This immediately made Li Changqing's hair stand on end.
In his bones, he carries a sort of reverence for ghosts and gods, so upon hearing of their existence, Li Changqing was somewhat frightened for a moment.
Seeing the half-finished wood carving in his hands, Li Changqing pondered for a while and simply decided not to continue. Instead, he found a new piece of wood.
Then he began carefully carving a new sculpture.
As he carved with concentration, the blue mark on Li Changqing's forehead became more pronounced, though he himself didn't notice it at all.
His movements were skillful, with all sorts of tools being used to perfection.
By evening, a half-man high wood carving had already appeared in Li Changqing's hands.
A lotus base, on which sat a bald monk.
The monk wore a kasaya, held a golden alms bowl in his right hand, and a string of Buddhist beads around his neck, his eyes tightly shut, exuding an imposing aura without anger.
"Whew." Li Changqing let out a long breath, wanting to wipe the sweat off his forehead, but when he wiped with his hand, he found no sweat at all, which surprised him a bit, as it seemed his stamina had improved considerably since crossing over.
He cleaned the Buddha statue and placed it right in the center of the workshop.
"Bless, bless, may ten thousand ghosts not invade." With hands clasped before the Buddha, Li Changqing returned to his small courtyard in the back.
Li Changqing planned to send the silver notes and blood ginseng to his son Li Hengsheng the next day.
The night was slightly cool.
Dark clouds veiled the bright moon, making all of Changting Town appear particularly quiet, with only the occasional sound of patrol watchmen beating their gongs on the street.
Outside Changting Town, a black light fell onto the town like a meteor.
But in the blink of an eye, the black light vanished without a trace, as if nothing had appeared.
And as the black light disappeared, a figure appeared where it had just landed, a middle-aged man in a tattered Taoist robe, looking somewhat woeful, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, those eyes as keen as a hawk in the dark night.
"Yan Dongchen, you can't escape." The middle-aged Taoist spoke slowly, the next moment flipping his hand, his fingertips entwined with golden light, weaving an array, his gaze fixed on the light, which converged into a formation of nine directions and eight positions.
"This way?" The middle-aged Taoist's eyes looked towards the northwest.
With that, his figure swiftly turned into a golden light and darted away.
"Damn stinky Taoist, you've been chasing me for two days and nights." Beneath the black light, a man with a hooked nose, stained with blood, emerged, his eyes flickering with murderous intent.
The bleeding places on his body caused him great pain.
"Once I, Yan Dongchen, return to Yin Shi Tower, one day I will flatten your Dao Mountain Ancient Land!" He muttered to himself, but the tearing pain of his wounds twisted his expression.
"At this rate, I won't be able to escape. I need to find someone to replenish my vital energy and blood." Yan Dongchen stepped into Minghong State, intending to act discreetly, merely to search for something without taking lives and drawing others' attention.
But now he had no choice but to draw attention; if he didn't refine some energy and blood, his current injuries would only worsen. Escaping from the people of Dao Mountain Ancient Land relying solely on his current body was impossible.
At this moment, Yan Dongchen lifted his head and noticed a store behind him.
"Evergreen Painting Workshop."
"This is it." Yan Dongchen knew the people of Dao Mountain Ancient Land would surely catch up soon, so he had to hurry.
He could feel the presence of a person inside the Evergreen Painting Workshop, so he directly pushed open the door and rushed in.
To kill the person inside, refine their essence and blood, and replenish his injuries.
But just as he stormed into the workshop, Yan Dongchen suddenly felt an indescribable sense of crisis!
This crisis seemed to surpass all the crises he had felt in his life.
As if it was a deathtrap!
What on earth was going on? What was inside this house?
He was a powerful being at the Innate stage, how could he face such a terrifying crisis?
Suddenly, he saw that at the center of the workshop, there was an enormous wood carving.
The wood carving of a green lotus, with a Buddha subduing the world!
At this moment, the Buddha suddenly opened its eyes, and within those eyes, boundless Buddhist power appeared to enshroud the entire workshop. An immense might surged from the Buddha, nearly crushing Yan Dongchen on the spot!
"How is this possible!" Yan Dongchen's face changed dramatically; he had never felt such terrifying Buddhist light!
What exactly was this thing!
How could it possess such power!
Not even a Spiritual Treasure could possibly have such might, right?
Yet at that moment, a majestic voice spread from the Buddha, sounding like a great bell resounding across the land!
"Bold fiend, daring to trespass into the workshop, I shall reveal your true form!"
"Great Awe-inspiring Heavenly Dragon, Revered Earth Treasury, Bodhisattva of Prajna, Bam Ha Rah!"
As the words fell, the Buddha's palm seal descended, its immense might instantly enveloping Yan Dongchen, leaving him no strength to resist, as he was shrouded by the intent of death!
"No!" Yan Dongchen was horrified, wanting to oppose the Buddha, but alas, despite his outburst of cultivation, he could not contend, and was engulfed by the Buddhist light on the spot!
"What happened?"
Having just arrived at the Evergreen Painting Workshop, the middle-aged Taoist also sensed this boundless might, and at the same time, the golden array in his hand shattered instantly!
"Dead?" The middle-aged Taoist's face changed.
Yan Dongchen was dead!
His eyes, filled with disbelief, looked at the shop in front of him.
Evergreen Painting Workshop.
He had no idea what had happened inside, but he could sense the burst of an amazing aura within. It was so strong that it was beyond his ability to contend.
Even someone as strong as Yan Dongchen, who had reached the Innate stage, was instantly killed by it.
Fear arose in the heart of the middle-aged Taoist as he retreated, quickly getting far away from the Evergreen Painting Workshop.
Fearful that he might be affected soon.
"What exactly is that?" The middle-aged Taoist looked from afar toward the direction of the Evergreen Painting Workshop, his heart still unable to calm down.
With Yan Dongchen dead, the Buddha returned to its original state, its eyes shut tight, as if nothing had ever happened.
Even Li Changqing slept so soundly, completely unaware of the happenings in the workshop.
The next morning, Li Changqing awoke, came to the workshop, and only then noticed that something seemed to have happened inside the workshop.
Because on the ground, there were more than two thousand silver notes, and an iron plaque.
"What is this?" Li Changqing curiously picked up the items, then walked to the door, looking around, but found nothing.
"Could it be someone doing a Robin Hood act in the night?" Li Changqing mused, stroking his chin.
He then looked at the iron plaque, which had a single large character inscribed on it.
Qi.
Just this one character, and Li Changqing had no idea what it represented.
"Li Changqing." At that moment, a figure in purple appeared at the door again, it was the person Li Changqing had summoned today.
These people in purple were from the Cangyuan Escort Agency, responsible for delivering letters and transporting goods.
Spread throughout the Cangyuan Realm, their background was particularly impressive.
"You mentioned you wanted to send a letter to Dao Mountain Ancient Land, is it ready?" The person in purple asked.
"Yes." Li Changqing took out a letter, the envelope unsealed, as he placed the two thousand silver notes he just received into it, along with the previous five thousand.
And the two-hundred-year-old blood ginseng.
"Is this everything?" The person in purple looked at the items in front of him.
"That's all." Li Changqing casually threw the iron plaque he had just obtained into the envelope as well, since he didn't know what it was, he might as well send it to Li Hengsheng.