Chapter 23: Hundred Ghosts Walk During the Day
g been there for a long time."Master, I would never dare to lie to you. Feeding the flesh of Hu Shao Meng and that monster to the dogs was my own decision. Miss Zhu only helped me cover it up. They we...Xiaolin Town is located northeast of Fenglin City, with Qingshan Town in between. By straight line distance, it is the farthest town from the main city within the Fenglin City region.
A group of people, led by Wei Yan, traveled non-stop, passing through Qingshan Town without stopping. In just half a day's journey, they arrived at the outskirts of Xiaolin Town.
Outside Qingshan Town, there are no green hills. This place name is unknown how many years ago it spread, or if there was ever a time when it truly existed. Later, the times changed and everything shifted like the sea and land.
However, just outside Kobayashi Town there is a grove of moon pine trees, though it is quite small and can be seen from end to end at a glance. Moon pine has a calming effect, and furniture made from moon pine wood is very popular.
It is said that this forest was once very large, but because the moon cypress trees were extremely valuable, many villagers illegally cut them down. As a result, this moon cypress forest became smaller and smaller. If it weren't for Fenglin City issuing special orders forbidding illegal logging, I'm afraid this small grove would have disappeared several years ago.
The constable who had been transferred from Green Mountain Town stationed himself in the forest, sitting or lying about rather aimlessly. Only when he heard the sound of approaching horseshoes did he gather together to greet them.
These constables are only ordinary martial artists, of course they wouldn't dare to investigate the town under these circumstances. They only serve as a deterrent and warning.
Wei Yan stationed his horse outside the woods and casually glanced at these people, then asked: "How is the situation in Xiaolin Town"
The headman leading the team from Qingshan Town was a man in his forties with a broad face. He responded to the question, “Since five days ago, mist has risen outside Xiaolin Town. At first, we didn't pay much attention, thinking it was just weather change. We could still see the outline of Xiaolin Town and vague figures. People from our Qingshan Town even went there to visit relatives. Yesterday, we received orders to set up a checkpoint here to observe. So far, we haven't seen anyone come out, only that the mist is getting heavier, and now we can't see anything.”
Jiang Wang looked out over the crowd of Daoist disciples, his gaze fixed on Xiaolin Town. Fenglin City was where he was born and raised, although he grew up in Fengxi Town, Xiaolin Town was no stranger to him.
He, who once single-handedly defeated bandits in Xishan, is now holed up in Xishan, ten miles north of Xiaolin Town.
From Mount Berlin, one could once see Xiaolin Town. Though not wealthy, it was peaceful and tranquil. Now, all that remains is a mist.
At this moment, Wei Yan's voice rang out: "While you were tasked with observing Xiaolin Town here, you have been lax and undisciplined. What's worse, some of you have taken advantage of the situation to illegally fell the moon cypress trees. Are you here on official business or for personal gain"
The town guards of Qingshan were already pale, and the head guard even kept bowing repeatedly, trying to explain something.
>
But Wei Yan's disposition had already been made public: "The felled moon cypress trees have been sent to the city guard camp. In addition, everyone will have their salaries deducted for a year, and the head catcher, who bears the responsibility of leadership, is dismissed!"
The stout man's face was ashen, but he didn't even dare to protest; he just retreated dejectedly.
Hearing Wei Yan's disposition, Jiang Wang only then noticed the felled moon cypress trees.
And Wei Yan, upon his arrival, had already taken everything in.
On one hand, Jiang Wang admired Wei Yan's keenness. On the other hand, he felt that this person was truly strict.
Little Town had fallen, and this part of the Berlin Wall was temporarily leaderless. These were just constables risking their lives to set up checkpoints outside Little Town, chopping down a few trees to supplement themselves on the side. While they were derelict in their duties, it was actually understandable.
Qingshan Town wasn't wealthy, and a year of lost pay meant these constables would all suddenly be struggling. This was especially true for this man in his forties; the constable position might have been the pinnacle of his life's struggle. And with Wei Yan's words, he was back to square one.
However, this line was almost like a military march. Wei Yan led the way, acting just like a commander. His orders were like military edicts, and no one dared to disobey.
After Wei Yan finished his business, he pulled on the reins and galloped towards Xiaolin Town at full speed.
All the horses were warhorses from the military camp, and the knights were monks from the Daoist temple. Though there were only over thirty of them, they obeyed orders strictly and moved like lightning, giving off the aura of thousands of troops.
This is a test.
The hooves thundered like a storm, but stopped abruptly!
Those warhorses, seasoned by countless battles, reared and whinnied in the mist that enveloped the small town of Kobold's Crossing. No matter how hard the knights urged them on, they refused to move another step forward.
More than thirty warhorses were terrified, neighing loudly. It was as if there was something in Xiaolin Town that frightened them to the core. This scene was frightening.
Even though the knights' skills prevented any embarrassing falls from their horses, their morale had plummeted. They were far from the spirited and eager soldiers they had been when first leaving the city.
Even the normally calm and collected Wang Changxiang's eyes had become grave.
Only Wei Yan remained composed.
The man's armor was mottled and worn. At his waist hung a sword, long and straight. Beneath him rode a warhorse, tall and powerful.
At that time, everyone knew that Wei Yan's three loves were...
But he suddenly drew his sword!
Like a bolt of lightning, the blade flashed and disappeared. The steed beneath him whinnied and came to an abrupt halt. Its massive head was severed from its body, thrown a distance by the gushing blood spurting from its neck.
The horse's corpse crashed to the ground.
Wei Yan pressed his sword, gazing at the town shrouded in mist. But his voice was cold: "To falter on the battlefield, what use are you"
"Alright!" Du Yehu was the first to respond. He was a straightforward person, bold and aggressive. In an instant, he threw a punch that shattered Ma Shou's head. "Wei, what do we do next"
Wei Yan raised his right hand slightly, "Listen to my command, dismount and prepare for battle, form an arrow formation, with me as the tip of the arrow, straight into Xiaolin Town!"
Wei Yan killed the horse, which made everyone realize that there was no way out. At this time, there was no more room for hesitation, and they all dismounted one after another.
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Then Wei Yan said, "Raise the troops!"
With a whoosh of steel, blades were drawn!
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At this time, Wei Yan's ordinary-looking deputy officer stepped forward. He raised his right palm upward, pinched a seal with his left hand, muttered words in his mouth, and finally said: "Sharpness!"
Jiang Wang only felt that the long sword in his hand suddenly became sharp, and this sword, which could only be described as well-made, now seemed to him capable of breaking anything.
"Attach Flame!"
Upon all blades, flames ignited! Cultivators held their swords and knives like torches, ready to pierce through the mist that shrouded the town before them.
"Solid!"
Ling He felt his body becoming tough, a fullness that made him want to punch someone. But he just glanced at Du Yehu, whose beard was bristling with anger, and silently dispelled the feeling.
Zhao Ruocheng thought to himself, a group amplification spell at the very least was of the intermediate grade. Yet Wei Yan, this unassuming deputy officer, actually cast three in a row without changing his expression. The Ministry of War truly was hiding dragons and tigers.
No matter what anyone thought, there could only be one will when marching. Under the blessing of Taoism, Wei Yan held his sword forward and took the lead in entering Xiaolin Town.
As everyone walked, they observed that the town was so quiet that only their footsteps could be heard.
As time passed, the fog seemed to grow even thicker.
The fog was so thick it felt like a solid wall, making it impossible to see anyone more than three steps away. All that could be seen were the flickering lights of weapons, stubbornly standing out against the seemingly endless mist.
We had to once again shrink the ranks. The distance between soldiers was reduced from five paces to three. Any closer and it would affect the battle.
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Jiang Wang and his brothers were positioned near the back of the team. As their cultivation realms were the lowest, they naturally received implicit protection. There was no need to hide this; it was a fine tradition within the Dao Institute.
Du Yexi clenched his fists, making a cracking sound. He wasn't nervous, but rather excited and eager to try.
Jiang Wang harbored no doubts; even if the notorious Nine Great Demonic Lords, whose names shook the heavens and earth, stood before him, he would dare to punch without a word. Whether or not he could win, however, was another matter entirely.
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Just then, a cry of alarm suddenly rang out from the edge of the formation, "What is that!"
Another voice scoffed, "It's just a ghost. What's there to be afraid of"
But soon a surprise: “So many!”
Hearing the sound, Wei Yan suddenly turned his head and slashed with his sword!
A massive blade slashed through the air, cleaving a gap in the thick fog for a fleeting moment.
And in that instant, everyone saw, on the entire street, those staggering and gnashing, densely packed wandering souls!
Under the clear blue sky, a hundred ghosts walk during the day!
>and reveals a rich display of blossoms. If not for seeing them on the peak of Mount Qunyu, I would hope to meet them under the moon at Yaotai.”She is not merely the most beautiful woman in the world,...