Chapter 96 - 95: Ten Directions Ghost City
Chapter 96: Chapter 95: Ten Directions Ghost City
The Zhang Family had established their presence in Liang City for three hundred years; in the world of cultivation, this was considered rather brief.
However, Liang City was an extremely special place, with more than half of its cultivators hailing from other regions, making it particularly chaotic.
Moreover, when cultivators occasionally found treasures in the Ancient Battlefield and did not keep their actions secret, even the slightest leak would attract the covetousness of others, leading to frequent skirmishes, battles, and even plundering.
For a small clan like the Zhang Family to have flourished for three hundred years without being exterminated was already quite commendable.
The gang of bandit cultivators who plundered the Zhang Family resided fifty miles outside Liang City on Black Wind Mountain. They once had a Foundation Establishment Cultivator as their leader, who was executed by the Zhang Family for stealing from them several years ago.
Although the remaining bandit cultivators escaped swiftly and were not completely annihilated, only a few Qi Refining Cultivators managed to flee. The Zhangs didn’t consider it necessary to take them too seriously.
…
However, they never expected that these bandit cultivators were not so easily dealt with. They secretly followed two of the Zhang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators into the Ancient Battlefield, risking death to trigger some of the dangers within and ultimately killing the two from the Zhang Family.
Following that, the bandit cultivators took advantage of the Zhangs’ state of shock and swiftly attacked, killing every living person within the Zhang Family Mansion. Only a few fringe cultivators, each managing different affairs, were spared.
After confirming the situation of those bandit cultivators several times, Ma Jiu couldn’t help but shake his head internally.
The Zhang Family cultivators who survived knew very little about the bandit cultivators.
That was to be expected, though—if just any cultivator could easily know the details of bandit cultivators, then the bandits wouldn’t have been able to roam free up until now.
Since they couldn’t glean more information, Ma Jiu didn’t wish to waste any more time. He and Qin Feng left the Zhang Family Mansion and headed towards Black Wind Mountain, fifty miles away.
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The Black Wind Mountain range stretched over hundreds of miles, with high peaks and dense forests, offering countless hiding places.
In fact, there was more than one band of bandit cultivators living there, but Qin Feng and Ma Jiu didn’t need to eliminate all of them—a feat they couldn’t achieve anyway.
Their only task was to exterminate the bandits who plundered the Zhang Family, thus completing their Sect’s mission.
Finding the exact location of those bandits in the vastness of Black Wind Mountain was, however, a daunting challenge.
As several bandit factions hid within the mountain range, they dared not ride their Spiritual Beasts around the mountain at will. Otherwise, they might attract the attention of the more formidable bandits, and an attack from them would mean suffering a loss not worth the gain.
It also didn’t help that several days had passed since the Zhang Family was raided, as any residual scents had long dissipated. Otherwise, with the sensitive noses of their Spiritual Beasts, they might have been able to track down the bandits.
Fortunately, Ma Jiu could be considered an experienced veteran in the cultivation world, so this challenge was not too difficult for him. Before long, he led Qin Feng towards some villages at the foot of Black Wind Mountain, intending to gather information there before making further plans.
…
“Ditty ditty…dah dah…”
The melodious and varying tones of the suona carried far and wide. A wedding procession made its way along the road, cheerfully playing music.
The groom was a boy of about sixteen or seventeen, his face brimming with happiness as he rode atop a black-furred, white-lipped donkey.
Behind the boy, eight sturdy farmers carried a big red bridal sedan chair, heading towards a nearby village.
By the roadside, Qin Feng and Ma Jiu quietly watched the procession pass by, ready to move on, when suddenly Ma Jiu uttered a soft exclamation.
“What’s wrong?” Qin Feng turned and asked.
“I smell a hint of Yin Qi,” Ma Jiu said, and with a flash of light in his eyes, he looked towards the wedding procession.
Moments later, he laughed, “Who would have thought that in such a place, one could actually encounter a living man taking a Ghost Wife?”
Qin Feng was taken aback, “Senior Brother, are you saying that the bride in the palanquin is not a living person?”
“That’s correct.”
Ma Jiu grinned and said, “I have no idea where this Groom found such a bride, but chances are he’s been ensnared by a Ghost Item.
Since we’ve come across it, we cannot ignore the situation. Besides, we are not in a rush to enter the mountain, so let’s deal with this Ghost Item first and take the opportunity to ask the village elders if they know anything about what’s inside the mountain.”
Although he could be somewhat deceitful and would never pass up an opportunity for advantage, he was, after all, a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, and the founding philosophy of the Beast Taming Sect was to protect the Human Clan.
Even though the Beast Taming Sect had had its share of conflicts with other Sects over the years, this founding philosophy had been passed on when instructing disciples. Therefore, even Ma Jiu, upon encountering ordinary folk entangled by demon beasts or Ghost Items, would not turn a blind eye.
Qin Feng manipulated a spell, summoning Spiritual Energy to his eyes, but he could only sense a faint ripple of Yin Qi, without catching anything else.
Seeing him frown, Ma Jiu chuckled, “The bridal dress on that Ghost Item is a Ghost Dao Magical Artifact that conceals her aura. If I hadn’t cultivated the Illusion True Eye spell, capable of seeing through illusions and discerning the truth, I wouldn’t have discovered her abnormality.
Junior Brother, it’s quite normal for you not to see through that Ghost Item, having not cultivated such spells.”
Qin Feng nodded, withdrew his gaze, and dared not look any longer for fear of alarming the ghost in the palanquin. Startling it might cause it to act prematurely if it suspected its cover was blown, and they might not be able to save the men carrying the palanquin.
However, this incident had Qin Feng looking up at Ma Jiu. Despite his cunning nature, his actual strength was not weak at all, as he had immediately noticed something off about the bride in the palanquin.
Although it was related to the Spiritual Eye spell he cultivated, his Cultivation level was at least at the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Perhaps he was already accumulating resources in preparation for Foundation Establishment.
As Qin Feng walked towards the village alongside Ma Jiu, he pondered whether he should find a Spiritual Beast capable of the Spiritual Eye Divine Power. With such ability, he could see through any illusions or falsehoods and not be as helpless as he was now, knowing a Ghost Item was right before him, yet unable to discern its anomaly.
Shortly thereafter, they followed the wedding procession into a simple farmstead.
Although the courtyard and house had been cleaned, it was still evident that this family was not wealthy.
Still, this household seemed to be hospitable. Perhaps because it was a day of great joy and they did not wish to trouble themselves further, or perhaps upon seeing their extraordinary attire, they not only did not chase them away but arranged for them to sit by an Eight Immortals Table, awaiting the couple’s completion of their ceremonial bows before the feast would be served.
Qin Feng casually glanced around and suddenly saw a young Taoist watching the bride with great interest.
“Senior Brother.”
Qin Feng elbowed Ma Jiu and signaled towards the young Taoist.
“Eh?”
Ma Jiu was also taken aback, “The Ghost Controlling Sect is far in the East Domain, so how come its disciples have come here?”
“Ghost Controlling Sect?”
Qin Feng thought for a moment and soon recalled the information he had seen in the Scripture Pavilion regarding the Ghost Controlling Sect.
This was an Ancient Sect that rose at about the same time as the Beast Taming Sect, but the Beast Taming Sect focused on Demon Beasts while the Ghost Controlling Sect dealt with Ghost Items.
During the Ancient Great Tribulation, the Netherworld Ghost Realm was one of the invaders, and countless Ghost Items roamed wild, which gave rise to the Ghost Controlling Sect.
However, the strongest force against the Netherworld Ghost Realm was not the Ghost Controlling Sect, but the Ten Directions Ghost City located in the Extreme North of the Northern Domain.
The founding patriarch of the Ghost Controlling Sect was actually one of the founders of the Ten Directions Ghost City, but later fell out with the Ghost Ancestor Cang Yang and took flight to create the Ghost Controlling Sect in the East Domain.
The young Taoist shortly became aware of being watched and turned towards the direction of the gaze.
Upon seeing Qin Feng and Ma Jiu, he was a bit surprised that two more Cultivators had come, but he wasn’t overly concerned. Instead, he greeted them with a smile and a respectful bow.