From martial arts sects to immortality sects

Chapter 255 Murderous Intent in the Dark

"Tell me carefully."

Li Qingqiu looked at Jiang Zhaoxia, spoke, and gestured for Jiang Zhaoxia to sit down.

Jiang Zhaoxia sat down next to Li Qingqiu and began to recount what she had seen and heard.

He noticed that there were not many soldiers guarding the prefecture, and they all looked tense. The people in the city kept their doors tightly shut, and at night, there were no lights at all, making it look like a dead city.

"The Emperor of Beiting has been possessed by a demon; perhaps this is happening again in Cangzhou Prefecture," Jiang Zhaoxia said with a cold expression.

He was determined to achieve even more impressive results than Xu Ning in this operation.

Of course, he did not act on his own initiative for his own vanity; he could not affect the sect's plans, nor could he become a weakness for his senior brother.

After hearing this, Li Qingqiu felt that his guess was very likely true.

The Great Demon Lord has a goal of revenge. To the north lies the land of demons, to the west the Azure Dragon Domain, and to the east the boundless ocean. For him, the south is the weakest place and the most likely place to help him establish a Ghost Dynasty. He needs a powerful ghost army.

On paper, the Great Demon Lord's side is stronger, so he naturally has more confidence and dares to take risks.

This battle will be different from the past; it will be a true test for the Qingxiao Sect.

No matter how strong Li Qingqiu is, he cannot possibly intercept all the evil spirits and ghost army. The Qingxiao Sect must be involved in the battle. This calamity is aimed at everyone in the world, and the true disciples should also bear the pressure.

After Jiang Zhaoxia finished speaking, seeing that his senior brother remained silent, he could roughly guess what his senior brother was thinking.

"Senior Brother, let alone compared with aristocratic families and dynasties, even compared with martial arts sects, Qingxiao Sect has not lost many disciples over the years. You have done more than enough," Jiang Zhaoxia said earnestly.

He genuinely felt that Qingxiao Sect's development to this point had been too smooth. Of course, he also knew that behind this smoothness lay the fact that his senior brother had repeatedly solved problems that the sect couldn't handle on his own.

Li Qingqiu looked at him and said, "I'm not sentimental; I'm just thinking about how to fight."

Jiang Zhaoxia smiled but did not expose her senior brother.

He stopped bothering Li Qingqiu and began meditating to cultivate and recover his energy.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, as if it were trying to bury the entire world.

……

As evening fell, Qin Ye finally arrived at the Cangzhou prefectural capital with his 300,000-strong army.

The capital of Cangzhou is called Yundi City. A thousand years ago, Cangzhou was not a prefecture, but a dynasty. Emperor Yun of that dynasty once attacked the Northern Court in the north and established great military achievements.

Yundi City is located on a desolate plain. Outside the city walls lies an endless expanse of land, barren of weeds, where snowflakes dance and cannot bury this ancient city.

Qin Ye frowned as he looked into the distance. Rolling dark clouds churned above Yundi City, making the city appear incredibly oppressive.

"General, why have we stopped?" Jia Guang asked.

Along the way, they encountered attacks from corpse demons many times. Qin Ye's strength impressed him. He had only heard that Qin Ye was very strong before, but this time, when he went on the expedition with the army, he witnessed Qin Ye's strength with his own eyes. He finally understood what a cultivator was.

Qin Ye said, "I feel something is wrong with this city. Let's not rush into it. Let's send someone to investigate first."

Although Jia Guang was confused, he still obeyed his orders and turned around to relay them.

Soon, the two generals spurred their horses forward, galloping towards the majestic city, their figures disappearing into the vast snow.

The 300,000-strong army stopped on the spot and began to rest.

As darkness fell and the snow fell heavier, many soldiers felt cold and huddled together.

Jia Guang noticed this scene and said to Qin Ye, "The snow is too heavy tonight. If we don't enter the city, I'm afraid there will be more patients."

The long journey, especially in winter, caused many soldiers to fall ill. The area was too open and forested, making them feel even colder.

Qin Ye gazed ahead and said, "If we rush in, I fear there will be even greater casualties."

As a cultivator, although his cultivation level was only at the fifth level of the Nourishing Yuan Realm, he could sense that something was wrong with the Cloud Emperor City ahead.

Jia Guang noticed his solemn expression and chose to trust his judgment.

Li Yuzhong dismounted and began wielding his halberd to warm himself up.

The soldiers whispered amongst themselves, some uneasy, some dissatisfied, but no one dared to stand up and defy Qin Ye's orders.

After it got completely dark, the two soldiers still hadn't returned, which made Qin Ye frown even more.

Li Yuzhong walked over and asked, "Should I go take a look?"

Qin Ye shook his head and said, "No, you can't go. Let's wait a little longer."

He had already made some guesses about Li Yuzhong's identity, mainly because, in addition to rumors, Li Yuzhong's appearance did indeed resemble Li Qingqiu's.

This is also why he dared not get close to Li Yuzhong, for fear of crossing the line.

Upon hearing this, Li Yuzhong frowned. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the sound of horses' hooves came from ahead.

One of the two generals sent out earlier has returned. This general appears to be unharmed, and he even seems somewhat excited.

He rode up quickly to Qin Ye, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Reporting to the General, the governor has prepared a banquet to welcome you to his residence. There is nothing unusual in the city, and the troops in the city have all gone to the northern border to set up defenses."

Fortification?

Qin Ye frowned, feeling something was amiss, but since Yundi City was not guarded by any army, they no longer needed to be afraid.

"Give the order to enter the city!"

Qin Ye instructed Jia Guang to immediately convey the order. Under normal circumstances, the army was not allowed to enter the city, but it was too cold outside, and he had to consider the soldiers' safety.

And so, the 300,000-strong army continued its advance, like a long dragon heading towards Yundi City.

After one stick of incense.

Qin Ye, Li Yuzhong, and Jia Guang were the first to arrive at the city gate, while the main army behind them was a hundred feet away.

There were only two city guards standing in front of the city gate. They immediately saluted Qin Ye and his two companions, bowing their heads.

Qin Ye looked into the city. Only a few houses had lights on, and the whole city looked dark and oppressive, like a ghost town.

He turned his head to look at the city guard on his left and asked, "Has anything unusual happened in Yundi City recently?"

The city guard replied, "The evil spirits causing trouble in the northern border have made the people of Cangzhou very uneasy. There are quite a few strange things happening in this city as well, but overall it is still relatively peaceful."

Hearing this, Qin Ye felt relieved.

If the other party speaks too absolutely, he will become suspicious.

Qin Ye nodded and then entered the city.

Li Yuzhong and Jia Guang followed closely behind, and the 300,000-strong army quickly arrived at the city gate and entered the city in turn.

Amidst the swirling snow and mist, Jiang Zhaoxia, riding a flying sword high in the sky, witnessed this scene. He then turned and vanished into the vast snow and mist.

Inside the governor's mansion in Yundi City.

Inside a grand hall, a hunched old man with disheveled hair sat cross-legged on a throne. His hands were placed on his knees, palms facing up, and he was surrounded by wisps of ghostly energy. The candlelight cast his shadow on the wall, making him appear long and narrow like a demon.

Standing in the main hall was a man with a refined and scholarly demeanor. He appeared to be in his early thirties, with a handsome face, and dressed in a white robe. His name was Li Changjie, a member of the Li family of Linchuan.

Seeing his father become such a grotesque figure, Li Changjie felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Liu Jing's army is entering the city. I have done everything you asked. When will you leave my father's body?"

Upon hearing this, the old man on the precious bed slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were pitch black, and his pupils were blood red, which was terrifying.

The Great Demon looked down at Li Changjie and said, "Once I assimilate this army, I will have plenty of bodies to choose from, and I will naturally not make things difficult for your father anymore."

Li Changjie stared intently at him, his face full of resentment.

If the Great Demon Lord succeeds, Li Changjie dares not imagine what kind of chaos it will cause, but he cannot abandon his father.

A chilling laugh echoed from a dark corner of the hall, the voice indistinguishable between male and female, shrill: "Brother, that army's blood and energy are so strong, it will surely allow you to create the ghost army you desire. And the leader is a cultivator, you can't miss this opportunity."

Upon hearing that there were cultivators, the old Demon King's face showed surprise. He was not overjoyed, but instead ordered, "Go outside the city and see if there are any other cultivators."

"Yes!"

After the chilling voice faded away, Li Changjie clearly felt a coldness dissipate.

Besides the demon possessing his father's body, other demons were also rampaging within the prefecture, which was why he could not escape.

Even upon hearing that cultivators had arrived, he felt utterly hopeless, unsure how to escape this predicament.

Even if Li Qingqiu, the leader of the Qingxiao Sect, were to arrive, he would probably be no match for this evil spirit.

Thinking of this, Li Changjie clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves.

"Let's go out and see the show."

After saying this, the Great Demon closed his eyes again.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Changjie still chose to turn and leave. He knew that Liu Jing had members of the Li clan serving as generals and ministers, and if he encountered any of his own clansmen, he could offer them a warning.

……

As the capital city of Yundi City, the streets were wide, with uneven patches of snow on the sides, and the eaves of the houses were covered with ice and snow, clearly indicating that no one had taken care of them for a long time.

Qin Ye, Li Yuzhong, and Jia Guang rode side by side on horseback, each holding a torch, their expressions growing increasingly solemn.

Upon entering the city, even Jia Guang, who was not a cultivator, realized that something was amiss.

"Should we withdraw?" Li Yuzhong asked Qin Ye in a low voice.

Qin Ye replied, "It's too cold today. If we order a retreat now, the morale of the troops might waver."

Li Yuzhong looked back and saw some soldiers rushing into the buildings on both sides of the street. Before they could give the order, many soldiers couldn't stand the cold and went to find houses to rest.

"Why is it getting colder and colder? Could it be that some ghost is casting a spell?" Jia Guang muttered to himself, hugging his arms and shivering.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ye subconsciously looked up at the night sky, where rolling dark clouds were slowly surging, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

Sudden.

"who?"

Li Yuzhong roared, and then he flipped down, intending to rush towards a small alley, but Qin Ye stopped him with his golden cudgel.

Li Yuzhong turned to look at Qin Ye, who was staring at the direction he was about to rush in, his eyes cold and sharp.

"Don't be impulsive, it looks like we're in for a fierce battle tonight."

Qin Ye said in a deep voice. He immediately turned around and began to give orders one by one, instructing his soldiers to block off the nearby streets and courtyards.

(End of this chapter)