Hunting Ghosts

After looking at the Phantom Beast Knight, the Phantom Beast, and admiring his four Spirit Worms, Russell ended his secret rendezvous with Little Dream Dragon.

There were no river mussels nurturing pearls by the river, nor were there any Spirit Worms developing in the surrounding flowerbeds.

Unless he camped outside the manor's annex, it would be difficult for Russell to gain any more harvests through his cheat.

"Good morning, Young Master Russell."

"Good morning, Sir Chris."

Sunlight streamed through the windows as Russell and Chris leisurely enjoyed their breakfast. At that moment, Butler Morris approached.

"My lord, the Glimmering River has risen. The warm season has truly arrived!"

"Excellent. The arrival of the warm season means all things will revive. I hope the manor has a good harvest this year."

That morning, Russell continued practicing the Radiant Sword Technique in the courtyard, guiding his Battle Aura, opening his meridians, and experiencing Battle Qi Penetration.

Afterward, Charles served as his opponent, sparring with him in swordsmanship.

Knight Captain Chris, dressed in casual clothes, occasionally offered Russell pointers from the side, helping him improve his practical combat skills.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon.

Before lunch had even begun, Knight Retainer Jack raced back on horseback. "My lord, Snow Ghosts are invading! Knight Captain Eric is holding them off!"

Russell's expression hardened. "Sir Chris!"

"I'm ready at any time, Young Master Russell." Chris had already led out his contracted Phantom Beast—the Nightmare Ghost Horse.

The male servant William strained under the weight of the silver armor as he helped Chris put it on.

His personal male servant Ram likewise carried a set of dark gold armor and helped Russell equip it. This was the Dark Gold Ceramic Armor bestowed by the baron, made with inlaid metal and ceramic. It was not too heavy and could withstand attacks from a Phantom Beast Knight.

"My lord, your sword." Another male servant, Fox, held a silver-gray longsword with a gleaming emerald embedded in its hilt.

It was Russell's personal sword, the Green Ceramic Sword.

As the baron's son, even though he was the second son, Russell still possessed a full set of excellent equipment. He had truly won at the starting line.

Wearing the Dark Gold Ceramic Armor, carrying the Green Ceramic Sword, and mounting his black warhorse, Russell swiftly transformed from a refined noble gentleman into a valiant Armored Knight.

"Jack, lead the way!"

"Yes, my lord!"

The Knight Retainer led the way, with Russell and Chris riding side by side behind him. Charles, the middle-aged knight, followed as well. Charles was also an Armored Knight, but after many years, he had still failed to open all his meridians and had no hope of becoming a Great Knight.

The clattering hoofbeats faded into the distance.

Before long, they reached the southeastern boundary of Wuyou Snake Manor, where the geographical divide was obvious.

The soil to the north was moist, with fresh green wild grass already sprouting.

To the south, the snow was slow to melt, and the farther south one went, the thicker it became, forming an endless, rolling snowfield.

Here and there across the snowfield stood clusters or stretches of woods blanketed in ice and snow. Other than that, there was no scenery to speak of.

"Over there!" Chris casually pointed ahead.

Not far away, where earth and snow mingled together, Eric and three Knight Retainers were fighting a group of strange monsters.

These monsters were all humanoid, wielding weapons that looked as though they had been carved from ice. Some even wore tattered clothes.

But their skin was a dull blue-green, their heads bald and hairless, their mouths filled with vampire-like fangs, and their ears exceptionally pointed.

One of the Snow Ghosts stood a full three meters tall.

The other Snow Ghosts were generally taller than Eric and the other knights as well. They moved with nimble limbs and incredible speed in battle, and their ice-carved weapons were used with considerable skill. However, the Snow Ghosts had little coordination among themselves and were held back by Eric's formation.

"There are only twelve Snow Ghosts, not even a single Ghost Beast. And only one leader has reached the level of a Great Snow Ghost."

Chris sat atop the Nightmare Ghost Horse. Once he had clearly counted the invading Snow Ghosts, he immediately smiled. "Young Master Russell, how about using this to get some practice?"

"Good!" Russell wasted no words and charged straight into the battlefield.

Charles looked left and right, especially sneaking a few glances at the utterly composed Knight Captain Chris. Then he gritted his teeth and rushed into battle as well.

"Eric!" Russell roared.

The Green Ceramic Sword unleashed no flashy attack, only a tempered downward thrust aimed at a blue-green Snow Ghost's back.

Just as it was about to strike the Snow Ghost's neck, the creature seemed to have eyes in the back of its head. Its ice-carved spear abruptly rose.

Clang!

The ice-carved spear completely withstood the powerful thrust without shattering. Only a few tiny shards of ice fell away.

Eric roared in response, "Come form up, my lord!"

He and the three Knight Retainers drove back the Snow Ghosts surrounding them, opening a gap in their formation and letting Russell, Jack, and Charles inside.

Then, with seven knights on seven warhorses and Eric, the Great Knight, at the center, they formed a common knight squad charging formation. Surrounded by twelve Snow Ghosts, they kept breaking through in an attempt to pull the Snow Ghosts apart and defeat them one by one.

But the Snow Ghosts remained clustered around the leading Great Snow Ghost, making it difficult to truly separate them.

"My lord, capture the ringleader first. Kill the Great Snow Ghost!" Eric swiftly changed tactics. "Everyone, attack the Great Snow Ghost!"

"Yes!"

Under Eric's lead, the seven-man knight squad quickly turned and charged at the tallest Great Snow Ghost. Knight Captain's Spears and knightly longswords struck at the Great Snow Ghost in succession.

The Great Snow Ghost fought without fear of death.

Or rather, it was already a dead thing. Wielding a massive ice-carved spiked club longer than its own height, it swung again and again, directly clashing with the knight squad's assault.

Slash!

The Battle Qi Sword Aura unleashed by Eric cut into the Great Snow Ghost. It only shattered the creature's ragged, frozen garments, which resembled armor, and left a snow-white sword mark on its blue-green skin. No blood flowed, and the wound looked like withered wood.

An individual Snow Ghost might not have been stronger than a knight, but the effect of an undead body was truly terrifying.

"Again! Build up power and focus on killing the Great Snow Ghost!" Eric completed one charge, swiftly turned his horse around, and charged once more with his sword raised.

Charge after charge, focused strike after focused strike.

More than a dozen bone-deep wounds were left on the Great Snow Ghost's body, yet not a drop of blood flowed. They only made its movements somewhat less convenient.

"Hiss!" The Great Snow Ghost opened its fanged mouth and roared at the charging knight squad.

The eleven Snow Ghosts behind it all followed suit, opening their fanged mouths and releasing hoarse, low roars like venomous snakes.

"Charge!" Eric shouted.

Within the knight squad, Russell could feel the knights' Battle Aura entering a state of resonance.

Everyone's Battle Aura circulated at the same frequency, then moved in unison. The Battle Aura seemed to surge severalfold in an invisible instant, making Russell feel unbelievably powerful. With one sword strike, he could cut through all things.

"Charge!" he shouted along with Eric.

"Charge!"

"Charge!"

Charles and the Knight Retainers all joined in, venting their resonating Battle Aura through their shouts and completely gathering that power into their Knight Captain's Spears and knightly longswords.

They charged toward the Great Snow Ghost!