Patrol Captain

On the other side, at midnight that night, on the western slopes of the undulating Longling Mountains.

A grand pass stands amidst the mountains, the mountain winds carrying the rugged air of Longling, sweeping over the steep walls with a mournful sound. Atop the walls, a formidable army stands as still as a rock. Armored in dark gold, the soldiers stretch for miles, their armor gleaming a cold, hard silver in the moonlight. Long spears, like a forest, point their tips straight to the night sky, reflecting the sparse stars.

Dasanguan Pass, the western gateway to the Guanzhong Plain, was breached by the Northern Liang cavalry about a month ago.

Today, this place has become a bridgehead for the Northern Liang cavalry to attack the Guanzhong Plain!

Within this pass lies a scattered ridge, and within this ridge, a layer of earthen-yellow, flowing light array is prominently displayed. The array's light, like quicksand, binds the area it covers into an impenetrable barrier. Within the array, mountain buildings spiral around a peak, their design crude and their construction recent. Security is tight. Every ten steps, a Liang soldier wielding a long halberd stands solemnly. They are clad in dark gold armor, swords at their waists, their eyes sharp as hawks, scanning every movement around them.

Near the summit, the defenses were even more stringent, with patrolling soldiers constantly moving back and forth, the clanging of armor plates echoing in waves, making the defenses impenetrable.

Although the buildings on the summit are newly built, they are clearly much more refined and sophisticated, and are the core area, heavily guarded.

This is the location of the long-distance teleportation array that enabled Beiliang to break through the pass that day, and it is also an "important hub" for Beiliang to transport troops into the pass. It is under heavy protection.

Inside a two-story stilted building built against the cliff on the mountaintop, it was pitch black at the moment, with the cold glint of armor reflecting off the exterior, and soldiers standing guard.

"Why do I suddenly feel so cold?" Two heavily armored soldiers stood guard at a door. One of them suddenly became suspicious and whispered.

"I felt it too. Perhaps the temperature in the mountains dropped sharply at night. Look, it's all foggy," another person said, seemingly unconcerned.

"Why didn't I feel this when I was on duty before?" the man muttered to himself, circulating his inner energy throughout his body before the chill subsided somewhat.

However, under their night vision, a gust of wind blew in, carrying fog towards them.

When the mist blew onto the two unsuspecting people, they inhaled it, and the next second, something strange happened.

The two men made gurgling sounds as if something was choking them, and the veins on their faces under their helmets bulged, their faces contorted in pain.

Then, the flesh of the dough quickly shrank, like a balloon being deflated.

"thump"

"thump"

In the short span of breath, only the dull thud of armor sliding to the ground remained, barely audible.

"Squeak-"

A piercing sound of a door hinge turning shattered the silence as the door was flung open by the wind, which rushed in carrying with it a cloud of mist.

Inside, it was pitch black, and the objects inside the door were hidden in the shadows, their outlines blurred, like lurking beasts.

Just then, from deep within the house, a faint light suddenly appeared without warning. It was a lamp, as small as a bean, burning tremblingly in the thick darkness, barely illuminating the small area.

The dim, yellowish light illuminated a seated figure below, revealing him from the darkness.

The person sat on a couch at the very back of the room, with layers of white gauze blocking the view in front of him, giving off an eerie feeling under the lamplight.

He wore a brocade robe, but what was truly terrifying was the crimson demon mask on his face. The mask was entirely crimson, an eerie red that, in the dim light and surrounding darkness, seemed to ooze blood. Several jagged angles protruded from his forehead, their sharp lines resembling the bulging veins of an enraged demon; his eye sockets were deeply carved, just two bottomless, dark holes. The dim light fell on the mask, the interplay of light and shadow making it appear even more sinister and terrifying. Looking at it for too long sent a chill down one's spine, from the soles of one's feet to the top of one's head.

As the wind swirled the mist, billowing the veil, the lamplight was pressed down, swaying gently in the breeze, projecting the figure wearing the red demon mask onto the wall behind, sometimes elongated, sometimes distorted, resembling a demon.

The mist surged forward rapidly, but suddenly stopped within the area illuminated by the candlelight.

Suddenly, the eyes beneath the red demon mask gleamed with an eerie light, and a voice, tinged with surprise and mockery, rang out.
"Old ghost, you're still alive?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the mist outside the dim lamplight suddenly turned from white to black, churning violently, and an old face materialized, its features contorted with malice and a murderous intent, its voice chillingly cold.

"You seem quite pleased that I am not dead?" This old ghost from the Holy Land, who was "killed" at Ghost Cry Mountain, has now appeared at Dasanguan, tens of thousands of miles away.

"I was just caught off guard. That Martial Saint surnamed Chen even killed a Celestial. How could you escape? Doesn't that mean you, Old Ghost, are even stronger than a Celestial?" The voice behind the Nine Candle Mask was eerie, and there was indeed some surprise in it. The Ghost Path lineage did have its merits.

"Stop talking nonsense." Old Ghost's voice was filled with gritted teeth. "You have no idea how much I paid to escape death and deceive everyone this time. I need to replenish my energy."

"Arrange it for me right now!"

"Old Ghost, does that mean you've suffered serious injuries and want to recover your strength? What do you want me to arrange?" Jiu Zhu's voice was very soft, very soft, with a hint of sharpness and unpredictability.

"I want a city! I want to sacrifice the people of that city with my blood." The old ghost's voice seemed to come from hell, filled with intense hatred.

"A city? Heh." Jiu Zhu spread his sleeves and placed them on his knees, letting out a sinister laugh. Seeing the churning clouds, the old ghost's face became even more ferocious and violent. His tone was unhurried, his eyes flickering like the lamp hanging overhead, as he continued, "Old ghost, if you don't think things are the same as before, then you're mistaken. In the past, we've done this before, but such important matters were always planned slowly and in remote locations. But now, with two armies at war, and the nearby prefectures, passes, and counties teeming with scouts and spies, heavily guarded, what makes you think I can help you?"

Old Ghost grinned and said, "Isn't there still the King of Liang and the Northern Liang army? You're serving under him. Anyway, he's waging war. As long as he conquers a prefecture or pass, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to talk to him."

"Then why don't you go see King Liang in person? We came together, and you were so badly injured because of his troops. You should go to him. Why go through all that trouble by going through me? I suppose this wise king is willing to lend a helping hand."

"I don't believe him. Since ancient times, emperors have been ruthless and heartless. In the eyes of these people, everyone is just a pawn. They hold them in their hands when they are useful, and discard them when they are no longer useful, showing no mercy whatsoever. This so-called wise king is nothing but a way to fool those fools. I'm afraid that after he leaves, he will blame me for leading his troops to defeat." The old ghost was very direct.

At this moment, the red demon mask on Jiuzhu's face trembled, followed by a sinister laugh from his throat.

"Old ghost, you don't believe the King of Liang but you still come to me? Heh, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

"You old codger, you're usually the most afraid of death, so why did you do something stupid today and end up here like this?"

His laughter echoed through the room, growing louder and louder until the wide-open door slammed shut with a bang.

"Nine Candles, what do you mean by that? What do you intend to do to me?" The old ghost was shocked and furious. The black mist surged violently, and streaks of black energy transformed into bolts of lightning that blasted towards the surrounding doors and windows.

"boom"

"boom"

"boom"

The black ribbon crashed against the surrounding doors and windows with a dull thud. Those doors and windows, which originally seemed fragile, were as solid as steel, not moving an inch, with blue ripples dancing on their surfaces.

"What do I want to do?" Jiuzhu slowly stood up and said jokingly, "The Holy Land doesn't care about friendships. Since you're no longer of use, hand over what you have to me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the flames burning on his head suddenly surged, spewing forth tongues of fire that swept directly towards the black mist in front of him. "Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"

When the firelight is tainted by this black mist, it's like oil being added to a fire, igniting the black mist.

The old ghost's face immediately let out a fierce howl, growing huge and threatening to burst the room. "Nine Candles, you dare to betray me? Do you really think I'm made of clay?"

"A chilling wind blows, rising higher and higher."

In an instant, a howling wind swept through the room, a sudden gust of wind arose, and a chilling atmosphere arose. Grayish-blue ice shards spread out in the black mist, freezing the void and resisting the flames of the Nine Candles.

Half a cup of tea later, a huge explosion reverberated across the mountain peak. The stilted house suddenly burst open, its bricks and wood turning into fragments that scattered in all directions. A powerful shockwave, carrying flames and icy mist, swept outwards, causing astonishing destruction.

Next second,
“xu”

A sharp whistle pierced the night sky, followed by the sounds of armor clashing and shouts, as streaks of light rushed toward the site of the explosion.

At the same time, the large earthen-yellow array above hummed and descended beams of light, sealing off the center of the explosion. The raging shockwaves crashed onto the earthen-yellow light barrier, producing a series of explosions. The light barrier trembled violently, seemingly about to be breached at any moment, but ultimately it held firm.

After the aftershocks of the explosion subsided, the scenery gradually became clear.

A large section of the mountain wall was sheared away, revealing various colored restrictive lights hidden deep within the mountain. Several surrounding buildings were reduced to ashes, but a figure emerged from them!
Wearing a red demon mask!

At this moment, around the light screen that the great formation descended, soldiers and armor stood in neat rows, and powerful auras descended all around.

At this moment, a dark figure materialized out of thin air on the light screen. He wore a five-clawed python robe, his eyes were deep, and he exuded a majestic aura.

"See you, my lord!"

"Greetings, Your Highness!" A large group of soldiers knelt on one knee and bowed in unison.

The visitor was none other than Xiao Zhongtian, the King of Northern Liang.

Xiao Zhongtian flicked his sleeve downwards, and the light screen melted away like ice and snow. Then, he looked down disdainfully and said, "All of you, go down."

The soldiers dispersed as instructed.

Xiao Zhongtian then descended from the sky and arrived in front of Jiuzhu.

"Mr. Jiu, please explain!"

Xiao Zhongtian's gaze was deep. He raised his hand and shot a few frost flowers the size of fingernails into his hand from a distance.

He rubbed his fingers together, and the few frosty petals turned into black mist, emanating a chilling power. "Such dense yin energy?"

Wearing the Red Demon Mask, Jiu Zhu's eyes were eerie. "Your Highness, you don't need to guess. It's that old ghost who once traveled with me who has returned."

"He didn't die at Ghost Cry Mountain?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhongtian couldn't help but frown in doubt.

"No, I escaped death, was seriously injured, and came back. I'm really lucky to have survived General Chen's clutches." Jiuzhu's voice was calm and composed.

"Where are they?" Xiao Zhongtian's voice was somewhat heavy. He thought of the 100,000 troops sent to the north to hold them back, which had been defeated and fled. This had left a deep thorn in his heart.

The changes in Shu caught him off guard. Helian Shan relinquished power, and Chen Yuan took control of Shu. His first target was him. Chen Yuan broke his 100,000-strong army at Guiku Mountain. On the day he received the news, he was shocked and furious, but also somewhat uneasy, fearing that Chen Yuan would lead his troops to cut off his rear.

Although he heard that the enemy had withdrawn their troops in the days that followed, he remained on edge, fearing bad news. He had developed a psychological aversion to this Martial Saint General; the man was a madman, unpredictable and unpredictable. Therefore, his recent offensive in Guanzhong had become even more ferocious, hoping to quickly expand his gains.

"I killed him!" The ferocious smile on the Nine Candles mask was somewhat eerie.

Xiao Zhongtian's brow twitched, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light as he stared intently at Jiuzhu.

But the man remained unhurried and said, “This is a matter between us. Your Highness need not be suspicious. Besides, this old ghost has already been crippled by the man surnamed Chen and is severely weakened. He came to me hoping that I would ask Your Highness for a city so that he can offer a blood sacrifice.”

"Putting aside the prince, with his reputation as a wise and virtuous prince, it's impossible for him to agree to such a thing. Even if he did agree, it would be difficult for this old ghost to recover, which would be a waste of resources. Besides, it has something I want on it, so let's just kill it."

The voice beneath the Nine-Candle Red Demon mask was light and airy, as if it were talking about something insignificant.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhongtian re-examined the man and asked subtly:
"Did Mr. Jiu get what he wanted?

"No." The eyes beneath the Nine-Candle Mask darted around coldly.

"I suspect that it was hidden by that old ghost, or perhaps it was stolen by that Martial Saint General."

He was looking for something related to the celestial beings, which was also the reason they were searching for the flesh and blood of the celestial beings.

This thing is related to the old ghost's cultivation method.

He knew some of it, but he figured that old ghost was definitely holding something back.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhongtian's eyes flickered slightly. He felt that this person was deliberately revealing so much information, which was quite suspicious, but he didn't say anything more. Everyone had their own ulterior motives.

While Jiuzhu and Xiao Zhongtian were talking, inside Dasanguan Pass, in a secluded, empty house far from the city wall, a cloud of black mist suddenly surged from the ground, and a suppressed hissing sound abruptly rang out.
"Damn it!"

"That damned Jiuzhu wanted me dead to get that thing. Luckily, I didn't trust him and kept my distance."

"Damn it, if I drag this on any longer, I'm afraid I won't last much longer. I need to replenish my vital energy. It's just right that so many people die on the battlefield every day. But if I stay here, Jiuzhu might realize that I'm not completely dead. He's known me for so many years and knows my background. There's a great risk."

"I have no other choice but to go to Shu instead!"

"There's fighting there too. That guy surnamed Chen probably thinks I'm dead and won't come looking for me. I'll just stay put and recover from my injuries, and not provoke him!"

"Yes, that's what we'll do."

As it spoke, a pair of eerie green eyes appeared from the black mist, looking in the direction they had come from, and it emitted a hoarse, unpleasant voice.
"Wait!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the black mist darted into the ground and disappeared. (End of Chapter)