Chapter 853 The Ghost King Makes His Move (Two Updates)
Quyang City.
Shangguan Yan left the city lord's mansion and boarded a carriage bound for the military camp.
A day and a night had passed since Gu Jiao set off for Pucheng. She wanted to see if Gu Jiao had returned. In addition, the imperial army would be attacking the remnants of the Liang Kingdom's army the day after tomorrow. She wanted to visit the military camp more often to boost morale.
Order was restored in Quyang City.
Although the fear of war still loomed over the people, the thought of the Crown Princess of Great Yan leading the army in place of the Emperor filled them with renewed faith in the royal family and the court.
The wheels chugged and turned, and the vehicle swayed back and forth.
Shangguan Yan sat quietly inside the carriage, without saying a word.
Huan'er, on the other hand, was quite interested in appreciating the local customs and culture of the border region. She had never traveled far from home, so everything she saw seemed novel and exciting.
"Your Highness, the cakes they're selling are so strange," Huan'er said, glancing at Shangguan Yan in the carriage seat.
Shangguan Yan seemed not to hear her words, lost in thought.
Huan'er slowly lowered the curtain, leaving only a narrow gap for the light from thousands of homes to shine through.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "Your Highness, are you thinking of that official?"
"Huh?" Shangguan Yan regained her senses. "What?"
“That sir… um… the father of His Highness the Grandson,” Huan’er said.
As the Crown Princess's trusted maid, Huan'er gradually gained Shangguan Yan's trust, learned about Xiao Heng and Shangguan Qing's identities, and also learned that the handsome man was the biological father of the two young princes.
Shangguan Yan asked, "Why would I want to think about him?"
Huan'er said, "You came out so quickly that night, it was like..."
They fled in panic.
Huan'er held back those words.
Shangguan Yan murmured, "Is it fast? I feel like I talked to him a lot."
Huan'er said bluntly, "That's because you're avoiding him, which is why every sentence seems so long. But actually, you haven't even asked each other how you've been doing all these years."
Huan'er is naive, not stupid; as an outsider, she sees things more clearly than Shangguan Yan.
That night, neither of them knew how to face the other; they were both completely stunned.
The Crown Princess was originally supposed to live in the military camp, but she moved into the city lord's mansion to avoid that official.
Shangguan Yan lowered her eyes, casually straightened her wide sleeves, and said, "What's there to ask? It's already like this, whether it's good or bad."
Huan'er was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then, do you still like him?"
Shangguan Yan sat up straight, as if speaking to Huan'er, or perhaps to herself: "I am the Crown Princess of Great Yan, and I will not fall in love with any man."
After the carriage arrived at the military camp, Shangguan Yan first asked the guards at the gate and learned that Gu Jiao had not returned. She then went to the place where the soldiers were practicing their skills.
Huan'er watched as her mistress and that official's tent walked further and further away.
"Shangguan Yan!"
But in the end, it was something they couldn't avoid.
Marquis Xuanping strode over.
Shangguan Yan paused for a moment, seemingly hesitant, before continuing to walk forward expressionlessly.
Marquis Xuanping caught up with her, blocked her path, gave her a seemingly ambiguous look, and narrowed his eyes, saying, "Shangguan Yan, are you hiding from me?"
Shangguan Yan looked at the soldiers practicing their skills in the night and said calmly, "Hide from you? Don't think too highly of yourself. What do you have that I would hide from?"
Marquis Xuanping looked incredulous: "Then why did you slip away so quickly that night, like... you know?"
Shangguan Yan said indifferently, "Who told you to be so annoying?"
"Fine, fine, fine, I'm annoying." Marquis Xuanping put his hands behind his back and looked at her casually. "Just tell me where my son is, and I'll never bother you again."
Shangguan Yan scoffed and said, "Didn't your son go to Cangxue Pass to negotiate peace with the Chen army?"
Marquis Xuanping said, "You know that I am not referring to this son."
Shangguan Yan sneered and said, "That's right, Xiao Ji, you're a womanizer and have affairs everywhere. You have more than just Aheng as your son."
Marquis Xuanping gave her a deep look and said meaningfully, "Shangguan Yan, are you jealous?"
Shangguan Yan said seriously, "I am the Crown Princess, and I have three thousand men in my harem. Would I be jealous of you?"
"That would be best."
Shangguan Yan glared at him coldly and walked forward with an icy expression.
Marquis Xuanping stepped aside to block her, his eyes filled with a serious expression, quite different from his usual carefree and unrestrained demeanor: "Where exactly is Xiao Qing?"
Shangguan Yan turned her face away and looked at the array in front of her: "If you want to know the whereabouts of your son, exchange him for Chu Feipeng."
Marquis Xuanping laughed: "Chu Feipeng, is it? Fine, here you go."
After saying that, his smile vanished. "Where is my son?"
Shangguan Yan clenched her fingers and said solemnly, "Qing'er is in a villa near Shengdu. I will bring him back once the situation stabilizes."
...
"Damn it!"
Meanwhile, in the Ghost Mountain of Pucheng, Min Hongyi and his men were searching in the forest when they got lost.
A soldier pointed to the knife marks on a nearby tree and said, "General Min! This is the mark we made earlier! We've circled back to the same route!"
Min Hong frowned.
People who lead troops into battle usually have a good sense of direction, but for some reason, all the trees in this forest look the same, the sun has set, and the moon and Venus haven't appeared yet, making it really impossible to tell which way to go.
If you just blindly walk forward based on your experience, you should be able to get out, but you end up back where you started.
That's fucking weird!
Whoosh!
A soldier suddenly felt a dark shadow flash past his side. He turned his head abruptly and exclaimed, "Who's there!"
However, all that came into view was a dark and silent forest.
"Fifth Brother, what's wrong?" His companion patted his arm with amusement. "You're so nervous, you can't be that timid, can you?"
Another companion chuckled and said, "Yes, does the name 'Ghost Mountain' really mean there are ghosts here? Even if there are, with Lord Min by our side, what do we have to fear from ghosts and spirits?"
These words struck a chord with Min Hongyi.
That's right, Min Hong fears neither day nor night, he can punish the heavens above and exorcise evil below. What nonsense is this Ghost Mountain? It's just a rumor fabricated by a bunch of cowardly cowards, what is there to fear!
The strange feeling in Min Hongyi's heart was dispelled, and perhaps his courage frightened the heavens and earth, for even the dark clouds overhead were blown away by the cold wind.
The moment the moon rose, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they were back in the mortal realm.
Before they could even catch their breath, a soldier screamed from the back of the column: "Xiao Luo is gone! He was just talking to me! Suddenly... suddenly he's gone!"
Everyone's hearts sank. Min Hongyi gripped the sword at his waist with an icy gaze: "Five people in a group, travel together!"
The Jin soldiers put away their weapons and helped each other up, thinking that they would be safe. After all, it was unlikely that all five of them would disappear at once.
...
"Hey, girl, how much longer are we going to walk?"
Tang Yueshan, who was scared half to death by the ghost, calmly sat back on his horse and said that he did that to protect her, not because he was afraid!
"Soon," Gu Jiao said. "There should be a cave ahead. Let's go there to spend the night."
Gu Jiao's familiarity with the border terrain was outrageous; Tang Yueshan assumed she had done her homework beforehand and memorized all the maps.
Tang Yueshan gripped the reins tightly and sighed, "Speaking of which, we've been in Pucheng for a day and haven't run into Old Gu yet. Where do you think he went? Could he have gone to the military camp? Gongsun Yu also went to the military camp today. Old Gu wouldn't be so unlucky as to run into Gongsun Yu, would he?"
"Hey, girl, why aren't you saying anything?"
"You should at least have said something..."
Tang Yueshan turned to look at Gu Jiao with a resentful expression, only to find the forest empty. All his words caught in his throat.
...
Fog began to rise in the woods.
The moonlight overhead is no longer visible.
When a person loses their reference points, their sense of direction weakens.
Black Wind King is a brave and skilled horse, but it did not grow up in the jungle.
This place was also an extremely unfamiliar environment for the Black Wind King.
Gu Jiao realized they had gotten separated earlier than Tang Yueshan, but she couldn't shout loudly, otherwise it was uncertain whether Tang Yueshan or the Jin army would be attracted first.
"This place is a bit unusual."
Gu Jiao looked around.
She had no basis for it; it was just an intuition honed through experience in danger.
call out!
A dark shadow flashed past her from behind.
Gu Jiao's ears twitched, but her expression remained unchanged.
She gestured for Black Wind King to continue forward.
call out!
Another figure flashed past her.
Gu Jiao still didn't stop.
One man and one horse calmly move forward.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Those figures seemed to have been provoked, darting around and trying to instill fear in Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao didn't even lift her eyelids.
"Heh heh heh, this living man from Ghost Mountain is really something... Look at him, he's not afraid... and his horse isn't afraid either..."
"I want to eat his horse..."
"Fool, where do horses taste good? I've been staying in the underworld for so long, I haven't smelled the scent of living people... It smells so good..."
"Tonight the gates of hell open, the King of Hell arrives, and we little devils can finally taste what it's like to be alive... Hehehe..."
Kid?
really.
Gu Jiao seemed not to hear these eerie conversations and continued walking deeper into the jungle with Black Wind King.
She hadn't taken two steps when a large net suddenly fell from above her head.
Gu Jiao swiftly drew the whip from her waist and lashed it out in a certain direction in the night, the whip cracking loudly in the air!
Almost at the same moment, a small, pale-faced figure was caught in the crossfire by Gu Jiao's whip.
Gu Jiao tied him to the horse's back with her hands.
As the large net fell, Gu Jiao raised her hand, grabbed it, and threw it far away!
This kind of trivial skill is barely enough to deal with a little guy like Tang Yueshan who's afraid of ghosts, and she's not afraid of ghosts anyway.
Gu Jiao looked at the little... Little Black Impermanence lying on her horse's back?
She asked, "Who are you people?"
Wow!
The remaining figures in the woods scattered and disappeared without a trace.
With a long, thick tongue lolling from its mouth, Little Black Impermanence struggled to say, "I am Black Impermanence! Don't even think about offending me! His Highness the Ghost King will eat you!"
It really is called Black Impermanence.
Gu Jiao flicked his forehead.
Little Black Impermanence cried out in pain as he was flicked: "Ouch!"
Gu Jiao chuckled and said, "Do ghosts feel pain?"
Little Black Impermanence was speechless for a long time, then stuck out his long, cumbersome tongue and said clearly, "I'm still young, you're an adult. Your yang energy is too strong. If you touch me, it will burn my body, that's why I called out!"
After he finished speaking, he put his tongue back in.
That's quite logical, Gu Jiao thought to herself, giving him a mental thumbs up.
"How old are you?" Gu Jiao asked.
"Seven years old."
As soon as he finished speaking, Little Black Impermanence regretted it and quickly corrected himself, saying, "Seven hundred years old!"
Gu Jiao's lips twitched, and she said seriously, "I'll give you two choices: one, take me to see your king."
"It's the Ghost King!" Little Black Impermanence pulled out his long tongue and said fiercely, "His Highness the Ghost King of the Underworld! He possesses unparalleled divine power! He can eat...eat a hundred living people like you!"
"It's all the same." Gu Jiao waved her hand dismissively. "Second, hand over my companion."
The Black Impermanence said, "We didn't capture your companion!"
Gu Jiao said calmly, "It seems you want to choose the first option."
Little Black Impermanence snorted, "You're not worthy to see our Ghost King! Our Ghost King—ah—"
He was speaking when Gu Jiao suddenly grabbed him, startling him so much that he screamed.
An arrow grazed the saddle, whizzing past the spot where he had just been lying, and clattered into a nearby tree.
The arrow's fletching created a blur, demonstrating its immense power. Had Gu Jiao not reacted quickly, Xiao Hei Wuchang would have been riddled with bullets and turned into human skewers.
The little black impermanence was so frightened that he lost his voice.
Gu Jiao put him back on the saddle and coldly stared at the group of people walking towards them.
It was none other than the Jin army that had been chasing them all the way.
To Gu Jiao's surprise, the person in charge was not Xie Xingzhou, but Min Hongyi.
If it were Xie Xingzhou who came, we could still talk to him, but Min Hongyi, like Gongsun Yu, is an absolute warmonger.
Min Hong laughed heartily: "So you're in cahoots with these charlatans. I was wondering why you all chose to escape here when you weren't going anywhere else?"
Gu Jiao calmly met his sharp and oppressive gaze and said, "He has nothing to do with me. Let him go."
"Let him go, and then go get reinforcements? Do you think I'm stupid!" Min Hongyi said coldly, then took a bow and arrow from his subordinate and shot an arrow at the little black imp in Gu Jiao's arms!
Black Wind King suddenly leaped forward, dodging the arrow.
Min Hongyi fired another arrow, which was knocked away by Gu Jiao's whip.
Enraged, Min Hong threw down his bow and arrows, drew his broadsword from his waist, and said fiercely, "Fine, then this general will kill you with my own hands!"
He still underestimates me; perhaps I can take advantage of this opportunity...
Gu Jiao didn't move, looking terrified by his imposing aura. Then Min Hong leaped up, his long sword about to fall on Gu Jiao's head.
Gu Jiao swiftly flicked her whip, wrapping it around the hilt of his sword and violently flinging it away!
The knife is with me.
Min Hongyi was also thrown into the air!
Min Hongyi was indeed careless and underestimated his opponent. This kid looked very young and had no internal energy when he attacked. Min Hongyi could easily have used only 10% of his strength.
The result was that he was knocked away!
Enraged, Min Hongyi used the tree trunk as leverage to perform a somersault and regain his balance. He then gripped his knife and slashed at Gu Jiao once more!
This strike was not one made out of carelessness.
Gu Jiao had to dodge, otherwise the power of their fight would injure the child and the Black Wind King.
"Hold on tight!"
Gu Jiao dismounted, took a few big steps forward, and wrapped her whip around Min Hongyi's waist and abdomen.
This kid's strength actually managed to entangle me... Min Hong frowned, surprised by the arm strength Gu Jiao displayed, while at the same time a huge surge of excitement welled up inside him.
It's more interesting to fight against an opponent like that, isn't it?
Min Hongyi gave a cold laugh and slashed at Gu Jiao's whip with his sword.
The whip was snapped in two, and due to inertia, Gu Jiao took several steps back.
Nine years later, she has the absolute power to kill Min Hongyi, but right now, Min Hongyi is a big problem.
Min Hongyi laughed loudly, "Kid, what other skills do you have?"
Gu Jiao said, "I'm so powerful, are you really willing to kill me?"
Min Hongyi was stunned.
Gu Jiao coaxed him gently: "Why not take me back and offer me to your Gongsun Yu? With my help, you will surely be able to defeat Xie Xingzhou."
This kid is a rare talent, if he really is—
call out!
Gu Jiao swung her hand back and shot out the crabapple blossom needles in her hand!
Min Hongyi is highly skilled in martial arts, but unfortunately, he is not as intelligent as Xie Xingzhou. No wonder he is always outmaneuvered by Xie Xingzhou.
Min Hongyi parried with his knife, but it was too late; a prickly pear needle struck him in the abdomen!
The needle is poisoned!
Min Hong quickly applied pressure to the acupoint on the wound to prevent the toxin from spreading.
"Kid, you've really angered me! I was going to give you a quick death, but now I've changed my mind! I'm going to cut off your hands, break all your bones, and then chop off your head!"
"Waaah—" Little Black Impermanence was so frightened that he burst into tears.
Min Hongyi was furious, and the child's crying annoyed him terribly. He swung his knife at the head of the little black imp!
He slashed head-on; no matter whether Black Wind King advanced or retreated, Little Black Impermanence would be stabbed.
That's outrageous! They even prey on children!
It's no wonder that Jingkong cut off his hands and feet!
Gu Jiao's eyes flickered, and she leaped forward, catching Little Black Impermanence off the horse. She then rolled around several times on the overgrown ground with Little Black Impermanence in her arms.
Min Hongyi seized the opportunity to strike a second time, so fast that Gu Jiao, who was holding the child, had no chance to dodge!
Am I going to... die here?
Gu Jiao had only one way to survive—to throw the child in her arms out to shield her from the knife.
Gu Jiao did not do that.
Clang!
Something struck Min Hongyi's blade, deflecting his longsword and causing his entire arm to go numb.
"who!"
He turned his head and glared angrily into the depths of the night.
In the mist, a man dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask of a hundred ghosts sat on a palanquin carried by eighteen fierce ghosts and slowly approached them.
The thin gauze of the palanquin fluttered in the night wind, giving it an eerie, ghostly atmosphere in the dark forest.
A slender, pale hand, visible beneath his wide sleeves, rested lightly on the armrest. Its knuckles were distinct, and its features were as delicate as jade, yet it was too pale, which added to its sinister aura.
At the very front of his procession stood two figures dressed as Black and White Impermanence.
A sudden gust of cold wind blew through the night, making the entire forest feel eerie.
The Jin soldiers exchanged glances and almost involuntarily took two steps back.
Min Hongyi scoffed, "Who are you! Stop pretending to be a ghost in front of this general!"
"Playing tricks or spooking?"
The man's thin lips curled into a smile as he took the handrail and stood up.
It was just a simple matter of getting up, yet the surrounding tree branches swayed slightly without any wind.
It was as if the vengeful spirits in the tree were responding to him with fear and devotion.
The Jin army became even more uneasy.
They looked up at the pitch-black branches above them, wondering if there really were ghosts in the trees.
"It's bleeding! The tree, the tree, the tree is bleeding!"
A Jin soldier shouted.
The trees all around began to bleed, and a heavy stench of blood permeated the entire forest.
That wasn't all. The birds in the forest seemed unable to withstand the onslaught of death, and one after another they fell to the ground, leaving the ground littered with the corpses of birds.
One of the Jin soldiers was so frightened that he fell to the ground!
Little Black Impermanence poked its head out from Gu Jiao's arms, pointed at Min Hongyi, and cried out loudly, "Your Highness, the Ghost King! He's a bad person! He's going to kill me!"
He dared not run over there, fearing that he would be slashed by Min Hongyi halfway there. After saying this, he shrank back into Gu Jiao's arms.
What a cowardly little Black Impermanence.
The man's dangerous gaze fell on Min Hongyi, then he took a step forward and casually placed one foot on the palanquin's railing.
A sharp and domineering aura suddenly erupted from his body!
Gu Jiao: Why does this annoying little aura feel so familiar? It reminds me of someone.
The man said calmly, "You dare to come to my Ghost King's territory and kill my little ghosts? You have quite the nerve. Trespassing on Ghost Mountain is already a capital offense, but now the crime is compounded. How about... we skin you alive and make you into a human skin lantern?"
The Jin soldiers all shuddered!
This guy is too good at undermining morale; we can't let him keep up this charade!
Otherwise, his men would have been scared away before the battle even started!
Min Hongyi shouted, "Stop bluffing! Do you think your few defeated soldiers can stop my five hundred Jin soldiers?"
"How many?" The man's lips curled into a smirk, and he waved his wide sleeve. "Little devils, come out! Tonight, the gates of hell open, and all the living are yours!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Min Hongyi sensed something was wrong. He looked around and saw a large group of armored ghost soldiers emerging from the trees, the hillside, and the forest!
Min Hongyi's expression changed drastically: "This is—"
The man said coldly, "Three thousand ghost soldiers! Kill them all, leave no one alive!"
(End of this chapter)
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