A dilapidated manor, rows of coffins—a typical opening scene from an Asian horror film. However, Xiahou paused for a moment upon seeing the coffins, then turned to look at Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan simply smiled and shook his head, seemingly unconcerned.
He had now learned the Qi cultivation method, and his true Qi was being transformed into spiritual energy. His spiritual senses were heightened, and he immediately noticed upon entering that the coffins were full of living people. However, since Lu Xuan indicated that he didn't need to worry about it, he didn't care either. With his current skill, he was confident that he could wipe out all eight people in the coffins by himself. Judging from their breathing, he could tell that their skill wasn't strong, and they were even far inferior to his own before he followed Lu Xuan.
They chose a room next door that was in relatively good condition. Xiaoqian and Xiaolan used magic to tidy up the room, then took out wine and dishes and placed them on the table.
"Young master, it's still early. Would you like to have a drink?"
Lu Xuan had no objection and lay in Xiaoqian's arms, letting Xiaolan feed him wine.
However, his actions were too much for the people inside the coffin to bear. They wanted to scare the others away, but Xiahou casually sat down next to the coffin to eat. His powerful inner energy, released intentionally or unintentionally, terrified the people inside. They were almost scared away themselves, let alone the others.
Xiahou could sense the anxiety of the people inside the coffin. But the more anxious they were, the happier Xiahou became. He fetched a pot of wine and leaned against the coffin to drink it.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the entire Zhengqi Manor became extremely eerie. Thunder rumbled outside. Soon after, a torrential downpour began. Lu Xuan made a hand seal, patching up the leaking roof, and then continued his game with his three companions.
However, he still managed to spare a wisp of his divine sense, spreading it throughout the entire Righteous Qi Manor. Upon entering the manor, he had already sensed a very subtle aura of death. The coffins in the main hall contained living people, not corpses. But this didn't mean there were no corpses elsewhere in the manor. It was just that the aura of death was concealed.
After searching around for a while, Lu Xuan had a clear idea of what was going on, and then returned to his game.
Just then, amidst the raging wind and rain outside, the sound of galloping hooves could be heard. Judging from the sound, it seemed that a troop of cavalry had entered Zhengqi Manor.
Lu Xuan heard the noise outside, and his smile widened.
"What are you thinking about, young master? Why are you so happy?"
"Hehe, want to know? Come on, let's go out and watch the show." With that, Lu Xuan led two long-legged men out of his room. At that moment, the cavalry outside had already entered the manor. Perhaps seeing the firelight inside, they assumed the place was occupied.
"The owner of this place came out to greet us. We are soldiers of the imperial court. We were caught in a heavy rain and need to stay here for the night."
Xiahou recognized the voice as that of the commander of a thousand. Knowing that Lu Xuan was interested in this person, he went out to greet him politely.
"General, there's no need for such formality. This place is long abandoned; we're just seeking lodging. Please make yourselves at home." The commander recognized him immediately—it was the servant of the strange young master from the tavern. The servant's sudden appearance caused the commander's expression to change slightly. He subtly signaled his soldiers to be on alert, but outwardly still cupped his hands in greeting.
The desolate Zhengqi Manor has become lively. Dozens of people have moved in. Indeed, its popularity has increased greatly, and the guy who was originally dormant has also begun to stir with excitement.
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Chapter 362 Who could refuse?
Zuo Qianhu's group wasn't fast; in fact, they were quite slow. This was because Lu Xuan was a slow traveler, spending his days sightseeing and traveling. Logically, Zuo Qianhu's soldiers should have been much faster than them. But unexpectedly, they were even slower than Lu Xuan.
Recalling Zuo Qianhu's behavior in the movie, Lu Xuan guessed that Zuo Qianhu was deliberately stalling for time. He must have sensed something was wrong with the court, but was powerless to do anything about it. Therefore, he deliberately delayed Fu Tianchou's arrival in the capital.
The commotion of the twenty-odd soldiers made the people inside the coffin even more restless. Lu Xuan, sensing the chaotic aura of the eight people inside, almost laughed out loud. He knew this group was lying in ambush to rescue Fu Tianchou. There were two girls inside, Fu Tianchou's two daughters.
In Lu Xuan's opinion, while these men were somewhat better than the soldiers, they were still far inferior to Commander Zuo. If a real fight broke out, who knew who would be lying in wait for whom?
The problem now is that with Xiahou holding them back, these people dare not come out. They can only watch helplessly as the soldiers shout from the sidelines.
Fu Tianchou was also released. He didn't know martial arts and was quite old. He wouldn't last long in this torrential rain. Commander Zuo had someone bring him inside.
Zuo Qianhu also saw Lu Xuan opposite him. His vigilance intensified.
"No sleep tonight, everyone on high alert. Keep your knives at all times, those people on the other side are suspicious."
The three groups settled into Zhengqi Manor amidst this mutual wariness. Lu Xuan turned and gestured to Xiahou. Xiahou then left the hall, no longer trying to frighten the people in the coffin.
The departure of Lu Xuan and the others finally brought a sigh of relief to the person inside the coffin. They then immediately began their plan to break him out of the coffin.
At midnight, the torrential rain continued. The soldiers' shouts gradually subsided; even if they weren't sleeping, they needed to sit quietly and rest for a while.
At that moment, a squeaking sound penetrated the torrential rain and reached the ears of Commander Zuo. He was the most skilled and could hear it, but the other soldiers did not have that ability.
He pressed his right hand against the long sword beside him and patted the guard next to him.
Four guards immediately stood up and picked up their military crossbows. Although Zuo Qianhu's team was small in number, it was well-equipped; the twenty-four men were armed with a full sixteen crossbows.
The remaining soldiers were also awakened. Four shield bearers stepped forward, followed by crossbowmen, while the remaining swordsmen provided flank cover. They advanced towards the main hall.
Lu Xuan, watching the soldiers' movements, nodded slightly. Their actions were skillful and their coordination superb; they were truly a powerful army. Even though the noise coming from the opposite side was from a group of coffins, they showed no fear whatsoever.
The clicking sound continued, and the coffin lid slowly opened a crack. A fingernail, at least ten centimeters long, was the first to emerge from the gap.
This is a typical horror movie trope; if it were shown to an ordinary person, it would have scared them half to death. But Zuo Qianhu's soldiers seemed to be experienced in this kind of thing.
"My lord, it might be a zombie resurrection."
"Really? Then let's go to the room and see if these corpses will try to hide."
Lu Xuan, standing not far away, almost burst out laughing. He had figured it out. Commander Zuo had long ago realized that the coffin contained a person, not a zombie. He guessed that this explanation...
As expected, before the soldiers could even make a move, the eight coffins exploded. Eight figures dressed in white and wearing masks, wielding long swords, charged straight at Commander Zuo and his men.
"Hmph, playing tricks." Commander Zuo didn't even flinch; four shield bearers stepped forward, completely protecting him. At the same time, sixteen crossbowmen fired simultaneously, forcing the white-clad men back. After firing a volley of arrows, the crossbowmen didn't reload. Instead, they lowered their crossbows, drew their swords, and charged forward.
The other spearmen, working in coordination with the shield bearers, pressed forward. Within moments, they had forced the eight men in white back into a corner.
The soldiers were no match for the white-clad men in martial arts. However, the skillful formation of the swordsmen, shield bearers, and spearmen rendered them powerless. Commander Zuo didn't even have to lift a finger; his men alone had already cornered them.
"Xiahou, what do you think of these soldiers?"
"They're very impressive. If I hadn't learned the Qi cultivation method from you, young master, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to handle these elite soldiers."
“Indeed, they are indeed elite.” At this moment, Commander Zuo stepped forward.