"Ji... Jingjiang Water Mansion?!"

Helian Wei exclaimed, her voice somewhat distorted.

She looked pale as she glanced at the giant turtle corpse, then at Zhang Kui, who was stroking his tiger's head in deep thought. Unable to resist, she slapped her forehead and said with a trembling voice:

"Taoist Friend Zhang... disaster has struck."

Zhang Kui snorted, "In a narrow alley encounter, should Old Zhang just stick out his neck for slaughter?"

"Since things have come to this, let's stop nagging. You must quickly go to the Capital City to report the situation. Two National Guardian True Men are trapped in Bozhou, along with countless civilians. Let the Court decide whether to save them or not."

"Alright... alright then."

With such a major event, Helian Wei was also distraught, and she ordered her subordinates, "Quickly release the Shadow Crow, report this matter truthfully."

A black-clothed Profound Guard nodded, and shortly, a crow emanating faint black smoke soared into the sky, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

Zhang Kui nodded at the sight, "I'll go ahead first. Also, that turtle shell is excellent material, remember to transport it back to the Capital City."

With that said, he turned and rode the tiger, stepping on the water and leaving...

"Truly, evil spirits have descended upon the mortal realm..."

Watching Zhang Kui's distant figure, Helian Wei rubbed her temples, which were pounding.

"Someone, find a ship to transport the turtle shell back. Celestial Tribulation Realm materials, those old men will probably die of happiness..."

......

Zhang Kui rode on the tiger, black smoke billowing all the way, crossing mountains and fields, heading straight for Shanyang City.

In the cold mountains and evening snow, as everything withered, he galloped freely across the vast world. Feeling carefree, Zhang Kui couldn't help but take out his wine flask and drink a few gulps against the cold wind.

"Taoist..."

The Fatty Tiger beneath him asked in a muffled voice, "Are we really going to face off against that Jingjiang Water Mansion?"

Zhang Kui wiped his mouth with his Taoist robe,

"In this world, there are clever people who scheme and plot, wasting their great talents. There are also mediocre types with ulterior motives, cowardly as mice yet delighting in malicious harm, leading to sudden troubles."

"Old Zhang's qualities may be ordinary, but I've lived my life with a clear conscience. I don't worry about the future, nor do I fear the Heart Demon. Even if it's the Celestial Court and the Underworld, if I'm in a bad mood, I'll stir trouble!"

Fatty Tiger was silent for a while, then suddenly said:

"Taoist, but I noticed you seem a bit afraid when mentioning visitors from Qingzhou. Could it be that over there..."

"Fool, looks like you're looking for a beating!"

Just as he scolded, Zhang Kui's thick brows suddenly furrowed, "To the left, something seems wrong there."

They were traveling through the hills at this time. Hearing this, Fatty Tiger immediately turned around, leaping up the hilltop in a few strides.

On the snowy plains below were countless civilians, dragging their families along, pulling mules and pushing sheep. The adults looked deathly pale, while children were crying.

"Where did so many disaster victims come from?"

Zhang Kui frowned, but did not hurry down the mountain.

After all, these people were already unsettled in their souls, fearing that his appearance might scare them to death.

Nevertheless, a group of scattered soldiers and black-clothed Profound Guards surrounding the disaster victims noticed him, and in their panic, several rune crossbow arrows were shot at him.

Zhang Kui casually waved his hand, and the rune arrows exploded in mid-air. He shouted with a dark expression, "Why are you shooting wildly at me? I am from the Capital!"

With that, he urged his tiger down the slope.

The disaster victims, terrified, hurriedly moved aside, while the black-clothed Profound Guards hesitated and then approached on horseback.

The horse-faced man leading them swallowed his saliva and cupped his fists, "Almost accidentally injured you, this Taoist please forgive us."

"Who are you, and what is happening here?"

Zhang Kui asked as he looked around.

The horse-faced man, looking at Zhang Kui riding the fierce tiger, was full of fear, "Um, I am Yang Bai, Captain of the Astronomical Bureau in Shanyang City. Demons have reached the city, and these are all refugees."

"Shanyang City!"

Zhang Kui's eyes widened, "Is it the mischief of the Jingjiang Water Mansion? And have True Man Yuhua and the others escaped?"

Seeing Zhang Kui, who was familiar with the National Guardian True Men, Yang Bai let out a sigh of relief and quickly shook his head, saying:

"True Man Yuhua and True Man Qiu Canzi have been trapped inside all this time. Now Red Water Lake is already filled with evil spirits, I'm afraid..."

Hearing this person's words, Zhang Kui's heart sank. He looked around again, "Shanyang City is the Prefecture City of Bozhou, and only these few people have escaped?"

Captain Yang's face was full of bitterness, "Originally, most of the city's civilians were evacuated, but those demon spirits in the water suddenly went crazy, storming the shore and chasing us overnight, leaving us scattered."

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Zhang Kui, quietly speculating about the identity of the evil Taoist before him.

Zhang Kui snorted, "You there, take the civilians towards the ferry. The people of the Astronomical Bureau in Lai State are on the way, just in time to meet up."

The previously disheartened black-clothed Profound Guards suddenly looked delighted, visibly relieved.

Zhang Kui looked at Yang Bai again, "As for you, follow me to guide the way to rescue people, and you can explain the details on the road."

Yang Bai's face stiffened, "I, I..."

"Less nonsense!"

Zhang Kui didn't say a word, grabbed Yang Bai by the collar, mounted the tiger, and left with a trail of screams.

Several black-clothed Profound Guards glanced at each other.

"That's the Jingjiang Water Mansion, are they courting death?"

"Who exactly is this Daoist..."

......

"Stop wailing like a ghost!"

Zhang Kui, shrouded in black smoke, urged the tiger to race forward, reprimanding as he grabbed Yang Bai: "You are also a cultivator of the Enlightenment Realm and hold the position of Captain, how can you be so timid?"

Yang Bai's face was mournful, "Taoist, that's the Jingjiang Water Mansion, a place where strangers should not venture. I haven't even left any descendants yet, it's simply a disgrace to my ancestors..."

"So long-winded!"

Zhang Kui snorted.

Yang Bai looked at Zhang Kui in fear, and had no choice but to point out the path, "Let's deliberately avoid the rivers, crossing mountains and ridges. There should still be some people surviving in the Peach Blossom Valley area ahead."

Hearing this, Zhang Kui immediately urged Fatty Tiger to speed up, and sure enough, before long, they heard screams from the hills and valleys ahead.

Rapidly entering the valley, a scene of devastation unfolded before their eyes.

A densely packed group of people was cornered in the valley, crabs the size of round tables, fish demons with arms and legs, and robust yakshas were tearing and biting, scattering blood and flesh everywhere.

Several soldiers who were cornered roared and swung their swords, but were quickly torn apart. The civilians in the back wailed in despair.

"Bastards, prepare to die!"

Seeing this, Zhang Kui's eyes widened like a leopard's, and he roared thunderously, as the golden light of the Lu Li Sword burst forth from him.

"Clang!"

His body seemed like a sword sheath, and the sword light of Lu Li, filled with murderous intent, let out a dragon-like sword cry, splitting into three, swiftly weaving through the demon horde.

Yellow and green entrails and limbs flew everywhere. These demons couldn't even reach the Grain Avoidance Realm and were half killed or injured in an instant.

Yet among them, a few demons, with reddened eyes, appeared frenzied, neither fleeing nor resisting, instead shoving the flesh and organs of nearby demons into their mouths.

"Hmm..."

Zhang Kui frowned, and with a flash of golden light from the Lu Li Sword, he slayed all these demons.

What surprised him, however, was that from the corpses of these demons, a yellowish-red aura exuded from their bodies, seeping into the ground like flowing clouds.

"What a strange evil aura..."

Zhang Kui muttered with narrowed eyes.

Beside him, Yang Bai was already gaping in astonishment.

Controlling the flying sword, filled with murderous intent, his uncle, a cultivator of the Grain Avoidance Realm, could not do this. Who exactly was this formidable Daoist?

Seeing Zhang Kui's surprise, Yang Bai hurriedly cupped his fists:

"Taoist, that strange evil aura appeared after True Man Yuhua and the others entered the Ancient Secret Realm. Those who are affected lose all reason, slaughtering and devouring indiscriminately, until they burst themselves alive."

"I didn't expect even the demons of the Jingjiang Water Mansion to be affected..."

"A leak from the Ancient Secret Realm?"

Zhang Kui's face instantly turned somber.

The fate of Elder Huayan remained unknown, and it seemed the target of the Jingjiang Water Mansion was there too. What on earth was inside that Ancient Secret Realm?

Without time to think further, Zhang Kui immediately directed the surviving civilians toward the ferry for refuge, while he grabbed Yang Bai, mounted the tiger, and continued onward.

Along the way, they sporadically rescued more civilians. Among the slain demons, many were affected by the evil aura, and even some afflicted civilians had turned into evil fiends, slaughtering and devouring their own kin.

Zhang Kui's heart grew heavier.

There was something else peculiar.

Judging by the dead Turtle Demon, it seemed they were leading a team to rendezvous, but among these demons, there was only one at the Grain Avoidance Realm, and not a single Celestial Tribulation Realm Old Demon was seen.

Gradually, the number of surviving civilians dwindled. Along the path, the ground was littered with broken corpses, mostly of ordinary people, but also many demons with split bellies, their bodies gnawed, torn flesh revealing bare bones.

After crossing a mountain ridge, Shanyang City appeared before them, nestled by the mountains and water, but now it was utterly silent, like a ghost realm.

At that moment, Zhang Kui suddenly felt a chill and looked up in shock.

Amidst the drifting snow, a hundred-meter-long blood-red figure was traversing the sky, like a Blood God descending, heading away from Shanyang City...

"Blood Weng Zhong!"

A hint of joy appeared on Zhang Kui's face.

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