The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 218 Osmanthus Tree Demon
Having just gained the ability to see a thousand miles, Li Jingxiao was eager to try out the functions of his third eye.

With a wave of his hand, he collected all the other items that had exploded on the ground into his inventory.

The mind wanders away from the game.

In real life, when Lee Kyung-hyo opens his eyes, a third eye appears between his eyebrows.

He leaped out of the government office and onto the roof of the main hall of the Palace Guard Office.

When you look out of the capital, you can clearly see the veins of the leaves on the trees on the mountains dozens of kilometers away.

My gaze shifted again; the straight-line distance between Liaodong Town and the capital was approximately a thousand miles.

Unexpectedly, we actually saw Liaoyang City.

Li Jingxiao was overjoyed.

However, the things produced by the game are somewhat rigid; if you say "a thousand miles," you can really only see things within a thousand miles.

Zhenjiang Fort, which is two or three hundred miles away from Liaoyang City, is no longer visible.

Fortunately, Li Jingxiao soon discovered that as long as he looked carefully, his third eye could easily see monsters and strange things.

Standing on the eaves of the main hall, he wandered around, his gaze gradually sweeping across the entire capital city.

They quickly discovered dozens, even hundreds, of suspicious places of varying sizes throughout the capital.

Looking closely at them one by one, I saw things like shamans, sorcerers, Taoist priests, and monks, as well as spirits kept in ancestral temples and monasteries.

As long as he doesn't go too far, Li Jingxiao wouldn't do anything that would ruin someone's livelihood.

After watching for a while, I finally saw a wisp of spiritual energy mixed with black mist flickering in the sky above a village near the canal in Tongzhou.

With his gaze fixed on the manor, a few seconds later, he saw the ghosts of more than a dozen young girls nestled in the roots of an osmanthus tree in the backyard of the manor.

Li Jingxiao understood after a moment's thought that these spirits must have died unjustly and been buried in the backyard.

Unexpectedly, the osmanthus tree had already developed a trace of spirituality, protecting these wandering spirits.

Since he didn't know before, Li Jingxiao naturally didn't care.

Now that we know about the wrongful deaths of more than a dozen young girls, we should at least investigate who the real owner of that house is.

Moreover, the tree demon's main body basically doesn't move, so Li Jingxiao thought of capturing this osmanthus tree demon and taking it to Zhenwu Temple.

This might provide us with a reliable source of experience in the future.

Of course, most importantly, this tree demon not only did not do evil, but also protected those dozen or so ghosts.

Just do it when you have an idea; it doesn't take much effort to give it a try anyway.

Li Jingxiao addressed the eldest prince, who was looking up at Erfu and the others, saying, "Take men and go find the three Shi brothers."

Let's go to the Tongzhou Canal and check if there's a pair of small stone lions outside the gate, and a row of willow trees outside the main gate of the Zhuang family's mansion.

After saying that, he mentioned the specific location.

Erfu immediately knew that his master, the Duke, must have sensed something just now.

That's why he suddenly flew out of the public room, jumped onto the main hall, and looked around.

He hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting and, accompanied by several guards, quickly left the Palace Guard Office.

Then they split into two groups, one going to the Left Garrison Command to muster their troops.

They went to the Daolu Division to find the three Shi brothers.

After an incense stick had burned, Erfu, Shi Delong, and the others met at Xuanwu Gate in the south of the city.

The soldiers guarding Xuanwu Gate and the gate captains watched as dozens of Jinyiwei captains walked out of the city gate with excited expressions.

He couldn't help but think to himself, "Someone's definitely going to be in trouble."

However, when the officers on the city gate recognized these people as men from the Left Garrison Command, they became worried again.

Then several city gate guards hurriedly ran to several government offices to report the news.

It was no secret in the capital that the Left Garrison Commander-in-Chief did not handle any affairs on a regular basis.

The sudden mobilization of so many people indicates that something has happened, and it must be related to evil spirits.

When Erfu and his companions arrived in Tongzhou by fast horse, it took them some time to find the house with the pair of stone lions.

After confirming that he hadn't made a mistake, Erfu immediately ordered his men to break down the door.

Dozens of captains rushed in all at once.

If anyone tries to stop him, he will fight them with the scabbard.

If you encounter someone who dares to resist with a stick, you just draw your knife and chop them down.

Once a middle-aged man dressed as a guard was slashed and knocked to the ground, the others immediately became obedient.

The three Shi brothers kept looking around as they entered, and it wasn't until they entered the backyard that they discovered there was something wrong with the osmanthus tree.

As Erfu and the others looked at it, they felt that this osmanthus tree was more fragrant than ordinary osmanthus.

It wasn't until someone pointed it out that Erfu and the others realized that it was only May, and normally osmanthus shouldn't be blooming at this time.

Everyone immediately tensed up.

Not only did some people draw their swords, but others also took the demon-binding ropes specially used by the Left Garrison Command and began to surround the golden osmanthus tree.

The osmanthus tree seemed to sense the approaching danger; its branches swayed even more violently in the wind.

The golden osmanthus blossoms on the tree kept falling, and their fragrance became increasingly intense.

Fortunately, it was still daytime, and the sun was high in the sky, so the dozen or so ghosts hiding under the roots of the osmanthus tree dared not come out.

Shi Delong and his two companions quickly sensed something was wrong and hurriedly shouted at the Imperial Guards.

“Hold your breath and step back, for the fragrance of these flowers can bewitch your minds.”

The many officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard immediately obeyed and retreated without hesitation.

Shi Delong clenched his fists and unleashed the Lightning Thunder Fist, with two bolts of lightning erupting from his fists.

Since following Li Jingxiao, I have been able to drink Monkey Spirit Wine from time to time.

When Li Jingxiao was in a good mood, he would sometimes give Shi Delong pointers on how to practice the Lightning Thunder Fist.

Incidentally, I'd also like to offer some pointers on Lin Yi and Liu Hong's methods of cultivating talismans.

Shi Delong has progressed from mastery to mastery in the Lightning Thunder Fist.

This level is already not much worse than that of the sect leader, Master Xuanming.

Therefore, the lightning emanating from Shi Delong's hands and body was so dazzling that, in the eyes of Erfu and the other Jinyiwei officers, it was as if the God of Thunder had come to life.

Lin Yi and Liu Hongshi were equally envious.

Unfortunately, neither of them had the talent to cultivate lightning magic.

Even though the two brothers had mastered the Palm Thunder technique, its power was so much weaker than Shi Delong's that it was embarrassing.

The osmanthus tree seemed to sense a life-or-death crisis, and it stopped swaying. Suddenly, a little girl who looked only seven or eight years old, with two small braids, jumped out from the ground.

He knelt down in front of Shi Delong, his face contorted with grief, and cried out pitifully, "Please spare my life, sir!"

Shi Delong was stunned, not expecting that the osmanthus tree had actually become a spirit.

However, upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this spirit not only lacked any black aura, but also faintly emanated a spiritual light of merit.

By all accounts, he doesn't seem like someone who has committed numerous evil deeds.

Just as they were wondering, a golden light suddenly descended from the sky.

Upon landing, he transformed into a golden-armored warrior, cupped his hands towards Shi Delong and the other two, and said, "This humble god has come on the orders of True Man Li to question this flower demon."

Who killed the dozen or so vengeful spirits beneath the tree roots?

Upon hearing the name "Master Li," Shi Delong immediately guessed that it must be Li Jingxiao.

Previously, when Li Jingxiao went to Maoshan to seek help, the sect leader sent a message via a flying crane to Shi Delong and his two fellow disciples in the capital.

While Li Jingxiao is not in the capital, you must secretly protect the Xingguo Duke's Mansion.

Yesterday, another message arrived via flying crane, roughly recounting the events in the Southern Ridge. Among other things, it was mentioned that Li Jingxiao was skilled in the art of turning beans into soldiers.

He also asked Shi Delong if he knew who had taught Li Jingxiao this technique.

When Shi Delong received the second letter, he was just as stunned as Lin Yi and Liu Hongshi.

Yellow Turban warriors are not uncommon in Taoism. The strength of a warrior depends entirely on the strength of the spellcaster.

Some powerful figures even had dozens or hundreds of Yellow Turban warriors serving them.

But it's rare to see a Yellow Turban Warrior who can smash the heads of Black Zombies and White Zombies with a single punch, and who can also work together to pin Hairy Zombies to the ground.

Looking at this golden-armored warrior, Shi Delong estimated that the opponent's strength should be able to crush his two junior brothers.

Even he himself couldn't withstand being ganged up on by a dozen or even dozens of these golden-armored warriors.

However, the Master's letter stated that Li Jingxiao fought several battles in Nanling against several thousand zombies, a dozen hairy zombies, a flying zombie, and a zombie general who was about to become a drought demon.

In the end, they not only won, but also wiped out all the zombies.

The sect leader estimated that Li Jingxiao could summon at least a thousand, or even several thousand, of these golden-armored warriors.

The thought sent chills down Shi Delong's spine.

How powerful must this magic be to summon so many golden-armored warriors?

Fortunately, Li Jingxiao not only mastered the Lightning Thunder Fist to a very high level, but his sword control technique was also excellent.

Compared to such a gifted individual, one cannot even feel envy or jealousy.

He hurriedly bowed to the golden-armored warrior, then looked at the osmanthus spirit and shouted, "Why don't you just tell us everything you know?"

The Osmanthus Fairy was actually more afraid of the Golden Armor Warrior.

The vast majority of the Yellow Turban Warriors were the souls of soldiers who died in the Heavenly Court's many years of war, and who did not want to be reincarnated but remained in the Heavenly Court to continue serving.

They were not only cannon fodder, but they also did all the lowest-level jobs.

Therefore, their overall strength is weak.

But that's compared to the heavenly soldiers, generals, and gods of the Heavenly Court.

However, some of the Yellow Turban warriors surrounding the Heavenly Court's bigwigs are quite powerful.

The higher the rank of a leader, the less capable their servants are; otherwise, the leaders won't even look at them.

Moreover, the longer you follow a big shot, the more benefits you'll gain.

Gradually, your strength will naturally increase.

Just like Erfu and others around Li Jingxiao, in just over two years, their strength has changed from ordinary border scouts to second- or third-rate masters in the martial arts world.

Therefore, in the mortal world, if one could summon a Yellow Turban warrior of this strength, their true fighting power would not be weaker than that of heavenly soldiers and generals.

Let alone the black zombies and hairy zombies, even flying zombies might not be able to defeat this kind of strongman.

The more magic power Li Jingxiao used, the better the vessel he used for the summoning, and the stronger the Yellow Turban warriors he summoned would naturally be.

Moreover, the souls of these Yellow Turban warriors reside in Heaven, so they not only do not need to worry about death.

Their attitude towards monsters and strange phenomena is often one of indifference.

In those cold, indifferent eyes, looking at the osmanthus spirit was no different from looking at an ant.

That's why the Osmanthus Spirit is even more afraid of the Golden Armor Warrior.

When Shi Delong questioned her, the Osmanthus Spirit hurriedly and pitifully told him everything she knew.

It turns out that this house often housed young women who were either bought from the south or tricked into coming here.

After being brought into this house via the canal, they are trained or sold as concubines or maids.

They could either be sold directly to a brothel.

Among these girls, there will always be those with strong personalities who cannot bear the humiliation.

They'd either be beaten to death or hang themselves.

The bodies will be buried in this backyard.

Li Jingxiao only saw the ghosts of a dozen or so young girls, but in reality, far more had died.

Over time, the osmanthus tree came into contact with too much yin and evil energy.

It actually developed a sliver of intelligence and spontaneously began to protect the dozen or so spirits who had died unjustly in recent years.

Moreover, the fragrance of the flowers is much stronger than that of ordinary osmanthus.

When the golden-armored warrior heard this, it meant that Li Jingxiao had also heard it.

Soon the golden-armored warrior said, "Since you have done nothing wrong, this time I will recite the Cleansing Sound Mantra and the Soul-Crossing Mantra for these wandering souls, and guide them to the underworld for reincarnation."

As for you, my master said that if you are willing, you can go to Zhenwu Temple with Xiaoshen.

Not only will it provide you with a safe habitat, but it will also help you if you make contributions in the future.

"The true master might just teach you the methods of Taoist cultivation."

The osmanthus tree spirit was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly in gratitude, then kowtowed repeatedly.

This made Shi Delong and the others somewhat envious of the tree spirit.

I used to think that the adult was a rare talent in the world, with exceptional abilities in cultivation.

Now, even the sect leader says that your talent is one in a thousand years.

The longer these gifted individuals live, the more powerful their Taoist skills and supernatural abilities become.

Perhaps in the future I will truly be able to 'ascend to heaven' and enjoy bliss in the celestial realm.

This osmanthus spirit can stay at Zhenwu Temple all day long, and if she gets a few casual words of advice from an adult, it may benefit her for a lifetime.

Under Li Jingxiao's command, the golden-armored warrior began chanting the Purifying Sound Incantation and the Soul-Crossing Incantation.

Before long, more than a dozen ghosts revealed themselves and bowed deeply to the golden-armored warrior in gratitude.

In Li Jingxiao's mind, a notification sound appeared indicating an increase of +50 to +100 experience points.

After exorcising the spirits and gaining 950 experience points, Li Jingxiao had the Yellow Turban Warriors grab the Osmanthus Spirit's true form and fly to Zhenwu Temple.

With Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong around, the Osmanthus Fairy adapted to life at Zhenwu Temple quite quickly.

Li Jingxiao wasn't in a hurry to gain experience from the osmanthus tree demon.

To avoid beating someone up right away, which might scare them away.

Moreover, this tree spirit doesn't even know how to play chess.

They could only first explain some rules to the tree spirit and then teach her a simple cultivation method.

The tree demon got so excited that it knelt down and kowtowed to Li Jingxiao more than a dozen times.

Seeing this, Hu Xian'er couldn't help but purse her lips, thinking to herself that this little thing was quite the flatterer.

On the contrary, Liu Cuitong probably thought of herself when she first took human form, and she was also alone, just like this osmanthus tree spirit.

With no one to teach them or protect them, life was really tough.

I couldn't help but feel pity.

Seeing this, Li Jingxiao simply handed over the task of teaching the tree spirit directly to Liu Cuitong.

The owner of that house in Tongzhou has been invited to prison by the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Moreover, seventy or eighty skeletons were unearthed in the backyard of that house, making it impossible to deny the truth.

Not to mention, Li Jingxiao was not the only one who knew about this matter and was involved in it.

In the afternoon, Xia Shouzhong hurriedly went to the door.

Li Jingxiao knew that the old eunuch was only there on behalf of the emperor to inquire about the reason.

His eyes rolled immediately.

(End of this chapter)