dognovel Chapter 106 The Untouchable Shadow
Chapter 106 The Untouchable Shadow
One gold and one silver—a very simple yet highly concise description. The last time I heard such a brief and distinctive description was when I was lurking in the underworld, from the mouth of a ghost messenger who was ordered to follow Xi Fangping.
Given that gold and silver are not ordinary colors, anyone who can wear clothing of similar colors and be described by a single color is definitely not an ordinary person. The two men who were captured today and described as one gold and one silver are likely the Golden and Silver Taoists who helped Xi Fangping back then.
It was because of this information that the Asura King concluded that they were no match for him and ordered the two in the underworld to withdraw. Soon after, chaos broke out in the underworld, and even people from the East Sea came to seek revenge.
Because of the special environment of the underworld, communication between the Yin and Yang realms also requires special methods. In the East Sea, illegal transmigrators are their competitors, but in the underworld, the liaisons arranged by the East Sea cooperate with them in some ways.
After all, the other party's task was to bribe the ghost messengers, and there were many things that could be manipulated. If they could build a good relationship with the ghost messengers, it would be easy to get other information. The three of them could barely be considered half accomplices in the underworld.
However, this camaraderie was rather fragile. After deciding to leave the underworld, the two of them decisively abandoned the other camp, which was somewhat different, and incidentally pushed the other out to be a scapegoat.
Anyway, the enemy doesn't know how many transmigrators are in the underworld. One of them was captured, and he just happened to be from the East Sea side. Knowing the two people from the East Sea who rely on to hunt monsters and divine beasts, they probably won't continue investigating.
"Are you sure? Two Taoist priests, one gold and one silver?"
The man's voice echoed in the room. Although they had been rescued and even taken directly back to their temporary base, there was no one in front of the mages. They looked ahead following the sound and could only see a burning candlestick on the table. The scene was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight.
Even so, their attitude remained respectful. This scene of hearing their voices but not seeing them was already commonplace for the group of believers being led.
"Yes, the golden man has an exaggeratedly shaped longsword on his back, and the yin-yang symbol on the sword rotates on its own."
Yuan Wuxiang sent them all flying with a single fan. Although the mages knew some insidious spells, their bodies were still mortal. They were thrown around and took a long time to recover. They didn't have much opportunity to observe the enemy carefully, and only remembered a few eye-catching features.
Aside from the stark contrast of gold and silver, the only memorable things were the yin-yang symbol, the silver fan, and a magnificent, seemingly unwieldy longsword. As for their appearance, they were first thrown around in a failed escape attempt, leaving them dizzy and disoriented, and then tied up and handed over to the fox spirit. They didn't have time to observe their specific appearances.
However, this alone was enough for the person asking the question to confirm that the ones who captured his subordinates and interrupted the demon-catching operation were the two Taoist priests who had unexpectedly rescued Xi Fangping.
At the same time, they may also be people who have a contract with the official system, and as outsiders who have transmigrated, they also possess immeasurable power.
"...They're like a persistent ghost."
Even if you don't know the situation, you can tell from the fact that someone who can't see you is having a headache that he says this.
Based on their actions in helping Xi Fangping, these two should be operating in the northern part of the Central Plains. How could they be seen in the south? Does the Asura King know them? Are they chasing after the Asura King?
"The operation is suspended. Call everyone back."
Regardless of the reason, the current gap in combat strength between the two sides is too great. The White Lotus Sect's mages are basically fragile. Apart from himself, these guys would only be easy prey if they encountered them.
Being arrested isn't a big deal. The White Lotus Sect is an indigenous sect. Apart from a few illegal transmigrators and an Asura King of unclear origin, the rest are all natives. Even if they are lost, he won't feel bad.
What he was truly afraid of was that the other side would follow these White Lotus Sect members who were capturing monsters and find their way to him. Even if he could escape, their hiding place within the White Lotus Sect would be exposed, making it difficult to relocate.
"Try not to alert them... How did they get arrested again!"
Before he could finish giving the order, he sensed another mistake. He could monitor his subordinates who were catching demons nearby through his shadow, but he could only get a general idea of their status and couldn't see what was happening on the other side.
He pulled the people inside back after he sensed that no one was around. But as soon as he rescued a few, a few more were arrested. Is it not a good day to go out?
On the other side, Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang rescued the birds that had been caught in the net. The birds caught in the net were all species that could be easily found in the mountains. The only special one was the large bird that had been fighting fiercely with the bird catchers.
This is a bird of prey, it looks like an eagle, and its claws are very sharp. After the one who knew magic was knocked down, the big bird decisively changed its target and tore a big hole in the bird-catching net.
If those claws were to grab a person, they would probably tear the skin apart. It's a mystery why such a ferocious bird of prey would be here, rescuing captured birds.
Both the large bird and the spirit were clearly sentient beings, but neither of them could speak, so there was no way to find out why.
Why not interrogate the people who caught the bird? Although these people are dressed differently from the ones who caught the fox earlier, except for the one who knows magic, the rest of them are dressed in the clothes of ordinary people, so they must have been deliberately disguising themselves.
But this only fools those who are unaware of the situation. Whether it's the person with magical powers accompanying them or the orderly bird-catching behavior, it all speaks volumes.
Moreover, this net is strange. Even after it was torn open, no bird escaped. It's as if the bird was stuck to the net. It's like the bottle from before, a tool specifically made to catch little monsters.
The large bird tore the net to shreds, but the fragments of the net stubbornly pressed down on the various birds. Finally, the two used their inner strength to destroy the magic within the net, allowing the suppressed birds to escape.
From what those fox hunters said, we know that these people were just executors of the mission. They had virtually no knowledge of the actual situation. They only knew that they would be rewarded for capturing monsters, and they had no idea what the higher-ups of the White Lotus Sect wanted these monsters for.
All the birds were saved. A large bird, resembling an eagle, flew low over them, circled a few times as if counting heads, and finally landed on the ground, bowing its head to Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang, presumably to express its gratitude.
This large bird was more intelligent than the others. Although they spoke different languages, Yuan Wuxiang stepped forward, knelt on one knee to look the bird in the eye, and tentatively asked it a question.
"Although there may be no answer, I am still curious: why are you here, fighting with them to save these little birds?"
If the birds caught in the large net are small mountain birds, then this one is an eagle soaring over the grassland. The two are vastly different in size and species. If classified according to their usual habitats, they might never meet in their entire lives.
To be honest, it's a bit incongruous to see such ferocious birds here.
Yuan Wuxiang had only asked on a whim and never expected to get an answer. Although the bird in front of him was fierce, it couldn't speak human language, and he couldn't understand bird calls either.
But unexpectedly, the big bird turned its head, as if thinking about how to express itself. It then cried out to the sky, and two shadows flew out from the distant treetops.
They were two magpies, their feathers rather disheveled, and one of them had dried bloodstains on its wing. One landed next to the large bird, and the other landed on the bird catcher who had been knocked unconscious.
It wasn't on their bodies; the magpie precisely landed on one of the people's faces. If it weren't for the limitations of body structure and size, Yuan Wuxiang was certain that if the magpie had a human-like shape, it would definitely have kicked the person.
"So, they sent you here?"
The bloodstains on the magpie and its attitude toward the bird catcher seem to say nothing, but in fact they say everything.
Immediately afterwards, the big bird walked to Juan Shoutian's side, flapped its wings and flew up. Juan Shoutian reached out his hand, and the big bird landed on his arm.
With its thick sleeves providing support, Juan Shoutian didn't have to worry about its arms being scratched by the other's sharp claws. However, the two of them couldn't quite understand its actions.
What is the purpose of running onto Juan Shoutian?
"Friend, you really get growths all over your body."
Watching this scene, Yuan Wuxiang couldn't help but sigh. Since they came to this world, Juan Shoutian has always had something extra on him. Today, this big bird, the little dragon from before, the bees from the Bee Kingdom, and the children from Sun Zichu's family all like to run to Juan Shoutian.
The large bird stretched its beak toward Juan Shoutian's back, pointing directly at the sword he carried. The bird certainly didn't recognize Juan Shoutian's weapon; its pointing gesture might be referring to something else.
"A sword..."
Yuan Wuxiang rested his chin on his silver fan, pondering the other person's meaning. Juan Shoutian was a sword cultivator, or perhaps a swordsman. The other person was pointing at the sword, perhaps referring to his own characteristics.
Considering the magpies' behavior of bringing them to deal with bird catchers, this is actually helping them.
"So, you're like a chivalrous swordsman among humans who came to help a bird in distress?"
The big bird nodded, indicating that Yuan Wuxiang had guessed correctly. A chivalrous hero among birds—that was truly interesting.
"This is truly... Juan Shoutian, behind him!"
Yuan Wuxiang wanted to say something, but then he saw that the people who had been knocked unconscious and piled up behind Juan Shoutian were sinking. The place where they were standing was solid ground with no pits. How could the people on the ground sink for no reason?
Upon closer inspection, several long, dark hands emerged from the shadows on the ground, pulling the person little by little into the shadows.
Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang, seeing what was happening, wondered: "Wait a minute, is this a scene from a Liaozhai film set?"
At first, the long-armed man pulled the person slowly, and the magpie standing on the face didn't notice anything. But now that they were being reminded, the magpie was startled and flew away. The two men went over to stop the man from being pulled, and then the person on the other side seemed to realize they had been exposed, and the speed at which they pulled the man down suddenly increased.
If it weren't for the different location and scene, judging from the speed and posture of the other party, one might mistake them for a water ghost coming out to grab someone.
Juan Shoutian and the large bird on his arm acted almost simultaneously, its claws swooping down to try and pull him back. These were the bastards who caught the birds; it wouldn't let them escape so easily.
Seeing that the situation was not right and that he had the obvious special ability to pull people out of the shadows, Juan Shoutian drew his sword and plunged it straight into the shadows. If there was really something inside, it would be impossible for him to be unharmed after taking this sword.
A strange thing happened: the huge raptor could not pull upwards. When it tried to grab, its sharp claws actually passed through the black hand that was already above it. Juan Shoutian's sword thrust down without any resistance. It was clearly an extremely smooth strike, but it made the swordsman frown.
The reason was simple: with such a smooth thrust, he could feel the sword tip pierce through the shadow on the ground and plunge directly into the earth. The sword hadn't struck anything except the ground.
But if there's something underneath, what are those elongated and deformed black hands reaching out from the shadows?
"boom!"
Yuan Wuxiang saw the movements of the man and the bird, and Juan Shoutian also took in their expressions. Knowing that the shadowy figure was not simple, he struck the ground with his palm. The ground trembled due to the force of his palm, and dust rose up around him, but he felt the same way. When his palm struck the ground, the shadowy figure seemed to be just a shadow on the ground, untouchable and unfeeling.
But if they were just ordinary shadows, they shouldn't have these black hands that could grab people, nor could they drag people into the shadows. On the several bird catchers who were still unconscious, the shadows beneath them were just like pools of ink. In other people's hands, they would be just ordinary shadows.
After being discovered secretly pulling people, the Black Hand's speed in pulling them became extremely fast. Before the two people and the bird could figure out their next attack, they had all disappeared into the shadows. Immediately afterward, the shadows shrank even faster.
They were truly at their wits' end. The shadow was nothing more than a shadow in their hands; they couldn't even touch it. It was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight, a ghost they couldn't even touch.
They waited until the shadows on the ground disappeared, but neither of them managed to hit them. Juan Shoutian expressionlessly returned his sword to its original position. There were several bottomless holes in the ground, all of which he had made with his sword.
"What is this?"
Yuan Wuxiang couldn't help but ask a question. He frowned, stood up, brushed the dust off his sleeves, removed the hole from Juan Shoutian's thorn, and found his palm print on the ground. He and Juan Shoutian, both high-level Xiantian cultivators, couldn't even move a shadow.
Beside it was a large, furious bird. With its strength, it could easily carry an adult into the sky, but now it couldn't even catch a person!
"This ability doesn't seem like that of a spirit or monster."
"It's not even orthodox magic."
If the other party is neither a monster nor a cultivator, then there is only one option left.
"It seems the situation here is more complicated than we thought."
The fact that the illegal transmigrators personally led the team to capture these minor demons by the White Lotus Sect could not possibly be for the purpose of "eliminating evil and protecting the righteous path," and they also possessed this kind of eerie ability to remain undetected.
"Tell Yue Wuque and the others. Let's continue the investigation."
To be able to save people like this, and to sense the situation here, to secretly use magic power, and to speed up after being discovered, such a quick reaction suggests that the person manipulating things on the other side of the shadow is probably nearby. It's as if the other party personally led the White Lotus Sect members out to capture the monster.
"Let's go back and find that little fox; the others were probably rescued in the same way."