Chapter 104: Run!

White Snake Prefecture, Snake Tail County, on the street.

It was already night, and the market had long since closed, so the street was empty, with only Li Qi and Shen Shuibi on horseback, and the brocade-robed old man confronting them not far away.

Li Qi raised his head, his expression arrogant: “If you don’t have eyes, you deserve a beating.”

He seemed very confident.

Because he knew, this was how he should act now.

The old man’s eye twitched, then he silently put away his jade box, squeezed out a sinister smile, and said to Li Qi: “Young Master, acting like this in the Jianghu, it’s easy to run into trouble on the road.”

“I think, in Great Deer Kingdom, there are probably not many people who can cause me trouble.” Li Qi smiled, not afraid in the slightest.

“You’re only a Ninth-Rank, yet you dare to say such words?” The brocade-robed old man opened the jade box, and suddenly, a dozen ghosts surged out!

All of them were malevolent ghosts.

The multitude of ghosts gathered, their ugliness beyond description.

Some had their faces peeled and bones exposed, blood flowing endlessly.

Some had long tongues, hair like a basket, hanging down to cover their faces.

Some were like burnt corpses, crackling sounds incessant, oil flowing continuously from their bodies.

Some were three zhang tall, in green shirts and white trousers, with stiff, purple skin.

Some were covered in boils, pus flowing, sizzling.

Some had broken tendons and fractured bones, as if beaten to death with wooden sticks, only able to crawl on the ground.

As the ghosts appeared, tiny specks of light, like fireflies, appeared, instantly numbering in the tens of thousands, countless.

A dozen ghosts surrounded Li Qi, flying back and forth around him, alternately separating and converging, like a scene from purgatory.

Li Qi’s heart trembled at the sight, feeling cold all over, as if his blood was about to freeze.

This scene was not just horrifying; the pervasive aura of death and Yin Qi almost suffocated him.

Most of these malevolent ghosts were unranked, but among them, there were actually three at Ninth-Rank level!

They were a water ghost, a burnt ghost, and a bludgeoned ghost.

“Now, do you see, can this old man cause you trouble?” The brocade-robed old man smiled as he looked at Li Qi.

But Li Qi scoffed: “Is that all? Not enough!”

After speaking, he activated the Divine Qi of Shen Tu Yu Lei within his body.

In the vast sea, there is Mount Du Suo, upon which stands a great peach tree, its branches winding for three thousand li, and between its branches to the northeast is the Ghost Gate, where all ghosts enter and exit. Upon it stand two Divine Spirits, one named Shen Tu and the other Yu Lei, who preside over and inspect all ghosts. Malicious ghosts are bound with reed ropes and fed to tigers!

Therefore, in ancient times, sagely kings established rituals to expel them at certain times, hanging peach talismans on their doors, depicting Shen Tu and Yu Lei, and hanging reed ropes to ward off evil spirits, so that no ghosts could enter their homes!

Shen Tu Yu Lei are the gods who devour ghosts!

The Divine Qi of the two gods, in the eyes of the evil ghosts, was like a fortress cast in golden light. In an instant, all the malevolent ghosts circling around let out wails, moving back a full three zhang, not daring to approach.

The brocade-robed old man’s face immediately darkened.

But Li Qi also dared not act rashly.

Both sides fell into a strange standoff.

The brocade-robed old man was wary of Li Qi’s willow branch and the Divine Qi of Shen Tu Yu Lei, realizing that this ‘Young Master’ was not someone easy to deal with.

Logically, a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist would be quite afraid of ghosts, because they haven’t become strong enough to blast away ghosts and gods merely by relying on Yang Qi or things like ‘Fist Intent’ or ‘Sword Intent.’ Facing formless and ethereal ghosts, their ability to resist is not strong.

The brocade-robed old man was confident in facing Li Qi precisely for this reason.

After all, a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist facing three equally Ninth-Rank ghosts would basically have little ability to resist.

But he never expected that this ‘Young Master’ actually had the ability to restrain ghosts!

Is he not of the Martial Dao?

Or does he possess a Spiritual Artifact?

Was that seemingly ordinary willow branch able to strike ghosts only because of the Divine Qi of Shen Tu Yu Lei, or could it strike ghosts on its own?

And how did the Divine Qi of Shen Tu Yu Lei come about? Did he cultivate it himself, or did he have some treasure?

He didn’t know any of this, so he dared not act rashly.

And Li Qi was the same; as a Invoker, he was very clear about how formidable ghosts were. If ghost Qi accidentally pierced his body, it would result in his soul leaving his body and his spirit wandering, a certain death.

And although he seemed to have the Divine Qi of Shen Tu Yu Lei, his Invoker was unranked!

If he were a Ninth-Rank Invoker, he would definitely rush up and smash the opponent’s head immediately, but he was just an unranked Shaman. He wasn’t sure if he could truly rely on the Divine Qi of Shen Tu Yu Lei to stop these ghosts.

After all, there were three Ninth-Rank ghosts!

If they swarmed him, he was indeed a bit timid.

Both sides hesitated, so they remained in a stalemate for a while.

It was Shen Shuibi who observed for a few seconds, then leaned close to Li Qi’s face and whispered: “Spirit Shaman…”

Upon hearing this, Li Qi’s spirits lifted!

Then, he raised his head and said loudly: “I have heard that Shamanes contain Yang Qi, which is why many people from Yang lands become Shamanes. There are also Shamanes who associate with ghosts, thus Shamanes are Spirit Shaman. Spirit Shaman are like children’s rhymes, so a discerning Shaman can determine good and bad fortune. If good and bad fortune can be determined, then they are followers of good and bad fortune, hence the ominous sign of Shen Sheng appeared to a Shaman—”

After Li Qi finished speaking, the old man took up the conversation: “It is a type of Shaman, and thus the words of a true Shaman have no basis, their good and bad fortune come directly from their mouths, like the swaying of a child. The child’s rhyme speaks from its own mouth, and the Shaman’s words emerge from their own intentions…”

The two of them were like exchanging secret codes.

After they finished, both seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and bowed to each other.

The brocade-robed old man opened his jade box, and all the evil ghosts returned to it, being collected into the box.

And Li Qi also withdrew the Divine Qi of Shen Tu Yu Lei, returning to his normal state.

However, Li Qi still held the willow branch in his hand, and the old man also did not put down his jade box.

The old man spoke first, asking Li Qi: “You immediately revealed my origins. May I ask, Junior Brother, where do you hail from?”

And Li Qi smiled, uttering three words.

“Shaman God Mountain.”

The old man shivered, almost kneeling.

However, he was Ninth-Rank, while Li Qi was unranked, this difference allowed him to barely steady his knees.

“Junior… Junior Brother, speaking carelessly can lead to death. Impersonating a Shaman God Mountain disciple can be detected by the Grand Diviner, and you might be immediately executed.” The old man’s tone softened considerably.

“Then, I have spoken these words for four breaths. Has Senior Brother seen the Grand Diviner get angry?” Li Qi asked again.

The old man scrutinized him from head to toe.

Then he bowed deeply, his attitude respectful: “I was unaware of the arrival of a Shaman God Mountain disciple and failed to welcome you. Please forgive me, Junior Brother. Are you here on a mission?”

“I was entrusted by the Grand Invoker to find someone, and I was just passing by. I was preparing to leave, but then I discovered you had set up a ghost ambush, which led to this conflict,” Li Qi said.

“I dare not obstruct an envoy of the Grand Invoker. It was my rudeness; I hope you can forgive me. When Junior Brother visits Snake Tail County next time, I will certainly entertain you lavishly to fulfill my duties as a host!” The old man knelt on both knees, performing a grand bow of respectful farewell.

He was not bowing to Li Qi.

But to the identity of the Grand Invoker’s envoy!

Li Qi said nothing more, kicking the horse’s belly with his heel. The old horse immediately soared into the clouds and swiftly departed.

Only the old man remained, staring in astonishment at the flying horse, exclaiming: “A Dragon Steed!”

Then, he shook his head and muttered: “Truly… I’ve been given a new lease on life.”