The sinister wind roared, altering the color of heaven and earth, with ghostly shadows looming...

Past events resurfaced in his mind, and the evil aura in Zhang Kui's eyes grew increasingly intense, with a whoosh, the Geng Metal Evil Light ignited like a flame.

He was not a man of ambition, rather he loved good food and lively scenes, enjoyed righting wrongs with the straightforwardness of a ranger.

Until he witnessed the horrors of this world.

Revenge... of course, damn it, revenge is a must!

If capable, he would seek it immediately.

But what use is killing a few small ghosts?

To seek revenge, this feared Forbidden Land of Evil Spirits must be completely eradicated!

"Taoist, Taoist!"

Fatty Tiger's anxious voice came through.

Zhang Kui turned around, and the golden flames in his eyes scared Fatty Tiger into backing off a few steps, retreating his neck,

"Taoist, if you unleash your power again, these people will die!"

Zhang Kui looked around and saw that more than a dozen Black-clothed Profound Guards in the distance were already showing blue lips and unfocused eyes from his evil aura. Even the river surface beside them was littered with floating dead fish.

"Ah, my apologies!"

Zhang Kui gave an awkward smile and immediately retracted his evil aura. With a wave of his hand, a 'Purple Mansion Spirit Nourishing Pill' was scattered into a dozen parts and sent into the mouths of those Black-clothed Profound Guards.

"Harmony of luck and breath, highly beneficial."

Fatty Tiger's eyes lit up, and he approached with a face full of expectation, "Taoist, what about mine?"

Zhang Kui snorted, "Still craving food, you fool? Do you not want to advance to the Grain Avoidance Realm in this life?"

Fatty Tiger shrank his head and immediately looked dejected.

Stone Ganoderma focused on developing the bloodline, but after refining these treasures, it somehow couldn't advance to the Grain Avoidance Realm and remained a Little Demon in the Enlightenment Realm.

Zhang Kui had also consulted Elder Huayan, but they were not demon cultivators and couldn't figure out what was wrong.

The Black-clothed Profound Guards on the ship were all harmonizing their breath; with no one steering the ship, Zhang Kui could only wait patiently.

In a small boat in the distance, an elderly man in a Taoist robe and several young people gradually regained their composure, their faces pale.

"Such powerful evil aura!"

The elderly man in the Taoist robe said with a trembling voice.

"Master... is that an Unparalleled Great Demon?"

A nearby disciple swallowed and looked terrified.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

The elderly man, upon hearing this, hurriedly reprimanded, "Didn't you see the National Guardian and Exorcism Banner above? It must be a National Guardian True Man on patrol."

"Is it the old ancestor of the Wang Family?"

Another disciple asked secretly with a glance.

The elderly man frowned in thought, "It doesn't seem like it. The Wang Family's old ancestor requires grand arrangements and wouldn't sit on such a common official ship... two National Guardian True Men..."

Suddenly, a flash of insight crossed his mind, and he said nervously, "Not good, something big must be happening in Jiangzhou, quickly turn around, let's return!"

"Master, aren't we participating in the martial arts tournament?"

A disciple filled with regret asked.

"Fool, without your life, what fame is there to gain?"

The elderly man scolded angrily, then glanced warily at the Astronomical Bureau's official ship, "Let's go, we'll go back and close ourselves off for another five years."

"Master, closing off again..."

"What do you know, this is called becoming famous in one fell swoop!"

Amidst murmurs, the small boat quickly turned and departed...

The river was crowded with boats, and upon seeing their official ship, everyone tactfully kept their distance. Zhang Kui had no idea that someone on the small boat was so scared by him that they fled in panic.

"The scenery of Jiangnan is indeed unique..."

Zhang Kui surveyed the surroundings for a while, then sighed, "What a pity, surrounded by demons and evil forces, as dangerous as a pile of eggs beneath a rock."

Behind him, the Black-clothed Profound Guards had finished refining and stood up one after another, expressing gratitude with clasped hands: "Thank you, True Man Zhang, for the pill."

Zhang Kui casually waved his hand,

"No need for courtesy, let's go."

Just then, another official ship appeared on the opposite river, also bearing the Astronomical Bureau's flag, sailing directly towards them.

When it was within a hundred meters, a person leaped from the bow. With a wide black cloak fluttering in the wind, he stepped twice on the water, then spiraled up like a dancing crane.

Zhang Kui's eyes lit up, nodded, and praised:

"What an elegant Light Body Skill!"

In the blink of an eye, this person landed on their ship. He was a tall and distinguished-looking man, who swung his cloak, clasped his fists, and respectfully bowed, "Luo Jizu, Captain of Jiangzhou's Astronomical Bureau, greets True Man Zhang!"

Zhang Kui smiled and nodded, "Did True Man Wang send you?"

Luo Jizu remained composed, "I received a message and have been sending people to wait here."

He didn't mention being dispatched by National Guardian True Man Wang Chaoxian of Jiangzhou, but rather claimed to have actively waited.

If Zhang Kui were someone in the official ranks, he might have noticed the discrepancy, but alas, he had no knowledge of such political nuances, and simply nodded slightly.

Luo Jizu felt a sinking feeling inside, unable to discern True Man Zhang's true intentions, but kept his expression unchanged as he retrieved a sealed letter tube from his embrace.

"True Man Zhang, this is what arrived from the Capital City yesterday, untouched by anyone."

The Shadow Crow from the Astronomical Bureau was extremely fast, but could only travel on fixed routes, thus delivered it directly to Jiangzhou.

Zhang Kui took it and opened it to find a letter from Elder Huayan, mostly discussing two matters.

The first was concerning the demonic artifact in Bozhou.

The Huo Yu with Double Pupils confirmed the whereabouts of the Drought Fiend Divine Statue and Dragon Bone Drama Platform, after which the two State Preceptors immediately took action.

This demonic artifact was detested by both gods and ghosts, avoided even by demons. However, due to its long period of sealing, it had not yet grown, and was handled by "Blood Weng Zhong" and "Thunder Sword."

The Dragon Bone Drama Platform shattered on the spot, and the artifact soul was scattered by the Thunder Sword. Unfortunately, the Drought Fiend Divine Statue escaped with its head, whereabouts unknown.

The second matter pertained to the Capital City's situation. After the Emperor Li Geng's burial, the Eldest Prince Li Shuo ascended the throne and immediately sought to settle scores with the Fourth Prince and numerous military officials, causing panic in the Capital City.

Elder Huayan specifically advised him that National Guardian True Men are independent of the court, so he shouldn't involve himself with these trivial matters but focus on dealing with the locust plague.

"Foolish and hypocritical, an utter blockhead!"

Zhang Kui snorted. He couldn't care less about that idiot. What is a newfound king; a hundred years later, all are skeletons.

Grinding the secret letter to dust, Zhang Kui lifted his chin, "Set sail, Captain Luo, tell me, what is the current situation in Jiangzhou, and what about that Celestial Tribulation Realm Demon Ghost?"

The official ship gently set sail, Luo Jizu stood respectfully to the side, squinting his eyes, and replied:

"Reporting to True Man Zhang, Jiangzhou is now a hotbed of unrest, filled with anxiety, and in Yingshui Prefecture City, women have been disappearing mysteriously for consecutive months. Additionally, merchants are hoarding grain, causing public resentment to boil over."

"There are those claiming to be Heroic Thieves robbing the rich and aiding the poor, and demonic individuals causing chaos, while those Jianghu people join the turmoil, organizing a martial arts tournament. We are overwhelmed."

"As for that demon ghost, no one knows its name. It appeared suddenly twenty years ago, rallying a group of evil spirits, and has been occupying the Eastern mountains."

"Eastern mountains..."

The evil aura flashed in Zhang Kui's eyes, "Could it have escaped from the General's Tomb?"

Luo Jizu was startled by Zhang Kui's tone and replied with his head bowed, "That, I do not know."

At the same time, he found it odd. Colleagues from the Capital reported that this True Man Zhang was a fierce fiend incarnate with astonishing Taoist Skills. Why was there something odd in his tone about the General's Tomb?

Could it be that he intended to trouble that Forbidden Land?

Impossible, only a fool would act so...

Before long, two cities suddenly appeared ahead, facing each other and not more than two miles apart, each having its own dock.

Zhang Kui laughed, "Your Yingshui City is built strangely with two cities; is there a story behind it?"

Luo Jizu clasped his fists, slightly awkwardly,

"Sir, you might not know, the smaller one is Yingshui City, the larger one is Wang Family Castle..."

"Wang Family Castle?"

Zhang Kui chuckled, "I've heard that True Man Wang is exceedingly wealthy, and it seems the rumors are true."

At this moment, a large ship suddenly sailed past on the river, noticeably larger than their official ship.

Drumbeats and gonging accompanied the strewing of flowers by maidservants, creating a lively atmosphere, and a large wooden statue of a Taoist, with three eyes on its forehead, seated cross-legged, stood prominently in the middle of the vessel.

Zhang Kui frowned, sensing a subtle and obscure strange aura from this divine statue.

Ordinary people surely wouldn't recognize it, but he had seen it on the Divine Strange Pearl.

Someone here is cultivating the Incense Fire Divine Path...

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