CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: A TALL PERSON HAS ARRIVED

Ahead, Qi Xiu was intercepted by the Child Corpse of the Jade Bodhisattva, while behind him, the half-human, half-beast grotesque creature pursued fiercely. More than ten ghosts emerged, encircling him. In an instant, Qi Xiu found himself deeply ensnared in a multilayered siege. An unprecedented sense of danger washed over him like surging waves, each one higher than the last, crashing down upon him relentlessly. It seemed today he would truly have to fight for his life.

The bundle on his shoulder loosened and fell to the ground. With the pure Yang energy of the Crimson Sand Palm technique fully activated, Qi Xiu’s eyes blazed like torches, and dark-red fissures faintly appeared all over his upper body. He rose on the balls of his feet, his soles grinding against the sand and stones. Locking onto the Jade Bodhisattva on the city tower, Qi Xiu was just about to make his move.

WHOOSH— A sharp whistle pierced the air. An arrow, flying in from outside the city, struck one of the ghosts in mid-air with a THUD. The arrow, intricately carved with complex Talisman Scripts, was imbued with Divine Marvels. The pierced ghost let out a wretched scream, its body swiftly swelling. Then, with a BOOM, it exploded like a firework and shattered into pieces.

Reinforcements? Qi Xiu looked astonished as he watched the ghost get blown to pieces by a single arrow.

WOOO— The deep and oppressive sound of a horn tore through the silence of the night.

「Outside Baoho County.」

An army of over a thousand soldiers approached Baoho County Town. The soldiers, armored and well-equipped, were robust and imposing. The vanguard, shouldering a great standard, marched at the forefront. He was broad-shouldered and stout, like a towering mountain, mounted on a strong warhorse with hooves as white as snow. The great banner billowed in the wind. Even in the dead of night, the enormous character ’Gao’ on it emitted a strange, divine light.

An adjutant, mounted and carrying a sword, approached a square-faced man clad in silver armor with stern, sword-like eyebrows and reported in a low voice, "Lv Shuai, Baoho County is just ahead. It appears the demon scourge has already erupted."

"These Demonic Cultivators, rebellious soldiers, demons, and heretics treat Zhu Shanhe like a fearsome tiger, yet they think Dianchuan Province is a soft persimmon they can knead at will! A mere Entering Dao Little Demon dares to bring disaster to an entire city! Pass down my order: breach the city! Anyone associated with demons or evil abominations—kill!" The silver-armored Lv Shuai ordered with a light wave of his hand.

Hundreds of soldiers under his command immediately roared in response, "Kill!"

The drone of the horn, coupled with earth-shattering battle cries, seemed to cloak the world in a layer of blood-red. The standard-bearer in the vanguard charged forward, leading the way!

RUMBLE— Horse hooves rose and then slammed down with a mighty impact! In an instant, the thick, heavy city gates were violently smashed apart. Exploding wood splinters rained down from the air.

"The Lv Shuai commands! Anyone associated with demons or evil abominations—kill without mercy!" Holding the great standard high, the lead vanguard’s voice boomed like muffled thunder.

The moment the city gate burst apart, Qi Xiu, who had slipped into a nearby alley, stood concealed in the shadows. His gaze flickered as he watched the vanguard break through the gate, along with the fiery red great standard in his hand.

Gao? The Dianchuan Festival Envoy, Gao Tianxiong! Has our respected Festival Envoy finally noticed that his own domain has descended into chaos?

Seeing it was the imperial army, Qi Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and glanced up at the city tower. The Jade Bodhisattva, who had been there just a moment ago, had now vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, on the city wall walkway a hundred meters away, three towering Child Corpses were frantically carrying the Jade Bodhisattva, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Tch, they sure run fast. Qi Xiu sneered. He hadn’t expected the Jade Bodhisattva to be so pragmatic, turning tail and fleeing the moment the army breached the city. This left him, who had planned to report this Demonic Artifact, speechless.

There should be nothing left for me to do down here, I suppose. Hidden in the shadows, Qi Xiu removed the Hundred Faces Mask, reverting to his appearance as a delicate and refined young scholar.

He watched the soldiers charge into the city like an unstoppable force, swiftly annihilating the ghosts and the grotesque creature. Qi Xiu touched his nose, silently took a couple of steps back, then turned and walked away.

As the old saying goes: When the sky falls, a tall person will be there to hold it up. Now, the ’tall one’ had arrived.

「 」

Flames swirled through the smoke-filled, miasmic streets. Hundreds of soldiers surged into the city, one wave after another. These soldiers were agile, their steps like shooting stars. They could leap onto rooftops and walls several meters high in just a few bounds. Every one of them was at the Tempering Power Realm of cultivation. Furthermore, the steel blades and arrows they wielded were all engraved with mysterious runes.

Those tangible yet insubstantial ghosts, if struck, were immediately suppressed and annihilated by the Divine Talismans, turning to ash. After eliminating the ghosts gathered at the city gates, the soldiers immediately dispersed throughout the city. They formed teams of three, with one person in each team holding a Magic Artifact resembling a bronze bell. If the aura of demons or evil abominations was nearby, the bronze bell would ring!

Instantly, hidden Demon Altars and the heretical worshippers of demons within the city were rooted out. Altars were smashed, and the worshippers killed. Meanwhile, the vanguard carrying the great standard confronted the grotesque monster Guo Youfang had transformed into, all by himself.

Galloping at full speed, the standard-bearing vanguard, with a sharp gaze, fiercely swung the great standard in his hand as if it were a great spear capable of sundering a long river. CLOMP CLOMP— The sound of hooves was like thunder. Facing the roaring, charging monster, the standard-bearer pressed his tongue against his upper teeth and let out a great shout. Formidable power erupted from his arms, blasting out waves of pale white energy.

BOOM— The great standard flew out thunderously, like a mad dragon emerging from an abyss. The air friction generated scorching heat, and the character ’Gao’ on the banner suddenly erupted with brilliant light. "Annihilate!" In the unseen realm, a soft cry seemed to resound.

The great standard, transformed into a spear of light, instantly pierced through Guo Youfang’s body, pinning him firmly to the ground. The blinding light burned like fire, and in moments, the enormous monster was incinerated into a pool of black liquid.

Guiding his horse, the vanguard pulled the great standard free. With a shake of his arm, the filth clinging to the standard’s shaft crumbled away.

The slaughter continued until dawn. The great fires died down, and lingering smoke made the entire sky seem much gloomier. Ruins and charred corpses were visible everywhere in the city. The streets were filled with pedestrians whose faces were blackened with soot and whose eyes were vacant.

The purge lasted all night. Over a hundred Demon Altars were demolished. Several hundred demonic heretics were killed; their heads were all severed and hung on the city tower, stretching for tens of meters.

「At the Baoho County Yamen.」

An official boot crushed the head of a broken Fox Demon statue. Yuan Baiyi calmly surveyed the yamen, now a den of demons. His gaze swept over it, a sense of the absurd washing over him. A county yamen had actually become a den of demons. The County Magistrate, the so-called ’parental official’ to the people, had become the foremost disciple of demons. Pitiful. Ridiculous!

Coming to the rear courtyard of the yamen, the adjutant reported the previous night’s battle results to Yuan Baiyi in a solemn voice, "Lv Shuai! All teams have returned. Last night, a total of one hundred twenty-five Demon Altars were destroyed. Four hundred nineteen demonic heretics were all apprehended and executed. Additionally, two hundred twenty-one people who cohabited with demon worshippers or were otherwise associated with them are still under interrogation."

"No need for interrogation. Those who were aware but failed to report are to be considered equally guilty. Execute them," Yuan Baiyi said, his expression indifferent as he waved his hand. "Harsh measures are needed in chaotic times. The demonic scourge spread so rapidly in this county; it must be due to years of malevolence in people’s hearts. Killing more will serve as a deterrent to those who harbor delusions of escaping punishment."

"Yes, sir!" the adjutant acknowledged, then turned and strode away.

Slowly, Yuan Baiyi ascended the filthy and eerie sacrificial altar in the courtyard. He gazed indifferently towards the towering mountains in the far distance, raised his hand to point, and his lips moved slightly. Don’t rush. You’re next.

「 」

This should keep them from being discovered, Qi Xiu thought. In the kitchen, looking at the three-meter-deep pit he had dug, he carefully wrapped the Hundred Faces Mask and the Autumn Sandalwood Bamboo Staff in oilcloth. He affixed two layers of "Suppress" Characters to the bundle, tossed it into the pit, and covered it with earth. After jumping forcefully on the filled pit twice, Qi Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the dirt from his face.

Six or seven hundred people, all cut down just like that. Indeed, in a feudal society, human life is the least valuable thing.

The army had entered the city, and the demonic scourge was eradicated overnight. While peace returned to Baoho County, Qi Xiu also grew more vigilant. These soldiers were ruthless and severe. Anyone with the slightest association with demons—even those who merely cohabited with them, or were unknowingly involved—was dragged away to be beheaded.

He possessed two Demonic Artifacts. If discovered, given the soldiers’ attitude, they would be unlikely to listen to his explanations. Therefore, he had no choice but to dig a pit and hide the two Demonic Artifacts first, to avoid bringing disaster upon himself.

I should pack my things and leave first. I have a feeling that staying in Baoho County will sooner or later bring trouble upon me, Qi Xiu thought, rubbing his temples. He looked reluctantly at the now-filled pit beneath his feet. I’ll just have to find an opportunity to retrieve these two Magic Artifacts in the future.