The appearance of the paper figures served as a stark warning.
The battle at Mount Longhu, during the Luotian Great Ceremony, resulted in the death of the Old Heavenly Master Zhang Yin and casualties among over two hundred disciples. This was undoubtedly a devastating blow to the current Xuanmen.
Consequently, people remained highly wary and sensitive to the name Li Genmiao. Upon hearing of movement from the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect, everyone’s nerves were on edge.
“They’re going to make a move on the Imperial Tomb?” Luo Ning frowned.
Wang Ji Wang said gravely, “Highly likely.”
Zhao Yiyao clenched her fists, “There are still many ordinary people around the Imperial Tomb. If they attack, they’ll be caught in the crossfire.”
“So we must notify Senior Li immediately!”
As A Gong spoke, Long Feicheng ran towards Li Chongxi.
Li Chongxi wore a raincoat, but it was useless against the pouring rain. Even if it blocked the external water, his sweat had already soaked through the clothes, sticking the shirt to his body, making him very uncomfortable.
Long Feicheng reached Li Chongxi and said anxiously, “Old Li, we’ve got trouble!”
Long Feicheng was informal, but Li Chongxi didn’t mind. He furrowed his brow and asked, “What do you mean?”
“It’s that son of a bitch, Li Genmiao!” Long Feicheng blurted out, then suddenly realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself, “It’s those sons of bitches from the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect. They’re near the Imperial Tomb and might be planning something!”
Upon hearing this, Li Chongxi’s expression remained unchanged. He turned and made arrangements for his current tasks in a few words.
Wang Ji Wang and the others, arriving later, were anxious when they saw Li Chongxi’s lack of reaction.
Did this Senior Li not know how wicked his son was!
Did he not know what had happened at Mount Longhu?!
Just as A Gong was about to say more, He Xiping stopped him.
He Xiping said, “Senior Li’s reaction is too calm, so calm it’s as if he expected this all along.”
“What do you mean?” A Gong asked, confused.
“This is Chang’an, the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Senior Li is the tomb keeper,” He Xiping whispered, “Perhaps Senior Li, like the Old Heavenly Master, plans to lure the enemy in and then strike!”
Everyone fell silent. Thinking back to Li Chongxi’s reaction, it was indeed excessively calm.
Just as they were about to confirm their suspicions, a sudden change occurred!
Strange drumbeats suddenly echoed in the sky above the Imperial Tomb.
The drumbeats had no rhythm, striking at the most unexpected moments. These chaotic beats made people feel agitated, like a neighbor’s child playing the violin in the middle of the night, producing sounds worse than a fart.
But He Xiping immediately recognized the peculiarity of the drumbeats. He covered his ears and shouted:
“It’s the human-skin drum!”
At Mount Longhu, He Xiping had witnessed the human-skin drum that could bewilder the mind. Chen Tang, one of the Seven Mansions of Xuanwu, had been quite skilled.
He never expected that someone could still use the human-skin drum after Chen Tang’s death!
Everyone covered their ears, but the ordinary people outside the Imperial Tomb didn’t know what was happening.
Before He Xiping could warn them, they felt their eyelids grow heavy. After a few blinks, they closed, and one after another, they collapsed onto the muddy ground.
Someone happened to hit a sharp piece of gravel, and fell with a bloody head on the spot.
In just a few moments, all the hundreds of staff members outside the Imperial Tomb had fainted.
Only Long Feicheng and the others, having covered their ears in advance and possessing stronger wills, managed to avoid fainting.
Suddenly, the atmosphere on the ground of the Imperial Tomb became incredibly bizarre.
So many living people lay on the ground, exposed to the pouring rain.
An eerie aura filled the air, along with an evil that even the heavy rain could not wash away.
Li Chongxi frowned. He hadn’t covered his ears earlier, yet he was unaffected by the human-skin drum.
He looked in a certain direction.
A hundred meters outside the Imperial Tomb, a cordon had been set up the previous night, with heavily armed special police guarding the area.
However, while they could defend against desperate criminals, they were powerless against supernatural forces.
In the heavy rain, more than a dozen figures approached them, their forms becoming clearer as they drew nearer.
The leader was Jiao Mu Jiao, the first among the Twenty-Eight Mansions.
“They’re here!” Luo Ning’s eyes sharpened.
The others also became vigilant, ready to act at any moment.
The opposing members looked at least middle-aged, with hostile expressions and aggressive auras.
On their side, they were all just youngsters.
In comparison, Long Feicheng felt a pang of apprehension. “Old Wang, is there any possibility of a truce with them?”
“You’re dreaming,” Luo Ning retorted directly.
Wang Ji Wang also shook his head. “We thwarted their plans at Mount Longhu. Do you think they’ll let us off?”
“You’re right!”
Long Feicheng looked around, eager to find someone to latch onto for protection.
Jiao Mu Jiao led his subordinates, walking in the rain, and stopped ten meters away.
Then, Jiao Mu Jiao stepped forward, cupped his fists, and bowed:
“Junior, paper-maker, Chu Wu, pays his respects to Senior Li!”
Despite the opponent’s overture, Li Chongxi didn’t even look at them directly.
He silently helped the fallen Old Han up, moved him aside, and pulled a rain canopy over him.
Seeing Li Chongxi’s attitude, Chu Wu was naturally displeased.
If this old man weren’t Li Genmiao’s biological father, Chu Wu would have directly taken his life.
What tomb keeper, just a watchdog!
After settling Old Han, Li Chongxi silently turned around and looked up at Chu Wu and his group.
“Are you with my unfilial son?”
Chu Wu replied, “We are merely in a cooperative relationship.”
“Then you are accomplices.”
Chu Wu’s face stiffened.
Li Chongxi then calmly asked, “You’ve come to the Imperial Tomb so openly, what is your purpose? Don’t you know I am the tomb keeper here?”
Chu Wu suppressed his anger and explained, “We have come to retrieve something from the Imperial Tomb, and to kill someone.”
The ‘something’ was naturally a treasure from the Imperial Tomb, and the ‘someone’ to kill was… Wei Changqing.
Actually, Chu Wu very much wanted to kill Yan Shouyi, but Li Genmiao had specifically instructed that Yan Shouyi must be killed by his own hand. Therefore, Chu Wu could only target the ‘traitor’ Wei Changqing.
Li Chongxi had no intention of asking Chu Wu what item they were retrieving or who they were killing.
He wasn’t interested.
“What if I refuse?” Li Chongxi asked.
Chu Wu nodded slightly, “To show our respect for you, we have brought quite a few people this time. Senior, you can weigh whether you want to make an enemy of us.”
The opponents clearly outnumbered them, and considering their age, they were obviously not easy opponents.
Long Feicheng was also weighing their chances, contemplating how he would die if a fight broke out.
Indeed, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of survival…
Unexpectedly, Li Chongxi’s next words made Long Feicheng and the others’ scalps tingle.
Li Chongxi said calmly, “Your people are good, but mine are not bad either.”
Long Feicheng looked at Li Chongxi, then at Luo Ning and A Gong beside him.
Not bad at all!
We can’t beat them, definitely can’t!
Senior Li, please don’t push us into the fire!