After returning to Port City, Taoist Yi Hong sent Zheng Ning and Sheng Lin back to White Cloud Temple first. He then went to Yangcheng with Gu Zhao and imdiately entered secluded cultivation in the Otherworld to recover his Magical Power.
As his Magical Power increased, Taoist Yi Hong confird that the *Qi Body Origin Flow* and the *Eight Vajra Skills* were exceptionally suitable Cultivation Techniques for him. From them, he had comprehended a particularly powerful new ability.
「Three days later...」
"I’ve discovered soone near the lumber mill," Wang Yue reported. "And Xiaolan sensed a fluctuation of Magical Power."
The Orchid Demon’s roots spread deep into the earth, granting her keen senses. Last night, she clearly detected a faint, intermittent wave of Magical Power emanating from deep within the mountain forest, as if testing the waters.
"Could there be a master behind those bandits?" Gu Zhao asked.
"What kind of master would be a bandit?" Taoist Yan Song asked.
At their level of Cultivation, both killing and acquiring wealth were trivially easy. With the Great Ning Court’s influence no longer reaching Changping Prefecture, there was little to fear.
"I don’t know." Wang Yue shook her head. "But Xiaolan said she slled a foul, bloody scent. It might be a beast that has beco a Demon."
Gu Zhao turned to look at Bai Ke. "Can you find them?"
Bai Ke wagged his tail. "Besides this one Demon, I’ve found several groups of scouts over the past few days. They all ca from the sa direction, so they must be together."
"The sa direction? Have the bandits in the mountains gathered together?" the Silk Embroideress asked curiously.
"Doesn’t that just make it easier for us to wipe them all out in one fell swoop?" Taoist Yan Song said with a laugh.
Taoist Yi Hong put down his chopsticks. "Then let’s go."
Gu Zhao asked Taoist Yi Hong, "Martial Uncle, has your Magical Power recovered?"
Taoist Yi Hong nodded. "And with a pleasant surprise. I’ll test my new skills on that Demon in a bit."
Gu Zhao and Taoist Yan Song exchanged a knowing smile. Taoist Yan Song had done the sa thing before, testing his Taiyi Wind and Fire on the Corpse Ghost, Xu Kongting.
And so, without another word, they set off imdiately.
The group heading out this ti consisted of Gu Zhao, Taoist Yan Song, Taoist Yi Hong, Zhuo Qingyan, the Silk Embroideress, and Bai Ke, leaving Wang Yue behind to guard the house.
The five people and one fox darted through the woods, quickly following the untrodden path into Cuiluo Mountain. Although there was no obvious road, they followed a stretch of more manageable terrain, heading deeper and deeper into the forest.
...
anwhile, in a mountain stronghold deep in the mountains, a gathering was underway.
"Hahaha, no wonder Father King loves sitting on the highest throne. This feels great!"
A hulking man sat inside a natural stone cave ford in the cliff face, a full three zhang higher than the stronghold below. Looking down, he saw hundreds of bandits standing in neat ranks—quite an impressive sight.
The man was enormous; even seated, he was taller than an average person. He wore a black robe with a tiger-skin pauldron on his left shoulder. A Wolf Fang Club rested beside him, making him look incredibly fierce.
"Second Young Master, the Great King said not to stir up trouble recently."
A man with light yellow hair standing to the hulking man’s right reminded him in a low voice, "Changping Prefecture has been unstable lately. The Golden Wind Divine Sect suffered considerable losses, Bian Palace is in chaos with even Bian Ancestor dead, the River Demons have scattered, and our own Lord Huang Ping in the mountains is also dead."
"I know. The people from the Golden Wind Divine Sect all died in Xiuyue County, and Bian Ancestor was killed in Wuhe County. I don’t know if people from the Spirit Court have crossed the river, but I’m not going to cause trouble in the counties."
The hulking man waved his hand dismissively. "I’m just going to slaughter a village at the foot of the mountain, capture a couple of Little Demons, and steal so silver to bring back and enjoy. It’s no big deal."
Another man, this one thin and gaunt, standing to the leader’s left, said with a sycophantic grin, "It’s just a small matter. We used to do this kind of thing even when the Xuanwei Divine Sect was still in Changping Prefecture. Of course it’s not a big deal."
The yellow-haired man thought for a mont and didn’t object, but only reminded him, "According to the craftsn from the village, there’s also an old Mage and a young man there. They’re said to be from out of town."
"They must be ignorant." The thin man laughed. "I heard they want to build a Spirit Official Hall to enshrine so Wang Spirit Official. That just shows they’re also after Incense."
"Collecting Incense in Changping Prefecture, isn’t that making an enemy of the Golden Wind Divine Sect? They don’t even know that, yet they dare build a Divine Altar in the mountains to earn Incense. It proves they’re clueless."
The leading brute laughed heartily. "Clueless fools! What Wang Spirit Official? Sounds like a little bug. I could crush him with a flick of my wrist!"
The thin man bowed and cupped his fists. "The Second Young Master is mighty!"
The yellow-haired man considered it and didn’t try to stop them. After all, what the leader and the thin man said made sense. He only reminded him, "Just don’t forget the Great King’s orders, Second Young Master."
"I rember, I rember!" the leader said impatiently. "Isn’t it just about recruiting so powerful masters? I hear there’s a pretty tough rat in Xiuyue County?"
"I’ve t him once. He doesn’t have much ambition, though. Just holes up in Xiuyue County, devouring souls," the yellow-haired man said.
The leader snorted coldly. "After I wipe out Cui Mountain Village and have so fun, I’ll pay a visit to Xiuyue County."
"n!" the leader shouted, standing up and raising his arm.
"Great King!" The bandits below the cliff all looked up at the man.
It was this very man who had arrived in Cuiluo Mountain a few months ago and had nearly unified all the bandits there. Any gangs unwilling to submit were either killed or had fled Cuiluo Mountain long ago.
Everyone knew this man possessed Magical Power and was no re mortal, so even if they had their doubts, they didn’t dare to resist.
"Charge down Cuiluo Mountain and slaughter everyone in the two small towns and nine villages at its base!" The man looked down at the bandits, his eyes glinting with a greedy, vicious light. "Then I’ll lead you into Xiuyue County to live the good life!"
Of course, he didn’t care about the lives of these bandits. He was just enjoying the feeling of having hundreds respond to his call, while also stirring up their greed and ferocity. In the end, refining their blood, thick with Evil Qi, into Blood Spirit Pearls would yield the best results.
"The Great King is mighty!" The bandits were ecstatic. At a wave of the giant’s hand, they sward out of the stronghold.
But just as they charged out the gate, the bandits in the front saw several people walking slowly up the mountain path.
"Hm?"
The two groups ca face to face, staring at each other in bewildernt.
The bandits: ’Who are they? How did they find this place?’
Gu Zhao and his group: ’How do they know we’re here?’
Taoist Yi Hong suddenly shouted, "Drive them back! Don’t let them scatter into the forest!"
Hearing this, Taoist Yan Song imdiately pursed his lips and whistled. A sudden gale rose up, blowing straight toward the bandits.
The bandits felt a whirlwind of sand, stones, and leaves obscure their vision. Not only could they not see the path ahead, but they could barely take a single step forward as their bodies were forced backward.
"A Mage! A Grand Mage!"
"Run!"
"Get the Great King! Get the Great King!"
The horde of bandits turned and fled, scrambling over each other, pushing and shoving in a desperate, chaotic retreat back into the stronghold.
The next mont, a vicious wave of Demon Qi erupted from the stronghold. A figure then dropped from the sky, landing with a BOOM on the mountain path in front of the gate and scattering the gale Taoist Yan Song had summoned.
Gu Zhao and the others stared intently and saw a hulking man, well over two ters tall, rise to his feet. He hefted the Wolf Fang Club in his hand and gave them a sinister, cackling grin.
"So you’re the Mages from that... what was it, Palace? Did you co here to die?"
Gu Zhao was speechless. "Why is everyone we et a Body Technique type?"
Taoist Yan Song sighed and reached for the hilt of his sword. But then Taoist Yi Hong took two steps forward, his excitent palpable. "Ah, my delivery has arrived."
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