Night had fallen.
At the foot of the mountain below Qingtian Temple.
A Cyan Luan bird, nearly a third of whose feathers were a vivid red, landed silently at the base of the mountain.
The Imperial Capital was over two thousand li away from Qingtian Temple, a journey that would take a horse-drawn carriage a full day.
However, after her bloodline was purified, Xiangqin's flying speed had improved exponentially, taking her less than half an hour to complete the trip.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Ning assigned their roles:
“Xiangqin, stay at the foot of the mountain with Murong Yu and intercept any monks who try to escape. The bamboo-hatted Water Ghost knows the layout of Qingtian Temple. The two of us will be enough to charge up the mountain.”
Besides a smaller group being stealthier and more agile, this arrangement was also made with Noble Qi in mind.
Only when Chen Ning himself or his subordinates killed demons could he obtain the corresponding Noble Qi from the system.
In other words, Xiao Jiu counted, Xiangqin counted, and Qing Yan slaying demons would also most likely yield Noble Qi.
However, if Murong Yu made the kills, it would be quite a waste...
Having assigned the tasks, Chen Ning and the bamboo-hatted Water Ghost quietly approached Qingtian Temple under cover of night.
The bamboo-hatted Water Ghost lowered his voice and asked, “Young Master, what should we do if we're discovered while sneaking in?”
Chen Ning answered decisively, “Then we fight our way in and leave no one alive.”
The bamboo-hatted Water Ghost: “...”
There were over a hundred mutated half-demon monks inside Qingtian Temple.
That approach was simple and brutal.
At the mountain gate.
The disciples guarding the gate immediately frowned upon spotting the two figures.
“Amitabha. Benefactors, coming to our Qingtian Temple so late at night, what business do you have?”
Chen Ning smiled. “I'm here to worship Buddha.”
“Worshipping Buddha?” Contempt filled the eyes of the two disciples. “Worshipping Buddha at this hour—are you sure you aren't joking, Benefactor?”
“Of course not,” Chen Ning replied. “It's just that the Buddhas I want to see aren't the ones inside your temple. Rather...”
Chen Ning sneered coldly. “Since you two young monks belong to the Buddhist sect that saves all living beings, why don't you even dare to show your faces? Could it be that you're afraid you're too ugly?”
“What are you doing?”
The two disciples instantly realized something was wrong.
At that moment, Chen Ning abruptly swung his sleeves.
“Pure Breeze in Both Sleeves.”
Whoosh!
A fierce gust of wind blew off the hats of the two young monks.
Beneath their hats were hideous half-human, half-fish heads, identical to the monk in the Imperial Capital.
“Looks like I guessed right,” Chen Ning sneered coldly. “Instead of you young monks guiding me, I should be the one delivering you two to salvation.”
“Who on earth are you? Not good! Call for help!”
The two young monks instantly sensed danger and hurriedly tried to fall back and shout.
Before they could, a white sword radiance flashed by.
Thud.
In the next second, before they could even utter a sound, two hideous, scale-covered heads tumbled to the ground.
【Slay Half-Mermaid Monster x2】
【Obtain Noble Qi x20】
These two minor monks weren't worth much.
However, the temple had a strict hierarchy, and far more valuable demons were bound to be hiding inside.
Gouging out mermaid hearts to prolong their own lives, and even turning babies into puppet monsters that were neither human nor ghost...
This group could no longer be called human.
It was a rare occasion to use the white Noble Scholar's Sword.
Whether it was just his imagination or not, Chen Ning felt that the White Sword was even sharper than the Black Sword.
In the pitch-black night, Chen Ning suppressed his and the bamboo-hatted Water Ghost's presence to the minimum as they quietly made their way up the mountain.
There were many watchful monks patrolling along the way.
With their eyesight, they couldn't detect any trace of the man and ghost.
However, Chen Ning's Red Lotus Divine Pupils easily pierced through the night, keenly perceiving everyone who passed by.
【Slay Half-Mermaid Monster x1】
【Obtain Noble Qi x12】
【Slay Half-Mermaid Monster x1】
【Obtain Noble Qi x14】
One party was in the open, while the other moved in the shadows.
The patrolling disciples didn't even realize what was happening before their heads hit the ground in an instant.
Just then, the voices of two monks conversing sounded from the distance.
“I don't know what the Abbot is worried about. With the strength of our Qingtian Temple, why do we even need patrols?”
“Yeah, I can't wait to go back and taste that mermaid blood. Mermaids really are treasures from top to bottom! A transplanted heart extends our lifespan, while her blood grants eternal youth and boosts our cultivation. She's practically an endless treasure trove!”
“Of course. Why else would the Abbot use all his Buddhist dharma to keep her alive? As long as we keep taking her heart and blood every day like this, everyone in our temple will probably achieve true immortality in less than ten years!”
“Haha, immortality! Who would've thought I'd see a day like this!”
“You beasts!”
This time, the bamboo-hatted Water Ghost could no longer contain himself.
Although he had long known that his wife was enduring endless suffering and torture here, he had never imagined these scum could be so monstrously vile.
A group of monks who were supposed to observe a vegetarian diet and chant Buddhist scriptures were brazenly discussing gouging out hearts and drinking human blood.
Even in death, these bastards couldn't possibly atone for their sins!
The bamboo-hatted Water Ghost lunged out from the dark, his fish spear instantly impaling one monk's heart.
It happened too suddenly. Before the other monk could even react, his neck was slit in an instant.
“Bastards!”
His rage still unquenched, the bamboo-hatted Water Ghost furiously stabbed the two corpses several more times.
Chen Ning did not stop him.
To rescue his wife, the bamboo-hatted Water Ghost had waited for over twenty full years, helplessly watching her endure the torture of these monsters.
It was already impressive that he had guarded the last shred of goodness in his heart and refrained from turning into a Specter.
“Roar!”
Just then, a strange roar suddenly echoed through the night sky.
Immediately after, a half-fish monster—whose head was muddy and liquid-like while its entire body was covered in twisted limbs—pounced viciously toward them.
Chen Ning drew his sword and leaped up, instantly piercing the monster's head.
【Slay Mermaid Ghost Infant x1】
【Obtain Noble Qi x30】
It seemed these strange monsters were indeed created by those monks using infants after transplanting mermaid hearts into them.
Every single monk in Qingtian Temple was indeed a beast without exception!
“Night raid!”
“They're right here! Catch them!”
At the same time, their presence was finally discovered.
An apologetic look appeared on the bamboo-hatted Water Ghost's face. “My apologies, Young Master. If I hadn't attacked first, we might not have been exposed...”
“It doesn't matter,” Chen Ning smiled nonchalantly. “I was planning to do this anyway.”
Under the moonlight, sword radiance flowed across the Noble Scholar's Sword, its sharp intent soaring to the heavens.
“In that case, just like we agreed at the beginning—we'll sweep right through them all the way inside!”
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