I smiled wryly, looking at the restless people before me.
Thinking that giving them an opportunity was no different from giving myself an opportunity, and also giving Liu Shinian an opportunity.
I tilted my head to look at the sky, sighed deeply, slowly lowered my eyelids, and then said.
"Alright, if you want me dead, you can.
But I have one request: let Liu Shinian kill me. I owe him a life."
Before my words had even finished, some people burst into laughter, their laughter filled with disdain and contempt.
"Hahaha, you're still boasting when death is at your doorstep.
What does it matter who kills you now? Liu Shinian has already made the first great contribution and won't be denied his reward."
Chang Chun Jue, a female warrior of Beishen Du, holding a whisk, also sneered.
"How ridiculous, facing death and still daring to set conditions.
If you commit suicide before us, we might consider leaving your body intact."
As she spoke, she took out a short knife from her embrace and threw it at my feet. Pointing with her hand, she said fiercely.
"Otherwise, don't blame us for being merciless."
I smiled faintly, slowly bent down, picked up the short knife, and slowly raised it to my eyes, looking at it again and again.
With a calm smile, I said helplessly.
"Wan Gui Wang, your life is truly valuable."
Seeing that I hadn't moved yet, the crowd grew impatient and began to urge me on.
"What? Are you scared?"
"If you want to fight, just come."
"Wan Gui Wang, even in death, your sins cannot be redeemed. Even on the Yellow Springs road, someone will come to claim your life."
I slowly raised my eyes, looking at these people before me, unsure if they were righteous individuals or wicked souls, and sneered dismissively.
I finally understood that there was no escaping death. In that case, it would be better to die a glorious death. I said finally.
"If you want me dead, you can.
But this head of mine belongs only to Liu Shinian. No one else gets it!"
With that, I leaped up and jumped out of the crowd.
Chang Chun Jue's face startled, and she quickly flicked her whisk, entangling my feet and dragging me back.
At that moment, countless swords and sabers surged forward, hacking at me in unison. I hastily covered my head with my hands.
The clang of metal echoed in my ears.
In a moment of panic, I grabbed the feet of one person and pulled him down onto me.
A scream of "Ah!" pierced the air, and a splash of blood splattered onto everyone's faces.
The crowd suddenly stopped, only to see their comrade die tragically. Each of their faces showed expressions of shock, regret, or hatred.
They were not inherently wrong; it was the hatred for Wan Gui Wang over a thousand years that drove them to such lengths, regardless of the cost.
Seeing that they had killed the wrong person, the crowd knew there was no turning back. The shadow of Wan Gui Wang was deeply etched into each of their hearts.
Completely forgetting who she truly was, they decided to go all the way. They kicked away the dead man and shouted shamelessly.
"Avenge Yuan Lishi!"
With that, another wave of encirclement attacked. I dodged to the side and pulled down another person.
I quickly snatched his long saber and cut off the restraining whisk.
This time, as the swords and sabers descended, they miraculously stopped in mid-air, not harming anyone.
I seized the opportunity to kick away a few people and charged out.
At this moment, Xu Youyu, a cultivator from Nanhai City, flicked his whisk, which immediately wrapped around my neck and yanked me back, rendering me immobile.
Suddenly, a man wielding a large saber charged from behind me. He was a guardian of Xiziguo Yishi Yuan.
With eyes blazing with fury, he raised his saber high, about to chop at my arm.
I quickly dodged, letting him miss.
Then, I kicked him in the face and sent his saber flying with another kick, catching it in my hand.
Afterward, I severed the whisk with a single slash.
By now, more people had surrounded me. I could only kick them one by one, fighting them with the saber.
The clash of blades and swords, countless ringing sounds, echoed through the valley. Everyone, like beasts that had lost their minds, charged at me relentlessly.
And now, there was no retreat. I could only make a final struggle.
Even so, it was easier to dodge an open blade than a hidden arrow.
On the mountainside behind this hollow, a person watched everything that was happening below with cold eyes.
The person was dressed in red, holding a blood-red bow and arrow, with a slight smile on their face, like a hunter poised to strike.
Then, they drew the bow, aimed, and shot an arrow.
"Ah!"
I cried out in pain, turning my head, only to see a blood-red arrow embedded in my left chest.
The pain momentarily stopped my actions.
The demonic power of Wan Gui Wang surged forward and entangled the sharp arrow, thus preserving my life.
Dazzled, I looked up at the mountain, trying to see who was there.
Suddenly, a large saber descended from the sky. I hastily dodged and kicked the person away.
With no time to consider, I could only wield my saber to defend myself.
Suddenly, someone flew towards me. I sidestepped and swung my saber, ending his life.
At this moment, Liu Xiang drew his second arrow and aimed at me, shooting an arrow that struck my left thigh.
I lost my balance and immediately knelt down.
The arrow's force was immense, like a primordial power rushing towards me, but it did not kill me instantly.
He was playing with his prey like a hunter.
At this moment, people nearby saw an opportunity and rushed forward, wanting to end my life.
I pulled out the arrow and, with a backhand swing, plunged it into the attacker's chest.
The man cried out "Ah!!" and fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
Seeing this, they attacked from behind, kicking me over.
They didn't care about any specific moves, just hacking at me with their sabers in a frenzy.
However, with Wan Gui Wang's demonic energy protecting me, their slashes were all blocked, and they were immobilized.
I quickly got up, swept my leg, and sent them all tumbling.
Just as I was about to charge out, Liu Xiang shot his third arrow, piercing my right shoulder.
"Ah!"
This immense force, like a tidal wave, knocked me to the ground again.
The people beside me rushed forward like famished wolves. It seemed that after tasting blood, no one would be spared today.
I also decided to fight with all my might. I got up and kicked one person over, then grabbed his head with one hand and drained him to a skeleton.
Seeing this, everyone was greatly shocked and retreated a few steps.
Someone said with grief and indignation.
"Wan Gui Wang, you have become a demon through killing, and now you are going to disregard so many lives.
I only hate heaven for allowing someone like you to be born into this world."
I snorted and spat.
"Bah! You people, all of you are hypocritical. For fame and fortune, you resort to any means. It is heaven's greatest mistake to have given birth to you."
"Wan Gui Wang! Shut your mouth!"
Wan Yuelan, a righteous man from Nanhai City, shouted angrily, then began to enumerate Wan Gui Wang's crimes.
"Wan Gui Wang, a thousand years ago, you led your people in rebellion, causing unrest for the people of the four cities.
Now, you have returned, killing countless people, and with your Star Absorption technique, how many have you harmed? If you do not die, heaven's justice will not be served."
Listening to their descriptions, I felt as if I were listening to a boring story and couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha, hahaha."
"Wan Gui Wang, what are you laughing at!"
"I'm laughing at your stupidity. I originally wanted to die, but you wouldn't let me, and insisted on forcing me to act."
"You think you can quibble your way out, don't look for excuses for your escape."
"How ridiculous. Since you trust me so little, then I have no choice but to fight you to the death."
"Good, we have the same intention."
Then, someone shouted.
"Wan Gui Wang, you demon! Today, after tasting blood, we won't let you go even if you die. Kill her! She's almost finished!"
"Come on, let's die together!"
I roared, raising my hands and absorbing them one by one. Suddenly, blood flew everywhere, and screams echoed.
Looking at the skeletons falling before me, the anger in my heart slowly subsided. I slowly lowered my hands, no longer intending to use this move.
Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky, landing behind me. A short sword slipped from his sleeve and pierced my chest.
A wave of pain slowly washed over me. I turned my head in confusion and found it was Jin Yulan.
His face gradually lost its usual closeness, replaced by a cold, unfamiliar ferocity.
In the end, I was still a little short.
With a look of shock and resignation in my eyes, I watched him deliver a punch with a complex expression.
The world spun, and I finally fell to the ground.
Jin Yulan looked down at the woman lying on the ground, covered in blood, with a look of melancholy.
A sigh of regret arose in his heart, but after a moment, he turned cold, waved his hand, and summoned a few black-clothed men to clear the battlefield.
He himself returned to Liu Xiang's side and asked calmly.
"She's almost gone. It seems even Wan Gui Wang can't protect her for much longer. How should she be handled?"
Liu Xiang looked forward expressionlessly, as if he already had a plan. He said.
"Throw her into the Wuji Abyss."
Jin Yulan was slightly surprised, but from his perspective, that was indeed the safest place.
However, there was still one person to deal with. He said.
"What about Liu Shinian?"
"Imprison him in the dungeon."
"I'll go do it now."
"Right..."
Liu Xiang turned back, seemingly still savoring the events of the moment, and smiled as he instructed.
"When you get back, properly reward these righteous individuals. They put in a great effort this time.
You don't need to chat much; come find me at the Tianji Pavilion."
"Yes."
In this cunning battle, Liu Xiang had indeed won, and I was approaching the end of my life.
As for Liu Shinian, he would probably never know until his death that his beloved uncle had already been removed from the Qianmen Cave.
And that place had been converted into a prison. As for the Wuji Abyss, it was an ancient well by the ginkgo tree within the Qianmen Cave.
Legend had it that this ancient well was built by the arch-nemesis of the Xuanyuan Kingdom, specifically to imprison royalty, and it was a bottomless living well.
Upon receiving the order, the black-clothed men escorted me to the Wuji Abyss.
On the quiet road, a few passersby stopped to watch.
Several people looked with curiosity at the girl lying in the wooden cage, covered in blood.
One bold individual even ran forward and asked the black-clothed guard.
"Brother, why has this person been beaten like this?"
The black-clothed guard turned his head and smiled proudly, but did not tell the truth. Instead, he said.
"This woman is a notorious thief who has committed many crimes. This time, we sent many people to capture her.
Don't let her appearance fool you; she's fierce."
"Oh, I didn't expect such a young woman to be a notorious thief. It's good that the authorities caught her."
"Yes, it took quite an effort this time, but it has brought peace to the region.
Alright, alright, let's go back."
Saying that, the black-clothed guard signaled his subordinates and continued to escort the prison cart towards the Qianmen Cave.
The person who had asked for directions watched as they moved further away, but the direction they were heading was not Nanhai City, but rather Qianmen Mountain.
And there, there was indeed a Qianmen Cave, rumored to be specially built to imprison important figures.
Could it be that the woman just now was also an important figure?
Sensing that something was amiss, he quickened his pace and ran for a day and a night, finally arriving at Luoshui Village.
As soon as he entered the village, he impatiently ran into a courtyard and entered a house.
And the person he wanted to see was the village chief of Luoshui Village.
Upon seeing him, the village chief hurriedly asked.
"Any news?"
The man took a few breaths and cupped his hands.
"Reporting to the Elder, you asked me to investigate the whereabouts of the Ghost King. I didn't find anything, but I did discover a suspicious person."
Unexpectedly, the village chief of Luoshui Village was an elder of the Ghostly Tribe.
"A suspicious person? What do you mean?"
"On my way investigating, I encountered a few people dressed in black, escorting a prison cart.
I looked into the prison cart and saw it was a woman. I recognized that person; she looked like the woman who passed through the village with the Elder to Wan Gui Lin that time.
Elder, you've seen her too. They even ate at your house."
The village chief then thought back with a pensive expression, and after a long while, he remembered that person.
"You're talking about her?"
"Exactly. When I approached to speak with them, the guard said she was a notorious thief and that it took a lot of effort to capture her."
Hearing this, the village chief pondered again.
"The Ghost King has been in hiding for many years, and her original spirit is weak. If she is to be reborn, she must possess a human body.
Perhaps the Ghost King has possessed that girl's body.
I've seen that girl; she seems intelligent and capable. Accompanying those people to Wan Gui Lin suggests she has some skills.
It's not impossible for the Ghost King to choose her."
With this thought, he understood and said.
"It seems the person you saw is the Ghost King. The Ghost King has been pursued for many days. I think they have captured her."
"Ah! Then, what should we do?"
"Don't worry. Did you see where they went?"
"I saw clearly. They went to the Qianmen Cave."
"Qianmen Cave?"
The village chief thought again.
"That place, Qianmen Cave, was originally a cultivator's dwelling, and was only recently converted into a prison.
Legend has it that within the Qianmen Cave, there is a thousand-year-old ancient well called the Wuji Abyss.
And that Wuji Abyss is said to be the gate connecting to the underworld, bottomless.
If they bring the Ghost King here, they will surely throw her into the Wuji Abyss. How ruthless!"
"Elder, what should we do? We've finally waited for the Ghost King's revival, and we can't let her be lost like this."
The elder patted his shoulder and said.
"I know, and there's no good solution at the moment. The news you brought is very important and is a great service to our Ghostly Tribe.
You've worked hard these past few days, so go down and rest first."
Hearing the elder's praise, he was instantly delighted and volunteered again.
"For the Ghostly Tribe, for the Ghost King, I will spare no effort.
Elder, please give me some more tasks. I also want to help."
The elder's face was filled with relief, and he patted his shoulder again.
"Good, I will send you to stake out near the Qianmen Cave. As soon as there's any disturbance, report to me immediately."
"Yes."
The man, having received his mission, happily went to guard the Qianmen Cave.
After a long journey, I was carried into the Qianmen Cave and thrown into the Wuji Abyss.