Stone Pagoda

008 Stone Pagoda

Taking advantage of the deep night, when the moonlight was shrouded by thick clouds, they extinguished the torches. Chong Li cast a spell to muffle some of the sounds of their movement.

The horses had bits in their mouths and thick cloth wrapped around their hooves. They wound their way along the mountain paths.

The Demon Hunters had set up two strongholds—one at the east exit of Qing Shui County, the other at the west—hidden in the woods along the main roads nearby.

Chong Li led Ming Shu and the others toward the western stronghold first.

Given the heavy and eerie atmosphere that had settled over the town, Second Senior Brother had ordered them to approach with caution and be ready to retreat at any moment.

If this was a trap, only those with sufficient strength and experience should enter. Sending anyone else in would be far too dangerous.

Caution was indeed warranted. Ming Shu also climbed down from the carriage and joined the others on foot, trekking over the hills.

At times, they even had to help push the carriage.

In the moonless, pitch-black night, vague clusters of shimmering light flickered through the forest.

Ming Shu thought it was his imagination more than once.

But he also noticed that Ren Yuan and Chong Li's expressions were growing heavier, their steps slower.

Only Little Zhao remained oblivious. Old Zhao, though he saw nothing, relied on his years of sharp instincts to sense danger closing in.

Chong Li kept watch on the left and ahead. Ren Yuan stood at the very front, handing the reins he held to Old Zhao.

Ming Shu was on the right. He suddenly turned to look behind him—and behind Little Zhao, a spirit wreathed in a cold, pale glow was silently drawing near.

"Watch your back!" Ming Shu couldn't help but whisper a warning.

Little Zhao looked back and saw nothing. His face was full of confusion.

Only Chong Li reacted in time. She flashed over, struck out with her palm, and dispersed the spirit.

"What was that?" Ming Shu asked, glancing around warily.

"Just a few of the lowest-grade [Ghost Spirits]. Any adult with strong enough yang energy could make them back off."

In other words, they could only target the injured Ming Shu and the crippled Little Zhao.

Old Zhao, with his deep internal cultivation, was certainly strong-willed despite his disability—Ghost Spirits wouldn't dare approach him.

"You can see Ghost Spirits?" Chong Li asked.

"From the moment we entered this path, I've seen them several times. I just didn't know they were called Ghost Spirits," Ming Shu answered honestly.

He was sure they wouldn't discover the Life Book inside him ahead of time. But the fact that he had survived eating a discarded Immortal Pill, and that the Supervisor had laid schemes and plans on him—that alone marked him as unusual.

After more than ten days together, Ming Shu knew how deeply Old Zhao, Ren Yuan, and Chong Li revered the Supervisor.

It bordered on blind worship—as if the old man could calculate five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future. In truth, he certainly couldn't.

Otherwise, the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty wouldn't be counting down its final days.

From top to bottom, everything was rotten to the core.

Chong Li seemed lost in thought. After a moment's hesitation, she pulled a green stone from her pack and tossed it to Ming Shu.

Ming Shu caught it quickly. Looking closely, he saw it was a crude little green stone pagoda.

"Borrow this for now. Return it later," Chong Li said flatly.

"Alright. Thank you."

"Then... what about me?" Little Zhao didn't know exactly what had just happened, but from everyone's expressions and their words, he could guess danger had come.

And he was probably the one in the most danger.

Chong Li reluctantly looked away, continuing her vigilance, then reached into her pack and pulled out two yellow talisman papers, stuffing them into Little Zhao's hands. "Use them sparingly. Try not to waste them."

Meaning: the talismans are worth more than you are. Tough it out on your own first, and only use them when you absolutely can't hold on. She just phrased it more politely.

Ming Shu might not have caught the implication, but Little Zhao, who had spent years scraping by in the lowest depths of the palace, understood instantly.

He still grinned and nodded in thanks. "Alright, no problem."

Even if I die, the talismans will still be here. I'm just holding them to feel a little safer.

Old Zhao, meanwhile, was calming the three horses. Little Zhao didn't dare stay at the rear anymore, so he went up to help.

Ming Shu and Chong Li each took one side. Suddenly entrusted with a heavy responsibility, Ming Shu only realized it after everyone had rearranged their positions.

So the thing she gave me is really a treasure. A little stone pagoda, and now I'm on the same level as Chong Li. But judging by Old Zhao's position, he was also ready to protect him at any moment.

No, not "protect" anymore—say "support."

Ren Yuan continued walking at the very front.

Three Ghost Spirits drifted out from behind a tree. Ren Yuan punched them all into nothing.

From behind every tree around them, Ghost Spirits floated out one after another.

Little Zhao couldn't see them, but he could feel the biting chill creeping in.

It made his hair stand on end.

And Ming Shu, who could see clearly, was even more terrified. He clutched the little stone pagoda tightly in his palm, silently praying it would lend him some extraordinary power.

"Get in the carriage." Chong Li pulled out several talisman papers as she spoke, pasting one on each side of the carriage—top, bottom, left, and right—and also had Old Zhao untie the reins.

Those without combat power could only enter it to have any chance of survival.

Though most of the Ghost Spirits were the lowest grade—the kind that died upon seeing light, their forms incomplete, most just clumps of haze—

a mortal body couldn't withstand that kind of numbers either.

Little Zhao was tossed inside by Old Zhao, temporarily safe, though they'd likely have to hold out until dawn to be truly secure.

As Old Zhao untied the second horse's reins, the animal began to grow restless, ready to bolt.

Ren Yuan also came over to restrain the last horse.

Chong Li was still pasting talismans.

Ming Shu was a bit slow on the uptake. Only then did he realize he should get into the carriage as quickly as possible.

In his haste, several clumps of Ghost Spirits caught up to him.

Ming Shu swung the hand gripping the small Stone Pagoda, smashing it straight into them, scattering two or three clumps of Ghost Spirits instantly.

It didn't seem all that dangerous, did it!

Ming Shu breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to start fighting.

But a human-shaped Ghost Spirit slammed into his shoulder from the side, sending him flying.

Far from the carriage.

He'd barely hit the ground and scrambled up when another Ghost Spirit crashed violently into his back.

The Stone Pagoda in his hand nearly slipped out.

Terrified, Ming Shu didn't dare use his hands to brace himself when he fell again; instead, he gripped the pagoda tightly with both.

The reins were all undone. The three horses fled in separate directions.

Old Zhao and Chong Li circled the carriage, attacking the Ghost Spirits.

Old Zhao originally couldn't see the Ghost Spirits at all—he could only fight by instinct.

He didn't know what spell or pill Chong Li had used on him, but it let him temporarily perceive vague, blurry clumps of Ghost Spirits.

It boosted his combat effectiveness.

Only Ren Yuan rushed over immediately to rescue Ming Shu.

But judging by the situation, none of them seemed all that worried.

Chong Li showed no sign of unleashing a big move, and Ren Yuan wasn't using the Demonic Spirit's power either.

Could they really just tank these Ghost Spirits with their bodies? Ming Shu was deeply puzzled.

Though the Ghost Spirits posed little real threat to him, their impacts sent him crashing into trees, the ground, and rocks, splitting his lip and drawing blood.

His body was covered in bruises.

Ah, his nose was bleeding.

He coughed, spitting blood.

Ming Shu couldn't hold it in anymore—he coughed, blood streaming from both his mouth and nose. He curled up on the ground, afraid to get up again.

He tried to cover his coughing mouth with his hands.

The Stone Pagoda was stained with his own blood.

It emitted a dazzling Green Light.

Any Ghost Spirit touched by that light dissolved on its own.

Chong Li, still in the middle of fighting, finally noticed Ming Shu's condition. Her mouth fell open in shock. "It's acknowledging a master?"

She'd carried and used it for so many years, and it had refused to acknowledge her. In just the few moments she hadn't been watching him, it had chosen someone else?

And on Ming Shu's end, a new page appeared in the Life Book—

[Demonic Spirit: Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King]

Combat ability: Spear and Staff Mastery—excellent. Skill One: Piercing Spear to Defeat Enemies.

Skill Two: Pagoda Protection—activates a barrier that can block both magical and physical attacks.

Skill Three: Aura—stirs righteous spirit to boost allies' morale and courage, granting a certain combat power bonus.

Skill Four: Formation Borrowing Strength—the more allies nearby, the greater the power boost gained.

These were the advantages of the Life Book. He figured others weren't so fortunate—they had to rely on someone else's teachings or slowly figure things out on their own.