"Quick!"

Luo Jizu led his men straight to the docks. Due to the street crowds blocking their way, they couldn't wait, and each of them used the Light Body Skill to leap onto the rooftops, flying over the eaves and walls.

Zhang Kui, of course, didn't follow them.

If a National Guardian True Man had to deal with a demon who abducted women, it would be an enormous joke.

He came out of the sugar cake vendor's home, only to see that the sky had started to drizzle again at some point.

Zhang Kui casually sat on the steps, occasionally taking a sip from a wine jug, watching the misty rain on the pink walls and black tiles, and the moss-covered stone path.

The Wang Family, Divine Void Temple, Nameless Old Ghost, General's Tomb...

He felt there must be some connection, and the source of everything pointed directly at the Dead Man's Cave General's Tomb Forbidden Land in the eastern mountains.

The General's Tomb... what kind of place is that, really?

As he was pondering, a black-clothed Profound Guard ran over, his face excited, and respectfully cupped his fist, saying:

"True Man Zhang, that demon has already been captured. Captain Luo requests your presence; there's quite a discovery."

"Oh?"

Zhang Kui became interested and immediately headed to the Astronomical Bureau.

Upon entering the gate, he saw someone locked with an iron chain under the hall, dressed in ordinary civilian clothes and having an honest face, not at all like a demon from Jianghu.

But Zhang Kui immediately saw that this person was at the Enlightenment Realm, with a mixed and impure aura, having recently encountered both a demon and a ghost.

"True Man Zhang."

Luo Jizu first cupped his fist and bowed, then turned to the demon and sternly commanded, "Repeat what you just said!"

The demon had clearly been handled by Luo Jizu, his face pale and drenched in cold sweat. He quickly nodded at the words, "Yes, yes, I'll speak now."

"I am merely a traveling peddler who was lucky to learn an Enchanting Skill from someone. Driven by greed, I became a kidnapper."

"Two months ago, someone approached me with a big deal, to periodically send women to the Ten-Mile Slope outside the city..."

"Wait a minute."

Zhang Kui suddenly frowned and asked Luo Jizu, "If I remember correctly, these women's abductions started from last year, didn't they?"

"The True Man is correct."

Luo Jizu nodded and answered, "I reviewed the records, and last year, the missing women were all beautiful, wise, and outstanding, with a regular pattern; one case each month, which inexplicably stopped at the beginning of the year."

Zhang Kui instantly realized this involved two groups of people.

Luo Jizu kicked the demon kneeling on the ground, who continued, "I became curious about the buyer, so one day, I secretly waited nearby and discovered it was actually two Fierce Ghosts."

"It's the first time I've seen ghosts buying people. Luckily, my master taught me a method to deceive ghosts, so I secretly followed them to a barren mountain outside the city and found that someone was using ghosts to transport people.

"Although I just peeked from a distance, I happened to recognize them as the former Observatory Master from the Divine Void Temple here."

Zhang Kui's eyes slightly narrowed as he turned to Luo Jizu, "So the Observatory Master of the Divine Void Temple has been replaced?"

Luo Jizu nodded, "Yes, about two months ago, the Divine Void Temple announced that the old master had gone traveling and found a new master from somewhere."

"Interesting..." Zhang Kui mused thoughtfully.

Needless to say, it's confirmed that the Divine Void Temple is a handiwork of the General's Tomb, and the Observatory Master is a puppet they supported. Could it be that being a puppet also involves a life-and-death struggle?

"Don't make any noise for now; I'll go capture them."

After instructing Luo Jizu, Zhang Kui vanished in a cloud of black smoke, leaving everyone around him staring in awe.

Meanwhile, the Nether Soil stone sarcophagus silently headed straight for the barren mountain outside the city...

......

Swish, swish, swish...

The bamboo forest was deep and eerie, the rain pattered densely against the bamboo leaves, and the ground, wrapped in mud and decaying leaves, was a fetid stench, with venomous insects scurrying through the leaves.

Inside a shed roughly made of bamboo, raindrops dripped down, and in the darkness, heavy breathing and chewing sounds could occasionally be heard.

Suddenly, the sound stopped abruptly; a pair of blood-red eyes appeared in the dark, peering out fearfully.

And just then, on the open ground opposite the bamboo shed, a puff of black smoke rose, and Zhang Kui stepped out, frowning, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Hmph, choosing to be a ghost instead of a good person!"

A sinister wind suddenly arose, and two pale faces with fanged mouths, shrouded in black smoke, appeared, while a figure from within the bamboo shed also lunged at him.

Zhang Kui flicked his hand without even looking.

The two Fierce Ghosts instantly vanished with pitiful cries, turned to ash, and the figure lunging at him was also struck by the Qi Prohibition Skill, its body's Qi Mechanism blocked, falling to the ground struggling with difficulty.

The figure turned out to be a shriveled old Daoist; his Taoist Robe had rotted into hemp strips, his whole body pale as a corpse, ghostly, covered in pustules, and his hair had become abnormally sparse.

And those eyes were already blood-red, with fangs growing from the mouth, and a mouthful of blood and flesh.

"A human cultivating the Ghost Path, already turned into a beast!"

Zhang Kui glanced over and instantly, murderous intent surged.

Seeing Zhang Kui filled with killing intent, the Demon Taoist was immediately filled with terror, struggling to shout: "Friend, friend, spare my life, I promise you great benefits!"

Zhang Kui squinted slightly, "Speak!"

The Demon Taoist rolled in the mud, panting heavily, and said: "Friend, I used to be the Observatory Master of the Divine Void Temple in the city. I was harmed by a demon and lost my opportunity, which led me to this state."

"Friend, your magic is miraculous. As long as you help me retrieve an item, cultivation skills and spirit medicine, you can have it all..."

"Hehe..."

Zhang Kui sneered, "Go to the General's Tomb to ask for it?"

The Demon Taoist was suddenly shocked, "How do you know, who exactly are you?"

"None of your damn business!"

A fierce light flashed in Zhang Kui's eyes. The Lu Li Sword flew out in an instant, pointing at the Demon Taoist's head, "Now, I ask and you answer. If you hesitate even a little, your soul will scatter."

The Demon Taoist, being a coward afraid of death, was so frightened by the terrifying evil light of the Lu Li Sword that he wet his pants, "Yes, yes, friend, spare my life."

"What's your name, and how were you chosen by the General Temple?"

"I... I was originally a scholar from Ling City..."

It turns out this person was named Wu Jinhua, an ordinary scholar known for his intelligence and fame, which is why he was chosen by the General's Tomb to become the Observatory Master.

He was naturally clever and afraid of death, so he managed the Divine Void Temple meticulously, and by practicing the Divine Path, he lived for over a hundred years.

During these hundred years, every Mid-Autumn, a cold wind would suddenly rise inside the temple, sweeping away the treasure pearl from the divine statue.

Although it would be returned after some time, the Incense Fire God inside the temple would languish for a long period.

Originally, life was quite carefree, but one day, a Daoist came with the General's Tomb Commander's Seal, claiming to be Counselor Zuo, and took over the temple directly.

Wu Jinhua luckily escaped, but much of his cultivation was gone, so he had to rely on the Ghost Path he had studied to prolong his life.

"Friend!"

The Demon Taoist Wu Jinhua's eyes were filled with fervor, "That treasure pearl must be an incredible treasure, as long as we seize it..."

Buzz!

The Lu Li Sword flashed with golden light, and a head flew off.

Zhang Kui snorted, disappeared amidst a cloud of black smoke.

Originally thought I could find some insider information, but it was just a pathetic creature blinded by greed.

Then again, how would the General's Tomb disclose such vital information to a servant?

Again, Counselor Zuo...

Could it be there's internal strife within the General's Tomb?

Another day, I must investigate further.

Upon returning to the Astronomical Bureau in Jiangzhou, Zhang Kui informed Luo Jizu, thus concluding this case.

Just as he was about to leave, Luo Jizu awkwardly pulled out a golden jade hairpin, "True Man Zhang, your magic is profound, this is the belonging of a woman who went missing half a year ago, I wonder..."

Zhang Kui chuckled and shook his head, accepting the hairpin,

"It's my duty, why act so awkwardly? But after such a long time, her soul has probably already scattered..."

Moon-taking Skill shows the location based on the Qi of the person, but if the soul has disappeared, nothing will be visible.

Indeed, inside the hall, the moonlight flowed like water, revealing nothing.

Luo Jizu's eyes showed some disappointment.

The previous serial disappearance case, the culprit was clearly someone else, but due to the passage of time, who knows who it was.

......

Returning to the Wang Family Castle, there was still no news from Wang Chaoxian. After casually eating, Zhang Kui returned to his room early to meditate and refine pills.

That night, the moon was dark, and the wind was high.

After instructing Fatty Tiger, Zhang Kui once again drove the Nether Soil Stone Coffin toward Yingshui City, intending to explore the Divine Void Temple by night.

However, just as he entered the city, he stopped, his eyes fixed upwards.

He suddenly saw gusts of cold wind on the streets, black mist rolling, the sound of horse hooves began continuously, a team of shadow soldiers faintly appeared, heading straight to the Divine Void Temple...

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