Xie Lian could only feel waves of violent tremors rippling from all directions, and a peculiar stench that was hard to describe permeated the air.
Those yellow talismans all exploded!
And the ghosts and demons who had them stuck to their foreheads, the solid ones all had their brains blown out, blood and flesh splattering, and the hollow ones were blown out of shape, black smokes dispersing. Before the mountain bluffs was a field of howling and wailing. Hua Cheng released the hands covering Xie Lian's ears looking unaffected. Xie Lian rose to his feet, feeling slightly alarmed. He had inspected those yellow talismans one by one earlier and they were all the normalest of exorcism charms so how could it have such a shocking effect?
Just then, amidst the smoking skies came fluttering down a shredded paper, and with a swift hand, Xie Lian seized it to take a look, and instantly figured it out, "How cunning."
This was a sliver of a shredded corner of a yellow talisman. If it wasn't shredded it might not be noticeable, but there were actually two layers!
One sheet of paper covered the top and it was drawn with the more normal of spells, but there was another extremely thin sheet of charm paper, and although it's already been burnt to the point where the spell was no longer recognizable, but needless to say it must be the most vicious and aggressive of spells.
Clouds of dust flew and filled the air, things couldn't be seen clearly, and there were still many ghosts who were screaming like someone was taking this chance to ambush. Xie Lian instantly laid low, and a ghost was shouting, "WAIT! THE SLAUGHTERING HASN'T STARTED, WHY ARE YOU ALL MAKING YOUR MOVES NOW?!"
"YEA! DIDN'T WE ALL AGREE THAT SINCE WE'RE ALL GHOSTS, WE'LL PEACEFULLY FIND A WAY TO CROSS THE MOUNTAIN TO ENTER FIRST??"
A savage voice laughed, "Idiots like you deserve to be annihilated in the first round! There's never been any indication of when slaughter begins, and since we're all opponents anyway, obviously the faster you're done in the better! Think I'm gonna say hi before I make my move?"
"WAIT! WAIT! I'M BACKING OUT! WE'RE NOT AT MOUNT TONGLU YET! CAN'T I BACK OUT NOW??"
The clouds of smoke and dust cleared slightly, and once the ghosts could see clearly, they were all mortified, "HUH?! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!"
Not just them, even Xie Lian was slightly stunned by the sight before him.
When they first came, ahead on the road was a tall mountain bluff that couldn't be bypassed nor crossed blocking the way. Yet looking at it now, somehow, that mountain had disappeared.
No, it didn't disappear. It migrated to behind them.
It seemed, without them realizing it, they've already entered the boundaries of Mount TongLu!
Xie Lian suddenly understood why when he first asked if Mount TongLu had any landmarks, Hua Cheng said there was but not to trust them. Because those 'landmarks' were like mischievous children playing pranks and would move around on their own!
Suddenly, Xie Lian heard a voice behind him sneer, "I gotta see just what kind of a puppet you're made of, or perhaps you're something else?"
The Swift Life-Extinguishing Blade Demon!
Xie Lian whipped around yet before RuoYe had flown out, there was a chilling flash of light, and that Swift Life-Extinguishing Blade Demon hadn't even had the chance to scream before it was slashed in two from the waist!
Xie Lian rushed up to check, and sure enough, he was legitimately chopped cleanly into two halves, and couldn't be more dead. He raised his head and saw the one who struck was that eccentric cloaked figure who was just slowly sliding his sword into his sheath as he walked over in steady, confident steps.
Xie Lian felt both the figure and the way he walked was somewhat familiar and straightened up, "My good sir, you are?"
That man smirked and was about to answer when he suddenly bent down. Seeing this unexpected action, alarms went off in Xie Lian's head and he watched him intently, preparing for any surprise attacks. Yet that man only leaned down and circled his two arms around the slender waists of two female ghosts, "Are my ladies alright?"
Those two female ghosts both bore charming looks and figures, and because they didn't wield swords, they didn't use that yellow talismans and was able to escape the disaster. Nevertheless, the shockwave from the blasts knocked them out. Now that they're being embraced in someone's arms and being beckoned so passionately, they languidly came to, feeling grateful, "I'm alright, Thank..."
Yet abruptly, before that "thank you" fully left their lips, those two female ghosts faces changed and shoved that eccentric cloaked figure away, "GET OUTTA HERE!" Then they hurriedly crawled away. That man wasn't annoyed even after being slapped twice, and only appeared rather confused, rubbing his chin as his brows knitted, "That's not right? This face isn't that ugly?"
"..."
Although he was still in disguise, but Xie Lian already knew who he was. "General Pei, why are you here too?"
That man turned to him and smiled, his hand brushed by his face and revealed his true appearance. It was Pei Ming.
"Naturally, it's because the Emperor asked me to give Your Highness a hand."
"For real?" Xie Lian said, "Thank you thank you. Sorry for the trouble. It's very dangerous here, as you can see."
"Gege there's no need to be so grateful. He's obviously negotiated full benefits with Jun Wu." Hua Cheng said.
Pei Ming walked over and stopped in front of Hua Cheng, crouched down and made a hand gesture to measure his current height, laughing, "Do my eyes deceive me? Is this My Lord Crimson Rain Sought Flower? One certainly changes for the better with time, so what did you eat to grow backwards? Ha..."
He only "ha'-ed once and Xie Lian's silk bandage was released, whipping so hard he was almost sent flying and only barely dodged, leaping backwards, "Your Highness, just how much do you treasure Hua Chengzhu? Can't even take a joke?"
Xie Lian demanded somberly, "Are you really General Pei?"
Pei Ming patted the sacred sword hung on his waist, flashing it for him to see, "Genuine and authentic, exchange if fake."
"No exchange. If fake, return directly." Xie Lian said.
"Gege, kill it. It's fake." Hua Cheng said.
"Hey!"
"If you're really General Pei, then why did that yellow talisman leave an ashen mark on your forehead earlier?" Xie Lian questioned.
"It's simple." Pei Ming said, "It's all thanks to this." Then he tossed a small item to Xie Lian. Since he was guarded, Xie Lian didn't catch with his hands but use the tip of the sword and skewered it, bringing it to his eyes, "Candy?"
On the tip of the sword was a black and shiny little candy. Pei Ming threw another in his mouth, "Ghost Scent Candy I bought from Ghost City. Just chew one and you'd get a mouthful of essence of evil, flowing from inside out. Rather useful when pretending to be inhuman creatures."
Xie Lian twiddled that Ghost Scent Candy and was amazed, "You can buy such magical things at the Ghost City?"
Pei Ming munched on the candy, "Ask Hua Chengzhu who's right next to you, he knows best. You can buy anything at the Ghost City if you know how. Flavour's not bad, Your Highness, wanna try one?"
Xie Lian was also curious how ghosts would taste and turned to Hua Cheng, "If that's case, we should've gotten some of those Ghost Scent Candies before we came."
However, Hua Cheng took the candy from his hand and said, "Gege, if you want anything in Ghost City you only need to ask me. But don't eat stuff like this."
"Why?"
Hua Cheng didn't exert any powers but that candy shrieked and dissolved into a wisp of black smoke. He explained, "Everything in the Ghost City is dangerous. Like this candy; it comes from a shady production house, and the ingredients are mostly vulgar, puny ghosts with unknown origins. Eating it will damage the body."
Pei Ming didn't think anything of it, "It's alright. It's only for emergencies, not like it's eaten regularly."
Hua Cheng continued, "And the smell is poignant. Heavenly officials and mortals can't smell it, but the more vulgar the ghost, the more rancid the smell."
Pei Ming: "..."
Hua Cheng snickered, "Do you understand now why those two female ghosts told you to get lost?"
"..."
Because they felt the essence of evil on Pei Ming was extremely vulgar and disgusting!
Xie Lian cleared his throat softly and said courteously, "General Pei, let's... not eat this anymore."
Pei Ming made a gesture and pulled out the leftover Ghost Scent Candies, tossing them all out. "Fine. But, we've only just reached the outer edges of Mount TongLu. After going further in there will be even more powerful monsters and demons that can tell with but a look that we're suspicious. What shall we do then?"
Those female ghosts swarmed around Hua Cheng like ducks, no doubt they really liked his scent. The essence of evil Hua Cheng transferred to him was undoubtedly the highest of quality, so there certainly wasn't a real need to buy Ghost Scent Candies. Only, if he didn't want anyone to discover the essence was only stained on the surface, then they might need to press their lips together like last time and exchange bodily fluids and exchange air. Thinking of this, Xie Lian immediately stopped himself and said matter-of-factly, "I don't know either. I'm just a puppet."
Meaning he was going to continue acting.
"Fine. Then Your Highness, best keep close to your master now." Pei Ming said.
Xie Lian pretended not to hear and scanned their surroundings, humming, "I hadn't imagined casualties would be this devastating from the get go."
The four hundred some ghosts that had gathered here originally were mostly dead or injured. Xie Lian couldn't help but recall that scene Hua Cheng enacted for him that night, and it truly wasn't an exaggeration. It really was like as if a gust of wind had blown past and all the weeds were ripped out. The ones who managed to escape this trial and hadn't died out completely were scraggly and few, their limbs all over the place, moaning and groaning. Hua Cheng stood in front of them, "Do you all understand what kind of place Mount TongLu is now?"
The surviving ghosts didn't dare make a sound. Xie Lian said gently, "You're all still only on the outer edges right now, there's still a chance to pull out. If you don't want to continue to keep going in and run into scarier things, then wait around here and find a chance to leave."
The ghosts had that very intention, and seeing Xie Lian and company didn't plan on wiping them out, they hurriedly pulled each other up, supporting one another, and fled for as far as they could. Watching their retreating backs, Xie Lian spoke meaningfully, "That Swift Life-Extinguishing Blade Demon might have an exaggerated name but he was unexpectedly impressive. Vicious."
Pei Ming agreed, "That creature was extremely good at manipulation, and was stirring the pot from the start. He was also quick on his feet. Your Highness, that strike of yours gave him the perfect chance to use his injuries for trickery."
Xie Lian blinked, "Wait, my 'strike'? What strike? I didn't unsheath my sword."
"No?" Pei Ming wondered, "That small slash on his abdomen. If it wasn't for him creating panic and that little gash stained with your spiritual light, no ghosts would've believed him and stick those talismans on their foreheads."
Xie Lian was puzzled, "To be honest, I thought that strike had come from you, General Pei?"
"Your Highness, do you have some sort of misunderstanding of me? I don't do ambushes or sneak attacks." Pei Ming said.
"If it wasn't you and it wasn't me, then was there a third heavenly official present? Or perhaps the spiritual light on that Swift Blade Demon's wound is problematic..." He turned around and was about to inspect and verify but where that Swift Life-Extinguishing Blade Demon's corpse once lied was empty.
Startled, he demanded, "Where's the corpse of that Swift Blade Demon?"
Pei Ming was also somewhat taken aback, "I clearly slashed him at the waist just now."
Hua Cheng said darkly, "Gege, be careful. In Mount TongLu, the more opponents killed, the stronger the slayer."
And earlier, within an instant, that Swift Light-Extinguishing Blade Demon slaughtered close to four hundred monsters and demons!