A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 283 Desire to Eliminate Evil Spirits
At the An family manor, An Jishi and his two sons were entertaining Fu Tianjiao and others in the main hall.

"Master Ni has gone to the Golden Whip Sect. Judging by the time, he should be back soon. Since you have come from afar, please have a cup of tea and wait a moment."

"Thank you very much, Senior An."

Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao thanked An Jishi, and then the twelve people took their seats.

An Jishi gave an order to the servant, and soon tea and snacks were served. Everyone ate and rested quietly. Ever since Ni Qingfeng sent the message back to Tianshan, Fu Tianjiao and the others were afraid of delaying their martial uncle's important matter, so they traveled day and night, riding fast and eating and sleeping in the open. Even though they were martial artists, they showed signs of fatigue.

This tea is ginseng tea, which is excellent for replenishing vital energy, and this was intentionally done by An Jishi.

"Four of the Seven Heroes of Tianshan have arrived. It seems that Master Ni is determined to eradicate the Evil Ghost Cave completely."

An Jishi glanced at everyone and couldn't help but ponder. It was understandable that Fu Tianjiao, as the head disciple of Sect Leader Xue, had an aura that he couldn't fathom. However, Fu Tianxiang, who was ranked last, also had a divine light in her eyes and a long breath, which clearly indicated that her internal strength was also quite remarkable. As for the other eight disciples, they would be pillars of the family if they were in his own home, which made him very envious.

"Senior An, is Old Master An here?" Fu Tianjiao put down her teacup and looked at An Jishi.

“My father is recuperating in his room. A few days ago, some petty thieves broke into the manor. Fortunately, Master Ni came to his aid, otherwise my father would have certainly lost his life. But even so, my father is old and his vital energy has been damaged. He needs to rest for a while.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao already had a guess in her mind and asked, "People from the Evil Ghost Cave?"

An Jishi nodded. "It was Ghost Yaksha, Knife Asura, and Poison Thorn Eyebrow. All three of them have been killed by Master Ni."

"So it was those three. These three were among the Nine Fiends of the Evil Ghost Cave, committing countless evil deeds. It's rather easy for them to die at the hands of my martial uncle."

Fu Tianjiao sneered. The Evil Ghost Cave had participated in the ambush of her and Tianxiang in Pansha Town, and the enmity between them had already been formed. This time, they sent people to ambush Old Master An, who was allied with the Tianshan Sect. It was time to settle this score properly.

"Of the Nine Fiends of the Evil Ghost Cave, five have already died at the hands of my martial uncle. The remaining four are no longer a concern. The only slightly troublesome one is the sect leader, Jue Qianji. However, no matter how high his martial arts are, he is only comparable to the White-Headed Eagle. My martial uncle should be able to deal with him with ease. On the other hand, his hundreds of underlings are a problem. With only a dozen or so of us, we are afraid we will have a hard time dealing with them. I wonder what Senior An thinks?"

"My father has already discussed this matter with Daoist Ni. Jue Qianji and the Four Fiends will be handled by the Tianshan Sect, and the rest will be left to the An family. There will definitely be no one who escapes the net!"

Since we're going to deal with the Demon Cave, let's do it cleanly and leave no loose ends. The An family might not be able to handle Jue Qianji and the others, but clearing out the lesser demons is a piece of cake. If they can't even handle this small matter, the An family will have no face to form an alliance with the Tianshan Sect.

"This method is excellent. If that's the case, then the destruction of the Demon Cave is inevitable!"

Upon hearing this, An Jishi stroked his beard and smiled. With the Evil Ghost Cave and the Golden Whip Gate dealt with, within a radius of 500 li of Xiyuan City, only his An family was dominant. With the support of the Tianshan Sect, the trade routes would be much smoother in the future.

Just as the two were talking, a servant came to report that Master Ni and his disciples had returned. Upon hearing this, An Jishi immediately stood up and said to Fu Tianjiao and the others, "Master Ni has returned and is on his way here."

Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao and the others immediately stood up, tidied their appearance, exchanged glances, and then lined up neatly. Fu Tianjiao bowed to An Jishi and then led Zhao Kai, Luo Ying, and Fu Tianxiang outside, with the others following closely behind.

"The grand scale of the sect is evident today. The alliance between the An family and the Tianshan sect is entirely beneficial. The three of you should be on good terms with the people of the Tianshan sect in the future, and you will surely reap the rewards."

An Zhong and the other two all agreed upon hearing this.

An Jishi stopped in front of the main hall, but instead sent his three sons out with the Tianshan Sect.

Ni Qingfeng led Gu Ming outside the main hall and chuckled as he saw the disciples of his sect treating him with utmost respect.

"I've met Uncle Master!"

Fu Tianjiao and the others bowed respectfully, but Ni Qingfeng waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities."

Seeing this, Gu Ming stepped forward and greeted Fu Tianjiao and the others.

"Tianjiao, when did you arrive?" Ni Qingfeng asked as they walked.

"Reporting to Martial Uncle, we arrived at Xiyuan City half an hour ago. We heard from Senior An that you went to the Golden Whip Sect, so we waited here."

"Yes, you've come at just the right time."

Ni Qingfeng spoke softly, walked into the main hall, exchanged pleasantries with An Jishi, and then quickly got to the point.

"Brother An, the matter of the Demon Cave should be handled sooner rather than later. I originally thought that Tianjiao and the others would be a day or two late, but they arrived ahead of schedule. We need to make arrangements accordingly. I wonder if there are any obstacles on your side, Brother An?"

"Everything is ready and we can set off at any time. When does Master Ni plan to depart?"

"Rest tonight, set off tomorrow."

Ni Qingfeng spoke in a deep voice, and An Jishi's expression also became solemn. The Tianshan Sect and the An family joined forces, and their destruction was imminent. The only thing to consider was how to minimize casualties.

“The An family has purchased some ordinary thunderfire bombs from the Thunder Hall. If Master Ni agrees, I can distribute them for use in critical moments.”

Although these Thunderfire Bombs are useful, they are, after all, items under the jurisdiction of the government. It's fine if there are only a few, but if they exceed a certain limit, it will be difficult to explain and may cause some trouble for the Tianshan Sect.

Upon hearing this, Ni Qingfeng said, "Thunderfire bombs should be used cautiously and sparingly, but they are not unusable. Brother An, please feel free to use them."

Having heard Ni Qingfeng's words, An Jishi immediately understood the situation. After the two finalized many details, it was already late. After exchanging toasts, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

The next day, Ni Qingfeng and the Tianshan Sect members rode their horses towards the northeast of Xiyuan City. The location of the Evil Ghost Cave was in a desolate mountain three hundred miles away from Xiyuan City.

“Uncle-Master, judging from the time, we should arrive in less than half a day. If we are careful on the way, the Demon Cave should not be on guard. The only thing we need to consider is that we are not familiar with the terrain. If we let one person go, things will not be perfect.”

Although the An family assured her that they would seal off the area, Fu Tianjiao was still not entirely at ease.

"The An family's foundation is still too shallow. They may be able to handle ordinary martial arts practitioners with ease, but they are not good enough to deal with the ruthless demons of the Demon Cave," Zhao Kai said from the side.

Since entering the An family manor, he had noticed that among the guards, very few could be considered skilled. An Jishi was at most on par with his senior sister in terms of martial arts. His three sons' martial arts skills varied greatly. An Zhong's martial arts were not far from the level of the elite disciples of Tianshan, while An Zhu and An Jing were at the level of ordinary disciples.

"Second Junior Brother, don't underestimate the An family. This manor is full of hidden talents. As soon as I entered the manor, I could sense five powerful auras. These people should be the foundation of the An family."

After Fu Tianjiao cultivated the Tianshan secret technique "Zhengxuan Tianjue", her grasp of qi became more and more acute. The five qi she sensed in the manor were all no weaker than her own.

"The An family has been in Xiyuan City for many years and has deep roots. On the surface, they are not as powerful as the Golden Whip Sect and the Evil Ghost Cave, but without some ability, they would not be able to gain a foothold in the city. It is rumored that the An family is secretly supporting a mysterious force, and those people should be the leaders of it."

Upon hearing this, Ni Qingfeng nodded to Fu Tianjiao, “Tianjiao is right. I have met those people before. They are indeed a trump card of the An family. However, we don’t need them for this siege of the Evil Ghost Cave. With the protection of the An family and the Golden Whip Sect, there will definitely be no oversights.”

"Did Martial Uncle go to the Golden Whip Sect to invite Sect Master Xia to participate in this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao understood. The Golden Whip Sect had always been a lone force in its own territory. If the Tianshan Sect ignored it, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't betray them in the future. However, she wondered how her martial aunt had persuaded Xia Zhengfang. This man was always driven by self-interest, and she was afraid that she wouldn't be convinced by force alone. But this was her martial aunt's private matter, and Fu Tianjiao didn't want to think about it too much. She just needed to know the result.

"Xia Zhengfang is also unwilling to be left out. Zhongxin Hall is ambitious and wants to swallow up various forces in the martial arts world. Apart from our Tianshan Sect, which still has some foundation, who can protect the foundation of the Golden Whip Sect?"

Ni Qingfeng gave a brief explanation, and everyone immediately understood.

Half a day later, the Tianshan Sect group emerged from the yellow sand and looked at a barren, red hill in the distance, its numerous holes making it a very unpleasant sight.

"It is said that the Demon Cave is located on the site of an ancient tomb. It is full of traps and is very dangerous. Without someone from inside to guide you, it is extremely difficult to find the right path."

"An ancient tomb, this is indeed a suitable place for the Demon Cave, but I don't know whose burial place this ancient tomb is. If we can get the map of the ancient tomb, it will save us a lot of trouble."

Although the Demon Cave has modified the ancient tomb, the overall layout should not change too much. The mechanisms and formations are all based on the same principle. If the base points are found, they can be easily broken. "Ming'er, bring out the map."

Ni Qingfeng gave an order to Gu Ming, who immediately took out a piece of parchment from his package, opened it, and saw that the interior of the ancient tomb was outlined in black and red lines.

"Uncle-Master, this is a map of an ancient tomb, why..." Fu Tianjiao stopped speaking immediately. Judging from the writing on the parchment, it was at least a hundred years old. Such a treasure would not be collected by ordinary people. The only possibility is that Uncle-Master borrowed it from somewhere.

"This was acquired by Old Master An from an antique dealer at great expense. Tianjiao, take a look at this map and see if you have any ideas."

Gu Ming dismounted and laid the parchment flat on the ground, securing the four corners with stones. Upon hearing this, Fu Tianjiao and the other three also immediately dismounted and squatted in front of the parchment map, examining it closely.

After a moment, Fu Tianjiao stood up and said to Ni Qingfeng, "Uncle-Master, this ancient tomb is quite large, but it is generally divided into three parts: the outer chamber, the middle chamber, and the inner chamber. The outer and middle chambers contain crossbows, oil, hidden weapons, and poisonous insects. These things are not easy to deal with. I think it is not advisable to send those disciples there, lest they die in vain. Let them guard the outer chamber."

"Yes, that's a good suggestion. If that's the case, then let's do it this way. However, it's not advisable for too many people to go in. Luo Ying, Tian Xiang, and Ming'er will stay outside as well. Tian Jiao and Zhao Kai, you two will come in with me."

Ni Qingfeng considered himself to be fairly capable, able to protect one or two people, but more than that would be insufficient. Moreover, with Tianjiao and Zhao Kai's help, he was more than capable of dealing with Jue Qianji and the others.

"Yes, the disciple obeys."

Fu Tianjiao and the others all agreed upon hearing this.

Having memorized everything on the map, the group continued onward. When they were less than a mile from the red hill, Ni Qingfeng's expression shifted slightly.

On the other side, Fu Tianjiao and Zhao Kai exchanged a glance. Then, Zhao Kai suddenly leaped up and raised his sword. With a deep shout, he slashed a sword light at the mound in front of him. A scream was heard, and a spurt of blood gushed out, staining the yellow sand crimson.

Zhao Kai leaped into the air and arrived in front of the mound. With a single sword stroke, he dissected the mound, revealing a short, thin young man lying inside, dressed in a black robe embroidered with white skulls. His throat was ripped open, and blood was gushing out uncontrollably.

"Uncle-Master, they are from the Demon Cave."

Ni Qingfeng nodded, dismounted, gave instructions to Luo Ying and the others, and then led Fu Tianjiao and Zhao Kai, using their lightness skills to head towards the red wasteland.

At this moment, in the deepest part of the Demon Cave, in a stone cave, the eerie green fire and flickering candlelight, a middle-aged man with a delicate appearance sat on a black throne, listening to the reports brought by the little demons below.

"The Golden Whip Sect is indeed unreliable. Ghost Yaksha and two others died, and then Ni Qingfeng from the Tianshan Sect arrived here. I would never believe there wasn't something fishy going on."

A man with a large head, short stature, and a pointed beak spoke.

"Big Head, do you even need to tell me? Xia Zhengfang, that old fox, has clearly sided with the Tianshan Sect. We really can't do anything about him for the time being."

A man dressed in colorful clothes and with a refined appearance said, waving a folding fan.

"Sect Leader, the Tianshan Sect has sent a total of fourteen people. Although the number is small, they are all elites. What should we do now?"

The black-haired old man holding a cane looked at Jue Qianji, who remained silent at the head of the table, and couldn't help but ask.

"Since Ni Qingfeng wants to wipe out my Evil Ghost Cave, let's see if he has the ability. Send down the order to activate all the mechanisms, and I will make sure he can't get out."

If he were outside, Jue Qianji would never confront Ni Qingfeng head-on. However, on his own turf, his advantages were enough to make up for the gap between him and Ni Qingfeng. If he could get Ni Qingfeng's head, his reputation in the martial arts world would surely rise significantly.

“Yes, Ni Qingfeng killed five of my Evil Ghost Cave’s top experts. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to tear him to pieces. Let me handle this matter personally, so as to test Ni Qingfeng’s true colors and see if he is really as outsiders say.”

The big-headed, pointy-mouthed dwarf immediately accepted the order and left, while the scholar in colorful robes shook his head, thinking that this big-headed devil had a lot of brute strength but not much brains.

“Ni Qingfeng’s achievements are genuine; who would deliberately sacrifice their life to promote someone else?”

Just then, everyone heard a strange bell sound, but it quickly subsided, and Jue Qianji and the others' expressions changed.

"The Soul-Slaying Bell has been broken!"

Jue Qianji's expression was very unpleasant. He nodded to the black-haired old man with a cane, and the old man hurriedly left.

"The Soul-Sweeping Bell is the most powerful mechanism in the outer chamber. How could Ni Qingfeng break it so quickly? Just how powerful is he?"

This Soul-Shattering Bell uses sound to attack and injure people's souls. Its power is amplified in this confined space. The reason why the Demon Cave has been able to survive to this day is not only because Jue Qianji himself has considerable cultivation, but also because of the many traps and mechanisms in the Demon Cave.

Decades ago, the abbot of Shaolin Temple led the nine major sects to besiege the Demon Cave, but they were stopped before this Soul-Swaying Bell.

"Sect Leader, Big Head Ghost alone might not be able to handle this. Should we go and provide some assistance?"

The second person on the left is a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion, a thin build, and dark eyes, holding a judge's pen. This man is none other than the Soul Judge, one of the Nine Fiends of the Evil Ghost Cave.

With the Soul-Swaying Bell broken, Big-Headed Ghost could only reach the central chamber at most. If he encountered Ni Qingfeng and the others, even with the help of mechanisms, he would probably only lose.

"Yin Xiushi, go and support Big Head Ghost. Make sure to keep the people inside and outside the room."

After hearing the words of the Soul Judge, Jue Qianji pondered for a long time before speaking to the scholar in colorful robes.

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiushi immediately agreed, waved his folding fan, flicked his sleeve, and drifted away.

Meanwhile, outside the central gate, Big Head Ghost looked at Ni Qingfeng and his two companions trapped in the middle and became increasingly terrified. In just a few breaths, the thirty disciples were slaughtered as easily as chopping vegetables. If this continued, the hundred or so disciples probably wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Ni Qingfeng sent several people flying with a single palm strike. Looking at the big-headed ghost not far away, his figure flickered, his eyes sharpened, and he reached out and pressed down on the big-headed ghost. One palm strike condensed into a dense ball of energy, the power within of which, once unleashed, would be enough to shatter the rocks.

The big-headed ghost stared in horror at the palm strike coming at him. He tried to dodge, but felt himself enveloped by a surge of true energy. He hurriedly swung his bronze hammer high into the air, but a cracking sound rang out. The bronze hammer shattered like tofu. The palm strike continued its momentum, heading straight for the big-headed ghost's chest. Just when the big-headed ghost thought his life was in danger, a whooshing sound suddenly came from the distance. Then, the green candlelight around him went out, and the tomb chamber was plunged into darkness.

Seeing this, Ni Qingfeng snorted coldly and unleashed his palm power, knocking away all the incoming hidden weapons. Several screams were heard, and after Ni Qingfeng relit the candles, only a pile of corpses remained in the tomb.

Are you all alright?

Fu Tianjiao and Zhao Kai shook their heads. "Uncle-Master, who was the one who made the move just now?"

"We're just around the corner from those four evil spirits, let's go."

In the other side of the tomb, Yin Xiushi pressed one palm against the back of the big-headed ghost, forcing out a clump of black blood, which made the big-headed ghost feel much better.

"With such power from a single palm strike, Wuchang and Guiyasha's deaths were not unjust."

Big-Headed Ghost gave a bitter laugh. He usually relied on his superb martial arts skills to act with impunity, but he never expected to be defeated by his most prized martial arts today. This made him both terrified and impressed.

“It’s not shameful to be unable to defeat Ni Qingfeng. Even if we can’t beat him on the surface, we still have those hidden weapons, right? Da Tou, all the mechanisms in the central chamber are ready to be activated. If we join forces, we absolutely cannot let Ni Qingfeng and his two companions get through. Otherwise, it will be difficult to explain to the sect leader.”

"Don't worry, I know what to do."

Big-Headed Ghost responded, got up and walked into the side room. He looked at the mechanism on the wall, glanced at Yin Xiushi, and then pulled down the two levers.

"With an impenetrable wall of copper and an arrow raining down from the sky, Ni Qingfeng is doomed!"

(End of this chapter)