Chapter Four, The Thief Shi Qian (Part Two)

If one truly must unleash their anger, with a single gesture of the sword technique, the Fire Thunder Sword suddenly radiates a bright red light, and the sword energy extends violently for several meters, thrusting towards the River of Darkness with the force of a thousand thunders. The wind stirs and thunder rumbles, causing the accumulated snow on the trees within dozens of meters to tremble and fall like rain.

The Youxuan Sect specializes in the creation of zombies and ghosts for combat. There are various types of zombies, and the higher the level of the zombie, the more difficult it is to refine, as well as the greater its power. A regular zombie, when refined to the highest level, can contend with skilled practitioners in the martial world; the "Iron Corpse" leaps as if flying, possesses immense strength, and has a body as tough as iron. The "Golden Corpse" is created from the body of a deceased but not yet fully decayed cultivator, whose power has not completely dissipated. It is infused with secret elixirs, inscribed with talismans, and refined using the unique secret methods of the Youxuan Sect over a period of three years. It is impervious to ordinary blades and swords, and does not fear sword energy or common spells. One could say that with such a bodyguard, one could traverse the world without fear.

Ah, so you have forged the invulnerable 'Golden Corpse' and the 'Soul-Returning Mirror', no wonder you dare to be so audacious! Once the True Sword Technique is invoked, the Fire Thunder Sword strikes as swiftly as lightning, manifesting into a chaotic flurry of over a dozen sword lights.

Under the illumination of the red light, two dark figures in the forest became clearly visible. One was a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a green robe, with a pale face and fine beard, possessing an unremarkable appearance, yet exuding a chilling aura. The other was not human at all, but a zombie entirely wrapped in yellow cloth, with a fleshless face, green eyes, and exposed fangs, covered in talismans, with golden long hair growing in the areas not covered by the yellow cloth

Within the forest, fifty to sixty meters away from him, there were two dark figures. One of them moved stiffly, its eyes gleaming with a greenish light. It was seen walking rigidly to a frozen corpse, pulling it out of the snow, and kissing it mouth to mouth

A sound echoed, and a red light descended from the sky like a thunderbolt, illuminating a distance of ten miles, accompanied by the sounds of wind and thunder. In an instant, it appeared before me.

Brother, could you help me steal a few entry tokens and some money? The tokens are made of bamboo, approximately four inches long and two inches wide, with names and embossed patterns on them

Li Fei felt a wave of nausea, almost on the verge of vomiting. He had not yet figured out what was happening when another shadow suddenly exclaimed, "Eh".

Li Fei quietly arrived at the city gates, formed a hand seal, and softly uttered: "The Earth Thief Star, Shi Qian."

After about ten minutes, Shi Qian finally appeared on the city wall. With both hands and feet in motion, he slid down directly against the city wall, handing over three bamboo plaques and several small cloth bags.

At the command, Shi Qian clasped his hands, and suddenly a hook appeared in his hand. After swinging it a few times, he flung it upward, catching it on the city wall. Then, alternating his hands, he climbed up with a speed and agility surpassing that of a monkey

The old Taoist in the yellow robe raised his red eyebrows and coldly snorted: "Ming He, you are considered a prominent figure in the realm of cultivation, yet you have fallen to the point of stealing from the common people. Are you not afraid of bringing shame to your Xuanyuan Sect"

Before long, Li Fei's fingers began to move involuntarily, and he felt an urge to join Shi Qian in stealing chickens and dogs. He was taken aback; he had never stolen anything from others. Although he had thoughts of making some money to get through a tough time, he had never entertained the idea of stealing with his own hands. How could such a strange impulse arise?

Before long, we arrived outside Donghe City. Although there were a few lanterns on the city wall, there was not a single figure in sight, and even the drawbridge had not been raised. After all, this was not the front line; no one was risking their lives outside in the middle of the night. The officials and soldiers had all retreated to the city tower to warm themselves by the fire and drink wine.

He is now certain that summoning Shi Qian will affect his preferences, his *map*, and his habits. As for why this is the case, he does not know. He cannot even distinguish whether Shi Qian is a deity or a ghost; in any case, Shi Qian will not harm him.

Shi Qian, having received praise, was quite pleased, his small eyes squinting into a narrow slit. He smiled and said, "No rush, no rush. How about I, along with my elder brother, go find a shop to buy a few pounds of good wine and roast chicken, and indulge ourselves until we are drunk? What do you think?"

Did Shi Qian also wish to steal while he was stealing things himself

This person is undoubtedly Li Fei. He directed the energy within his spiritual acupoint towards the Tai Xi acupoint, feeling his body become light and agile, with his legs possessing boundless strength. Each step he took covered two to three meters, surpassing even the swiftest horse, as light as a feather. In the snow, he left only shallow footprints. The most notable improvement from practicing the techniques taught by Qian was in his lightness of movement.

Having left the city for three to five miles, Li Fei finally felt at ease. He said to Shi Qian: "My skills are still lacking, so I cannot let you stay outside for too long. Hurry back, and when my cultivation improves, I will summon you out to enjoy ourselves properly."

The current relationship between Li Fei and Shi Qian is akin to that of a cultivator and a magical flying sword. Shi Qian must share part of his power and establish a spiritual connection with him. However, Shi Qian is a being with thoughts and personality, which deepens the influence on him, causing his habits to differ markedly from the ordinary.

After running for a while, he stopped to check his harvest. Suddenly, he felt a chilling presence emanating from the woods ahead, causing him to shiver. This aura was definitely not just a cold wind; it was the eerie atmosphere of something ghostly. Then he heard someone in the forest softly chanting a spell, and the sinister energy grew even denser. In the night breeze, there seemed to be a foul odor wafting through the air.

Perhaps the Heavenly Dream Divine Skill itself possesses a self-repairing function, and it is possible that this instance of overuse has accelerated the progress of cultivation, seemingly turning misfortune into fortune

Am I, as a practitioner of the Profound School, truly afraid of your Supreme Teachings

"Go quickly and return quickly, it must not exceed fifteen minutes. Also, be careful not to be discovered by the Taoist priests in the city." Based on Li Fei's estimation, with his enhanced skills, he should be able to last for fifteen minutes without engaging in combat.

Li Fei watched him disappear from the city wall, feeling anxious and unsettled. He was worried that he would not be able to steal anything in a short time, and also concerned that he might alert the Taoist priests in the city

If I truly roar in anger, it will be like a thunderclap: "Do you think I dare not kill you?"

A sword radiating a blazing red light circled around him, emitting streaks of crimson brilliance, the heat wave oppressive. The ice and snow on the trees rapidly melted, and even Li Fei, who was dozens of meters away, could feel the scorching air.

A beam of black light emanated from the place where he had placed the book on his chest, and Shi Qian appeared, making a face and saying: "The little man has arrived"

As Li Fei concluded his training, the spiritual aperture became tranquil once more, the damaged areas restored to their original state, and the entire space significantly larger than before. If it could be likened to a pond previously, it had now transformed into a small lake

Suddenly, Li Fei felt an almost greedy desire for gold and silver treasures, just like a drunkard encountering fine wine or a gambler touching the dice; money and possessions held a significant allure for him—something he had never experienced before.

The rat-eyed Shi Qian's eyes sparkled, and his brows danced with excitement: "This little rascal is most skilled at this; I will be back shortly."

As the red light faded, a short and emaciated old Taoist appeared atop the tree. His wide yellow robe hung loosely on him, resembling a monkey dressed in clothing. His skin was dry and wrinkled, and his appearance was unremarkable, yet he had two long eyebrows that were bright red like fire, slanting upwards. Within his pupils, flames flickered, exuding an aura of authority and dominance without the need for anger.

"Pah, just now a ghost sneaked into the city to steal. If it weren't for you, who else could it be? Is there anyone in the world besides the Ghost Sect who can command ghosts? Is there anyone nearby besides you who is a disciple of the Profound Ghost Sect?"

Shi Qian was somewhat reluctant, yet did not dare to oppose. With a lingering sense of reluctance, he performed a bow and transformed into a streak of black light as he departed.

The River of Oblivion does not respond, and the Soul-Returning Mirror hovers above his head, enveloping his entire being. Within the blue light, there is not a trace of turbulence; outside the blue light, branches break and snow melts, while rocks crumble like pastry. He swiftly forms hand seals, and the golden-haired zombie leaps like a spring. With fists raised, black energy surges, and a chilling wind howls, deflecting all of Ruozhen's attacks back.

Li Fei was overjoyed: "Indeed, as expected of a master thief, you managed to steal it so quickly. You should hurry back now"

At midnight, a shadow quietly emerged from the dilapidated temple and hurried towards the direction of Donghe City

In the realm of Taoist practices, there are summons for Yellow Turban Warriors, dragons and tigers, heavenly soldiers and generals, as well as the transformation of beans into soldiers. Similarly, within Buddhism, there are summons for the shackled blue, revered ones, and protectors. However, these entities are merely combat machines, which is entirely different from the case of Shi Qian. If one were to categorize him, Shi Qian would belong to the category of magical treasures, a living magical treasure, abbreviated as "living treasure".

However, if one's lineage and cultivation truly surpass that of the River of the Underworld, with a temperament as fierce as fire and formidable strength, then in the midst of battle, although the golden corpse is powerful, it can only defend and will find itself at a disadvantage.

Li Fei continued to run forward, his heart racing like a rabbit. Although the money was not stolen by him personally, it was indeed the first time he had masterminded the theft of someone else's belongings, leaving him with a lingering sense of guilt.

At this moment, Li Fei was still in a state of confusion. In the realm of cultivation, to wield a flying sword and utilize magical artifacts, practitioners must connect their true energy and mind with the magical flying sword in order to control it to attack enemies from a distance and unleash its inherent potential. Therefore, the user must be in harmony with the spirit of the artifact. However, even though magical flying swords possess some degree of spirituality, they are still inanimate objects and can only exert a simple influence on their master

He approached a large tree quietly, slowly lowered his body, and tried to burrow into the snowdrift as much as possible

The face of the River of Darkness, which was already eerie, grew even more somber as it coldly stated: "If your Fire Thunder Sword is truly as overbearing and shameless as the world knows, it should not bark and bite without reason. When have I ever stolen the belongings of the common people?"

Ming He Sheng Nu Ji Fan Xiao: "You are a distinguished disciple of the Taishang Sect's second generation, well-known and respected. How can you speak so recklessly? If you wish to use your power to bully others, why resort to such a pathetic excuse? Has the Fire Thunder Sword become a tool for the likes of constables and their lackeys?"

Li Fei was most afraid of people discovering the loss of their belongings and causing a commotion, which would attract the Taoist priests in the city. He did not dare to stay here for long, nor did he dare to speak much. In a hurry, he rushed into the woods, and Shi Qian had no choice but to follow closely behind him

The Dark River's profound technique was simultaneously activated, as a sphere of blue light soared into the sky, scattering its brilliance like a mirror. The incoming red sword energy dispersed upon contact, leaving not a trace to penetrate; the motionless zombie suddenly kicked its legs and charged directly at the sword, delivering a punch that unleashed a torrent of black energy, which with a "buzz" sound, sent the sword flying away.

Li Fei's scalp tingled, his heart raced, and several thoughts flashed through his mind: Should I go over to see the commotion...! ... Too dangerous...! I should escape quickly... ... But that won't do! Perhaps the other party is a fierce ghost emerging, or perhaps there are practitioners of dark arts honing their demonic skills. I absolutely cannot act recklessly now, otherwise I will surely be discovered