“Squelch!!”
Foul green blood splattered as the shattered hungry ghost fell to the ground, dissolving into a pool of black mud. A white blade-light descended, reflecting a face weary from travel.
The 1,337th hungry ghost.
“Damn it, that monk Huiyuan is like a wild dog; no matter how I try, I can't shake him off.”
Nan Zhi flicked the ghostly blood from the tip of the Fish-Dragon Guillotine. The dark circles under her eyes betrayed a deep exhaustion; it was clear she hadn't closed her eyes in a long time.
The surrounding area was a vast, boundless wilderness. For a hundred miles, there was no sign of human habitation, only endless yellow grass and herds of cattle and horses.
The wild grass, yellow at the roots, grew sparsely. On the ground were several black, human-shaped mud prints, dotted with foul-smelling green pus.
The area was a mess, and even the wrapped wound on Nan Zhi's right shoulder was slowly seeping blood.
A section of wooden vine was tied around her waist, from which hung a cluster of half-bloomed wisteria flowers. They were wilted and limp, as if on the verge of withering away completely.
This was Xu Zi, who had returned to her original form after severing half of her body. As it turned out, she was a wooden avatar, a wisteria spirit.
But Nan Zhi was in no mood to marvel at such things right now.
The few hungry ghosts just now were the fourth wave of pursuers she had fended off.
Ever since the catastrophe at the Ghost Buddha Temple, where the monk Huiyuan sacrificed the living beings of the Yin Yang Road to the Witch Coffin, Nan Zhi hadn't dared to delay for a second. She had been fleeing at high speeds with the unconscious Xu Zi for over half a month.
For days, the hungry ghost pursuers from the Yin Yang Road had been endless. They had forced Nan Zhi to push her potential to the limit, relying on Qi-Supplementing Pills to keep running.
It wasn't that she hadn't thought about reporting back to the Bianjing Demon Suppression Division to inform them of the massacre on the Yin Yang Road and warn the various branches to watch out for Huiyuan.
However, Huiyuan had been relentless, driving hungry ghosts and demons to pursue her. He kept her constantly on the run, and it was only with great difficulty that Nan Zhi found an opening to use the divine power of the 【Azure Sea Sky Boots】 to escape to the vicinity of the Lizhou Circuit.
Nan Zhi hadn't been with the Demon Suppression Division for long, but she could identify the locations of the Twenty Four Circuits of the Demon Suppression Monastery.
The Demon Suppression Monastery of the Lizhou Circuit was located in Xingyuan. There would naturally be a demon suppressor stationed in the city. Once she stepped inside, she would be able to catch her breath and find a place for Xu Zi to recover in peace.
The thousands of hungry ghosts she had slain along the way were merely appetizers; the truly powerful and troublesome demons were likely still to come.
Her experience bar had been stagnant for a long time. If it weren't for the fact that this was absolutely not the right time for a breakthrough, Nan Zhi would have loved to reach Foundation Establishment in one go.
She cast a deep look at her system inventory and couldn't help but mutter to herself:
Just what kind of treasure did I snatch back this time?
...
...
Xingyuan was built along the Han River, appearing like a pearl embedded upon the water. To the north lay Qinzhou, to the south it bordered Chengdu and Lingzhou, and to the west it reached the various tribes of Tufan. Although far from Bianjing, it was a prosperous and major city with a unique local character.
The city guards stood at the gate, meticulously checking the entry permits of those entering. Having done the repetitive work for too long, their faces inevitably showed some impatience.
“Hurry up, hurry up! You in the back, where is your travel permit?”
“Hey! You there! Once you enter the city, don't wander around. Find a place to stay quickly. Anyone caught roaming the wards after the curfew will be given twenty strokes of the cane and fined thirty gold!”
“What are you here for? Oh, from Huangshan Village... Walk faster. Since you're looking for someone, go quickly. If you're heading back, keep an eye on the time the gates lock!”
“From Tufan? A broker? You blonde-haired fellow, let it be known that within the Great Song, kidnapping and selling people is a capital offense... Fine, get inside...”
A long line had formed before the city gate. There were weathered old men pushing handcarts, sturdy young men looking for manual labor, and young women dressed as village wives carrying bamboo baskets of fruit for sale.
This place was only three cities away from the various Tufan tribes, so spice merchants, cloth peddlers, and slave owners occasionally entered the city to do business.
Consequently, from a distance, several foreigners with high noses and deep-set eyes, blonde hair, and blue eyes were particularly conspicuous in the crowd.
“Fruit! Fragrant and sweet honeyed fruit! Honey-wrapped fruit, Jiaqing plums, honey-preserved dried apricots, red pears, and snow-topped plum blossom cakes!”
“Oh my, why are there so few people entering the city today... It wasn't like this before...”
“Don't you know? I heard there's a monster in the city eating the hearts and livers of children. That's why fewer people are coming in.”
“Goodness, aren't the immortal masters and Taoists from the Demon Suppression Monastery doing anything about it?”
“Of course they are! But I heard a bloodthirsty demon from Bianjing escaped, and now all the government offices and counties are trying to catch them!”
“That demon must have committed some heinous crime to cause such a massive stir, right?”
“Oh, it's terrifying... Don't you know? I heard that during the earthquake in Bianjing recently, that demon killed a demon suppressor from the Demon Suppression Division and then ran away...”
“What? Such a thing happened? How do you know this?”
“My daughter-in-law works as a clerk in the Demon Suppression Monastery. She made a special trip home a few days ago to warn us. She said that demon is incredibly fierce and told us to keep our doors and windows shut as soon as it gets dark, and not to talk to any strangers!”
“Hiss, that really is terrifying. But news from the Demon Suppression Division is surely reliable. I heard they keep special demons just for delivering messages; letters sent from Bianjing on the first day can reach us in Xingyuan by the second!”
“Isn't that even faster than the Emperor's eight-hundred-li express... Tsk tsk tsk... I heard that although our Xingyuan is remote, we have a Demon Suppression Commissioner stationed here. If that demon really flees to Xingyuan, we have nothing to fear...”
Nan Zhi blended into the line entering the city. As she listened to the crowd's chatter, her eyes drifted toward the dozen or so pairs of green glowing eyes in the distant desert.
She finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Once she stepped into Xingyuan, she would be under the jurisdiction of the Demon Suppression Division. Although hungry ghosts lacked intelligence, they still feared the cultivators within the city.
According to the commoners, there was at least a commissioner-level demon suppressor in the Xingyuan Demon Monastery. It seemed Xu Zi would be saved.
But when she reached the front of the line, before she could even take out her demon suppressor token, she saw a massive portrait and announcement hanging on the city wall to the right of the gate:
【Recently, on the day of the Ghost Festival, a demonic monk slaughtered enfeoffed gods on the Yin Yang Road, performed a wicked sacrifice with living souls, and refined a profane treasure in an attempt to achieve a grand scheme. This caused the escape of evil ghosts from the Underworld, bringing chaos to the mortal realm and causing the common people to suffer immensely.】
【Fourth-class demon suppressor Nan Zhi conspired with Huiyuan, betrayed her post by slaying her colleague Xu Zi, and has fled. A nationwide warrant is now issued for Nan Zhi. This person is treacherous and skilled at deceiving people. Furthermore, she fled with a wicked treasure and is feared to have intentions of massacring a city. All members of the Demon Suppression Division must bring this person to justice, regardless of whether she is alive or dead.】
Below the announcement hung a portrait of her.
What is a surprise?
What is a surprise?
What a goddamn surprise.
If there wasn't an accomplice of Huiyuan in the Demon Suppression Division, she would write her name backward from now on.
With an expressionless face, Nan Zhi turned around and left.
Rate on N.U.
