Chapter 121: Kill Them All |
Thirteenth year of Changning.
The remaining main force of the Mobei horse tribes was caught.
After suffering two thousand casualties, they broke through the encirclement once again.
In the southwest, Ma Huaian relied on the dense mountain forests to maneuver against the Wu Kingdom.
Unable to conquer the area after prolonged attacks, the Wu Kingdom actually committed an outrage condemned by all beneath heaven and set fire to the mountains.
Once the fire began, even from several hundred li away, black smoke could be seen filling the sky.
By the end of the year, the ruler of the Wu Kingdom died suddenly.
The mountain fire had nearly burned itself out. Under Zhang Jingheng’s instruction, the southwestern garrison moved out in full force and searched the mountains.
They found over ten thousand charred corpses, among them Ma Huaian’s subordinates as well as barbarian slaves.
The southwestern garrison took advantage of the momentum and attacked the Wu Kingdom, capturing three cities in succession.
But after the Wu Kingdom reacted, reinforcements arrived, and the two sides temporarily reached a stalemate.
Zhang Jingheng dispatched officials from the Ministry of Revenue to directly take office in the three cities.
He also began constructing new cities in Mobei, incorporating these lands into Jing Kingdom’s territory.
All kinds of matters proceeded in an orderly fashion.
By the fourteenth year of Changning.
The Mobei horse tribes had been hunted down until they were suffering terribly, and the areas where they could hide grew fewer and fewer.
However, at this time, Emperor Changning’s health suddenly declined sharply.
He vomited several large mouthfuls of blood and nearly died on the spot.
With no other choice, he could only be escorted back to the capital first.
On the dragon bed, Emperor Changning’s face was as pale as gold paper. His time was nearly up.
Imperial physicians knelt all over the floor. They had no solutions either.
Terrified and trembling, they could only remain there in fear.
The crown prince, who had supervised the state for several years, knelt beside the bed.
Emperor Changning no longer had the strength to rise. Holding his hand, he was extremely weak.
“Heaven will not wait for me. If I had one or two more years, I would surely sweep away everything for you and let you become a peaceful emperor without worry.”
The crown prince was filled with grief.
“Father, I already understand your intentions. You must take care of your health. In the future, in the future…”
Emperor Changning slowly drew breath and weakly called out, “Chancellor…”
Zhang Jingheng sat beside the dragon bed, so old his eyes could barely open.
Supported by one of the princes, he leaned forward.
“Your Majesty, this old minister is here.”
“The offensive in Mobei must not stop. I grant you the authority to decide all matters yourself.”
“This old minister has heard.”
Emperor Changning slightly turned his head and looked at him.
“You must live a few more years for me. Finish this war. Help the crown prince…”
His breathing suddenly quickened. Before he could finish speaking, his eyes widened.
Unable to draw another breath, he passed away.
Zhang Jingheng could no longer see clearly, but his ears heard the weeping of the crown prince, the princes, and the concubines of the inner palace.
He understood in his heart, sighed, and murmured, “Your Majesty, rest assured. This old minister cannot die yet. I cannot die yet…”
Two wars were being fought in the southwest and Mobei. What awaited Jing Kingdom was either a flourishing age or rapid decline.
As Chancellor, Zhang Jingheng naturally did not wish to see the latter possibility occur.
At seventy-six years old, he had to endure the days even the emperor could not endure.
To devote himself fully until death.
Several days later, the crown prince ascended the throne.
His reign title was Yongxiang.
Pinecone Village.
Chu Xun stood in the courtyard. Before his eyes floated strands of white metal essence qi, along with four other kinds of Five Elements qi in different colors, though they were relatively dim.
This was because he could borrow them, but lacked the method to gather them.
Borrowing and gathering seemed similar, but in reality, the difference was enormous.
One had to be returned, while the other did not.
For example, the iron crowbar Chu Xun had made for Chen Guizhou to pry open the coffin would disappear once the Dao art support was removed.
But the metal-essence longswords in the side room did not require Dao arts to maintain them and could still exist for a long time.
At this moment, Chu Xun was using the gathering method to draw strands of metal essence qi over.
In his perception, the metal essence qi accumulated continuously, constructing a pillar of heaven and earth within the world of his mind.
This pillar was the foundation of his own small world.
With it, even if the great world were destroyed, it would have no effect on him.
Just like no matter what happened to Jing Kingdom in the future, Chu Xun would still be Chu Xun.
Even if dynasties changed countless times, he could continue living well.
Of course, an actual small world was far more complex than this worldly metaphor.
If he truly cultivated it successfully, that would be what was called leaping beyond the Three Realms and no longer being within the Five Elements.
After mastering the Five Elements Dao Art, Chu Xun’s speed in gathering metal essence qi had clearly become much faster.
It could almost be called effortless.
One strand after another of metal essence qi was drawn over, piling up layer by layer.
It looked fast, but in truth, it was frighteningly slow.
In one day, if he could truly compress a single strand of metal essence qi properly, that was already decent.
Moreover, Chu Xun had other things to do. He could not spend all his time “stacking pillars.”
How easy could it be to accumulate a small world of his own and transcend the restraints and limitations of the Three Realms and Five Elements?
At that moment, the sound of horse hooves came from outside.
A messenger knocked on the door.
“Mr. Chu, an urgent letter from the capital.”
A weasel ran to open the door and took the letter from the messenger.
Another handed over a freshly pulled radish.
The third chattered twice at the messenger, waiting until the hand holding the radish withdrew before closing the door.
The last one jumped up and dropped the door bolt.
The entire process was smooth and practiced.
Over the years, they had long formed this habit. Whoever took one extra step would be ganged up on and beaten by the other weasels.
The already somewhat aged messenger hugged the radish and mounted his horse cheerfully.
Delivering letters to Mr. Chu’s house was still the most interesting.
The weasel held the letter high over its head with both paws and ran over with pattering steps.
Chu Xun temporarily stopped what he was doing. As he took the letter and opened it, he said, “Youyou, the salt jar is already very clean.”
Wei Youyou poked half her body out from the kitchen, carefully holding the salt jar.
“It isn’t very clean yet.”
“There’s no need to keep licking it. I’ll take you to buy more salt blocks later.”
Ever since Wei Youyou had arrived, the household’s salt consumption had become extremely fast.
With Chu Xun’s current methods, even condensing salt blocks out of thin air would not be difficult.
But he did not want to do that.
He simply felt that if everything was solved through Dao arts, he would soon forget the taste of being human.
Longevity was what he hoped for, but it was also lonely.
Chu Xun hoped that during this long road, there would be more things he could do and was willing to do.
Hearing this, Wei Youyou’s eyes lit up, and she hopped over to ask, “Yo! Are we going shopping?”
“We can shop along the way.”
Wei Youyou was very happy. In truth, she had a lively nature.
It was only that in her little-girl state, she was too timid. Only in very familiar places and before very familiar people would she show that lively side.
At other times, she mostly stood with her ears perked, looking here and there.
The slightest movement would frighten her into jumping.
Chu Xun glanced at the letter. It was from Zhang Jingheng.
He wanted some swords to send to the new city in Mobei and the southwest to guard Jing Kingdom’s newly conquered territories.
In addition, he was already very old, and wanted Chu Xun to come stay in the capital for a while.
Otherwise, if one day he failed to wake from sleep, even meeting him would become impossible.
Chu Xun thought for a moment, then turned to Wei Youyou.
“Do you want to visit the capital?”
“Yo! The capital!”
Wei Youyou widened her eyes.
“Where is the capital?”
“A somewhat distant place. Much bigger than Fenggu City,” Chu Xun said.
Wei Youyou was naturally willing. She liked walking everywhere and looking everywhere.
“But we need to find a carriage first,” Chu Xun said.
Wei Youyou’s eyes widened even more.
“A carriage!”
“A very large carriage.”
“A very large carriage!”
The next day…
A truly very, very large carriage left Pinecone Village.
The carriage compartment alone was comparable to more than half a room and required two horses to pull it.
The four weasels crouched at the side room entrance, poking their heads inside.
The room was already completely empty.
From Pinecone Village to the capital, traveling by carriage would take at least twenty days.
There was no driver. Chu Xun sat at the front, leisurely leaning against the carriage.
Wei Youyou also sat at the front, staring at the horses’ tails swaying back and forth.
She seemed to want to grab one, but did not quite dare.
The clip-clop of horse hooves alternated back and forth.
Passersby who saw such a large carriage were all somewhat surprised, turning their heads quite often.
They left Pinecone Village, then left Zhangnan County.
Chu Xun did not choose the route through Fenggu City. First, it was a slight detour. Second, he had already gone there several times.
Most of the familiar people were no longer there. Only an old locust tree remained.
Following the route through Tonghu City, then Xiangnan Prefecture, then traveling several hundred li and passing through Hulao Pass, they would arrive at the capital.
The official road here was not as good as the one near Mingxiu Prefecture.
Back when the refugee army attacked, this was the route they took.
The road, ravaged by war, was full of pits and bumps.
There were few signs of people along the way, but many graves.
When the refugee army fought through here, the local soldiers along the road had resisted with all their might and conscripted local youths. Many people died.
As a result, Xiangnan Prefecture, which had once been equal to Mingxiu Prefecture, had now fallen almost to the bottom.
Several successive prefects had wanted to restore this place, but unfortunately, they had no especially attractive policies.
On top of that, too many people had died. Commoners spread rumors that ghosts often haunted this place. Unless they truly had nowhere else to go, few people were willing to come.
The uneven road made the carriage sway back and forth.
Before long, Wei Youyou’s little face had turned pale from the jolting.
Chu Xun casually pointed, and the carriage regained stability.
He looked at Wei Youyou and asked, “Feeling unwell?”
Wei Youyou nodded weakly.
“Unwell, yo…”
Chu Xun laughed. Seeing that the sky was already growing late, he planned to find a nearby place to rest for the night before continuing.
However, there was no village or inn nearby, so finding a place to rest was not easy.
After traveling several more li, he faintly saw a ruined temple.
He stopped the carriage before the temple. Chu Xun got off and walked over to take a look.
The temple was badly damaged and seemed to have been abandoned for a very long time.
Several divine statues had fallen to the ground, filthy and dirty.
The corners of the walls were covered in spiderwebs, and a musty smell assaulted the nose.
Chu Xun waved his hand, and a gust of wind swept through, clearing away the musty odor.
Even the ground became much cleaner.
Wei Youyou weakly hopped over. Whether in height or frequency, her hops were much weaker than before.
It was obvious she really felt terrible right now.
Chu Xun unloaded the prepared mats and bedding from the carriage and spread them on the ground.
Then he took over a small tent and set it up in place.
The ground moved like a living thing, swallowing the four corners of the tent and pressing them firmly down.
Chu Xun glanced at the divine statues and casually waved.
The statues split into pieces and piled into a heap of wood.
A cluster of flames appeared from nothing, dispersing the chill of night.
In truth, for both Chu Xun and Wei Youyou, this bit of chill did not matter.
But doing this gave it the flavor of traveling far from home.
The carriage compartment had been prepared with radish leaves, greens, pumpkins, cucumbers, salt, and other foods Wei Youyou liked.
Chu Xun took over a few kinds and placed them before her.
Wei Youyou weakly stuck out her backside and used her nose to sniff around, choosing carefully.
In the end, she still chose radish leaves, holding them in her mouth and chewing them segment by segment like noodles.
Chu Xun took a cucumber. There was no real need to wash it.
The cucumbers he grew were all watered with spiritual rain and required no fertilizer.
Even if there were insects, they would be directly eaten by the field mice.
Wei Youyou ate two radish leaves and finally recovered somewhat.
Sitting cross-legged like Chu Xun, she curiously looked around and asked, “Is this called camping?”
“More or less,” Chu Xun said.
Wei Youyou pulled at the tent and looked outside.
“But there’s no rain.”
Chu Xun had told her about camping before, listening to wind and rain, eating morning dew, sleeping in the wilderness, and so on.
Wei Youyou was very interested in it because it suited her childhood life very well.
Chu Xun glanced outside. Drizzling rain quickly began to fall.
It struck the broken tiles, dripping continuously through the holes and landing on the tent with thudding sounds.
Wei Youyou was startled. After a while, she timidly stretched out her hand and touched the spot where water had dripped onto the tent.
Again and again, neither light nor heavy.
Her eyes gradually lit up.
“Yo!”
When too much water gathered, it flowed down along the tent.
But before it could touch the ground, it vanished into nothing in midair and did not truly wet the mat or bedding.
Looking at the little girl’s happy expression, Chu Xun smiled.
He had not gone camping for nearly a hundred years. This was purely a sudden whim.
Now that he looked at it, it was quite interesting.
After an unknown length of time, Chu Xun looked outside, feeling that the metal essence qi inside the carriage seemed to move slightly.
Soon after, two figures hurried into the temple.
One wore a blue robe, carried a longsword, and had a handsome face.
The other wore pale blue cloth clothes, a round cap, and held a shortsword. Their appearance was somewhat ordinary.
Both were very young, at most eighteen or nineteen.
After entering, they saw there were already people and a fire.
The shorter one holding the shortsword immediately showed vigilance in their eyes.
The one with the longsword did not mind at all. They walked over, cupped their hands, and asked, “Old sir, may the two of us also warm ourselves by the fire?”
Chu Xun touched the streaks of white hair growing at his temples.
Had he reached the age where people mistook him for an old man again?
He glanced at them and said, “As you wish.”
The one with the longsword sat down and reached out to pull their companion over as well. Then they cupped their hands again and said, “I am He Jinghong, and this is my junior brother Qin Shuang. May I ask your honored surname and name?”
Wei Youyou immediately shouted, “I’m Wei Youyou!”
Chu Xun followed, “Chu Chen.”
He Jinghong responded and was about to speak again when the big-eyed little girl turned to Chu Xun and asked, “Master, should a woman be called junior sister?”
He Jinghong’s movements froze, while Qin Shuang’s face tightened and she gripped her shortsword.
Chu Xun did not know whether to laugh or cry. When the two had entered, he had already sensed that they were two women.
A man’s firm yang qi and a woman’s soft yin qi were completely different.
Even though they had deliberately concealed some feminine traits with makeup and clothing, in Chu Xun’s eyes, he could see it clearly.
Moreover, such handsome features could not be completely hidden no matter what. Some clues would always show.
If there truly were such a handsome man in the world, he would surely attract many people as well.
Because of this, even Wei Youyou could easily tell.
Since they were concealing their gender, their names were likely fake as well.
Seeing the unusual expressions on the two opposite him, Chu Xun said, “If you feel uncomfortable, you may leave first.”
Qin Shuang glared.
“Why shouldn’t you be the ones to leave?”
Chu Xun said calmly, “We arrived first.”
He Jinghong stopped Qin Shuang’s follow-up words, placed the longsword across her crossed legs, and said, “Old sir, please do not take offense. The rain is continuous now, and this is the only place to shelter from it for dozens of li around. As for whether the two of us are men or women, that is unimportant.”
The current rain was no longer a spell, but real rain.
Chu Xun said nothing more. Glancing at Qin Shuang, whose face was full of wariness, he flicked a finger.
Another divine statue shattered, was pulled over, and placed atop the fire.
This move left both He Jinghong and Qin Shuang dumbfounded.
They had originally thought this old and young pair dared spend the night in a ruined temple because they had some skill.
They had not expected that skill to be so great.
No matter how they thought, they could not remember such a powerful figure in the martial world.
He Jinghong’s face showed a little more respect.
“So old sir is no ordinary person. No wonder you dare rest here. I am a disciple of Martial Alliance Leader Xie Ji. May I ask which sect old sir comes from?”
Chu Xun raised an eyebrow slightly.
Martial Alliance Leader Xie Ji?
“Soul-Chasing Saber Xie Ji?” Chu Xun asked.
“It’s Heaven-Reliant Sword Xie Ji!” Qin Shuang immediately corrected loudly. “Master’s Heaven-Reliant Sword has defeated all opponents under heaven!”
“Do not be rude.”
He Jinghong signaled for her to quiet down, then said, “My master did indeed once have the title Soul-Chasing Saber.”
Upon hearing this, Wei Youyou became interested.
“Have you heard of the Dragon-Slaying Saber?”
He Jinghong nodded.
“I have. A rising star of the past two years. Relying on a long saber, he has defeated experts from all over. He has quite the style my master had back then.”
After obtaining the Dragon-Slaying Saber from Chu Xun, Liang Xingbang had challenged experts throughout the martial world, and his record was astonishing.
His own martial rank was not especially high, but the Dragon-Slaying Saber was too powerful.
With one slash, any weapon would be cut apart.
Even a first-rank martial artist found it difficult to withstand.
Qin Shuang snorted and said, “He merely relies on the sharpness of his weapon. It doesn’t count as his own ability. Besides, he’s being hunted now and can hardly protect himself. How can he compare to Master?”
Chu Xun frowned slightly.
“Why is he being hunted?”
“Naturally because of that saber,” Qin Shuang said.
A common man was innocent, but possessing a treasure made him guilty.
Precisely because the Dragon-Slaying Saber was too powerful, rumors spread in the martial world that this saber, like the Heaven-Reliant Sword, hid an unrivaled secret manual.
Whoever obtained it could become the new Martial Alliance Leader and unify the martial world.
Whether in court or in the martial world, people had an irresistible desire for the words “command all under heaven.”
Chu Xun shook his head as he listened.
Those martial-world people had better not do anything to Liao Xingbang.
Otherwise, even if Chu Xun did not trouble them, the military generals promoted by Duke Wei would not let those people off.
Who could have thought that the dignified Duke Wei’s grandson would neither join the army nor become an official?
Instead, he carried a saber and made a formidable name for himself in the martial world.
Wei Youyou’s little face was full of curiosity.
“What is the Heaven-Reliant Sword?”
He Jinghong showed some pride and slightly lifted her rounded chin.
“A sword unmatched beneath heaven.”
Wei Youyou’s eyes widened.
“Unmatched beneath heaven!”
Her expression pleased He Jinghong very much.
Her master’s reputation should command the respect of everyone beneath heaven.
This gave her quite a good impression of the little girl before her.
Wei Youyou pointed toward the carriage outside and shouted, “Master has swords too!”
He Jinghong smiled.
“Your swords are not the same as my master’s sword.”
Wei Youyou was a little confused.
“How are they different?”
He Jinghong lifted her chin slightly again.
“My master’s sword is more powerful.”
Chu Xun’s previous move of shattering the divine statue from afar was indeed impressive, but in He Jinghong’s view, it still could not compare to her master.
When the Heaven-Reliant appears, who can contend? That was not merely empty talk.
Wei Youyou clearly felt a little unconvinced and turned to look at Chu Xun, as if seeking an answer.
Naturally, Chu Xun would not argue with others over such a thing.
He Jinghong also did not wish to embarrass those sharing shelter from the rain, so she changed the topic and asked, “Just now, seeing how old sir casually smashed the divine statue, I assume you are also someone unconcerned with minor details. If I offended you, please forgive me. May I ask where the two of you are headed?”
“To the capital,” Chu Xun said.
He Jinghong froze. Chu Xun saw what she meant.
“You too?”
He Jinghong did not conceal it. Her expression became slightly dim.
“My father suddenly fell seriously ill. I am returning this time for his funeral.”
“My condolences,” Chu Xun said.
He was not particularly good at comforting people, especially since they were not very familiar.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death were the most normal things.
At that moment, Chu Xun suddenly sensed something and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Wei Youyou also sensed it. Holding a cucumber in her mouth, she crawled over.
“Master…”
Chu Xun shook his head, and Wei Youyou stopped speaking.
Wisps of yin qi gathered from all directions, making the flames sway continuously.
Only the direction of the main gate, where the carriage was parked, was automatically avoided by the yin qi.
Chu Xun glanced at the place where the yin qi gathered. He Jinghong also seemed to feel the cold and quietly moved a little closer to the fire.
Chu Xun understood and asked, “Before coming here, did you encounter anything?”
He Jinghong and Qin Shuang seemed to think of something when asked, but they quickly suppressed the strangeness and shook their heads.
“We did not encounter anything.”
Seeing that they refused to speak, Chu Xun did not ask further.
A while later, more and more yin qi gathered.
Qin Shuang was still somewhat fine, only hugging her arms and moving closer to the fire, occasionally rubbing her face and hands.
He Jinghong, however, was already trembling from the cold. Even though she was very, very close to the fire and her face and hands were hot from the flames, she still could not stop the chill.
Whoosh.
Something at her waist suddenly caught fire. She hurriedly stood and slapped it away.
It was a yellow paper talisman. Before it even reached the ground, it had already burned completely to ash.
He Jinghong’s expression changed, as if she had thought of something. She immediately said to Chu Xun, “You should leave.”
Chu Xun looked at the yellow paper ash on the ground and asked curiously, “Who gave this to you?”
So far, the only fellow Daoist Chu Xun had encountered was the old Daoist selling fake medicine.
He had heard that there were other Dao cultivators in the world, but there were none near Pinecone Village, nor near Zhangnan County.
He had never deliberately searched for them, because in the past, he had always worried someone might see through him and ruin important matters.
Now, from this yellow paper talisman, he could clearly sense a trace of spell art.
It was only very weak, inferior to his own.
He Jinghong became anxious and immediately pulled Qin Shuang up.
“We’re leaving!”
Qin Shuang hesitated somewhat.
“If we join forces with him…”
“This is our matter. Why implicate others?” He Jinghong said without hesitation.
Qin Shuang said no more. The two immediately prepared to leave.
Chu Xun said calmly, “Your reaction is too slow. It’s already too late to leave now.”
He Jinghong’s heart jolted, and she abruptly turned to look at him.
Qin Shuang drew her shortsword and pointed it at Chu Xun, shouting sternly, “So you’re not a good person after all!”
She likely had the strength of a third-rank martial artist. For a woman of this age, that was already an extraordinary achievement.
He Jinghong was even as high as second rank. Clearly, her martial talent was extremely high.
But such strength posed no threat to Chu Xun.
He did not even look at the shortsword pointed at him and said, “Let me see the item. Then tell me where the yellow paper talisman came from. I will save your lives. Otherwise, neither of you will survive tonight.”
Outside in the rainy night, faint strange noises could be heard.
It seemed something was approaching, yet no form could be seen at all.
The chill in the air grew heavier. He Jinghong had already realized that Chu Xun was not a villain who had lain in ambush here beforehand.
But she did not believe Chu Xun could save her either. Even that yellow paper talisman had burned to ash, which meant certain matters had already come true.
Unless an immortal or god descended to the mortal world, she would likely not escape death tonight.
Thinking this, she pressed down Qin Shuang’s hand, then took something from her robes.
“Anyone who obtains this thing has no good ending. Are you sure you want to see it?”
Chu Xun nodded.
He Jinghong said nothing more. She threw the thing over, then drew the longsword at her waist.
Her father and her master were both the greatest under heaven.
Even if she truly had to die, she would not sit and wait for death.
Even in death, she would fight with all her strength!
Chu Xun caught the thing and was slightly surprised after just one glance.
It was a piece of bone, three cun long and wide, with a strand of black pattern floating on its surface.
Judging from its appearance alone, nothing special could be seen.
But the aura inside the bone was extremely obvious.
Wei Youyou jumped away in fright, standing with her ears perked as she stared at the bone.
“Yo!”
Chu Xun looked at He Jinghong and asked, “Is this a flood dragon bone?”
He Jinghong looked over in surprise.
“How did you know?”
Chu Xun had raised three giant pythons, one of which was about to transform into a flood dragon.
In addition, he possessed the status of Ji River Water Minister, so of course he could recognize it.
No wonder those things had been drawn here. Flood dragons belonged to water, and yin qi was heaviest in them.
All demons and ghosts related to yin qi would be attracted by it.
If they could swallow it and turn the flood dragon bone for their own use, the benefits would be immense.
Naturally, Chu Xun would not explain this to her. He asked again, “And the yellow paper talisman?”
“It was given to me by Huangshi Gong. My master knows him. After learning that I had obtained this thing, he drew a talisman and gave it to me. He said it could keep me safe along the way, but I don’t know why it suddenly burned here.”
Chu Xun raised an eyebrow. He knew of Huangshi Gong.
He had once gifted someone three volumes of heavenly books, helping him achieve great accomplishments.
But there had never been any detailed record of his origins.
He had not expected to hear this name in this world as well.
He simply did not know whether this Huangshi Gong was the same one he knew.
As for why He Jinghong’s yellow paper talisman had suddenly burned, Chu Xun could not help thinking of the movement of the metal essence qi before the two entered.
He asked, “Did you approach my carriage?”
He Jinghong did not hide it and explained, “We wanted to ask if anyone was inside, but after approaching it, we felt very uncomfortable, so we did not touch anything.”
Chu Xun understood. It must have been the metal essence qi sensing the presence of the yellow paper talisman.
Although it had not directly attacked, the sharp qi had already cut the paper talisman.
The things that had been following them immediately discovered their trail and found their way here.
So not long after He Jinghong and Qin Shuang arrived, the yellow paper talisman spontaneously burned to ash.
Strictly speaking, this matter could not be blamed on Chu Xun.
But more or less, there was a bit of cause and effect.
“What do you need the flood dragon bone for?” Chu Xun asked again.
“To save my father’s life,” He Jinghong said, her gaze dim. “Huangshi Gong said that if he could consume powder ground from flood dragon bone, perhaps he could extend his life for some time.”
Unfortunately, although she had gone through countless hardships to find it, she was already too late.
Chu Xun asked again, “Are there more bones like this?”
When scaled creatures defied heaven’s mandate, they first had to shed poison and replace bone to grow reverse scales.
The so-called replacing bone meant changing from python bone into flood dragon bone.
Therefore, if the green-white python could swallow flood dragon bone before transforming into a flood dragon, it would gain great benefits.
“There are.”
Outside, the yin wind had already started to blow. The faint sound of ghosts crying and wolves howling could be heard, chilling to the bone.
He Jinghong gripped the longsword in her hand tightly, gritting her teeth and staring ahead with full concentration.
“The place I went was where an ancient evil flood dragon died, but taking away the flood dragon bones is very difficult!”
She did not know where those invisible enemies would enter from. It felt as though yin wind was blowing from every direction, making her scalp tingle.
Chu Xun’s eyes lit up when he heard this.
Although he had prepared for many years and done everything he should and could do, his current confidence was still not high enough.
If he could obtain a complete set of flood dragon bones and let the green-white python devour them, his chances would increase by at least another twenty percent!
So he had to go to that place!
And He Jinghong, who knew where that place was, naturally could not die.
Chu Xun stood and said, “They are only some ghosts. Don’t worry. I am here.”
He Jinghong stared at him in astonishment.
She was not surprised that ghosts had come.
This world already had legends of ghosts and gods, and she knew a little more than ordinary people.
But knowing they were ghosts, how could he still be so calm and casual?
Beside her, Qin Shuang gripped the shortsword tightly. Although the yin wind had blown her body stiff and her teeth were chattering, she still trembled and said, “I will fight to the death to open a path for you! You must escape!”
As she spoke, she was about to move forward, but after only two steps, she was grabbed by the collar and thrown back.
“Ghosts are not scary. Most of them rely on yin qi and illusions to harm people. You should stop causing trouble.”
Chu Xun stood in front of the two and said to He Jinghong, “Lend me your sword.”
He Jinghong hesitated for a moment, but still chose to hand him the sword.
Because someone she greatly respected had once said, “When you are lost, it is best to trust the person who can point out the direction.”
Chu Xun accepted the longsword and glanced at it.
The sword was three chi and four cun long, slightly shorter than a man’s sword.
But for a woman, it was just right.
The blade was bright, and the edge was sharp. One glance showed it came from a famous craftsman.
He Jinghong also thought so and said, “This is a sword my master had specially forged for me. Its name is Flying Stream. It is a very good sword.”
“It is indeed decent,” Chu Xun nodded.
It was somewhat better than the sword he had forged at the Cheng family back then.
But it still was not good enough.
One strand after another of metal essence qi was drawn in, transforming into white sword shadows that entered the sword.
It truly was a good sword. It could actually contain ten strands of metal essence qi without collapsing.
Chu Xun extended his index finger and lightly flicked the sword.
A sword cry like a dragon’s roar rang out. Behind him, although He Jinghong could not see what had happened, she had never heard such a sword cry before and was immediately astonished.
At that moment, she felt something appear in her hand.
Looking down, she saw that the big-eyed little girl had somehow walked to her side and stuffed half a cucumber into her hand.
“Master is here. Don’t be afraid!”
Her tone sounded more like she was cheering herself on.
At this moment, the yin qi outside the temple was dense to the extreme.
Chu Xun swept his gaze over it and saw hundreds of resentful souls, with dozens of vengeful ghosts mixed among them.
The strongest one had even reached the level of a fierce fiend.
That was a ghost far stronger than a vengeful ghost, comparable to the Civil Judge and Martial Judge.
Each face was sinister and terrifying. Their appearance alone could frighten a person to death.
Unfortunately, those who could see them were not afraid, while those who were afraid could not see them.
Mortals could not see ghosts, yet feared ghosts greatly.
Thinking of this, Chu Xun could not help laughing.
These resentful souls and vengeful ghosts had all been attracted by the flood dragon bone.
Some were nearby. Some had followed them all the way.
Especially those vengeful ghosts… each one’s aura was no weaker than a ghost official of a county City God Temple.
If He Jinghong faced them, she would die miserably without the ability to fight back.
But to Chu Xun, they were insignificant.
He only felt some dislike toward the nearby City God. With so many resentful souls here, why did the underworld ignore them?
Even if you stole the name and replaced the true deity, you should at least do your proper job well.
If you took the name but did nothing, that was far too hateful.
Led by the fierce fiend, dozens of vengeful ghosts and hundreds of resentful souls passed through the temple walls.
“Yo, yo, yo!”
Wei Youyou cried out, startling He Jinghong.
The little girl hugged her arm tightly and muttered, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Master is here.”
For some reason, seeing her so timid made He Jinghong suddenly want to laugh.
But when she glanced at Qin Shuang sitting on the ground, trembling all over and unable to move, she could not laugh.
At that moment, a voice entered their ears.
“Considering that all of you died wronged deaths, go to the underworld yourselves to receive reward for good and punishment for evil, then reincarnate. Do not seek suffering.”
But how could those resentful souls and vengeful ghosts possibly listen?
The temptation of the flood dragon bone was something they would not abandon even if Chu Xun fully released his Foundation Establishment cultivation.
This was an opportunity for them to ascend in one step.
Men die for wealth, birds die for food, and ghosts were the same.
Resentful souls wanted to become vengeful ghosts. Vengeful ghosts wanted to become fierce fiends. Fierce fiends also wanted to become even more powerful existences.
They did not want to be restrained by the heavenly order and the underworld. They wanted to control their own fates.
Unfortunately for them, they had encountered Chu Xun.
Seeing these ghosts continue to approach, Chu Xun shook his head slightly.
“Stubborn and ignorant.”
He casually swung the longsword Flying Stream.
It was so light, as if it carried no strength at all.
There was not even the sound of air being cut.
Yet in the next instant, the incomparably sharp metal essence qi swept through the surroundings.
Whether resentful souls, vengeful ghosts, or fierce fiends, all were cut apart by a single sword.
The sky full of yin qi scattered with them.
He Jinghong could not see what had happened around them, but she could feel the bone-piercing chill rapidly retreating.
The flames regained stability and no longer swayed everywhere.
And the sword Chu Xun had just swung made her feel as if she had seen a gigantic sword propping up heaven and earth, cutting open everything in the world.
No one beneath heaven could block that sword!
She did not know why she had such a feeling, yet it was so clear.
Staring blankly at the tall figure before her, there was only one question in He Jinghong’s heart.
Who exactly is he?
Chu Xun turned around and handed the sword back.
“If you use this sword well, you will surpass Xie Ji in the future.”
He Jinghong accepted the longsword and lowered her head to look.
It was still the same sword, yet it seemed completely different from before.
Where exactly it was different, she did not know.
Only when she returned it to the scabbard did the scabbard suddenly split apart and shatter into several pieces on the ground.
He Jinghong froze, and a voice sounded in her ears.
“An ordinary scabbard can no longer contain it. Just hold it yourself. You no longer need this flood dragon bone. Treat this sword as an exchange. What do you think?”
Ten strands of metal essence qi could not compare to the Dragon-Slaying Saber, but it was ten times stronger than the Heaven-Reliant Sword.
How could a scabbard made of thin iron withstand this sharp aura?
Exchanging a bone she no longer needed for such an unparalleled divine weapon naturally was not a loss.
How could He Jinghong fail to understand that she had encountered an extraordinary expert? She immediately showed reverence and bowed.
“Senior’s methods are astonishing. This junior is truly awed! May I ask Senior’s title?”
“I have no title,” Chu Xun waved his hand. “You should continue warming yourself by the fire.”
He Jinghong looked around and asked, “Those things just now…”
“All killed,” Chu Xun said.
He was not a judge, and he had no duty to distinguish one by one whether these resentful souls and vengeful ghosts had done evil while alive.
Since they now had the intent to harm people, they deserved to die.
He Jinghong gritted her teeth and asked, “Senior, could you be an immortal?”
“I am not,” Chu Xun shook his head.
At the Foundation Establishment stage, he could at most be considered someone cultivating immortality. How could he be compared to an immortal?
At least in Chu Xun’s eyes, he did not count.
Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, He Jinghong did not dare keep asking.
Even Qin Shuang, who had recovered somewhat nearby, no longer had any vigilance in her eyes when she looked at Chu Xun.
The worship in her gaze was almost overflowing.
The yin qi had dispersed, and Wei Youyou’s perked ears finally softened a lot.
She ran over and stuffed a radish leaf into her mouth, eating with great relish.
Seeing her eat so comfortably, He Jinghong hesitated for a moment and asked, “Could I taste one?”
Wei Youyou pulled a piece from her mouth and handed it over.
“Here, it’s tasty!”
If something pulled from another person’s mouth had been offered under ordinary circumstances, He Jinghong certainly would not have eaten it. She might not even have looked at it.
But today, she cast aside all her previous thoughts.
She accepted the radish leaf, placed it in her mouth, and chewed a few times.
Her eyes immediately lit up. She had thought it would be no different from eating grass, but unexpectedly, it was sweet upon entering her mouth and surprisingly delicious.
Wei Youyou looked at her and asked, “Is it tasty?”
He Jinghong nodded and evaluated seriously, “I’ve never eaten anything this delicious before!”
Wei Youyou narrowed her eyes and smiled.
“Master grew it! I picked it!”
He Jinghong really wanted to praise her as amazing, but felt that such praise would be somewhat exaggerated.
After all, things like growing and picking radish leaves should not have much to do with the word amazing.
At that moment, Chu Xun said, “I’m going out for a while. Wait here.”
He Jinghong quickly stood and asked, “Where is Senior going? Do you need this junior to accompany you?”
“No need. Where I’m going, you would be of no use,” Chu Xun said.
He Jinghong said nothing more.
If this had been an hour earlier, she would not have believed those words and would have felt displeased.
But now, when Chu Xun said she would be of no use if she went, she believed that she truly would be useless.
[End of Chapter]