Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 468 - 419: Severed Limb

Chapter 468: Chapter 419: Severed Limb
"Thinking of escaping?"
Xiong Tuohai, temple master of Luoyang’s Haotian Taoist Temple, wore a solemn expression as he closely pursued Gongsun Changyi, who had just leaped from the ground.
At this moment, Gongsun Changyi’s muscles spasmed. His powerful qi and blood, forcibly enhanced by forbidden medicine, fiercely fought against the Shadow Demon within him. This struggle prevented the Shadow Demon from fully controlling the body. While running, Gongsun’s left leg faltered, causing him to stumble forward.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, the Shadow Demon, controlling Gongsun Changyi, made him extend his left arm. He then dashed on all fours like a wild beast toward the walls of Xingzhou Prison.
"O Thunder, holder of the central Qi of heaven and earth, regulator of the central governance, arbiter of fortune and disaster, assistant to the Tianshu..."
Just as the Shadow Demon was about to escape with Gongsun Changyi, Xiong Tuohai barely finished reciting the spell. Instantly, a dozen arm-thick Thunder Pythons and Electric Snakes shot out from the ground beneath the prison walls. Such an ambush was not without preparation; Xiong Tuohai had buried many Mystic Iron Balls capable of summoning lightning beneath the wall, specifically for this moment.
The serpentine Thunder Pythons and Electric Snakes emitted a dazzling white light, blocking all of Gongsun Changyi’s escape routes.
In the next instant, Jianquan Monk also leaped out from underground, his throat releasing a sonorous Buddhist chant. Perhaps because it had been difficult to use his abilities fully underground, this Buddhist chant was even louder. Sand and stones flew across the ground. Gongsun Changyi, still prostrate, felt his hair whip about wildly and his skin ripple like water.
"ROAR—"
The Shadow Demon emitted a sharp, piercing shriek as the Buddhist chant vibrated it right out of Gongsun Changyi’s body.
Gongsun Changyi tumbled backward. Xiong Tuohai quickly reshaped the ring of lightning, allowing Gongsun to evade it while simultaneously trapping the Shadow Demon within its electric bonds.
Li Ang and the others from the garrison had also escaped confinement by then. Xing Pengyue strode briskly to Gongsun Changyi and helped the Commander up from the ground.
"The hunter shooting at geese all day is at last pecked by one."
Gongsun Changyi, one arm severed, was pale-faced. He resisted the pain with sheer willpower and grinned. "This Shadow Demon must be at least thirty years old."
After all, as an Innate Martial Artist at the Perfect Realm, he could control every part of his body. He tensed his shoulder slightly, using his muscles to clamp the ruptured blood vessels and staunch the bleeding.
By the time Xing Pengyue had someone bring clean bandages and securely wrap the stump of his arm, Gongsun Changyi could already stand on his own, his face no longer quite as pale.
"Doctor Li!"
Xing Pengyue walked over, supporting Gongsun Changyi. His subordinates had also retrieved the severed arm from the dungeon.
The body of an Innate Martial Artist is really miraculous.
Li Ang silently smacked his lips and hurried over. "Do you need my help?"
"Can you reattach Commander Gongsun’s severed limb?" Xing Pengyue spoke urgently. From Gongsun Changyi’s and the others’ interactions with Li Ang earlier in the day, he had vaguely guessed Li Ang’s identity.
Not long ago, Li Ang had used his Mind Threads surgical technique to reattach a patient’s severed finger. He had even published a paper on the procedure, causing a significant stir in both the Natural Science and medical circles of Yu Country. This was limb reattachment achieved purely through Telekinesis, without relying on any dangerous, demon-corrupted Mutated Objects. If this technique could be popularized, it would be excellent news for the armies of Yu Country, its common people, Cultivators, and Jianghu practitioners alike.
"Yes. The severed arm needs to be placed in a clean, iced container. Otherwise, after three hours, the arm will undergo irreversible degeneration," Li Ang quickly said. "Do you want to perform the reattachment now? I have surgical tools and anesthetic in my luggage."
"I can still hold on. Let’s deal with the situation at hand first." Gongsun Changyi chose not to undergo limb reattachment immediately. He waved his hand, instructing his subordinates to find a refrigerator to store the arm. He himself then took another pain relief pill provided by the garrison, pushed Xing Pengyue away, and strode toward Xiong Tuohai.
CRACKLE— CRACKLE—
The Thunder Net continued its methodical contraction, leaving the Shadow Demon less and less room to maneuver. It writhed, sometimes taking a human form, sometimes a beastly one, all the while roaring ferociously at Xiong Tuohai and Jianquan Monk.
"Finally caught you." Seeing Gongsun Changyi approach, Xiong Tuohai heaved a sigh of relief and said, "The Shadow Demon and its host share one mind. If one is injured, the other feels the pain. As long as we keep torturing the Shadow Demon, even if Shixing Monk’s Mana is sky-high, he will continuously suffer injuries, weaken, and finally be forced to surrender."
With that, Xiong Tuohai abruptly tightened the Thunder Net, ensnaring the Shadow Demon. The sound of intense electricity tearing through the air became a dense, sharp crackling. The Shadow Demon howled miserably, black smoke continuously pouring from its form, its earlier arrogance completely gone.
"I’ve already sent people to investigate," Gongsun Changyi nodded and said. "Shixing Monk must not be far from Xingzhou. Have the soldiers and Government Officials take lanterns and search house by house. Whoever casts no shadow under the light... that’s Shixing Monk..."
The word "monk" involuntarily stretched out. Gongsun Changyi’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the ground beneath Jianquan Monk’s feet. The garrison soldiers who had escaped from the dungeon had already lit numerous torches on the prison yard walls. Everyone had several faint shadows beneath their feet. However, Jianquan’s feet bore no shadows at all—empty and void.
THUMP—
The feeling of an external object penetrating right through one’s chest was so sudden. Gongsun Changyi stared blankly at his and Xiong Tuohai’s chests, both pierced through by Jianquan Monk’s arms. His own body, which he prided himself on having refined through a thousand hammers and hundred refines, was as thin as paper before Jianquan’s emaciated arms.
Jianquan still bore that mild, kind smile, his eyes benevolent. He looked at his two old friends and, with a sickening squelch, crushed their frantically beating hearts in his hands.
Their vision rapidly darkened. Gongsun Changyi and Xiong Tuohai were unable to react before they lost all strength. Their bodies involuntarily slumped backward, hitting the ground heavily, already two corpses.
...
The scene fell deathly silent. The garrison soldiers, who had believed the Shadow Demon captured and victory assured, stared dumbfounded at the bizarre scene unfolding before them.
What... is happening...
Even Li Ang’s brain reeled, unable to believe the sight before him.
Master Jianquan was a leader of the Yu Country Zen Sect and a close friend of Lu Qingya, headmaster of Lu Li Academy. He was a high monk revered by two generations of Emperors of Yu. In his youth, he traveled the world, subduing Demons and demons, righting injustices. In middle age, he practiced Zen and preached the Mahayana teachings, exhorting people toward goodness. In old age, he visited famous mountains, leaving behind legends of aiding the distressed and needy, punishing the wicked and upholding justice, and championing good while chastising evil wherever he went. Even Academic Palace Master Lian Xuanyao, who seldom judged others, had praised him. He called him the epitome of compassion and kindness, a man who cared for the common people, and a role model for all Cultivators.
SPLAT.
Jianquan nonchalantly dropped the two crushed hearts. He turned, the golden threads on his bloodstained kasaya gleaming dazzlingly under the flickering torchlight.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha." Blood spattered his face. Jianquan brought his palms together, smiling gently at everyone as fresh blood dripped from between his fingers to the ground.