Chapter 479: Golden Light Toxin
Chapter 479: Golden Light Toxin
"How could this be?"
The Grand Attendant, who had just appeared, maintained a calm and restrained demeanor, befitting his role as an accompanying ceremonial officer. He couldn't afford to shout or make a scene, lest he lose face.
But at this moment, as he witnessed the Dharmakaya on Hu Ma's body, he was shocked to see a tattered armor materialize. Armor was a military item, and without official status, one couldn't possess it. Moreover, this armor was manifested on the Dharmakaya, making it seem inherently arrogant and defiant.
When Hu Ma borrowed the remaining power of the broken armor and rose with a fierce blade, he not only resisted the pressure of the Meng family's reputation but even drew his sword and attacked. The Grand Attendant was already feeling the strain.
The Meng family, experts in the spirit realm, had a ceremonial pavilion that not only displayed their status but also represented their reputation. Although it wasn't real, within the realm of the spirit, it held substantial weight, especially when manifested through the Meng family's spiritual power.
Each of the Ten Surnames had their ceremonial pavilions, not just for show or to scare off roadside ghosts. These pavilions carried real weight, causing even ignorant and unaware wandering ghosts to bow in fear and dare not offend.
Normally, only those with official status or who had crossed the bridge could withstand the pressure. It had to be someone recognized and approved, not even a bastard child, who would be sent away.
But how could a rural demon like Hu Ma ignore this pressure?
Despite his surprise, the Grand Attendant reacted swiftly. With a deep shout, he moved to intercept Hu Ma.
A hand, concealed within a large sleeve, smoothly slid out a black iron ruler, resembling the one used by the yamen's head catcher to apprehend criminals. It clashed with the vicious blade that Hu Ma had swung towards him.
Clang!
The iron ruler seemed to be an ancient treasure, but when it collided with the blade, which was filled with malevolent qi, it instantly shattered into countless fragments.
The sharp shards, propelled by the force of the wind, shot towards the Grand Attendant's face like knives.
"Clatter..."
The Grand Attendant's face slightly changed, and with a flick of his black sleeve, he deflected the incoming fragments. Meanwhile, the other sleeve, filled with vigorous energy, transformed into an iron whip and lashed towards Hu Ma's face.
"Even a slave has such skills?"
Hu Ma, in a fit of rage, felt a dark cloud of pressure descend upon him.
The Grand Attendant's skills far surpassed those of the Meng family's offspring. Although Hu Ma couldn't discern any secrets, the Grand Attendant's abilities were at least on par with the best of the Meng family's Mansion Guardians.
However, he wasn't at the level of those who had crossed the bridge. Those who had would never serve as subordinates.
Even if he were to be taken in by one of the Ten Surnames, he would be at the level of a Family Guardian.
"This person has received my bow, affecting my destiny and disrespecting the Meng family's prestige. There's something strange going on. Take him down quickly!"
On the other side, the young master of the Meng family, seeing that Hu Ma wasn't intimidated and had even engaged the Grand Attendant in combat, was both surprised and furious. Instead of fleeing, he stood up and shouted at the nearby maid.
The maid, who was about to support the palanquin, was also startled by the sudden turn of events and nodded vigorously.
The senior maid of the Netherworld stood guard beside the palanquin, while the black shadows surrounding it rushed forward to assist.
"Whoosh..."
Several ghostly figures whipped up gusts of wind, charging towards Hu Ma's face. Although they dared not get too close due to the malevolent qi emanating from the blade, their eerie aura chilled Hu Ma to the bone.
In truth, each of these ghostly servants was no less formidable than the Green Robe Maleficent Ghost. It was utterly unreasonable.
If released, each of them could wreak havoc in their own right.
At this moment, Hu Ma found himself surrounded by seven or eight Green Robe Maleficent Ghosts and a top-tier Mansion Guardian. The two maids, also skilled in the supernatural, quickly lit incense, preparing to intervene.
The danger Hu Ma faced was unprecedented. He had never imagined having to confront so many opponents at once. But with the broken armor's power, he felt a surge of ferocity, and his vicious blade clashed fiercely with his adversaries.
Most surprisingly, he held his own, not showing any signs of weakness.
"This demon, this demon..."
On the palanquin, the second young master of the Meng family, witnessing Hu Ma's ferocious state, couldn't help but feel his heart race. "He's been hiding his true skills all this time, not using them..."
"Damn it! Could he be trying to deceive me, waiting for an opportunity to take my life?"
"Fortunately, the Grand Attendant arrived just in time. No wonder he wanted me to leave..."
However, unable to escape, he glared at the fierce battle, secretly considering whether to join the fight.
But as the young master of the Meng family, he hesitated to team up with servants against a rural demon. It didn't sound right.
Although the thought had crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it, shouting instructions instead: "Don't be intimidated by this demon's ferocity! He only has the cultivation of the Three Pillars of the Dao. Take his blade, break his Dharmakaya, and a single breath of Yin energy will be enough to finish him off..."
...
...
"Family inherited skills, the reputation of the Ten Surnames, noble status, and a loyal family slave..."
As Hu Ma wielded his vicious blade against his opponents, a sense of admiration stirred within him: "This is the true might of the Ten Surnames!"
Is this the true gap between me and the aristocratic heirs of the Ten Surnames?"
For a moment, as the Blood-Feasting Gang's Junior Manager, he felt the disparity between himself and these noble heirs. But at the same time, as the Chief Attendant led the crowd to surround him, a faint sigh suddenly echoed in his ears:
"Move aside!"
The voice was extremely light and faint, and when Hu Ma heard it, he felt a sudden chill in his heart. In an instant, he sheathed his sword and retreated, his body creating a trail of ethereal images as he leaped out of the battle.
In the midst of the fierce fight, how could anyone afford to back out so easily?
The Chief Attendant and the Meng Family's maids, along with various minor ghosts, immediately gave chase. The rolling dark wind threatened to engulf Hu Ma completely. They had remembered the Meng Family Son's reminder and understood Hu Ma's weakness, and this type of malevolent ghost wind was most effective against him.
But just at that moment, behind Hu Ma, a shadow suddenly appeared, holding a lantern in its hand. It stood firmly amidst the dark wind, unmoving as if unaffected.
Instead, the lantern in its hand suddenly blazed brightly, like a sun, shining forward with blinding intensity.
Where the golden light shone, the small ghosts, enveloped in ghostly energy, shrieked and retreated as if they had encountered boiling water.
Even the Chief Attendant, who had raised his sleeves to attack Hu Ma, suddenly found his sleeves withering. He was startled and took several steps back, tearing off his sleeves with a loud rip.
"Who are you?" he asked in surprise.
"..."
"..."
"Why did you come so late?"
Hu Ma, relieved by the appearance of the lantern, which had forced back the ghosts, also felt a bit dissatisfied. He turned and asked the lantern-bearer.
... Over there, on the mountain ridge, Little Hong Tang was frantically signaling with her arms.
"I've been here for a while," the lantern-bearer replied calmly. "I just saw that the person you provoked has some skills, so I adjusted my strategy."
"My witchcraft is mostly for dealing with the living, but your opponents are mostly the dead. I needed some time to prepare and find the right approach... After all, not every technique is like yours, where you can just pick up a knife and start slashing."
"?"
Hu Ma was speechless. Was there discrimination even among techniques?
"How's your preparation going?... And isn't the Witchcraft Technique supposed to hide in the shadows?" he asked, unconvinced.
"Just take a look, and you'll know," Monkey Wine's voice echoed faintly.
As the two of them conversed briefly, on the other side, the group of evil ghosts, driven back by the sudden lantern light, quickly regained their momentum and charged towards Monkey Wine.
They wanted to tear apart both the person and the lantern, but Monkey Wine remained calm, speaking slowly while raising a finger and lightly flicking it.
The next moment, the lantern light intensified, becoming as bright as golden light. The malevolent ghosts that had rushed forward were immediately overwhelmed, feeling as if they were being scorched by the sun. Their shadows grew thinner, as if they were about to dissolve.
And among these ghosts was the Chief Attendant, who let out a 'hey' and reached out to grab Monkey Wine. But before he could touch Monkey Wine, he suddenly felt something was wrong.
Looking down, he saw that the hand that had torn off his sleeve had already started to rot, and even the bones were beginning to show.
Startled and furious, he hurriedly kicked a fragment of an iron ruler with his toes, then brought his palm up. With a 'hiss', he sliced off his left palm, but the blood that splattered out also splashed onto his body.
"Hiss!"
Where the blood splattered, white smoke rose, and several holes appeared as if corroded. Excruciating pain invaded his mind.
"Damn..."
Hu Ma had just been complaining about Monkey Wine's tardiness and the need for preparation before taking action. The Year-End Guardians were much more efficient, drawing their swords and striking without hesitation.
It's not that I'm making fun of the Witchcraft Technique, but the fact that you need to prepare before taking action is already a major deduction. In a real crisis, who would have the time to prepare...
... But thankfully, he hadn't voiced these thoughts!
Not only was he surprised, but even the Meng Family Son behind him was startled and exclaimed, "Witchcraft?"
"Could it be the witches from the mountains?"
"Damn, they dare to join this chaos, aren't they afraid of bringing clan annihilation upon themselves?"
"..."
Even Hu Ma, not far away, heard this angry shout and sighed inwardly. Monkey Wine was truly fearless...
... After all, his own clan had already been annihilated!
(End of Chapter)
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