Chapter 23 Part 1

Not sure if it was because of the Peach Tree, but as soon as they arrived at Bar Street, they felt a chill. The sky had also turned overcast, as if a storm was brewing.

Li Hongming and his wife had long since booked the entire street with great fanfare, so the place was deserted at the moment, with bodyguards stationed at both ends.

The four of them went up through the back door of Jiuse, then circled around to the front door, watching Master Zhang and his disciple set up the array from above.

The auspicious time indicated by the Luopan Compass had not yet arrived, but Zhang Shaoyi and Zhang Jue had already arranged the Magic Array around the Peach Tree, waiting only for nightfall to begin.

It was as if the Peach Blossom Evil sensed something amiss; the Red Ropes hanging around the courtyard and the Five-Colored Command Flags swayed wildly, flapping noisily.

When Chu Yi saw the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Array that Zhang Shaoyi had set up, he shook his head and tsked softly. It looked like he couldn’t slack off today!

There was nothing wrong with the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Array itself, but he had forgotten to consider the terrain. Bar Street was bustling with people, so why had the Peach Blossom Evil formed? It was precisely because this small courtyard existed within Bar Street yet stood isolated from it—lively surroundings with a cold, desolate center, forming a Pot-Shaped Yin Gathering Ground.

Zhang Shaoyi’s Five Elements Eight Trigrams Array was like a pot lid. On the surface, it could suppress the Peach Blossom Evil, but once it fully matured, the pot would explode.

He hadn’t wronged Zhang Shaoyi by saying his skills were lacking. If he hadn’t come today, everyone else here would have been in danger.

Li Hongming and his wife must have felt the chill brought by the yin wind, so they stayed far away in the northwest corner of the courtyard, where some fitness equipment provided scant shelter. Even at that distance, the two with insufficient yang qi had their faces turn ashen from the yin wind, their hands and feet trembling.

The bodyguards fared a bit better, but they too looked like they wanted to flee as soon as possible. They were ordinary people—who wanted to get involved in such ominous affairs? The only reason they gritted their teeth and stayed was the generous bonus offered by their employer.

As soon as the auspicious time arrived, Master Zhang officially began the ritual. He had Zhang Jue light three sticks of incense at each of the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest corners, then took out the Three Pure Ones Bell and shook it with one hand on the handle.

The “ding-a-ling” of the bell echoed across the area, giving everyone who heard it a sense of clarity and delight. But to the Peach Blossom Evil, this bell was pure torment. As the saying went, “The dharma bell shakes, and gods and ghosts alike submit.” The Peach Tree shook violently, its leaves rustling down, only to be swept up by a gust of yin wind, turning in an instant into countless blades!

Master Zhang’s expression changed. He continued shaking the dharma bell with one hand while igniting a sheet of Talisman Paper with the other. With a “boom,” it burst into flames half a person’s height. Half of the flying leaves fell to the ground, but the other half kept attacking Master Zhang and his disciple.

Before long, both Master Zhang and Zhang Jue had several cuts on them. Zhang Jue in particular had a leaf blade slice straight toward his vital artery under the neck. If Master Zhang hadn’t pulled him in time, Zhang Jue would have had his throat slit, spurting blood to his death.

Even so, Zhang Jue’s cheek was slashed by the leaf blade, with half the flesh hanging off, his face covered in blood.

Seeing this, the onlookers all paled. Ouyang Yuyuan and Mu Jiajun had long hidden behind Chu Yi, while Yu Qingxian glanced at him several times. “Do you want to go down and help Master Zhang?”

The ferocity of the Peach Blossom Evil far exceeded their expectations. They had thought that even if Master Zhang couldn’t overpower it, he could at least retreat safely. But they had only just started, and Master Zhang and his disciple already seemed done for…

Chu Yi remained calm and composed. “Don’t worry. Master Zhang is about to unleash his big move. Just wait and see.”

When someone was performing a ritual, others couldn’t assist without being invited or asked for help, or it would be seen as contempt and provocation.

Master Zhang had gone to great lengths to set up this array; he wouldn’t be content if he wasn’t allowed to activate it. He might even resent the meddling…

Yu Qingxian felt that Chu Yi seemed a bit like he was waiting to watch Master Zhang’s show, as if he knew what would happen next. But seeing Chu Yi so relaxed, he calmed down too.

Chu Yi might be mischievous, but he never had malicious intent. Since he said to wait, they would wait.

Sure enough, in the next moment, Master Zhang bit the tip of his tongue and used his tongue blood to activate the Five-Colored Command Flags. The flags flew up with the gale, carrying the Red Ropes like a large net that enveloped the Peach Tree from above!

The Peach Tree let out a shrill scream, the terrifying, chilling aura in its voice making everyone shudder involuntarily.

Master Zhang pinched his fingers together, controlling the Five-Colored Command Flags and confronting the Peach Blossom Evil from afar. But it was clear he had little strength left—cold sweat dripped from his forehead, his face was deathly pale, and with the blood from his bitten tongue at his lips, he looked like he would collapse any moment.