Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eighth: The Heavenly Demon Sect

"Haha, that kid is dead for sure!" The middle-aged Daoist laughed heartily, waiting until nightfall when they could release the ghosts, doubling their combat power.

"Hehe, I just want to try out the Evil Ghost Sword Technique I've just mastered. Today, I'll test my sword on you!" The young Daoist held a sharp sword, riding a fast horse with the middle-aged Daoist, charging at Xu Daoyan.

The sword in his hand was no ordinary weapon. As he wielded it, a malevolent wind howled, and ghostly auras swirled, as if a hideous ghost's face was emerging, causing anyone to shudder in fear. This was a sword technique that could break one's courage. If it were an ordinary person, they would surely be intimidated.

In battle, if one's courage is broken, death is not far away. Momentum is very important.

But who was Xu Daoyan? From the beginning, he had trained his liver, with his liver and gallbladder working in harmony. He formed a seal with one hand, drawing the vital energy from his heart and condensing it in his left hand: "Flame Sun Seal, roar!"

A powerful surge of blood and qi erupted, and scorching light rolled. The Flame Sun Seal struck, and this offensive technique was highly damaging to ghosts. The three evil ghosts, shrouded in dark auras, quickly disintegrated under the scorching light, emitting piercing screams. Their bodies melted like snow in the sun.

The young Daoist was shocked. He never expected Xu Daoyan to be so strong, and the techniques he practiced were particularly effective against the Heavenly Demon Sect's methods. Raising ghosts was the strongest means of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Without their ghosts, they were like tigers without teeth. He immediately retracted his sword, pulled the reins to turn and leave, but Xu Daoyan moved.

The warhorse galloped, and Xu Daoyan struck like lightning, holding the Thunderbolt Spear. Leaning forward, he thrust the spear, and with a gush of blood, the young Daoist's body was pierced. Xu Daoyan shook the spear, flinging the body away. With a loud thud, the sound of bones breaking echoed, and the young Daoist fell heavily to the ground, convulsing a few times, spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood, and then died.

He was at the lower level of the third rank. Due to overconfidence and underestimating his opponent, he was killed by Xu Daoyan with one spear thrust. If it were an ordinary horse, the three evil ghosts' roar would have frightened it into immobility. However, this was a warhorse, experienced in countless battles, a mount of the Wind Cavalry Camp, with surging blood and qi, far superior to an ordinary horse.

The middle-aged Daoist watched this scene in disbelief. His voice trembled as he pointed at Xu Daoyan: "You actually dared to kill the son of an outer gate elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect. You're dead, and no one can save you!"

He pulled the reins and turned to flee. Xu Daoyan's eyes turned cold, and he threw the Thunderbolt Spear, which whistled through the air.

Puff!

Ah!

The middle-aged man screamed as he was carried away by the Thunderbolt Spear, pinned to the snow, spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood, and then died. Their horses were frightened and fled.

From start to finish, Xu Daoyan killed two people with ease. He rode the warhorse, pulled out the Thunderbolt Spear, dismounted, and searched the two Daoists' bodies, finding a lot of loot, almost stripping them of their clothes.

He didn't rush to count the items but gathered the two Daoists' bodies. Xu Daoyan took out two lightning talismans, and with a boom, thunder struck the ground.

He used the lightning talismans to destroy the bodies and cover up the traces, his actions swift and clean, not what a thirteen-year-old child would typically do. The two lightning talismans were extremely powerful, turning the bodies to ashes, leaving no trace. They were obtained from the yellow-robed Daoist.

Only then did Xu Daoyan ride the warhorse to Zhang Chao's house and said softly: "Auntie Zhang, open the door, it's all over!"

"What happened outside just now? There was such a loud thunderclap!" Zhang's mother was startled. Seeing nothing outside, she calmed down a bit.

"Nothing, no one will come to harass you from today on." Xu Daoyan's voice was gentle. He took out the ghost-binding bag, and Zhang Chao walked out.

Zhang Chao was a ghost, and the paths of humans and ghosts were different. Normally, he would be invisible, but the old beggar had taught him a powerful technique to cultivate his soul.

It was the Starlight Body, which could protect his soul, though it required enduring great pain, Zhang Chao had mastered it.

Zhang Chao's appearance startled his mother and wife. He was surrounded by a faint starlight, forming his true form.

"Chao'er, is it really you?" Zhang's mother was both surprised and delighted, tears welling in her eyes. She had waited for Zhang Chao to return, her hair turning white, only to receive news of his death and a sixty-tael compensation.

"Lord, you're not dead?" Zhang Chao's wife was very surprised.

"No, I'm already dead. What you see now is my soul, or rather, I am a ghost, not a human. Master Xu's teacher is a celestial being who gave me the chance to stand before you." Zhang Chao knelt before Zhang's mother and bowed: "Mother, I am unfilial, dying on the battlefield and unable to serve you."

"Regardless, I am already content to see you again. Go and reincarnate well!" Zhang's mother wept, her son having died in battle, now returning briefly, she dared not ask for more.

Zhang Chao looked at his wife and child, feeling both reluctant and helpless: "A'e, now that we are on different paths, you will suffer for the rest of your life. If you find a good family, you should remarry."

A'e shook her head, firmly saying: "Since I married into the Zhang family, I never thought of remarrying. I will raise the child and serve Mother until her last day."

"..." Being a ghost, he could not stay with them for long, as the ghostly aura would harm their bodies. If Zhang Chao had not condensed the Starlight Body, his mother and wife would have been severely affected by the ghostly aura.

Just as Zhang Chao was about to return to the ghost-binding bag, he saw a little boy standing behind his wife, who looked very much like him. He paused, looking at the child with a complex expression: "Is he my son?"

A'e nodded repeatedly and said to the boy: "Nian'er, come and bow to your father."

"Nian'er?" Zhang Chao was stunned.

"Yes, Zhang Nian. Your father always thought of you, and he named you Nian'er, hoping you would soon return to a peaceful life." A'e said, tears streaming down her face, her voice hoarse.

The little boy walked to Zhang Chao, knelt down, and said seriously: "Son bows to Father."

He bowed three times, looking seriously at the unfamiliar man. Zhang Chao moved his lips and said: "Nian'er, you must practice martial arts well and protect your mother and grandmother when you grow up. If I have the chance, I will come back to see you."

The little boy nodded and said seriously: "Nian'er will."

Zhang Chao returned to the ghost-binding bag, and Xu Daoyan took out ten taels of gold and gave it to Zhang's mother, saying: "Raise Nian'er well. Zhang Chao died protecting the people, and there is no shame in dying on the battlefield."

"Thank you, Master Xu, but we cannot accept this money." Zhang's mother dared not accept it. Ten taels of gold was too much for their family, equivalent to a thousand taels of silver.

Xu Daoyan thought for a moment. If two women had so much money, it would surely bring trouble. He took out a hundred taels of silver from the middle-aged Daoist's money bag and gave it to Zhang's mother, not allowing her to refuse.

He mounted the horse and left, having fulfilled Zhang Chao's wish.

The more powerful Zhang Chao became, the more difficult it was for ordinary people to bear his presence. Before he became a ghost immortal, living with humans would harm them.

Just as Xu Daoyan rode the warhorse and ran a hundred paces, he saw a man and a horse blocking his path. He raised his eyebrows and recognized Feng Hua.

"Leader Feng, why are you here?" Xu Daoyan was surprised.

"I overheard these two Daoists planning to deal with a boy in purple armor. I was worried and came to check. You handled it very cleanly. Not bad, a good seed. I didn't expect such talent to come from Pomegranate Village!" Feng Hua's expression was calm. Xu Daoyan didn't look like an ordinary child at all.

"But this matter is not over. The Heavenly Demon Sect has many means. Knowing that you did this, it's not safe to stay here. Rest for the night, and we'll set off at dawn tomorrow."

"Thank you, Leader Feng." Xu Daoyan held the spear and bowed, grateful to Feng Hua.

That night, Xu Daoyan released Zhang Chao, Qin Han, and Bai Shi, and let the three evil ghosts from the middle-aged Daoist's ghost-binding bag be absorbed by them, increasing their strength. For ghosts, absorbing and devouring their kind was a great supplement.

After counting the loot, the middle-aged man had a staggering twenty thousand taels of gold, not to mention other gold and silver jewelry and his sword.

The young Daoist was even more extravagant, carrying a gold note from the Stone Dragon Chamber of Commerce worth three hundred thousand taels. In addition, his spatial ring contained gold and silver jewelry, and his sword was a high-quality human-grade weapon. He also had a token inscribed with "Yellow Mountain Ghost."

Xu Daoyan didn't care much and stored everything. He switched to the young Daoist's ring, which had a space of ten square meters, allowing him to store more items.

As the sky gradually brightened, Xu Daoyan put them back into the ghost-binding bag. The elite cavalry of the Wind Cavalry Camp mounted their horses and set off.

On the road, the hooves thundered, galloping swiftly.

"I saw everything that happened last night," Feng Hua said calmly, riding alongside Xu Daoyan.

"I might have been too impulsive, so I decided to kill them to prevent the Heavenly Demon Sect from bullying the widows and orphans." Xu Daoyan's eyes were fierce, as he had grown up with his mother, and he could not tolerate such injustice.

"You did the right thing. If you hadn't killed them, Zhang Chao's family would have suffered greatly. When I return to Stone Dragon City, I will report this and request increased protection for the families of soldiers who died in battle. After all, they died for their country!" Feng Hua knew it might not help, but it was his heart's desire.