True Lord Taiyi Wants to Make a Move? Nezha’s Treasure

The flame of the tung oil lamp swayed in the draft passing through the hall, while years of smoke stains crawled across the earth walls of the Garrison Duty Room.

Zhao Sanmazi gripped half a moldy military report, dog demon black blood still clinging to his thick beard. It looked as though he had not spared the imprisoned dog demon much trouble in private.

Zhao Sanmazi planted one foot on a bench. "Damn it! A merchant caravan from Western Qi said a pack of Nine-Headed Pheasant Demons appeared by the Wei River and gnawed thirty li of rice paddies into wasteland!"

Qian the Cripple crouched beside the brazier, toasting a millet cake. Air leaked through the gap where his front tooth was missing. "Eastern Lu is even stranger! My cousin passed Jiang Family Fort while hauling salt last month. He said he kept hearing babies crying at midnight, but when he followed the sound, he found nothing but half-chewed skeletons…"

Crumbs fell into the coals, raising a stream of fishy green smoke that stung their eyes.

Wang Sanpao huddled by the doorframe, rubbing his hands. "My second uncle came back from the Southern Capital and said entire fishing villages in Yunmeng Marsh had vanished! There were only fish scales left on shore, bigger than a palm!" He suddenly lowered his voice. "Someone saw… saw dragon claws reaching out of the water!"

"Bullshit!" Zhao Sanmazi slammed the military report onto the table. "If there really were dragons, General Li would have led us out to slay demons already!"

Fang Yu paused slightly as he wiped his spear.

For the dragon clan and the Undersea Demon Tribe, coming to Chentang Pass was as easy as pressing an elevator button. If these men knew they would soon be fighting the dragon clan and the Undersea Demon Tribe, they probably would not be laughing now.

As everyone spoke, Liu You walked in.

"An order from Chaoge: every pass is to levy an additional thirty percent in iron goods to forge Demon Suppressing Halberds. Also, a fleet escorting iron weapons will pass through here tomorrow."

"What? More iron weapons?" Wang Sanpao frowned.

"What the hell is a Demon Suppressing Halberd good for?" Qian the Cripple suddenly tore open his shirt, revealing a centipede-like scar across his chest. "If this thing worked, I would not have been wounded like this! Who knows which rotten bastard came up with such a stupid idea! Demon Suppressing Halberd? It is good for nothing but having a halberd shaft!"

Liu You sighed. "Refugees who fled Chaoge last month said there were more demon beasts than people within five hundred li of the Royal Domain! Those charlatans from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau dance around all day, but they are useless!"

"Charlatans or demon beasts, I do not give a damn!" Zhao Sanmazi relit the oil lamp. "The fleet carrying iron weapons passes through Chentang Pass tomorrow. Keep your eyes open!"

Then he looked at Fang Yu. "Brother Fang, you earned merit by capturing that dog demon. Get some rest first!"

"Mm."

"Dismissed, dismissed!" Zhao Sanmazi kicked the bench aside. "At the third watch, patrol the western outskirts’ wheat fields. Wang Sanpao, you lead!"

At dawn, sea fog hung over Chentang Pass Harbor like a tissue soaked in Vaseline.

The masts of twenty Red Horse Boats pierced the curtain of mist. Their hulls creaked under the weight of pig iron, as if they would split open at any moment and spill their holds of iron halberds into the sea.

The guards’ work chant sounded muffled in the damp air, like mournful cries coming through a coffin lid.

"Wang Sanpao! Are you a damn turtle? Why are you moving so slowly? Hurry up!" Zhao Sanmazi kicked a cargo crate, shaking loose several drops of salty dew.

The fresh recruits staggered as they carried two iron halberds apiece. The blue-gray halberd heads glimmered in the morning light with the dull darkness of corpse spots.

Fang Yu lowered his head as he crossed the gangplank. Beneath the shadow of his bamboo hat, his Sharingan turned faintly. He had a bad feeling.

The sea breeze carried the stench of rotten fish mixed with rusty bloodiness.

"Faster, faster!" Zhao Sanmazi smacked a recruit’s back with his scabbard, splashing water everywhere. "If this batch of Demon Suppressing Halberds misses its deadline, those bastards in Chaoge will forge our skulls into chamber pots!"

The sun had only just climbed Sea Gazing Platform when a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared in the eastern sky.

The clouds, once like clumps of cotton, began to twist and swirl, as if an invisible giant hand were stirring the heavens.

Wang Sanpao squatted beneath a mast, chewing a cake. Crumbs fell into the sea and sent ripples spreading outward. "Why do those clouds look like ink got spilled on them…"

Before he finished speaking, a piercing crow’s cry exploded from the vortex of clouds!

A black tide of tens of thousands of crows poured down. The sound of their wings rubbing together was like countless dull blades scraping an iron pot, making everyone’s teeth ache.

Fang Yu’s Observation Haki suddenly stabbed with pain—at the center of the cloud vortex stood a figure in black robes. A Crow Feather Cloak billowed around him like a Soul-Summoning Banner, and crimson gold vertical pupils chilled spines from half a li away!

This thing is…

"Listen, ants of Chentang Pass!" The Crow Demon King’s voice sounded like rusty iron chains dragged across a deck. "Hand over my nephew within three days, or else…"

Zhao Sanmazi drew his blade and leaped onto the bow, pointing its tip at the black clouds as he cursed, "Or else your grandma! I—"

The flock suddenly dove, raining down upon the fleet!

Fang Yu watched as the nearby Demon Suppressing Halberds were snatched up by the crows. The beasts’ beaks and claws actually struck sparks against the pig iron.

The guards hastily fired arrows, but when the shafts struck crow feathers, it was as if they had hit iron armor. They clanged and fell into the sea.

"Form the Turtle Shell Formation!" Zhao Sanmazi’s roar was shredded by crow cries. The guards huddled behind Iron-Bound Wooden Shields, listening to the tooth-grinding sounds of gnawing above them.

These beasts were actually pecking at and eating the iron weapons!

Wang Sanpao curled up in a corner of the cabin, a dark patch of urine spreading across his crotch. "They… they are eating iron!"

Fang Yu took the chance to slip behind a mast, his Sharingan spinning rapidly.

Under his Dojutsu, the scales along the Crow Demon King’s neck became clear down to the finest detail. A centipede-like old scar ran across his Adam’s apple, its edges marked by burn marks.

Just as Fang Yu was about to examine it more closely, those demonic eyes suddenly turned toward him. A mountain-crushing pressure bore down on him. "The little soldier has sharp eyes."

Fang Yu remained unmoved, letting the Crow Demon King stare at him with ill intent. He had left a v50 Flying Thunder God Mark within Chentang Pass’s barrier. If the other side attacked, he could simply use Flying Thunder God to flee. Even a demon king would not be able to catch him.

The crows pressed down like black clouds, their beaks and claws gnawing on iron halberds with a sound like countless steel needles scraping skulls.

"Fire arrows! Pour the fire oil!" Zhao Sanmazi’s hoarse roar was swallowed by the crow cries.

The guards frantically lit torches, only to discover that these beasts knew to skim the sea surface during their dives and wet their feathers. They could not be ignited at all.

Just as the iron weapons on all twenty ships were about to be swept away, a cluster of pink auspicious clouds appeared on the horizon!

A plump flying pig lay atop the clouds. Sitting crookedly on its back was a fat Daoist with his chest and belly exposed, a wine gourd swaying at his waist with a jingling sound.

The True Lord let out a drunken belch in midair. The wine gourd tied to the pig’s tail crashed against a flagpole, and the spilled immortal brew drenched Zhao Sanmazi from head to toe.

"Damn it!" The old soldier wiped his face, tasting the sweetness of peach blossom wine on his tongue. "Th-this is immortal wine?"

"Oh my!" True Lord Taiyi drifted down to the docks in a Sichuan accent, sweeping aside a patch of crow feathers with his fly-whisk. "Why is it so lively? Did you know this poor Daoist was coming and prepare a welcome ceremony especially for me?"

The flying pig snorted as it landed on the dock, its fat belly crushing three bundles of mooring ropes.

True Lord Taiyi rolled off its back, the hem of his Daoist robe still caught between the pig’s hooves. "Do not panic, do not panic! This poor Daoist shall now show you an ‘immortal descending to the world.’" Before he finished speaking, he plunged headfirst into a barrel of pickled fish with a splash, his two short legs kicking wildly in the air.

"Immortal Master! Immortal Master, save us!" Wang Sanpao rushed over and grabbed True Lord Taiyi’s trouser leg. "Save us!"

"Do not pull, do not pull!" True Lord Taiyi pulled his head out of the fish barrel, a salted fish dangling from his topknot. "Your Chentang Pass has quite a unique way of welcoming guests, eh? Crows and salted fish alike."

Zhao Sanmazi pointed his blade toward the nearly vanished black dots in the sky. "Those are demon crows that robbed our iron weapons! Immortal Master, quickly—"

"Demon crows?" True Lord Taiyi squinted into the distance. "Is your eyesight bad, kid? Those are clearly dark clouds! Look at that shape—"

He used fish blood on his fingers to draw circles across the deck. "That side is a dragon’s head, that side is a pig’s backside. It is obviously auspicious clouds!"

The guards collectively froze. They wanted to curse him, but they did not dare. It seemed immortals were just as unreliable after getting drunk.

"Daoist Master! It is true! Those crows are monsters that harm people! They carried off all the iron!"

Only then did True Lord Taiyi sober up a little. "Oh, oh, so that is it."

As he spoke, he suddenly became interested. "Move aside, move aside! This poor Daoist will show you a special trick!"

True Lord Taiyi staggered as he formed hand seals. Wine vapor condensed into a crooked Eight Trigrams formation. "Heaven and earth are boundless, yin and yang lend me your power!"

The formation burst into a cloud of pink smoke with a puff. More than a dozen palm-sized rabbits hopped out and began dancing around the guards.

Wang Sanpao’s blade clattered to the ground. "Immortal Master… wh-what kind of spell is this?"

"Oh dear! I formed the wrong seal!" True Lord Taiyi scratched his belly and grinned awkwardly. "This is the ‘Jade Rabbit Welcome Formation’ I created last month. What do you think? Pretty great, right?"

After all this delay, the crows had long since disappeared.

Zhao Sanmazi despairingly hugged the last half of an iron halberd. "Immortal Master! If Chaoge holds us accountable, Chentang Pass—"

"Chaoge?" True Lord Taiyi suddenly turned serious. "Are you forging Demon Suppressing Halberds? Using pig iron to forge halberds? Did Chaoge’s officials get their heads caught in doors? These things are too dull even for chopping firewood! They can suppress demons?"

Zhao Sanmazi cried, "B-but no matter what, we must bear the blame! This is all over!"

Seeing the expressions on the soldiers’ faces, True Lord Taiyi felt somewhat embarrassed as well.

"Oh dear! Letting demons escape, drinking caused trouble! Drinking caused trouble indeed!"

True Lord Taiyi sat down on the rim of the pickled fish barrel, the greasy hem of his Daoist robe soaking in foul-smelling brine.

He let out a loud belch that startled seabirds from the wooden stakes on the dock. Yet his finger suddenly shot like a sword edge toward Fang Yu among the crowd. "Why does this kid have such a—"

Fang Yu’s pupils suddenly contracted!

Thanks to his Asgardian Magic bloodline, he could clearly sense Immortal Power gathering at True Lord Taiyi’s fingertip!

That was not the drunken nonsense of a drunkard. It was a Soul Probing Spell!

The Earth Grudge Fear tendrils in Fang Yu’s body instantly stiffened, while Armament Haki surged beneath his skin like black mist. If True Lord Taiyi made another move, he would use Divine Protection Barrier and Flying Thunder God to escape.

"Immortal Master! Immortal Master, your sobering soup!" At that moment, Wang Sanpao rushed over carrying a ceramic bowl. The soup splashed across True Lord Taiyi’s Daoist robe, raising a stream of sour white smoke.

The old Daoist’s finger dropped with a slap.

"Belch—!"

A belch louder than thunder exploded.

True Lord Taiyi suddenly covered his mouth and staggered into Zhao Sanmazi’s arms. The alcohol fumes he exhaled carried the sharp spice of pickled garlic. "I saw wrong!" With bleary eyes, he grabbed Fang Yu’s leather armor and wiped his mouth. "You young fellow… look like the Beggar’s Chicken this poor Daoist burned last year…"

The guards let out suppressed laughter.

From the corner of his eye, Fang Yu saw a Demon Revealing Mirror slip from True Lord Taiyi’s sleeve!

When the mirror’s surface swept past his robe hem, it clearly reflected a phantom shrouded in black mist.

Yet when it shone upon his face, he looked harmless to humans and animals alike.

As True Lord Taiyi was helped toward the other end of the dock, Fang Yu finally relaxed.

This was his first time truly experiencing just how strong an immortal’s sense of oppression could be.

Although this version of Immortal Taiyi looked ridiculous and carefree, as Primeval Lord of Heaven’s beloved disciple, he possessed treasures all over his body. If he casually took out two or three, Fang Yu might not be able to deal with them.

The Universe Ring, Heaven Mixing Silk, Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover, Fire-Tipped Spear, Golden Brick, Wind Fire Wheels, Yin Yang Twin Swords, Leopard Skin Bag, Talisman Secret Manual, Eight Trigrams Dragon Whiskers, and so on.

His physical strength could even directly withstand Heavenly Tribulation. His true power was unfathomable.

Fang Yu did not want to run into someone of that level just yet.

The twenty Red Horse Boats from Chaoge now floated crookedly at Chentang Pass Harbor like fish bones gnawed clean by a giant beast.

Their hulls were riddled with holes, and the edges of every opening bore corrosion marks from Crow Demon Venom.

The guards slumped upon the waterlogged decks, staring at iron filings floating on the sea surface. In the sunset, they reflected an eerie phosphorescent gleam, as though countless ghost fires were wandering across the water.

"It is all over, all over!" Zhao Sanmazi punched the ship’s rail, seemingly unaware as wood chips pierced his knuckles.

Wang Sanpao suddenly lunged toward the cabin like a madman and fished out a palm-sized iron shard from the pooled water.

"There is still some! There is still some in the water!"

Zhao Sanmazi’s eyes drooped as he said helplessly, "Will this tiny bit be enough to make up for our heads?"

"Oh dear! You do not need to be so pessimistic!" True Lord Taiyi suddenly stood up. "That demon wanted to steal iron. What could mortals like you possibly have done?"

Liu You coughed twice. "Immortal Master, you do not understand. Chaoge never cares about the process, only the result. And the result is that the iron weapons were robbed while passing through Chentang Pass. None of us can escape blame. Losing our heads is the least of it—we fear our families will be implicated too!"

True Lord Taiyi frowned. "It is only some iron. Is it truly that serious?"

Snot hung from Zhao Sanmazi’s nose to his lips. "Immortal Master, Immortal Master! Look at me, a full-grown man, reduced to this miserable state. How could it be false?"

True Lord Taiyi looked toward the horizon. "Fine! Say no more! This old Daoist will go catch that crow right now! Wait here!"

With that, he flew away.

As True Lord Taiyi departed, Fang Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

He did not want to remain beside True Lord Taiyi.

It seemed the people of Jade Void Palace might also possess ways of seeing through the secrets on him.

The immortal faction cannot be trusted for now. Do I have to go serve that foolish King Zhou instead?

At the thought of King Zhou’s conduct, Fang Yu wanted to spit.

Still, it depended on what Daji actually looked like.

He had seen people completely reverse their opinions because of a film and television work.

First they said that if they transmigrated into King Zhou, they would kill Su Daji immediately. Then they saw Daji’s willow-leaf brows, cherry lips, soft breasts, and those seductive eyes that could steal souls.

To hell with the world!

For the flourishing population of the Shang Dynasty, I must get to work!

Back to the matter at hand.

News of the lost iron soon spread throughout Chentang Pass.

The fish market had only just opened when its fishy stench was overwhelmed by the sharper smell of panic.

Aunt Liu, who sold steamed cakes, hammered her chopping board with a rolling pin until it shook the heavens. "Have you heard? Chaoge’s iron weapons were stolen by demons. Chaoge may punish Chentang Pass!"

Widow Hu from the neighboring fish stall slammed down her fish scaling knife, its edge throwing sparks against the bluestone slab. She suddenly lowered her voice. "If you ask me, General Li should rebel against the bastards!"

"Are you trying to die?" The charcoal seller’s wife covered her mouth, smearing two black streaks of charcoal ash across Widow Hu’s face. "Did you not see the new notice at the city gate? Anyone who discusses state affairs recklessly will be beheaded!"

By the Fishing Port Pier, several old fishermen huddled amid heaps of torn nets, twisting hemp rope.

Old Man Wang tapped his tobacco pipe against a ship’s rail. "My eldest son is a slave at Chaoge Workshop’s Halberd Forging Workshop. He sent word through someone last month that… that those Demon Suppressing Halberds have Human Bone Powder mixed into them!"

"Bah! Trying to fool ghosts?" Crippled Li spat out fish scraps. "If they could truly suppress demons, why could they not even stop a flock of crows? If you ask me, these iron weapons are some scheme by those bastards in Chaoge! Who knows what they are for, or whose pockets they are filling?"

Beneath the Garrison Duty Room wall, more than a dozen refugees gathered around half a bowl of pot-washing water.

An old man with a Ji Province accent clutched a crumb of millet cake. "There were three hundred people in our village. Because we turned in two carts less iron, the Chaoge Tiger Ben Army slaughtered us until only this many remained." He tore open his shirt, revealing the charred black character for "prisoner" branded into his chest.

"Be content!" A woman from Bing Province held a sleeping child in her arms. "My husband forged iron in Yunmeng Marsh. The authorities said he hid iron scraps and hung him from the city gate for three days." She suddenly laughed hysterically. "Guess what happened in the end? My husband pissed and shat himself on the city gate, ruining the city’s appearance. They gave him two strokes of the paddle and let him go."

The cloth banner of the Old Teahouse in the south of the city snapped violently in the sea breeze. The old storyteller, who also worked as a teacher, slapped his storyteller’s clapper onto a Turtle Shell Divination Plate. "As for the disaster of Chentang Pass, its root cause lies ten years ago! Back then, Grand Tutor Wen suppressed the rebellion in the Northern Sea."

"Suppressed my ass!" Master Wang from the blacksmith shop smashed down his teacup. "He was raising bandits to strengthen himself! Do you know why Chaoge increases its iron levies every year? The blades, spears, and arrows used by the Northern Sea demon tribe all bear the mark of Chaoge Workshop!"

Shopkeeper Zhou from the Silk and Satin Shop stroked his goat beard. "If you ask me, General Li should learn from the Marquis of the West! What did Ji Chang do? Lower taxes and govern with benevolence—"

"Shh—!" The teahouse owner suddenly splashed out a basin of sour tea. "There are soldiers at the street corner!"

Everyone scattered like startled birds and beasts. Only the storyteller remained, muttering to the empty seats, "This divination shows ‘Trapped by Water.’ Chentang Pass is likely in for great trouble!"

The morning mist at dawn carried a salty stench. Dark red bloodstains had congealed on the bluestone slabs before Li Jing’s Mansion—left by Zhao Sanmazi when he knelt too hastily and skinned his knees.

More than twenty guards knelt in neat rows, their wet hair plastered to their shoulders like a group of defeated crickets.

"This general deserves death!" Zhao Sanmazi suddenly roared, smashing his forehead heavily against the stone slabs.

That kowtow carried a fierce gust that made the copper bells beneath the eaves jingle wildly. Blood rolled down his nose into his thick beard. "Those crows should have eaten my head! Then I would not drag down my whole family!"

Fang Yu stood three paces behind the right side of the kneeling formation, his armor standing out in its neatness. Yesterday had originally been his day off, and the loss of the iron weapons had nothing to do with him.

Li Jing’s Dark Iron Combat Boots crushed moss as he stopped before an un-dried pool of blood.

Dark circles filled the commander’s eyes from overwork, while morning dew clung to his stubble. "I have said it before. None of you could have stopped a demon king from robbing the road."

"But Chaoge’s officials…" Zhao Sanmazi tried to kowtow again, but Li Jing raised his boot and held his chin in place.

The old soldier’s thick beard brushed the golden scales on the sole of the commander’s boot. Bloody foam and spittle splashed across the coiled dragon pattern. "The man transporting the iron fled toward the Eastern Sea this morning! He said… said he would file an imperial complaint."

Li Jing suddenly bent down, his Dark Iron Bracer gripping Zhao Sanmazi’s shoulder armor. "Listen! As long as I wear this helmet, if the sky falls, my iron shoulders will bear it!"

When no one responded, Li Jing knitted his brows and glared.

"Are you all deaf?" Li Jing’s voice crashed like thunder, shaking dust from the lintel. "Go back and wash your armor! If the demon king comes again, there will be plenty of battles to fight!"

Zhao Sanmazi still wanted to argue, but saw the commander’s thumb resting on the sword edge. The old soldier knocked his head heavily against the ground, leaving a bloody crescent on the stone slab, then staggered away with his comrades supporting him.

Fang Yu turned to leave, only to suddenly feel a gaze stabbing into his back.

When he looked back, he saw that Li Jing was watching him.

"Were you looking for me?"

Li Jing nodded. "Come inside my residence and we’ll talk."

Fang Yu followed Li Jing into the manor and stepped into the spacious hall.

Li Jing took a seat in the seat of honor and motioned for Fang Yu to sit nearby. Then, fixing his gaze on Fang Yu, he asked, "When the dog demon was captured, did it mention the forces behind it? I heard it made wild claims that its father was the Dog Demon King and its sworn brother was the Crow Immortal Lord. Is that true?"

Fang Yu’s expression hardened, and he quickly nodded. "General, it did indeed say that. It threatened that if we didn’t release it, Chentang Pass would be drenched in blood within three days."

Hearing this, Li Jing could not help sighing, a flicker of worry passing through his eyes. "Those old soldiers under my command only worry about how the court in Chaoge will blame them if anything goes wrong. They never considered that the demons’ retaliation would come so quickly."

With that, he swiftly issued an order. "Seal off the outskirts of Chentang Pass! Strengthen the defenses and guard against a demon attack!"

Then Li Jing turned back to Fang Yu and instructed him separately, "Fang Yu, I order you to guard the dog demon. You will be responsible for everything concerning it—its food, daily needs, and security. There must not be the slightest mistake. Do you understand?"

Fang Yu replied, "Rest assured, General. I will do everything in my power."

After watching Li Jing leave, Fang Yu was just about to turn around when a flash of red light flickered through the corner of his eye.

He instinctively turned his head and saw that Nezha had somehow run over without making a sound.

Demon Orb Nezha had heavy dark circles beneath his eyes, as though he had not slept well, yet they could not conceal the sharp glint in his gaze.

"Hey, brother!" Nezha greeted him carelessly. "I heard you’re going to guard that dog demon. Need This Lord’s help?"

Fang Yu grew curious and raised an eyebrow. "How can you help me?"

Nezha chuckled and pulled a silk-wrapped bundle from his robes. He introduced it proudly, "Watch closely! This is the Heaven Mixing Silk Fat Master gave me. This thing is incredible—use it to tie up demons, and it’ll catch one every time!"

Fang Yu’s eyelids twitched as he asked in astonishment, "You’re really giving it to me?"

Nezha waved his hand dismissively and puffed out his chest. "What’s the big deal? You’re my little brother. Big Brother helping his little brother is only natural! Take it. You’ll definitely have use for it!"

Fang Yu carefully accepted the Heaven Mixing Silk. It felt soft to the touch, yet seemed to contain endless power, and a rich immortal aura washed over him.

He could not help swallowing, secretly delighted. With the Heaven Mixing Silk to aid him, he would have a little more security. "Thanks, Brother Zha!"

"Why thank me? Don’t be so polite with me!" Nezha performed his classic move, shoving both hands into his pants. "I hate those demons causing trouble in Chentang Pass. If this barrier weren’t sealing me in and stopping me from going out, I’d have wiped out every nest within a hundred miles!"

At that, Fang Yu raised an eyebrow!

If Nezha went out and cleared all the monsters, it would be much safer for me to wander around outside, wouldn’t it?

Heh! That was a way to do it too!

(Thanks to Master of Heaven, Celestial Treasure Venerable for the reward of 1,782 Qidian Coins! Thank you! Thanks (ω))