Battle Against the Chang Ghost [Seeking Follow-up Reads][Seeking Monthly Votes]

Six Chang Ghost walked through the deep night.

They had neither breath nor heartbeat.

Coupled with footsteps kept deliberately light.

They made almost no sound as they moved.

Like shadows drifting across the ground.

This silence had reached a hair-raising degree.

Even the most elite assassin would find it hard to achieve such a level.

Led by Elder He, the three Chang Ghost headed straight for the villa of Lu Jing'an.

The night mist was thin, and moonlight occasionally leaked through the gaps in the clouds.

Illuminating three blurred black shadows.

They vaulted over the courtyard wall with swift, silent grace.

Not even a withered leaf was disturbed when they landed.

They crept directly toward the direction of Lu Jing'an's room.

"Who goes there!"

The patrolling guard suddenly caught a glimpse of shadows flashing by the corner of the wall; his heart tightened, and he shouted aloud immediately.

Ever since the last assassination attempt.

Lu Jing'an's villa had strengthened its night patrols.

Lanterns were hung throughout the courtyard, and the interplay of light and shadow illuminated most of the grounds.

With such arrangements, it was indeed extremely difficult to remain completely hidden.

Before the shout had even faded.

The Chang Ghost that had been Elder He pounced before the guard like a phantom.

Withered fingers gripped the man's throat like iron pincers.

"Snap."

The faint sound of cracking bone was swallowed by the night wind.

At almost the same moment, Lu Jing'an rolled out of bed and sat up.

Lu Jing'an's eyes were clear, showing not a hint of sleepiness.

He quickly felt his way to the bedside and retrieved the handgun hidden beneath the table.

Pushing the window open just a crack, he peered quietly outside.

He saw three humanoid figures with stiff movements and pale skin standing in the courtyard.

Dark, viscous liquid dripped from the fingers of one of them.

Lu Jing'an's pupils constricted sharply.

"People from the Li Family?"

His first reaction was that this was a ploy by the Li Family to feign one thing while doing another.

But he immediately dismissed the thought.

The hollow eyes and the eerie coordination within their stiff movements clearly showed they were no longer mortal.

They were Chang Ghost.

That the Tiger Demon would take the initiative to drive Chang Ghost to raid the Lu Family at night, This was truly beyond Lu Jing'an's expectations.

But Lu Jing'an had no time to dwell on it.

The contents of the files he had perused at the Peacekeeping Bureau that morning flashed through his mind:

Chang Ghost, soulless and mindless, driven by the Tiger Demon.

Ordinary blades can hardly harm them; there are only two ways to break them.

One is to slay the Tiger Demon controlling them, The other is to completely destroy their heads.

"Bang!"

Lu Jing'an pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Perhaps it was because he had officially stepped onto the threshold of a Martial Cultivator.

It had made his control over his body and his perception of targets much sharper.

Within ten meters, Lu Jing'an could guarantee every shot would find its mark.

The brass bullet pierced the center of the Chang Ghost's forehead with precision.

Yet, the Chang Ghost merely jolted backward.

A black hole remained in the center of its brow.

It did not fall.

It even took another step forward.

As expected, the "shattering" mentioned in the files was not merely a figure of speech.

The gunshot exploded in the silent night.

The entire Lu Mansion suddenly stirred like a waking beast.

Lights flickered on one after another, and the sounds of voices and footsteps surged from all directions.

Chen Xuan arrived first, his figure like smoke, landing in the courtyard in a flash.

"Teacher, be careful! They are Chang Ghosts; you must blow their heads apart!" Lu Jing'an warned urgently.

Before Lu Jing'an's voice had even faded, Chen Xuan had already swept out like a gale.

His leg whipped out like a lash.

The head of the Chang Ghost on the right exploded instantly like a watermelon, and the headless torso collapsed straight to the ground.

He pivoted immediately, his second kick already raised.

"Teacher, leave the one surnamed He to me!" Lu Jing'an shouted in haste.

Chen Xuan checked his momentum, smoothly kicking the head of the last ordinary Chang Ghost to pieces.

Only the Chang Ghost surnamed He remained, standing in place and slowly turning toward Lu Jing'an.

At this moment, gunshots also rang out from the direction of Lu Jinghan and Lu Jinglin's courtyards.

Lu Jing'an said, "Teacher, go assist them first; I can handle this one."

Chen Xuan glanced at him and nodded, "Very well. Be careful, Young Master."

His words still lingered in the wind, but he had already swept several yards away.

In a few leaps, he vanished behind the rooftops.

Only Lu Jing'an and the Chang Ghost surnamed He remained in the courtyard.

In life, this old man had been a Martial Cultivator who had broken through the Blood Barrier.

Though he could no longer utilize his internal energy, his physical strength remained astonishing.

Under the lantern light, his skin shimmered with a dull, leather-like luster.

His eyes were hollow, yet they "stared" fixedly at Lu Jing'an.

"Roar..."

A low, beast-like growl emanated from its throat.

It lunged forward, its speed actually three parts faster than an ordinary martial artist!

Lu Jing'an sank his waist and stepped aside, refusing to meet the attack head-on.

He dodged the lunge, his right hand striking out like lightning.

His palm chopped toward the side of the Chang Ghost's neck.

"Bang!"

The sensation was like striking old cowhide—tough and resilient—and the recoil made his wrist go slightly numb.

The Chang Ghost's movements did not falter in the slightest.

It spun around, its sharp claws sweeping horizontally.

The fingertips sliced through the air, emitting a faint hissing sound.

This feeling was different from sparring with Situ Yiyun and the others.

When Situ Yiyun and the others fed him moves, they always held back, fearing they might injure him.

But this Chang Ghost before him struck with lethal intent, unburdened by restraint, which in turn forced out every ounce of his focus and potential.

Lu Jing'an unfolded his footwork, weaving through the courtyard.

He struck with fists and palms by turns.

He unleashed everything he had learned during this time.

Footwork, palm techniques, grappling, evasion...

Use everything.

At first, his movements were still stiff, but after a few exchanges, they gradually became fluid, as if his body remembered how to respond on its own.

After grappling for nearly half an hour, Lu Jing'an suddenly ducked low.

He slipped under the Chang Ghost's arm, and a short sword slid out from his sleeve.

In the moment he turned, he thrust it with all his might into the back of its head!

With a twist and a wrench of his wrist!

More than half of the skull was instantly shorn off, and thick, black fluid splattered onto the blue bricks.

The Chang Ghost's body stiffened for a moment before crashing to the ground.

Lu Jing'an caught his breath and shook the filth off the short sword.

The blade remained as smooth as before, not a single drop of blood clinging to it.

[Incomplete soul detected that can be subject to Refining/Repair. Collect?]

"Incomplete soul?"

Lu Jing'an was slightly taken aback.

However, he chose to collect it first.

After collecting this incomplete soul, Lu Jing'an looked toward the other two Martial Cultivator.

There were no such prompts on the other two Martial Cultivator.

"It must be because Master kicked their heads to pieces, so their souls dissipated along with them."

Although he was missing two souls, Lu Jing'an did not pay it much mind.

Lu Jing'an looked up and saw Chen Xuan standing quietly under the veranda, though he did not know how long he had been there.

"Teacher, how are Jinghan and the others doing?"

"They were a bit frightened, but they are unharmed."

Chen Xuan walked closer, his gaze sweeping over the corpses on the ground before looking at Lu Jing'an.

"Young Master's battle just now showed measured advances and retreats, with orderly offense and defense; it already has quite a bit of method to it.

With your current footwork and reaction speed, you could handle three Martial Cultivator of the same level simultaneously.

If Young Master were to exert your full speed, you should be able to handle five at once."

Lu Jing'an sheathed his sword and smiled, "It is all thanks to Teacher's instruction."

However, Lu Jing'an understood that his extraordinary reaction and speed came entirely from the Affix bonus, but he could not voice this reason.

He could only attribute it to his potential gradually manifesting as his cultivation deepened.

Chen Xuan did not probe further, only saying, "Young Master's talent and foundation still have room to be tapped; do not slack off."

"I understand."

"Rest assured, Teacher, I will never waste my talent and potential."

Just as they were speaking, a servant hurried over.

He said that the Master requested the Eldest Young Master and Mr. Chen to come to the study.

Lu Jing'an was not at all surprised by this; tonight's events could not simply end here.

The study was brightly lit.

Lu Huaiqian sat in the main seat, his expression solemn and stern.

Lu Huaishan stood by the window, his back as taut as a bowstring.

Hearing footsteps, he turned abruptly, his eyes bloodshot.

The moment he saw Lu Jing'an enter, Lu Huaishan took a large step forward, actually intending to bow in salute.

Lu Jing'an hurriedly held him back, "Third Uncle, what are you doing!"

Lu Huaishan's voice was hoarse, carrying a suppressed tremor:

"Jing'an, if you hadn't sent Mr. Chen to Jinghan and Jinglin's courtyard first tonight, they two would likely have..."

He could not continue, only gripping Lu Jing'an's arm heavily.

Lu Jing'an said sternly:

"Jinghan and Jinglin are my younger brother and sister; protecting them is only right.

If you really want to thank someone, you should thank my teacher."

Lu Huaishan turned and bowed deeply to Chen Xuan, "Mr. Chen, a great kindness needs no words of thanks."

Chen Xuan stepped aside, accepting only half a bow: "You are too kind, Third Master. It is merely my duty."

Duty? That was hardly the case; the twenty-year agreement had long since expired.

Lu Huaishan knew clearly that the only reason Chen Xuan remained with the Lu Family was because of Lu Jing'an.

This debt of gratitude was one Lu Huaishan had to acknowledge.

"We can save the thanks for later."

Lu Huaiqian tapped the tabletop, his voice cold and heavy.

"What matters most right now is that Tiger Demon."

Lu Huaishan spun around abruptly, the killing intent in his eyes palpable.

"What else is there to say!

I will take men into the mountains this instant and burn that forest to the ground. Let's see how long it can hide!

If I don't skin this beast and pull its tendons, I will never vent the hatred in my heart!"

Lu Huaishan's fists clenched until they creaked, the flickering candlelight reflecting a deep, scarlet rage in his eyes.