Chapter 832: Elder Lady Li
Chapter 832: Elder Lady Li
Have you ever seen a Ghost Soul Assault before?
Well, you're about to witness it today!
If those who had seen the scene at Tiger Pass earlier were to speak, they would likely say these two sentences.
The Punishing Soul Sect was not like the New Year Guardian, Soul Bearers, Wandering Ghosts, Disaster Thieves, and the like, who either established altars or summoned spirits to display their prowess and awe others.
Nor were they like the Illusionary Dao Sect, who needed an audience to showcase their skills.
The Punishing Soul Sect's abilities were often executed in secrecy, as many of their methods were not meant to be seen. When they took action, it was best to do so when their target couldn't see them, ensuring their success.
But Sweet Potato Burn was not satisfied.
She had a bit of a crowd-pleaser personality, and those who longed to perform on stage were now sulking in the corners, doing their private business, already discontent.
So, this time, representing the Punishing Soul Sect, she broke the norm.
With a large crowd watching and the support of their seniors, as well as many familiar faces, what was there to fear?
Let's cause some trouble!
At the command, the small ghosts who had just scattered returned, waking up and turning back, gathering in groups, and surging towards the direction of Tiger Pass.
There was even a hint of wanting to show off in front of the Golden-armored Warriors in the four directions, hoping to impress them.
But they probably didn't know that although those adults were imposing, they were merely following orders.
As the three eerie paper figurines floated back into the night sky, the Head Array within, the cold, dead eyes of the figurines turned towards the inside of Tiger Pass, their gazes piercing.
The stagnant, eerie, and vengeful atmosphere that had just frozen now thawed like a tidal wave, rushing towards the pass.
Visible to the naked eye, Tiger Pass seemed to be shrouded by dark clouds falling from the sky. The vast gate, in an instant, plunged into the netherworld. Large blocks of green bricks were covered in a layer of frost, and amidst the mist, countless ghostly shadows poured into the pass.
"Quick... grab the pot ash..."
"Quick... beat the drum..."
"Rooster... where's the rooster? Bring it here quickly..."
Facing the overwhelming and terrifying malevolent aura, the Mystic Practitioners within Tiger Pass, along with the soldiers guarding the gate, suddenly felt like they had fallen into a nightmare.
Everyone started to feel uncontrollable anxiety, their bodies turning cold. Even wrapping themselves in straw didn't help. When they looked up, they saw countless ghostly shadows filling the sky and land, their hideous and strange forms rushing towards them.
The soldiers, strong and capable of defending against ghosts and gods, had one prerequisite: they needed courage.
But at Tiger Pass, with more ghosts than people, how could they possibly muster the courage?
The guards on the front wall only glanced outside the pass and instantly saw countless dull and icy skulls. Their dim eyes seemed to hold a cold malice as deep as an abyss, instantly flooding their minds.
No one knew how many people, upon being stared at by the heads, screamed, their bodies turning cold, and they stumbled and fell from the wall, already dead before hitting the ground.
Those who weren't directly stared at by the heads still felt the layers of yin wind brushing against their bodies.
If one's life was like a stick of incense, and the wind blew out one lamp at a time, so that when the third lamp went out, one's life would end. Then, they were as good as being blown out by countless little ghosts.
Not only the ordinary soldiers, but even the able persons with cultivation couldn't withstand it.
These defending soldiers, though ordinary under the Divine Bestowed King, included brave warriors. But at this moment, they couldn't even hold their weapons, and the Mystic Artisans in the army also lacked the courage to resist, only screaming desperately.
Scrambling for pot ash, hiding in latrines, or holding roosters and crouching in corners, they shivered, their faces pale, muttering incoherently, praying for dawn.
The fierce ghosts assailed the pass, and the wrathful spirit invaded!
They had all traveled the world and seen many things, but never had they witnessed such a scene.
The situation came suddenly and was rare in the world. The various extraordinary individuals from Quzhou's mystic circuits finally recalled the fear they once felt when the Little Ancestor suppressed them all.
Strangely, even with such a commotion, the Divine Bestowed King and his Stupa Army remained silent.
In the innermost ceremonial tent within the pass, there was dead silence.
"Mother, if we follow them now..."
In contrast to the tragic scene within Tiger Pass, the various soldiers outside the Head Array were both anxious and excited.
They witnessed the scene of the ghostly army attacking the pass, feeling both shocked and shaken. But immediately after, they were overjoyed, clearly seeing that the Head Array had changed direction and that the inside of Tiger Pass had fallen into chaos.
Undoubtedly, if they could advance with the army at this moment, following the charge of the ghostly soldiers, they could take advantage and break through Tiger Pass, winning a major battle.
Unfortunately, Sweet Potato Burn's method of breaking the array was too incompatible. The soldiers within Tiger Pass, entangled by countless ghosts, suffered, and those outside dared not approach, knowing they would also be trapped if they got too close.
Theoretically, she hadn't broken the array; she had only made it more powerful...
At this moment, the two young misses of the Unchanging Li Family had faces filled with indescribable embarrassment. They exchanged glances, wanting to speak, but ultimately closed their mouths.
In front of the Unchanging Li Family, summoning various ghost kings to assault the gate was akin to trampling their faces into the mud. The two young misses of the Li Family had never encountered such a situation in their lives, but Hu Ma was standing right there, a solid pillar of support, which made them too afraid to act.
Speaking of seniority, they were actually of the same generation as Hu Ma, but Hu Ma was already the Family Head of the Hu Family, the Great Master.
This made her status higher than theirs.
Moreover, Hu Ma’s abilities were genuine, placing her on a different level from them, and the intangible sense of oppression still lingered.
Back when Hu Ma reprimanded them in the Capital City, her words about the dust on their knees not being fully brushed off still echoed in their ears. Now, they were even more hesitant to invite trouble.
“Sigh...”
However, right before Tiger Pass, as the Yin Wind rolled and it became difficult to distinguish the mortal world from the Netherworld, a low sigh suddenly sounded.
Everyone noticed it simultaneously, raising their heads to see that amidst the eerie ghost fog, several white flags had appeared out of nowhere. More flags soon followed, one after another, as if coming from the underworld.
In the blink of an eye, the flags were densely packed, crisscrossing and interwoven, inscribed with Extermination Text, mysterious and sinister.
As these flags appeared, the world seemed to fall silent. The ghosts and spirits causing chaos at Tiger Pass seemed to have their voices pulled away, and the countless heads before the gate all had blank expressions, their eyes closed.
“Finally decided to show up?”
Hu Ma sensed the commotion, coldly snorted, and looked in the direction the flags were drifting.
She saw the flags inscribed with Extermination Text, densely packed.
Below Tiger Pass, the Paper Mountain, Paper Bridge, and Paper Courtyard set up by the able persons of Quzhou Soul Punishment Sect were now hazy and distorted, as if they had transformed into reality.
They were so lifelike that it seemed a city had suddenly appeared before Tiger Pass, making it hard to tell what was real and what was not.
From within this city, a ceremonial tent could be seen in the distance, with a ghost official wearing a tall white hat leading the way, followed by two rows of little ghosts, some holding fans and others holding flasks, crossing the Head Array and approaching Hu Ma.
They knelt and paid their respects: “Greetings to the General Who Suppresses Evil, the Chief Clerk of Execution Soul Sect, Lady Li Wei, requests a word.”
“An old one has come?”
Hu Ma’s gaze passed through the two ceremonial tents and saw an old woman holding a dragon-headed cane waiting before the paper city. Upon meeting Hu Ma’s gaze, she slightly bowed her head.
She did not act haughtily, but rather came in person to show respect.
Previously in the Capital City, Hu Ma did not pay much attention to the actions of the Ten Surnames.
But she took the opportunity to listen to many stories from the old woman, gaining a better understanding of the Ten Surnames.
The Unchanging Li Family still had elders alive.
If one were to consider who best represented the Li Family’s authority, it would be the family’s head, but the one who best represented the Li Family’s connections was the mother of the head, the grandmother of the two young misses of the Li Family.
Since she had come to request Hu Ma’s presence, Hu Ma could not refuse, so she nodded and walked forward, stopping before the old woman. Her face was neutral, but her words were polite: “A junior of the Hu Family, greeting the Old Lady.”
“...”
Though she said "greeting," a simple bow was the best she could manage; kneeling was out of the question.
“Don’t dare, don’t dare...”
Hu Ma only mentioned the word "greeting" in passing, but the old lady truly reached out to support her.
She said repeatedly, “This old woman cannot accept such a heavy courtesy. It’s just that the young ones have caused great trouble, and I am ashamed to face our long-standing friends. I had to come and use my face to smooth things over.”
As she spoke, she invited Hu Ma into the city and sat down. Two maids, light as air, brought tea.
Hu Ma glanced at the two maids out of the corner of her eye. They had pale lips, rosy cheeks, and ghostly white skin, not touching the ground, clearly paper figurines. However, the tea was steaming hot, with a fragrant aroma.
Lady Li Wei smiled and reassured her, “It’s tea from the mortal world, Great Master, rest assured.”
Hu Ma nodded slightly and said, “Old Lady, you are too kind. But I still don’t quite understand what you mean by ‘great trouble.’”
As she spoke, she did not hesitate, twisting her body and blowing a breath.
Whoosh!
The lifelike city, houses, and bridges, all made of paper, were torn apart by her breath, revealing the sinister and cold heads beneath, covered in blood, their eyes closed but their expressions terrifying.
“Do you mean these heads?”
Hu Ma looked intently at Old Lady Li and said, “I’ve heard that the Divine Bestowed King and the Li Family have a close relationship. It seems to be true.”
“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the audacity to slaughter innocents and set up such a tragic array before the gate!”
As she spoke, a mocking expression appeared on her face: “The Li Family oversees the Book of Karmic Debts, commands the ghost officials, and is responsible for capturing souls and punishing evil. Now, they allow such chaos, acting without law or order.”
“Not only do they not punish the evildoers, but they protect them, secretly aiding them. This is a skill I envy. If my Hu Family could learn to act as recklessly as the Li Family, we wouldn’t have suffered so much in the past.”
"..."
Listening to Hu Ma's words, Elder Lady Li let out a bitter laugh, helplessly waving her hand and sighing, "Fine, fine."
"Great Master, please spare some face for an old woman like me."
After speaking, she sighed, "Looking up from the Jianghu, the Ten Surnames are all incredibly powerful, as if they can do anything under heaven and earth. But looking down from the Ten Surnames, one realizes how vast this world is."
"You can't control it, nor can you do anything about it."
"Even if you have a few unique skills, it's just small-scale trouble. No matter how high your mystic arts, how can you suppress the hearts of the people?"
As she spoke, her face showed signs of fatigue, and she shook her head slowly, "Human hearts, they grow bigger."
"We of the Ten Surnames made a mistake by not daring to openly become emperors. Although we secretly gained benefits, the people of the world do not acknowledge us."
"Seeing this world without a ruler, you want to support one, but if you give him something real, he won't be able to stand in this chaotic world. Instead, he'll resent you for trying to control him and won't value you."
"Hehe, before receiving the favor of Heaven's Mandate, he was just an ordinary commoner. We were the mystics, and after obtaining Heaven's Mandate, he became a king, but we became the unorthodox ones of the Jianghu."
"..."
This speech was filled with complaints, and Hu Ma understood it clearly, responding with a cold smile.
It seemed that the Divine Bestowed King's arrogance had even caught Li Family off guard.
No wonder he dared to point at the void and scold the people of the Jianghu.
Hu Ma thought back to the Qingyuan Hu Family, who also wanted to support a Heaven-Ordained General, hoping to make him listen obediently. But that Heaven-Ordained General also felt discontent in his heart, and he hadn't even obtained Heaven's Mandate yet. What about those who had?
Her words remained sharp, and she said coldly, "The Li Family is large, with countless able persons. If you say they are being bullied, that's just a lie, isn't it?"
"I want to meet with the Li Family this time just to ask a question."
"Although the Dou Yi has already fallen, the rules of the world still stand. The Hu Family obtained the Office of Suppressing Evil, and everyone respects and fears it, never overstepping boundaries. But the Li Family, who holds the Registry of Sins, just lets this thing run rampant, slaughtering the innocent?"
"..."
"It's the Li Family's fault, the Li Family's fault..."
Facing Hu Ma's questioning, this elder lady of high seniority merely smiled bitterly, shaking her head. But instead of continuing, she paused slightly and looked up at Hu Ma:
"Did Zhao Family send you two stone weights?"
Hearing her mention this, Hu Ma responded with a cold gaze, "What's the connection between these two things?"
"There is a connection, after all, these five stone weights, when separated, are just objects. If you want them to be truly useful, you must gather all five."
She nodded, "Speaking of which, the Li Family also has two. One is at Tiger Pass, and the other is in the Li Family, used as a well cover. If the Great Master of the Hu Family wants them, just say the word."
"Hmm?"
Hu Ma did indeed have the intention of collecting all five stone weights, but hearing the elder lady of the Li Family speak like this, he was somewhat surprised. Was she admitting her mistake and trying to silence herself?
But it didn't seem like she would go to such lengths...
"Not only these two stone weights, but also the orders for officials and able persons in various mystic circuits from Quzhou and the entire West Mountain Path, including the Imperial Mandate and the Noble Alliance Scroll."
When the elder lady of the Li Family spoke again, her words were even more surprising: "Your generation has had little interaction with our Li Family, but our ancestors were indeed close friends. I also knew your grandmother, and I should call her sister."
"Now that you want to do something big, I understand. Just come to me directly for what you need, but don't listen to Zhao Family's instigation."
"..."
Hearing these words, Hu Ma was even more astonished. Without rushing to respond, he just looked at her.
"In fact, I know what you want."
As Elder Lady Li spoke, she looked at Hu Ma with aged but clear eyes, "When that young man who reincarnated into the Gu Poison Sect proposed to challenge the Ten Surnames for the world, we already guessed what you would do."
"Since we guessed, we naturally knew what you needed."
"Heaven's Mandate, the stone weights, and even that Dark Palace, it's all within your plans. The one you support must become the emperor. This Grass Head King, with the title of Divine Bestowed, is already an obstacle, so of course, you want to remove him."
"..."
Hu Ma was even more surprised, as she had spoken of the plan he had discussed with the reincarnator. He couldn't afford to be careless.
Meeting her gaze, he said slowly, "What else does the old lady want to say?"
Elder Lady Li also met his gaze and replied calmly, "I just want to discuss with the Great Master of the Hu Family from the Office of Suppressing Evil before you seize Heaven's Mandate."
"Discuss what?"
Hu Ma understood the elder lady's intention and said indifferently, "I don't have the ability to help the Li Family become immortals."
"If the Li Family wanted to become immortals, they would have helped the State Tutor build the White Jade Capital when they were in the Capital City."
Elder Lady Li's words were completely unexpected to Hu Ma, "By now, we should be honest with each other. Regarding pursuing Heaven's Mandate and driving away the Evil Star..."
"The Li Family stands in the same position as you!"
(End of Chapter)
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