Xu Fengzhi wiped the sweat from his forehead, a displeased look on his face, and glanced at the growing murmurs behind him.
Annoyed, he hefted his long spear, stepped forward, and pointed at me.
"King of Ten Thousand Ghosts, you have committed countless injustices. Today, we shall act on behalf of heaven."
Hearing him finally lose his patience and stir, I let out a satisfied laugh.
"Hahaha."
"What are you laughing at?"
I retorted without politeness.
"Naturally, I laugh at your ignorance and your foolishness."
"You!"
Seeing me mock him so, he instantly became enraged and charged forward with his spear.
"General Xu!"
Those behind him tried to stop him, but they were a step too late.
Xue Gucheng drew his saber and flew forward, his blade striking his spear with a dull clang.
Immediately, a chilling icy energy surged from the spearhead into his palm.
He shivered from the cold several times, quickly dropping the spear.
Then, he picked the spear up again and charged forward.
Xue Gucheng grabbed the spearhead. He pulled several times but could not dislodge it.
Xue Gucheng, expressionless, raised a leg and kicked him flying.
He had expected that, as a general leading troops in the Northern Divine Capital, he could hold his own for a few rounds. Who would have thought he would be instantly defeated in just one move?
Xue Gucheng shook his head with sorrow.
"Your skills are lacking."
The soldiers behind him, seeing their usually impatient general sent flying like a dog eating dirt, couldn't help but snicker.
The unbearable laughter reached his ears, and he, enraged, turned back and shouted.
"Stop laughing!"
Master Li then stepped forward, holding a horsetail whisk, appearing somewhat like an ancient immortal.
He raised one hand, bowed respectfully, and then spoke.
"King of Ten Thousand Ghosts, you committed many evils in your life, and you continue to harm the world even in death.
A thousand years ago, it was a regret that I could not fight you. Today, I shall have a good taste of your abilities."
Before I could speak, Yan Wushuang spoke first.
"Daoist Priest Li, I shall face you."
With that, she leaped forward.
Master Li was already angered by the misguided actions of the Twin Snow Blades.
Seeing them willing to fight their fellow cultivators to protect the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts, he became even more furious.
Thus, he pointed at Yan Wushuang and began to curse her.
"Young brat, how dare you speak such nonsense! You two are descendants of reputable families and have considerable fame in the martial world.
Yet now, you are bewitched and have become lackeys of this evil ghost. If you awaken now, I can still spare your lives."
Hearing his insincere words, Yan Wushuang burst into unrestrained laughter.
"Hahaha, righteousness often belongs to the low, while betrayal is common among the learned.
Master Li, you are well-read, yet now you resort to such vile words?
You call me a lackey, but look at yourself, aren't you also a lackey of power, hahaha."
"You! You! You!"
Master Li was so enraged he could not speak, only managing to squeeze out a few harsh words for the sake of his pride.
"Wicked woman! You have gone mad with power. Today, I shall act on behalf of heaven and use your blood to commemorate my fallen comrades."
"I have the same intention!"
With that, Yan Wushuang ascended first, throwing several flying daggers that pierced towards Master Li. Master Li hastily flicked his horsetail whisk, entangling them.
Then, he swung his whisk, intending to strike Yan Wushuang. Yan Wushuang dodged sideways and threw another flying dagger.
The flying dagger flew sideways and directly struck Master Li's arm.
With a cry of "Ah!", he retreated several steps, defeated.
The other two, seeing the situation turn unfavorable, flew out together. Xu Fengzhi also joined them, and the three attacked Yan Wushuang simultaneously.
Xue Gucheng leaped forward and swung his saber. In an instant, a powerful sword qi erupted from the blade, repelling the three.
Liu Shinian looked at the three and couldn't help but burst into laughter, playfully saying.
"It's been a while since I've fought, let me show off a bit!"
Saying this, he leaped forward, arriving before them, and then proceeded to unleash a barrage of punches and kicks, beating them until they were bruised and battered.
Seeing such a stark difference in strength, my worries of the past few days vanished like smoke. I stood up, clapping my hands, and cheered them on.
"Good! Well fought!"
I didn't forget to add a taunt.
"I never imagined the strength of the Four Cities to be so formidable. It truly opens my eyes. I am truly impressed, truly impressed."
Master Li gnashed his teeth in hatred, dragging his weary, wounded body, and slowly pointed at me, resentfully saying.
"King of Ten Thousand Ghosts! Don't be smug! Today is your death day! I will personally hang your corpse outside the city gate and whip your remains for five days and five nights!"
It was the first time I had encountered someone so stubborn even when facing death. I could only smile helplessly.
"Alas, you've said those words countless times. Given your persistence, I shall tell you a secret.
Turn around and look at your current predicament."
He turned his head back in confusion, only to see thick smoke rising behind him. Then, he heard a shout of "Kill!"
From all directions, many ambushing figures emerged, led by Dao Lang and Fei Xiong.
They charged at the forefront, leading the charge into the enemy ranks and disrupting their formation.
In an instant, the entire army collapsed. Zuo Yulang immediately realized they had been ambushed and knew that staying would only lead to death. He shouted.
"Retreat quickly! Retreat!"
Then, everyone fled in disarray. Xu Fengzhi, before leaving, looked back with fierce eyes, staring at me intently.
I sneered. He snorted and fled down the mountain.
Hei Feng, his face covered in blood, ran to me from the crowd and anxiously asked.
"Ghost King, shall we pursue them?"
"Pursue."
A single word filled him with confidence, and he replied.
"Yes!"
Then, with his men, he chased them down the mountain.
Thus, the forces of the Four Cities, due to their arrogance and overconfidence, were defeated by Black Mountain and could only flee in panic.
We pursued the retreating remnants all the way until we drove them out of Black Mountain.
The joy of victory spread across the mountaintops, and everyone cheered and was immensely excited.
However, the defeated were not so fortunate.
News of the Four Cities' defeat quickly spread to every corner, igniting widespread dissatisfaction.
To quell the unrest, the four main generals were stripped and made to kneel on the main street of South Sea City, where they were publicly whipped by others.
The men had already been injured in Black Mountain, and now, suffering the punishment of the whip, their backs were torn open, bloody and mangled.
Yet, they did not utter a sound, proving themselves to be men worthy of respect.
Liu Xiang, clad in red, landed on a rooftop and watched the scene unfold, unsure if it was pity or something else.
With a casual flick of his fan, he sent a gust of wind, dispersing the crowd.
"They have lost."
Li Xingye stood beside him and stated plainly.
Jin Yulan, on the other side, said.
"I didn't expect her to be so formidable, to have routed the Four Cities, who were originally assured of victory."
Liu Xiang listened to their back-and-forth, finding it irrelevant. Instead, he inquired about the villains.
"Where are those villains?"
Jin Yulan replied.
"I don't know if they've suddenly changed their ways. They emerged from hell into this world but have done nothing."
Liu Xiang frowned slightly, as if recalling something, and said.
"It seems they have been inside for too long and have lost their original nature.
Very well, it is time to teach them a lesson. Xingye, I shall leave this matter to you."
"Yes."
With that, Liu Xiang transformed into a gust of clear wind and departed.
Jin Yulan had intended to exchange a few words with Li Xingye, but as soon as he approached, Li Xingye turned and walked away heartlessly, leaving Jin Yulan in awkward helplessness.
"This Li Xingye always has a sour face, truly unlikeable."
After saying this, he also left alone.
After leaving South Sea City, Liu Xiang unconsciously returned to that forest.
In a daze, he remembered that he had a disciple wandering the world and wondered how he was doing.
Thus, he summoned a clear wind and followed it to search for him.
Arriving at a village, he landed on a tree branch and observed a child by the roadside begging for food.
Just then, a passing elderly woman warmly called him over and cooked him a bowl of noodles.
He then sat in the courtyard with the bowl, eating heartily.
Liu Xiang watched carefully. The child seemed even thinner than when he first saw him, his plain clothes becoming dirty and disheveled.
He couldn't help but sigh.
"After all, he is just a small figure, much like any human."
At that moment, he overheard the conversation between the elderly woman and A Bao.
"Child, where are you from?"
A Bao replied.
"My home is the four seas; I have no origin."
"No origin? Then you must have a destination, surely."
"A destination?"
This reminded him of his master.
"My master is my destination."
"Your master?"
The elderly woman was full of questions, wondering if his master was also as down on his luck.
"Where is your master?"
"He told me that if I find him, he will take me as a disciple."
The elderly woman was speechless, thinking, "What kind of people are these?" She then asked him.
"Child, is it for finding your master that you've ended up like this?"
A Bao, being naturally pure, replied instinctively.
"Yes."
The elderly woman frowned silently, concluding that this master was not a good person at all, and said.
"Child, I think your master is unreliable. He probably made up this lie because he didn't want to take you. I think you should stop looking for him."
Liu Xiang, listening from the side, silently thought.
"The elderly woman is right. I had no intention of taking you. If you heed her advice, you don't need to search for me anymore."
Who would have thought A Bao would reply like this.
"No, no, my master promised me that if I found him, he would take me as a disciple.
Elderly woman, you don't know, my master is incredibly powerful. He can summon wind and rain, and call lightning and thunder. He's amazing."
As he spoke, he became excited, gesturing animatedly, making the elderly woman laugh heartily.
It turned out that day in the cave, he had woken up midway and seen Liu Xiang riding the clouds. He then thought that Liu Xiang could also summon lightning and thunder, and call wind and rain.
The elderly woman curiously asked.
"Does your master have any children?"
He didn't know why the elderly woman asked this, and Liu Xiang didn't know why she asked.
A Bao thought for a moment and said.
"He looks very young, and it seems he is not married, so he probably doesn't have children."
"No children? Since he has no children, and you are so young and pitiable, and most masters nowadays don't dote on their disciples, only treating them like livestock.
I think, when you see him in the future, don't just say you're a disciple, call him father. If he's happy, he'll teach you everything."
Liu Xiang's face instantly turned red, and he thought speechlessly.
"This elderly woman is truly thoughtful."
A Bao found the suggestion feasible and happily said.
"Alas! This is a good idea. If I had called him father earlier, he wouldn't have made me search for him; he would have kept me by his side."
Liu Xiang's face suddenly darkened. At this moment, he wished he hadn't come to see him and hadn't heard anything.
The elderly woman laughed heartily, unable to close her mouth.
A Bao, however, considered it and said.
"Elderly woman, if my master asks me to change my surname, should I change it?"
"If he asks you to change your surname, it means he wants you as his own son. If you are willing to be his own son, then change it."
"Alright. Anyway, I am lonely and helpless now. If my master, no, if my father is willing to have me, I will be his own son."
"Mmm."
Liu Xiang could no longer listen. With a dark expression, he ran away.
After chatting for a long time, as the sky gradually darkened, A Bao said to the elderly woman.
"Elderly woman, it's getting dark, I must leave."
The elderly woman, worried about him, asked him to stay.
"You can stay here with me for now. It's not too late to leave tomorrow."
A Bao thought about it and felt it was acceptable, so he said.
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, elderly woman."
At night, the wind suddenly began to blow. A Bao, covered by a thin blanket, shivered.
Liu Xiang still couldn't bear it and returned. Hearing the shivering sounds from the small hut, he waved his hand and dispelled the wind.
He then blew a breath towards the house, and the entire house instantly became warm.
A Bao, feeling the warmth, curiously poked his head out from under the blanket, wondering.
"Huh? Why did it suddenly get so warm? Could it be my master? No, my father is here?"
He realized it late, scrambled out of the blanket, and ran outside. Liu Xiang saw him come out and turned his body, hiding behind a tree.
A Bao looked around but saw no one. He called out in confusion.
"Master?"
There was no reply. He called out again.
"Master?"
Seeing no reply, A Bao realized it wasn't him and returned to the house dejectedly.
Although Liu Xiang's face was dark, he was still thoughtful. Thinking of his tattered clothes, he raised his hand and transformed.
A few good clothes appeared in his hands. He then slowly walked to the elderly woman's door and knocked.
The elderly woman, confused, got up, opened the door, and saw the clothes placed on the stone mill. She walked over to look, and on top was a piece of paper, which read.
"For A Bao."
"For A Bao? Could it be that child's master?"
Despite her confusion, she picked up the items and brought them into the house.
As soon as dawn broke, she knocked on A Bao's door.
A Bao opened the door and saw the elderly woman holding new clothes.
The elderly woman, with a beaming smile, said.
"These are clothes for you."
"For me?"
A Bao was a little confused. He fidgeted, not daring to accept them.
The elderly woman said.
"Someone asked me to give them to you. Take them."
"Someone?"
He suddenly thought of his master.
"Is it my master?"
"I don't know. They only left a note saying it was for A Bao."
"For A Bao? Then it must be my master."
"Perhaps."
He hastily took the clothes, put them on quickly, then bid farewell to the elderly woman and went to search for his master.
After A Bao left, the elderly woman suddenly discovered a morning pearl on the stone mill in the courtyard. She carefully walked over, picked it up, and looked around in confusion.