North Region.
Yu County.
A nameless mountain.
This mountain had no name since ancient times. The people in the villages at the foot of the mountain made a living by gathering firewood and hunting. Three days ago, in one night, a thick fog suddenly appeared on the mountainside. The fog was a vast expanse of white. After walking into the fog, it was difficult to see anything. It was so dark that one couldn't even see their fingers if they stretched out their hand.
Not too long after the commoners walked into the fog, they would walk out of it again. It was as if they were walking around in circles.
The cultivators from the county yamen who entered the fog also met the same fate as the commoners.
Clearly, there was a formation set up in the fog that prevented outsiders from entering.
Typically speaking, such a situation would only occur when the mountain was occupied by an expert. It was fortunate that the expert in the fog only occupied the mountain and didn't harm the commoners. The officials of Yu County didn't dare to disturb the person in the fog, so they could only report the situation to the county yamen and wait for the county yamen to deal with it.
This mountain concerned the livelihood of the commoners at the foot of the mountain. The several hundred commoners at the foot of the mountain were also concerned about the situation in the fog.
For the past three days, the fog had remained calm. However, an hour ago, it suddenly began to fluctuate intensely. It was unknown what terrifying thing had happened inside, but it left the commoners feeling uneasy.
Halfway up the mountain, within the fog.
More than ten black silhouettes were using all kinds of demonic arts and artifacts to attack a formation.
There were two women in the formation. Even though they were dressed differently, their appearances and figures were identical, as if they were twin sisters.
No matter how one looked at them, one wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them.
The only difference between the two was their temperament.
One of them had a pale face, but there was gentleness in her eyes. On the other hand, the other had a frosty expression on her face, and there wasn't the slightest hint of life in her.
The gentle-looking woman seemed to be severely injured. Her body seemed to be in a state between illusory and corporeal, as if she would dissipate at any moment.
The other white-robed woman had a frosty expression on her face, and her aura was weak as well. It was clear that she was severely injured.
The dozen or so black figures were clearly ghosts, and they were using all kinds of methods to attack the formation. Under their attacks, the formation was on the verge of collapse, and it was not far from being broken.
"I didn't think that we would have such a harvest this time around."
"Even though we didn't manage to find out the cause of Prince Chu Jiang Of Gojoseon's death, we managed to find a severely injured spirit. This isn't a loss at all …"
"If we can absorb her soul energy, we'll be able to take a step closer to the Spectre realm."
"There's also a Flying Stiff. If we capture it and sell it to the Corpse Sect, we'll definitely be able to exchange it for a lot of good stuff. When the time comes, we'll split it equally …"
…
The dozen or so ghosts communicated with each other, and the speed of their attacks increased. This formation, which was not very powerful, would soon be unable to hold on.
Within the formation, Su He's presence was already extremely weak. She looked at her other self and said, "My soul is about to disperse. Before it completely disperses, devour me. Only then will you have a chance to escape from them. I'll leave the matter of avenging us to you."
The female corpse glanced at her. There was no expression on her cold face. She looked at the dozen or so black shadows outside the formation. Two white fangs protruded from the corners of her mouth, and her fingernails grew an inch longer.
Boom!
A shockwave spread out in all directions, and the formation finally shattered under the all-out attack of the dozen or so ghosts.
The dozen or so ghosts had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. As soon as the formation was broken, they immediately charged forward.
The female corpse moved swiftly, leaving behind afterimages wherever she went. Her fingernails gleamed with a cold glint as they tore through the air. She stood guard by Su He's side, preventing the dozen or so ghosts from getting close to her.
Upon seeing this, the leader of the group immediately said, "Capture the female corpse first."
The other ghosts gave up on approaching Su He and began to work together to attack her.
The body of the flying corpse was as tough as a steel wall. The ghost weapons in their hands were unable to deal much damage to her body. However, if they were scratched by the female corpse's fingernails, their souls would be damaged.
The dozen or so ghosts cooperated well and quickly turned their attacks into entrapments. The ghost weapons in their hands turned into ghost chains surrounded by black gas. These ghost chains seemed to have a life of their own as they wandered in the air and quickly bound the female corpse's hands and feet. Even though she was extremely strong, she could not fight against ten ghosts alone and was immediately restrained.
The leader of the ghosts used all his strength to restrain the female corpse and said to another ghost beside him, "Go and kill that ghost first. She's heavily injured and can't fight back. Extract her soul energy and then deal with this flying corpse …"
The fourth realm vile spirit obeyed the order and walked to Su He's side with an excited look on his face.
This was a fifth realm vile spirit. Even the Ten Kings of Hell under the Lord of Hell were merely vile spirits. When they saw such a powerful being, they would usually prostrate themselves in worship. How would they dare to attack them, let alone kill one with their own hands …
He let out a sinister laugh and raised the ghost fork in his hand, stabbing it viciously at Su He.
Boom!
A purple thunderbolt exploded above his head.
Wherever the thunderbolt passed, the white fog disappeared. When the thunderbolt landed on his head, he could not resist at all. His body dissipated and turned into pure soul energy.
When the other ghosts saw this, they were horrified.
However, before they could recover from their shock, purple thunderbolts also appeared above their heads.
Most of these ghosts were third realm vile spirits. Only a few fourth realm vile spirits could resist the Purple Heaven Heavenly Thunder, which could only be used by a fifth realm powerful being. They were directly wiped out without even having the slightest thought of resisting.
Only the leader of the ghosts had something flickering in his body and withstood the thunderbolt. However, his aura was slightly weakened.
When the lightning snakes danced wildly in the fog, he was already scared out of his wits. The Purple Heaven Heavenly Thunder was a unique technique of the Dao Sect's Creation realm powerful beings. They were as powerful as their masters, the Ten Kings of Hell.
He gave up on the female corpse and wanted to escape without hesitation. However, the moment he turned around, a green sword shadow pierced through his chest. His body froze on the spot and dissipated into black fog.
The fog tumbled and a figure walked out from the tumbling fog. The Qingxuan Sword flew back into his hand.
After these ghosts were killed, the female corpse regained her mobility. She looked in the direction of the figure and raised her arms. Her body turned into an afterimage and reappeared midway.
She remembered this person.
She had seen him more than once when she was still trapped on the altar at the bottom of the water.
Li Mu saw Su He at first glance. Her body was extremely illusory and seemed like it would dissipate at any moment. Li Mu did not care about the female corpse. He appeared beside Su He in an instant and helped her up.
Su He looked at him and a smile appeared on her face. She said, "You're here."
Li Mu hugged her and said, "Don't speak first."
He silently recited the Heart Sutra and his body emitted a dazzling golden light. The female corpse reached out to block the light and was forced to take a few steps back.
This time, the golden light emitted from Li Mu's body did not merge into Su He's body. Instead, it passed through her body.
Li Mu's face darkened completely.
He had encountered such a situation once before.
A few months ago, he could only watch Xiao Bai's grandmother die in her arms.
Su He and Xiao Bai's grandmother were in the same situation. Their souls had suffered irreversible damage.
Su He looked at Li Mu and said regretfully, "I wanted to wait for you to come back and eat hotpot with you …"
Li Mu said, "There will be plenty of opportunities to eat hotpot in the future. Saving you is more important."
"I can't be saved." Su He smiled at Li Mu and said, "Don't be sad. I should have died 20 years ago. It wasn't a loss …"
Li Mu glanced at her and said, "Don't speak. I'll save you first."
With a thought, a jade bottle appeared in his hand.
It was the Origin Pill that the Empress had bestowed upon him.
As long as her soul had not completely dissipated, this Origin Pill could save her.
Li Mu wanted her to take the pill, but he discovered that her soul power was rapidly draining away. Looking down, Su He had already closed her eyes.
He knew that things were not good. In this situation, she could not dissolve the medicinal power at all.
The Origin Pill was a rare treasure. In order to avoid wasting it by mistake, it needed to be refined with magic power. With just a trace of magic power, the medicinal power could be stimulated. However, Su He could no longer use any magic power.
Li Mu did not have time to think. He made a prompt decision and placed the Origin Pill into his mouth.
Then he bent down and kissed Su He's lips.
Li Mu used a trace of magic power to dissolve the pill and then transferred all of its medicinal power into Su He's body.
Time seemed to stop for a moment. Su He's body emitted a strange aura. The soul power that she had just lost began to rapidly return to her body. Not only that, but the remaining soul power of the ghosts that Li Mu had killed was also absorbed into her body.
Su He still did not wake up. This was because her injuries were too severe. Her soul had almost dissipated. The medicinal power of the Origin Pill would slowly restore her soul. This required a process.
In Li Mu's arms, Su He's soul had already solidified. The Origin Pill truly lived up to its name.
He let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky. He sincerely said, "Praise Her Majesty …"
If the Empress had not given him the Origin Pill, he would have lost Su He today. He would have watched her die in his arms. This would be the regret of his life.
After returning to the Divine Capital, he decided to treat the Empress better. Otherwise, he would feel guilty.
Sensing another aura beside him, Li Mu remembered that the female corpse was still here. He looked over.
The female corpse that looked exactly like Su He was also looking at Li Mu.
Her face was calm and expressionless. After glancing at Su He, she did not say a word and disappeared into the thick fog.
Li Mu did not stop her. He had some doubts about the relationship between the female corpse and Su He.
Logically speaking, the two of them were natural enemies. One had a soul, while the other had a body. They would definitely want to devour each other to complete themselves. However, it was clear that if it had not been for the female corpse's protection, Su He would have died in the hands of those ghosts.
Could it be that the corpse's self-born intelligence also knew the principle of "Born from the same root, there is no need to kill each other so quickly"?
Perhaps she thought that they were of the same root and did not want to kill each other. No matter the reason, she protected Su He and changed Li Mu's attitude towards her.
If not for this, Li Mu would have eliminated her completely and erased her intelligence so that she would not threaten Su He in the future.
Li Mu looked in the direction that the female corpse disappeared and said, "I will let you go today. I hope that you will cultivate the right path in the future and not harm the world. Otherwise, I will kill you personally …"
Low-level zombies relied on their instincts to cultivate by sucking people's blood.
Flying zombies already had intelligence and could absorb moonlight, Yin Qi, Spiritual Qi, and other forces to cultivate. They did not need to suck human blood.
She was born from Spiritual Qi and did not have the filthy Corpse Qi on her. She was different from the zombies that were born from filthy Qi. Using human blood to cultivate was not good for her. She knew this better than Li Mu.
After the female corpse left, she used the skill of Calling the Wind to disperse the white fog on the mountain. Then she carried Su He, hid herself, and left with the wind.
At the foot of the mountain, the people looked up and saw that the fog that had lingered for several days had dispersed. They could not help but shout in joy.
"The fog is gone. The ghost fog is finally gone!"
"We can finally go up the mountain to chop wood and hunt!"
"Let's not rush. Let's report to the government office first and see what they say …"
In the crowd, a young child in a woman's arms looked up at the sky and said, "Mother, I saw someone flying in the sky …"
The woman raised her head and looked up. There was nothing in the sky. She looked at the child in her arms and worriedly looked at her husband beside her. She said, "My child's father, when the furs are sold, you should take Xiaobao to see a doctor …"
…
Li Mu carried Su He. He did not go straight home. Instead, he went to find the Green Bull Demon.
The White Demon King's ice coffin had the effect of nourishing the Primordial Spirit. Li Mu took it from the Green Bull Demon and placed Su He's body inside. This could help her wake up sooner.
Li Mu placed the ice coffin in the Flask Space. As for the tree demon, Li Mu tied it up with the Immortal-binding Chains and threw it aside.
After doing all this, he said to the Green Bull Demon, "If Brother White comes back, I'll have to trouble you to tell him that I'll be borrowing this ice coffin for a while. I'll return it to him when I'm done."
The Green Bull Demon waved his hand and said, "You saved sister-in-law. This ice coffin is of no use to Brother. You can take it."
The White Demon King was really rich. He gave away two Flask Space Rings. This ice coffin was also a rare treasure. It was said that the dragon race was the richest race in the world. This was probably not an exaggeration.
Marrying a dragon was equivalent to marrying a treasure.
However, Li Mu did not envy him. After all, he also had the Empress as a treasure. It was just a dragon. No matter how rich it was, could it be richer than the Empress of a country?
Su He was already fine. Li Mu was finally relieved.
What he needed to do next was to quickly return to the Immortal's Capital and hand the tree demon to the Empress so that she could deal with Cui Ming.
This matter could not be delayed at all. The Phantom Princess had escaped. She was very likely sent by Cui Ming. If she tipped off Cui Ming in advance and let Cui Ming escape, all his efforts these days would have been wasted.
However, the Inner Guards had been watching Cui Ming. It was not likely that they would let him escape.
Li Mu returned to the county. He planned to send Liu Hanyan back to Mount Baiyun and then immediately return to the Immortal's Capital.
Walking on the streets, he heard the commoners discussing something.
"I heard that the county government caught two evil ghosts. Is it true?"
"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes. They were two female ghosts. They were quite pretty and didn't look very old. I don't know what they did to harm people …"
"Our Yangqiu County is becoming more and more chaotic. In the past six months, who knows how many people have been harmed by demons, ghosts, and zombies …"
… …
Li Mu had already walked past the county government. However, when he heard that the county government had caught two young female ghosts, he turned around and walked back.
After the Gulf of Clearwater was destroyed, the two female ghosts that he had sent to Su He to accompany her had also disappeared. It couldn't be that coincidental, right?
He arrived at the county government and found Constable Zhou. He asked, "I heard that the county government caught two female ghosts. Did they harm people?"
Constable Zhou shook his head and said, "That's not the case. However, those two wraiths have been wandering around the vicinity of Clearwater Bay. The county magistrate suspects that they have a motive for harming people and is planning to interrogate them …"
When he heard that there were two female ghosts wandering around the Gulf of Clearwater, Li Mu knew that it should be that female ghost.
He looked at Constable Zhou and said, "Can you let me see those two female ghosts?"
Constable Zhou hesitated for a moment and said, "Come with me."
It was reasonable to say that Li Mu was no longer a constable of the county government and had no right to enter the county government prison. However, the friendship between the two was still there. Constable Zhou made an exception for him this time.
The county government prison.
The two female ghosts, one big and one small, were chained up by two chains. Their powers were restricted. The small ghost shrank into a corner and shivered. "Big sister, will we be killed …"
The big ghost was also not sure. However, she still comforted her. "Don't worry. We didn't do anything bad. They have no reason to kill us …"
The jailer outside sneered and said, "What reason does the county magistrate need to kill you two little ghosts? The county magistrate has just arrived and hasn't made any achievements. Killing you two evil ghosts is just the right thing to do …"
The small ghost defended herself. "We didn't harm anyone!"
The jailer curled his lips. "Who cares?"
The small ghost panicked. "It's over, it's over. We're really going to die again. Sister Su, come and save us …"
The big ghost looked worried. "I don't know how Sister Su is. That tree demon is too powerful. I hope she'll be fine."
The county government prison's door was opened. Constable Zhou and Li Mu came out.
Li Mu saw the two female ghosts, one big and one small, locked up in the prison.
He shook his head and helplessly said to Constable Zhou, "I know them. Although they are ghosts, they have never done anything harmful. Can you let them go?"
"This …" Constable Zhou looked embarrassed. Finally, he nodded and said, "I'll ask the county magistrate."
Li Mu smiled and said, "I'll have to trouble Constable Zhou."
Constable Zhou nodded and turned to leave.
Li Mu walked toward the two female ghosts. When they saw Li Mu, they were stunned for a moment. Then, they looked surprised. The small ghost grabbed the prison's bars and said excitedly, "Young Master, are you here to save us …"
The big ghost said worriedly, "Young Master, Sister Su is in danger. There's a tree demon …"
Li Mu smiled and said, "Don't worry. I've already seen her. She'll be fine."
In the prison, the two female ghosts were finally relieved. In the county government's courtyard, Constable Zhou was in a dilemma.
After Magistrate Zhang left, the new county magistrate of Yangqiu arrived a few days ago.
This magistrate came from Luoyang. When he came to the county government, he brought a few confidants with him. As an old arrester, he was left out. Recently, there was a tendency for him to be replaced.
He really couldn't say anything in front of this county magistrate.
However, Li Mu was his friend, so he couldn't refuse Li Mu.
He hesitated for a while, but still walked to the back of the court. He knocked on the door of the back hall and stood outside. He said, "Sir, I have something important to report."
After a long time, a faint voice came from the hall. "Come in."
Constable Zhou walked in. An official sitting on a chair asked, "What's the important thing?"
Constable Zhou immediately said, "Sir, the two female ghosts caught by the county government today didn't harm anyone. Is it better to let them go?"
The official looked up at him and asked, "Constable Zhou, are you instructing me?"
Constable Zhou immediately said, "I don't dare."
The official snorted coldly and said, "Those two female ghosts didn't harm anyone today. Can you guarantee that they didn't harm anyone in the past and won't harm anyone in the future? As the county magistrate of Yangqiu, for the safety of the people, I have to guard against any possible dangers. As a constable, you actually pleaded for mercy on behalf of two evil ghosts. I feel that you should be replaced as a constable …"
Constable Zhou braced himself and said, "Sir, I used to have a colleague. His name is Li Mu. A few months ago, he also worked in the county government. He has an old relationship with those two female ghosts. I can guarantee that they didn't harm anyone in the past …"
The county magistrate of Yangqiu's face gradually turned cold. He didn't care whether those two female ghosts harmed anyone or not. He had just arrived at Yangqiu County. If he didn't kill a few demonic ghosts as a sacrifice to the heavens, how could he establish his authority as an official? He had long disliked this Zhou guy. He wanted to arrange his confidant in that position, but he didn't have a suitable opportunity. This time, he had an excuse to replace him.
He snorted and said, "So what if he's an arrester of the county government? If the arrester of the county government says he can, he can …"
As he spoke, he suddenly realized something and asked, "What's the arrester's name?"
Constable Zhou said, "Li Mu."
The county magistrate of Yangqiu County gulped and asked, "Where is he working now?"
Constable Zhou said, "In Fairy's Capital. I think he's an arrester of some government office …"
After confirming that this Li Mu was the Li Mu he knew, the county magistrate of Yangqiu County trembled and said in a panic, "Quick, take me to see him!"
The county government prison.
The county magistrate of Yangqiu County saw a familiar figure. He quickly walked over and said with a smile, "Sir Li, what brings you here? If you had told me before you came, I would have gone out to welcome you personally …"
Constable Zhou followed behind him. He looked at this scene in a daze and couldn't come back to his senses.
Li Mu looked at the stranger in front of him and asked, "Do we know each other?"
The county magistrate of Yangqiu County hurriedly said, "You don't know me, but I know you. I used to be in charge of the Ministry of Justice. I just came to Yangqiu County a few days ago. I met Sir Li at the Ministry of Justice a few days ago …"
Li Mu had been to the Ministry of Justice a few days ago, but he didn't remember that there was such a person in charge there.
After Yangqiu County Magistrate finished speaking, he pointed at the door of the prison cell and said angrily, "Hurry up and release these two girls. How can the constables of the county yamen do things? How can they catch ghosts without distinguishing between right and wrong? What have I taught you all? No matter if it's to catch people, ghosts, or demons, you must have evidence. Each and every one of you has turned a deaf ear to my words …"
He reprimanded angrily, but when he looked at Li Mu, a smile appeared on his face. He said guiltily, "Sir Li, it's all my fault for not being strict enough and arresting your friends. Please, Sir Li, don't blame me …"
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