Chapter 352: Real or Fake Scripture Seeker?

"Does this count as a ghost too?" Ao Yulie spoke in human tongue while in the form of a white steed.

Before them lay the corpse of a massive bear, standing five meters tall when upright, collapsed on the ground.

Fei Yuan Thirteen called this bear a "Brown-Haired Ghost," giving Ao Yulie a new understanding of ghosts.

It wasn't that only things with supernatural power that ordinary people couldn't resist would be called ghosts; many things capable of harming humans would be called ghosts.

For instance, a "Murder Ghost" was someone who had killed many people and gained "notoriety" from it.

There were even "Earth Ghosts" — what are Earth Ghosts? In more archaic terms, it meant the earth dragon turning over.

In modern vocabulary, two words: earthquake.

That's right, earthquakes were also called "Earth Ghosts" by the people here; similarly, there was "Heaven's Wrath" — thunder striking from the heavens — also a kind of ghost.

Because quite a few people died from being struck by lightning.

Anything harmful was a ghost — extremely simple and crude.

Therefore there was no special classification; at most they were divided into "events" and "objects."

Things like Resentful Spirit Snow, Earth Ghosts, and Heaven's Wrath were "ghost events"; the Ghost Market Tang Luo and the others encountered at the start was also a type of ghost event.

Ghost events weren't that simple as mere natural phenomena either.

It seemed Resentful Spirit Snow would form undying undead legions, slaughtering every living creature in the area.

Many earthquakes would spew large amounts of poisonous gas from underground; infected creatures would turn into venomous beasts, killing each other until only one remained, becoming the Poison King.

Heaven's Wrath's descending thunder often formed terrifying thunder prisons, thoroughly turning a stretch of land into scorched earth.

In terms of disaster scope, it wasn't too vast, but the severity of the disaster undoubtedly deserved the title of "cataclysm."

Most importantly, they were unsolvable — Resentful Spirit Snow, Earth Ghosts, Heaven's Wrath were all unsolvable ghosts.

If encountered, one could only run; the Ghost Market was the same.

The vast majority of ghost events were unsolvable, at least not simple objects that could be fought and killed.

Anyway, before meeting the former Scripture Seeker, the Fighting Victorious Buddha Tang Xuanzang, Yu Kongyuan and Fei Yuan Thirteen had never heard of any ghost event being perfectly resolved by anyone.

Being able to escape was already a fortunate thing.

As for ghost objects, those were truly visible, tangible "things" — like the bear before them.

Relatively simpler; at least there was a target one could directly go slash.

"Yes." Fei Yuan Thirteen nodded; he was already used to the situation of a white horse speaking.

Fifteen days had passed since they left Lake City.

The three of them advanced northwest according to Yu Kongyuan's sensing; three people, three mounts, and the speed was still quite fast.

Tang Luo's Spartan War Cry had already reached Level 3; whenever he had nothing to do he'd cast it on the other two horses' heads, making those two horses run like they'd been injected with chicken blood, flying along.

When tired he'd cast a Light spell to heal, incidentally healing Yu Kongyuan who was being jolted half to death on horseback, gritting his teeth and bitterly enduring.

As for Fei Yuan Thirteen, this intensity of forced marching, he could completely endure.

The reason he looked so miserable, so weak, was because the people he ran into were all too strong.

Either Ghost Exorcists, or Tang Luo and his bunch who were beyond specifications — how could he not appear weak?

Actually, even among the Fei Yuan, Fei Yuan Thirteen was among the top few in strength.

Thirteen wasn't a ranking.

This "Bear Ghost" was independently dealt with by Fei Yuan Thirteen.

"At most half a day more, and we can reach the Heavenly River Shrine." Yu Kongyuan said, holding a map, "The limit of what I can sense right now is also at the Heavenly River Shrine. Hope we don't have to pass through the Ghost Prison."

These days, Yu Kongyuan's sensing was sometimes a simple direction, sometimes it would turn into a relatively specific location.

When there was a direction, they just had to walk toward the general direction.

But after sensing a location, they needed to get close to a certain degree, even stay for a period of time, before they could confirm which direction to go next.

Overall it was northwest, but no one dared guarantee that the "Western Pure Land" could be reached one hundred percent just by heading west all the way.

They needed Yu Kongyuan, this living navigator, to keep navigating.

The map in Yu Kongyuan's hand was undoubtedly a rare item, the kind that could be sold for a fortune.

A map jointly outlined by many of the Yu Kong Clan after they roamed the four directions.

According to the map, Tang Luo and the others would soon enter a place called the Heavenly River Shrine.

Named a shrine, according to the Yu Kong Clan's map and records, it could actually count as a small city.

Its origin was a Ghost Exorcist settling here and worshipping a "River God" — just like the Buddha, no one was clear what exactly it was either.

In short, that powerful Ghost Exorcist believed, so others followed and believed.

Gradually forming a shrine, with no intention of establishing a ruling power; the people of the shrine guarded their own small plot of land.

As time passed, this quite safe place attracted many people to settle nearby.

Slowly forming a gathering point; according to the Yu Kong Clan's records, it had already reached the scale of a city.

It was a place where one could settle down in peace.

Corresponding to it, to the north of the Heavenly River Shrine was the Ghost Prison, also at the northernmost part of the map, only revealing a portion of it.

Narrow and elongated in shape, a mountain valley that no one could pass through.

Rumors said there were large numbers of ghosts inside.

"Ghost Prison, what kind of place?" Tang Luo turned his head to look at Yu Kongyuan; this name, at first listen, sounded very meritorious.

Far more attractive than the Heavenly River Shrine.

Yu Kongyuan briefly explained how dangerous a place the Ghost Prison was.

"Indeed that kind of place, good. The Heavenly River Shrine can be skipped; the Ghost Prison, we're definitely clearing it once." Tang Luo said.

"..."

Yu Kongyuan put away the map, not knowing what to say.

After these days of effort, she understood very clearly that she simply could not learn Master Xuanzang's "scripture-fetching style."

Yu Kongyuan indeed possessed a special ability, but in terms of combat, it could be said she had absolutely no talent.

Even her body was inferior to that of children the same age.

She was clearly already ten years old, but there was no difference from a seven- or eight-year-old; only her fair complexion and a cute face with a touch of baby fat showed her "wealthy family" origins.

But thinking about it carefully, a child who never stepped past the main gate or the second gate having a body less sturdy than those wild kids who ran around outside all day seems quite normal, doesn't it?

But don't forget, that was under the condition that everyone could at least eat their fill, dress warmly, and keep up with nutrition.

When they couldn't even eat enough, where would a good body come from?

Yu Kongyuan not only ate her fill, but certainly ate well; her body shouldn't be this weak.

This point was likely related to her using the Scripture-Fetcher's special power to save people.

Whether it was initially "rescuing" Yu Kongxin back, or reviving Fei Yuan Shisan upon their first meeting, both consumed Yu Kongyuan considerably.

It made Tang Luo suspect that the so-called saving of people was actually Yu Kongyuan dividing her own life force to give to others.

The Heavenly River Shrine was built on a mountain; the gathering place at the foot of the mountain bustled with people coming and going, its liveliness eye-catching, comparable to a market fair.

Fei Yuan Shisan led the horse and pulled over a passerby to ask what had happened.

Seeing Fei Yuan Shisan's weapon and horse, the passerby immediately revealed a constrained, ingratiating smile — one look and you knew he was a big shot who couldn't be offended.

In this era, having a weapon was fine, but having a horse was a different matter entirely.

Moreover, it was a divine steed that looked extremely extraordinary; placed in modern society, it would be a super-luxury car.

The passerby's face beamed like a chrysanthemum: "My lord, do you know of the Scripture-Fetcher?" That tone was practically a sales pitch.

"Scripture-Fetcher?" Fei Yuan Shisan blanked for a moment, instinctively looking toward Yu Kongyuan.

That's not right; they had only just arrived, how had news of the Scripture-Fetcher already spread?

Along the way there was clearly no one tailing them.

"For a big shot like you, my lord, you should have heard of it before." The passerby rattled off a simple explanation of what a Scripture-Fetcher was.

Roughly the same as what Yu Kongyuan had said — something about a savior and the like.

"The Scripture-Fetcher is right now at the Heavenly River Shrine, gathering warrior lords and exorcist masters to go fetch scriptures together and save the world!" The passerby's face was full of excitement.

This world has hope now!

"..."

Fei Yuan Shisan looked at Yu Kongyuan, a face full of bewilderment.

Yu Kongyuan looked at her loyal subordinate, also not knowing what to say.

"Do you lords also want to join the scripture-fetching team?" the passerby said. "Follow this road west, and you'll soon see the path up the mountain; the shrine is on the mountain, just that horses aren't good for going up."

"Oh, thanks." Fei Yuan Shisan said a sentence.

The passerby completed his mission and withdrew successfully amid "don't dare, don't dare" modest words.

"Could it be another former Scripture-Fetcher?" Yu Kongyuan asked softly.

"Don't know, let's go look." Tang Luo was very direct; no need to guess.

Since that Scripture-Fetcher was in the Heavenly River Shrine, one look was worth ten guesses.

"Oh." Yu Kongyuan nodded.

She was a bit worried — would it be a trap laid by someone after her Scripture-Fetcher news had completely leaked?

Under normal circumstances, one would certainly investigate first.

But for a Scripture-Fetcher, charging straight in is the basic operation.

Just rush up there.

Arriving near the mountain path at the foot of the mountain, looking at the mountain path, one could indeed see quite a few people walking up; finding a secluded spot to tie the two horses, Ao Yulie resumed human form.

The group went up along the mountain path.

On the way they passed a small pavilion; inside the pavilion were Heavenly River Shrine people, born quite tall and big, wearing clothes slightly resembling monk robes.

Narrow sleeves, gray-white color, left shoulder and left arm bared.

Some people were also gathered around this person, asking about the Scripture-Fetcher's situation.

Stopping to listen a bit, the Scripture-Fetcher was currently in the Heavenly River Shrine's main hall, looking for people who could fetch the Transcendence True Scripture together with him.

If everyone wants to understand the situation, they may go and listen in freely.

And if they want to join the scripture-fetching team, then they must first defeat the Heavenly River Shrine's people, all in the main hall.

Both "speeches" and martial contests — it could be called quite lively.

Dozens of people went up the mountain in a mighty throng.

The Heavenly River Shrine's main hall was built near a cliff; outside the main gate facing it was a "plaza" built of wood, more than half of it cantilevered, supported underneath by round columns.

The side was the road.

On the plaza, a battle between shrine people and another person.

Near the main hall's front gate, several dozen people also stood, watching the fight on one hand and listening to the Scripture-Fetcher inside the main hall narrate everything about scripture-fetching and saving the world on the other — killing two birds with one stone.