Young Jiang Ziya

Another deer cry rang out, and the illusion vanished.

When Ji Fa opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the center of a solemn temple.

Before him stood a jade statue three zhang tall.

It was a statue of a woman. She wore a flowing robe, her face was compassionate, and her eyes were slightly lowered, as if she were looking down upon all living beings.

Ji Fa stared blankly at the statue, then looked down at his own hands.

What just happened? He remembered the famine in Xiqi, the labyrinth of Yuxu...

"Your Highness!"

Lü Shang's voice came from behind. Ji Fa turned around and saw Lü Shang, Yin Jiao, and others quickly walking into the temple.

They all looked somewhat dazed, as if they had just woken up from a long dream.

"We...passed?" Shen Gongbao looked around. "This is... Yaoji's Temple?"

Yin Jiao walked to the statue and looked up at it: "The legendary saintess... I never thought I would actually see her remains."

Ji Fa took a deep breath, suppressing his chaotic thoughts.

He walked up to the statue and bowed respectfully: "Holy Maiden Yao Ji, I, Ji Fa, have come to heal the people of Beichong who are corrupted by demonic possession. I beg you to bestow this sacred object to save the people from their suffering."

The statue did not respond.

But the white light in the palm of the statue began to slowly circulate.

The light grew brighter and brighter, eventually transforming into a pillar of light that shone onto the stone platform in front of the statue.

Within the beam of light, a speck of grayish-white powder slowly coalesced, growing larger and larger until it finally formed a small clump.

Holy Ashes.

The holy ash exudes purity, warmth, and a vibrant life force.

Ji Fa carefully took out the ceramic bottle that had been prepared beforehand and put the holy ashes into the bottle.

The moment the last grain of holy ash fell into the bottle, the statue's light began to dim.

"It's time to go," Yin Jiao suddenly said, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "There's some noise outside..."

The group quickly left the temple.

As soon as I stepped out of the temple, I saw dozens of believers dressed in dark blue robes with dragon patterns, holding weapons, surrounding the temple entrance.

The one leading them was the same middle-aged man who had previously claimed to be the "protector of the Dragon Worship Cult".

His face was gloomy, and his gaze fell on the pottery bottle in Ji Fa's hand.

"You... took the remains?" His voice trembled with anger.

"Yao Ji's remains belong to all those who believe in Nuwa," Ji Fa said calmly. "They are not something your Dragon Worship Cult can possess alone."

"Exclusive possession?" The man laughed, a sinister smile. "What do you know? Yao Ji has been reborn! Those remains are obstacles! They are old things that must be destroyed! By taking the sacred ashes now, you are ruining her rebirth plan!"

He raised a strangely shaped bone horn in his hand: "Since you won't cooperate... then don't blame us for being impolite!"

The bugle sounded.

A deep, drawn-out horn call, carrying a strange rhythm, echoed through the valley.

"He's summoning a dragon!" Shen Gongbao's expression changed.

"We can't let him complete the ritual!" Yin Jiao drew his longsword and was the first to rush forward.

The battle erupted instantly.

Although the Dragon Servant Cult members outnumbered each other, their strength varied greatly.

Ji Fa, Lü Shang, Shen Gongbao, and Yin Jiao formed a back-to-back formation and fought their way through the cultists.

Ji Fa's swordsmanship became more composed after the illusionary trial, losing some of its sharpness and gaining more precision.

Without any weapon, Lü Shang could only clumsily weave through the gaps in the enemy lines.

He dared not use his psionic powers—there were too many people around, and the consequences of being exposed would be unimaginable.

Shen Gongbao's magic displayed astonishing power in this chaotic battle.

He formed hand seals, and talismans burning with true fire shot towards the enemy like meteors, causing the cultists to scream and retreat wherever they passed.

As for Yin Jiao... his swordsmanship was simply art.

The pale golden sword light flowed like clouds and water, and he seemed to be handling it with ease, as if this was not a life-or-death battle, but a performance that had been rehearsed countless times.

The bugle calls grew more urgent, and the earth shook more violently.

"Not good!" Ji Fa forced back the cultists in front of him with a single sword strike, then looked into the depths of the valley. "The dragon is about to emerge!"

At the end of the valley, clouds and mist surged.

A huge shadow slowly appeared in the sea of ​​clouds—dark blue scales, a body that snaked like a mountain range, and four sharp claws tearing through the clouds.

It poked its head out, its crimson eyes, like burning embers, locked onto the direction of the temple.

The dragon raised its head and let out a long roar. The sound was not like a dragon's roar, but rather like the wails of countless vengeful spirits mixed together, piercing the eardrums painfully.

"Stop it!" Yin Jiao shouted. "We can't let it defile the sacred site!"

The four of them rushed towards the dragon at the same time.

The dragon's body is enormous, and each scale is as hard as iron, making it difficult to be harmed by ordinary swords and knives.

But the four of them worked together very well.

Ji Fa and Yin Jiao took the lead in the attack, drawing the dragon's attention from the left and right.

Lu Shang roamed around harassing the dragon, waiting for an opportunity to unleash his psionic energy to target the dragon's vulnerable areas such as its eyes and nostrils.

Shen Gongbao then set up a spell array around the perimeter, with true fire binding the dragon's body like chains, restricting its movements.

"Eyes!" Yin Jiao suddenly shouted.

Ji Fa understood, soared into the air, and thrust his longsword straight into the dragon's right eye.

The dragon instinctively closed its eyes and turned its head, revealing a patch of lighter-colored scales beneath its neck—

"Now!" Shen Gongbao clasped his hands together, and the blood seal between his brows erupted with a blinding red light. All the True Fire Talismans contracted simultaneously, binding the dragon tightly.

Yin Jiao's figure appeared like a ghost beneath the dragon's neck, a flash of pale golden sword light—

"Pfft!"

The sword's edge pierced precisely into the gaps between the scales, penetrating deep into the flesh.

The dragon let out a mournful roar and struggled frantically.

But the chains of true fire tightened more and more, and Ji Fa and Yin Jiao's attacks rained down like raindrops.

Finally, after a deafening wail, the dragon's massive body crashed to the ground, its crimson eyes gradually dimming.

The valley returned to silence.

Upon seeing the dragon killed, the followers of the Dragon Worship Sect scattered like birds and beasts.

The man who was blowing the horn tried to escape, but Yin Jiao pierced his calf with a sword and he collapsed to the ground.

"You...you've ruined the rebirth plan..." the man hissed. "Lady Yaoji...will never forgive you..."

"That's not Yao Ji." Ji Fa walked up to him, his voice icy. "That's just a monster you're trying to control."

The real Yao Ji is the saintly woman who was willing to sacrifice herself for the common people—not the monster before us.

Before the man could say anything more, Yin Jiao struck him on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious.

"What should we do with these people?" Lu Shang asked, looking at the cultists who were scattering and fleeing.

"The dragon is dead, they can't amount to anything now." Shen Gongbao withdrew the talisman, his face somewhat pale—the battle just now had taken its toll. "The most urgent task is to bring the holy ashes back to Beichong."

***

On the way down the mountain, we passed a small Taoist temple built on the mountainside.

The Taoist temple was very simple, consisting of only three thatched huts and a courtyard.

A middle-aged Taoist priest with a gaunt face, wearing a faded Taoist robe, was sweeping the courtyard.

Seeing Ji Fa pass by on the sidewalk, he stopped and his gaze fell on the ceramic bottle containing holy ash at Ji Fa's waist.

The broom in the Taoist priest's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

He strode to the entrance of the Taoist temple, blocking the crowd's path, his eyes fixed on the pottery vase: "That...that is..."

"Yao Ji's Sacred Ashes," Ji Fa said calmly.

The Taoist priest trembled and immediately knelt down, kowtowing three times before the jade bottle: "A sacred object...it truly is a sacred object...This humble Taoist priest, Mo Ran, has waited here for thirty years, and finally...finally, I have waited..."

He raised his head, tears welling in his eyes: "Did you all come down from Goddess Peak? Did you see the statue of Yao Ji?"

Ji Fa nodded.

Mo Ran was so excited that he couldn't speak coherently: "This is wonderful... wonderful... Yao Ji's holy light has reappeared, this is an extremely auspicious sign!"

"I must set off immediately to spread this joyous news far and wide! Let all believers in Nuwa come to worship and bask in her holy light!"

"Please wait, Daoist Master." Ji Fa frowned. "The sacred ashes are meant to heal the people of Beichong. If we publicize it now, it might cause unnecessary trouble."

"To heal the people?" Mo Ran was taken aback, then became even more excited. "Yes, yes, yes! Holy ash does indeed have the power to purify and heal!"

But have you all considered this—if more believers were attracted to worship, wouldn't the blessings of the Goddess Nuwa become even more widespread?

He stood up, his eyes burning with fervor: "I will go and make preparations now."

Within half a month at most, the news will spread throughout the various states.

At that time, thousands of believers will gather in Beichong to pray together—surely the demonic nightmare will be completely eradicated and the blood plague will end!

After saying that, he didn't wait for Ji Fa's response and hurriedly ran back to the Taoist temple to start packing his bags.

Everyone looked at each other.

"This..." Lu Shang said with some concern.

"Let him be," Yin Jiao said calmly. "A devout person has his own convictions."

Moreover, what he said made sense—if the power of faith could truly be gathered, it might help in the fight against the blood plague.

Ji Fa pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Let's return to Beichong first. Saving the people is the priority."

***

Three days later, the group returned to Winterfell.

The scene inside the city was worse than when I left.

People could be seen sleeping everywhere on the streets, and some of them had begun to show signs of physical abnormalities—black veins growing on their skin and their fingers twisted and deformed.

Ji Fa immediately summoned Shi Yuan and Daji and handed over the holy ashes to them.

"This is... Yao Ji's Sacred Ashes?" Shi Yuan carefully opened the ceramic bottle, his eyes flashing with amazement. "Such pure spiritual energy... I have never seen anything like it in my entire medical career."

"How do I use it?" Daji asked eagerly.

"Pour in water," Shen Gongbao said. "Only water can quickly spread throughout the city and purify the demonic invasion."

They took the holy ashes to the largest well in the city.

The powder did not dissolve upon entering the water; instead, it transformed into countless tiny specks of light that slowly sank into the water.

Where the light passed, the well water began to shimmer with a soft white glow.

The light grew brighter and brighter until the entire well became a source of light.

Centered on the well, white light spreads throughout the city along the underground watercourses.

Where the light flowed, the slumbering people began to awaken, and the symptoms of the mutants began to subside.

Voices gradually filled the streets. Although they were still very weak, at least they had survived.

***

Inside the Marquis's residence, Chong Yingbiao finally awoke after being in a coma for seven days.

The first thing this only son of General Chong Houhu of Beichong did upon waking up was to inquire about his father's whereabouts.

When he learned that Chong Houhu had perished together with the demon to atone for his sins, the thirty-year-old man remained silent for a long time.

Then he wiped away his tears, put on his father's armor, and walked to the front courtyard of the Marquis's mansion.

The remaining civil and military officials and generals of Beichong, as well as the people who had come after hearing the news, had already gathered there.

Chong Yingbiao stood on the steps, looking down at the expectant faces below.

"My father committed a grave mistake." His voice was hoarse but firm. "In his pursuit of power, he tore apart the heavens, unleashing the demonic nightmare into the world, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Beichong. He committed an unforgivable crime."

The crowd was silent.

"But Beichong is still here." Chong Yingbiao raised his voice, "You are still here, and I am still here. My father redeemed his sins with his life, and now—it is my turn to shoulder the future of Beichong."

He knelt on one knee, facing the direction of Xiqi: "Young Master Ji Fa, Beichong has suffered such a great calamity, and its strength is less than one-tenth of what it once was."

But I, Chong Yingbiao, hereby swear: as long as I live, Beichong will be Xiqi's most steadfast ally.

We will stand shoulder to shoulder with Xiqi to fight against the blood plague and any calamity that threatens the lives of the people.

Ji Fa stepped forward to help him up: "General Chong, please rise. From now on, Bei Chong and Xi Qi will share weal and woe."

The two clasped hands tightly. Behind them, the awakened people began to cheer.

Chong Yingbiao turned around and announced to the crowd: "From this day forward, I will temporarily assume the title of Marquis of Beichong, to reorganize the military and government, treat the wounded, and rebuild our homes."

"Beichong will not perish—as long as one person stands, Beichong still exists!"

Cheers resounded throughout the sky above Beichong.

The four-nation alliance has finally been formed!