Chapter 105: Thunder Crossing the Five Ghosts

"Face the wrath of heaven, you filthy creatures!"

Ling Chi’s figure lunged into mid-air, lightning flickering in his eyes and coiling around his body.

"Heng! Ha!"

The Heng-Ha breath, capable of shattering souls and annihilating spirits, transformed into small dragons of thunderous mist. As the twin shockwaves exploded, the very soil atop the cave roof was shaken loose. The four ghosts staggered, struck by sudden dizziness. The two smaller ghouls were knocked off the shoulders of the two larger ones, crashing to the ground. They clutched their heads and shrieked, the red glow in their eyes intensifying as they curled into a corner, waiting for a chance to ambush him. The wraith-ghost rolled within Ling Chi’s shadow, clearly suffering heavy damage.

"Eight Extremities Stamping Step!"

Wrapped in thunder, his right leg arched high.

"Boom!"

With a single stomp, the earth shook and the mountains swayed. Two hundred wisps of thunderous spiritual energy flooded back into him instantly; the wraith-ghost was crushed into the earth by Ling Chi’s kick before it could even manifest.

The tide of battle turned in an instant. The two ghouls had not yet realized what had happened before they were sent reeling. Just as they regained their footing, Ling Chi’s blade arrived. Raising his zanbato high, the light of the blade encased in thunder, he swept it upward in a diagonal slash between the legs of the ten-foot-tall ghouls.

Ignoring their agonizing wails, the cage of thunder surrounding the cave began to shrink. Ling Chi’s strikes grew increasingly dense, each blow carving deep, bone-exposed gashes that sprayed plumes of greenish ghost blood everywhere. Struck hundreds of times, the two ghouls were trapped, and as they collapsed to the ground, they were scorched black by the surging plasma.

The two smaller ghouls, relying on their diminutive stature, extended their long hair in an attempt to entangle Ling Chi’s legs. But before their hair could even reach him, it was doused by the thunderous plasma, sending them rolling on the ground in agony. The momentum of the blade did not cease, chasing the ghouls as they scrambled for cover. Their eyes glowed red, attempting to cast illusions to confuse Ling Chi, but his mind was as firm as iron; the tricks of such lowly ghosts were beneath his notice.

He whirled his zanbato, unleashing dozens of strikes in a heartbeat. The two small ghouls were carved into over a dozen pieces, scattering across the floor.

Four hundred wisps of thunderous spiritual energy flowed back into him. Ling Chi swung his long blade, beginning to dismember the two larger ghouls; severely wounded, they could only submit to the slaughter, unable to resist. Another four hundred wisps of energy returned. These five ghosts, all at the fourth level of the Qi Sea Realm, had provided him with a full thousand wisps of thunderous spiritual energy.

Ling Chi looked at the six remaining teleportation talismans in his hand, grinning from ear to ear. After clearing the battlefield, he used the power of extreme yang to burn the thunder-scorched cave until not a trace remained.

Ling Chi felt a surge of excitement, and not because of the talismans in his hand. It was the knowledge of the realm beyond the Spirit Pearl, for that was the world where he belonged—the world of the truly strong.

He was in no hurry to leave. News of the destruction of the Ghost Sect’s stronghold in Yu County would certainly spread, and others from the sect would surely come to investigate. The Jing’an Bureau of Sheng Prefecture would undoubtedly send men as well. Whether it was the Ghost Sect or the Jing’an Bureau, as long as they were marked by his Thunder Pearl, Ling Chi had no intention of letting them go, provided he could win the fight. If a powerhouse of the Spirit Pearl Realm arrived, however, Ling Chi would turn around and flee without a second thought.

Employing the Concealment Art, he found a place to meditate. In the dead of night, the mountain forest was filled only with the faint chirping of insects. Having lived with slaughter and death for so long, Ling Chi’s heart was as cold as iron; loneliness and solitude held no sway over him. He was either in the midst of hard cultivation, killing, or on his way to kill.

A gentle breeze blew, and the faint sound of hooves arrived. He opened his eyes abruptly. Someone had come, and not just one person—an entire squad of his colleagues from the Jing’an Bureau. Those who could arrive this quickly must be from the county guards, and among them were acquaintances from the Yu County Jing’an Bureau whom Ling Chi had knocked unconscious the night before. The other two counties had already been nearly purged by Ling Chi, leaving only a few stragglers, barely enough to maintain basic order.

The man in the embroidered uniform leading the group had a face as grim as water, and his sturdy white horse was drenched in sweat, suggesting they had ridden here in one breath.

"Captain Che, the Huwei Manor is just ahead." The surviving lieutenant from Yu County pointed toward the white-clad man from the saddle. The man on the white horse was none other than Silver Badge Captain Che of the Sheng Prefecture Jing’an Bureau.

"Tell me what happened again," Captain Che said gravely, his hand resting on the sword at his waist.

"Yes, sir. My subordinate was on duty at the office last night when a sudden breeze blew, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was already here at Huwei Manor with several other colleagues." The lieutenant touched the linen bandage wrapped around his head, answering with lingering fear. Compared to his colleagues whose corpses were left in pieces, he was fortunate.

"You mean you saw nothing and passed out, and then this 'Song Jiang' didn't kill you, but brought you here instead?" Captain Che’s tiger-like eyes widened, nearly scaring the lieutenant off his horse.

"I swear by the Captain’s judgment, every word I say is true, and my colleagues can testify to it," the lieutenant replied tremulously.

"Hmph, I shall believe you for now. Let us go in and see."

Captain Che had already secretly arranged for his subordinates to interrogate everyone who had appeared at Huwei Manor that morning, even the aunties, and they had all given the same account. *The Skull-Crushing Demon King Song Jiang actually collided with the Ghost Sect,* he thought, a headache forming.

The manor remained as it had been. The squad was stunned into speechlessness by the tragic scene before them: mountains of skulls, a cauldron filled with a paste of human flesh and blood, and the shredded remains of ghost slaves splattered everywhere.

"Ugh... Puke..." Sounds of retching continued, and even Captain Che’s face turned pale. Such a grave case had occurred under his jurisdiction. Last time, when the Ghost Sect committed a major atrocity in Teng Town, he had been severely reprimanded by Sun Xuan, the Gold Badge Commander of the Northwest Circuit Jing’an Bureau. Now, this had happened. *Damn the Ghost Sect, and damn this Song Jiang.* From Captain Che’s perspective, neither side was righteous.

"Are you done vomiting? If you are, get up and burn this wretched place to the ground, you bunch of useless trash!" Captain Che vented his anger on his subordinates. "Move! Back to Yu County first, then we head to Zhu County."

Watching the fires rise, the roaring flames illuminating the faces of his men—some bright, some shadowed—Captain Che stood in the darkness, lost in thought.

Ling Chi watched from the shadows as the group gradually moved away. It was not yet time. His target for the night was the envoy of the Ghost Sect. If they crossed paths, even if it were Qi Haichuan, he would not flinch; he would simply let go of all restraint and fight to the death.

He continued to lurk in the darkness, accompanied only by the vast canopy of stars. As dawn approached, no one else had arrived. The Jing’an Bureau’s fire had burned for hours, reducing the manor to a barren wasteland that still billowed thick black smoke.

Ling Chi sighed. It seemed there was no hope for tonight. Just as he was about to rise and leave, he sensed someone entering the range of his spiritual perception. He quickly concealed his presence, pushing the Concealment Art to its limit.

Two dark shadows streaked in from a distance. Ling Chi exhaled in relief—as long as they couldn't fly, as long as they were only in the Qi Sea Realm, they were beatable. One was at the late stage of the Qi Sea Realm, his cultivation not immediately obvious without a fight, while the other was at the third level. Ling Chi guessed the former was likely the Ghost Sect’s incense master, Qi Haichuan.

They were too far away for the Thunder Pearl to react. The two figures lingered for a moment, seemingly unable to find what they were looking for. The late-stage Qi Sea expert suddenly slapped the one at the third level, sending the latter flying three or four yards. The man quickly scrambled to his knees, begging for mercy. Qi Haichuan showed no intention of killing him; instead, he reached for an ancient-looking bag hanging at his waist, and a black candle appeared in his hand.