Chapter 1726 - 312: The Fourth Sedan Chair

Lin Shuyou, sitting inside the sedan chair, reached out to lift the sedan curtain. Although it was still dark outside, vehicles occasionally passed by, yet none found it odd for a procession of such style to be on the road at this time.

Looking down at the sedan bearers beneath him, all he could see were the hands and shoulders bearing the sedan poles and the legs walking below; the bearers' heads and torsos were invisible.

Lin Shuyou lowered the curtain and asked, "Brother Bin, what kind of skill is this?"

Tan Wenbin replied, "Qimen Dunjia."

When answering, Tan Wenbin glanced at Brother Xiao Yuan, who sat across from him. Brother Xiao Yuan did not respond, indicating his answer was correct.

Lin Shuyou remarked, "Fascinating."

Tan Wenbin asked, "The child can't do it?"

Lin Shuyou replied, "They don't have spirits; they aren't living beings or ghosts. This isn't the same kind of thing the child is familiar with."

Li Zhiyuan instructed, "Brother Binbin, listen closely to see if there are other teams following us on the outskirts."

After listening intently, Tan Wenbin answered, "Brother Xiao Yuan, I didn't hear anything."

Li Zhiyuan closed his eyes.

The enigmatic procession wandered through a city shifting between light and dark, with the surrounding forest growing denser, and the path becoming steeper. Yet, sitting inside the sedan chair, there was no sense of jostling.

As dawn finally broke, the procession entered the mountains. Everything around was primordial, but soon the mist rose, completely obscuring the view.

"Drop the sedan!"

All sedan chairs were lowered.

The sacrificial items were also set down, and the musicians and bearers disappeared without a trace. ℴ

Everyone emerged from the sedan chairs, the nearby surroundings clear, but the distance was shrouded in a white haze, echoing the saying "unable to see the true face of Lushan."

A majestic stone tablet stood ahead, inscribed with four vigorous characters:

[Jiujiang Zhao Family]

Within lay the Zhao Family Ancestral Mansion.

As Family Head, Zhao Shan'an should have stepped forward to place his hand in the groove of the stone tablet for notification.

He was ready, with the palm of his right hand slick with an oily substance, as if blue liquid was circulating, shaping the rhythm of the Zhao Family's Secret Technique.

At that moment, Zhao Yi stepped in front of him.

Zhao Shan'an clenched his right hand, saying, "Since Yi'er just returned, you should notify the elders of the ancestral home. They will surely be delighted to know you're back."

Zhao Yi shook his head, "Most likely not."

Zhao Shan'an pretended not to understand, quietly analyzing: does this mean he has lit the lantern a second time and come down from Jiang again?

Zhao Yi stepped forward, placing his hand on the stone tablet and closing his eyes.

The stone tablet trembled slightly.

The heavy fog ahead parted to the sides, revealing a clear path, lined with stone sculptures.

The stone sculptures, wearing bamboo hats and clad in rope armor, stood with swords, their features weathered but their imposing Evil Qi still evident.

These sculptures depicted the Zhao Family's Guardians.

Most of Zhao Family's Guardians were in the mountain ancestral home.

A small portion was outside, with the token in the clan leader's hand.

On that stormy night, Second Master Zhao brought out four Guardians because he sensed someone setting a trap to bait and kill Zhao Xu, so he intended to counter-bait.

As for why he had the command over four Guardians... it's just that the most unruly son in the family often excelled at flattering the old master.

Zhao Shan'an touched the token in his sleeve, regretting that the part of the Guardians commanded by this token had all perished.

He felt a pang of regret, for while individual Guardians weren't exceedingly powerful, when their numbers reached a critical mass, the effect of forming an array was truly alarming.

The old master had been overconfident when Zhao Shan'an feigned weakness, failing to summon the Guardians to form an array for retreat, instead opting to finish off the insolent little fry himself, making it unexpectedly challenging to kill him quietly.

Regrettably, the token could only be driven by the blood of living Zhao family members, leaving him no choice but to bury all the Guardians afterward—a real waste.

Zhao Yi turned back to everyone and said, "Let's go, everyone, back in the sedan!"

Zhao Shan'an said, "Yi'er, it's against protocol for us juniors to ride sedans with the ancestral home ahead."

Zhao Yi replied, "The elders were empathetic towards us and specially instructed this."

He finished, producing talisman paper, which flew out and attached to the six sedans, causing the previously vanished bearers to reappear gradually.

Zhao Shan'an commented, "It seems the elders dote on our Yi'er, so we'll all benefit from Yi'er."

Everyone returned to their sedans.

The first sedan rose and proceeded, passing through the stone tablet.

Next came the second... third... fourth...

Those in the front may not notice, but those in the back distinctly felt it.

Li Zhiyuan, inside the fourth sedan, remarked, "The distance between the sedans has widened."

Tan Wenbin commented, "So quickly?"

Li Zhiyuan replied, "If even you think it shouldn't be, the ones behind surely would think so too."

Tan Wenbin remarked, "This style is a bit unlike Zhao Yi."

Li Zhiyuan mused, "This style actually is very Zhao Yi. Even the most sophisticated plan seeks nothing more than the element of surprise. Once you have this premise, everything else becomes simple.

They, in fact, made the same mistake Zhao Yi did earlier. When Zhao Yi already openly returned home, they were still hesitating, unwilling to shed their disguise."