Chapter 854 Great Victory over the Jin Army
As the fog dissipated, the forest became pitch black.
With a command from the Ghost King, a dark mass of ghostly soldiers, like an army of the dead, surged toward the Jin army in the forest, carrying the aura of death.
The Jin army was not weak; in fact, it could be said to be extremely brave and skilled in battle.
The Jin state traces its history back to being one of the same family as the Turks. The largest tribe seized the imperial power and exiled several other tribes that refused to submit, which led to the later Turkic Khaganate.
The fact that the Turks were not recognized by the six states was partly due to the influence of the Jin state.
The people of Jin have a warlike bloodline in their bones. On a regular battlefield, these 500 soldiers could probably defeat three times the number of troops. But right now, these Jin soldiers are terrified by all sorts of ghostly signs.
Branches and leaves moving without wind, a tree bleeding inexplicably, the corpses of birds falling to the ground after being swallowed by death... each and every one of these things is chilling!
Did they really come to the underworld?
Are these suddenly appearing ghost soldiers all fierce ghosts that came out of the Gates of Hell?
These ghost soldiers were not wearing brand-new, intact armor, but rather tattered armor, many of which were covered in dust, rust, and stained with dried blood.
However, the more this is the case, the more it makes one feel that this is a ghost army that perished on the battlefield.
The mission they failed to complete in the mortal world, they could not forget even after falling into the underworld.
Therefore, they neither drank the water of the River of Oblivion, nor drank the soup of Meng Po, nor crossed the Bridge of Helplessness.
Every night they repeated their dying wish: to kill the invading enemy, to kill them all!
"ah--"
One of the Jin soldiers could no longer hold on; his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, the soft, fluffy soil suddenly shifted, and a skeletal claw emerged, snapping into the Jin soldier's ankle.
The Jin soldier was terrified!
He rolled over and scrambled back the way he came, but before he could take a single step, he was startled and froze in place by the skeletal claws that kept emerging from the ground!
"The gates of hell have opened... There really are ghosts—"
Another Jin soldier was so frightened that he collapsed.
Emotions are contagious. When one person breaks down, a second will follow, then a third, a fourth... until the morale of the entire army collapses.
Scholars say, "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits."
But scholars also say, "There are gods watching from above."
They are enemy invaders who invaded the Yan Kingdom, and these ghostly soldiers of Yan will not let them go!
Fighting living people is not scary, because living people can die.
But the ghost soldiers are already dead; they cannot die again.
The Jin army collapsed completely; some cried, some fled, and less than a third of its troops remained to fight with gusto.
These troops were no match for the overwhelming number of ghost soldiers, not to mention that while they appeared calm on the surface, they were already utterly defeated inside.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Hei Wuchang were sitting under a big tree when a skeletal claw suddenly burst out of the ground and grabbed Gu Jiao's right ankle.
Gu Jiao grunted and unceremoniously pulled out the skeletal claw.
The skeleton that suddenly lost its hand: "..."
Are you polite?
"Hmm, it really is a dead man's bone." After examining it, Gu Jiao snapped it back onto the skeleton in the ground.
Skeleton: "..."
Okay, I'll still go.
When Min Hong saw his troops falling in droves, he was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged.
He had just observed that there were no three thousand ghost soldiers in the forest at all; it was just that guy making things up to deliberately demoralize the Jin army!
And these so-called skeletons—
Min Hongyi slashed down at a skeletal claw that had emerged from the ground nearby.
Bang!
The skull claws shattered into dust!
And what followed was a painful howl from underground.
Listen, listen, do dead people feel pain?
They're all just living people pretending to be gods and ghosts!
Even if he said that, he couldn't calm the fleeing soldiers.
Now, the only way is to kill the general who commands these ghost soldiers, the ghost king who stands on the palanquin and issues orders!
Once he beheads the Ghost King, the schemes and tricks of these so-called three thousand ghost soldiers will fall apart on their own!
Little Black Impermanence was a clever little devil. Seeing that Min Hongyi was no longer paying attention to him, he took advantage of the moment and quietly crawled from the ground toward the Ghost King's palanquin.
He had only climbed a meter when Min Hongyi launched an attack on the Ghost King.
He knelt down for three seconds, then quickly crawled back up and continued to hide behind Gu Jiao.
I would rather share wealth and honor with His Highness the Ghost King than share life and death with him.
The man kept a close eye on Min Hongyi's movements.
Seeing him attack with his knife, the man's lips curled into a smirk. He spread his arms, his wide sleeves billowing in the night. His figure shot into the air and then retreated, disappearing completely!
Min Hong was utterly shocked!
He caught his breath for a moment, and almost fell from mid-air due to the reversal of his meridians!
What happened?
How could a perfectly healthy person just vanish in front of you?
It's not the kind of disappearance where someone is too light-footed, moves too fast, and quickly escapes into the distance; it's... disappearing into thin air!
Min Hongyi landed on the man's palanquin. The people who carried the palanquin were nowhere to be seen. The palanquin did not fall because it was supported firmly by wooden pillars underneath.
Min Hongyi frowned coldly, glanced around warily, and said provocatively, "I don't believe in evil! Come out here if you dare! If you can beat me, then I'll acknowledge you as the king of Ghost Mountain!"
No one responded to him.
That damn Ghost King, he didn't even fall for the provocation!
Min Hong's gaze shifted, and he caught sight of Gu Jiao, who was about to leave with Xiao Hei Wuchang.
Min Hong gripped his broadsword tightly, his eyes fierce, and said, "Since we're in cahoots, killing you first won't hurt!"
After saying that, he suddenly flew towards Gu Jiao and slashed at her!
Gu Jiao twitched her ears, dodged to the side, pushed Xiao Hei Wuchang behind her with her right hand, and kicked out with her side leg, attacking Min Hongyi's lower body!
Min Hongyi leaped into the air, dodging her attack.
His swordsmanship was incredibly fast; no sooner had one move passed than another came hurtling towards Gu Jiao!
Damn it, we have no weapons!
Gu Jiao was forced to retreat repeatedly.
"Hey bro! Here you go!"
Little Black Impermanence somehow acquired a long sword and tossed it to Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao caught the sword in her hand, used it to block the blade, and said to him, "I don't know how to use a sword!"
"Oh! Then this one!"
The Black Impermanence threw another long knife to Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao: "No way!"
Meteor hammer!
Spiked club!
A dog-beating stick!
...
"Hey bro, catch!"
Gu Jiao grabbed the last weapon that was thrown at her, spun it over her head, and fired a shot that smashed Min Hongyi's longsword into the dusty ground!
Min Hongyi was caught off guard by this sudden force!
His forearm felt slightly numb.
This young man clearly has no internal energy, yet his marksmanship is so domineering and terrifying...
It reminded him of the Xuanyuan family's spear technique!
Wait, the Xuanyuan family's... marksmanship?!
Gu Jiao just used the fifth move of the Seven Forms of Xuanyuan. She had a good grasp of the first four moves, but although she practiced the later moves diligently, she didn't use them much when she actually used them.
Min Hongyi looked at Gu Jiao warily: "Boy! Who are you to the Xuanyuan family!"
Gu Jiao gripped the spear, swept it horizontally, and held it diagonally behind her, looking at him like a killing god: "The one who will take your life!"
Min Hongyi's temples throbbed!
That look in his eyes...
Min Hongyi is only in his early thirties this year. He visited the Yan Kingdom more than ten years ago. Although many years have passed, he still has a vivid memory of the Xuanyuan family.
This kid doesn't look like anyone from the Xuanyuan family, yet the ruthlessness he exudes always reminds people of the Xuanyuan family's fierce spirit!
Without losing control, Gu Jiao's strength was far inferior to Min Hongyi's, but for some reason, standing in this forest, she inexplicably felt a very familiar power.
That sounds a bit far-fetched. Perhaps... it's the remnants of those ghost soldiers' armor.
That's right!
It's just a broken piece of armor!
Gu Jiao suddenly understood.
Those people were wearing the armor of the deceased Xuanyuan family!
Ghost Mountain... Ghost Mountain is the burial ground of the Xuanyuan Army!
Those soldiers who bravely sacrificed their lives can never return to their hometowns; their heroic souls will forever remain on the border.
Sorrow welled up from my heart.
It wasn't her emotion.
It belongs to the millions of Xuanyuan soldiers.
Gu Jiao gripped her spear tightly and turned to look at the Jin general opposite her: "Min Hongyi, prepare to die."
With your life, I offer sacrifice to the countless souls of my Xuanyuan Army!
A sense of foreboding inexplicably welled up in Min Hongyi's heart.
Even though my martial arts skills are better than this kid's, why do I feel uneasy?
What's wrong with this kid's eyes?
It appeared calm, yet it exuded an indescribable aura of murderous intent—
"It must be my imagination. How could this kid possibly have the confidence to kill me?"
Min Hongyi cleared his mind of distractions and once again swung his sword to meet Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao unleashed her final two moves, finally piercing his right thigh with her spear on the seventh move!
Min Hongyi was incredulous that this kid had actually broken through his defenses and actually stabbed his leg with the spear!
Gu Jiao not only got stabbed, but also got a free spin.
This kind of thing gets better with practice, and it's really enjoyable.
Min Hongyi is a martial artist with immense strength, and the vast majority of his power comes from his legs. If his legs are injured, it means that he cannot use at least half of his moves and skills.
However, his luck didn't seem to have run out. Just as Gu Jiao was about to finish him off with a shot, a swordsman suddenly appeared in the woods.
The opponent was highly skilled in martial arts and possessed powerful sword energy. Taking advantage of Gu Jiao's focus on dealing with Min Hongyi, he suddenly rushed out and launched a sneak attack!
"Hey bro! Watch out!"
Little Black Impermanence clenched his fist and shouted.
Oh no, her spear has already thrust out, it's too late—
The other party chose the moment when Gu Jiao was unable to be in two places at once!
At the critical moment, a whip lashed out, wrapping around Gu Jiao's supple waist and pulling her sharply backward.
Gu Jiao disappeared just like that Ghost King!
The swordsman landed beside Min Hongyi. He glanced at the still-breathing Min Hongyi and focused on observing the surrounding movements.
This was a very experienced swordsman. He was briefly confused, then suddenly rushed towards the direction where Gu Jiao had disappeared, and slashed in mid-air!
With a whooshing sound, the black curtain that blended seamlessly with the night was ripped open.
The figures behind the scenes—Gu Jiao, the Ghost King, and the Black and White Impermanence—as well as the jungle behind everyone, were completely revealed.
"It was just a smokescreen after all!"
The swordsman snorted coldly, giving the group no chance to escape. He tapped the tree branch with his toe, drew his sword, and charged at them!
Gu Jiao could sense that his skill was almost on par with Dark Soul's; this was yet another fellow disciple of Dark Soul!
It seems that Jianlu not only colluded with the Liang Kingdom, but also with the Jin Kingdom.
Or perhaps... Jianlu originally belonged to the State of Jin! It was a very formidable force within Jin!
A fierce battle is about to begin...
She gripped the spear and stepped forward.
The man calmly raised his hand, blocking her behind him: "Step back."
Gu Jiao looked at him with utter astonishment.
The swordsman said coldly, "Tonight, none of you will escape!"
His long sword flashed like a rainbow, and he slashed fiercely towards the man's head!
"Prepare to die!"
The man looked at him calmly, without the slightest fear, and said with a slight parting of his thin lips, "As you wish."
The swordsman frowned.
The next second, the man swiftly raised the musket hidden by his wide sleeve, aimed it at his chest, and shot him flying!
Gu Jiao suddenly realized.
It was a musket.
Its power is something that no flesh and blood or armor can withstand, no wonder you are so confident.
This should be the first musket I've seen since arriving in this other world.
Actually, there were already fire muskets in the Southern Song Dynasty, but they came from a dynasty that did not exist in history, so it is hard to say when the fire musket was actually invented.
The advantage of the musket is its high firepower, but its disadvantage is its poor accuracy. Its maximum range is longer than that of the bow and arrow, but a skilled archer can hit a target from a hundred paces away, while the musket is not enough to kill beyond fifty paces.
Therefore, its effective range is very limited.
The swordsman rushed too close and ran right into the muzzle of the gun without even aiming.
The swordsman fell into a pool of blood and died on the spot.
The man slung the musket over his shoulder, walked over with an air of dominance, and flipped the dying swordsman over with one foot, his eyes filled with disgust.
"You choose the path to heaven but refuse to take it, you barge into the gates of hell but insist on going in. I've already told you it's a mountain of ghosts, but you still wouldn't listen and kept going. If you don't die, who will?"
He sized the swordsman up and down, then said casually, "Tsk, he's beyond saving, there's no point in interrogating him, just wait to die! Don't expect me, the Ghost King, to give you a quick death!"
There was more than one swordsman.
Another one took advantage of the fight between the two sides to leave with the injured Min Hongyi.
As Gu Jiao watched the two figures gradually disappear into the night, she suddenly grabbed the rusty spear in her hand and hurled it forward!
The spear cut through the night with a devastating whistling sound, striking Min Hongyi directly in the back and piercing his heart!
"ah--"
This piercing scream was the last sound Min Hongyi left in the world.
I told you, your life is here.
The Jin army was completely wiped out; those who could be killed were killed, and those who could be captured were captured. The ghost soldiers on the scene began to clean up the battlefield.
The man also planned to go back.
He carried his musket, glanced at Gu Jiao indifferently, and said, "Logically speaking, anyone who trespasses on Ghost Mountain should die. But considering you saved the people of the Underworld, I'll let you go. Now, leave. Don't ever come to Ghost Mountain again!"
He brushed past Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao suddenly called out to him, "Shangguan Qing!"
I won't stay up late tonight; I'll write during the day, and everyone can read it this afternoon.
(End of this chapter)
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