Just as I frowned, a flute melody suddenly began to play softly, accompanied by a series of sobbing cries, one after another, some near, some far, some to the left, some to the right, and some even seemed to be right beside me. The cries were shrill and piercing, drifting and ethereal.
Hearing such an extremely eerie sound in the deep of night, even the well-trained cavalry were horrified.
An invisible panic began to spread. The Hundred Demons' move was both ingenious and ruthless—they seized the initiative, instilling fear in the enemy, making the subsequent battle much easier.
I turned to look at Gong Feicui. She stood there with her lips tightly pressed together, not saying a word, only her eyes flickered. It wasn't fear, but anger.
What was she angry about? Was she angry that she had traveled all night and ended up falling into the trap of the Hundred Ghosts, or was she angry that her power had weakened since she left Xiao Zuo?
Hua Ye smiled and said, "Now that the curtain has fallen, the souls should listen: all the ghosts weep, the lamps are lit and the flutes play—Miss Gong, this is our most solemn ceremony, I hope you will like it."
As soon as she finished speaking, the bamboo on both sides snapped and fell backward. In an instant, the sounds of cracking, horses neighing, and some of the cavalrymen's exclamations of surprise mingled together, and the situation became chaotic. But the flute music remained clear and melodious, surpassing all the other sounds.
A hint of panic finally appeared in Gong Feicui's eyes—
Suddenly, the entire bamboo forest collapsed in front of you, then was dragged away by something. In an instant, the narrow path became very empty, and the moonlight poured down, illuminating the place in a pale white light...
This situation is unimaginable unless you see it with your own eyes!
Hua Ye and the stunningly handsome man exchanged a glance, their smiles growing even more smug. They both took a few steps back, curtsied, and respectfully said, "Jue Ye, the 'lustful ghost' and Hua Ye, the 'female ghost' of the mountain's den of ghosts, respectfully welcome the Ghost King."
At the end of the road, several eerie green lights appeared. The iron cavalry converged, surrounding Gong Feicui and me, assuming a defensive posture. But the darkness was boundless, and countless ghosts had appeared. We only had about thirty people on our side. The disparity in strength was too great, and the outcome was already predictable.
I looked at Gong Feicui. Her composure at this moment filled me with a sense of admiration. It seemed that although this trip had only lasted a few days, she was no longer the naive young lady she once was.
As the green light intensified, an enormous sedan chair came into view, with a dense crowd of bearers below, numbering as many as twenty.
The sedan chair curtains hung low, and the layers of curtains obscured who was sitting inside. However, a person sat on the top of the sedan chair, their body submerged in shadow, with only the silver flute in their hand shining brightly like a star.
Jin Zhaoyu and Cui Qi exclaimed in surprise, "Young Miss, that's not..."
The person sitting on the top of the sedan chair playing the flute was none other than Ziyu, the boy I had met once before on the Yellow River.
Gong Feicui gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, very well. I never expected that the grandson of the former Vice Minister of Rites, Lord Shi, would also be one of the hundred ghosts!"
"I am a 'little devil' under the Ghost King's command. That old scoundrel Shi wants to be my grandfather? Maybe in the next life!" the little devil said, putting down his flute. The wind howled, and the firelight flickered. He smiled, and his originally delicate face suddenly looked ten years older.
Gong Feicui coldly sized him up for a long time before saying, "It is said that there are people in the world whose bodies remain like those of a child. I suppose you are one of them."
The little devil chuckled again: "What's wrong with being a child like Yongru? Otherwise, why would the Ghost King have arranged for me to infiltrate Shi Yan's side and replace his grandson?"
Gong Feicui exclaimed in surprise, "So, the real Ziyu is already..."
"That child was already seriously ill; I was just sending him to the Western Paradise sooner!" the little devil said slyly. "Blame Shi Yan! Why did he have to return home on the same day as you were crossing the river? But this gave me a chance to make a name for myself... That idiot Du Sanniang, I knew she wouldn't succeed. If it weren't for my help, she would probably have died on the Yellow River long ago!"
"Who's gossiping behind my back? Aren't they afraid of going to hell for having their tongues pulled out?" With a charming voice, a person rode up on horseback, their clothes even redder than the flames on the torch.
Gong Feicui sneered, "Du Sanniang, you're here too. State your name. And what kind of ghost are you? A water ghost?"
Unexpectedly, Du Sanniang shook her head and said, "Miss Gong, you're too late to guess this time. If it were two years ago, I could be considered a water ghost among a den of ghosts in the mountains, but now... I am the wife of Lei Li, the third master of the Thunderbolt Hall."
"The Thunderbolt Hall has indeed colluded with a den of scoundrels. Baili Chenfeng is dead, so instead of helping Xiao Zuo ascend to the position of City Lord of Baili, why are you chasing after me?"
Du Sanniang chuckled softly, "Miss Gong, that's a cute question. The person we're after is naturally you. As for who holds the position of City Lord of Baili City, what does that have to do with us?"
Gong Feicui paused, and before she could speak, Du Sanniang said again, "Miss Gong, do you still not know why we have come? We..." Before she could finish speaking, a voice suddenly came from inside the sedan curtain: "Enough."
It was a very pleasant male voice, gentle after the fading of prosperity, mixed with a clear and melodious sense of vicissitude, and then tinged with a warm indifference, piecing together those two words—enough.
Du Sanniang immediately shut her mouth and retreated behind the sedan chair.
“Miss Gong—” the voice from inside the sedan chair sounded again, “Boiling cranes and burning zithers and killing beauties are both extremely unpleasant things, so you should end it yourself.”
Gong Feicui was shocked, seemingly terrified, panicked, and incredulous—how could there be such an arrogant person in the world!
But if that person is the Ghost King, these words are like a death knell, impossible to resist.
Gong Feicui remained silent for a long time, then suddenly burst into three loud laughs, saying each word clearly: "You—are—dreaming!"
The Ghost King wasn't angry; his voice remained gentle: "Why don't you turn around and look?"
"What are you looking at?" As soon as she said that, the iron cavalry around us suddenly fell down one by one!
Gong Feicui stared at me in shock. I hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward to examine their pupils, turned around, and shook my head.
All thirty-five people died without any prior warning.
Only Jin Zhaoyu Cui, her, and I remained. How could we possibly fight against the hundred ghosts?
Gong Feicui stood there, her face ashen, her whole body trembling. She murmured softly, "Am I, Gong Feicui, really going to die here?"
Hua Ye suddenly brightened her eyes and said, "The Ghost King doesn't like to fight, so why don't you let me do it? In my life, the thing I can't stand the most is beautiful women. Husband, go and destroy her."
Jue Ye immediately said, "How dare I disobey the lady's command?" Without any visible movement, he instantly appeared before her. Gong Fei Cui immediately waved her sleeve, clearly showing her extreme hatred for him, and immediately unleashed the Heavenly Fragrance Finger.
Jue Ye's eyes lit up. "What beautiful martial arts!" He spun around, deftly dodging the attack, and muttered rudely, "Tsk tsk tsk, such a beautiful woman, such beautiful martial arts, I really feel a little reluctant to part with her..."
His long robes folded up, creating countless shadows. For a moment, the sky seemed to be filled with his figure. Gong Feicui was caught off guard and her right hand was grabbed by him. But she reacted quickly and immediately kicked him in the face with her right foot, taking advantage of his distraction to pull her hand back.
Jueye sighed dramatically, "What a pity, what a pity, such smooth skin..."
Gong Feicui had been pampered since childhood; no one had ever dared to treat her so disrespectfully. Her eyes reddened, and she waved her hand, ready to step forward again, but Jin Zhaoyu Cui jumped out first and said, "Miss, let me deal with him."
The two longswords intertwined, creating a dazzling display of light, and slashed towards Jue Ye.
Gong Feicui gritted her teeth and said, "No, I'll do it myself!"
She crept up behind Jue Ye and reached out to snatch his lantern. Jue Ye was startled and quickly spun around to avoid it. Gong Feicui changed her move midway and took a few steps to the left. Her green dress immediately rippled like water, and in the ripples, a white line flashed.