Evil Wind Rises on Ox Horn Mountain

Ox Horn Mountain.

The mountain was covered in dense forest.

Looking down, vast stretches of fertile land had already been sown, with green shoots emerging.

This area was still within Gao Liu City, situated between Lin Jiang Ward and Qing Shan Ward.

This side of the mountain, where fertile land was cultivated for grain, fell under Lin Jiang Ward's jurisdiction.

Behind the mountain, the Outer South Prefectural Governor's Mansion had established a horse farm, housing over a hundred fine steeds, belonging to Qing Shan Ward's territory.

Even though it was within Gao Liu City, this remote area was akin to wild mountains and forests. After nightfall, the city's residents dared not come here.

Yet, at this very moment, two people were idly sitting on the mountainside.

One was an old man, the other a young man.

The old man's hair was already streaked with white; he was past sixty and had a wine gourd hanging from his waist.

The young man's face was stiff and completely devoid of color, like a corpse, and he held a saber in his hand.

"This is truly a good place. If it were outside Gao Liu City, and the two of us were sitting here, we'd have been swallowed by a great demon long ago... or perhaps wiped out by Malevolent Spirits."

The old man took a swig of wine and said, "It's precisely because we're within the city. Although it's still like the wilderness, the advantage is our safety and peace of mind."

"Less nonsense."

The saber-wielding youth said in a hoarse voice, "The two of us combined need to gather twenty 'materials' to complete the task! When will you bring the last 'material'?"

The old man held his wine gourd in one hand and waved the other, casually replying, "Don't worry, it's just a young lad. Although he's killed a few pigs and has some Malevolent Energy, he won't be able to escape our Ancestral Grandmother."

"The Wandering Soul you had before could only confuse the weak and ill. Do you have confidence now?"

"Last night, chaos erupted. I took the opportunity to obtain some Newly Dead Souls and fed them to her. Today, she won't fear strong men with robust Blood Essence or butchers with Malevolent Energy."

"I heard a Temple Priest's direct disciple, an Incense Burner, came to the Temple tonight. Isn't your Wandering Soul afraid of him destroying it?"

"The Prefectural Governor's Mansion investigated that dilapidated house today, took away the dead person, and put up a Seal. The Temple won't investigate anymore."

Speaking of this, the old man put down his wine gourd and clicked his tongue. "I hid our Ancestral Grandmother in that house, just waiting for that boy to come home so she could possess him."

The saber-wielding youth's expression grew serious. "The chaos from last night continues into tonight. It's a rare opportunity; we cannot afford to fail."

"I understand. Under the cover of this night, the boy named Lin Yan will disappear without a trace. Everyone will just think he had bad luck and was killed by Demonic Evils."

The old man chuckled. "If tonight passes and things calm down, and someone else goes missing in the city, the Outer South Mansion will investigate thoroughly. With the Heavenly Supervision Department involved, it will be difficult to fish in troubled waters."

"Last night, when the Demonic Evils attacked the city, in the eastern part of the outer city, those fools who wanted to collect 'materials' amidst the chaos were already detected by the Heavenly Supervision Department's Banner Commander for the eastern outer city."

The saber-wielding youth said sternly, "They've already been silenced. I don't want to be silenced too because you, old man, are not careful enough."

"Relax, I've inquired. The Banner Bearer of the Lin Jiang Department is new. He's just arrived and is clueless; he won't catch us."

The old man said this, feeling a sense of helplessness.

He had only received the "Material List" three afternoons ago.

He found the residence of "Lin Yan," who was ranked sixth, but discovered the person wasn't home that night.

He was in a hurry to collect other materials at the time, so he set this one aside for the moment.

Then, the night before last, when he prepared to act, someone interfered.

Last night, there was another Demonic Evil attack on the city. The Sky Gazing Tower used all its power and every Divine Mirror to monitor the entire city.

He had no choice but to wait for tonight to try and fish in troubled waters.

But this time, he was confident it was foolproof.

As he thought this, a gust of "Evil Wind" suddenly blew from the darkness.

The old man's spirits lifted, and he said joyfully, "She's back."

He uncorked his wine gourd and drew the "Evil Wind" into it, glancing inside.

"Huh? Ancestral Grandmother, why have you become so much thinner?"

The old man's face instantly showed concern. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the youth beside him speak coldly.

"Where's the material?"

"..."

The old man was taken aback.

Then, with a hint of confusion, he quickly shouted into the wine gourd, "Ancestral Grandmother, where's the material? Why didn't you return possessing someone?"

"It's here."

In the silent night, on the mountaintop, a third voice rang out.

The old man and the youth felt a chill run through their bodies, their faces instantly turning grim.

From where the voice came, they saw a person slowly walking up the mountain from below.

He wore a golden-threaded black robe and had a tall, straight build.

A saber sheath hung on his left side, and a crossbow was attached to his right.

He held a saber in his right hand, its material unusual, its color slightly dark, three feet and three inches long.

Lin Jiang Department, the new Banner Bearer, Wuchang!

"You again, trying to ruin things?"

The old man's face turned grim.

The pale-faced youth with a stiff expression drew the long saber in his hand, his expression solemn.

"The outside world speculates that the new Banner Bearer, Wuchang, is at most at the second stage of Martial Arts, likely still in Blood Refining, or perhaps with exceptional talent, having reached Marrow Washing."

"But last night, he defended the city alone, for three hundred and sixty paces."

"Even with the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp, incense, and ash assisting, it's not something the second stage of Martial Arts could accomplish."

"You must have Inner Strength cultivation. At such a young age, your skill is immense."

"Talent like this, I've never seen in my life. You have the potential to break through human limits and reach the Essence Refining Realm!"

"It's a pity you're overconfident and have come here to die, throwing away a bright future."

As he spoke, he strode forward, meeting Lin Yan head-on, and said coldly, "Allow me to send you on your way!"

He also possessed Inner Strength cultivation, but he had made consecutive mistakes in the "Heart" and "Kidney" stages, damaging his internal organs, which led to his current state, stiff as a corpse.

However, he could maintain his condition by taking pills.

He had cultivated Inner Strength for six years. Within his current realm, his combat power was not top-tier, but it was certainly above average.

Facing a newly formed Inner Strength realm Banner Bearer from the Lin Jiang Department, he was quite confident.

He approached and suddenly quickened his pace.

Gathering his strength, he unleashed a fierce saber strike, chopping down!

He believed this saber strike could cut through metal and jade, shatter stone, and remain sharp even after cutting iron!

"..."

Lin Yan's expression remained indifferent.

He swung his saber with his right hand.

The blades met!

Sparks flew!

The zombie-faced youth's pupils contracted sharply. He felt an immense force surge from the saber, overwhelming and unstoppable.

In an instant, his tiger's mouth burst open, and blood splattered.

Then, Lin Yan kicked him in the chest and abdomen.

The confident, stiff youth felt a sharp pain in his chest and abdomen, followed by a lightness in his body.

He was sent flying, tumbling several yards away.

In a single exchange, he was utterly defenseless.

"Old man, aren't you going to act?"

The stiff youth scrambled to his feet from the ground, feeling as if his internal organs were churning. He spat out blood and shouted in terror at the old man.

Instantly, an evil wind surged on Ox Horn Mountain.

Wails and howls filled the air, chilling the bone.

Twelve streams of evil wind circled the mountaintop.

In a flash, the stars and moon were hidden.

The distant lights of the districts seemed to vanish as well, plunging everything into darkness.

Between heaven and earth, Lin Yan seemed to be the only one standing there, alone.

In the vast darkness, ethereal and illusory, a sense of infinite loneliness and desolation spread.

From the darkness around him, like twisting ink, one "gentle and kind" face after another formed, bearing sincere and friendly smiles.

Beneath these smiling faces, countless tentacles extended, densely packed.

All the tentacles, from all directions, slowly approached Lin Yan, as if extending an invitation.

Yet, they carried the threat of binding him completely and dragging him into the darkness.

"Come... come... become our family, and you won't be so lonely."

"Let us become one, become stronger, and protect each other."

"We..."

Swoosh!

A flash of saber light!

The source of the voices abruptly ceased.

"Noisy!"

Lin Yan's expression was blank as he swept his saber horizontally.

The tentacles around him shattered, dissipating completely.

He felt the Malevolent Energy increase and frowned slightly, lamenting, "Too weak."