Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Chapter 120 An Unexpected "Encounter"

Just as the shadowy figure raised his hand, as if to do something to the painter next to the mural, a golden light streaked across the sky, piercing through the setting sun and dazzling the eye.

The painter, who was studying the mural, looked up when he sensed the unusual light. The shadow on the ground also looked up, and after seeing the golden light in the sky, he withdrew his hand.

"Tsk, it's like a persistent ghost."

"Who?"

As if hearing someone speaking, the artist turned his head in confusion and looked at the spot where he had put his luggage. There was only a pile of luggage that he had casually placed there, and nothing else.

The artist walked to the luggage and found no signs of it being disturbed by anyone else, nor any footprints around it. Could it be that he had just imagined the sound?

In the blink of an eye, the golden light in the sky disappeared, the sun set, and the surrounding light began to dim. The painter wanted to continue his study, but he didn't know where Meng Danqing had gone. However, the original houses here were all dilapidated and unusable for the night.

Although the walls are relatively well-preserved, the roof is almost entirely missing. Tigers still roam the mountains, and he just escaped from their jaws; he absolutely cannot be fed to them again.

Despite his worry for his savior, he could only go home first. Besides, his savior was much more capable than him, and if his savior encountered danger, he, an ordinary painter, couldn't help.

"What exactly is this mural?"

Before leaving, the painter raised his hand and touched the part of the mural that had become brighter. Due to years of disrepair, the mural had lost its original color, and there were spots of peeling on the edges. If it weren't for a spot that suddenly became incredibly bright, as if it had just been completed, the painter probably wouldn't have known what the original colors of the mural were like.

This place used to be a temple, and the murals naturally depict Buddhist stories. The lit-up part of the painting shows towering halls and pavilions, with monks preaching and listening below, and several celestial maidens scattering flowers above. At the doorways, there are also tall and majestic golden-armored warriors. All these figures are lifelike, as if they could move.

Even when the murals were still dim, their exquisite beauty was evident to onlookers. Now that they have been illuminated again, the scenery depicted in the murals appears even more beautiful, like a fairyland.

But why is only this one area lit up? Is it because Meng Danqing stopped at the very beginning, or because Meng Danqing disappeared in the light, and the disappearance of one person is only enough to restore this part of the mural?

Just as the artist's thoughts were getting worse, a tiger's roar came from the depths of the forest, interrupting his thoughts. The tiger was probably nearby, and it was getting dark. He couldn't stay there any longer and needed to hurry home.

“Miss Meng Danqing, please wait one night. I will come and find a way to save you first thing tomorrow morning.”

As he spoke, the painter clasped his hands together and bowed to the mural. He was certain that Meng Danqing had been brought into the mural by the light just now, even though he had not yet found her figure in the mural. This was the only explanation.

Meng Danqing's attire was very distinctive. As a painter, he had a good memory and eyesight. The fleeting glimpse he had of the mural earlier was definitely not a mistake; Meng Danqing had truly entered the mural.

"Who do you want to save?"

Before the artist could even straighten up, he heard a strange man's voice behind him. Even though the man's voice was pleasant, he couldn't ignore the fact that he was a stranger who had suddenly appeared.

In the desolate wilderness, amidst the ruins and rubble, in the dim light, a stranger appeared silently behind him. This sounded exactly like all the ghost stories he had heard before. In the time it took for the artist to straighten up and turn around, he went through all the ghost stories he knew and the monsters he had heard about in his mind.

According to many stories, if you are called by something that sounds like a ghost in such a desolate place, you should not respond or turn around to follow the voice. The best thing to do is to leave immediately and run as far away as possible.

However, at first, the artist was startled by the sudden interruption of the sound. By the time he realized he should pretend not to hear it, it was too late. The person behind him could definitely see his reaction, and pretending not to hear it would be superfluous.

So now, he had no choice but to turn around with a stiff upper lip. The other person didn't call his name but asked other questions. Maybe he wasn't a monster after all.

Lost in thought, the painter looked behind him and saw a figure dressed in silver and white with some blue accents. The figure had white hair and white clothes, wore a silver crown, and had shoulder ornaments similar to cloud-shaped shoulder ornaments that connected to a white cloak that covered most of the clothes underneath.

The girl in the dress also held a silver folding fan with a metallic sheen, seemingly made entirely of silver. The artist found it somewhat unbelievable; if it was indeed made of silver, regardless of the craftsmanship, the sheer weight of the fan was extraordinary.

This person is more like a deity than a monster; he's strangely shiny with silver.

Did I scare you? I'm so sorry.

Yuan Wuxiang saw the other party's expression and reaction and knew that he had frightened the person by appearing suddenly. He and Juan Shoutian had been chasing after that guy whose ability was related to shadows for the past few days, and the more they fought, the angrier they became.

There's no other reason than that the opponent's ability is so overpowered that it feels like a normal shadow—you can see it, but you can't touch it no matter what you do.

When the two first found each other's temporary stronghold, they searched the place from top to bottom but couldn't find anyone. They rescued all the captured monsters and captured all the members of the White Lotus Sect, but they still couldn't find the leader, who then rescued people in front of them once again.

Finally, they discovered the key: good bastard, this guy has no physical form at all; he's just a shadow. In a light-filled area, he'll project half of his body onto the spot where the shadow is cast, but they still can't hit him.

Often, people don't actively pay attention to their own shadows, so when a shadow suddenly appears on the ground around them, many people don't notice it immediately, giving the other person an opportunity to take advantage.

Realizing how troublesome this enemy was, and how many people would suffer if left unchecked, Shuangxiu left Yue Wuque to stay with the Yang family while they went to confront this "shadow."

Although they can't hit the enemy yet, they can hinder the White Lotus Sect's operations. Wherever he and his men go, Shuangxiu will follow, striking with precision, ensuring that none of them escape.

During this period, most of the White Lotus Sect's strongholds that were destroyed were wiped out by Shuangxiu and the other side in a chase. It was because of their relentless pursuit that Ying, who should have returned to the main camp, was delayed in returning.

It wasn't that he didn't want to reply, but that he simply didn't dare to. These two guys were chasing after him like killing gods. Although they hadn't yet found an effective way to deal with him and couldn't hurt him, he also couldn't harm those two. He had tried all sorts of sneak attacks, but the people being attacked seemed to have eyes in the back of their heads, and he couldn't hit them at all.

When the two sides fight like this, the only ones who suffer are the bystanders. Shuangxiu takes the opportunity to deal with the White Lotus Sect, which is trying to capture monsters, while Ying is also looking for "bargains" to use while fleeing. He went behind the painter just now to launch a sneak attack.

Unfortunately, it was too late; Shuangxiu caught up with them.

"I was just passing by when I happened to hear a familiar name and thought it might be someone I knew."

I was just passing by when I saw someone worshipping a mural, saying they wanted to save Meng Danqing. Seeing this, it was hard for Yuan Wuxiang not to come over.

"An acquaintance...you must be referring to Miss Meng Danqing?"

“Young lady…more or less. I have an acquaintance named Fei Bi Chang Chan Meng Dan Qing, who is well-versed in the art of painting.”

"Yes, Miss Meng also mentioned that this is her name."

"It seems to be an acquaintance," the painter thought. When Meng Danqing saved him, it was like a fairy descending to earth. This stranger in front of him also looked like a fairy. If they were friends, it would make sense.

"My surname is Bai, and I am a painter in the city. Miss Meng is my savior. If it weren't for her help today, I would probably be dead."

"Meng Danqing and I... are cultivators of the same lineage. You just said you wanted to save him, but what happened?"

Seeing the other person keep calling her "girl," Yuan Wuxiang silently swallowed back the words "I and Meng Danqing are brothers," just to protect the other person's heart.

Having encountered so many monsters, it seems that people in this world don't have a very rigid understanding of gender. After all, many spirits can transform into both men and women, and some are essentially unable to define human gender. In any case, they are quite open-minded.

But this is about the supernatural aspect; why is human society still unaware of it?

"It's like this, this mural..."

The painter briefly explained what had happened. Yuan Wuxiang's expression turned serious after hearing it. If Meng Danqing had really been brought into the mural, it meant that the mural was "alive" and belonged to the category of spirits and monsters.

He stretched out a hand and placed it on the mural, and sure enough, he felt the spiritual energy flowing freely within it. Among this energy, there was also some of Meng Danqing's energy, which must have been incorporated when he first mobilized the spiritual energy.

It was Yuan Wuxiang's outstretched hand that led the painter to look over and see a silver hand with patterns engraved on the back. It looked very different from a hand made of flesh and blood, but its dexterity was exactly the same as a human hand.

My attention was previously drawn to the other person's silver folding fan, and I didn't realize that the person's exposed palm was also made of silver, because that silver fan really was... wait, where is that silver fan?

“The murals are imbued with spiritual energy and are not ordinary objects.”

Yuan Wuxiang pulled his hand back. Because he had been chasing after enemies and fighting, and had to destroy the White Lotus Sect and rescue captured little monsters, he was not as relaxed as before. In order to make it easier to make moves, Yuan Wuxiang simply stopped wearing gloves.

During this period, none of the people he came into contact with were ordinary mortals, so there was no need to worry or panic. The little monsters themselves didn't even have human form, so they wouldn't say anything when they saw his unusual hands.

Although some took an unconventional approach, a little monster, after seeing his hands and how the weapon was conjured, thought Yuan Wuxiang was a silver spirit and almost couldn't explain it back.

"However, there shouldn't be any danger in the world within the painting."

Looking at the celestial maiden scattering flowers in the mural and the architecture with obvious Buddhist elements, Yuan Wuxiang remembered that the story in "Painted Wall" was very safe. Even if something unexpected happened, Meng Danqing's abilities would be enough to protect himself.

Moreover, Meng Danqing's techniques are related to painting. The reason he was brought into this world is most likely because the long-dormant murals resonated with Meng Danqing's power and opened the door automatically.

But he remembered that the story seemed to have taken place in the capital, right? How come there are murals here, and among a bunch of broken walls and ruins?

"The spiritual energy within the mural is unique, and Meng Danqing's power resonated with it, opening the door to the world within the painting. Perhaps, only he could do this."

Just now, Yuan Wuxiang also tried to probe with his true energy, but to no avail. He could clearly sense the active spiritual energy in the mural, but he was unable to interfere with it.

The connection between Meng Danqing and the world depicted in the painting seems quite coincidental, or perhaps it's a case of specialization in different fields?

"Can't we get in?"

Judging from this, they won't be able to get into the mural to find Meng Danqing.

"Can't get in."

Yuan Wuxiang shook his head. If the mural had enough spiritual energy and the things depicted on it hadn't been covered in dust or even abandoned, it might have truly served as a special "door," allowing visitors to come and go freely, just like in the original story. But now, it was nothing more than one of the many broken walls and ruins.

“I have a friend who went with me, but he went to the deep mountains for some business and should be back soon. When he returns, we will take you back.”

Originally, it was already sunset when Bai Huashi was about to leave, but Yuan Wuxiang's sudden appearance prevented him from leaving. Now it was evening, and Yuan Wuxiang, remembering the enemies chasing after them, was worried about letting him go back alone.

According to the other party, there are still tigers in the mountains. Although the possibility of tigers running out of the mountains is relatively small, it is still better to take precautions. What if that shadowy creature deliberately drives the tiger out to harm people in order to hide?

During the pursuit, the enemy realized that they could not harm them and would only lose their own men, so they stopped acting with the White Lotus Sect's subordinates and even stopped going to the relevant strongholds, acting alone.

It has to be said that this guy is intelligent. Shuangxiu's main target was him. Attacking the White Lotus Sect was just a side effect. Once he was separated from the main force, at least the other strongholds were saved.

He didn't just run away aimlessly. His ability to act alone and appear and disappear unpredictably made it easy for him to cause trouble. He would often take ordinary people hostage to slow down Shuangxiu's pursuit.

This is one of the reasons why Shuangxiu's anger grew as they chased after the enemy. When the enemy ran into the mountains and forests, Juan Shoutian chased after them. The golden light that pierced the sky at sunset was Juan Shoutian's doing.

Yuan Wuxiang also followed the enemy's route, but instead of finding the enemy, he heard news of Meng Danqing.

"Okay, thank you, sir."

Just then, another tiger's roar came from the depths of the forest, louder, closer, and sharper than the first. This roar didn't sound like a declaration of its existence; rather, it sounded more like a cry of pain.

"Sir, did you see a flash of light over there?"

Along with the tiger's roar, there seemed to be a glimmer of golden light, but it vanished too quickly to be clearly seen.

"Don't worry, that's my good friend."

Yuan Wuxiang, waving his silver fan, answered with a smile. "Strange, when did this silver fan reappear? Where did it come from?" the painter wondered.