Chapter 333 A Glimpse of the Big Fish

It's too late, but it's soon.

Lu Zhishen was so frightened that his eyes became as big as bells. He subconsciously kicked the broken tree to gain leverage and flashed to the side like a mountain of flesh.

After walking in the mountains with Yang Chang all night, although he was lifted up and down most of the time, his body was already quite tired. If he had not broken through to the Qi Refining Realm, he would have been unable to avoid the pounce just now.

The big beast missed its pounce and immediately twisted its waist and swung its tail to attack quickly on the ground. The combo was incredibly fast.

Back then, Wu Song was hit by the white-browed tiger's three consecutive attacks of "pounce, lift, and cut" on Jingyang Ridge. He dodged them with his extraordinary body skills. If he had been hit by any of the attacks, there would be no story of him being a tiger-slaying hero.

Wu Song is good at breaking out in adversity, but Lu Zhishen becomes stronger the better his condition is, and weaker his fighting power the worse his condition is.

Look, a tiger bigger than the one on Jingyang Ridge used a combo of tail swings to hit Lu Zhishen, making a snapping sound like a whip.

Seeing that he couldn't dodge in time, Lu Zhishen subconsciously raised his elbows to block and took the tiger's tail whip as hard as an iron rod. If it weren't for the [Vajra Holy Body] that could protect him from damage, both of his arms would have been broken at that time. However, he only felt some pain, and there was no skin broken on his arms where he had blocked the attack.

The reason why the tiger pounced first and then whipped was because Lu Weizhishen was a little far away at the time, and it was not suitable to receive the "lifting attack" to knock it down, but by using the tiger's tail to cut the distance, the big monk was within the range of its lifting attack.

The tiger kicked the ground with its hind legs, and its body instantly spun like a twist, moving its powerful front claws from bottom to top, and was about to sweep Lu Zhishen's lower body.

The monk's arms were numbed by the tiger's tail. Before he could move his body to avoid it, he suddenly felt a strong wind blowing under his crotch and cried out in pain.

At the critical moment, Yang Chang arrived in time by using [Flowing Light and Shadow]. He grabbed Lu Zhishen's arm and threw him back more than ten feet away, thus performing a thrilling scene of snatching food from the tiger's mouth.

Yang Chang not only wanted to save people, he also wanted to imitate Wu Song in fighting the tiger, and thought of unleashing another "Power of a Tiger" to prepare for his son in advance.

So he pulled Lu Zhishen away, and when the big beast was lifted into the air, he jumped onto the tiger and raised his fist to hit it, shouting, "Evil beast, die!"

Unexpectedly, when he sat on the tiger's neck, the big beast under his crotch suddenly let out a long roar, which surprised Lu Zhishen who was far away. He wondered why the roar was different from before. However, Yang Chang seemed to understand and put away his fist.

"Awoo (Master, please don't hit me, Master, spare my life)"

"You evil beast."

"Awoo (I am willing to drive you, please spare my life)."

"Oh?"

Yang Chang suddenly realized that it turned out that the riding master's talent [Control All Beasts] was triggered. No wonder he could hear the tiger's roar. If he took it as a mount, he could climb mountains and cross rivers, which would be of great help to him in breaking the calamity. It seemed to be more cost-effective than killing it to get the treasure.

After all, Yang Huang is less than eight years old now and cannot withstand the power of a tiger.

When this fellow was frowning in deep thought, he couldn't help but stroke the top of the tiger's head, as naturally as petting a cat, but the scene stunned Lu Zhishen.

He swallowed, raised his fists and lowered his body, slowly approaching while whispering:
"Brother Yang, why are you riding on that beast? You don't even hit it, but it looks like it's lost. Am I dreaming?"

"Haha, I conquered it."

Yang Chang stroked the big cat's ears in front of his companions, and the tiger actually squinted its eyes with joy.

Lu Zhishen was stunned by what he heard and saw, and immediately stopped and rubbed his ears. In the blink of an eye, Yang Chang patted the tiger's back and invited it with a smile, "Master, come up quickly, it will take us down the mountain."

"what?"

"Don't be afraid, come quickly!"

Yang Chang used words to provoke Lu Zhishen, how could he bear it? The monk immediately walked out with a heartless pace, still muttering disdainfully: "I am afraid? What a joke!"

"Squat down!"

Lu Zhishen slowed down as he approached, and Yang Chang saw this and slapped the tiger on the head and shouted. The tiger, which was as big as an ox, obeyed his orders and lay on the ground.

How strange!

People say it is hard to get off a tiger, but we are only mortals after all.

The king of beasts is willing to be a mount, how can Yang Chang still be a mortal? He is Tianqixing, the Lord of Light.

My teacher is right, Brother Yang, you are truly an amazing person!
With emotion, Lu Zhishen was carried by the tiger through the mountains and woods. He did not dare to grab the tiger's body to stabilize himself, so he hugged Yang Chang's waist like a little girl.

That picture is a bit strange.

Of course, the monk knew that this was not right, but he had found an excuse for himself.

This big tiger has no saddle, so I need a foothold. Besides, it’s not that I have to ride a tiger, but Brother Yang is prone to fainting, so he can’t leave me anywhere and at any time.

Well, I can’t live without it.

Yang Chang didn't have so many inner thoughts. With his master-level riding skills, he could control everything easily. As long as he gave the commands with his legs and hands, the beast would understand and carry the two of them through the mountains as if it were flat ground.

It was originally going to take several hours, but in the end it only took less than an hour to reach the outskirts of Jinlong Mountain.

The two men got off the tiger's back early, planning to walk the last section of the journey by themselves, so as not to alert the guards or villagers at the foot of the mountain and affect their ability to disrupt the shaman ceremony.

Before leaving, Yang Chang patted the tiger's head and muttered a few words, then took Lu Zhishen down the mountain.

Thanks to the help of the tiger, we were able to get down the mountain much earlier. When we reached the foot of the mountain, it was still misty in the early morning and no one was active nearby.

Based on the marks made last night, Yang Chang quickly found the grove where the horse was tied. Lu Zhishen finally breathed a sigh of relief when he got on his horse, and then asked the question that he had been holding back for a long time.

"Brother Yang, just now when you got down from the tiger's back in the mountains, what did you say to that beast?"

"An? I'll ask it to wait there tomorrow night and take us to the sacrificial site then."

"What? Still sitting?"

Lu Zhishen swallowed his saliva, then realized that he had not asked the main point, and then asked: "No, how did you tame the beast?"

"Hey, maybe it's because I look kind?"

Yang Chang smiled and said, "Remember the Jade Lion of the Night? Didn't the fierce horse that no one could control follow me in the end?"

"Oh"

Lu Zhishen responded verbally, but in his heart he knew that a good appearance cannot be eaten. Besides, no matter how fierce the Zhaoye Jade Lion was, it was still a horse, while the big tiger was a ferocious beast in the forest. How could they be compared?

Of course, the monk did not ask further questions. My master highly praised Yang Chang. Isn't it normal that he could subdue dragons and tigers?
Yang Chang led him around to the south, and then they set out on the road back to Shangjing. When they returned to the inn at the end of the morning, they found that Fan Rui was not in the room, perhaps he had just gone out and had not returned yet.

The longitude of Shangjing is quite different from that of Taiyuan. In winter, it gets dark at the afternoon time of Shen and gets light at the end of the morning time of Yin. Around the summer solstice, the daylight hours get longer, the dawn comes half an hour earlier, and the darkness gets longer by an hour.

The end of the Chen period in this season is equivalent to noon in the Central Plains.

After a busy night, Lu Zhishen returned to the inn feeling tired and hungry. After eating the food and wine ordered by Yang Chang, he fell asleep on the couch.

The inn was relatively safe, and he would wake up at the slightest movement, so there was no need to worry that Yang Chang would faint in the room. But he might have been too tired last night, and he didn't even hear Fan Rui knocking on the door, and only woke up when he heard the conversation between the two.

"What did you say? Nianhan is not in Shangjing?"

"Yes, I have confirmed this repeatedly. Nianhan went south a month ago. After all, he took over the position of the Grand Marshal, so it is reasonable for him to be in charge of Yanyun." "It is reasonable for the Grand Marshal to be in charge of Yanyun, but it is unreasonable for the Shaman Ceremony. As the high priest of the Jin Kingdom, he left before the ceremony ended? Is this reasonable?"

"This"

Just as Fan Rui was scratching his head in confusion, Lu Zhishen suddenly sat up from the couch and said with sleepy eyes: "Perhaps Nianhan is not the high priest?"

"Impossible." Fan Rui waved his hands quickly and said sternly, "The tradition of the Jurchens is that the prime minister also serves as the high priest. Although Nianhan has just taken office as the commander-in-chief, he is also the prime minister, so the high priest can only be him."

Lu Zhishen scratched his head and murmured, "But didn't Nianhan leave? Besides, Brother Yang still faints occasionally in the past month. Could it be that his curse has nothing to do with the high priest?"

"Normally, the Jin people shouldn't have removed the high priest who presided over the ceremony, no matter how urgent it was. Or I'm dizzy."

"Quick, Master, please recite the sutra. The general is fainting again."

"okay."

Before Yang Chang could finish his words, he fainted in front of the two men again, but was quickly awakened by Lu Zhishen.

"Did I just faint again?"

"Um"

"Since Nianhan is not here, the sacrificial site cannot be left any longer. It must be destroyed tonight. Otherwise, it will be a problem if I keep fainting. I guess this curse technique may not really require a high priest."

"Yes, yes, yes. In addition to the shaman priest, each tribe also has a witch doctor. They should all have the power to exorcise the curse."

After receiving Fan Rui's reminder, Yang Chang nodded in affirmation and said earnestly, "I wanted to kill my old rival Nianhan in one fell swoop, but it seems that I have no chance this time. However, killing those great and small witches will probably be a heavy blow to the Jin people. Master Lu, you should take care of yourself and sleep for another hour, because we have to go out at the end of the afternoon."

"Why are you still sleeping? We don't have any weapons, we have to get them before leaving the city." Lu Zhishen turned over and lay down on the bed. He couldn't sleep at this time.

Yang Chang smiled and said, "The weapons are in the mountains. We will go over and get them later. Master, you worked hard last night. You should get enough sleep before going out."

"Slept well? Then we have to sleep until tomorrow. Let's get down to business. By the way, you said the weapons are in the mountains? Did we pass by there last night? Why didn't I see them?"

"Haha, did you forget there are hunters at the intersection at the bottom of the mountain? Let's take it directly from them."

"Ah? So they just robbed me directly? I didn't even react, hehe."

Lu Zhishen touched his head and acted as if something had suddenly dawned on him.

Yang Chang nodded as he looked at the innocent smile, and then reminded Fan Rui: "Thank you for your guidance and help, sir. You can return to Erxian Mountain at any time. We will deal with the monsters of Jinlong Mountain tonight, and we should set off to return to Hedong tomorrow."

"So soon? Is the commander afraid of being exposed?"

"Why would I be afraid of being exposed? It's just that Nianhan is quite good at commanding troops. He was ordered to go south and he must be heading east to Hedong. I'm worried that he will collude with Zhao Gou. If he joins hands with Song Jiang to attack from multiple directions, I'm afraid there will be big trouble."

"hiss"

Fan Rui took a deep breath, and couldn't help but think of many past events. He then said sternly, "What Taiwei Yang said is very true. If you want to do something big, you should leave the city early to prepare. I will buy some supplies and set off immediately. By the way, I will prepare an extra set of supplies. When you come back after you finish your work, you can take it and leave."

"In that case, thank you very much, and see you later."

"The cause and effect between me and the general is over. I am afraid we will never see each other again, unless..."

"Yes."

Seeing that Fan Rui was hesitant to speak, Yang Chang immediately responded with a smile: "When I drive away the Jin people and recapture Yanyun, I will definitely go to the Immortal Mountain to pay homage to Master Luo, and then we will meet again."

"So, very good."

Fan Rui bowed and said goodbye to Yang Chang and Lu Zhishen in the guest room. After the two left, he went to the street to buy supplies.

On the way, he accidentally passed by the Prime Minister's Mansion. He suddenly remembered what Yang Chang had just said, that Nianhan and Zhao Gou were in cahoots and might have instigated Song Jiang to attack Hedong.

Zhao Gou! Song Jiang!
You and I also have a cause and effect relationship. How can I attain enlightenment if I don't eliminate the demons in my heart?

I went through so much hardship to bring the news of Concubine Wei and Concubine Xing back to Yingtian, but Zhao Gou ordered Song Jiang to sink me into the river? Killing you won't make me feel better, and it will lead to more consequences.

General Yang is at loggerheads with you. If I bring Concubine Wei and Concubine Xing back to Taiyuan, he will probably make good use of them, right?
Hehe, interesting, interesting.

Fan Rui glanced at the Prime Minister's Mansion and thought that the laundry house was often visited by Jurchens. He was afraid that he could not take Concubine Wei with him, nor could he take two people with him at once. He might as well take Princess Xing with him alone.

She became Nianhan's woman, and it seemed enough to use this identity to take revenge on Zhao Gou.

Princess Xing, don't you want to go back to the Central Plains? I'll come to see you after nightfall while I make some preparations.

Taoism emphasizes doing whatever one wants, so it is understandable that Fan Rui wants to understand cause and effect. He will not tell us how he will take Xing Bingyi away, and then he will tell Yang Chang to enter Jinlong Mountain again.

Since they left the city early that day, the two men arrived at the designated location at the foot of the mountain on the west side. Dusk had just fallen, and Yang Chang, who was about to go to the scene to get weapons, suddenly changed his mind and went straight up the mountain.

The number of hunters guarding the intersection at the foot of the mountain increased from a small team of a dozen to several hundred, and they even set up a camp at the intersection.

What's going on? Am I exposed?

Shortly after nightfall, Yang Chang led Lu Zhishen and successfully climbed the first ridge. The fires that had guided the way last night were still burning at the same position.

It seems that I was overthinking it. Maybe an important person came to the mountain today?
Could it be true, as Lu Zhishen guessed, that the high priest was not Nianhan but someone else?

After all, ordinary Jurchens are unable to perform sacrificial activities, so they don’t know the identity of the incumbent high priest, and they may not even know who the chief witch of their tribe is.

Just as Yang Chang was frowning in thought, he suddenly heard the whistling of frosty wind and the rustling of pine leaves.

Ok?
Yang Chang started with a start and looked back alertly, and saw the big cat from last night appear not far away. It let out a soft howl to give a reminder, and only slowly approached after receiving the affirmative call, and then lay down obediently beside the two of them.

"It's coming?"

"Master, don't be nervous. I will take you to the tiger's back."

“I’m not nervous”

"set off!"

The two men rode tigers over mountains and ridges, following the guidance of the lights on the ridges and running into the depths of the mountains. On the way, they found several more guard posts. It was obvious that the situation in the mountains today was unusual.

Yang Chang picked an unmanned stronghold to start with, picked a weapon for each of them and continued on his way, then came to the ridge above the site of last night's sacrifice.

He saw two hundred guards stationed at the entrance of the valley, and a ceremony was being held at the central bonfire inside. At the outermost edge were small shamans wearing dark bird feathers, and in the middle were a dozen big shamans wearing white bird feathers. They each held an instrument in their hands and walked around the altar. The one on the innermost altar wore flower feathers on his head and was wearing the most gorgeous clothes. He was chanting to the wooden man on the altar.

The man on the stage, could he be the High Shaman? Let me use my [Eye of Insight] to see.

Yang Changcai just took a look and suddenly let go of Lu Zhishen's hand, and fainted again at the critical moment.

[Eye of Insight] brought up the panel. Even though Yang Chang only caught a glimpse of the name column, it was enough to shock him. That fish was even bigger than Nianhan.

Name: Wuqimai (Wanyan Sheng)

(End of this chapter)