Minglong

Chapter 145 Yunling County

The following day, Yunling County.

Around noon, on Yunling Mountain outside the county, Nangong Ye, dressed in a black dress and wearing a veiled hat, stood with her sword case beside her, observing a valley below the mountain.

On the left and right sides were Zhang Guan, the abbot of Zihui Mountain, and Li Jing, the academy master.

Zhang Guan is Nangong Ye's senior brother. He is usually in charge of the internal affairs of Zihui Mountain, and his cultivation level is slightly lower than Nangong Ye's.

Li Jing needs no introduction; he is the vice principal of Danyang Academy, who was forced to sell himself into servitude, and a veteran swordsman from Danzhou.

At this moment, Li Jing stood under the tree with his hands behind his back, holding his sword 'Jin Jiao', looking slightly puzzled.

"Even if the newcomer truly possesses the strength of a half-step super-grade cultivator, Sect Leader Nangong, with his array of immortal artifacts, could easily annihilate him. Why would he need to summon me to assist him?"

As the deputy head of Zihui Mountain, Zhang Guan knew that the head was powerless and responded:
"It was Zhang who wanted a chance to gain experience, but he might not be able to handle the situation alone, so he asked Elder Li for help. We two can make the move, and the sect leader can oversee the battle from the rear."

Li Jing, serving as the vice-principal of the academy with many duties but little pay, didn't have much time for traveling and fighting. Hearing Zhang Guan's suggestion, he was genuinely tempted.

"Master Zhang's skills are good at dealing with ghost cultivators. If we encounter a half-step super-grade body cultivator, I will take the lead. Hmm... I will do my best. If it is not a certain death situation, Sect Leader Nangong does not need to rescue him."

Nangong Ye put one hand behind his back and nodded slightly, knowing that she was suffering from Yang poison and would be difficult to save.

That's why she brought two highly skilled first-rank martial artists to lie in wait, one a martial artist and the other a magician, who could normally handle any situation.

As for not bringing more, it's because there are very few people in Zihui Mountain who can match the half-step super-grade demonic cultivators.

With an inside agent from the Underworld Cult in the Prince's Mansion, Mu Yunling had to keep an eye on Danzhou. Xu Hunli was extremely valuable, and Zhang Zihu was even more expensive to be a wet nurse. So they could only hire the cheap and useful rough and crude martial artist, Old Man Li, to work for them.

However, if they really couldn't win, the three of them could hold out until the Imperial Observatory officials arrived, and then they could retreat together without any problem. It wouldn't be considered a trick to make Old Man Li fight the great demon alone.

At this moment, the three of them scanned the valley below and could see that it was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with vitality gathering, and it was close to the Huai River, located at the confluence of mountains and water. Even an ordinary person looking at it from a high place would know that it was a feng shui treasure land, let alone a feng shui master.

Numerous sheds, bricks, and timber can be seen in the valley, with nearly three thousand laborers busy on the ground. Nearby, several hundred soldiers serve as supervisors, patrolling the valley.

The building under construction is not a sect or temple, but the mausoleum of Emperor Qian.

Imperial tombs are usually prepared from the time an emperor ascends the throne, and this imperial tomb has been under construction for nearly twenty years.

Yesterday, when Nangong Ye was severely torturing the ghost cultivator, he immediately thought of this place after seeing the map marked Yunling County. Now, after remotely surveying the situation, he is even more certain of this.

The laborers inside the imperial mausoleum were all serious criminals, many of whom had some martial arts skills. They had been suppressing their desires for a long time and were full of intense urges, making them perfect sacrifices for the 'Blood Demon Pill'. Because it was far from the county town, outsiders would not easily discover it in advance.

However, the presence of several hundred soldiers guarding the prisoners, even if their combat strength was weak, could still serve as a deterrent. This was clearly the reason why the Church of the Underworld did not list this place as its primary target.

Nangong Ye waited patiently, naturally not showing himself directly, but keeping watch on the mountain until the afternoon, when he turned his attention to the county town.

She left information for Xie Jinhuan last night so that he could come and take credit for her. After all, Xie Jinhuan could be granted a title if he could discover and eliminate the mastermind behind the demon bandits.

Moreover, the clues about the ghost cultivator and Hongzhang County were indeed dug up by Xie Jinhuan. This elder picked up the prey of the coal ball and then silently stole the baby's milk, which is a bit too inhumane.

However, the demons who came this time might be so powerful that Xie Jinhuan couldn't handle them. Therefore, Xie Jinhuan didn't need to enter the battlefield; he could just follow her and supervise the battle from the outside.

Li Jing and the others can handle it, so she doesn't need to show her face, and her disguise won't be exposed.

With Li Jing and the others in mortal danger, she had to risk her life, regardless of whether her identity would be exposed.

Judging by the time, Xie Jinhuan should be arriving soon. Nangong Ye handed the ancestral sword box from Zihui Mountain to Zhang Guan:

"Senior Brother Zhang, you and Elder Li keep watch here. I will remain hidden and only reappear when necessary, so as not to scare away the demons if I show myself too early."

Li Jinghao said boldly, "I only think that with Sect Leader Nangong gone, we should live and die. That is what makes a true martial artist. Having something to rely on makes one lose the will to fight."

Zhang Guan bowed in farewell, telling the sect leader to stop posing and go rest; the two of them were enough...
-
Yunling Inn.

Having learned from his encounter with the Underworld Cult, Xie Jinhuan was now dressed much more discreetly, wearing a coarse yellow undershirt, a bamboo hat hanging down his back, and his long, jet-black hair was a mess, with two strands hanging over his forehead. At first glance, he looked like a carefree wanderer of the martial world, hmm…

It can be considered a natural performance.

At this moment, Xie Jinhuan was sitting by the window of the inn, drinking wine with braised beef, peanuts and other snacks in front of him, while his eyes scanned the passersby on the street.

After leaving the Lin family, Xie Jinhuan returned to the Prince's Mansion, disguised himself, and then traveled alone to Yunling County.

The reason he didn't bring his teammates was that almost all of them had been wiped out, leaving only Qingmo with combat power. The demon bandit who presided over the blood sacrifice was at least a Taishu Dan and at most a half-step Super Grade. He couldn't protect him and was afraid that the news would leak and alert the Underworld God Cult. He also couldn't inform the celestial officials, so he could only bring A Piao over to see what was going on.

Having arrived in Yunling County, and still unsure of the location of the giant ice block, Xie Jinhuan could only wait at the inn mentioned in the letter, recalling Wanyi's fierce yet earnest admonitions from that morning:
"If you dare come back covered in injuries again, I'll feed you those lousy pills made from perilla leaves..."

"He even promised to teach me the martial arts manual, but now look at me, he's nowhere to be seen during the day, and he just collapses into bed at night..."

"Okay, okay, I'll let you hug me. Why are you acting like a little kid..."

……

Perhaps finding him unforgettable, smiling like a lovesick fool, the red-clad ghost silently appeared and sat opposite him. She propped her cheek with her hand, her captivating eyes gazing out the window. A gentle breeze tousled a strand of her hair, and her profile was as beautiful as a poignant cinnabar mark buried deep in one's heart, yet impossible to retrieve...

Of course, they didn't forget to transform the red dress into a stepmother's dress, with silky fabric wrapping around her voluptuous figure...

Ugh~ that damn competitive spirit of the ghost...

?

Xie Jinhuan suddenly caught sight of that captivating profile, his wine bowl hovering in mid-air as he scrutinized it closely:
"Uh... Red Scarlet?"

"Hmm~"

Ye Hongshang gazed out the window, seemingly indifferent.
"what happened?"

Xie Jinhuan wanted to take a sip of wine to calm his nerves, but when he looked across at the person opposite him, he almost got some wine up his nose:
"The sun is really strong. By the way, aren't you afraid of the sun?"

Ordinary female ghosts are indeed afraid of the sun.

But Ye Hongshang was clearly no ordinary ghost, and casually replied:
"Ghosts are formed from the resentment of humans, and their souls have long since dissipated, leaving only yin energy in the human world. However, my sister has a complete soul and consciousness, so being exposed to the extreme yang wind will not have much of an impact."

Xie Jinhuan nodded thoughtfully. Faced with A Piao's 'ex-wife' look, he couldn't let his imagination run wild. He chatted casually for a few minutes, when the ghost wife suddenly raised an eyebrow and gestured:
"Here comes your ice cube."

Xie Jinhuan turned his head and saw a figure walking towards him on the bustling street.

The figure was still dressed in a black dress, wearing a veiled hat and carrying a sword. Because of her tall stature, she stood out from the crowd in the market. Her aloof and icy demeanor drew the attention of passersby, who dared not look directly at her.

Xie Jinhuan peeked out the window and waved:
"Ah Hong!"

"?"

Nangong Ye walked with his back straight and sword on his back, completely oblivious to the stares from passersby. But when he suddenly heard that familiar voice, his beautiful phoenix eyes under his veil turned cold as he glanced at the source of the voice.

And so they found a wandering swordsman sitting by the inn's window. Gone was his usual aloofness and nobility; instead, a hint of nonchalance emanated from him. His hair was loose, with two tufts hanging down, giving him a roguishly handsome look, like, well…

A lazy, unscrupulous rogue who spends his days picking up girls!
?

As the head of Zihui Mountain and one of the representatives of the righteous path of the Great Qian Dynasty, Nangong Ye, who also had the status of an elder, frowned secretly when he suddenly saw such an unruly playboy!
But to be honest, with that appearance and demeanor, even if they looked exactly alike, she felt that it wasn't Xie Jinhuan, but some good-for-nothing twin brother. His disguise skills were truly superb.

Nangong Ye glanced around briefly to make sure no one was watching, then entered the inn discreetly...

(End of this chapter)