Word Spirit

020 Word Spirit

The County Magistrate, Li Jixu, a Jinshi at the late fourth stage of the Scholar realm, was leading his trusted subordinates, blocking the other end of the street.

He was a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties. Scholar's rejuvenation spells were still no match for Sorcerers and Taoists.

Coupled with the vast amount of complex daily affairs he had to handle, it drained a significant portion of his energy.

Although he hadn't made a move yet, most of his subordinates were already injured. Even though they were only minor injuries, their morale was deteriorating.

However, Magistrate Li Jixu showed no signs of worry.

He had only requested reinforcements from the Demon Hunters, which eased the pressure they were facing.

They continued to contain these out-of-control individuals within this street near the Ximen Family's residence.

Nearby shops and residences had also been evacuated. Those not evacuated might have already been corrupted and lost control, so caution was advised to avoid injury.

Ming Shu and the others arrived behind Kirin, watching the battle ahead, still finding it incredible. They hadn't expected such a massive crisis to emerge right after dealing with the Ghost Spirit threat.

If their previous actions hadn't gone smoothly, would they be trapped in the city now?

And would this Qing Shui County turn into a living hell?

If they still had some hidden methods, they could turn the hundred thousand inhabitants of the city into Ghost Spirits, completely transforming the city into a ghost town. Ming Shu's imagination ran wild, scaring himself.

Fortunately, he had arrived. He was here to save them.

Regardless of anything else, most of the mortals in the city were innocent. The world couldn't be dragged into chaos because of the ambitions and desires of a few individuals.

"Tonight might get even tougher," Kirin said calmly.

Old Zhao was heavily depleted. After they regrouped, he quietly replenished himself with food and elixirs. He had to ensure he still had combat power to protect Ming Shu's safety.

The big guy, Ren Yuan, was also eating nearby, silent, his eyes only on the food.

If only he could have a few more bowls of wine.

"The Qingtian Gate forces have gathered outside the city. If we can't withstand the Demonic Spirit's counterattack here, we'll retreat and rendezvous with them," Kirin continued.

Chong Li remained silent, watching the battle ahead. Hundreds, even thousands, of people were controlled by the Ximen Family.

Under such influence, the casualties of this battle wouldn't be small. If these people weren't eliminated, they wouldn't be able to enter the Ximen Family's mansion.

On the other side, County Magistrate Li Jixu had no choice but to act personally. The combat power under his command was gathered from various families, and their coordination was already poor; now their morale was even worse.

If he didn't act soon, they would likely be routed.

In this area, with a loud shout from him, the power of the Holy Word instantly echoed, "The Master did not talk of strange things, nor of violence, nor of disorder, nor of spirits!"

The entire area was enveloped by a new power, and the eerie atmosphere weakened significantly. The combat effectiveness of the out-of-control laborers, thugs, and ruffians collectively dropped a notch.

Only the advantage of sheer numbers remained.

In limited alleyway combat, small-scale skirmishes were the most common.

Moreover, these enemies seemed to lack intelligence and didn't coordinate well.

Kirin suddenly leaped onto a nearby rooftop, looking in the direction of the Ximen Family. Ming Shu also saw it; after Li Jixu unleashed the Word Spirit, Master Ximen of the Ximen Family appeared on the rooftop of their home.

He was looking at Li Jixu, and Kirin was looking at him.

Li Jixu pondered for a moment and then used the next [Word Spirit]:

"The Master said, 'Fine words and a pleasing countenance are seldom associated with true virtue!'"

This time, the effect genuinely allowed a very small number of people to temporarily regain their senses. However, even though they regained control of their bodies, they were already swept up in the crowd and couldn't break free.

Fear and panic then caused them to be easily re-corrupted by the Demonic Spirits, who regained control of their bodies.

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

He quietly cast a protective Word Spirit on himself:

"The Master said, 'The superior man is dignified, but not proud. The superior man is unassuming, but is not empty. The superior man is bold, but not quarrelsome. The superior man is straightforward, but not rough.'"

Their defense line was temporarily stabilized. Now, they just had to wait for Kirin's response.

Master Ximen in the distance glanced contemptuously at the County Magistrate a few times before ignoring him.

He then turned to face Kirin. His demeanor was unbridled, and a faint, scornful smile could be seen on his face.

Ming Shu felt his eyes playing tricks on him, that he had misread. From such a distance, he could still feel such a vague signal transmitted from over there?

Could it be a subtle resonance between Demonic Spirits? Why didn't the Demonic Spirits on himself, Kirin, Chong Li, and Ren Yuan produce any resonance?

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

Besides the Demonic Spirit that the Ximen Family had actively revealed, was there another one hidden somewhere?

Just as Li Jixu was about to lose his grip, and the power of his previous Word Spirits was about to dissipate, an old man flew in from outside the city.

He wore a scholar's cap and a black silk scholar's robe with white inner lining and a yellow sash. In his hand, he held a bamboo scroll.

Chong Li whispered to Ming Shu, "He's a [Grand Scholar] at the sixth stage from the Academy. His strength is far greater than Li Jixu's, who is only a fourth-stage Jinshi."

One could see the anger on his face. What was happening here made him very sad, grieved, and furious.

"The Way of the superior man is like traveling far, one must start from where he is; like ascending a height, one must begin from below!" His first words were the power of a Word Spirit.

"The river flows without ceasing, day and night!" The second line was even more powerful.

Before him, the mortals who had been charging forward, the controlled people, instantly stopped moving.

Then, one by one, they fell to the ground, unable to get up.

Without needing Kirin's order, the Demon Hunters immediately began clearing a path. They carried the people blocking their way, one by one, and threw them aside.

They had to hurry to deal with the Demonic Spirits in the Ximen family's residence.

Only then could they truly save these people.

Ming Shu hadn't intended to go in, but Chong Li and Ren Yuan charged ahead, not forgetting to pull him along.

The Demonic Spirit · Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King on him had actually consumed more than half of its strength. If he had to fight a tough battle next, he would be in real danger.

Old Zhao quickly caught up.

The other Demon Hunters also adjusted their formation, clearing a path while meeting up with the County Magistrate and the Grand Scholar to charge in together.

"Kong Sansanshi, why are you here?" Kirin walked up to the old man and said calmly.

The old man was Kong Sansanshi from Qi Lu Academy. He glanced at Kirin and said nothing, preparing his next Word Spirit.

"To govern with virtue is like the North Star, holding its place while all the stars bow to it!" As the old man spoke, Ming Shu also felt a surge of power flow into him, revitalizing him.

Moreover, the power of the Demonic Spirit on him, along with its two skills—Aura and Formation Borrowing Strength—became effective. The more Demon Hunters, yamen runners, and household servants gathered around him, the more strength he received.

Conversely, this power interacted with the strength of the current situation, boosting everyone's courage and morale.