Chapter 121: Borrowing Power

“Taoist.”

His palms opened and closed, as if controlling the scriptures. The accumulated clouds above his head were almost touching his hair bun. Xiang Jiannan was hunched over, his face ashen.

The green Qi he had summoned was completely destroyed. With the ebb and flow, the sparks on the scriptures around him appeared even more frequently now. His mouth was dry and his tongue parched.

He could smell the burnt hair. It kept popping up, making it impossible for him to hide.

“Don’t talk.”

Things had come to this point. There was nothing to say between him and Old Nie. He was speaking, but his hands didn’t stop. Was he asking if he had any last words to leave behind?

As a staunch little Taoist, Xiang Jiannan only hoped that Old Nie would be quick when he made his move.

Begging for mercy would be useless. Old Nie had come with the intention to kill. Just give him a death that didn’t hurt too much.

Although he spoke firmly, he was secretly praying in his heart. No one was unafraid of death. Watching himself being devoured little by little, his desire to live had long been awakened by the cold sweat soaking his back.

“Heh.”

Through the scriptures, there was only a cold laugh. As Xiang Jiannan had expected, Old Nie had intended to kill from the beginning. He was the kind of person who always sought results, especially after easily subduing Xiang Jiannan.

Civil officials were cunning. After sending the little Taoist west, he would return to the county town to catch up with Governor Sun and Magistrate Lin.

“Everything is like a dream, a bubble, a shadow.”

He chanted a Buddhist phrase in a low voice. His hands suddenly came together, causing the scriptures surrounding Xiang Jiannan to shrink instantly. A hint of excitement appeared in Old Nie’s eyes.

This was the look he always had when he sent people to the afterlife, because he felt he had done another good deed.

Saving people from the sea of suffering, how meritorious and boundless.

Suddenly~~~

Flames erupted all around him, blinding him for a moment. Xiang Jiannan knew that his end was near. He struggled desperately to move, but his space was limited.

The suffocating aura of death was everywhere. The smoke and fire caused not only pain but also a suffocating feeling that came from all directions. His consciousness began to lose control.

“Old man, stop for this young master!”

Just as Xiang Jiannan was about to pass out from the scorching heat, a voice entered his ears amidst the chaos. The voice sounded familiar. With just one sentence, the air around him instantly became fresh.

After escaping death, he opened his eyes and found that the scriptures flowing around him had all disappeared. Only the accumulated cloud was still hovering in the sky, slowly retracting the golden light that bound his limbs.

“Who are you?”

First, he heard Old Nie’s unhappy tone. When he saw who had come, Xiang Jiannan suddenly felt an urge to cry.

He almost died. The person who could come out to save him at this time must be a relative. The newcomer was Song Erle, lightly dressed, holding a wooden sword in his hand.

He must have helped him break the situation just now. The direction of the sword’s tip was pointing directly at his position.

“People of the Jianghu, ask less!”

Facing Old Nie with a tough attitude, Song Erle twirled the wooden sword in his hand, then switched to holding it with his left hand. He shouted to Xiang Jiannan from afar, his tone unusually ambiguous:

“Taoist, do you still remember that night?”

I remember your grandpa.

His Taoist robe was full of holes. Hearing Song Erle wanting to tease him, Xiang Jiannan was in no mood.

The feeling of escaping death was too wonderful. He was now weak all over. Why Song Erle suddenly appeared here was irrelevant. Anyway, no matter what reason he gave, Xiang Jiannan would choose to believe it.

Great kindness needs no thanks. Just do me another favor and beat up this old man called Old Nie.

“Hurry up and come over.”

Waving the wooden sword to signal Old Nie not to move, Song Erle spoke with the air of a big boss, arrogant and domineering, as if countless underlings were standing behind him:

“Old man, how dare you touch my man!”

“Are you here to seek death too?”

Old Nie was indeed motionless when pointed at by Song Erle. His eyes narrowed into a line again. Old Nie’s tone gradually became cold.

This kid had broken his Buddhist seal with just a wooden sword. He was young and his background was unknown.

He quietly stared at Song Erle until Xiang Jiannan stood beside him before asking.

The little Taoist was no longer a threat. But this helper who had just appeared looked a bit tricky.

“Are you okay?”

Seeing Xiang Jiannan’s face covered in dust, Song Erle was glad that he had arrived in time. The little Taoist was limping as he walked. If he had been any later, he would have had to carry him back in a box. The few steps he took made it impossible for him to be serious. All his words turned into laughter.

He held back and quickly looked at the old man in front.

“You old man, you hit pretty hard.”

He sneered at Old Nie’s threat and turned his head to signal Xiang Jiannan not to worry. Song Erle even took two steps forward with a menacing aura.

“Two choices. You leave, or we leave. Old man, you only have one chance!”

His domineering aura was leaking out!

Seeing Song Erle’s imposing manner, Xiang Jiannan only felt that this young man was too handsome. He glared at Old Nie with his dirty face, waiting to avenge himself.

He wasn’t that ruthless, coming up and trying to take someone’s life. Although Xiang Jiannan didn’t have such a cruel heart, it didn’t mean that Song Erle beside him didn’t.

“Enough talk, let’s fight.”

Not having the patience to wait for Old Nie’s answer, Xiang Jiannan roared at Song Erle while he seemed to be thinking. He was full of confidence, but he was a little confused after Song Erle spoke:

“Taoist, don’t be silly. I can’t beat him.”

“!”

He didn’t understand why Song Erle didn’t speak softer when he said such a thing. Seeing that Old Nie not far away had heard him, the aura that Xiang Jiannan had just mustered completely dissipated.

If you can’t beat him, why were you so fierce? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Are you really here to die?

Good brother, are you afraid I’d be lonely?

Thank you!

Just as he was stunned, he saw Old Nie had already raised his hand, not saying a word, the killing intent in his eyes even stronger.

To tell the enemy his strength without reservation, was Song Erle trying to play the pig to eat the tiger? Looking at his expression, he didn’t seem that smart.

“A petty trick.”

As a huge Buddha hand faintly condensed around Old Nie, Song Erle still didn’t seem afraid. He pointed the wooden sword in his hand directly at the sky, muttering:

“I can’t beat him, but someone can.”

“Who?”

He only felt that the world had suddenly become gloomy. When the gale howled, Xiang Jiannan steadied himself and asked with difficulty. The pressure that Old Nie had shown was far too inferior compared to now. In just a few breaths, he could no longer see his figure.

He barely opened his eyes amidst the sandstorm. Only the golden Buddha hand could still be seen occasionally.

“Your master!”

He yelled at the top of his lungs, as if his throat was choked by sand and gravel. Song Erle’s voice made people feel that he was having a hard time. Grabbing his clothes and looking at the lightning and thunder in the sky, Xiang Jiannan couldn’t help but tremble from the power rolling in the dark clouds.

When Song Erle’s left hand holding the sword seemed to stir a few times, his voice became deafening:

“Old Taoist, quickly show your spirit!”

Whoosh~~~

Rumble~~~

Bang bang bang~~~

Several bolts of lightning struck the ground. When the dust settled, Xiang Jiannan collapsed on the ground, desperately gasping for air.

Nine Heavens Thunder Technique, N times the strike!

If he had been hit, he would probably have been blasted into nothing. In front, he could only see a tattered robe.

Old Nie must have run away.

“Little Taoist Priest, are you okay!”

He was still sitting on the ground, not having caught his breath, when he quickly saw the carriage that had left earlier speeding towards them. Xiang Jiannan was too weak to answer his question.

He was fine, just feeling a little exhausted. He was clearly just a bystander. This coachman really had professional ethics. The silver, Xiang Jiannan would definitely not miss a single coin.

“Wait, I’ll be right back!”

Seeing the mess on the ground, and seeing the little Taoist and another panting man smiling at each other, the coachman suddenly felt a surge of boldness. He left a sentence and started to turn the carriage around, leaving Xiang Jiannan confused.

“Where are you going?”

“To get revenge for you. That kid is still in front, he hasn’t left yet. This time, I will definitely dismantle his carriage!”