The path winds and twists, and there are countless caves of all sizes carved into the mountainside!
No one knows what these cave entrances were used for, but from below, some of the caves are as wide as a person, and look like they could be lived in.
As Xu Nian observed along the way, he recalled the hanging coffins discovered by modern archaeologists.
It seems that ethnic minorities have these funeral rites. If I'm not mistaken, the things placed on this should be coffins of people who died in ancient times.
"Sir, once you pass through this pass, you'll reach the foot of the mountain."
The middle-aged man pointed to a cave entrance that suddenly opened up ahead. Gu Zhan gave him a look, and the soldiers behind him stepped forward. "Marshal, the Xiongnu's main camp at the foot of the mountain is just ahead."
Despite the narrow location at the city gate, the riverbank below the mountain is quite spacious.
Looking around, there must have been at least a dozen enemy tents of various sizes.
The distance was great, and the sky was dark. Combined with the natural concealment of the rocks, no one noticed the hole behind them.
Gu Zhan nodded, and Xu Nian secretly flicked her finger, alerting everyone's senses. "Let's go!"
With her command, before anyone could even hear what the eerie, drawn-out voice behind them was shouting, they were sent out!
"M-Master...then I..."
The middle-aged man's face was frighteningly pale. He heard the woman's soft sobbing. The sounds were particularly eerie in the dead of night!
Gu Zhan took out a talisman from his pocket, one that Xu Nian had given him. "Take this and hide it behind this rock. Don't come out. Don't go back unless Nian'er calls you."
Back when they were still on the path, Xu Nian had already whispered to Gu Zhan about what was going to happen next.
When it comes to war, she's only good at giving advice; when it comes to actually fighting, her mediocre skills are only good enough to deliver food to others.
He simply escorted everyone to the cave entrance and went back to deal with the entangled earthbound spirit.
Gu Zhan was worried, but he knew this was the best course of action. He glanced back at the cave, his gaze resolute, and led his men out.
Outside, the sounds of fighting filled the air, but inside Xu Nian's place, all was quiet.
The earthbound spirit may have sensed the aura of her spellcasting, so it temporarily concealed itself.
She walked back and forth in the mountains, and soon arrived at the place where the sound had been the loudest. There were ten caves in total, from top to bottom.
"Will you come out on your own, or will I force you out?" After watching for a while, she conjured a peach wood sword out of thin air. "I advise you to think carefully. If I take action, you may not be able to keep your soul."
The cave in the very center is also the place with the heaviest yin energy in the entire mountain path.
Suddenly, a flash of red light appeared, and a female ghost in red robes, with disheveled hair and an unrecognizable face, appeared above. Then, like a gust of wind, she pounced towards Xu Nian!
It has no pupils, its eyes are bloodshot, and it exudes a fierce and malevolent aura!
On the other side, when Gu Zhan and his group tiptoed from the cave to the back of the Xiongnu camp, no one there had yet discovered them.
They were just chattering away towards the opposite bank, saying something incoherently.
"Marshal, they're probably about to discover the princess's deception," a soldier who could understand them stepped forward and whispered in Gu Zhan's ear.
Marshal Gu raised an eyebrow, glanced at the soldier, and said nothing. "Bring me the tinderbox."
Their location was the Xiongnu's granary. Everything was planned from the beginning, and the layout of their camp was easily visible from above.
A gentle blow on the tinderbox produced a faint light that stood out somewhat in the darkness.
By the time the Xiongnu realized what was happening, flames had already engulfed the entire camp, and the soldiers behind Gu Zhan stared wide-eyed at everything.
I simply couldn't believe that a tinderbox could have such power.
Before anyone could ask, Tian Youde, who had just handed over the items, said smugly, "This was given to me by the princess. It's a fire made with talismans that they can't extinguish with water."
Moreover, they simply don't have access to water.
The crocodile-dragons, lurking in the moat and unable to venture far ashore, were watching them daily. If they got even a step closer, the Xiongnu would be torn to shreds!
"Quick! Quick! Fire! Fire!"
"You! Go fetch water to put out the fire! Quickly!"
"Sir! Sir! There's someone over there!"
"Charge!" Amidst the raging flames, Gu Zhan, realizing he had been discovered, no longer concealed himself and led his men straight out! The unsuspecting Xiongnu had absolutely no ability to resist.
Some people had just picked up the knife when they felt a sharp pain in their chest, and bright red blood gushed out.
He couldn't even utter his last words before collapsing straight to the ground!
While Gu Zhan was wreaking havoc on all sides, Xu Nian was also engaged in a perilous battle with the vengeful ghost, though "engaged battle" wouldn't be entirely accurate.
It would be more accurate to say that it was a one-sided beating on her part. As a Taoist priest, she had many talismans on her body, and the earthbound spirit would suffer the pain of having its soul burned if it touched her!
Her abilities far surpass those of Princess Xiangyang.
She possesses a deep-seated wickedness, according to the middle-aged man. Normally, if anyone takes the side path, two or three out of ten people will be captured by this female ghost and have their souls stolen!
She absorbs vital energy, and because she doesn't appear all the time, some people take the risk of walking this path.
This is how it was prevented from falling into ruin. Even so, over the years, this earthbound spirit has accumulated countless lives on its shoulders!
If it weren't for the confinement and suppression here, he would probably have become a great demon who wreaks havoc on the area long ago!
"I know you must have suffered injustice in your previous life, and becoming a bound spirit was not your wish, but you have harmed innocent people and stolen the essence of mortals, which is already a heinous crime! Even if you go to the underworld, you will be instantly annihilated!"
Her palm, imbued with spiritual power, struck the vengeful ghost. A scream rang out, and the thing was immediately rendered immobile.
She still glared at Xu Nian with a face full of resentment. Over the years, the hatred and resentment of those she had devoured had blurred her reason.
He only knew how to hurt and harm people, and let out a long sigh. This person must have been sacrificed and left in the cave above.
That's why there's so much resentment!
"Unrepentant to the death!" Just as he was thinking this, the seemingly dying female ghost stepped forward again. Xu Nian pointed his sword and said, "The Supreme Lord Laozi taught me to kill ghosts and gave me divine methods... Wearing a canopy on my head, stepping on the Big Dipper, supported by the Six Jia on the left and guarded by the Six Ding on the right... What god does not submit, what ghost dares to stand against me, so be it!"
A beam of golden light shot out, and the middle-aged man outside heard only a shrill, ear-piercing scream! Then, the oppressive aura that had been lingering in everyone's hearts dissipated as the red light faded.
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