Chapter 3: Bodyguard

  A cultivator, apart from cultivating internal energy and martial arts, also has a deep understanding of the Dao of techniques. The affairs of ghosts and gods are unfathomable, ordinary people revere them as if they were heaven. In the eyes of a cultivator, all things in the world can be controlled, summoning spirits and commanding ghosts is merely a trivial matter!

  This is the battlefield, where countless horses of soldiers who died in an instant are gathered. It's a place where vengeful spirits linger and malevolent ghosts roam freely, even in broad daylight under the scorching sun. Many newly deceased souls still linger, not yet dispersed by sunlight, but with Muyuan's invitation to gods and ghosts, the spirits in the field suddenly gather!

  Mu Yuan performed the spell, and immediately an extraordinary aura appeared. A black air mass condensed in mid-air, emitting a series of mournful wails and cries that pierced the eardrums. Moreover, a surge of battle intent, resentment, and unyielding spirit was transmitted, rushing towards Gai Tiancheng in a frenzy.

  Gai Tian Cheng was indeed a worldly warrior, relying on years of bitter cultivation to surpass the younger generation like Mu Yuan in terms of combat power. However, when faced with magic, he was powerless! As a general of a country, he was majestic and overbearing, and this kind of person valued martial arts, regarding talk of ghosts and gods as ridiculous, fundamentally not believing it. That's why even though there were occasionally wandering Taoist priests, hermits, and monks in the Tian Long Kingdom, he didn't pay attention to them, viewing them as absurd and heretical teachings. Now, suddenly seeing the dark energy surging and the wailing of ghosts, his heart was immediately filled with apprehension!

  Gai Tiancheng was not unfamiliar with magic, some Taoist priests and monks had also come to his mansion, performing some magic as a gift for entering the court. However, they mostly used methods such as reviving withered flowers or making dead trees sprout, which he thought were just tricks to deceive people's eyes. Although he didn't drive them away, his calm and indifferent attitude slowly made them leave!

  Those Taoist priests and monks who came to surrender were naturally not disciples of any famous sects. However, almost all the heart method inheritances in the world are transmitted within the sects. There are also many single-transmitted ones. When the sect members are slightly scattered, the transmission is interrupted, but they themselves die, and the Taoist lineage is lost. This situation accounts for the vast majority!

  After years of accumulation, it is unknown how many Taoist techniques and mental methods have been lost and destroyed in the long river of time. As a result, many wandering Taoist priests are familiar with some unconventional techniques, but have no chance to practice the way of longevity and alchemy, and can only seek a life of wealth and nobility by serving in government offices or wealthy merchants.

  For the method of reviving withered wood, Mu Yuan, a disciple of the Longevity Palace, naturally wouldn't let others know. The cultivation of longevity is all about the thriving and vigorous way of life, but this technique is completely useless against enemies. However, when it comes to healing wounds and treating illnesses, it's an extraordinary skill that surpasses most of the world's skilled doctors!

  When Gai Tiancheng first encountered such a Taoist technique, he couldn't help but feel a little flustered in his heart. He swept his spear horizontally, and the powerful aura stirred up the black air, dispersing it and then gathering it again, but the soul was an intangible existence with no substance, elusive and not subject to ordinary forces. It continued to pounce on him with its teeth and claws, leaving this great general at a loss for how to respond, his hands and feet in disarray!

  Muyuan smiled and his body floated up, borrowing force repeatedly, and he quickly escaped from the enemy's formation. However, in his heart, he knew that these vengeful spirits looked incredibly powerful but were only relying on the thick killing aura in the field, which would disperse soon. They were just ordinary vengeful spirits that could only intimidate people. As for himself, his cultivation was only at the second layer of Qi Refining, and with his rich battle experience, he had a strong and fierce aura, making him a natural enemy to ghostly creatures. Although he couldn't be said to be able to exorcise evil spirits, ordinary vengeful spirits like these wouldn't be able to harm him; at most, they could only confuse his senses for a moment. Taking advantage of the general's distraction, Muyuan quickly escaped into the distance.

  Out of the Tianlong army's battle formation, Mu Yuan looked around in all directions, but all he saw were people and horses fighting, all wearing uniforms, where could he find Chu Fei? He sighed inwardly and returned to the city on his own.

  The city of Tiandu, this border town, was replaced by the giant Yu Yong City. The city wall was thick and strong, three feet high and one foot thick, with a rapid-flowing moat surrounding it, making it a formidable fortress. At this time, the war had already become chaotic, and Mu Yuan's clever mind thought that entering the city would be easy.

  The great war outside the city, the military and civilians inside the city were also in a state of panic, running back and forth. Mu Yuan saw this scene and couldn't help but sigh at the harm caused by war.

  As they were strolling down the street, a pair of soldiers riding sturdy war horses came galloping along on the bluestone street. When they saw Mu Yuan, the leader of the two shouted loudly, "You young man, with a life-and-death battle raging outside the city, how can you be idly wandering around here, completely devoid of patriotic spirit? It's truly infuriating!"

  As he spoke, the war horse did not stop, but when it passed by Mu Yuan's side, "swish" a whip in his hand suddenly struck Mu Yuan's cheek!

  When he first heard the man's shout, Mu Yuan still felt a wave of shame in his heart, but later this man actually directly lashed over with a whip, making Mu Yuan extremely angry. He eyed the whip's trajectory, and his right hand holding the iron sword remained motionless. His left hand suddenly shot out, grabbed the whip handle, and pulled hard, directly pulling the man off the horse. With a surge of true energy, he flung him away, slamming him into a pile of firewood by the side of the road, where he rolled around with a loud rustling sound!

  The remaining soldiers were furious, and they all drew out the iron swords hanging from their waists. Mu Yuan saw that man had made a fool of himself, and his anger dissipated. Seeing so many people drawing their swords, he burst into laughter, not wanting to make any further distinctions. However, he also didn't want to add chaos during this great battle. With a burst of energy, he leaped onto the roof, moved swiftly, and disappeared in an instant, leaving behind a group of soldiers who were stunned and bewildered.

  On another street, he fell to the ground, and this street was a wide avenue, near Mu Yuan's place, it was a grand mansion with an area of about ten acres, with golden lacquer gates, two stone lions in front of the gate, sitting on their haunches, showing off their majestic momentum.

  At this time, in front of the mansion, there were four or five horse-drawn carriages parked, all with two horses. People were coming and going at the entrance, and many servants and maids were moving large and small red wooden boxes out of the house and placing them on the carriages. Several elegant-looking ladies were helping each other into the carriages, apparently preparing to leave the city.

  A stout middle-aged man, drenched in sweat, was directing and shouting at the entrance. He suddenly saw Mokuan approaching with an iron sword in hand, his face changed to joy, and he hurriedly walked forward, ignoring the busy servants, and said with a fist, "This young hero, seeing you holding an iron sword, are you skilled in martial arts?"

  Mu Yuan slightly raised an eyebrow and subconsciously replied, "It's alright, but someone like Gai Tiancheng, a great general of his caliber, taking on two people at once wouldn't be a problem!"

  A middle-aged man heard the three words "Gai Tian Cheng" and his whole body of fat trembled. After hearing this, his face was overjoyed, and he hurriedly asked again, "I wonder where the young hero is from, how did you end up here?"

  Mu Yuan finally came back to his senses, thinking to himself, "Looking at these people, they're either wealthy merchants or government officials. At a time of war, they must be trying to leave the city. Could it be that they want to hire me as a bodyguard?"

  At that time, the speaker said, "We are all from Fengzhou, but just because a fellow was serving in the army and came to visit friends a few days ago. Who would have thought we'd run into such a big battle? What bad luck!"

  "Fengzhou?" The fat man's face lit up with joy, "I'm also from Fengzhou, and I'm heading back home this time. Why don't you ask the young master to travel together? If we encounter any robbers on the road, please help us out, and I'll cover all the expenses for food and lodging along the way. If we arrive safely, I'll give you 20 taels of silver, how about that?"

  Fengzhou is about 600 miles away from the city of Ju Yong, and if you travel by horse-drawn carriage, it will take at least half a month. The reward of 20 taels of silver is already quite generous. To put this into perspective, 20 taels of silver can cover the annual expenses of an average household.

  Mu Yuan's heart slightly stirred, the war in Ju Yong City was intense, he didn't want to stay any longer either. He replied, "Alright then, when will you depart?"

  The stout man beamed with joy, "Everything is ready, let's go immediately. I don't know what to call you, young fellow, but are there still some luggage to collect?"

  After inquiring, Mukuan learned that the fat man's name was Jia Bu, a cloth merchant. Although he couldn't be considered extremely wealthy, his family had considerable assets. The border city was originally a place with huge profits, and with the previous generation of guardians being exceptionally brave, they had been able to avoid being breached for several years, so they were at ease operating there. However, when the previous guardian died in battle, a useless Wang Daichuan took over, and this time when war broke out, Jia Bu hastily relocated his family. Merchants are naturally inclined to seek profit and avoid harm; this action was actually a risk-averse behavior.

  After settling the matter with Jia Bu, Mu Yuan excused himself to pack his bags and rushed to a nearby street where Chu Fei was temporarily staying at a relative's house. He explained his intention to his relative, asking him to bid farewell to Chu Fei on his behalf when he returned. After finishing speaking, Mu Yuan walked out calmly, gathered a few pieces of clothing, and followed Jia Bu's carriage as they left the city and headed straight for Tian Du Feng Zhou.

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