In comparison with the commercialization of Nanjing Road, the magnificence of the Bund and the lofty and imposing Oriental Pearl Tower, the bustling City God Temple carried the rich culture of city folks. All the tourists visiting Shanghai would spend some time to stroll around that area, conveniently snacking on a few crab soup dumplings, pear-syrup candy, fermented glutinous rice dumpling dessert…and stroll around the Yu Garden to savor the splendid atmosphere of the Jiang Nan garden. People that were lingering around the garden could not help but feel relaxed. Unintentionally, everybody would smile and feel at ease.
Even when Wen Leyang crashed onto the ground floor from the second floor, carrying a person on his back and two people in his arms, accompanied by countless of glass shards, the tourists around him maintained their smiles.
The moment Wen Leyang’s body came into contact with the ground, he jumped up, spread his legs and ran away. His mind was a mess as if there were a few strong catfishes swimming inside his mind and on each catfish’s forehead, a wavy word ‘mess’ was stamped.
The ancestors of Painting Town deceived the Qilian Immortal Sect for over two thousand years. It was the marvel, Lue Luo, who resurrected Cone Nail with his witchcraft. The short Leyang Wen’s father, Leyang Shoujin, tried to erase Cone Nail’s memories in the stone forest. However, he failed on the verge of succeeding his mission and died. Lue Luo and the Painting Town’s doings were entrusted by Grand Master Tuo Xie. It was a favor to allow Cone Nail to return to the Black and White Island to suppress Xiang Liu the nine-headed snake in order to prevent the wrath of gods caused by the disasters demon cat Chang Li created back then.
The witchcraft marvel Lue Luo and the Wen family’s Grand Master Tuo Xie had an exceedingly profound friendship. As such, the three families of Wen, Miao, Luo, who were the descendants of Tuo Xie, and the people of the Painting Town were considered to be a family. When Leyang Wen was caught by the enlightened person San Tong of Eyang Sect in the Gold-Consuming Lair, Wen Leyang asked for the favor of Qin Zhui and the demon rabbits of the Great Mercy Temple to find a way to rescue him while he joined the giant pangolin, Xiaoyi and the rest of the people to rush over to Shanghai to search for Grand Master Chang Li.
Chang Li, who was tracking the people that killed demons and extracted their vitality, had disappeared during the process. Wen Leyang had since placed this group of people on his opposite side. After a series of twists and turns, they finally found the porcelain product shop, ‘Year 221 Before Christ’, and the Hanba boss ‘Fifth Brother’.
Nonetheless, out of everyone’s expectation, Leyang Wen, the lord of Painting Town, suddenly pounced out and saved Hanba, almost piercing the well-behaved child Luo Wanggen to death.
Following that Leyang Wen and Fifth Brother joined hands to put up a desperate fight against them. Everyone on Wen Leyang’s side felt that something was wrong for the opposing party utterly refused to allow or listen to their explanation. Little Chi Maojiu still attempted to explain. Fortunately, Wen Leyang was not a fool, he pulled along the group and ran away first.
Wen Leyang did not manage to run far. The short man of Painting Town, Leyang Wen, and Fifth Brother Hanba had already jumped out of the second floor’s window with the undercurrent of Metal Poison Stream left behind by Wen Leyang following them closely behind.
The tourists on the street observed for a long time before they understood that these people were fighting. They screamed out in surprise and dispersed off immediately. As the situation became slightly calmer, a majority of the people immediately gathered forward excitedly. After all, they were traveling in another part of the country, the opportunity to witness the locals fighting was supposed to be an added attraction. If they were to find out that neither of these two groups of people, who was chasing and running away, were locals, it was expected that they would be vastly disappointed.
Wen Leyang was carrying three people on his body, which was rather inconvenient for him. Fifth Brother’s feet were akin to being equipped with spring, Fifth Brother caught up with Wen Leyang in two or three steps just like flipping Chinese checkers. His fist that was covered in white hair crashed down, akin to a lofty mountain. Wen Leyang did not manage to dodge. Hence, he could only toss the three youths aside with his arms crossed akin to an iron bolt to protect his head.
At the muffled sound of a bang, just like the sound of compressed oxygen tank that suddenly exploded, pounded into everyone’s eardrums ferociously! Fifth Brother somersaulted backwards once. Wen Leyang was akin to a nail. He was punched so hard he sank into the ground to his knee level. A layer of white hair visible to the naked eyes crawled from Fifth Brother’s fists onto Wen Leyang’s arms. Akin to germinating grass, the layer of white hairs started spreading rapidly.
Wen Leyang squalled as he broke out of the ground. His body vibrated rapidly. The layer of white hair was detached in layers, the Metal Poison Stream also returned to his feet in strands as fast as lightning!
Fifth Brother’s eyes were glimmering with a greenish blue-colored glow. He appeared ghastly yet excited. His body turned around in mid-air as he pounced on Wen Leyang once again! The short man Leyang Wen did not join the battle. His hand was holding the bald brush pen. His fat and plump body glided and cruised in all directions like a ghost. In what appeared to be a messy yet aimless mannerism, he continuously sketched the outline of knives in the corner of a wall, on the side of the road and on the wall. An old man wearing a red armband spat out two words weakly, “Fine him….”
Wen Leyang dealt with the Fifth Brother Hanba. Rather than calling their fight a fight, one was better off calling the fight resisting each another. Wen Leyang was akin to a strong nail while Fifth Brother was akin to a heavy hammer. No matter how strong the nail was, it could never harm the hammer. There was only a difference on how long it could sustain the hitting.
Chi Maojiu’s did not help out with his shadow witchcraft. After all, in a battle of a nail and a hammer, the toothpick was usually of no help…
Luo Wanggen’s Spirit Calming Needles were destroyed. He could only stand aside, looking exhausted and ghastly pale from his severe injuries.
Xiaoyi appeared anxious with her hands holding the big-muzzled weapons, she tried to fire the weapon on a few attempts but she was afraid that she might accidentally harm Wen Leyang.
It only took less than a minute for Leyang Wen to draw countless of densely-arranged sharp knives around them. After he was done making arrangements, his body swayed once. He moved back to the area a dozen meters away from Wen Leyang and stopped moving. He chuckled as he called out to Fifth Brother, “Fifth Brother, I am done. Shall we ask a few questions first?”
Fifth Brother jerked to a stop. He abruptly stopped fighting. His body was straight and his feet remained stationary as he rapidly glided away for a few meters. Together with the short man Leyang Wen, they guarded Wen Leyang’s group firmly from two directions.
Wen Leyang felt that the pressure surrounding his body reduced. He could not care about chasing after the enemy, he immediately stepped back until he was in front of Xiaoyi. The Metal Poison Stream also contracted abruptly and protected the group.
The onlookers’ expressions were filled with surprise and excitement. It was exciting to watch two people beating each other with their fists, causing loud banging sound. As for the entanglement of the Metal Poison Stream and the Drought Spirit, the onlookers did not understand its incisiveness, so the tourists treated that as a thrilling sight. Nonetheless, it did not stop them from snacking on the deep fried stinky tofu in their hands.
The City God Temple was one of the most bustling areas in Shanghai. Less than a minute after Wen Leyang and the rest jumped out of the window, there were already a few security guards and patrolling policemen that came rushing over and shouting loudly. The short man Leyang Wan frowned impatiently. At the wave of his hand, a streak of long silk appeared out of thin air. The silk was densely written with ‘scriptures meant for ghosts and gods’.
The long silk swayed in the breeze, the short man Leyang Wen waved around his brush pen. At the signature column, he did a stroke and a flick as he shouted, “Break!” In the blink of an eye, a combination of agonizing scream, tyrannical howl, ghost’s weeping and the wolf’s howling, erupted with a loud bang within the City God Temple. The gloominess was like a whirlwind with sharp ghost teeth, blowing through the crowd. The initially radiant and enchanting sky suddenly turned murky and darkened. Leyang Wen sneered peculiarly, within the sinister whirlwind he spoke weakly, “If you want to live, scram!” Leyang Shoujin once launched the ‘scriptures meant for ghosts and gods’ to summon a whirlwind when they were in the Gold-Consuming Lair. The power was much stronger compared to now. Nonetheless, Leyang Shoujin was dealing with serious cultivators of the Qilian Immortal Sect whereas Leyang Wen’s sole purpose was to disperse that group of ordinary people that had gathered around to watch the thrilling sight and the policemen that came rushing over.
The crowd immediately fled. They cried and shouted as they escaped in all directions. No one could care about the stinky tofu in their hands anymore. In a flash, the whirlwind caused the sound of thousands of ghosts weeping to ring in everybody’s eardrums. It shattered their courage. They could not understand what had happened. Their entire bodies were corroded ferociously with fear. They could not do anything else other than instinctively spreading their legs and running away.
Leyang Wen seemed to be extremely satisfied with the current effect, his mouth widened into a smile as he burst out laughing at Wen Leyang’s direction. Speaking in fluent Beijing accent, “Wen Leyang, we shall not beat around the bush today. The City God Temple of Shanghai has six hundred years’ worth of burning joss sticks without owners. I have borrowed all of them. At my command, your heart will be pierced by thousands of knives.”
In the City God Temple of Shanghai’s commercial area, there was a genuine City God Temple within the area. For six hundred years the joss sticks and incense burned prosperously. Perhaps the people of today did not pay too much attention to it but centuries ago, almost every person that came to Shanghai would surely visit the City God Temple and burn a few joss sticks to ask for the Taoist immortals’ blessings, such that Shanghai would be granted with nice weather with gentle breeze and timely rain and that everyone could live healthily and happily within the peaceful world.
The City God Temple accumulated six hundred years’ worth of devoted worshippers. No one cultivated or refined in vitality nearby. Hence, these ownerless devoted mind power were converted into possessed sharpness by the knives drawn by Leyang Wen, awaiting his command.
As the short man Leyang Wen finished explaining, he paused before continuing, “You must answer strictly to what I am asking. If you answered any slower, this little girl’s life is mine.” As he was saying that he pointed towards Xiaoyi, who was barely opening her eyes due to the sinister whirlwind and was closely leaning on Wen Leyang.
Wen Leyang grinded his teeth once. He was a good-tempered man but he disliked when someone used Xiaoyi as a pawn to discuss something with him. However, they were running short of time. The surrounding was in a chaotic mess. It was expected that a huge batch of policemen were rushing over here. There was a rumor that the headquarters of the China Dragon Gang was located near to the City God Temple (Author’s note: hah-hah, just kidding~). He took the big-muzzled weapon from Xiaoyi’s hands as he frowned, “This is not the place for us to talk, why don’t we change…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the short man in a harsh tone, “You, the ‘Wen’, if you really want that little girl dead, you can continue to grind your teeth. (Translator’s note: same pronunciation as Mo Ya. It means to indulge in pointless talk.) The moment the two bronze ants heard of their names being called out, they stuck their heads out from Wen Leyang’s waist pack and looked towards the short man curiously.
Wen Leyang revealed a rare savage expression. He did not wait for Leyang Wen to finish his sentence before he interrupted, “Why don’t you clarify the situation before you make any further ruthless remarks!”
Murder intent flashed past the short man Leyang Wen’s eyes. He raised his head and burst out laughing, “You’re not answering!” As he was saying that, he did not wait for Wen Leyang to speak. He suddenly bent over his body. With the bald brush pen in his hand, he gave the ground a stroke, in preparation to launch his attack. At this moment, a loud bang that was akin to the splitting of the sky and cracking of the earth erupted and shattered his movement!
The big-muzzled weapon in Wen Leyang’s hand raised skywards and he pulled the trigger without slightest hesitation.
The thunder light erupted with a hum. Thousands of streaks of purple arcs were akin to raging and bloodthirsty poisonous snakes, as they bore out of every corner of the sky abruptly. Accompanied by the cruelness and ruthlessness that one could not bear to look at, the light crashed in mid-air ferociously. In a flash, the god of thunder’s moan completely shattered the weeping sound of the thousands of ghosts’ and the agonizing screams of the people in the City God Temple. The scorching bright light flooded into everyone’s pupils domineeringly. The traces left behind by the purple arcs were akin to greedy leeches that bore from the nerves underneath the eyes rapidly into everyone’s brains, bringing waves upon waves of sharp pain.
The short man was about to launch his Superb Artistry Knife Formation when his eardrums were torn into pieces by the loud thunder in a flash. His brain was buzzing and humming. Other than the violent thunder light, he could not see anything else. Even his consciousness was scattered all over the place. He squalled as he retreated continuously.
Fifth Brother’s situation was much better than the short man’s. He took two steps back before standing straight and sturdily. Squinting, he looked towards Wen Leyang.
After all, Wen Leyang was still virtuous and sincere. He did not fire the weapon directly at the enemies. This was considered firing a warning shot. He did not wait for the thunder sound to fully disperse off before he spoke, “The two marvels of Tuo Xie and Lue Luo had a mutually intimate friendship since two thousand years ago. The disciples of Wen Bucao, Miao Bujiao, and Crow Ridge were the original descendants of Tuo Xie and we have a profound connection to the Painting Town. Please clarify the situation before you start shouting and killing. The disciples of Wen Bucao shall keep you company and fight to the finish!”
Wen Leyang’s words sounded inspiring and righteous. In his heart, he wished that he could cheer for himself. His gaze was glimmering as he stared at the short man that was dispirited. He wanted to listen to what Leyang Wen had to say but he did not expect that the short man with dazed eyes seemed to have not heard him. After a while, Leyang Wen slowly recovered from the surprise of the Thunder Heart Sand’s raging power, he looked towards Wen Leyang and asked, “You…you were saying something earlier?”
Wen Leyang scoffed, “We are the descendants of Tuo Xie, you are the descendants of Lue Luo, we are considered of the same clan and same sect…” His imposing mannerism was lost. His sonorous yet forceful words could not be spoken again, the first intense statement he made in his lifetime had already disappeared in the wind alongside the lightning and thunder.
The short man seemed to comprehend Wen Leyang’s words, he frowned as he peered once towards Fifth Brother, who was standing on the other direction before nodding, “Let us change to another place for discussion!”
Heaving a sigh of relief, Wen Leyang was about to ask where when his vision suddenly blackened. A gush of strength capable of toppling the mountains and overturning the seas pinned him down firmly. Fifth Brother Hanba seized the opportunity when Wen Leyang was relaxed to suddenly attack. He spoke in an icy-cold tone, “Covet the demon figurines. None shall live!”
Meanwhile, the short man arched his back and waved his brush pen. His mouth shouted, “Break!” The Superb Artistry Knife Formation erupted in a flock!
Let alone the fact that the big-muzzled weapon’s ammunition was not refilled, even if it was loaded Wen Leyang would not have the time to fire a shot again. He conveniently tossed the weapon aside as he went forth to battle Fifth Brother with all his energy. He complained incessantly in his heart.
The air, the sunlight and even the glimmering flash on the signboards were all transformed into a fatal mannerism filled with murder intent following Leyang Wen’s few strokes of drawing. Once the six hundred years’ worth of burning joss sticks and devotion were invoked, they were strong enough to cut open mountains and shattered hills!
Wen Leyang was trying hard to brace Fifth Brother’s pouncing attack that was as heavy as the mountain and as swift as billows. He was too preoccupied such that he could not deal with the knife formation. At that very moment, a strong and sturdy human figure leaped as agile as a dragon. The figure shouted with a forceful and sonorous voice, “Those harming the descendants of the Nine Peaks Mountain are the enemy of the Great Mercy Temple!”
The knives and winds were shaving at his bod. Wen Leyang exerted all his strength to fight Fifth Brother, but he still could not help but laugh bitterly. The Great Mercy Temple’s fiercest monk, the seat of honor of the Ten Modes Monastery, Hope Aware, was here.
The Great Mercy Temple’s abbot had issued the Buddhist sutra that every monk in the temple must protect the people of Wen family, especially Wen Leyang. Hope Aware was initially here in Shanghai to investigate regarding the matter regarding the spirit primordial energy that shook the ‘Mute Bell’. However, he bumped into Wen Leyang by accident. As Wen Leyang did not inform him anything, he did not inquire. However, he started to follow and protect them in secret. He had followed Wen Leyang all the way into the City God Temple of Shanghai.
Hope Aware’s strong body circled on the top of Wen Leyang’s head for two circles, each of his hands pinched into the Buddhism hand gesture. He put his wrists together clasping a perfectly round Buddhism prayer bead. His tone was solemn as he shouted in a lowered voice, “The illuminated heart is perfectly fused together. No evil influence can do any harm!” Immediately, the Buddhism prayer bead in between his wrists slashed through the air, releasing a sharp sonic boom as it surged skywards in a vertical line.
The Buddhism prayer bead erupted into fine powder in the air after a loud pop. The big monk was immediately enshrouded in a layer of lustrous and dazzling glow. He dashed forward and dove head first into the shadow of the Superb Artistry Knife Formation that was covering the entire sky!
The short man Leyang Wen howled in rage. Both he and Fifth Brother’s only thought was that Wen Leyang was here for the ‘demon figurines’. Now that there was the involvement of people from the Great Mercy Temple, his murderous intent was triggered. The bald brush pen in his hand continuously made strokes and dipped onto the ground, urging the knife formation to fight with the big monk.
Wen Leyang suffered the injustice in silence, he knew that the first ancestors of the Painting Town and his family’s first ancestors had a profound friendship. He felt that there must be a way for the situation to be clarified. Nonetheless, the opposing party’s sole purpose was to kill him. He found himself lost in the tangled warfare in a short period of time.
The police siren was already echoing faintly from afar. Wen Leyang was almost longing for the arrival of the policemen such that they could hastily break up the tangled fight. Judging by the way they fought, it was only a matter of time before Fifth Brother punched him into pieces.
The police siren sounded far but the metal cracking sound of long howl was heard within everyone’s ears. A young man dressed in tattered clothes suddenly appeared on the rooftop of the shop. He dashed forward into the middle of the battle like a puff of vapor. His eyes stared straight into the big monk Hope Aware. He paid utterly no attention to the others while he shouted loudly, “Qin Zhui is entrusted by someone, no one is allowed to harm Leyang Wen!” Soon after that, he raised the Tang Knife in his hand high up in the air, he drew the knife out of its sheath and chopped towards the monk as fast as lightning!
Wen Leyang that was fighting hard against Fifth Brother was stunned for a moment. He did not understand how did the ugly youth Qin Zhui came here. He stomped his foot in rage. Suffering another two punches, he raised his head and roared loudly towards the ugly youth that waving his Tang knife, “The person who entrusted you was me!”
Qin Zhui completely disregarded Wen Leyang. The Tang knife in his hand did not stop even for a moment, as he continued to chased and chopped after the divine monk Hope Aware.
The monk had initially focused all his attention towards dealing with the short man Leyang Wen. When he realized that there was another cultivator that was approaching him swiftly, the opposing party had already chopped towards himself. Not only one chop, it was the collapse of the heaven and earth. Every single thing from his surroundings together with this Tang knife with its sheath came crashing down on him with a moan! The monk turned around strenuously in mid-air towards the opposing party in an attempt to scold when his heart flopped. The question in his mouth turned into something else, “He is too ugly even for me!”
Fifth Brother suddenly tossed Wen Leyang away and pounced towards the monk. Considering that Qin Zhui and Leyang Wen had trapped the divine monk Hope Aware in between them, he wanted to seize this opportunity to destroy the formidable enemy. There was no way Wen Leyang could let the big monk Hope Voice that came to help him to be harmed. He squalled as he pounced forward along Fifth Brother’s body.
Leyang Wen led the attack head-on, the ugly youth Qin Zhui used his knife to seal the escape route and Fifth Brother raided from the side. Hope Aware was being attacked from three sides. Wen Leyang followed behind Fifth Brother as he exerted his strength to pounce in an attack, the scene was rather messy.
A shout that was filled with solemnness and righteousness turned the fine mess of the City God Temple into a greater mess, “The divine monk Hope Aware, don’t be alarmed, the light-bearer disciple of Eyang Sect is here to help you, endless happiness and…longevity!”
A streak of lustrous and dazzling sword’s reflection was akin to the cruising dragon from the sky shot towards Qin Zhui! This time the person that came was reluctantly considered an acquaintance as well. He was the enlightened person San Tong of Eyang Sect, who had once appeared in the Gold-Consuming Lair.
The enlightened person San Tong was green with rage. It was obvious that he hated Qin Zhui to his bones. He was afraid that his flying sword was incapable of piercing Qin Zhui. His hands flipped in front of his face as his face revealed an elated smile that was seeping out of his bones. Following the shout, his supernatural power of happiness also slammed towards the enemy together with his flying sword.
When Leyang Wen realized the sudden appearance of San Tong, he gave a raging howl as his brush pen spun around and rippled in the knife shadows that covered the entire sky and mercilessly slashed towards the enlightened person San Tong.
In front of the City God Temple of Shanghai, everything was in a mess.