At the Brink of Despair

"So now even if that Mortal returns the Soul-Snatching Bell, it's useless. With living humans being refined into corpses, the Imperial Court alone is enough to sink the Zhu You Sect, let alone the sects that helped wipe out the Corpse Refining lineage back then."

Hanyu pondered for a moment, looking at the two of them.

"That means, besides taking back the Soul-Snatching Bell and moving the bodies, they'll definitely want to silence the Mortal too," Cousin said gravely.

Just then, the Mortal suddenly spoke up. "Bao Ruijie went to get reinforcements, didn't he! Let's get out of here now! Hurry up and pull out your Iron Kite."

Cousin shot him a glare and said irritably, "My Iron Kite falls apart with one hit. There's a bunch of cultivators outside. If we take to the sky and it gets broken up, the Medicine Master won't die, but you and I will definitely fall to our deaths. We'd be better off fighting our way out."

"I can't even handle that Corpse King outside, so fighting..."

The Mortal's words cut off abruptly. His gaze flickered as he looked at Hanyu, muttering under his breath, "Actually... maybe he can fight the Corpse King."

Thirty li outside Shuzhou City, at the bottom of a long slope.

Pian Shi Gang.

This was just a sparse, ordinary little village within Shuzhou Prefecture, with a small population. Crisscrossing paths ran between the fields, and now and then farmers could be seen working the soil.

Outside a small melon patch stood a little thatched shelter. Ran Shiqing, his hair and beard streaked with white, was nearing fifty. His face was lined with wrinkles, no different from any common farmer. He lay slouched in the shelter, a bamboo hat covering half his face.

Bao Ruijie entered the village with a heart full of unease.

"Ran Shiqing? Never heard of him."

A sturdy young man shook his head at Bao Ruijie, who had asked for directions.

After thinking it over, Bao Ruijie rephrased his question. "I mean that old man who moved here not long ago."

The young man's face lit up with recognition. "Oh, you mean the old guy growing melons? He's on the east side of the village. Should be napping in his shelter by the melon patch right now."

After parting ways with the young man, Bao Ruijie hurried eastward.

Soon enough, he found the shelter. But Bao Ruijie hesitated, lingering nervously without daring to approach.

He stood there for a long time, his expression shifting between uncertainty and fear. Finally, he gritted his teeth and stepped forward, bowing respectfully as he called out, "Elder Ran!"

The old man seemed not to hear. Bao Ruijie called out several more times.

Then the bamboo hat was lifted. The old man sat up straight, his murky eyes suddenly sharpening, fixing the newcomer with a piercing gaze.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you I'm staying in the shadows? Finish your business and get back quickly. Don't come unless it's important."

Ran Shiqing's face darkened with anger, and Bao Ruijie stumbled back, nearly dropping to his knees in fright.

"Speak. What is it?"

Seeing Bao Ruijie's hesitant expression, Ran Shiqing's heart stirred, and he frowned as he asked.

Bao Ruijie, his face full of fear, spoke in a low voice. "The Soul-Snatching Bell for the newly refined corpse was stolen."

At this, Ran Shiqing shot to his feet. A burst of Sha Qi erupted from him, and his eyes blazed with killing intent. "Say that again."

Bao Ruijie dared not hide anything. He recounted the whole story from the corpse refining to being discovered and the theft of the Soul-Snatching Bell.

Ran Shiqing's face was as dark as water. If it weren't for the inconvenience of acting here—if this were back at the sect—Bao Ruijie would have already taken a palm strike to the face.

"Useless piece of trash. Can't even handle a small matter."

After a torrent of curses, Ran Shiqing gritted his teeth. "Report for punishment when we get back!"

"Then..."

Bao Ruijie timidly lifted his head, seeking instructions.

"I'll go with you and deal with that little mudfish first."

Ran Shiqing waved his hand, and as he finished speaking, he started to step out.

But after only a few steps, he stopped abruptly.

"Wait for me at the village entrance."

Bao Ruijie didn't dare ask questions. He just nodded and left.

Once the man was far away, Ran Shiqing gave a light cough, then bowed and called out, "Venerable!"

A voice came from nowhere, ethereal and elusive, its tone cold and stern. "The people from Hidden Moon Peak have been exposed, haven't they?"

Just that one sentence sent cold sweat streaming down Ran Shiqing's face.

"Yes... yes."

But he didn't dare lie, so he stammered out his reply.

The owner of that voice was silent for a long time. Finally, he gave his orders coldly. "Abandon the Shuzhou Prefecture outpost for now. Go quickly and clean up the loose ends. If necessary, abandon the Corpse Puppet as well. Since Bao Ruijie has been exposed, don't keep him either."

Ran Shiqing kept bowing and acknowledging, cold sweat soaking his back.

"Since the Shuzhou Prefecture line is no longer needed, don't stay here either. Make sure you handle things cleanly."

After saying this, the voice fell silent for a long time. Ran Shiqing remained bowed, waiting until he was sure no one was there before straightening up slightly and letting out a slow breath.

By now, night had fallen. After a long discussion, the three decided that Hanyu, with his strongest physical body, would be responsible for holding off the Corpse King, while the other two would handle the remaining cultivators.

If the plan went smoothly, once the cultivators were dealt with, the three of them could join forces to take down the Corpse King.

With the details settled, the three began to creep stealthily toward the mouth of the valley.

Soon, a group of cultivators was seen standing at the exit, looking around anxiously. The Mortal pointed at the tallest, motionless figure among them and said, "That's the Corpse King. You'll have to deal with him alone."

Hanyu nodded in understanding.

After they each prepared, Hanyu took a running start, his steps growing faster and faster, instantly drawing the attention of the cultivators at the valley mouth.

"Who goes there? Halt!"

The cultivators quickly drew their blades on guard. Hanyu smiled faintly, then with swift strides leaped into the air, sending the first two or three cultivators flying with a collision.

The Cousin and the Mortal exchanged a nod and rushed forward as well, joining Hanyu in the fray.

A few clueless cultivators, relying on their Divine Bridge cultivation, tried to leap into the air and attack from afar with flying swords, but Hanyu hurled several fireballs at their faces, sending them tumbling down with screams.

The Corpse King seemed to catch the Mortal's scent and moved instantly. Hanyu had been on guard for it, and as soon as it stirred, he flashed forward with a punch, followed by a fireball smacking into its face.

"No effect?"

Seeing the Corpse King completely unharmed, Hanyu was stunned.

The flames that even an Asura had feared were useless against the Corpse King, and its body was indeed as tough as the Mortal had said.

"Idiot, Asuras and Hungry Ghosts are products of the Nether Path, so naturally they fear Yang Fire. The Corpse King is man-made—imagine someone refining it like a tool, leaving no weaknesses."

Little Glazed's voice echoed in his mind.

Hanyu's heart chilled at the thought of such cruelty—refining a person like an object.

The Corpse King, seemingly angered by Hanyu, abandoned the Mortal and charged at him instead.

Come on!

Hanyu threw a straight punch, and the Corpse King met it with one of its own. The collision of their fists sent out a massive shockwave.

Both man and corpse staggered back a few steps.

"Strong too," Hanyu muttered with a frown, noting its Bronze Skin Iron Bones and considerable strength.

He himself was fine, but watching the Corpse King's arm tremble continuously, it seemed Hanyu had the edge in physical power. Yet the Corpse King had no pain, making it reckless.

Still troublesome!

After a moment's thought, Hanyu couldn't help but reach into his Sea of Consciousness, ready to release the Hungry Ghost Path.

"No, the beings in the Hungry Ghost Path don't distinguish friend from foe. Those two unlucky friends of yours will be attacked too."

Little Glazed warned in his mind.

Hanyu quickly relaxed his Sea of Consciousness and could only helplessly engage the Corpse King again in a brutal fist-to-fist brawl.

On the other side, the Mortal moved with agile footwork through the battle, taking down cultivators with two or three moves each.

The Cousin had joined three Iron Bone Flying Swords together, spinning them like a windmill and flinging them out. The swords whirled overhead among the cultivators, occasionally knocking someone off guard to the ground. The lucky ones only got their wrists cut; the unlucky ones, with their necks slashed, died on the spot.

Only Hanyu's fight was at a stalemate. The Corpse King felt no pain, even when its chest was caved in several times. It remained unfazed, soon recovering and charging back with a roar.

"Looks like I'll have to wait for them to help," Hanyu sighed to himself.

But as always, plans rarely kept up with change.

Just then, a violent roar came from the sky.

"You deserve death!"

As the words fell, two figures landed one after the other.

Ran Shiqing saw the Corpse King being beaten back by Hanyu, its chest repeatedly dented, and his eyes nearly split with rage. This was something the sect had spent decades and immense resources to refine, and now it was being battered like this.

Bao Ruijie landed and immediately spotted the Mortal weaving among the disciples. Seeing his enemy made his eyes burn with hatred, and he gritted his teeth and roared, "It's you, you scoundrel!"

"Take care of those two little ones," Ran Shiqing ordered with a glance, then fixed his gaze on Hanyu.

His True Essence surged, and he vanished in an instant. Hanyu had just blocked the Corpse King's attack when a gust of wind hit his left side. Before he could react, he was sent flying with a heavy blow.

Damn it, another scene of a high-level cultivator bullying a low-level one.

Hanyu hit the ground, his shoulder numb and aching, and he gritted his teeth.

"Half-step Divine Peeking!"

The Mortal dodged Bao Ruijie's attack and shouted in surprise.

"Your body is impressive—almost on par with the Corpse King. No, even better. Heh heh!" Ran Shiqing's murderous intent subsided. Someone with such a tough physique—if captured and refined into a corpse, it would give the sect another Corpse King.

"Hanyu, he's got his eyes on your body," Little Glazed reminded him in his mind.

Hanyu's face darkened. Whether he was coveted or not, being targeted by these people likely meant corpse refinement.

"Stay and become a Corpse King guardian for my sect!"

Ran Shiqing let out a sinister grin as he closed in.

Hanyu's heart tightened, and he kept backing away.

On the other side, after failing several times to get the better of Mortal, Bao Ruijie turned his gaze to Cousin. He quietly moved his True Essence, seized control of two blades on the ground, and sent them shooting out.

Thud! Thud!

Cousin, still locked in combat with the remaining Disciples, was completely unaware. By the time he reacted, two knives were already buried in his chest.

"Bastard!"

Mortal's eyes nearly split with rage. Shaking off a few Disciples, he charged over.

Bao Ruijie had already planned for this. At that moment, he leaped into the air, overtaking Mortal from behind with a flick of his wrist. A short blade shot from his sleeve like a thunderbolt.

Thud!

The knife sank into Mortal's left leg, splattering a spray of blood.

"Aren't you good at running? Then I'll break your legs first."

As Mortal hit the ground, Bao Ruijie walked over with a cold smirk.

New book—hope everyone supports it!