Dashao could catch his breath, the old man didn’t give him any respite. He suddenly made several strange hand seals, stepped back with his right leg, and launched three consecutive palm strikes.

Liu Dashao closed his eyes and focused his energy, seeing three blades flying toward him. He quickly moved left and right, using the same technique to deflect two of the blade energies. For the last one, he had no hand free to block, so he quickly lay backward. He felt a gust of wind sweep over his head. Touching it, he found his forehead hair had been cut off.

He thought, if he hadn’t dodged, he would have died right there. Liu Dashao stood up and looked at the old man again.

The old man seemed momentarily stunned, stammering, “Transfer… technique. Little brat! You’re from the Celestial Masters Sect!”

Upon hearing him mention the sect, Liu Dashao quickly responded, “Hmph, that’s my master! I was just bait to lure you out, and my master will destroy you, hmpf! Scared now?”

Then Liu Dashao loudly called Zhang Enpu’s name several times, secretly watching the old man’s reaction.

The old man indeed looked frightened, taking a few steps back, glancing around, and then at Liu Dashao, uncertainly saying, “Hmph, little brat, don’t try to fool me. If my senior brother were really here, would he let you get beaten like this?”

Liu Dashao smiled and sat cross-legged, pretending to be calm, but his heart was unsettled. He could only stall for time.

Liu Dashao slightly opened his eyes to observe the old man. Sure enough, the old man didn’t approach further but paced back and forth at a distance.

Suddenly, the old man seemed to make a decision. He muttered something, then casually threw something at Liu Dashao. A long sword flew toward him, directly aiming at his chest. Liu Dashao inwardly cried, “I’m done for!” and closed his eyes, bracing for the sword.

But he only felt a gust of wind. When he opened his eyes, a figure in gray clothes stood before him, someone very familiar, though he couldn’t recall who at first.

The figure stood with his back to Liu Dashao, facing the old man. He grabbed the sword mid-air and with a “crack,” broke it in half.

The old man laughed, “Oh! You’ve summoned a household guardian deity. Then I’ll have to be rude!”

Hearing this, Liu Dashao looked at the figure again. Long hair, gray clothes. Liu Dashao suddenly realized—it was the earth deity enshrined by Zhang Enpu!

Could this be the guardian deity manifesting?

Suddenly, the old man tightly closed his eyes, chanting for a while, then pointed both hands toward Liu Dashao. A blue light shot forth. The guardian deity in front of Liu Dashao moved, blocking the blue light. Then he crouched down, transforming into a long, large snake crawling toward the old man.

Seeing the guardian deity turn into a snake, the old man took out something resembling paper cutouts. He threw the paper cutout onto the ground, and it suddenly transformed into a large bird flapping its wings, rushing forward to peck at the snake guardian deity. But the snake seemed frightened, turned around, and disappeared.

Seeing this, the old man burst into maniacal laughter: “Hahaha! Now even gods can’t save you. Give me your life!”

With a fierce shout, the large bird flapped toward Liu Dashao. This bird was taller than Liu Dashao. If it pecked him, he would be finished. He quickly covered his head with his hands, crawling backward. He felt the bird pecking at his clothes, and he was pinned down, unable to move.

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed, like a wild beast’s scream.

Liu Dashao looked up and saw a tiger running toward him from the village entrance, roaring as it ran. On the tiger’s back was a white figure. Liu Dashao looked closely and realized it was Huang Er Ye. The large bird seemed to fear it, retreating from Liu Dashao.

By now, the tiger had reached Liu Dashao. Huang Er Ye jumped off the tiger’s back. Liu Dashao hugged Huang Er Ye joyfully, saying, “Er Ye, you’ve come to save Dashao! Dashao was bullied by a bad person, that old monster over there!” He pointed at the old man.

Huang Er Ye circled around, and the tiger pounced on the large bird, tearing it apart in a few moves. The bird turned into several pieces of paper fluttering to the ground. The old man suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered backward, and seemed injured.

Then the tiger pounced again, knocking the old man down and biting him repeatedly. After a while, it stopped. Liu Dashao thought, this time he must be either dead or crippled.

After the tiger moved aside, Liu Dashao walked over to check. All he saw was a hat and a black robe on the ground. The old man had vanished.

As Liu Dashao was puzzled, a voice suddenly came from midair, “Little brat, today you were lucky to have this hundred-year-old Huang Daxian protecting you. But next time we meet, you won’t be so fortunate. Tell Zhang Enpu that Ma Chunyi of the Qingwei Sect has visited! Hahahahaha!”

After a burst of wild laughter, the voice disappeared.

After listening, Liu Dashao sat on the ground. After all that commotion, he was exhausted. Looking at Huang Er Ye, who was standing there watching him, Liu Dashao patted its small body and said, “Er Ye, thank you so much! If you hadn’t come to save Dashao, Dashao would have been killed by that old demon!”

As Liu Dashao patted Huang Er Ye’s head, he noticed it seemed to want to say something. It twisted its body and ran off.

Liu Dashao quickly got up and followed. It was heading toward Zhang Enpu’s house.

When they reached the door, Huang Er Ye looked at Liu Dashao, then climbed up the wall and jumped into the courtyard. But Liu Dashao couldn’t climb up, so he could only wait outside.

After a while, Huang Er Ye came out running toward Liu Dashao, holding something in its mouth. Liu Dashao looked closely and realized it was the purple bead he had placed on the windowsill.

The sky was beginning to lighten. The purple bead faintly emitted a purple glow. Huang Er Ye bit the bead, shook its small head hard, and the bead “swooshed” and smashed against the wall, breaking into pieces.

Liu Dashao exclaimed in regret, “Oh no! What did Huang Er Ye do that for?”

But it didn’t respond to Liu Dashao. It rummaged through the fragments for a while, then seemed to find something. Using its two small paws, it picked it up and walked to Liu Dashao.

Liu Dashao reached out to take it. It was a small, white, slightly transparent pill-like ball. Looking at Liu Dashao, Huang Er Ye seemed to say, “Yes, Liu Dashao, you should eat this small pill.”

At this, Huang Er Ye circled around a few times and wagged its tail, indicating Liu Dashao was correct. Liu Dashao hesitated for a moment, looked at Huang Er Ye, then put the small pill in his mouth and swallowed it.

As soon as the pill entered his mouth, it dissolved like water, and Liu Dashao swallowed it.

After a while, Liu Dashao didn’t notice anything different.

Suddenly, a voice came from his ear, “Dashao…”

Liu Dashao looked around. Except for himself and Huang Er Ye on the ground, there was no one else. Could Liu Dashao have been mistaken?

Just as Liu Dashao was puzzled, another voice came, “Dashao…”

This time, Liu Dashao heard it clearly. It was a young man’s voice, and it was right around him.

Liu Dashao looked around again, but there was no one. Looking down, only Huang Er Ye was watching him with longing eyes. Who else could be calling Liu Dashao? Could it be…

“Right, it’s Liu Dashao. Liu Dashao is calling you.”

Liu Dashao exclaimed in surprise, “Huang Er Ye… you… you can talk now?”

Looking at Huang Er Ye on the ground, it just stared at Liu Dashao without moving its mouth, yet the voice came again.

“It’s not that I can talk now, but that you can now hear me.”

Liu Dashao was both surprised and delighted, not knowing what to say.

Then Huang Er Ye continued, “The pill you just ate was the Xuanpin Pill. From now on, you will understand the language of all living things. You will comprehend the languages of anything with life, and you will master all arcane arts!”

Liu Dashao asked in confusion, “What are arcane arts?”

Huang Er Ye twisted its small body and said, “Let’s put that aside for now. Dashao, do you know who that old Taoist was?”

Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “From what that old demon said, he seemed to be some junior apprentice of my master’s. But why did he try to kill me?”

Huang Er Ye turned its small body and said, “That old Taoist is a practitioner from the Qingwei Sect. Everyone in your village has fallen under his spell. If it isn’t broken, they will never wake up.”

Hearing this, Liu Dashao suddenly remembered what the old demon had said during their fight—that he had cast a spell on the entire village, which was why no one woke up no matter how loudly Liu Dashao called.

Liu Dashao asked nervously, “Huang Er Ye, what should we do? Is there no way to break the spell?”

Huang Er Ye said, “All spells can be broken. Don’t worry. Do as I say. There’s still some time before dawn. You must reach the well at the village entrance before the rooster crows at dawn. There’s a thousand-year-old turtle in the well. Stand by the well and shout into it: ‘Huang Er Ye wants you to come up!’ Shout it several times.

If it comes up, tell it to come up. If it doesn’t, threaten to drain the well. It will be scared and come up. When the thousand-year-old turtle comes up, quickly flip it over so its belly faces up. That way, it can’t escape. Then knock three times on the shell of its belly. Then it will rain in a small area of the village. Once it rains, the villagers will awaken, and the spell will be broken!”

Liu Dashao memorized what Huang Er Ye said. Just as he was about to leave, Huang Er Ye told him to find it in the small grove after finishing. Liu Dashao agreed and ran toward the village entrance.

When he reached the well at the village entrance, Liu Dashao didn’t even pause to catch his breath. He quickly ran to the well and shouted into it, “Huang Er Ye wants you to come up! Huang Er Ye wants you to come up! Huang Er Ye wants you to come up!”

Liu Dashao shouted three times, but nothing happened. In the dark well, only his echoes replied.

Seeing that the thousand-year-old turtle still didn’t come up, Liu Dashao threatened it, “Huang Er Ye wants you to come up, and you dare not come up! Watch Huang Er Ye use magic to drain this well dry! Thirst will kill you!”

But after a while, the thousand-year-old turtle still didn’t come out, not even a sound. In desperation, Liu Dashao moved a large stone from the side to the well’s edge and shouted into the well, “You thousand-year-old turtle, Huang Er Ye wants you to come up, and you still won’t come up! Huang Er Ye is using magic now!”

Then he pushed the stone hard. With a “plop,” the stone hit the water, splashing some upward. The stone had quite some force. Then a muffled cough came from the well.

Then a voice of an old man said, “Oh! Second Master, have mercy! I’m coming up now!”

Liu Dashao secretly rejoiced and quickly continued, “Hmph! You finally know your place. Hurry up and come up!”

Then splashing sounds came from the well, like someone swimming underwater. Liu Dashao stood by the well, excited and trembling.

After a while, a gray little head appeared at the well’s edge.

Liu Dashao looked and saw it was indeed the thousand-year-old turtle’s head. With two gray eyes peeking out, it crawled most of its body out of the well. Its shell was really big, like a large basin, but it didn’t seem cumbersome at all. Its forward crawling speed was quite fast. With its gray eyes looking left and right, it asked Liu Dashao, “Where is Huang Er Ye?”

Liu Dashao said, “Huang Er Ye sent me to check on you.”

With that, he jumped and rushed to the side of the thousand-year-old turtle.

The thousand-year-old turtle seemed to realize it had been tricked and quickly tried to crawl back. But Liu Dashao had already firmly grabbed it. The turtle was surprisingly strong, almost pulling Liu Dashao off balance. Liu Dashao used the momentum to flip it over.

As it lay on its back, unable to move, it began pleading with Liu Dashao, “Oh! Little immortal, please let me go! Oh! I have no grudge with you at all!”

Liu Dashao spoke to the thousand-year-old turtle, “Old turtle, I’m sorry, but I just need to use your belly for a moment.”

Then Liu Dashao tapped three times on the shell of its belly. As soon as he finished tapping, he felt something fall from the sky, landing on his face. He reached out and touched it—it was water. It was really raining.

Liu Dashao flipped the thousand-year-old turtle back over, thanked it, and quickly ran toward the village.

Behind him, the old turtle said, “If you had just said it was for rain, you would have scared this old turtle to death!”

Liu Dashao ran toward the village,迎着 the first spring rain, the spring rain he had longed for. Not caring that the rain soaked him completely, Liu Dashao felt only joy in his heart—not just for saving the villagers, but also for gaining the ability to understand animal speech after eating the Xuanpin Pill.

When Liu Dashao reached the village, the rooster’s crow just sounded. He didn’t go home but directly ran to the small grove, because Huang Er Ye had told him to go there after making it rain.

When he reached the small grove, Liu Dashao ran to the tree hole, but Huang Er Ye wasn’t there. Liu Dashao shouted loudly, “Huang Er Ye! Huang Er Ye! Come out quickly! Dashao is here!”

After shouting for a while, he heard Huang Er Ye’s voice, “You’re fast! Did you make it rain? Did you mistreat the thousand-year-old turtle?”

Liu Dashao looked around and saw Huang Er Ye sitting on a big rock, smoking a pipe.

“Of course not! After making it rain, I thanked it, and it went back into the well,” Liu Dashao answered.

Huang Er Ye jumped down from the rock and walked to Liu Dashao, saying, “I’ve been cultivating for over nine hundred years. That day you saved my life, and it was our destined fate. What I’ve done isn’t just to thank you for saving me, but also to tell you what I know!”

Huang Er Ye paused and continued, “When I had been cultivating for over two hundred years, I saw two Taoists fighting in a mass grave. After watching for a while, I realized they were fighting over a book and a bead. That bead… was the one you just ate—the Pinyin Pill.”

Liu Dashao was somewhat shocked and asked, “Then… what book was it?”

Huang Er Ye looked at Liu Dashao and said, “The Emperor’s Art—the Qimen Dunjia!”