Chapter 28: From the Depths of the Nine Netherworlds

In Little Forest Town, Zhao Rucheng and Du Yehu had lost their ability to fight, and Ling He was carrying Zhao Rucheng on his back, so on the way back to the central palace, only Jiang Wang could take action.

Fortunately, by now he had gained considerable experience dealing with those wandering souls. The Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword grew increasingly proficient in this kind of continuous battle.

As for stamina, there was no need to worry. Ever since returning from Tangshe Town, through meridian cultivation until now, he had accumulated over seventy dao essences. Though before the dao vortex formed, every one used meant one less remained, when it truly came to a critical moment, each dao essence could provide him with enough feedback to support this level of combat without much pressure.

In truth, these dao essences were the trump card that had made him decide the four of them could break the Xun Palace position. He simply had not expected Zhao Rucheng to suddenly fall into danger, nor Du Yehu to act with such decisiveness.

“I say, don’t all of you keep looking like you’re at a funeral.”

After walking for a while, Zhao Rucheng could not help speaking again.

“It’s just excessive loss of qi and blood. It’s not like there’s no way to remedy it.”

“What way?”

Before Du Yehu even spoke, Ling He became excited first. He shook Zhao Rucheng again and again with the hand supporting him from behind.

“Hurry up and say it.”

While clearing wandering souls, Jiang Wang could not help glancing at him, really wanting to stab him twice. This brat had a way but had not said it earlier, deliberately holding back something bad.

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re shaking my handsome head dizzy.”

Zhao Rucheng finally managed to calm his “temporary mount” before continuing, “I happen to know that a few days ago, someone bought a Solid Origin Pill from Yun Country at a high price and is planning to resell it. This pill has miraculous effects in nourishing qi and blood and stabilizing one’s foundation. Some noble clan disciples even specially take one Solid Origin Pill before opening their meridians, so that after meridian opening, their dao vein true spirit becomes more lively. Not to mention Du Old Tiger’s mere excessive qi and blood loss.”

“I just don’t know…”

He even curled the corner of his lips.

“…whether certain people are willing to buy it.”

Du Yehu paused before saying in a muffled voice, “I don’t have money.”

“You can borrow from me. Industry rules: lend nine, repay thirteen,” Zhao Rucheng said with a smile.

“Usury is fine. Brother Tiger likes usury.”

Du Yehu gave what looked like a simple and honest smile.

“Enough, enough.”

Black lines appeared across Jiang Wang’s forehead.

In all of Maple Forest City’s usury business, who did not know Du Yehu was famous for borrowing and not repaying?

In Du Old Tiger’s words, those people who ran usury businesses were not good things anyway, so any drinking money he could cheat out of them was a gain. If not for his background in the Dao Academy, he would have long been thrown into the moat.

“Little Five, who is that person? How much silver will he sell it for?”

Jiang Wang had already secretly decided that no matter what price the other person named, he would find a way to gather the money.

“This person who bought the Solid Origin Pill actually has the surname Zhao. Isn’t that a coincidence?”

Zhao Rucheng pretended to sigh.

“Even more coincidentally, he is actually someone from my household. What a coincidence!”

Jiang Wang took a deep breath and warned himself that Fifth Brother was heavily injured and could easily be beaten to death. Only then did he control the urge to hit him.

This brat had twisted around in circles for half an incense stick of time just to say that his family had a Solid Origin Pill that could repair Du Yehu’s losses.

Even someone as generous as Ling He felt his teeth ache.

But with this guarantee, everyone felt much more at ease. As they spoke, they had already returned to the central palace position.

Li Jianqiu and Zhao Lang were already waiting there and discussing something with Wang Changxiang. Some other senior and junior brothers were also present, none of them in very good condition. Wei Yan had gone to support the Dui Palace position, the only formation point that had not yet been broken.

“Junior Brother Jiang performed well.”

Li Jianqiu casually greeted him.

Wang Changxiang also nodded to him.

“I’m ashamed. It was all thanks to Brother Yehu and Rucheng’s outbursts,” Jiang Wang said with a bitter smile.

In front of the main contributors, he decisively gave away credit. At this stage, the most important matter was helping them successfully open their meridians. The reason he did not mention Ling He was because Du Yehu and Zhao Rucheng’s conditions were more convincing.

Ling He did not mind at all.

Li Jianqiu and the others had all experienced countless battles. With one glance, they could tell what state Du Yehu was in, and they were secretly shocked by the strength of his qi and blood.

“When Wei Yan returns, we will go straight into the central palace,” Wang Changxiang said. “This time, everyone fought bravely against evil, and your performances have been commendable. Maple Forest City will not forget your contributions, and the Dao Academy will not forget your merits.”

“Exactly!”

As they spoke, Wei Yan emerged from the dense fog. Three Dao Academy disciples followed behind him. Two disciples did not appear, and it seemed they had unfortunately perished.

The brutal fighting had not occurred only at the Xun Palace position. Aside from Wei Yan and Li Jianqiu, who had dealt with the resentful ghosts guarding their positions almost without injury, the other teams all suffered casualties. Eleven had died, nearly half of the fighting force! Even the survivors were almost all wounded.

Even Zhao Lang nearly had his intestines torn open, leaving a terrifying wound across his abdomen.

Had Wang Changxiang, who remained before the central palace, not made timely arrangements, the team operation might not have succeeded at all.

Wei Yan said solemnly, “If we return from this battle, I will be the first to request merit for everyone.”

“The danger of this battle was beyond what I expected. But right now, Maple Forest City’s fighting strength is empty. Only you all are capable of fighting this battle.”

At this point, he actually bent down and bowed.

“On behalf of the unjustly dead souls of Little Forest Town, on behalf of the common people of our Maple Forest City, I thank all of you for spilling blood!”

“Brother Wei, your words are too heavy,” Li Jianqiu said.

Everyone turned aside one after another, refusing to accept this bow.

“What kind of talk is that, General Wei? Are you from Maple Forest City, while we weren’t born and raised here?”

Du Yehu, however, said unhappily, “Stop standing here talking empty courtesy. Time is urgent!”

Even in such a weakened state, this fellow still did not conceal his heroic boldness.

Wei Yan looked deeply at him, then raised his saber and turned.

“This junior brother is right. Everyone, follow me and charge. Let us see what kind of evil beings are poisoning our fellow countrymen here!”

With the eight palaces broken, the mist wall at the central palace position lost its foundation and silently collapsed, no longer blocking the way. But the dense fog still had not dispersed and continued to obstruct their vision.

Wei Yan took the lead, while Li Jianqiu and Wang Changxiang guarded his left and right. Though Zhao Lang was injured, his overall combat strength remained intact, so he held the rear of the team. The group advanced toward the central palace position with full vigilance.

At this point, the danger of Little Forest Town no longer needed explanation. After experiencing the hardship of killing resentful ghosts at the other eight palace positions, everyone could imagine the wickedness of the central palace.

If the evil cultivators wreaking havoc in Little Forest Town had some objective, it had to be at the center.

This group could be said to represent the hopes of Maple Forest City’s younger generation. If they all died here, the entire Maple Forest City Dao Academy would be left without successors.

But not a single person said they wanted to retreat.

The road ahead was indeed dangerous and terrifying, but this place was their homeland.

They were born here, grew up here, studied here, and were willing to die here.

Aside from Zhao Rucheng and Du Yehu, three other Dao Academy disciples had also lost their ability to fight. Little Forest Town was so dangerous that naturally they could not be left behind. Thus, Ling He continued carrying Zhao Rucheng on his back while moving with the team, and Huang Azhan, as Du Yehu’s old drinking friend, also stayed beside him to protect him.

Unlike the nearly collapsed Du Yehu, Huang Azhan was still full of vigor. In the earlier battle, he had also been one of the few completely unharmed survivors. Clearly, he had some real ability and was not entirely just vulgar.

As the team advanced, Huang Azhan suddenly stopped.

He sniffed hard.

“I smell fragrance.”

The team paused with him.

He continued, “It’s a woman’s rouge… No, it’s body fragrance.”

Everyone looked at him sideways.

He added, “A beautiful woman.”

Du Yehu said irritably, “Do you have a dog’s nose?”

“Ah! A beautiful female ghost!”

Zhao Rucheng suddenly grew excited.

“I told you there would be one! Du Old Tiger, compensate me for my romantic encounter!”

No one paid attention to these two clowns, because they had already reached the very center of Little Forest Town and had seen that enormous, moving vortex.

Aside from that, there was nothing else in the entire central palace position.

The woman in red, the white-haired elder, and the black-robed cultivators seemed never to have appeared at all.

Not only did they not exist, but there were no people, no livestock, and not even a single brick or tile. Other than the endless, lingering dense fog, there was only this strange and lonely great vortex.

“Where did the government office here go? What the hell is this vortex?”

No one could answer that question.

Only Wang Changxiang’s eyes widened, filled with indescribable shock.

“Brother Wang, do you recognize it?” Wei Yan held his saber in readiness and asked in a deep voice.

But his question soon received an answer.

Because from the profound darkness at the center of the vortex, a pitch-black object slowly emerged.

Seeing pitch black within darkness was originally a very awkward description.

But that was exactly how it was.

That pitch-black object existed within darkness, yet it seemed to be the center of darkness itself, allowing everyone to clearly see its appearance.

As it rose bit by bit from the vortex, its full form gradually appeared before everyone.

It was a stone archway. Its style was not especially grand, only a structure of three bays, four pillars, and seven roofs. If one ignored its pitch-black material and the scene in which it appeared, it was no different from the archways people saw in daily life.

But the plaque in the very center of the archway had already revealed how extraordinary it was.

Three words were written upon it.

No one present recognized the script.

But the first instant every person looked at it, they understood its meaning.

The Gate of Ghosts!

(End of Chapter)