novellk 059 Song Lou
059 Song Lou
In the vast Yunmeng Marshland, deep in the mountains and forests, more than a hundred people lived in huts.
In the center of the dwelling was a prison cage five zhang high.
A giant, six-legged serpent with four wings was imprisoned in the cage.
Boom!Boom!Boom!
The strange snake was unusually agitated, slamming the iron cage against itself until it shook and rattled.
Zhang Bao walked out of the hut, frowned, took a pill, and threw it into the cage.
After swallowing the pill, the strange snake calmed down a little.
After the arrival of the extraordinary man, the novels *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* and *Records of the Three Kingdoms* became widely circulated, and Zhang Bao and his two brothers became the target of public criticism. The established Taiping Dao was destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of believers scattered like clouds.
The two chieftains, however, were still intimidated by their elder brother's reputation and methods as "Great Teacher of Virtue" and had not yet declared their rebellion. Nevertheless, they all went into hiding, either hiding in the mountains and lakes or entering the court and the marketplace.
The three brothers were being pursued by the prefectures and counties, constantly on the run. Fortunately, the eldest brother was able to use many techniques from the "Taiping Jing" and also received help from a disciple of a strange person, which gave them a chance to catch their breath and escape into the Yunmeng Marsh.
"Second Master, is [Fei Yi] causing trouble again?"
A player, around thirty years old, with his hair tied up and wearing a white robe, walked over. He was nearly eight feet tall, with a handsome face and a calm demeanor.
When Zhang Bao saw him, the worry on his face lessened slightly, and he smiled and said, "Zizhen, have you gained any insights from studying the *Zhouyi Cantongqi*?"
The player shook his head: "The Book of Changes and the Cantong Qi is profound and complex. Although I have some understanding of it, without a master's guidance, it is difficult to gain anything."
Zhang Bao nodded, looked at an open space not far away, and asked worriedly, "Brother, it's been ten days since you went into that [Moonlight Scroll], why haven't you returned yet?"
"Master is blessed with good fortune, Second Master, there's no need to worry," the player reassured him.
The player's name is Song Lou. A month ago, he met Zhang Jiao by chance and was taken in as his disciple. He obtained a fragment of the "Zhouyi Cantongqi" in the [Moonlight Scroll], and with Zhang Jiao's guidance, he comprehended some secret formulas for alchemy.
The fact that the three Zhang brothers were able to escape capture and that the "Fat Relic" was able to be temporarily suppressed is all due to their mastery of alchemy.
In just a few words, the fat snake in the cage raised its head and flapped its six wings, as if it was about to cause trouble again.
"Damn snake!" Zhang Bao cursed.
This strange snake, [Feiyi], was obtained by the three brothers when they traveled through mountains and rivers in their early years. At first, it was only about a foot long, but after a strange person descended from the sky and the Emperor's nectar flowed out, its length increased dramatically. In less than two months, it grew to be over three zhang long, and it also exhibited some supernatural phenomena.
Only my elder brother could subdue this strange snake. Song Lou's elixir had some effect, but after taking it for ten days, its effectiveness was greatly reduced.
Boom!Boom!Boom!
[Fei Yi] rammed into the iron cage again, and Zhang Bao had no choice but to throw in another pill.
After the [Fei Yi] calmed down a bit, Song Lou said to Zhang Bao, "Second Master, [Ming Tong Qi Yu Tu] has changed."
Zhang Bao frowned.
The [Map of Destiny] was drawn by my elder brother using the mysterious methods in the Taiping Jing, with the blood of [Fei Yi] and the hide of a rhinoceros that reaches the heavens.
The hundreds of leaders, large and small, of the Taiping Dao have all consumed the blood of [Fei Yi]. As their strength has increased, their life, death, and movements are all recorded in the [Ming Tong Qi Yu Tu].
Song Lou said: "[Picture] There is one place in Shanggan and two places in Dongyang. [Feiyi] blood has dried up."
Three places?
Could it be that the authorities have received some secret intelligence and are launching another manhunt?
"Ganling? Dongyang?" Zhang Bao pondered for a moment and said, "Send Zhang Niujiao to Ganling and Zuo Zizhangba to Zhao to find out the truth."
"Yes."
…………
White Tiger Mountain, [Black Tiger Village].
After Liu Zhuo died, [Ding Gu] returned to his normal state.
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Skeleton Warrior Ding Gu
[Rank] Yellow (1 Liu)
[Force] 66
[Special Features] Slay Liu, Dismember Liu
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The "Super Rank" status disappeared, and [Ding Gu] changed back from [General] to [Warrior], also dropping from [Mysterious Rank] to [Yellow Rank]. A "1 Liu" appeared after [Yellow Rank], meaning that if a sufficient number and quality of "Liu Family Members" were killed, his strength would increase.
[Snake Princess] Jiang Yaya, who leveled up in [Bat Cave] and [Hidden Soldier Cave], has now killed the bandit leader, thus increasing her [Strength] to 73.
Liu Zhuo's body lay at the doorway, his arms and fingers now back to normal.
In the dream, many players and natives undergo physical transformations and become inhuman due to various factors such as cultivation techniques, fortuitous encounters, titles, and items. Therefore, Li Yu didn't find Liu Zhuo's transformation strange, and after failing to find the cause, he didn't pursue it further.
When Liu Zhuo died, he only dropped a [yellow grade] hundred-refined steel knife.
Li Yu was somewhat disappointed that it wasn't a spear, halberd, or lance.
The weapon he was using was still the Wang family's heirloom bronze spear. Although it was easy to use, it was, after all, a "non-grade" weapon.
Li Yu thought to himself that he would find a good gun when he had time, when Li Min ran over.
The bonds binding the [Sky Academy] members have been broken. At this moment, Wang Bin is leading two hundred players to surround the dozens of bandits who had just fled into the mountain stronghold.
The bandits have two [Yellow Rank] leaders, and the rest are all armed with sharp blades. If they go all out, they can easily break through the encirclement of the [Sky Academy] members.
But they dared not, because the "snake man" and the "skull monster" were both at the gate of the village.
Seeing the "Skeleton Monster" chop their own king to death like a madman, the bandits were terrified and lost all will to fight.
Before Li Yu could even speak, the bandits dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves on the ground, begging for mercy.
Li Min recounted her experiences transporting grain along the way, and Li Yu nodded in agreement.
The two hundred players were in much better spirits than before and could be considered usable. As for Wang Bin, having learned his lesson again, he fell silent once more.
Li Min asked how to deal with these bandits.
Li Yu said that anyone who had laid a hand on a member of the Sky Academy should be killed; the rest should be selected based on their character and ability, with those who meet the criteria being admitted to the Sky Outer Academy and those who do not be sent to the Giant Python Pavilion.
Li Min agreed and split into several groups with Wang Bin and others. Some went to "inspect" the bandits, some went down the mountain to guard the cattle and horses, and some followed Li Yu to search for spoils of war.
After a full hour, everything was settled, and Li Yu tallied up his gains.
In addition to the unknown construction blueprints presented by [Hibiscus], there are also one [unknown scroll] and one [unknown animal hide].
And a [Sacred Drum], which is the "Legion-type item" that Li Yu searched for but could not find in [Taipingwu].
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'Sacred Drum'
[Rank] Mystic
[Attribute] When soldiers under your command go to war, [General] beats the drum, and the army's morale increases by 60, willpower increases by 20, and stamina recovery increases by 50.
[Description] Qin felled a camphor tree and made a large drum, twelve feet in diameter. One night, it flew to the border of Linwu County in Guiyang Prefecture, and was therefore called the Sacred Drum.
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Xiong Ba possesses the title of "General Youji". As long as he meets the "Commander" standard, he can become a "Military General". At that time, he can beat the drum in battle and show his abilities.
The Sacred Drum landed in Black Tiger Stronghold, and the attack on Taipingwu was likely orchestrated by Liu Zhuo and his gang. The players in Beixiang are truly taking the fall for someone else's scheme.
Aside from the [Sacred Drum] and a few [unknown] items, [Black Tiger Stronghold] had tens of thousands of bushels of grain, over two hundred [ungraded] weapons, five [yellow-grade] swords, and a pile of miscellaneous items such as cloth, salt, and bedding. Adding to that the fifty-odd horses at the foot of the mountain, it was truly a bumper harvest.
The players were overjoyed, and Li Yu gave a shout.
Heading back!