Ghost Elder Emerges from Seclusion, Seeking to Slay Demon King Ning

Half an hour later,

A group of filthy burly men drained a cesspit and found a small metal box at the very bottom.

Luckily, the box had been buried deep enough and had not been contaminated.

Even so, Xiao Lian looked utterly disgusted and stayed far away.

Ning Chuan pried open the box with a stick and, sure enough, found a stack of documents.

Account books and letters were all there.

They were all evidence of the Han Family's collusion with Black Wind Stronghold.

With the evidence in hand, the two hurried without pause toward the next bandit den.

As expected, the bandits of Wolf Fang Mountain, Green Ox Ridge, and Qingfeng Stronghold had all received the news and vanished without a trace, leaving thoroughly.

Fortunately, the places where the Six Bandit Overlords hid their evidence were exceedingly secret, and none of the bandits had taken the evidence away.

The Six Bandit Overlords' methods of hiding evidence were also bizarre in every imaginable way, making Ning Chuan cry out, "They're fucking talented!"

Wolf Fang Mountain's First Boss, Wolf Fang, had made a hidden compartment inside the Bandit Queen's chamber pot and concealed the evidence there.

Green Ox Ridge's First Boss, Green Ox, had hidden the evidence at the bottom of a pond.

Qingfeng Stronghold's First Boss, Qingfeng, had buried the evidence beneath the Bandit Queen's coffin.

After gathering this evidence, Xiao Lian carried it on her back in a bundle.

Now, only Ghost Cry Ridge remained.

Ghost Cry Ridge,

Like Black Wind Stronghold, was located on the outskirts of the Endless Mountain Range, though it lay in a different direction from Black Wind Stronghold.

Qingshan County was surrounded by the Endless Mountain Range on three sides.

The Endless Mountain Range was a forbidden zone for humans. According to Xiao Lian, countless Demonic Beasts and evil fiends lurked within.

Of course, Demonic Beasts and evil fiends could not enter the human world either. This involved the highest-level struggle between the human and demon races, and Xiao Lian only knew a fragment or two.

After leaving Qingfeng Stronghold, the mountain road was rugged and uneven, yet the warhorses traveled over it as if on level ground.

The horses of this world possessed extraordinary endurance and terrifying agility.

At this moment,

Early spring had arrived. Wildflowers bloomed in riotous splendor by the roadside, birds chirped song after song to welcome spring, and the air carried the scent of hormones.

Ning Chuan and Xiao Lian both felt their hearts stir.

One was a youth awakening to love, the other a maiden full of affection.

With such fine weather and beautiful scenery, a lovely maiden at his side and a handsome man traveling with her, both felt their hearts itch and could barely restrain themselves.

As the man, Ning Chuan naturally had to take the initiative.

He leaped into the air and landed behind Xiao Lian, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.

"You little thief, what are you doing?!"

Xiao Lian cried out in alarm. She struggled half-heartedly for a moment, her face flushed with shyness, then slipped naturally into Ning Chuan's embrace.

She called him a great villain while her little pink fists kept pounding his chest, her heart filled with warmth and sweetness, her face brimming with endless bashfulness.

The horse, however, was tactful. It slowed and slowed, then stopped by the roadside to graze.

The people on horseback clung ever more tightly together, twisting and tangling like two water snakes, as though staging a unique close-quarters battle.

One pair of lips was nimble, like a water snake flicking its tongue.

One tongue tangled like a sword, allowing the other to take as it pleased.

The birds in the forest hid among the branches and leaves, too ashamed to make a sound.

Great Demon King Ning used every trick in his arsenal, launching a fierce assault upon the enemy position, vowing to seize the enemy's hilltop.

Xiao Lian barely maintained a shred of clarity, gritting her teeth and holding on stubbornly, refusing to let Master Ning have his way.

After half an hour of this,

Xiao Lian's face was flushed crimson, fragrant sweat streamed down her, and she finally admitted defeat.

"You little thief, you're too wicked! Your big sister can't take it anymore!"

Xiao Lian shoved Ning Chuan away, leaped onto another horse, squeezed her legs around its belly, and fled ahead in embarrassment.

"If you have what it takes, catch up to your big sister, and she'll give herself to you, hehehehe...!"

Xiao Lian's sweet laughter drifted from afar, seemingly filled with delight.

Ning Chuan shook his head and sighed.

"Alas, the women of this world are far too conservative. Looks like the Kirin Arm still needs more training!"

Just as Ning Chuan was riding along with spring breeze in his heart, so pleased he forgot all else,

The bandits had gathered atop Ghost Cry Ridge and were preparing to convene the Demon Slaying Assembly.

Inside the council hall, several hundred bandits clamored noisily, creating utter chaos.

Ghost Cry Ridge was the strongest of the six great bandit forces and the undisputed leader among the bandits.

The six bandit groups shared weal and woe, all being forces supported by the Han Family. Naturally, they could not fight among themselves!

"Brother, I heard Old Ghost has emerged from seclusion and will personally preside over this Demon Slaying Assembly!"

In a corner, Black Wind Stronghold's Third Boss drew close to Qingfeng Stronghold's Third Boss, and the two whispered together.

"What? Old Ghost himself?!"

Qingfeng Stronghold's Third Boss cried out in shock, drawing the attention of the surrounding bandits.

"I heard Old Ghost broke through to the Fifth Rank Great Grandmaster realm decades ago. Since he has emerged from seclusion this time, could he have broken through to the Martial King realm?"

"It's settled, it's settled! With Old Ghost personally presiding, the matter of eliminating demons is absolutely in the bag!"

The bandits nearby beamed with joy and could not help crying out.

"Hahahaha... good!"

All the bosses nodded in agreement, wild delight appearing on their faces.

Ever since Bishui Dock had been destroyed, they had been restless and anxious, forced from their homes, terrified and aggrieved all at once.

Hearing that Old Ghost had emerged from seclusion was like swallowing a pill to calm their hearts.

Old Ghost was the Supreme Elder of Ghost Cry Ridge. His name was unknown, his origins unknown. Low-key and mysterious, his strength was terrifying, and people called him Old Ghost.

Whether by strength or seniority, Old Ghost sat firmly in the foremost seat throughout Qingshan County. He was the "pillar that steadied the sea" for Qingshan County's bandit forces.

It was said that even when an envoy of the Han Family arrived, they had to respectfully address him as "Old Ghost"!

"Old Ghost has arrived!"

Suddenly, a bandit shouted from backstage.

The hall immediately fell silent, so quiet that a needle drop could be heard. Only the patter of footsteps echoed.

Everyone looked up to see a black-clad old man with his hands clasped behind his back, strolling leisurely out from backstage.

The old man was short, with cold and sinister eyes and a face full of arrogance. At a glance, he was clearly a ruthless character.

The moment Old Ghost appeared, the temperature inside the hall plummeted several degrees. A cold, bloodthirsty, brutal aura of vitality bore down upon them.

Every bandit shuddered, feeling a chill rise from their tailbones.

One bandit accidentally met Old Ghost's gaze and felt as though he had fallen into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, witnessing some immense horror.

His liver and gallbladder shattered with fright, and yellow and white filth flowed from his trouser legs.

"Greetings, Old Ghost!"

"Greetings, Old Ghost!"

After their shock, everyone hurriedly came to their senses. In an instant, the hall was filled with kneeling figures, every one of them trembling in fear and pale with panic.

"Hehehehe..."

"I never expected that after this old man had been absent so long, you little brats would still remember me!"

"Very good! Very good! Hehehehe..."

Old Ghost's wrinkled old face creased like orange peel. His laughter was sinister and terrifying, chilling to the bone, like an evil ghost from hell.

Seeing Old Ghost emerge,

Ghost Cry Ridge's Third Boss crawled forward several steps on his knees, pressed his forehead to the ground, and cried out in grief and indignation.

"Old Ghost, every martial artist above the ranked level at Bishui Dock has been wiped out. The six bosses who went to assassinate Ning Chuan of the Imperial Guard have also vanished without a trace!

"According to information from our spies, it was the work of Imperial Guard Squad Leader Ning Chuan. We beg Ancestor to take charge and avenge the six bosses and Bishui Dock!"

The others followed suit and shouted together.

"We beg Ancestor to take charge! Avenge the six bosses and Bishui Dock!"

These bandits were tightly organized and well-informed. They had long since investigated Ning Chuan's affairs thoroughly.

The rumors of a Great Demon King were merely a smokescreen put out by the upper ranks.

After all, Ning Chuan belonged to the Imperial Guard. To kill him, they had to seize the moral high ground.

Seeing the dense black mass of people kneeling below, Old Ghost greatly enjoyed the feeling of looking down upon others.

"Hehehehe..."

"Very good, very good..."

"Hehehehe... Where is Ning Chuan now?"

Old Ghost let out his strange cackle. The atmosphere in the hall was terrifying, and the bandit leaders all felt their scalps go numb.

"Reporting to Ancestor, Ning Chuan is currently on his way to Ghost Cry Ridge and is expected to arrive tonight!"

A bandit leader responsible for gathering intelligence hurriedly reported respectfully.

These bandits used carrier pigeons to transmit information and hawks to monitor Ning Chuan.

Ning Chuan's every move was entirely under the bandits' control.

"Very good, hehehehe..."

"This Ancestor will wait right here for that boy Ning Chuan to walk into the net himself, hehehehe..."

"It has been so long since I last drank the hot blood of a genius youth! How I miss it, hehehehe..."

Excitement gleamed in Old Ghost's triangular eyes.

His strange cackling echoed through the skies above Ghost Cry Ridge.