Word Spirit

County Magistrate Li Jixu, a late-stage Scholar Fourth Tier jinshi, was leading his trusted subordinates and blocking the other end of the street.

He was a middle-aged man in his thirties or nearly forty. Scholars' arts of preserving youth were still inferior to those of sorcerers and Daoists.

On top of that, the vast number of complicated daily affairs he had to handle had consumed a great deal of his energy.

Although he had yet to make a move, most of his subordinates had already been wounded. Their injuries were only minor, but their morale had been sinking lower and lower.

However, Magistrate Li Jixu was not worried in the slightest.

He had merely requested reinforcements from the Demon Hunters, easing the pressure they were facing.

They continued restricting these out-of-control people to the street near the Ximen Family.

The nearby shops and residents had also been evacuated. Those who had not been evacuated might already have been contaminated and lost control of themselves, so everyone had to be careful not to be injured by them.

Ming Shu and the others arrived behind Qilin and watched the battle ahead, still finding it unbelievable. They had never expected that, after just dealing with the threat of the Ghost Spirit, there would be such a huge crisis here as well.

If their previous operation had not gone smoothly, would they have been trapped inside the city by now?

And would this city of Qing Shui County have turned into a living hell?

If they still had some means hidden away that could turn the hundred thousand people in the city into Ghost Spirits, completely transforming the city into a ghost town, Ming Shu's imagination ran wild, and he actually frightened himself.

Fortunately, he had come. He had come to save them.

No matter what, most of the mortals in the city were innocent. The ambitions and desires of certain people could not drag the entire world into an age of chaos.

"Tonight may become even more difficult," Qilin said calmly.

Old Zhao had expended a great deal of energy. After they regrouped, he quietly replenished himself with food and pills nearby. He had to ensure that he would still have enough combat strength to protect Ming Shu's safety in the time ahead.

The big man Ren Yuan was also eating nearby without saying a word, his eyes filled with nothing but food.

A few more bowls of wine would have been even better.

"The people from Qingtian Gate have already gathered outside the city. If we can't hold back the Demonic Spirit's counterattack here, we'll withdraw and join up with them," Qilin continued.

Chong Li remained silent as she watched the battle ahead. Hundreds, even thousands of people, had been brought under the Ximen Family's control.

Under such circumstances, the casualties in this battle would not be light. If they did not eliminate these people, they would not be able to enter the Ximen Family's residence.

On the other side, County Magistrate Li Jixu had already been forced to take action personally. The combatants under his command had been gathered from various families, so their coordination had already been poor. Now their morale was even worse.

If he did not act, they would probably collapse soon.

After he let out a loud shout, the power of sacred words instantly echoed through the entire area: "A gentleman does not speak of strange things, feats of strength, disorder, or spirits!"

The entire area was shrouded in a new power, and that strange atmosphere weakened by more than half. The combat strength of the berserk laborers, thugs, and ruffians collectively dropped by an entire level.

Their only minor advantage left was their overwhelming numbers.

In the limited space of street fighting, small-scale battles were the most common.

Moreover, these enemies did not seem very intelligent, and their coordination was poor as well.

Qilin suddenly leaped onto a nearby rooftop and gazed toward the Ximen Family. Ming Shu saw it too. After Li Jixu activated his Word Spirit, Master Ximen of the Ximen Family appeared on the roof of his residence.

He was looking at Li Jixu, while Qilin was looking at him.

Li Jixu gathered himself for a moment before using the next [Word Spirit]:

"Confucius said: Those who are clever with words and flattering in appearance are rarely benevolent!"

This time, the effect truly allowed a very small number of people to briefly recover their senses. Yet even after regaining control of their bodies, they were already swept up in the crowd and could not break free.

Fear and panic then made it easy for the Demonic Spirit to erode their minds again and seize control of their bodies.

After using the power of Word Spirits on such a large group twice in succession, Li Jixu could no longer continue.

He merely bestowed a protective Word Spirit upon himself in a soft voice:

"Confucius said: If a gentleman is not grave, he will not inspire awe; learning will not be solid. Make loyalty and trust your guiding principles. Have no friends who are not your equal. When you err, do not fear to correct yourself."

Their defensive line had temporarily stabilized. Next, they could only wait for Qilin's response.

In the distance, Master Ximen glanced contemptuously at the County Magistrate several times before ignoring him.

Instead, he met Qilin's gaze. His manner was utterly unrestrained, and there was a faint contemptuous smile on his face.

Ming Shu thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, that he had seen it wrong. From so far away, how could he actually sense such a vague signal being transmitted from over there?

Could it be the subtle connection between Demonic Spirits? Why had the Demonic Spirits on himself, Qilin, Chong Li, and Ren Yuan never produced any such connection?

Or was this the special ability of the Demonic Spirit hidden within the Ximen Family?

Aside from the Demonic Spirit that had revealed itself through the Ximen Family, was there another one hiding somewhere?

Just as Li Jixu was about to reach his limit, with the several Word Spirits he had cast earlier on the verge of disappearing, an old man flew in from outside the city.

He wore a Confucian cap and a scholar's long robe made of silk, black on the outside with white lining, a yellow sash around his waist, and a rolled Bamboo Slip book in his hand.

Chong Li reminded Ming Shu in a low voice, "He's a Sixth Tier [Grand Scholar] from the academy. He's far stronger than Li Jixu, who is only a Fourth Tier jinshi."

The anger on his face was plain to see. What had happened here had caused him immense sorrow, grief, and rage.

"The way of the gentleman is like traveling to a distant place—you must begin from nearby; like climbing to a high place—you must begin from below!" His very first words carried the power of a Word Spirit.

"Those who have passed are like the flowing waters, never ceasing day or night." The second sentence was even more powerful.

Before him, the mortals who had still been surging forward in endless attacks, the people under control, abruptly stopped moving.

Then they fell to the ground one after another.

Without even needing an order from Qilin, the Demon Hunters immediately began clearing a passage. They carried away the people blocking the road one by one and tossed them aside.

They had to hurry and resolve the Demonic Spirit inside the Ximen Family first.

Only then could they save these people completely.

Ming Shu had not originally intended to follow them inside, but Chong Li and Ren Yuan charged to the very front and did not forget to drag him along.

The Demonic Spirit, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, on his body had already expended most of its strength. If a hard battle broke out next, he would truly be in danger.

Old Zhao hurried after them as well.

The other Demon Hunters also rearranged their formation. While helping clear the passage, they regrouped with the County Magistrate and the Grand Scholar before charging in together.

"Kong Sansanshi, why was it you who came?" Qilin walked over to the old man and spoke calmly.

The old man was none other than Kong Sansanshi from Qi Lu Academy. He merely glanced at Qilin without speaking and prepared his next Word Spirit.

"Govern by virtue, like the North Star dwelling in its place while the multitude of stars revolve around it!" As soon as the old man uttered these words, Ming Shu also felt a force reach his body, instantly refreshing his entire spirit.

Moreover, the power of the Demonic Spirit within him, along with its two skills—Aura and Formation Borrowing Strength—also took effect. The more Demon Hunters, constables, and household retainers gathered around him, the more power he could receive in reinforcement.

In turn, it interacted with the power in this formation, raising everyone's courage and morale.