Vengeful Ghosts Attack the Village?

"Azure Heaven Town?" Fei Luo murmured, his eyes lighting up. "Everyone, is Azure Heaven Town five hundred li west of Ren Family Town?"

"Yes, young master." City God Li Ru nodded, then asked doubtfully, "Could it be that you intend to...?"

At that moment, the two Underworld Envoys held their breath as well.

A Ghost King at the Golden Core stage was a fearsome being.

Even as Underworld Envoys from the Netherworld, they wouldn't dare so much as stroke a tiger's whiskers.

"Tonight, I'll storm Azure Heaven Town and meet this so-called Azure Sky Ghost King." Fei Luo slowly rose to his feet and gazed west. His quiet voice brimmed with a murderous intent that sent shivers down the spine.

This menace had to be eliminated.

Whether to avenge the grudge he'd suffered or to protect the land and its people, he had to be eliminated.

Fei Luo knew that if he hadn't successfully survived his tribulation today, then with his former strength, defeating the Phantom General would have been difficult!

Although he could challenge opponents above his rank when he was at the False Core Realm, he certainly wouldn't have been able to kill the Phantom General in an instant.

And without the Nine Heavens Thunder Invocation Art, he would have had to withstand the lightning tribulation with his own body. In that case, these three before him might have perished.

They were innocent, and they had only meant well by protecting him while he cultivated.

When all was said and done, he had brought this disaster upon them, so it was only right that he put an end to it himself.

The Azure Sky Ghost Venerable might not yet know what had happened to the Phantom General. Rather than wait, he could strike swiftly and decisively, going straight for the heart of the matter.

If the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable learned that the Phantom General had died in Ren Family Town, what would become of the people here one day, when Fei Luo was no longer in town?

"Since you've made up your mind, the two of us will go all out tonight and accompany you on this journey, young master." The two Underworld Envoys spoke in unison, excitement showing on their faces.

Fei Luo was no ordinary man. The spell with which he had just killed the Phantom General in an instant still lingered in their minds.

Though he was only at the Solid Core Realm, they didn't regard him as an ordinary cultivator of that realm.

Even if they were going to the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable's lair, they had every confidence in him.

"Good. There's no time to waste. Let's set out now." With that, Fei Luo nodded to Li Ru. His figure vanished from the temple like a specter.

"City God, take care."

The two Underworld Envoys clasped their fists toward Li Ru in farewell. A gust of yin wind rose beneath their feet, carrying them out of the temple.

"Take care. This old man will await the young master's triumphant return." Li Ru's face flushed as he bowed deeply in the direction Fei Luo had gone.

This man was a true hero, worthy of his bow.

"It's a pity my cultivation is so meager. Otherwise, how could I miss such a grand occasion?"

Li Ru's murmur rang through the City God Temple, echoing in the empty air where ordinary people could not hear it.

That night, apart from the faint candlelight, anyone who happened upon the City God Temple would have seen only Fei Luo, seemingly talking to the air. If any mortal had witnessed the scene, they would have been scared out of their wits.

The drizzle had stopped.

Wind sprang up beneath Fei Luo's feet. He poured the formidable magical power of the Solid Core Realm into his soles and raced through the mountain forest like a gust of wind.

The two Underworld Envoys followed at an unhurried pace not far behind him.

Half an hour later, Azure Heaven Town, faintly glowing in the distance, came into view.

Suddenly, Fei Luo stopped and looked toward the foot of the mountain.

The two Underworld Envoys stopped as well, curious. Following his gaze, their expressions immediately turned grim.

"There are ghosts—more than ten, all vengeful ghosts," Zhang Wu said. His eerie, ghostly voice rang out without the slightest trace of emotion.

The other Underworld Envoy nodded in agreement.

Underworld Envoys were exceptionally sensitive to the presence of ghosts.

"This village is near Azure Heaven Town. Since we've come across it, we can't just stand by and let them die."

Fei Luo's ethereal voice reached the two Underworld Envoys.

They instinctively turned to look at him—and were instantly stunned.

A brilliant golden light gleamed in Fei Luo's eyes. Threads of gold unfurled from their corners, scattering through the air like flecks of spiritual light. He looked like a god.

In an instant, Fei Luo vanished. His voice rang in their ears. "You can't deal with ghosts in the mortal world, so I'll take care of it."

"Young master, your righteousness is admirable. If the exorcists of this world all acted without seeking fame or profit, and every one of them were like you, how could the world fail to enjoy peace and prosperity?" Zhang Wu watched Fei Luo's figure melt into the night like a specter and sighed.

"Indeed," the other Underworld Envoy agreed. "Come on, let's go see young master Fei Luo in action. Honestly, if such an outstanding young man doesn't meet an early end, he'll surely make a name for himself across this world."

Their eerie voices echoed through the empty air. Their bodies floated toward the village below like duckweed on water, strange and ghostly.

Anyang Village was one of the villages near Azure Heaven Town.

It lay in a remote spot near the border between Azure Heaven Town and another large town, yet far from both. It was an exceedingly sparsely populated village.

Most of the villagers made their living growing mountain tea.

That night, several dozen farm households in Anyang Village had already gone to bed when a sudden downpour began.

Along with the rain, all the dogs in the village started barking wildly, as if they'd gone mad.

The villagers had never seen anything like it.

"Damn you, Ah Huang! What are you barking at in the middle of the night? Calling ghosts, are you?" A middle-aged man lit a lamp and went outside. Seeing that the rain had stopped, he looked toward the back courtyard.

He wanted to know what was wrong with his big yellow dog.

This place was remote, far from the busy streets. At night, the village dogs had never all barked at once—unless one spotted a rat.

A moment later, the big yellow dog in the courtyard let out a heartrending whimper, then fell silent.

The middle-aged man's pupils shrank. He raised the lamp before his eyes and took a careful look.

In the courtyard, where the big yellow dog had been tied up, a "person" dressed in white robes and floating above the ground, with long, unkempt hair, had strangled his dog to death.

Then, with mechanical slowness, the figure turned its head. A creaking sound came from its neck.

Most terrifying of all, its face revealed bare white bones. Its eyes were empty and lifeless, and white maggots writhed in the hollow sockets.

"Ghost!" the middle-aged man shouted. His scalp prickled with terror as a chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to his head.

The lamp slipped from his hand and hit the ground. Its wick went out, and the courtyard's only light vanished. In the darkness, only the ghost's white robe stood out starkly.

"What ghost? Where are there ghosts in the middle of the night?" Just then, the door to the main room opened, and the middle-aged man's wife came out wearing a coat.

The big yellow dog's agonized cry and her husband's shout had just woken her.

"Ah!!!" The middle-aged man's wife took in the scene before her and let out a piercing scream, which alerted the neighbors.

"Ke ke ke." An eerie, sinister laugh rang out. In the ghost's hand, a bloodied heart beat slowly. Drops of blood pattered onto the ground, making the scene horrifying beyond words.