Chapter 23: The Unlucky Deacon and the Art of Talisman Control!

"The toad demon has revealed its true form. Its strength is not to be underestimated, everyone, be careful!" cautioned Daoist White Crane.

He gripped his peach-wood sword, executed the Big Dipper steps, and charged forward.

"Attack!" the other elderly Daoists followed suit.

"Croak... croak..."

The toad demon emitted a low, guttural sound. Its cheeks began to swell, growing larger and larger until they resembled two bloated balloons.

"Watch out, it’s going to spray venom!"

Daoist White Crane nimbly shifted his footing, dodging to the left.

Sure enough, the toad demon opened its mouth and spat. A burst of emerald-green liquid, possessing terrifying corrosive properties, rained down like a downpour.

One of the elderly Daoists couldn't dodge in time, and two drops of the venom landed on his arm.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

Black smoke billowed from the Daoist's arm. Before their eyes, his flesh was dissolved into pus. The wound expanded rapidly until the ghastly white bone was exposed, and soon, the bone itself began to corrode.

"Ugh!"

The Daoist gritted his teeth so hard that the veins on his forehead bulged from the excruciating pain. Watching the toxin spread toward his body, he clutched his sword with his left hand and, without the slightest hesitation, severed his own right arm.

"Ahhh!!!"

The Daoist finally let out a piercing scream.

*Whoosh!*

A sharp sound of something cutting through the air followed. The Daoist looked up just in time to see the toad demon’s tongue lashing out.

"Deacon, look out!"

A young disciple lunged forward, tackling the Daoist to the ground, barely helping him avoid the strike. However, as they fell, the Daoist’s forehead struck a sharp stone, which pierced straight through his skull.

"Ah?"

The young disciple’s face turned deathly pale. He looked at the Deacon, whose eyes were wide open in disbelief and resentment, his mouth opening and closing in a final, silent gasp. Grief overwhelmed him.

"Deacon! Deacon! You cannot die!"

"It’s all my fault! I’m the one who killed you!"

The old Daoist grabbed the disciple’s robes with his remaining hand. He was filled with utter resentment. After practicing the Dao for so many years, he never imagined he would die in such a pathetic way. If he had known, he wouldn't have brought this jinx along. Whoever this kid was with, they were doomed. If the boy hadn't "saved" him just now, he wouldn't have died. That act of rescue had sealed his fate.

"Deacon, do you want me to avenge you? Don't worry, I will give my life to kill this damned toad demon!" The young disciple wiped the tears from his eyes, his voice resolute and firm.

With that, the old Daoist’s head slumped to the side, his breath fading away.

"..."

The scene left Qin Feng speechless. The battle had barely begun, and a powerful Daoist master was already dead—and in such an absurd fashion. If he wasn't mistaken, the old Daoist’s final, silent words to the young disciple had been a profanity.

"Serves you right, hahaha!" the toad demon laughed, speaking in human tongue.

"You wicked beast, stop your arrogance!" Daoist White Crane waved his hands.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Dozens of yellow talismans flew out, circling the toad demon to form a binding array.

"Strike!"

Daoist White Crane directed the talismans, launching an assault. Two talismans attacked from the front, while three others circled behind for a sneak attack.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The toad demon was struck by the three talismans. The sheer force of the impact made it stumble and roll across the ground several times. Immediately after, the dozens of yellow talismans combined into a net, casting down upon the demon. The toad demon leaped five or six meters into the air, narrowly escaping the net’s restraint.

However, Daoist White Crane shifted his hand seals. The net dispersed, then rapidly reformed into a chain of talismans. Under his control, the chain moved like a flexible, long serpent, continuing its relentless pursuit.

"What kind of technique is this? It looks quite formidable!" Qin Feng’s eyes narrowed.

The man looked refined and scholarly, but his techniques were unexpectedly powerful. Fortunately, Qin Feng wasn't affected by talismans, so this move wouldn't work on him.

"I didn't expect Brother White Crane's talisman control to be so advanced!"

"Indeed, Brother White Crane is truly the most outstanding genius of the Five Elements Sect."

"It’s just a pity for Brother Liuyang. To be so unlucky as to be pierced through the brow by a small stone..."

While they were talking, the remaining Daoists launched a joint assault on the toad demon.

"Ginseng-er, help me!"

The toad demon scrambled to dodge, but facing the combined strength of the Daoists and White Crane, it was utterly helpless.

"You want me to run away first?" the thousand-year-old ginseng asked, stunned.

"No, I want you to help me! I can't hold out much longer!" the toad demon pleaded.

"You’ll hold them off so I can escape? Very well, Brother Toad, I will remember this kindness. If there is an afterlife, I will repay you!"

The thousand-year-old ginseng suddenly revealed its true form: a wild mountain ginseng with numerous fibrous roots, a single stalk on top, and a tender leaf. Its roots acted like legs, and it sprinted across the ground.

"Quick, catch it! Don't let it escape!"

"It's here! Over here!"

"Seal the cave entrance!"

Dozens of masters scrambled in a frantic attempt to capture it. The thousand-year-old ginseng was incredibly fast and agile, twisting and dodging beneath the feet of the Daoists, leaving them unable to even touch a single leaf.

"Ginseng-er... Ginseng-er..." the toad demon cried out with pathetic devotion, "I treated you so well, why did you abandon me?!"

"Toad demon, go look in a mirror! With that ugly face of yours, who wouldn't run away?"

"Heh, a toad really did want to eat swan meat. Some things never change," the elderly Daoists mocked.

They weren't worried about the ginseng escaping; they had already set up a formation outside. It would be even easier to catch it once it ran out.

"Let it run; just follow behind it. We will regroup after we finish off this toad," Daoist White Crane commanded. He didn't forget to remind the others to look after Qin Feng.

Meanwhile, Qin Feng, finding no opportunity to steal blood, was busy chatting with the young disciple who was carrying the old Daoist’s corpse. From their conversation, it was clear the young disciple wasn't the brightest. It likely had to do with his name: Xuanyu.

Xuanyu claimed his master had chosen the name. The "Yu" (meaning foolish/simple) was meant to echo the *Tao Te Ching*—"My heart is the heart of a fool"—implying that true wisdom often looks like foolishness.

"Senior Qin Feng, how have you suppressed the corpse poison for so long without losing your humanity? If you can, could you help the Deacon? Perhaps you could bring him back to life so he could live for a few more days?"

The young disciple looked up with a naive, pleading expression that made it truly difficult to refuse.