Heavenly Born Protection, Rebirth Extremely Blissful

Tonight was exceptionally stifling.

The night sky was shrouded in darkness, with no crescent moon or even a hint of starlight visible. It was just a pitch-black expanse, as if the entire sky had been plastered over with something.

The streets at night were also deserted. Looking out, every alleyway appeared silent and deep, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.

But just then.

A series of footsteps sounded. The steps weren't uniform, but they were steady and powerful.

"Yang path is righteous, Netherworld Ghosts retreat!"

Someone shouted.

As the footsteps drew closer, one could see that it was a patrol team wearing the outer armor of the Five Cities Garrison, a total of ten people, forming a small squad.

Leading them was the patrol leader Wu Peng, whose surging vital energy intertwined with the vital energy of the nine guards following behind him, dispelling a lot of Yin energy and oppression in the dark night.

"Yang path is righteous, Netherworld Ghosts retreat!"

Another long chant.

The night patrol of the Five Cities Garrison was a daily required task. Its purpose was to use the vital energy gathered by Martial Artists to dispel the Yin energy that might gather at night, minimizing the possibility of Netherworld Ghosts and other anomalies appearing.

Of course.

The most important reason was that the street area patrolled by Wu Peng and the others was where the Xuanguo Estate was located. If it were the outskirts of Kyoto, perhaps everyone would have already gone out for drinks.

Patrolling the streets and alleys where the Xuanguo Estate was located, they naturally dared not leave their posts without authorization. Although the possibility of Netherworld Ghosts appearing was small, if one did appear, these patrols would inevitably have to bear some responsibility.

Everyone continued their patrol forward.

Their expressions were quite relaxed.

Although Kyoto at night was not safe, that was relative to ordinary people. They were, after all, patrols of the Five Cities Garrison, and they were all Martial Artists, the weakest being Eighth Rank.

Even if they truly encountered Yin spirits or ghosts, as long as they weren't too strong, the vigorous vital energy gathered by everyone was enough to force the Netherworld Ghosts back or even cause them to be unable to bear it and instantly dissipate.

As for other things, attacking the Five Cities Garrison was a major crime of rebellion. No matter which petty gang lurked in the night, upon seeing them, they would steer clear from a distance.

Moreover, this was outside the streets and alleys of the Xuanguo Estate.

There were simply no gang forces in this vicinity that dared to extend their reach, so the safety was even more assured. The only inconvenience was that they had to patrol until the first crow of the rooster every day.

"Brother Wu, going for a drink tomorrow?"

Someone walking behind Wu Peng chuckled and asked.

No one spoke.

Seeing that Wu Peng didn't respond, he immediately gave an awkward smile and then looked at the man next to him, saying, "Old Liu, let me tell you, yesterday I met a young woman at the pleasure house, she was truly moist, but unfortunately, she was a bit expensive..."

Old Liu glanced at him and said, "What kind of good stuff can you find in a pleasure house? Be careful you don't drain all your vital energy."

The man pouted and said, "Why so much nonsense? Are you coming with me tomorrow?"

Old Liu flatly refused, saying, "No, when I left home tonight, I told my wife that no matter how important something is tomorrow, I have to accompany her to West Cassia Street for a day... Hmm, I need to relieve myself, you guys continue, no need to wait for me, I'll catch up right away."

"What accompany your wife, I think Old Liu, you're not quite up to it there, you're leaking as soon as you leave the house."

The person next to him couldn't help but laugh.

Old Liu wasn't angry. He just walked into the distance, saying lazily, "I think you brat are asking for a beating. When I get back, I'll spar with you for thirty rounds first."

Soon.

He disappeared into the darkness.

"Yang Pass Straight Road, Netherworld Ghosts Disperse."

In the dark alley, Wu Peng's voice rang out.

There was no emotion in the voice, only a sense of indifference and numbness.

Everyone continued to walk forward.

Soon.

The street ahead reached its end. Further on was a towering courtyard wall. Everyone knew what place that was; it was the Xuanguo Estate, vast in area and grand in appearance.

"The Duke's mansion, no matter how many times you see it, it's always so grand."

Someone sighed.

"Envious? Go find a brick and see if you can be reborn there in your next life."

The person next to him laughed.

However, as they approached the Xuanguo Estate, everyone lowered their voices considerably.

Even Wu Peng, who was leading the team, and his occasional 'Yang Pass Straight Road, Netherworld Ghosts Disperse', became much more suppressed and low, sounding somewhat indistinct.

"Why hasn't Old Liu come over yet?"

As they chatted and laughed, someone asked curiously.

Although the night was pitch black, for Eighth Rank Martial Artists, they could still see clearly in the dark. Even if he had wet his pants, he wouldn't be this late in catching up.

As this sentence fell, the others also felt strange, so they all stopped talking and listened intently for movement in the distance.

A dead silence.

They didn't hear any footsteps rushing towards them.

"...Straight Road, Netherworld Ghost..."

And in the dead silence, Wu Peng's numb, indistinct voice sounded again.

But hearing it at this moment made the few people present inexplicably shiver. Someone looked at Wu Peng ahead and said, "Brother Wu, stop shouting for now, Old Liu is gone."

However.

This voice fell, but there was no response at all.

Wu Peng still lowered his head, walked forward on his own, and continued to emit a low voice. This time it was even more numb and indistinct than before.

The few people looked at each other.

Someone couldn't help it and walked forward, reaching Wu Peng's back, and was about to pat Wu Peng's shoulder, but then heard Wu Peng's numb murmur again.

The murmuring sound seemed to be 'Yang Pass is the Right Path, Netherworld Ghosts Disperse', but as he listened, it gradually changed, becoming two other phrases.

"Heavenly Born... Protection... Rebirth... Extremely Blissful..."

The sound was numb and dull, yet it felt like a clap of thunder exploding in his ears, instantly making his scalp tingle. Not only did his outstretched hand freeze in mid-air, but his entire body also recoiled.

He looked at Wu Peng's back with a face full of horror.

"Wu, Brother Wu?"

He spoke with difficulty.

He felt as if his entire body was frozen in place, and the dark sky above seemed to have completely collapsed, pressing down on him and making it impossible for him to breathe.

The blood in his body surged wildly, desperately trying to move a finger, but he couldn't make any movement. He only felt a force twisting his head, turning it back little by little against his will. With a series of cracking sounds, it was forcibly twisted to face his back!

"Ho... Ho..."

He struggled with all his might, his arm stiffly raising up to hold his head, wanting to twist it back, but it was already futile. His entire head turned blood red, his eyes became deep crimson, and he could only make 'ho, ho' sounds from his mouth.

In the last moment before his consciousness collapsed.

He saw patrols lying scattered on the road behind him, each in a posture of holding their heads with both hands, their heads twisted in the opposite direction of their bodies, completely folded over.

Consciousness completely fell into darkness.

His hands lost strength and drooped, and his entire body fell powerlessly to the ground.

In front.

Wu Peng, who was numbly murmuring, slowly stopped and turned his head to look back. Looking at the bodies on the ground, he lowered his head and muttered.

"Rebirth Extremely Blissful..."

As these words fell.

A sound of footsteps echoed.

From the darkness in the distance, about twenty figures slowly walked out, all dressed in white. Each step was silent, appearing incredibly eerie and terrifying in the dark night.

"Greetings... Esteemed Envoys..."

Wu Peng knelt down, slowly kowtowed, and clasped his hands together.

The many white-clothed figures who appeared ignored him and only looked towards the Xuanguo Estate in front.

The white-clothed figure standing at the very back slowly took out a stack of small flags and said, "Everyone, remember, at most a quarter of an hour. After a quarter of an hour, the Directorate of Celestial Observation will definitely discover that the Spirit Vein in this area of the Xuanguo Estate has been cut off. At that time, we must withdraw."

Another white-clothed figure said flatly, "That's enough. As long as it can be completely sealed within this quarter of an hour, no message can be sent out."

The white-clothed figure who took out the small flags distributed them to everyone and said calmly, "With that person's formation flags cutting off the Spirit Vein and sealing the terrain, it will be isolated inside and out. Within a quarter of an hour, not even a mosquito can fly out. However, there is a Martial Dao Fourth Rank in the Xuanguo Estate; we cannot let him rush out."

"Flame Fist Zhao Li, is it? If it were peacetime, I would like to try his fist techniques, but unfortunately, time is pressing, and we cannot delay important matters. Let's resolve it sooner."

"It's just him alone; he can't cause any trouble."

"Completely foolproof."

"Heh, back then, the first Xuanguo Duke of this Xuanguo Estate, with the body of a Grandmaster, suppressed countless demons and monsters. How glorious that was, and now it's just a mere Fourth Rank sitting on the offering platform."

"The rise and fall of the secular world have their own destiny. Without the protection of a True Person, they naturally cannot transcend destiny. Now, being able to offer a portion of their fate to a True Person can be considered their good fortune."

Each white-clothed figure took a small flag, their expressions either calm or sarcastic, and then with a flicker, they all disappeared, leaving only one white-clothed figure and Wu Peng prostrate beside him.