boyutpedia Chapter 19: Planning Details
Chapter 19: Planning Details
As the morning mist enveloped Blackstone Town like a thin veil, Lin Yan and Su Qingyao had already quietly returned to the East City Cellar.
Pushing aside the rotten wooden plank covering the entrance, a stench of decaying earth and damp mold wafted out. The depths of the cellar were as dark as ink, with only a few rays of sunlight slanting in at the entrance, cutting hazy patches of light across the dusty floor. Su Qingyao took out a tinderbox and lit the broken oil lamp on the wall. Its dim, yellowish light gradually spread, illuminating the spiderwebs hanging from the walls like funeral banners.
"It's alright." Lin Yan listened intently for a while before stepping aside to let Su Qingyao in.
The girl gently set down the cloth bag from her back. When the bag was untied, the contents were revealed under the light: the sulfur blocks were a dark yellow, like aged amber; the saltpeter powder was fine and white, like frost; the kerosene can was sealed with wax, and the congealed oil stains on the can were faintly visible. There were also several iron nails and barbed wire, emitting the distinctive cold, fishy smell of cast iron.
Su Qingyao rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair wrist. She first picked up the Crimson Sun Flower, its petals dry and curled, the color of congealed blood. Her slender fingers picked up a petal and placed it in the stone mortar. As the jade pestle gently pounded it, fragments fell like withered butterflies. Next was the Bone-Eating Grass—the edges of this grass's leaves were covered with fine, backward-pointing thorns. She carefully avoided the thorns, tearing the grass leaves into thin strips, and then finely chopped them with a copper knife.
Lin Yan sat down cross-legged in another corner of the cellar.
With eyes closed and focused inward, the dark gray true essence flowed gently through the meridians like a stream. Wherever the true essence passed, the hidden wounds left by yesterday's fierce battle were slowly repaired. Beneath the skin and flesh, it felt as if thousands of ants were gently gnawing, a tingling sensation mixed with the warmth of newly grown flesh. The qi vortex in the dantian was solid as lead and mercury, each rotation drawing ripples of spiritual energy from the surrounding area—this was a sign of reaching the peak of body tempering.
Yet this line of separation seems like an insurmountable chasm.
Ordinary martial artists would need to cultivate diligently day and night, supplemented with spiritual herbs, to break through this barrier, in order to open the Qi Sea in their dantian, draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and achieve the Profound Realm. Although Lin Yan can seize the essence of demons and monsters thanks to his Spirit Devouring Body, his meridians are already nearly saturated after successively devouring Shadow Wolves. If he were to forcibly absorb more, his foundation might become unstable, which would actually harm his path to cultivation.
"I need a life-or-death ordeal..." he murmured to himself, then opened his eyes and looked at the busy girl on the other side.
The dim light of the oil lamp illuminated Su Qingyao's profile, revealing a soft yet aloof beauty. She was carefully weighing saltpeter powder with a silver spoon, repeatedly comparing each spoonful to the scale, her expression as focused as if she were carving jade. Stray strands of hair fell across her forehead, but she didn't bother to brush them away, letting them sway gently against her cheeks.
"Do you often make these kinds of things?" Lin Yan suddenly asked.
Su Qingyao paused slightly in her hand holding the silver spoon, but did not look up: "The Su family has been studying demon-slaying methods for generations, and one must be proficient in alchemy, talismans, and arrays. I learned the 'Hundred Herbs Chart' at the age of seven, refined 'Malaria-Expelling Pills' at ten, and by the age of fourteen, I could independently draw the first level of 'Demon-Suppressing Talismans'." At this point, a very faint bitter smile appeared on her lips, "But these family skills... are of little use now."
As soon as the words were spoken, the cellar fell into a brief silence. Only the sound of the jade pestle pounding medicine could be heard, rustling like silkworms eating leaves.
Lin Yan remained silent. The pain of his entire family's annihilation could not be consoled by words. He changed the subject: "How long will it take to prepare the Demon-Attracting Incense and the Berserk Powder?"
"The Demon-Attracting Incense is easy to make, taking about an hour." Su Qingyao lowered her head again to weigh the medicinal powder. "The Berserk Powder has a complicated process, requiring three purifications, two mixings, and finally, a secret method to seal its medicinal properties... It will take at least three hours."
"The timing is perfect." Lin Yan calculated in his mind, "It's early Chen Shi now, so we should be able to finish before noon. We can rest and recuperate in the afternoon, and then set off at night."
Su Qingyao nodded, her fingertips moving even faster.
Time slipped away quietly amidst the fragrant aroma of herbs.
Lin Yan didn't sit idly. He picked up a piece of charcoal and began to sketch on the flat ground. The lines were rough yet precise, and the shape of Canglang Mountain gradually appeared—the main peak was steep like a sword pointing to the sky, the valley where the spiritual spring was located was shaped like a crescent moon, and the entrance to the wolf's den was hidden under a shady cliff. Next to each terrain feature, he marked it in tiny characters: where to hide, where to set up an ambush, and where to retreat.
When he reached the interior of the wolf's den, he paused with his brush.
"Qingyao," he suddenly called out.
"Hmm?" The girl looked up, her eyes reflecting the flickering lamplight.
"After the medicine is delivered into the barrier using the boundary-crossing talisman, how can we ensure that the demon tiger will be enraged?" Lin Yan lightly touched the location of the spiritual spring in the diagram with a charcoal stick. "What if the beast is in a deep sleep, or the medicine is not potent enough..."
"I have considered this matter." Su Qingyao put down the silver spoon and took out a brocade pouch from her bosom. Untying the ribbon, she revealed a fine, emerald-green powder. "This is made from 'Soul-Startling Grass.' This grass grows in yin and evil places and has a miraculous effect on the souls of demonic beasts. Even a tiny amount can awaken a slumbering creature. I have mixed it into the Berserk Powder."
She picked up a small amount of powder and examined it closely under the lamplight. The emerald powder glowed faintly in the light, as if it were alive, and seemed to flow slightly. "Once the demon tiger awakens and smells the aura of the Berserk Powder, it will surely go berserk. However..." She frowned slightly, "If we do this, the time we have left will be even tighter."
"How tight?"
"From the time the poison is ignited until the demon tiger goes completely mad, it will take at most the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." Su Qingyao's voice was calm and clear. "Within that time, we must infiltrate the wolf's den, search for evidence, and escape unscathed."
A stick of incense.
Lin Yan's fingertips unconsciously traced the charcoal stick. The wolf's den was deep and winding, filled with traps and mechanisms, and guarded by monstrous wolves. In this brief moment, he had to avoid enemies, search for supplies, and, most importantly, leave himself room to retreat...
"What if we split up?" he pondered. "You stay on the perimeter to provide support and observe the tiger's movements. I'll go into the wolf's den alone; that way, we might be able to act more swiftly."
"No!" Su Qingyao flatly refused, her voice suddenly rising. "The situation inside the wolf's den is unclear. You're venturing into danger alone. What if you encounter a trap or array? Besides—" She took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions, "If you truly find my ancestor's relic, it might be sealed with demonic runes. Do you recognize them?"
Lin Yan was speechless. He was indeed completely ignorant of array formations and talismans.
"Then let's go in together." He compromised, "I'll be in charge of scouting and defending against the enemy, while you'll be in charge of deciphering the mechanisms and deciphering the text. Once we find the key evidence, we must retreat immediately and absolutely not linger in battle."
Su Qingyao remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright. But you must promise me that if the situation becomes critical, you must not act rashly."
"You're no better." Lin Yan stared at her. "If I really get into danger, you just need to get yourself out of there and don't look back."
The girl lowered her eyes and remained silent, only picking up the jade pestle again. The sound of pounding medicine became more urgent than before, echoing in the silent cellar, each sound striking the heart.
Another hour passed, and the Demon-Attracting Incense was ready.
There were a dozen or so brownish-yellow incense sticks, each about the thickness of a little finger and half a foot long. Su Qingyao took one and handed it to Lin Yan. As soon as he got close, he smelled a sweet and cloying fragrance, like ripe berries mixed with the smell of decaying leaves, which made him feel slightly dizzy.
"This incense is made from seven kinds of medicinal herbs that are favored by demonic beasts," she explained softly. "Once lit, the fragrance can travel for miles and is extremely tempting to low-level demons. However, mortals will become drowsy if they smell it for too long, so they should cover their mouth and nose with a damp cloth when using it."
Lin Yan carefully examined the incense, noticing its surface covered with fine lines, suggesting it was pressed using a special technique. He carefully put the incense away, and when he looked at Su Qingyao again, she had already begun to prepare the Violent Powder.
This time, the girl's expression became even more solemn.
She first took two small pure silver bowls, one containing pollen from the Red Sun Flower and the other containing powder from the Corrosive Herb. In her left hand, she held a jade bottle and poured out a colorless, clear liquid—collected morning dew and refined using a secret method, called "Rootless Water." In her right hand, she held a silver spoon and slowly mixed the dew into the medicinal powder, her movements as gentle as playing a zither.
The powder gradually turned into a paste, one side bright red like blood, the other dark green like moss.
Su Qingyao bit her fingertip, and a drop of bright red blood rolled into the bowl. The blood dripped into the medicinal paste, making a faint "sizzling" sound, causing ripples on the surface and changing color—from crimson to dark ochre, and from dark green to inky blue. Her face visibly paled, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but she refused to stop, muttering obscure incantations under her breath.
The chanting was continuous, like the chanting of ancient temples.
Under the incantation, the two bowls of medicinal paste began to produce strange phenomena: fine bubbles rose to the surface of the red bowl, like boiling water just beginning to boil; the green bowl condensed a layer of frost-white, with a chilling aura emanating from it. After Su Qingyao finished reciting the incantation, she suddenly poured the two bowls of medicinal paste into a ceramic jar and shook the jar rapidly with both hands.
The medicinal liquid in the jar churned and boiled, its colors blending and shifting, finally settling into a deep purple-black. The liquid was as thick as honey paste, and strange patterns naturally formed on its surface, resembling some ancient totem, shimmering with a dark glow under the light.
Only then did Su Qingyao breathe a sigh of relief, her body swaying slightly as she braced herself with her hands on the ground to steady herself.
Lin Yan tried to help her up, but she waved her hand to indicate that she was alright, and simply wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve: "It's done. Once this medicine is ignited, it will release a colorless odor, which will drive any demon beast that smells it mad. Each of the three portions of the medicine can burn for half an hour."
She divided the ointment into three equal portions and carefully wrapped them in oiled paper. The oiled paper was specially made, with a fire-retardant coating on the inner layer and sealing runes drawn with cinnabar on the outer layer. The wrapped medicine packets were no bigger than a child's fist, heavy and exuding a chilling aura.
Lin Yan took the medicine packet. It was slightly cool to the touch, and he could faintly feel the medicinal power surging inside, as if it were wrapped in a ball of violent flames.
Next is the Transcendent Talisman.
Su Qingyao took out three yellow talismans from her personal pouch. The talisman paper was faded and the edges were slightly curled, but the vermilion runes on it were still bright and new. She laid one talisman paper flat on her lap, her fingertips lightly tracing the runes, a complex expression flashing in her eyes: "This talisman can penetrate ordinary barriers. However, each talisman can only be used once, and the penetration distance is no more than ten zhang."
She took a packet of Violent Powder, carefully wrapped it in talisman paper, and folded it into an exquisite triangle. Her movements were skillful and fluid, clearly the result of countless rehearsals. "When using it, infuse it with true energy and throw it towards the barrier. The talisman will penetrate the barrier, and the powder packet inside will be activated by the true energy, igniting upon landing."
After speaking, she demonstrated—a wisp of pale golden true essence flowed from her fingertip into the talisman, and the triangular talisman pouch moved without wind, trembling slightly as it hovered three inches from her palm. The vermilion patterns on the talisman paper lit up one after another, shimmering with iridescent light.
Lin Yan focused intently on memorizing every detail.
Finally, Su Qingyao took something out from the bottom of the package.
The object was wrapped in layers of plain white brocade. When unwrapped, a hexagonal crystal was revealed. The crystal was transparent as ice, about the size of a palm, with a constantly flowing, shimmering light within, as if it contained a clear spring. As light passed through the crystal, it cast tiny rainbows on the ground.
"A recording stone." Su Qingyao's voice trembled slightly. "There's only one left. Infusing it with true essence can record images and sounds. Crushing it forcefully will project the recorded scene into the air, lasting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
She gently placed the crystal into Lin Yan's palm. The stone felt warm to the touch and seemed to pulsate slightly as if it were alive, in sync with his heartbeat.
"Keep it safe." The girl turned her face away, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. "If... if something unexpected happens, at least let the world know the truth."
Lin Yan clenched his fingers, the sharp edges of the crystal digging into his palm, bringing a sharp pain. This pain made him even more aware—this stone held not only evidence, but also their last resort in a life-or-death struggle.
When everything was ready, it was already broad daylight outside the cellar.
Looking through the cracks in the wooden planks, one could see the sunlight gradually shifting, the twilight slowly creeping through the accumulated dust. Inside the cellar, the lingering scent of medicine mingled with the smells of sulfur and saltpeter, creating a tense atmosphere reminiscent of an impending storm.
Lin Yan closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, but his mind kept rehearsing:
What if they sneak into the night and encounter patrolling mountain wolves? What if Chen Fuhai sends men to follow them? Su Qingyao has a concealment talisman to hide her presence, and he himself has a swift talent to avoid a direct confrontation. But what if the enemy has laid a trap...?
The area around the wolf den is lit with incense to lure demons, and the spread of the fragrance needs to be precisely controlled. Too few demon wolves will create chaos, while too many will trap them. Su Qingyao can use her true energy to control the burning speed of the incense, but if the mountain wind suddenly changes, the direction in which the fragrance disperses will be different…
The three talismans and three medicines were already the limit for delivering medicine into the barrier. If all failed, the entire plan would be ruined. Should they retreat or advance? Retreat meant all their previous efforts were wasted; advance meant a slim chance of survival…
The demonic tiger has gone mad, the wolf pack is restless, and the opportunity to infiltrate within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn is fleeting. The wolf den may contain traps and mechanisms, or secret passages and hidden chambers. Finding evidence is like searching for a needle in a haystack; they must also be careful not to alert the remaining demonic creatures…
The escape route is even more treacherous. The battle between the demon tiger and the wolf king can devastate mountains. If caught in the fray, even with their physical tempering cultivation, they'd be no match for the enemy. Even if they manage to escape, Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang in Blackstone Town won't simply sit idly by and await their fate…
The plot unfolds layer by layer, each step fraught with danger.
Lin Yan opened his eyes and looked at the girl opposite him.
Su Qingyao had finished regulating her breathing and was now tidying up her pouch. She categorized and bundled the talismans according to their functions, and arranged the medicine bottles in order. Every movement was calm and unhurried, as if she were about to embark on a routine night journey rather than a life-or-death situation.
"What are you looking at?" She suddenly looked up and met Lin Yan's gaze.
Lin Yan paused for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Seeing how calm you are, it seems I was overthinking things."
Su Qingyao lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the talisman in her pouch: "It's not that I'm calm, it's just..." She paused, her voice soft like a sigh, "but since things have come to this, panicking is useless."
These words, though seemingly casual, struck Lin Yan's heart like a heavy hammer.
Yes, now that we've come this far...
From the night he awoke, from the moment the Soul-Devouring Mark was branded into his chest, from the instant he learned of the sacrificial conspiracy hidden in Blackrock Town—this bloody path was already paved beneath his feet. There was no way to retreat, no way to avoid it; he could only forge ahead.
He closed his eyes again, and the Soul Devouring True Essence surged through his meridians like a tide.
The mark on his chest seemed to be burning, as if echoing his resolute determination.
Outside the cellar, the sun's shadow slanted westward, and twilight gradually descended.
As the last ray of sunlight disappeared through the cracks in the wooden planks, Lin Yan suddenly opened his eyes.
His eyes gleamed with a sharp light, like starlight in the dark night.
"The time has come."