Chapter 145 Peace and Rest

Now that the Nine Section Staff was repaired, the group didn't linger in the capital. The next day, they split into two teams, one real and one fake, heading towards the Celestial Master Mansion via two different routes, a true and a false, a solid and a void. To Wei Yuan's surprise, the old master of the Lin family, Lin Shouyi, came along with their group.

He even brought the treasure box containing the Nine Section Staff, still sealed with patterns sufficient to block its aura.

After his initial surprise, Wei Yuan thought it over and understood the other party's reasoning.

Turn reality into illusion, and illusion into reality. The opposite side, the Taiping Dao, wasn't stupid. They could surely deduce the reason for splitting into two groups, and they could see that the Celestial Master Mansion was using one side as complete bait while the other secretly lurked. In this situation, the other party could only split their forces, but they would more likely treat the lurking group as their main target.

They would surround it with most of their main force.

And when the Taiping Dao's main force was drawn to the side that was secretly sneaking away.

They would realize that all their hard work had been in vain.

These old Daoists were all cunning old foxes.

Wei Yuan rubbed his brow, not bothering with the matter, and closed his eyes in meditation. The clothes he had changed into in the capital were prepared by the Daoist sect. He was now wearing a black top with Song Dynasty knot buttons, the sleeves slightly wide, and on his feet were combat boots with a stronger grip.

The zither case was unfastened and placed beside him, his right hand covered by a black fingerless glove.

Lin Li watched Wei Yuan in the rearview mirror, a strange curiosity in her eyes.

Just what was this guy's identity? Even her grandfather called him Curator.

But it wasn't easy to ask, and even if she did, she guessed her grandfather wouldn't tell her. Lin Li could only frustratedly withdraw her gaze. Guangzong City wasn't far from the capital. To avoid any possible skirmishes affecting the innocent, the group still chose a more secluded route.

Only their vehicle roared forward on the road.

After driving for a while, the old man suddenly sensed something was wrong, frowned slightly, and raised his hand to signal the driver to stop.

Lin Li asked curiously.

Lin Shouyi replied slowly, "There's something wrong with the Qi around here. There's probably a trap ahead."

"A trap?"

"Of course, those Taiping Dao guys won't give up so easily."

"Moreover, this is Guangzong."

Lin Shouyi's tone turned cold, but mindful of Wei Yuan's possible connection to the Taiping Dao, he didn't utter the term "evil cultivator." Everyone got out of the car, cautious. Wei Yuan opened his eyes and followed. The surrounding environment looked ordinary, with nothing special about it. A small river flowed nearby.

Wei Yuan stared at the no-longer-turbulent river, silent.

Although Lin Shouyi had been wary, he hadn't been too worried. He had inherited the complete true teachings of the Shangqing Sect. He took out a talisman, intending to gauge the degree of danger here, but as soon as the talisman was drawn, it quickly burned before his eyes, turning to ashes.

The old man's expression slowly froze.

Wei Yuan watched the river flowing gently beside him, and after a long time, said, "This is Guangzong."

"It's the place of the Yellow Turban Army's final battle. Since they're making a move here, they'll definitely choose to prepare in advance, using the terrain to their greatest advantage. Otherwise, they'd be letting down their Taiping Dao name."

Lin Shouyi seemed to remember something, his expression slightly changing as he looked at Wei Yuan, saying:

"Curator Wei, do you mean..."

Wei Yuan unfastened the sword case and rested it on the ground, his hand pressing on top of it, saying, "That's right."

"This is the end of the road for the ancient Yellow Turbans, and also the end of the road for the Taiping Dao."

"A total of one hundred thousand died in battle here."

"One hundred thousand?!"

Lin Li exclaimed softly, and then, as cultivators, the faces of the others changed instantly.

This place was the battleground where the Yellow Turban Army died. For the Taiping Dao cultivators, this was almost their absolute home field. The lingering obsessions of the ancient Yellow Turban Army in the mountains and rivers, even after a thousand years of erosion, even if only one in ten remained, would still be terrifying.

Lin Shouyi immediately cast a spell, scattering talismans and performing the Three Mountains Seal, then pressing down on the ground.

It was the Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing altar that Wei Yuan had once used in the Weiming Sect. Lin Shouyi was a direct descendant of the Shangqing Sect, and such a common auxiliary altar for the talisman lineage posed no difficulty for him. His consciousness and spirituality rose, and then he followed the threads of Qi to look.

He saw a group of Daoist-robed cultivators in a hidden place, surrounding an altar they were constructing from the earth. He saw talismans being scattered, saw someone with profound cultivation standing on the altar performing rituals, and even saw ancient yellow talismans hanging in the air.

The person performing the ritual swept his gaze over, and with a slash of the sword in his hand...

Lin Shouyi grunted and stumbled back half a step.

The vision before his eyes slowly returned to normal. He saw Lin Li supporting him, and the others around him looking worried. The old man recalled the scene he had just seen, his expression slightly changing as he said slowly, "The Taiping Dao cultivators did indeed start preparing early. They have activated an altar."

...

"We've been discovered."

In a hidden place, the Taiping Dao cultivator who had severed the prying gaze frowned, but then dismissed it and signaled the other disciples to continue casting spells and constructing the altar. They had learned in advance of the Celestial Master Mansion's possible route and were holding a ritual here in advance, building an altar to perform rites.

Their purpose was to use the residual baleful Qi and obsessions of Guangzong to capture everyone.

Even though a long time had passed since that great battle.

But a full one hundred thousand had died, and among them were even true cultivators at the level of the Celestial Master. More than fifty thousand had been driven into the water to die. Flowing water was also a kind of baleful energy. The fact that no fierce Qi had been born in this place only meant that the resentment had once been transcended.

But the baleful Qi and obsessions were like the scars left by a battle formation and could not be completely hidden.

By using complex rituals and the talismans passed down from generation to generation since the time of the Taiping Dao Yellow Turban Army as a foundation, they could connect to the obsessions left behind by these souls, and then use a grand sacrificial altar composed of more than five hundred people to make them briefly appear in the world.

They had begun preparing the altar after their previous failure.

A full seven days, corresponding to the seven stars, and then briefly stopped at the final key node.

Then they moved the altar to Guangzong, completing the final step.

This would affect the final effectiveness of the altar, but it would not lead to failure. Compared to the simple altars that were set up in a short time, this kind of ritual that required long-term, large-scale preparation could obviously produce greater effects.

The person presiding over the altar held a thunder-struck peach wood sword, wore an apricot-yellow Bagua Daoist robe, a yellow turban on his head, and held a magic artifact. There were a total of thirty-six bright lamps around him, representing the thirty-six commander positions. In addition, there were one hundred and eight ancient talismans. Coupled with the five hundred Taiping cultivators who had previously performed prayers and invocations, it was already the most top-notch configuration outside of a thousand-person grand offering.

Even so, he still felt strained.

The years were too long.

It was difficult to get those ancient Yellow Turban obsessions to respond to him.

Finally, he heavily struck the magic artifact in his hand, and faintly, Taiping Dao souls slowly appeared.

...

After Lin Shouyi stated that the other party had prepared an altar and was holding a ritual, everyone's thoughts froze for a moment. Then, they subconsciously prepared to retreat from the Guangzong City area to avoid the ritual's influence. However, in this world, a faint aura from the altar in the distance directly locked onto this place.

Obviously, once they retreated, they would be attacked.

That would be like showing their backs to the enemy.

For a moment, everyone didn't have a good way to respond. Lin Shouyi was silent for a moment, then looked at Wei Yuan. He always felt that since the latter knew that this was the site of the Yellow Turban Army's great battle and had still taken the initiative to come here, he shouldn't be leading them into a trap. After thinking about it, he said slowly, "Curator Wei, do you have any countermeasures?"

He found that the museum curator, who had previously been so calm, often seemed distracted since arriving here.

When everyone's gazes turned to him, Wei Yuan seemed to snap out of it and replied:

"I do have a countermeasure."

"Since the other party is opening an altar and holding a ritual, we can do the same."

Lin Shouyi was slightly taken aback, then understood the meaning of these words, his expression showing a hint of surprise as he looked at Wei Yuan.

Both sides opening altars—were they going to engage in a Daoist duel?

Lin Li and the others suddenly remembered that Wei Yuan had once said that he also understood some of the Taiping Dao arts. Suddenly, they understood. The layout here was advantageous to the Taiping Dao lineage, but that was aimed at the Taiping Dao's Dao arts, not the people themselves.

Wei Yuan paused, looked at Lin Shouyi, and added:

"However, please lend me the Nine Section Staff."

Lin Shouyi pondered briefly, then took out the sealed Nine Section Staff and handed it to Wei Yuan.

His eyes stared intently at him. When he saw Wei Yuan reach out and grasp the Nine Section Staff, and the secret inscriptions on the staff didn't light up, didn't emit a burning aura, and Wei Yuan didn't feel the pain that he had felt before, the old man's pupils contracted slightly, then quickly returned to normal.

Wei Yuan held the Nine Section Staff.

Lin Li quickly asked, "Curator Wei, what do you need to prepare for opening an altar and performing a ritual?"

He Yangwen of the Divine Firmament Sect had already rummaged through the car and found many materials used for opening an altar.

Bagua compasses, sandalwood incense, yellow talismans—everything was available. He had a regretful expression as he said:

"I only carry these materials with me, I'm afraid they can't compare to what the Taiping Dao is using."

Zhao Jianbai also had a headache. They were just a few people performing a ritual, and whether it would succeed was another matter. Moreover, attacking with no preparation against an enemy who was prepared was always a disadvantage. After thinking about it, he still felt uneasy in his heart and asked, "Curator Wei, do you have any talismans related to the Yellow Turbans?"

"The Yellow Turban Taiping Dao is quite different from our Talisman Sect. After all, it has declined for thousands of years."

"Moreover, this is an ancient site. If you want to connect with the remnant souls and obsessions here, you probably need something that has a karmic connection with them, such as the talismans they left behind, the magic artifacts they used, etc. If you don't have such objects, the difficulty of the ritual will probably increase significantly."

Wei Yuan replied, "Thank you for your concern."

He looked at his palm and said softly:

"As for karmic objects."

"I guess... I have some."

Then, under everyone's gaze, he stepped forward with the Nine Section Staff in hand. He could already feel the hidden obsessions. After thinking about it, he felt it wouldn't be good if he didn't say anything. After a long silence, Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and said:

"The Azure Sky is dead."

"The Yellow Sky shall rise..."

The Nine Section Staff lightly touched the ground.

In another location, the Taiping Dao members hid in a concealed place, using modern optical equipment to see this scene. They snickered secretly. Without an altar, without performing rituals, and without ancient talismans or other remnants to create a karmic connection with the ancient souls, he still wanted to summon the power that had been absent for two thousand years?

Only a ghost would believe he could mobilize any power like that...

*Whoosh—*

The sound of armor clashing, or perhaps, the sound of a battle flag flapping.

??!

The Taiping Dao cultivators suddenly stopped speaking.

They froze, staring wide-eyed at the scene before them, the scenery that couldn't possibly appear in reality.

The bloody aura of swords and blades, accompanied by hot, swirling sand, appeared in this modern, desolate place, occupying the road. Then, there were green bricks, raised battle flags, and an entire ancient city rose from the ground before their very eyes.

This was a ghost domain, but it wasn't a ghost domain. It wasn't a world built by a single ghost king, separated from the human world, but a dream and memory shared by thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people. The person presiding over the Taiping Dao cultivators' altar suddenly screamed, his face pale, and he spat out blood, falling straight to the ground.

The Yellow Turban Army souls that had been painstakingly summoned vanished in an instant.

Then, they rushed towards that city.

The ancient talismans ignited spontaneously, and with a cracking sound, the altar that had taken so much effort to create collapsed in an instant.

The Daoist was helped up by the others, clutching his chest, in disbelief. Why would the Yellow Turban souls abandon them and return to that city after they had built the altar to the greatest specifications with so much effort after just a single sentence from the other party? He staggered to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, unable to find a reason. Finally, his eyes burned with fervor as he said:

"It must be the effect of the Nine Section Staff!"

"That is a true treasure!"

And Wei Yuan watched the gathered figures, seeing their faces, some familiar, some even slightly unfamiliar to him, but all of them appeared here without hesitation, standing before him. They wore tattered clothes, they held worn weapons, and they wore yellow turbans on their foreheads.

They had passed away for a full two thousand years.

But when he grasped the Nine Section Staff, when he once again shouted out that past oath.

Then they once again crossed the boundaries of death, once again gathering without hesitation under that Yellow Turban banner, their eyes filled with determination, unwillingness, and a hint of tenderness.

Are we still needed?

Is our strength still needed?

Even though we are dead, if you want it, then take it.

Wei Yuan held the Nine Section Staff, gently raised it, and then, after a long silence, softly finished the words he had spoken earlier: "In the year of Jiazi..."

He didn't say the next sentence.

Because in the next moment, the lingering obsessions of a full one hundred thousand Yellow Turbans, men and women alike, all stepped forward.

The heavy sound of footsteps rang out.

Then, the initial obsessions, which crossed the boundaries of life and death, turned into a vast roar, into an unwillingness and rage towards the high and mighty Azure Sky. As if these words had been engraved in their soul memories, they responded.

"The world will be blessed!"

Lin Shouyi's eyes widened, his body trembling slightly.

He saw a full one hundred thousand Yellow Turban obsessions standing before him. They had already died, but their remaining obsessions remained unwillingly here. They raised their heads, their expressions so angry, so unwilling, but they wore only tattered clothes. Their roaring and roaring was a lament from the past, making it all the more impassioned and tragic.

If he could borrow the power of these one hundred thousand remnant souls and obsessions, he could create a new Daoist tradition in this era.

He looked at the museum curator.

He saw that he was no longer the young man wearing a Song Dynasty-style buttoned shirt, combat boots, and a short haircut.

In that dream shared by a million people, he was a healthy youth.

He wore a clean Daoist robe made of linen, his long black hair falling behind his back, and he held the Nine Section Staff.

Wei Yuan took a deep breath, looking at the Yellow Turban Army who were waiting for orders in front of him, looking at them, the Nine Section Staff in his hand gently touching the ground, stepping forward step by step, softly reciting a low Daoist scripture.

Lin Shouyi paused when he heard the Daoist scripture, because it wasn't a method of fighting, but a method of transcendence from the Taiping Department that had been lost in this era. Then he thought of the Nine Section Staff's record—

The Daoist treasure can both summon gods and condemn ghosts, and can govern the affairs of the nine generations and nine Qi of men, can control all things in heaven and earth, and can deliver people to attain the Dao.

This was the Taiping Soul-Soothing Guide.

The young Daoist's expression was gentle and peaceful, stepping forward step by step, looking at those familiar people, saying one by one.

No one will starve to death anymore.

Everyone can eat noodles, can eat meat, can eat whatever they want.

So... there won't be anyone like that time, starving to death because they couldn't get anything to eat anymore.

There are clothes to wear, and the clothes must be beautiful.

Malt sugar is really sweet.

He raised his head, looking at those familiar faces, his expression calm.

We fought side by side, we lived and died together.

So how could I let you not rest in peace even after death?

How could I let your last obsessions be in fighting?

Don't worry, this time, just leave it to A-Yuan.

The young Daoist, holding the Nine Section Staff in one hand, said softly:

"Do not bless, do not miss."

"Eternal peace..."

You don't have to worry about me, and you don't have to protect me, I'll be fine.

It's been tiring to be obsessed for two thousand years, have a good rest.

The young Daoist in a linen Daoist robe stood quietly in this ancient city. He walked through it once again, passing the stone slab road where rain dripped, passing the earthenware pot with porridge cooking. And the faces of those Yellow Turban soldiers who were obsessed with this place, whose strength had been used by countless generations of Taiping Dao cultivators, disturbing their peace, gradually softened, and began to slowly dissipate, finally turning into faint light dust.

The obsessions of more than one hundred thousand souls all dissipated, returning to the universe.

This was the resentment and worry that could not be completely resolved by the Daoist rituals of past generations.

It was like the vast starry sky, falling upon the earth.

People's persistence and the courage to resist were as dazzling as the stars.

The young Daoist stood in the midst of this dispersing light, his expression calm and lonely.

...

Finally, there was still one figure that hadn't left.

It was a man wearing broken armor, holding a weapon. Even the Taiping Soul-Soothing Guide hadn't made him let go of his obsessions. His temples were already gray, and he had yellow turbans tied around his arms. The Yellow Turban Army general, who had once held the rear and blocked the road, looked at the young Daoist in front of him. Wei Yuan quietly looked at that familiar yet unfamiliar face.

This was a remnant obsession, without consciousness, but the strong desire of a war soul.

Wei Yuan raised his head.

The war soul slowly lowered his head, looked at him, and then, Liu Niu, who should have just been a simple obsession, seemed to recognize the child who used to sit on his shoulders after two thousand years, and said slowly:

"A-Yuan..."

"You, escaped?"

Wei Yuan's heart wavered. His reason still knew that this wasn't Liu Niu, but the latter's remaining obsessions and unwillingness. Even so, he still nodded in response:

"Yes."

The war soul murmured, then smiled:

"Then, are you doing well..."

Wei Yuan's nose tingled.

This was the second thing Liu Niu couldn't let go of.

And in the distance, Lin Shouyi and Lin Li, who hadn't stepped into the Yellow Turban Army's domain, and the Taiping Daoists in the distance, saw the museum curator, who was clearly unfathomable, open his mouth, his serene face showing a smile as bright as a child's. He was clearly smiling, but tears streamed down his face, and he nodded heavily.

"Yes!"

"Is that so..."

A large hand heavily ruffled his hair. The war soul, who had been obsessed with this place for two thousand years, murmured contentedly. "That's great..."

Wei Yuan no longer saw that familiar figure before him.

The Yellow Turban general, who had dispersed with satisfaction, disappeared, leaving only the yellow turban on his forehead, which continued to exist for some reason, across the long years, falling down. The young Daoist reached out and caught the bloodstained yellow turban.

Then, he tied this yellow turban, which had once fluttered on Liu Niu's forehead, heavily around his arm.

Just like the man had done two thousand years ago.

*Whoosh—*

The yellow turban rose like fire in the wind.

Even though the domain that had been formed by the obsessions of the many Yellow Turban soldiers had already dissipated, it still existed.

The young Dao master turned around, stepped forward, and his linen Daoist robe transformed into modern clothing. His brows were peaceful but his eyes were fierce. In that instant, he raised the Nine Section Staff in his hand. The last domain surged into the Nine Section Staff like a flame. There was no one behind him, but he had a million behind him.

Wei Yuan raised his eyes, looking at those Taiping Dao cultivators who dared to appear only now.

The young Daoist, who had once been protected behind everyone, stood at the forefront this time.

Alone, he whispered in his heart—

Yellow Turban Army.

Advance.