PCJ – Chapter 312 The Old Taoist Priest Gets Injured

“Master, don’t do it! If the thing inside the main tomb is released, the consequences will be unimaginable!” Pan Yongxi hurriedly rushed out from a side chamber.

“Yongxi, why are you here? Didn’t I tell you to look after the house?” Pan Yongguang asked.

“I went to Mount Mei to invite the celestial master over. The main tomb must not be blown up! We know how much the Mei Mountain Sect and our Da Lu Fort sacrificed to suppress that thing back then. Even though it’s been suppressed for so many years, its power has surely increased. With just us, there’s no way we can stop it. If it gets out, it will bring endless disaster, Master!” Pan Yongxi pleaded bitterly.

“Yongxi, it’s not that I want to blow up the tomb, but I have no choice. If we don’t, Da Lu Fort will face catastrophe.”

“That’s nonsense! If you blow it up, that’s when the disaster will happen. You think if you blow up the tomb, that dog eunuch will spare you and Da Lu Fort? Your only chance is to take him out. If you let him succeed, he’ll silence you all, and no one in Da Lu Fort will survive.” The old Taoist master, following Pan Yongxi, stepped forward.

“Courting death!” With a wave of his hand, Cui Yulin’s guards immediately lined up, aiming their crossbows at the old Taoist.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—arrows rained down on the old Taoist like a storm.

“Courting death!” The old Taoist master casually waved his sleeve, and the dense arrows, as light as feathers, were swept up into his sleeve. With a flick of his arm, the arrows shot back towards Cui Yulin like rain.

Enraged, Cui Yulin bellowed, “How dare you!”

Surprisingly nimble, Cui Yulin dodged to the side, pulling one of his subordinates in front of him to block the arrows. Then, like the wind, he ran up the cave wall, moving as if on flat ground, quickly closing in on the old Taoist. Though the Taoist master wasn’t concerned with Cui Yulin’s martial arts, he failed to notice a certain item in Cui Yulin’s hand.

Cui Yulin pulled out a small firearm from his clothing and, upon getting close, fired.

Bang!

A bullet shot out from the firearm. The Taoist master, caught off guard, hadn’t anticipated that Cui Yulin had such a lethal weapon on him. Underestimating him, he had allowed Cui to get too close.

The old Taoist master suddenly sensed danger and swiftly dodged, but it was too late to activate his protective talisman or magical charms.

Though skilled in the Taoist arts, the old master was still of flesh and blood. The bullet struck him hard, causing his body to jerk, and he collapsed softly to the ground.

“Master!” Chengdao let out a heart-wrenching cry and rushed to his teacher’s side.

“Run! Quickly! Don’t worry about me!” The old Taoist master tightly gripped Chengdao’s hand, his eyes filled with reluctance.

Chengdao knew this wasn’t the time for grief, so he quickly lifted the master onto his back and ran toward the side passage.

“You think you can escape? Hmph! I don’t care what kind of demons you are; since you’ve come here, don’t expect to leave alive!” Cui Yulin, swift and agile, was almost upon them.

The old Taoist master burned a yellow talisman, which instantly turned to green smoke. From the smoke, a barrage of sword-like beams shot toward Cui Yulin. Cui had no choice but to dodge the magical blades aimed at his vital points. If he didn’t, while he could catch Chengdao, he would also be struck by the blades—lethal attacks unleashed from a life-saving talisman of the Mei Mountain Sect. Reluctantly, Cui Yulin gave up the chase and dodged, but a few blades still struck him, leaving several wounds. Though they looked severe, none were fatal.

The old Taoist master, seizing the opportunity, unleashed a barrage of spells, filling the cave with flickering lights and relentless attacks aimed at Cui Yulin. That’s the danger of a Taoist mage—once they get the chance to act, they won’t give you any opportunity to fight back. A seasoned master like him always carries dozens of talismans.

Though caught off guard and wounded, Cui Yulin remained agile. The Taoist’s attacks kept him busy, but his life was not in danger.

Meanwhile, Chengdao, with his injured master on his back, hurried down the side tunnel, hoping that if they could escape, there might still be a chance to survive.

“Pan Yongguang! If you don’t have your men stop that Taoist, shall I charge you with treason?” Cui Yulin knew that without the help of Da Lu Fort, there was no way he could stop Chengdao and his master. If they escaped, even obtaining the treasure would be of little use, as he wouldn’t dare keep it for himself.

Fort Master Pan Yongguang understood Cui Yulin’s intent. If they fled, it would work in his favor. If they didn’t, Cui could easily find an excuse to eliminate the entire Da Lu Fort. But if someone escaped, Cui would face repercussions for trying to wipe out everyone.

“Lord Cui, the Taoist is too powerful for mere mortals like us to handle,” Pan Yongguang replied.

“Pan Yongguang, if you won’t help me capture them, then go and blow up the tomb!” Cui Yulin, seeing Chengdao and his master getting further away, dared not pursue them.

Pan Yongguang, now feeling a bit more confident, replied, “Lord Cui, I’ll risk my life to blow up the tomb, but you must guarantee a safe future for Da Lu Fort. Otherwise, I will never agree.”

“Fine, Pan Yongguang. You’ve got guts. But since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll agree to your terms,” Cui Yulin said with a sinister smile, though it was unclear whether he was being sincere.

“Very well, Lord Cui, I accept,” Pan Yongguang responded, knowing he had pushed Cui Yulin to his limit. He ordered his men to set up the explosives, preparing to blow open the main tomb.

Chengdao, still carrying the old Taoist master, hadn’t gotten far when his master spoke. “Stop, stop. Chengdao, stop. I need to tell you something.”

Chengdao reluctantly halted. “Master, can’t it wait until we get back to the temple?”

“Chengdao, I’m only slightly wounded. How could that firearm truly harm me? I deliberately let myself get injured so that the eunuch would lower his guard. Now we go back. Once they blow open the tomb, we’ll seize the opportunity to reclaim our Mei Mountain Sect’s legacy treasure,” the old Taoist master said.

“But Master, you’re bleeding from a gunshot wound! Let’s forget the treasure,” Chengdao pleaded tearfully.

“Stop crying! Men don’t shed tears so easily. I’ve waited so many years for this chance. Even if it costs me my life, I must seize that treasure. Listen to me. Put me down, and when the commotion starts, we’ll sneak back in. Once we’re inside, all you need to do is guard the side tunnel. Whether we live or die will depend on whether you can hold that path!” The old Taoist master refused to give up on this rare opportunity.

Chengdao had no choice but to carry the master back to the recently opened passage. Peeking inside, they saw that Cui Yulin’s men were already standing guard.

“Put me down,” the old Taoist said softly.

Chengdao set the master down and cautiously approached the cave entrance, peeking in. The interior was brightly lit by torches, allowing them to see everything clearly.

Pan Yongxi approached Pan Yongguang. “Master, let me handle this.”

“No need, Yongxi. You can’t run as fast as I can. Get out of here. I’ll handle this. If I leave, will the eunuch be at ease?” Pan Yongguang shook his head. He patted Pan Yongxi on the shoulder and, holding a torch, headed toward the main tomb.

Cui Yulin called out, “Everyone, stand over there!”

He didn’t allow Pan Yongxi to stand near the freshly opened passage, fearing they might escape faster than his men.

Pan Yongxi was clearly reluctant, but said, “Lord Cui, let us guard the area.”

“Get lost!” Cui Yulin barked harshly.

Pan Yongxi’s eyes flashed with anger, though he dared not show it.

Pan Yongguang, carrying the torch, ran toward the main tomb, quickly lighting the fuse, and shouted as he ran back, “Quick! Find cover!”

Moments later, a loud explosion echoed, followed by screams. Even Chengdao and the old Taoist were shaken by the force, struggling to stay on their feet. Stones fell from the ceiling and walls around them.

The old Taoist master swiftly flung half of the talismans in his hand into the tunnel without hesitation, unleashing continuous bursts of explosions, taking advantage of the chaos to rush into the cave. Chengdao followed closely behind.

The main tomb had indeed been blown open, revealing a massive coffin. The coffin, surprisingly intact, began to emit thudding noises, and the lid started to shake violently.

Boom! The coffin lid suddenly flew open from the inside, revealing a towering corpse, over three meters tall. Its skin was dark, but its clothing was remarkably well-preserved, the garments finely crafted.

The corpse suddenly sat up.