CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 151: STABBING THE "GHOST

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding people immediately descended into chaos.

In the crowd, more and more people were found with bloodshot eyes, moving with an eerie stiffness.

For a moment, the people by the bonfire seemed to be engulfed in immense panic.

Among the followers, the "Master" invited by Zhou Kang scanned the crowd with his gaze and finally spotted Situ Jing.

Situ Jing was slightly lowering his head, with one hand gripping his sword, as if intending to draw it, while his other hand pressed down on the hand holding the sword, as if struggling with himself.

The "Master" saw this and suddenly burst into laughter. His eyes behind the mask’s holes were full of pride as he shook the copper bell in his hand and shouted, "They have already been poisoned. It won’t be long before this place turns into a sea of blood.

This place is not safe to stay any longer, let’s go!"

With that, the followers surrounding him began to move, escorting the "Master" towards the edge of the crowd.

The surrounding people seemed not to notice their movements. Some were rolling on the ground in apparent agony, while others, their faces flushed red, were grappling with those next to them. The crowd scattered chaotically, allowing the "Master" and his circle of followers to move outside the crowd.

Once they were out of the chaotic crowd, the "Master" shook the copper bell again and shouted to his followers, "Cover our retreat for me!"

The followers, who had been forming a circle, swiftly scattered, following the "Master" and forming a human wall to shield him.

The "Master" did not delay further and strode quickly away. After walking a distance, he suddenly noticed that it was unusually quiet behind him, lacking the previous noise and commotion.

This sudden silence caused a flicker of unease in his heart. As he halted his steps, intending to turn back, a voice from behind asked loudly, "Where is the Master planning to go?"

The voice carried a teasing tone, sending a chill through the "Master’s" heart. He quickly turned around, only to see that the imperial guards near the bonfire, who should have been killing each other in chaos, were now standing there, watching him from afar.

Even Situ Jing, who had been behaving oddly moments ago, now stood firmly at the front, glaring at them like a panther eyeing its prey.

"You... this can’t be..." The man was shocked, probably due to the sudden change in plans, causing him to panic briefly.

"What is it that we should do? Bloodshot eyes and killing each other?" Situ Jing let out a contemptuous sneer.

The imperial guards behind him glared at the "Master," spreading out to surround the "Master" and his followers.

"If it weren’t for our general’s wisdom, who saw through someone’s scheme of intentionally poisoning us, pretending it was the work of Evil Spirits to create chaos and seize the opportunity, we might have fallen for your trick!"

Liao Yu squeezed through the crowd. His face still looked flushed and his eyes were bloodshot, but he spoke with clarity, unlike those poisoned earlier: "The general specifically arranged for some of our brothers to take the antidote given by the Divine Doctor, appearing as if they were poisoned like the others you harmed, to lure you into revealing yourselves!"

The "Master" stood there motionless, showing no reaction to Liao Yu’s words.

Situ Jing did not wish to wait for any reaction from him any longer. His goal had been achieved; those present, whether informed beforehand or not, believing or disbelieving, had witnessed the so-called ’Exorcist Master’s’ true intentions, and that was enough.

He raised his hand, intending to signal to the others to open the camp gates, but as soon as he moved, Lu Qing caught his hand.

"Something’s wrong—" Lu Qing noted, watching the "Master" who stood motionless, not even trying to escape with his followers, sensing there was something amiss.

Before Lu Qing could share his speculation with Situ Jing, the "Master" suddenly shook the copper bell again, while reaching into his robe, and his followers mirrored his actions.

Then they retrieved unknown objects and slammed them heavily to the ground, causing a yellow smoke to rise swiftly and spread around.

Seeing the smoke, Situ Jing immediately sensed trouble. With no time to hold his breath, the yellow smoke engulfed him. Though he tried to hold his breath, he felt as though the smoke had grown limbs, becoming animated and rushing into his nose.

Soon, his mind seemed to fog up, making everything around him unclear, and his ears filled with a muffled cacophony, as if the outside was noisy while he was submerged underwater, hearing only faint, indistinct sounds.

Situ Jing felt dizzy and struggled to stay awake, squinting his eyes as if trying to see through the chaos around him.

But the dense fog around him prevented him from seeing anything, yet amidst the fog, ghostly figures seemed to sway, ready to close in on him at any moment.

His heart pounded as he gripped his sword, wanting to move his feet and try to walk out of the mist. Yet, a faint voice in his mind cautioned him that it wasn’t a good idea.

So he remained in place, on high alert, observing the surroundings.

Suddenly, a shadow approached swiftly. Situ Jing turned his gaze that way and saw the "Master," wearing his ghost mask with red hair and green eyes, charging directly at him.

He was extending a hand towards Situ Jing as he ran.

The hand seemed unnaturally long, with five bony fingers and long, sharp nails stained with dried blood.

Situ Jing was terrified, and in the moment, he had no time to think as he drew his sword in one swift motion.

The ghostly face opened its mouth in a grimace, murmuring incomprehensible words. As it lunged at him, Situ Jing instinctively thrust his sword, piercing the approaching figure’s chest just as it was about to reach him.

As the sword pierced the figure’s chest, its claw-like hand grabbed Situ Jing’s face, and before he could react, it forced something into his mouth, then unhesitatingly seized the sword in its own chest, pulling it out and reversing the blade to stab back at Situ Jing.

It all happened too fast.

Situ Jing expected to feel the sharp pain of a sword thrust, tasting the metallic tang of blood.

Yet, a cool sensation enveloped his throat.

Amidst the coolness was a hint of spiciness that quickly spread through his limbs, and his mind, once fogged, began to clear as the sensation dispersed, revealing the world anew.

He suddenly saw Lu Qing standing before him, a stain of blood spreading on his chest, while beside him, one of the "Master’s" followers was slowly collapsing, with his sword embedded in the man’s chest.