Chapter 86: 87, 88 The Blind

Light snow fell in flurries; only those with a tranquil heart could hear the sound of it landing.

Song Cheng's ears had always been very sharp.

The snow fell soft and light, as if the heavens were using the earth as a zither, playing it quietly.

He held an umbrella, standing on the West City wall with Lady Zhushan.

After a long while, he spoke: "Grandmother, are you still worried?"

He had already confirmed that Lady Zhushan was indeed many years his senior—old enough to be his great-grandmother—and just recently, his form of address had changed during a "small family gathering."

Tong Jia had clamored: "Calling her 'Senior' makes it feel distant!"

Song Cheng asked: "Then what should I call her?"

Tong Jia made the final decision: "Call her Grandmother."

And so, Song Cheng called her that, and Lady Zhushan accepted it as such.

Hearing this now, Lady Zhushan said softly: "This old woman does not know why the Ghost Servants did not strike during the peace talks; I cannot understand it, as that was clearly an excellent opportunity.

The only explanation is that they are brewing a greater conspiracy."

Song Cheng closed his eyes, thought about the intelligence gathered these past few days, and suddenly said: "The Northern Barbarians demanded a lot of grain and supplies. Other counties are not getting enough to eat or wear, yet these invaders are well-fed and clothed. Something will go wrong, right?"

Lady Zhushan was stunned for a moment, then her mind turned, and she realized it too. She pondered for a while and said: "Something will go wrong."

Song Cheng said: "Have the big shots not thought of this?"

Lady Zhushan sighed deeply and said: "The Six Towns were originally guarded by descendants of military families and major sects, but slowly, because it is bitter, cold, and barren, it became a gathering place for exiled criminals and the lower classes.

That place is filled with sects and numerous factions, yet it is a mixed bag of people and has never been valued by the Imperial Court.

After all, why would they bother to look down at a place for exiled prisoners?"

Song Cheng said: "But they are the first force to resist the Northern Barbarians, and the force most directly confronting them."

Lady Zhushan nodded and said: "Hmm."

Then she added: "This old woman sees it clearly now; this is an open conspiracy.

The general from Zhoucheng needs merit, and the Imperial Court needs stability.

If scattering a little grain can pacify the beasts from the North Land, why not do it? It is just the common people who have to suffer."

"This old woman finally understands why the Ghost Servants did not move.

So they were waiting for this.

But which bastard came up with this strategy for them?

The Ghost Servants themselves do not have this kind of brain."

Song Cheng said: "We have seen it, and many others surely have too."

Lady Zhushan said: "They were in a rush to send grain at the time, and now that they realize it, it is already too late.

But even if they had thought of it then, what could they have done?

If they did not seek peace, were they really supposed to let the Northern Barbarians go desperate and crazy, breaking the pots and sinking the boats to bring a Ghost Tide south? This is a grand, open conspiracy."

Song Cheng thought for a moment and suddenly said: "Grandmother, is it peaceful now?"

"Yes."

"And the Ghost Tide has not appeared yet, right?"

"Yes."

"This summer and autumn, my An Family harvested a large amount of grain, right? The prefecture city has vast lands, and since the An Family are grain merchants, many of the farmlands are at the foot of your Zhushan," Song Cheng smiled. "Adding flowers to brocade is not as good as sending charcoal in the snow."

He had already decided these days to take root in Hanping Prefecture and not flee south anymore, so it was not just Hanping Prefecture, but even the Six Towns adjacent to it that he needed to build good relations with.

He needed an opportunity.

He had been wondering where this opportunity would come from, but now, the Northern Barbarians had delivered it to him.

Sending grain and supplies to the Six Towns at this time would be truly life-saving, a hundred times more useful than at any other time.

Fortune and misfortune are interdependent; the matter of the Six Towns was a disaster, but it was also an opportunity for the An Family.

Lady Zhushan was stunned.

Before she could speak, Song Cheng said: "If no one sends grain to the Six Towns, my An Family will!"

He acted as soon as he decided; in just two days, the An Family gathered eighty ox-carts, loaded with nearly two thousand shi of grain, and headed north. Besides the An Family guards, those escorting it included "Form" realm medicine-men from Zhushan Temple and even Prefecture Soldiers.

The Prefecture Soldiers were already controlled by the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall, and as a Guest Elder of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall, Song Cheng had enough face for this.

While the ox-carts were still heading north to the Six Towns, the Prefecture Soldiers returned.

The soldiers and Martial Artists who had gone full of ambition and high spirits, thinking of earning merit and joining the two major factions, were now full of exhaustion and weathered by the wind.

The war had scrubbed away their shallowness, and after they returned, they all sought out their families to hug and weep.

The Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall and White Camel Manor did not break their word; they recruited a large number of outer disciples and promised to teach them techniques.

And the young blind boy, who had not been looked upon by the two major factions at all, was now sitting directly in front of the leaders of these two factions.

At this table, there were four people.

The three giants of the prefecture city, plus one blind boy.

Lady Zhushan was wrapped in heavy, ugly clothes, with a pockmarked, round face.

"Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall Master" Tie Zhenyi wore a dark blue robe, with a square face, thick eyebrows, eyes like knives, and a clanging voice.

"White Camel Manor Master" Ouyang Sha had a high nose and deep-set eyes, wore white clothes, and although he had reached middle age, one could still tell he must have been a dashing and handsome young man in his youth.

And Song Cheng also confirmed that the person he saw at White Camel Manor that day was indeed this Manor Master.

At this moment, except for Lady Zhushan whose colors were grayish, the other two were outlines composed of bright white lines.

These two were also sizing up Song Cheng.

Both were quite interested in this newly emerged young hero in the city.

Especially since today, this gathering was invited by Lady Zhushan.

Tie Zhenyi and Ouyang Sha were merely discussing matters of the battlefield, and from time to time they would ask Lady Zhushan a few questions about affairs in the city, yet neither of them paid any mind to Song Cheng.

The two of them likely knew that the one who actually had business today was this little blind man.

They were also waiting for the little blind man to speak.

Song Cheng was not coy; he found an opportunity to interrupt the three of them, stood up and cupped his hands, then looked at the Big Hall Master and the Manor Master and said, "Two seniors, this junior has a proposal."

"This junior wishes to exchange cultivation techniques with you two seniors."

Ouyang Sha looked at him gloomily and said nothing.

Tie Zhenyi, however, stroked his chin and said, "Kid, looking at your relationship with Lady Zhushan, you have already obtained the *Zhushan Martial Outline*, haven't you? You already know a Form Realm technique; with the *Zhushan Martial Outline* on top of that, what else could you possibly want to trade for?"

Song Cheng said straightforwardly, "I wish to trade for your two seniors' Qi Realm techniques."

Upon hearing this, a hint of a smile flashed in the eyes of the two.

Tie Zhenyi said, "Qi Realm techniques, we certainly have them."

"But these are the treasures of my sect; no matter what you offer to trade, it cannot be done, unless you join my martial arts hall completely and endure through the ranks."

"Your martial arts being high is secondary; the most important thing for a sect's inheritance is loyalty and belonging to the sect."

"But forgive my bluntness, you are the son-in-law of the An Family and also Lady Zhushan's partner; you naturally carry the label of other sects on you. Even if you joined my Mountain and River Martial Hall, you wouldn't last until the time you could receive the technique inheritance."

"So, there is no need."

"This is not to deceive you, but every sect has its rules."

"Inheritance cannot be passed on lightly."

"If it were you, you would be the same."

Song Cheng swept a glance at Tie Zhenyi's data.

160~292.

This was somewhat stronger than Ouyang Sha.

But compared to him, it was still far from enough.

He only needed to reveal a portion of his strength to be enough to handle this.

Thus, Song Cheng said, "Big Hall Master Tie, to say such things before even seeing what I have to trade, isn't that too arbitrary?"

He stepped back two paces, leaving an open space, and made a gesture of invitation.

Tie Zhenyi did not stand up, but instead asked, "Are you also in the Qi Realm?"

Song Cheng shook his head.

Tie Zhenyi pondered for a moment, then laughed heartily and said, "Very well, newborn calves are not afraid of tigers; I admire your spirit. Then let me witness your methods."

Song Cheng said, "Please."

Tie Zhenyi did not put on airs, stepped forward and said, "Let's go to the courtyard."

The two went out the door, and Lady Zhushan and Ouyang Sha followed immediately after.

In the courtyard,

snow still remained in the four corners.

Tie Zhenyi took his broadsword, assumed a slight stance, and then, without immediately unleashing his Qi Realm power, he combined his form and energy, swinging the broadsword like a full moon, turning it in mid-air into a whistling, explosive, bright silver circle that slashed down at his head.

Lady Zhushan and Ouyang Sha immediately looked at Song Cheng.

In Lady Zhushan's mind, she had already imagined how Little Song would respond.

She had already watched Little Song draw his blade many times.

Fast, accurate, and ruthless; killing those immobilized Ghosts was truly a smooth and flowing affair.

Little Song's blade should meet it as fast as lightning, but his strength definitely could not compare to Big Hall Master Tie; the Mountain and River Martial Hall's strength was rigid and powerful—rising like carrying a mountain, falling like splitting a mountain, horizontally overbearing, all possessing the weight of a thousand jun.

Therefore, Little Song's first strike would be deflected.

But Little Song was fast, so he would follow up quickly and then fight the Big Hall Master in a grappling style.

But could such methods move the Big Hall Master? Lady Zhushan felt they would not.

However, she had already come to view Song Cheng as her own offspring, thinking that even if Little Song could not obtain the Qi Realm technique from Tie Zhenyi or Ouyang Sha, she would find a way to seek an opportunity for him.

No sooner said than done.

Song Cheng did not draw the blade at his waist, but simply brought two fingers together and flicked them through the air with a light and breezy motion, like a shooting star rushing toward the moon; as his finger landed on the whistling, slashing bright silver arc, with a "Ding" sound, he deflected the broadsword.

He withdrew his finger, which still displayed a mysterious dark color.

This was merely the Xuanwu Body, without adding the power of the Xuanwu True Form.

If it were added, this dark color would have a bit more of a dreamlike quality, like the finger of a god or Buddha above the clouds, wreathed in mist.

Yet even so, the three big shots present were stunned.

Especially Lady Zhushan.

Song Cheng did not wait for the three to ask, and spoke directly: "This technique is called *Xuanwu Body*; this is the technique I intend to use to exchange for the Qi Realm technique."

"Body?"

Tie Zhenyi was stunned for a moment.

Song Cheng nodded and said, "Body."

When he said this word, the hundred energies in his body suddenly began to circulate wildly, making his entire person seem as if cast from tempered steel, resembling an image of a god or Buddha radiating a chilling aura.

"Let me try!"

A sharp glint flashed in Ouyang Sha's eyes, and he immediately shook his cane, moving like a phantom, and in an instant, he was in front of Song Cheng.

The cane struck out, like a grass snake leaving a trail in the dust, like a startling bolt of lightning, and with a fierce point, it struck Song Cheng's left shoulder.

*Pa. *

The electric light landed on his body, spreading out ripples, and the air even produced a distortion of light, but it was useless!

Ouyang Sha turned his hand and struck his right shoulder with the cane.

Snap.

Still no use.

The walking stick retracted slightly, then pointed toward Song Cheng's left eye again.

Song Cheng secretly channeled his strength; his internal energy surged, then quietly lay dormant. Even if Ouyang Sha had used Qi Realm power in this strike, he could have completely defended against it. But if he did that, he and this Manor Master Ouyang would become enemies.

If it was clearly a sparring match, yet you used a lethal strike, what is that if not a mortal enemy? But if it was still within the Form Realm, then it was fine.

Snap! The walking stick tapped on Song Cheng's left eyelid, emitting a dull metallic sound.

Still within the scope of the Form Realm.

Song Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Ouyang Sha also withdrew his walking stick, looked at Song Cheng with burning eyes, and suddenly said, "Become my son-in-law, and I will pass on the Qi Realm cultivation method of my manor to you! I won't force you to divorce, but my daughter must also be a wife."

On the other side, Tie Zhenyi also reacted, stepped forward, and said, "What a 'Profound Martial Body'. It seems you, Mr. Song, really are a descendant of some hidden family. Such a divine art, I actually feel it is still within the scope of the Jin Realm."

He pondered for a moment and smiled, "This old man is obsessed with cultivation and doesn't have a beautiful daughter, but you can come to my sect. I will accept a disciple on behalf of my master; you will be my junior martial brother, and I will teach you the cultivation method. How about it?"

Ouyang Sha glared at Tie Zhenyi.

Tie Zhenyi said with a smile, "You want him? I want him too."

Ouyang Sha looked at Song Cheng again and said, "My sect has poison arts and snake-taming arts. If you become my son-in-law, I might just teach them to you."

Tie Zhenyi said, "My sect has mechanism arts. That Master Shuimo in the West Market is our Guest Elder, and I have a nephew who is his disciple—the one who made that Mechanism Shield for you. If you join my sect, you might just get to see the mechanism arts."

"Besides that, the influence of my Mountain River Martial Hall is a little stronger than that old poison-user's, which is also beneficial for your An Family."

"Furthermore, you are already a Guest Elder of my Mountain River Martial Hall; this is fate."

"Brother Song, what are you still hesitating about?"

Song Cheng had only shown a little bit of his skill, and these two titans immediately changed their attitudes.

Song Cheng thought for a moment.

If the situation stabilized, he intended to have children with An Jie.

Under these circumstances, it was really not appropriate to remarry.

Besides that, he had also been thinking about "how a person who is Chang Sheng Bu Lao should live," and his criteria for choosing a partner were fixed: before he was completely invincible, he would not add to his burdens unless necessary.

What does that mean? If a woman cannot help him, then it means the two have no fate, and he will not marry her.

Of course, if he truly married, he would do his best to cultivate feelings with this woman, never leaving her side in the future, and treating her like kin.

He did not necessarily have to marry Manor Master Ouyang's daughter, because he could also obtain the "Qi Realm cultivation method" by becoming the junior martial brother of the Mountain River Martial Hall Master.

Plus, with Lady Zhushan here, he would be even less likely to choose the former.

Lady Zhushan doted on Tong Jia and could barely accept An Chenyu, but if he were to take another wife, Lady Zhushan would at least be quite unhappy, if not explode.

Therefore, he thought for a moment and said, "Many thanks, Manor Master Ouyang, but my wife and I are deeply devoted to each other; I am terribly sorry."

Tie Zhenyi laughed, hugged the young blind man's shoulder, patted him, and then turned to look at Ouyang Sha, saying, "Laoduwu, we are both in the same Prefecture City and advance and retreat together; don't take this to heart. You never proposed today, okay?"

Ouyang Sha was silent for a moment and said, "Fine."

After saying this, he cupped his hands and turned to leave.

His favorability did not decrease.

And Tie Zhenyi said, "Junior brother, let us return to the Mountain River Martial Hall quickly. This old man wants to announce it to the entire Prefecture City and then lead you to the Ancestral Hall to pay respects to our Master Sect's predecessors one by one."

Song Cheng smiled and said, "I will trouble you, Senior brother."

Tie Zhenyi added, "Junior brother, give me the bottom line, you..."

Song Cheng said, "Senior brother is at the Great Accomplishment of the Qi Realm, right?"

Tie Zhenyi said, "Completion."

Song Cheng thought for a moment and said respectfully, "I might be able to challenge across levels..."

Tie Zhenyi said, "Challenge the Completion stage with the Form Realm?"

Song Cheng said, "Senior brother might as well try."

Tie Zhenyi said in surprise, "Heh, I really must try."

Immediately, the two each held their weapons.

Song Cheng grasped his blade and shield, and Tie Zhenyi gripped his great blade.

One blade moved without shadow, offense and defense integrated like a dragon hiding in an old mountain;

The other blade struck like thunder, booming like giant claws emerging from the clouds.

In the courtyard, the snow that had been piled in one place surged into a vortex, shattered into powder again and again by the crisscrossing energy in the sky.

Lady Zhushan could only watch, dumbfounded, thinking to herself: 'I didn't expect little Song to hide his skills so deeply. His true strength can actually fight the Big Hall Master to a draw, and this is even a challenge across levels.' At this moment, although Tie Zhenyi had not used a lethal strike, he was already using his full ten percent of power.

But even so, he still could not break Song Cheng's defense.

And every time Song Cheng suddenly struck with his blade, it left him scrambling to parry.

He felt as if he were fighting a giant turtle; he slashed with all his might, but every blade hit that thick, heavy turtle shell. Yet the turtle could always take advantage of his waning strength to strike out and bite like lightning.

It was very uncomfortable.

Bang!!

Another clash.

Air waves rolled, exploding a spreading ripple in the clear sky.

The two separated.

Song Cheng glanced at his panel.

The probability of deducing a Yellow Grade Grade A cultivation method had increased, changing from 1.6 per thousand to 3.2 per thousand.

And Tie Zhenyi said impatiently, "No more fighting! I'm taking my junior brother to pay respects to the master! Let's go, let's go now! Let's do it now!"

The Big Hall Master had clearly seen it: this young blind man was a peerless monster of cultivation. He was like a lecherous man who had seen a beautiful woman, now impatient to take this monster to join the Master Sect, and then couldn't wait to pass on his sect's cultivation method, thinking he would completely brand him with the Mountain River Martial Hall.

Song Cheng performed a salute and said, "I have troubled you, Senior Brother."

Hanping Prefecture was in an uproar.

The one who caused this sensation was that son-in-law of the An Family.

This youth who had appeared out of nowhere seemed to have been stepping on a path to the heavens all along.

Just when everyone thought his achievements were already high enough and fast enough, he took another step upward, being pulled in by the uncrowned king of Hanping Prefecture, Big Hall Master of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall, Tie Zhenyi, to be accepted as a disciple on behalf of his master.

Tie Zhenyi did not mention that Song Cheng could challenge him across ranks; this was to protect him, and also to ensure he would not become arrogant, and subsequently, on the highest building in all of Hanping Prefecture.

Tie Zhenyi took three sticks of incense and ordered the youth to pay respects to Heaven.

He then went to the great river outside Hanping Prefecture, took three sticks of incense, and ordered the youth to pay respects to Earth.

With Heaven and Earth as witnesses, in fresh clothes and on spirited horses, with iron cavalry rushing by, ten thousand people followed.

The Big Hall Master led the youth into the Ancestral Hall at the very core of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall and said loudly, "Our Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall, ancestors above, today disciple Tie Zhenyi accepts a disciple on behalf of my master. Song Cheng has already paid respects to Heaven and Earth and prepared the proper rituals; now that he enters my sect, I ask the ancestors to bear witness."

Song Cheng held the three sticks of incense and placed them into the incense burner of the Ancestral Hall.

The incense smoke curled upward, steady and without the slightest wavering.

Song Cheng returned and kowtowed respectfully three times on the prayer mat.

With this kowtow, he was now one of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall's own.

If one were to consider the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall as the "Imperial Court" of Hanping Prefecture, he had now joined the "Imperial Court."

And because of this, he would possess "Qi Realm cultivation techniques" and "legitimacy."

The former could allow his strength to step into the Qi Realm he had long craved.

And a large amount of spare points could allow him to reach Completion the moment he stepped into it.

The latter could allow him to better take root in this place.

He would not be ostracized or targeted by others.

Because the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall was itself the local emperor of Hanping Prefecture.

What's more, he not only wore the label of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall but also that of Zhushan Temple.

It would not be an exaggeration to call him the "Crown Prince of Hanping Prefecture."

The use of a name is very great.

Without a name, you can only kill, kill, and kill, ending up in a dead end, shouted at by everyone, called a rebel.

With a name, you only need to kill and seize at critical moments, and then you are not only not a rebel, but a great hero, revered by ten thousand people.

Song Cheng still knew a little about these things.

So the moment he finished kowtowing, he knew that his family was a bit more secure in Hanping Prefecture.

And the Big Hall Master was also incomparably happy.

After the ceremony was completed, with many people witnessing it, and added to the youth's own character, Tie Zhenyi gave the youth a bear hug.

"Junior Brother!"

"Senior Brother!"

The two laughed heartily.

The Big Hall Master then pulled Song Cheng around, introducing him one by one.

The great battle had ceased, and many high-level members of the martial arts hall who were stationed in various places had returned, but they might not stay long; after all, everyone knew that if there were a Ghost Tide this year, it would likely be unprecedentedly fierce.

These high-level members all returned to collect resources, firstly for their own cultivation, and secondly to cultivate fresh blood locally.

Having resources to cultivate and not having resources to cultivate are two different levels of progress.

It was also a coincidence that the high-level members of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall could gather together to witness Song Cheng's initiation ceremony.

"Come, come, this is the First Elder, Pang Facai; the name is very rustic, right? Rustic is just right, hahaha."

Song Cheng hurriedly stood up, wanting to salute, but was pressed down by the Big Hall Master's hand.

The Big Hall Master shouted, "We are of the same generation, why salute? At most, just call him Senior Brother."

First Elder Pang said with a smile, "Junior Brother, don't be distant; once you have entered our Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall, we are family."

Song Cheng said with a smile, "Yes, Senior Brother Pang."

First Elder Pang knew that this youth was not simple, otherwise the Big Hall Master could not have been so eager to pull him into the sect; seeing him so polite at this moment, without any sense of arrogance from a youth who had achieved success, he felt a surge of goodwill.

The Big Hall Master continued to introduce them one by one:

"This is the Second Elder, Ling Han, whom you are familiar with."

"This is the Third Elder, Duan Xin, the youngest Qi Realm Martial Artist in our Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall."

"The Fourth Elder did not return; he was slightly injured and is recovering."

"This is the External Affairs Envoy, Yuan Qianke."

"External Affairs Envoy, Hong Juguang."

"Internal Affairs Envoy, Shi Zhongjian."

The Big Hall Master introduced them one by one; White Camel Manor had two elders, four internal affairs envoys, and two external affairs envoys, while the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall had four elders, six internal affairs envoys, and six external affairs envoys, so its overall strength was considered to be double that.

After the initiation ceremony, the Big Hall Master sent people to ride fast horses to inform the eight directions of the major changes in the sect's personnel, so that the subordinate forces of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall stationed in the county towns of Hanping Prefecture would all know of Song Cheng's existence, and not be disrespectful if Song Cheng arrived in the future.

And when the matter was finished, he pulled Song Cheng to the depths of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall, and then solemnly took out a booklet.

"Junior Brother, our martial arts hall's town-hall technique is called the 'Body-Breaking Mountain Spirit Blade Qi Secret Canon.' If you inherit it, you must swear a poisonous oath never to teach it to a second person, otherwise the martial arts world will not tolerate you, and Heaven and Earth will not tolerate you.

In our hall, only the Hall Master can transmit this technique.

Even if an elder wants to find a successor for his mantle, he must come to the sect and get the Hall Master's consent before he can transmit a portion."

Song Cheng immediately took the oath solemnly.

Seeing him like this, the Big Hall Master was satisfied in his heart, and seeing that his eyes could not see, he held the booklet and recited while explaining, which counted as transmitting the art.

Song Cheng listened silently and asked questions from time to time.

Thus, two days passed back and forth.

This night, Song Cheng returned to his room and suddenly noticed a change in his interface.

With a glance, he saw new information: 【Technique】

Body-Breaking Mountain Spirit Blade Art (Yellow Grade Grade A) (Not Yet Initiated (0/16)). He glanced at his remaining points again.

907 points.

"That"

"Let's max it out."

Ding Sigu poured himself a full cup of wine.

He scanned the empty tent again.

On the cabinet in the corner of the tent, a red medicine pouch was still placed.

That was one Xiao Hong Liao carried with her.

But today, she hadn't brought it again.

Ding Sigu's eyes were red, but his gaze was very clear.

Since becoming "Mr. Ding," he had been living in a drunken stupor for a long time, so long that everyone felt he was very satisfied with his current environment.

And this, naturally, was to numb those who might be monitoring him.

Or perhaps, such monitoring had never existed, because he had never revealed any flaws.

At this moment, he stared at the red medicine pouch, and many thoughts flashed through his mind: Today is the day the great Barbarian King and the Four Golden Tents gather here to drink.

Xiao Hong Liao is the "Witch" of the Valley Wolf clan.

A "Witch" not only uses herbs to heal people but also utilizes some magical, special flowers and plants to create medicinal powders with special functions; these powders are not necessarily for ingestion, but can also be used to perform "Witchcraft."

Xiao Hong Liao knew how to make one such type.

And when she was teasing Ding Sigu, she had made that.

That was his only beautiful memory.

Ding Sigu stood up and stumbled toward the medicine pouch.

The special herbs Xiao Hong Liao would carry with her were all in this pouch; the Ghost servants were not skilled in using external objects, so such things were discarded casually.

Ding Sigu gripped the red medicine pouch tightly.

Perhaps for the first time in his life, a thought crazier than doing evil arose: he wanted revenge, he wanted to avenge Sister Hong Liao. Sister Hong Liao could not die in vain; even if he was just one person, just one person, he would make that goddamn Ghost servant die! Ding Sigu opened the red medicine pouch, revealing several small cloth bags inside.

Ding Sigu recalled the steps Xiao Hong Liao had previously used to make that special medicinal powder, restoring it bit by bit.

After trying again and again, he succeeded.

Grasping the ground medicinal powder, he walked out of the tent drunkenly, then grabbed a servant assigned to him by the Golden Crow King and said, "Hurry, invite the Barbarian King here; tell him I have a matter of extreme urgency."

The servant didn't ask much and went directly; after all, "Mr. Ding's" words were still very important.

Immediately, Ding Sigu estimated the time and walked toward the tent where the Ghost servants were located.

He had long known where these ghost things were hiding.

At this moment, he was somewhat drunk and wanted to grab a weapon to bolster his courage, so he casually picked up a blade by the side of the tent, then leaned on the blade with one hand while clutching the successfully made medicinal powder in the other, swaying and limping as he hurried into the distance under the twilight.

Soon, he stopped outside the Ghost servants' tent; he leaned his back against the gray-yellow tent, moved slightly closer, and began to eavesdrop.

He had to ensure that his use of the medicinal powder would not be ineffective.

This powder that could perform Witchcraft was called "Peeping Powder," and its effect was to make walls become one-way transparent, making everything transparent so that people outside could easily see and hear the movements inside, while the people inside would not have the slightest awareness.

As Ding Sigu listened, he revealed a ferocious grin; the Ghost servants were discussing how to devour more lives in the next Ghost Tide and how to turn the Northern Barbarian camp into a Ghost servant camp.

Even Heaven was helping him! Ding Sigu glanced and saw figures hurrying over in the distance.

It was the Barbarian King and the others!

He did not hesitate any longer and gently sprinkled the "Peeping Powder."

The powder flew through the air and landed on the tent.

The tent became one-way transparent.

Instantly, the whispers of the Ghost servants came out from within.

The Barbarian King and the others who had hurried over were just about to ask a question when they suddenly saw that astonishing scene.

The tent had become transparent, and the words the Ghost servants were secretly discussing inside came out.

Their topic had just happened to change.

"Ding Sigu has a curse on him."

"It's fine, the drowned ghost of Tanghe Village, it will be devoured soon. We couldn't devour it last time, but this time we can."

"Hmm, resolve it early. Ding Sigu has a good brain; with Hong Liao controlling him, he is also earnestly helping us do things."

"The Northern Barbarians and the Great Shang will all return to the Yinrang."

The voices continued,

but Ding Sigu was already stunned and terrified.

Why was he suddenly mentioned?

And the drowned ghost of Tanghe Village? He suddenly thought of the girl who had been put in a pig cage and thrown into the water.

Long-lost memories came crashing back.

On the other side, the Barbarian King's face was already livid.

The Golden Crow King was just about to speak, but the Barbarian King glared at him fiercely.

More and more people were watching from the outside, and they were hearing more and more things.

The expressions of the Barbarians all turned angry.

Suddenly, a Ghost servant hiding among the Barbarians shouted, "Someone is eavesdropping outside!"

In the eyes of the crowd, the Ghost servants who were whispering in secret were suddenly startled, and immediately someone rushed out of the camp tent.

The Barbarian King gave a signal, and a giant holding a mace behind him rushed up, swinging it once to smash the Ghost servant into a pulp, sending flesh and blood mixed with grave soil flying everywhere.

This seemed to be a signal, and the entire Golden Crow King camp directly erupted into chaos.

The Ghost servants began to provoke and cause trouble, attempting to kill the Barbarian King.

However, the Barbarian King was the number one warrior of the Northern Barbarians; how could these little things be a match for him?

The Barbarian King roared: "Those who are not Ghost servants, sit down! Those standing, die!!"

He struck out violently, and a terrifying phantom of nine golden lions even appeared in mid-air.

Every one of his strikes was like a lion extending its claws or shaking its head.

Wherever the fangs and sharp claws reached, the Ghost servants died upon contact.

Ding Sigu was so terrified that his hands and feet went cold; he stood where he was, only for the fear to be slowly replaced by madness.

He roared in the depths of his heart.

"Do you see, Sister Xiao Hong Liao? I have avenged you, avenged you!"

Suddenly, he seemed to hear the sharp and rapid sound of an arrow piercing the air in his ears.

He hurriedly turned his head to look in the direction of the arrow's sound.

But he saw a cold glint rapidly expanding in his eyes.

Behind the cold glint was a twisted, venomous face.

It was a Ghost servant.

Pfft! The arrow shot into the youth's left eye and pierced out from the back of his head.

In an instant, intense pain arrived, and all thoughts turned to nothingness.

Time seemed to stand still; the youth fell backward, and in his rapidly blurring mind, a scene from many years ago emerged—it was Chen Quezi—the person shooting the arrow was him—their figures seemed to overlap, yet also seemed to have never overlapped at all.

Bang! The youth fell to the ground, blood mixed with brain matter flowing out.

The surroundings were noisy and chaotic, and his vision was pitch black.

A long, long time passed... The corpse of Ding Sigu, the corpse of Xiao Hong Liao, and the corpses of the Ghost servants were all burned to ashes, and the bones that were not burned were all thrown by a river and buried hastily.

History drifts on, the seasons are heartless, and regardless of the love, hate, right, and wrong during one's life, they are often buried as nameless bones.

The Barbarian King sat in the camp tent, his expression cold, rethinking all these matters.

For the first time, he realized: perhaps there was a hidden hand behind the war between the Northern Barbarians and the Great Shang, and perhaps what one truly needed to guard against were Ghosts.

After pondering for a long time, he summoned an enslaved Great Shang noble; this noble was knowledgeable, so the Barbarian King had always kept him by his side.

At this moment, he said in a muffled voice: "You said there are Soul-refining practitioners in Hanping Prefecture, is that correct?"

That Great Shang noble hurriedly said: "It is absolutely true. Zhushan Temple must be the one that refines Souls. My... my child was previously frightened, and his Soul had almost left his body; it was by going to Hanping Prefecture to beg Zhushan Temple that he was saved."

The Barbarian King thought for a while and said: "You, lead some men, take gifts and my personal letter, and go invite the Soul-refining practitioners to gather in my camp. I have important matters to discuss."

Having said that, he added: "I will treat them as honored guests!"

(End of this chapter)