Chapter 446: Just four peaks

That Jade Maiden Peak junior sister actually believed the words of those two old fogeys, truly thinking that the Huang Ji Sect and Ghost Valley had really fought a battle.

It's not her fault; really, the expression, tone, and movements of Ji Wushuang and Qi Xiong were too genuine, showing no sign of falseness at all.

Moreover, not only her, but many other disciples also somewhat believed it.

Only people like Hong Zun, Shi Song and their older generation, as well as Xu Jie, this sort of naturally cunning old-timer, could remain absolutely clear-headed.

After a lot of back-and-forth, Ji Wushuang finally did not obstruct any further, merely putting forward a request that she not be allowed to move about freely.

In any case, the meaning is: if your Dao Yi Sect goes to Ghost Valley, then you can only operate within Ghost Valley; you cannot go elsewhere.

As for that, Qi Xiong naturally agreed outright, after all his goal was Ghost Valley anyway; anything else didn't matter.

Seeing Qi Xiong enthusiastically invited in by Ji Wushuang, Hong Zun and the others couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

Senior Brother is still Senior Brother.

Without any obstruction, they just entered the Huang Ji Sect's territory, and along the way Ji Wushuang personally saw them off.

Only upon reaching Ghost Valley did Ji Wushuang leave, though she definitely left people to watch in secret.

Qi Xiong also didn't care; he opened the Spirit City, activated the Formation, and it was mealtime.

The Dao Yi Sect side had been starving for a while, because Ji Wushuang had been following them all along, so they also hadn't had a chance to cook.

Now it's finally mealtime; who still has the mood to worry about other things?

Meanwhile, Ji Wushuang, before even returning to the Huang Ji Sect, received contact from the Ghost Valley Ghost King.

In a gloomy Ghost Palace, the Ghost King, whose whole body exuded rich ghost qi, spoke in a cold and stern tone.

Ji Wushuang, what do you mean?

The arrival of the Dao Yi Sect was naturally detected by Ghost Valley right away, and they even thought it was the Huang Ji Sect and Dao Yi Sect joining forces; all the Ghost Kings in Ghost Valley were startled.

However, Ji Wushuang's response to this was as follows.

It's the Dao Yi Sect that wants to eradicate your Ghost Valley; it has nothing to do with me.

Did the Huang Ji Sect and Ghost Valley really fight a battle? Of course not; it's pure nonsense.

Upon hearing that, the Ghost King stared fixedly at Ji Wushuang on the other side of the light curtain, and only after a while did he speak.

In that case, your Huang Ji Sect won't intervene?

No.

Good.

After saying that, he hung up directly, and Ji Wushuang gave a cold smile, then returned directly to the Huang Ji Sect—let them fight, the fiercer the better.

Upon learning that the Huang Ji Sect would not intervene, in Ghost Valley, a gloomy Ghost Palace filled with over ten Ghost Kings gathered together.

The Ghost King who had just spoken with Ji Wushuang, his eyes full of bloodthirsty color, said:

Does the Dao Yi Sect really think it's the leader of the Human Race? And still wants to meddle in my Ghost Valley's affairs?

Heh, it seems they've been riding high lately, getting too swollen-headed.

No matter what, do they really think my Ghost Valley fears them?

Haha, well said—if the Dao Yi Sect were to come out in full force, we might still be wary a bit, but these are just disciples of the Four Peaks; what do we have to fear?

But I wonder whether the Huang Ji Sect side will...

Some Ghost Kings worried that Ji Wushuang might be deceiving them, but soon another Ghost King rebutted:

Unless he, Ji Wushuang, no longer wants those heavenly treasures and earthly riches.

Ghost Valley, because of its rich ghost qi and special environment, has given birth to many unique heavenly treasures and earthly riches.

Although they are born in the place where ghost wailing is thick, they are also greatly beneficial to cultivators, and besides Ghost Valley, nowhere else has them.

Therefore, the heavenly treasures and earthly riches produced by Ghost Valley are very popular in Dongzhou.

And over these years, the Huang Ji Sect and Ghost Valley have been secretly cooperating.

The Huang Ji Sect provides living people as sacrifices to Ghost Valley, while Ghost Valley allows Huang Ji Sect disciples to gather those heavenly treasures and earthly riches.

Both sides cooperate, each taking what they need, and the Huang Ji Sect thus profits handsomely.

The only ones who suffer are the ordinary common folk.

Originally, under the protection of the Huang Ji Sect, they didn't have to worry about safety.

Just like the common folk under the protection of the Dao Yi Sect, they don't even worry—seeing an evil creature would seem strange to them.

But the Huang Ji Sect, on the other hand, takes the lives of these ordinary people in exchange for resources.

Of course, all this is done in secret; on the surface, the Huang Ji Sect remains one of the four great sects renowned in Dongzhou.

Such things are actually not uncommon; in the eyes of many cultivators, an ordinary person's life is no different from an ant's—if they die, they die, as long as the total number is kept under control, just don't wipe them all out at once.

But looking at the Dao Yi Sect, although each of them is hopelessly incompetent, they have boundless courage.

But if you just go ask the common folk under the Dao Yi Sect's protection and listen to what they say, you'll know the difference.

The Dao Yi Sect is sinister, shameless, and unscrupulous—but that's only toward outsiders and other races; they never treat their own people that way.

After eating, the disciples discussed and then began to enter the outskirts of Ghost Valley.

The elders, stewards, and Peak Masters like Hong Zun and the others were responsible for protection, guarding against any move by the Ghost Kings.

As for Ye Zhangqing, late at night, accompanied by Bai Hua Xianzi, he went to bed early, only putting out the lamp in the middle of the night.............

Faintly, one could still hear Bai Hua Xianzi's complaints.

It's awful, quickly put out the night-luminous stone.

A bit brighter would be easier to operate.

It's embarrassing to death.

The night passed in silence, and early the next morning, many disciples returned one after another.

Last night also saw many battles break out; some evil creatures attacked the disciples, and the disciples also slew many evil creatures.

However, at breakfast, everyone's mood was low.

Seeing the listless Zhao Zhengping, Xu Jie and a few others, Ye Zhangqing held a bowl of tiger penis soup; lately he's been a bit indulgent, needs to replenish, he asked curiously.

"What's going on?"

"Don't even mention it, damn it, the outskirts of Ghost Valley have not a single hair, only evil spirits."

Xu Jie swore, looking displeased.

Last night we searched all night, let alone the heavenly fragrant ghost fruit, we found nothing—utterly barren.

Evil spirits are abundant, but the disciples have no interest in them.

They're neither food nor seasoning, so no one bothers to kill them.

It's really strange—these evil spirits don't even need heavenly treasures; damn, where did they all go?

In the end, Xu Jie was the first to react, guessing they'd been taken by the Huang Ji Sect.

After all, over the years, many of Ghost Valley's unique heavenly treasures are only sold in the auction houses under the Huang Ji Sect.

One could say the Huang Ji Sect has monopolized Ghost Valley's heavenly treasures.

I hadn't noticed this before; only now did I recall it.

"I damn well knew it—the Huang Ji Sect has been secretly colluding with Ghost Valley all along."

"That's right—look at Ghost Valley, a thousand li around, not a single city, many villages long abandoned, obviously slaughtered by evil spirits."

"If it weren't for the Huang Ji Sect's tacit approval, could Ghost Valley have come to this?"

"Shit, it's human blood steamed buns again."

Regarding such matters, Xu Jie and the others, though angry, frankly speaking have long grown accustomed to it; although the Dao Yi Sect would never do such a thing, in other sects of Dongzhou this is all too common.

Using ordinary people's lives to exchange for heavenly treasures, to those powerhouses it's a zero‑cost deal.