Ji Changrui turned his head in surprise. His face was pale as he said, "Batian, why are you looking at me like that?" He took his hand and sat down on a chair. "Don't take what happened just now to heart."
Huang Batian slowly lowered his head and said in a low voice, "I, Huang Batian, will protect Your Highness even if I have to sacrifice my life."
Ji Changrui patted him on the shoulder and said, "Batian, this king has always known that you are a man who values friendship and righteousness. There's no need to say anything else. Let Shaoyu and Qiuyu go."
"Really?" Huang Batian's eyes widened.
"This king's words carry enormous weight. When have I ever lied to you?" Ji Changrui was displeased.
Huang Batian cupped his fists and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Ji Changrui smiled bitterly and said, "Batian, with our friendship, there's no need to thank me. Besides, isn't this a matter of course? "
Huang Batian smiled gratefully.
"Batian, that Li Ku is already fifty miles away," Ji Changrui suddenly said.
Huang Batian was startled. Why hadn't he received the news yet? What was his subordinate doing?
Ji Changrui continued, "An hour ago, the Ghost Garden was completely wiped out."
"Ghost Yama's Ghost Garden?" Huang Batian was shocked.
"Yes." Ji Changrui used a rare expression of resentment. "They said that there was no one in the world that they couldn't kill. In the end, they lost many experts that this king had spent a lot of money to recruit. It's a pity that their reputation was all fake."
Huang Batian hesitated and said, "Perhaps that Li Ku is too terrifying?"
"Batian, this king is depending on you this time," Ji Changrui said.
Huang Batian's pupils shrank slightly, but he only said respectfully, "Your Highness, the people of Lulin will not retreat. We will do our best to protect Your Highness."
"No," Ji Changrui said.
"No?" Huang Batian said.
"We have to take the initiative to attack," Ji Changrui said.
"How?" Huang Batian asked.
Ji Changrui clapped his hands, and two people came in from outside. One was a tall and thin man dressed in gaudy clothes, and the other was a very calm old man. Both of their footsteps were almost silent, and no fluctuations of cultivation could be felt from their bodies.
Huang Batian did not recognize the old man, but he was exceptionally familiar with the gaudy man. "Hua Feihua, what are you doing here?"
"You can come, but I can't?" The man sneered and sat on the chair that had been set up earlier. He was one of the Divine Arresters of the Dragon Emperor Mansion.
The two of them, one was the head of the government officials, the other was the head of the bandits. Who knew how much friction had arisen between them, naturally they were like water and fire.
"We all came for the sake of dealing with Li Ku. As for past grudges, let's just put them aside for now." As Ji Changrui spoke, he turned to Huang Batian and said, "Lord Hua, you should know him. This is the current Minister of the Right, Ban Zhao. He used to be an instructor at Great Corner Academy. Li Ku was brought up by him."
In this way, he was qualified enough.
Huang Batian didn't buy it at all and only cupped his hands.
"Let's begin." Ban Zhao nodded and said.
…
Half an hour ago, fifty miles away from the city of Huayang, a strange Specter Tavern appeared.
Everyone knew that Specter Taverns would only appear in places where there were disputes in the pugilistic world. This time, Li Ku's arrival would undoubtedly stir up a storm of blood. Its appearance was unexpected, but also reasonable.
There were about twenty tables in the tavern's lobby, and they were all full. The tables were filled with food and wine, but every diner only drank and didn't even look at the food. The atmosphere was extremely oppressive.
In a spacious area on the second floor, there was a long window. The tattered curtains fluttered carelessly. There was a table under the window, and there were only two people, one big and one small. Both of them were dressed like Daoists.
The older Daoist priest sat on the bench, occasionally picking up food with his chopsticks. He was not disturbed by the piercingly cold gazes from downstairs. He only looked out the window, at the clear blue sky, and at the mountains in the distance. His hair was tied up with a straw rope. He didn't have anything else on him, only an old flute at his waist. A purple tassel was wrapped around the end of it, and on it was a round stone pendant.
The smaller one was a female Daoist child who wore a mask. She really was a bit too short, her bottom barely touching the stool, half standing, half sitting. She carried a giant axe that had its edge broken, her head above and the handle below as support. Only then did she have free hands to eat.
There were four dishes on the table: fennel beans, tofu in oil, dried black carp, and bacon slices.
She liked the fennel beans that were fragrant and crispy, but they didn't make much noise, only lightly chewing on them.
A scene that definitely hadn't appeared before the Daoist priest's field of vision: a gloomy and gloomy abandoned garden. It was as if they were in a different space-time, snow fluttering about. This could be considered 'flying snow in June'. There were a few old plum trees that were full of flowers, each one competing with the other in beauty, as if this bitter cold was their home field. There was a camellia tree next to the collapsed pavilion, more than ten red flowers emerging from the dark green dense leaves. They were grand and impressive like burning flames, angry and arrogant, as if they looked down on all creatures in this world who didn't dare challenge the impossible.
Shadows appeared one after another in the ruins. They were dressed in large black robes, their faces impossible to see. They were like ghosts that were as thin as black snowflakes, making one's heart involuntarily feel a chill.
The snowflakes were granular, forming a giant skull. Deep blue flames burned within, making the abandoned garden even more sinister and terrifying.
There were countless souls within, gathering into a flood of panicked voices. "Li Ku, you traitor, I, Ghost Yama, have come today to take your life in exchange for the one million bounty."
After King Qing died, Li Ku's bounty was raised to ten thousand moon devil stones, which was also a million soul stones.
When that voice sounded, the diners in the main hall all erupted with power, all types of weapons, hidden weapons, and ultimate techniques erupting in the air, smashing towards that table.
The giant skull in the abandoned garden released an extremely strange roar, its entire body propelled by deep blue flames, rushing towards Ghost Inn.
However, both sides suddenly became still.
The Daoist priest's expression previously became extremely gloomy, unknown if it was because his peace was disturbed, or if it was because of some type of disappointment. His eyes indeed lacked vigor, only lazily tossing out the pair of chopsticks in his hands.
It was precisely these chopsticks that stopped the skull. The originally empty eye sockets that were originally filled with a vicious glint, as if they were filled with specters, now actually turned into alarm. "This, how is this possible?"
Then, together with the abandoned garden, it completely collapsed.
Inside the inn, countless hidden weapons and ultimate techniques approached the Daoist priest, but they were all blocked by the giant axe. That giant axe in the female daoist child's hands simply seemed to have grown eyes. Every single person who tried to mount a sneak attack suffered a counterattack, and then they all fell, no longer moving.
She retracted the giant axe, still quietly chewing on the Fennel Bean. She only heard the Daoist priest mutter, "What a pity about those plums and camellias." She didn't know what the Daoist priest was feeling pity about, but those plums really were extremely beautiful, those camellias really majestically blossoming. Perhaps he was just feeling pity that those things couldn't be removed. The sparkling and radiant snow, when great winds blew, would fly everywhere like smoke, bringing a bit of coolness.
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