Chapter 860: The Giant Python's Revenge, Slaughtering Like Mud

Chapter 860: The Giant Python's Revenge, Slaughtering Like Mud

"The Walking Ghosts claim to reverse yin and yang, move mountains and seas, but when it comes to summoning and controlling mountains, you must look to my Witchcraft Sect and the Five Dwarfs Mountain Splitting Technique!"

In the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the Chaotic World King personally beat the Malevolent Heart Drum, awakening the mountains, feeling at ease.

His ten thousand troops were divided into five teams, venturing deep into the mountains, each guarding a specific area.

These five areas they guarded were the five Array Eyes of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

According to folklore, there were snakes in the mountains, which could be considered snake gods or mountain spirits, manifestations of the mountain's transformation.

Half of them were in the mountains, and half were outside. If there were strong men who found the snake's tail and pulled hard, they could cause the mountains to collapse and the earth to split, opening a path through the deep forests, and this was the origin of the Five Dwarfs Mountain Splitting Technique.

Ordinary people couldn't see the location of these mountains, but the Witchcraft Sect's techniques could summon the invisible mountain snakes with the Malevolent Heart Drum, making them spit poisonous mist and devour countless people.

Similarly, to awaken these snakes and make them eat people, one had to be cautious of the snake's backlash.

Therefore, when the Malevolent Heart Drum was sounded, the ten thousand troops were positioned at the snake's seven inches, head, Valley Gate, Heart Cavity, and Tail Ridge, like five iron nails pinning down the mountain snake, allowing it to eat people but preventing it from turning on itself.

It could be said that the Malevolent Heart Drum and the Mountain Awakening Technique were the keys to the Chaotic World King's invincibility.

In terms of military might, he was not as strong as the Northern Long Victory King and the Brave King. In terms of discipline, he couldn't compare to the Bright State King who brought calamity. In terms of strange and unorthodox methods, he was inferior to the Flying King. And in terms of sinister and evil ways, he was far less skilled than the Changping King.

But with the Mountain Awakening Technique, he could stand invincible, and he was extremely confident about eventually conquering the world.

His original plan was to guard the southern frontier, wait for the northern warlords to fight and weaken each other, and then lead his army out to pick the fruits of victory. If he won, he could march straight into the capital and secure his rule. If he lost, he could retreat back to the mountains, and no one could trouble him. However, later, Master Zhu issued an order, forcing him to leave the mountains early and participate in the suppression of the Bright State King.

Regardless, as long as he was in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, no one could harm him.

Even his own troops felt that this battle was incredibly easy. They had only come to the mountains to guard these five positions, and the Hundred Thousand Mountains would help them devour any invading enemies. It was even easier than farming or gathering herbs in the mountains.

Because the task was so simple, the troops were especially vigilant in their defense.

An hour ago, Sweet Potato Burn performed her ritual in the mountains, burning incense, scattering spirit money, and summoning layers of yin mist for protection. She borrowed a group of small ghosts to carry her palanquin, moving through the realms of yin and yang, and heading straight to the five locations guarded by the troops. They attacked the seven inches, then the Valley Gate, and finally reached the Heart Cavity, creating chaos.

But it had no effect!

"It's not working, it's not working!"

Sweet Potato Burn was frustrated and on the verge of tears.

Her five hundred Hemp Uniformed Army, though created unintentionally, was incredibly powerful. With the help of the ghosts carrying her palanquin, she could move silently through the night, traveling a thousand li and attacking with White Flags, using the cover of darkness and the power of the ghosts to assault the enemy.

However, in the Five Dwarfs' territory, each location had over twenty thousand troops, their Army Malevolent Energy was deep and heavy, and the locals were accustomed to strange and bizarre occurrences, making them bolder than ordinary people.

Sweet Potato Burn waved her hand, and the small ghosts scattered, raising White Flags, creating a ghostly wind, and causing chaos everywhere. The wailing and haunting of the ghosts could scare ordinary people, but they couldn't deter the Chaotic World King's troops. The soldiers used dog blood and wolf smoke to block these ghostly attacks.

"It's just saving people, why is it so difficult?"

Since entering the jianghu, Sweet Potato Burn had never faced such frustration, and she was on the verge of tears.

Brother Hou'er Jiu had only given her a simple task: drive the enemy out of the mountains to save their lives. How could it be so difficult? Indeed, it seemed that harming others was easier...

"My biggest flaw is being too kind-hearted..."

The small ghosts around her offered suggestions.

"We may not be good at fighting, but we excel at other things. Why don't we all go to the mountain peaks and blow in their direction, blowing away their luck and spirits!"

"Or we can go upstream and pee in their river, letting them taste the water of the small ghosts, ensuring they never become wealthy."

"We can haunt their dreams in the darkness, possessing them seven or eight times in one night, guaranteeing they won't get up the next day..."

"..."

Sweet Potato Burn listened to these suggestions and shook her head. "Too slow."

But it sparked an idea, and she looked towards the mountain valley ahead.

The challenge in dealing with the Chaotic World Army was that the small ghosts couldn't disperse their Army Malevolent Energy, and trying to lure them out was futile as they strictly followed the Chaotic World King's orders and wouldn't budge.

So, she had a plan.

Gritting her teeth, she said solemnly, "To save them, we must kill their entire families..."

Taking advantage of the Chaotic World Army's characteristic of strictly guarding their positions, Sweet Potato Burn led her five hundred Hemp Uniformed Army and countless small ghosts, marching boldly through the mountains and valleys, searching for villages and counties to wreak havoc.

The search for the right people is indeed easy.

In the Southern Hundred Thousand Mountain Range, there are countless witch clans, and in the flatlands, grand cities and earthen mansions have been built, housing wealthy and respectable Earthlord Patriarchs.

The Hemp Uniformed Army, taking advantage of the night, first slaughtered several wealthy households with high courtyard walls.

Then, they sent their underlings to cause chaos. Those in the lowlands were ordered to push stones down the mountains, while those on the slopes shook tree branches. Some blew out oil lamps in the houses, some caused chaos in the ancestral halls, and some blew on the kitchen fires, setting the houses ablaze.

More of them followed the Hemp Uniformed Army, raising large flags outside the city, moving from left to right, causing unrest throughout the night.

The mountain dwellers had seen many ghostly and demonic occurrences, but they had never witnessed an army of ghosts attacking a city. In one night, everyone was in panic, wailing incessantly, thinking that a large army had arrived at their doorstep.

In this southern mountain region, the lives of ordinary people were often worthless, but the Earthlord Patriarchs were incredibly valuable.

Upon seeing the chaos and countless deaths, the Earthlord Patriarchs became fearful. They sent messengers and poisonous insects to deliver messages, calling for their troops to return to defend their villages instead of staying in the mountains.

The Chaotic World King's ten thousand troops were mostly supported by these Earthlord Patriarchs. With their command, even the Chaotic World King's orders became ineffective.

Upon hearing the urgent summons from their Earthlord Patriarchs, many of them directly disobeyed the Chaotic World King's orders, leading their trusted troops out of the mountains, even going as far as arguing with generals and commanders.

Despite the Chaotic World King's reputation, he had never led a large-scale battle, and his troops had never experienced real combat. The generals lacked authority, making it difficult to enforce discipline and control the entire army.

"How audacious..."

Upon learning of the changes in the rear, the Chaotic World King became furious. "Crossing the Southern Hundred Thousand Mountain Range to cause chaos in a region, seeking death!"

Fortunately, even with the enemy's cunning tactics, the Chaotic World King still had many loyal troops and confidants. Despite the chaos, there were still over sixty thousand troops in the mountains following his orders, guarding five areas.

The drums beat faster, driving the mountain cannibals.

The Chaotic World King also sent numerous extraordinary individuals into the mountains to injure people.

At the same time, Hou'er Jiu arranged for Bald Old Zhang to lead eight hundred troops into the mountains overnight. They crossed the valley and buried the bamboo baskets from his oxcart in designated locations, then gathered to await orders.

That night, strange and eerie occurrences filled the mountains, frightening everyone. However, they were more startled than in danger.

They could clearly sense that the Southern Hundred Thousand Mountain Range seemed to become more dangerous.

The roads were invisible, and directions were indistinguishable. From time to time, the sound of mountains collapsing echoed from a distance.

Occasionally, a whole slope of dead bodies hung high, waving at the living.

"Is this... enough?"

Bald Old Zhang was filled with worry, whispering, "We only have one thousand three hundred people who entered the mountains. After Qiaoyun General took her five hundred troops away, we're left with eight hundred. How can we face the Chaotic World King's ten thousand army?"

"Your methods, no matter how wonderful, will take days to behead them all. How can we possibly fight them?"

"..."

"We don't need to deal with them. They will drive themselves into a desperate situation."

Hou'er Jiu smiled gently and said, "An army is an army, and a method is a method."

"If it were me, I would never mix the two."

"If the Chaotic World King's ten thousand army is deployed, I would never dare to face them with these eight hundred troops."

"But they insist on using this ten thousand army to cast their methods, which is truly..."

"..."

He shook his head slowly, as if unable to find the right words to describe them, and sighed, "Everyone says the Ten Surnames are powerful, but I have a different opinion."

"The Ten Surnames only steal the energy of the Earth, and their audacity extends to becoming parasites of Heaven and Earth. Although they occupy territories and hold power, they only know how to theorize without practical abilities."

"They each support an emperor, but if they truly dare to hand over what they have, it might be tolerable."

"Supporting the Grasshead King while also grasping power..."

"..."

"Useless!"

"..."

After speaking, he turned to look at the ox that tirelessly pulled his cart and willingly endured experiments. He gently stroked its horns and said, "I've made arrangements here. You should leave now."

The ox, or rather, the ox-horse, trembled with disbelief, raising its head with a longing for survival.

"Go!"

Hou'er Jiu whispered, "Go east!"

As he removed the headgear from the ox, it immediately galloped eastward.

As they journeyed, they dared not turn back, not even for a glance.

It was only then that Hou'er Jiu raised the flute in his hand and looked around.

At this moment, the mountains were at their most oppressive, with dark winds swirling all around. From deep within the earth, muffled rumblings echoed, and from the endless depths of the forest, among the wild grasses, countless peering eyes seemed to watch them.

Even the wind that blew through the gaps in the trees seemed to be filled with voices calling his name, robbing them of any sense of security.

Not just eight hundred, but even ten thousand people would feel insignificant within the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Yet, at this moment, Hou'er Jiu merely lifted his flute and played it slowly.

The flute was a bamboo instrument, and every witch had one. This particular flute was carved by his younger sister, Wuya, when they were young, and she had given it to him.

Hou'er Jiu didn't enjoy playing the flute. Usually, during spellcasting, he would simply hold it in his palm, welcoming the wind that gently blew through it, and the sound it produced was enough to control his puppets.

But this time, he placed the flute horizontally against his lips and blew gently.

In the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the drumbeats suddenly became heavy and fierce, as Hunshi Wang, the Chaos World King, was casting spells on the other side of the mountain.

The eerie and oppressive atmosphere intensified several times over, and the shadows of strange creatures danced all around.

Bald Old Zhang and his eight hundred troops now felt as if every blade of grass and every tree had come to life.

The trees were shifting positions, trapping them in place, and the vines were slowly writhing, one by one, coming alive to entangle them.

At that very moment, the sound of the flute suddenly rose.

Even Hu Ma, who had seen Hou'er Jiu the most, had previously doubted whether Hou'er Jiu could even play the flute. But when Hou'er Jiu played, the sound was surprisingly pleasant.

The flute's mournful and melodious notes instantly flew into the depths of the mountains, blending seamlessly with the wind, as if they had become one.

The Malevolent Heart Drum was struck once every hour, each time more intense than the last.

After a night, Hunshi Wang had struck the drum ten times, and with his anger, the drum had reached its peak, like raging waves crushing down upon them.

The mountains and earth shook and collided, and in an instant, fierce winds swirled around them.

Even the wind in the wilderness was so strong that Bald Old Zhang and his men couldn't keep their eyes open, and they wanted to cover their ears.

But as the flute played, it instantly shattered the oppressive drumbeats all around, not only clearing the ears of those nearby but also sending the sound outward.

Although the flute's melody wasn't particularly loud, and its beauty even made one forget about the existence of power, at this very moment, it seemed to take on a physical form, permeating the mountains, altering the landscape, and changing the course of the mountain winds.

"Ka-ka-ka..."

At that moment, a loud crashing sound came from afar, mixed with the agonized and shrill cries of unknown creatures.

Bald Old Zhang, the bravest among them, forced his eyes open, hoping to see clearly, but what he saw was like a nightmare. He witnessed mountains overturning, the earth turning upside down, and the starry sky above as if it had fallen to the ground.

In the next moment, he saw the continuous, dense peaks ahead moving.

It was as if a crawling giant beast had been startled and was fleeing.

He realized that the ground beneath their feet, which had been covered in wild grasses and rocks, now had a clear stone path stretching out before them, coming from afar.

It took him a moment to realize that the Hundred Thousand Mountains, under the influence of the flute's melody, had undergone a transformation, parting to the sides, creating a straight path for them.

On either side of the path, valleys appeared, and countless figures emerged.

These were the troops that Hunshi Wang had stationed within the Hundred Thousand Mountains to control the five vital points: the head, neck, valley gate, heart cavity, and tail ridge. But at this moment, they appeared in the valleys on both sides, hanging dead in these valleys.

He couldn't comprehend the terrifying sight before him, nor did he believe that a single person's abilities could cause such devastation. He didn't understand how such a simple method could have such a profound effect.

The Malevolent Heart Drum awakened the Hundred Thousand Mountains, commanding the mountains to consume people.

Hou'er Jiu's flute playing caused the mountains to turn, and the snakes within could not turn back, biting and killing those who controlled the five vital points.

Bald Old Zhang could only believe he was in a nightmare, that everything he saw around him was an illusion.

He forced himself to follow Hou'er Jiu, who was playing the flute and walking ahead, step by step, through the straight mountain path, past the bizarre phenomena of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, towards the end of the stone path.

At the end, there was a military camp with a large drum.

In front of the drum, Hunshi Wang held a human bone drumstick, but he couldn't strike it anymore.

The drumhead was torn, revealing the dark brown heart inside the drum, which had stopped beating.

Not only were the soldiers in the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in disarray, but even his personal guards were now bleeding from their seven orifices, lying on the ground in disarray.

And he could only hold up the drumstick that had long since lost its use, exerting all his strength, and shouting hoarsely, "Mountain Spirit..."

"Mountain Spirit, you are the Mountain Spirit..."

"..."

For the Wu people, the Mountain Spirit is the most terrifying being in legend.

He didn't understand why such strange and terrifying changes would occur in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

He could only assume that the legendary Mountain Spirit had appeared.

The mighty King of Chaos, the noble leader of the Hundred Thousand Army, the Imperial Seed, was now alone and helpless, watching the Mountain Spirit in a white robe, playing the flute, walking out of the mountains. As he approached, the fear in his heart reached its peak.

He wanted to shout, but he couldn't make a sound; he wanted to swing the drumstick and hit him, but his body wouldn't obey.

Finally, when the white-robed Mountain Spirit played the flute in front of him, a huge impact force surged into his mind in an instant.

He only felt his five senses warm and his body float.

The fear reached its peak at this moment, but instead, it felt like a release. The mighty King of Chaos was now bleeding from his five senses, scared to death on the spot.

But Hou'er Jiu didn't even glance at him; he walked straight past his body and the Malevolent Heart Drum, and as he did, the flute's melody gradually lowered, its tail end lingering and sinking into the silent earth.

At this moment, he was already walking step by step through the military tent, looking up. In the midst of the swirling clouds, there was another mountain, faintly visible, at the end. On the mountain, there also seemed to be countless chilling gazes looking down.

"Three months ago, we agreed to a duel."

Hou'er Jiu slowly put down his flute and looked at the mountain, his expression calm, even with a hint of anticipation, saying, "Now I've come as promised."

"So, Guan Shan Clan, are you ready to receive my law?"

"..."

"A hundred thousand soldiers, buried in the mountains in one morning..."

Along with Hou'er Jiu's inquiry, a voice finally came down from the depths of the mist-shrouded mountain: "You keep saying you want to save the world, but you don't cherish lives. Is this saving the world?"

"Believe me, I'm already trying my best to save more lives, and I've even asked a kind young lady to do this life-saving task."

Hou'er Jiu looked up at the mountain, saying, "Moreover, you watched them die. Isn't that so?"

"Clearly, when I entered the Hundred Thousand Mountains, you already knew I was coming, and you could have easily bypassed the King of Chaos's army and rushed to this mountain to duel with me."

"Even if you had just ordered the King of Chaos to clear the way, I would have come directly to your mountain to duel, but in fact, I've been in this mountain for three days, and you've done nothing."

"I know you want to use this hundred thousand army to test my strength, and even hope that we would both be severely injured so that you could reap the benefits."

"But you didn't expect that they couldn't stop me; instead, they delivered the Hundred Thousand Mountains into my hands."

"..."

Hou'er Jiu's words were harsh, but the mountain remained silent for a long time before a sigh finally came: "The world is turned upside down at this moment, and you are depressed for twenty years. Now you are making a fuss, and it's too cruel."

"You have caused a slaughter calamity, harming countless people. You have borrowed the curses of the people, pressured Necromancer Chen, and borrowed the people's weapons to destroy the Zhao family's hundred entertainments. All these things are beyond expectation and shocking."

"I know you are trying to destroy everything from the root, but we are trying to save the world..."

"With the facts here, how can we believe that you are not intentionally leading the Earth Deity?"

"..."

"What time is it, and you're still putting labels on us?"

Hou'er Jiu even showed a trace of impatience on his face, but he remained polite, saying calmly, "I know they've already started. Some are holding grudges for the people, and some are opening the eyes of the people. These are all very meaningful things for this final confrontation."

"Unfortunately, I'm not good at these things."

"I came here only to duel with you, the Guan Shan Clan."

"Even my choice of you is not because of a higher chance of victory or a better understanding of witchcraft. It's just that your law is closest to the origin."

"So..."

He seemed to know that someone was observing him through the law altar, and these words were directed at both the Guan Shan Clan and the person observing the world's fortunes through the law altar. He nodded slightly.

Then he sighed lightly, looking at the layers of mist on the mountain, and said with a smile, "After all, you are known as the Witchcraft Ancestral Family, the Southern Witch Ancestor's Guan Shan Clan. Don't let me down..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end