Chapter 49: Nanlinghe-Grand Event
Qingshi Town.
War drums are beating and shouts are heard all day long.
Under the command of Commander Zhang Yong, hundreds of soldiers guarded the fortress on the top of Qingshi Town, using rolling stones, rain of arrows, and the advantage of numbers to resist the approach of the enemy.
Below the city wall, a group of thieves came rushing over. Although there were only dozens of them, each of them was extremely brave and left casualties everywhere they passed.
The leading thief, dressed in pitch black, looked ferocious and terrifying. A brutal scar ran through his left eye, giving him a ferocious look, like a demon from the underworld. This man was none other than the infamous and feared bandit of Hengshan.
The bandit Hengshan rushed to the front and with one powerful palm strike, he created an exaggerated dent in the tightly closed city gate. With another palm strike, the obstacles piled up behind the city gate collapsed, and the city gate opened wide. The remaining bandits entered in a line under the rain of arrows.
The soldiers guarding the city gate rushed forward, and the bandit Hengshan made a fake push with his palm. The spiritual power in his body surged like a tide, and the strength penetrated his muscles and bones. He actually created a black palm print, which penetrated a distance of dozens of steps and was deeply imprinted on the chest of the soldier blocking the way in front.
With one palm strike, the injured soldier vomited blood and fell to the ground. The people nearby were frightened and hesitated to step forward.
Behind the bandit Hengshan, a group of bandits looked brave and fierce. Wherever they passed, the ground was completely dyed red with blood.
"Whoever kills the bandit Hengshan will be rewarded with 100 taels of gold and promoted to a higher rank!"
Looking at the domineering bandit leader from afar, Zhang Yong roared angrily, ordering the nearby soldiers to rush forward and use their lives to drain his physical strength.
"You dogs, give me your lives!"
The bandit Hengshan roared angrily and stomped his feet forward. The earth trembled and cracks spread on the ground. A violent impact swept through, and the nearby soldiers fell to the ground one after another. He jumped up and rushed towards Zhang Yong in front of the formation.
Zhang Yong had anticipated this. He changed into a long spear with a red tassel, retreated behind the spearmen, and ordered, "Form a spear formation and stop him!"
Long spears were raised, and dozens of second-stage late-stage spearmen were arranged in an orderly manner, marching in unison and cooperating with each other tacitly, forming an indestructible line of defense.
The bandit Hengshan stepped forward, relying on his strong body, ignoring the shining spears pointed at him, and rushed into the town like a runaway chariot. He waved his palms, and anyone he touched was sent flying like a broken sack, knocking down all obstacles in his way.
Suddenly, a spear pierced his body. The tip of the spear hadn't penetrated even a knuckle before it was blocked by rock-hard muscle, unable to penetrate any further. The bandit Hengshan shouted loudly, and a powerful recoil erupted, actually breaking the spear shaft. His heart-shattering demonic palm followed suit.
But in just a few breaths, a gap was torn in the gun formation, and the spearmen suffered heavy casualties. Zhang Yong's heart trembled greatly. He did not care about maintaining the gun formation and quickly retreated to the rear.
"Want to run? Come here and die!"
The bandit Hengshan roared and was about to give chase, but his path was blocked by the incoming soldiers. He was furious and was about to clear the obstacles when he saw one of his men rushing over and shouting, "My lord, this is terrible! The camp in the rear is being attacked by the soldiers, and even the deputy leader who was stationed there has been killed by the enemy..."
"What?" The bandit Hengshan was furious. He didn't want to fight anymore and flew away. No one dared to stop him. "Retreat! Back to camp!"
Upon hearing this, the bandits retreated and were inevitably attacked by a rain of arrows from the city walls as they evacuated, and many of them were injured.
Seeing this opportunity, Zhang Yong immediately gave the order: "Captain Zhao Shun and Miss Xia Wei's surprise attack has been effective. Now is a good time to pursue them. All soldiers, follow me out of the city and chase them to wipe out the bandits!"
At the command, the morale of the soldiers was greatly boosted, and they rushed out of the city to pursue the bandits.
In a corner where no one was paying attention, a huge red demon stood up. Its body was as big as a mountain, and its overwhelming pressure was no less than that of the bandit Hengshan. But the strange thing was that both the bandits and the soldiers ignored its existence.
Looking at the Hengshan bandit going away, the red demon curled his lips:
"Hmph, there's no cultivator in this city who can threaten the bandit Hengshan. Once he finishes dealing with the issues at the rear of the camp, it's only a matter of time before he takes over the city. There's no need to worry about his safety. The Ghost Messenger Festival is about to begin. I'll go collect the award first, then come back to monitor his every move."
It took out a black stone, hit the ground with the black stone, and moved away, and soon arrived in front of an ancient city.
The city gates stand tall and majestic, wide streets crisscross, and the ancient stone slabs are paved flat and solid. The ghost messengers coming and going have extraordinary expressions and astonishing auras, and occasionally you can catch a glimpse of ghost fairies.
On the road ahead stood a group of three people with unique appearances.
A tall ghost messenger in white clothes and white face, leading a curious girl in a blue skirt and a wandering soul with white hair and red eyes, was standing at the top of the city wall, looking at the exquisite carvings embedded on the city gate.
Hua Xiaomei put her hands on her hips and said, "We've finally arrived. This is Fengdu Imperial City. In the past, the Underworld Emperor, who ruled over the Ten Hells, made this his capital. He built magnificent buildings and mansions, and the Imperial City was once at its peak. Unfortunately, with the Underworld Emperor's defeat at the hands of the Monkey King, the city gradually declined. It wasn't until the Lord of the Equal Hall moved the Equal Hall here that things began to improve."
Nan Linghe looked around with curious eyes, and suddenly his gaze stopped at a group of ghost officials walking by: "Those ghost officials look so strange..."
Following Nan Linghe's direction, Hua Xiaomei also saw those ghost messengers with different appearances. Seeing that they were all dressed in the same uniform, with a solid-colored robe, a hood covering their face, holding a long staff in their hands, and holding a scripture in their arms, they walked silently, so she explained:
"Those are monks from Xiniu Hezhou. Every year at this time, the barriers between the various continents in the underworld are lifted, and ghost messengers from all over the world gather in the Equal Hall. It's not surprising to meet anyone here."
Nan Linghe nodded, not quite understanding, and asked again: "Those monks, are they any different from us?"
Hua Xiaomei replied, "After we die, our souls return to the underworld, and we become ghost messengers by chance. However, that's not the case with those monks. They are still alive, but they use special techniques to allow their souls to leave their bodies and travel back and forth between the two realms, performing their duties as ghost messengers guiding souls."
Nan Linghe was surprised: "There is such a thing? Brother Jie never told me."
"It's not just monks who possess this skill; the witches of Dongsheng Shenzhou also do so." Hua Xiaomei shook her head. "Many ghost messengers have spent hundreds of years in mediocrity in the underworld, yet haven't even visited the continents beyond Jambudvīpa. You can't be a frog in a well, observing the world from afar."
Nan Linghe asked curiously, "Tell me quickly, which continents has Sister Mei been to?"
Hua Xiaomei smiled awkwardly, "I haven't been to other continents either. Instead of traveling across continents, I'd rather have a good meal in the wine country and increase my spiritual power..."
As they were talking, a huge shadow cast down, covering the three of them. Looking up, they saw a huge red body as big as a hill blocking their way. The demon with a ferocious expression snorted with disdain:
"Humph, what are you doing blocking the way here? Get out of my way!"
Nan Linghe opened his eyes and asked curiously, "Which continent is this ghost messenger from?"
Hua Xiaomei quickly pulled her and Lucy aside, smiled apologetically, and watched the red demon ghost go away. Then she said, "What continent? This is our Ghost Messenger Ba from Guangwang Palace. Don't you know him?"
Nan Linghe shook his head, and Hua Xiaomei said helplessly:
"This Ghost Messenger Tyrant is a remarkable figure. Although he's only at the third level, his demonic body has been tempered through time and is powerful enough to rival the fourth-level Black and White Impermanence. This year, he's the undisputed Hall-level Ghost Messenger of Guangwang Palace. He also has the opportunity to compete with the other Ghost Messengers from the Nine Yama Palaces for the title of Ghost Messenger of the Year, which comes with a reward of 100 million Yin De. He's truly a prestigious figure for our Guangwang Palace."
After a pause, Hua Xiaomei reminded him, "Also, the Imperial City is not subject to the realm suppression of the Equality Formation. Ghost Immortals and Palace Masters of all kinds can display their full strength here. You must be cautious at all times and be careful not to rashly offend anyone you cannot afford to offend."
Nan Linghe nodded repeatedly. At this moment, a discordant voice suddenly rang in his ears: "Hey, you!"
Following the sound, I saw a woman in green clothes with her arms folded, a provocative smile on her lips. "Ghost Messenger He, I didn't expect you to come to Fengdu Imperial City. I ran into you again. I haven't seen you for a few days, and your strength hasn't improved much."
"Are you... the ghost messenger Yu whom I defeated?"
Nan Linghe blinked and showed an expression of sudden realization. The woman in green was Xie Xinyu, who had made a bet with her.
"What...what do you mean by being defeated by you! Our challenge is not over yet!" Xie Xinyu was anxious and quickly retorted.
Compared to a few days ago, Xie Xinyu was full of confidence, and her realm had also made a great breakthrough, reaching the early stage of the second stage. The promotion of her rank made her heart full of confidence, and there was a bit of complacency in her eyes when she looked at Nan Linghe:
"Under the guidance of the Xie family's Patriarch, although my realm is not high enough, I was able to enter the Equal Hall and sit in the front row to observe this ghost messenger event up close. What about you? Which row are you sitting in?"
Nan Linghe shook his head and said truthfully, "I won't go into the Equal Hall. I came here to buy some skills."
Xie Xinyu snorted, "I don't think you can get in. I checked the ghost officer you were with last time. His name is Ghost Officer Jie. His performance has always ranked last in Guangwang Palace. He's completely useless. You'll have no future if you follow him. That Ghost Officer Jie is just a loser. How about I show you a way out and swear allegiance to my Xie family? My Xie family is a prestigious family that has stood firm through generations and dynasties. Our influence spans both the human and ghost worlds. Many people want to join but never have the chance. What do you think?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Nan Linghe with the eyes of a victor. "If you agree, I might show mercy and take you into the Hall of Equality. I'll help you meet the elites of the underworld, and you'll have endless opportunities in the future. Good deeds will also come rolling in. What do you think? Do you want to stay outside the hall with those losers, or join me and enter the hall of winners?"
Nan Linghe was slightly stunned, and looked at Hua Xiaomei for help. Hua Xiaomei shrugged:
"Go ahead. You're a dragon that's crossed the river, destined not to mingle with low-level ghost messengers like me or Brother Jie. The market outside the Equal Hall sells only inferior techniques. The truly top-tier, heavenly techniques are in the hands of the elites of the underworld. This is your opportunity. Do you see that magnificent palace? That's where you belong. I believe Brother Jie will understand."
Nan Linghe was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and said in a firm tone: "If Brother Jie can't go, then I won't go either."
"What...you!" Xie Xinyu opened her mouth, unable to believe that someone dared to reject her. She gritted her teeth and was about to explode, but saw a ghost messenger from the realm of impermanence wearing a white robe and with a sinister look walking towards her.
"Greetings, head of the family!" Xie Xinyu immediately clasped his fists.
Bai Wuchang waved his hand. He wore a tall hat with the words "First sight brings wealth" inscribed on it. He scanned the men with cold eyes, "Are they your friends?"
Xie Xinyu snorted: "No."
"In that case, let's not waste time. The Palace Master of Guangwang will soon be arriving at the Pingdeng Palace. Follow me to greet him. Please don't be disrespectful in front of the emperor."
Xie Xinyu glared at Nan Linghe and left with the senior ghost messenger.
Only after the two of them had walked away and disappeared did Hua Xiaomei wipe the sweat from her forehead. When Bai Wuchang's gaze swept over her, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She didn't dare to look directly into those captivating eyes. It took her a while to recover and said,
"That White Impermanence is none other than Xie Bian, the patriarch of the Xie family. He's a favorite of Palace Master Guangwang, and his strength is unfathomable. A single strike would be enough to shatter the souls of us... We absolutely must not let him know about the Mysterious Shadow Step."
After a pause, she continued, "And you, you actually rejected the invitation of the Xie family. They are the Xie family. The opportunity to rise to prominence was right in front of you, but you missed it..."
Nan Linghe tilted his head: "I don't care, who told her to say that Brother Jie is a loser? Brother Jie is not a loser!"
Hua Xiaomei sighed, "This is the way the world is. Those honest and kind-hearted ghost messengers are destined to have no chance of making a name for themselves in the underworld. It's not an exaggeration to call them losers. By the way, where has Ye Jie been? He didn't even come to the ghost messenger event, and you were almost abducted by the Xie family..."
As he was speaking, he heard a commotion in the distance. The might of the vast ocean swept over, making people stop in their tracks.
From afar, one could see a man in a golden robe with a dragon pattern, walking into the Equal Hall, surrounded by many judges and ghosts who were rarely seen in normal days. People around him made way for him.
Xie Xinyu, who had talked with the two before, and Xie Bian, the White Impermanence, were both in the team, but compared with other judges in high positions, they seemed like ordinary people.
"Palace Master Guangwang has arrived!"
The resounding announcement resounded throughout the imperial city, echoing above the zenith, announcing the arrival of the Palace Master.
Shaking her head, Hua Xiaomei changed the subject: "Never mind. The Equality Hall isn't a place low-level ghost messengers like us can enter. Not only now, but we might never have the chance again in this lifetime. We should hurry to the nearby ghost messenger market to exchange skills. If we're too late, the good skills will have been picked up by others."
