Chapter 51: The Ghost King

"Why is the Daoist in such a hurry? Surely a mere Maoshan priest who doesn't know his place is not worth your concern. You have even ventured into the Underworld and returned; why fear such a trifle?" The scholar had clearly noticed the disturbance in the distance and understood that Liao Chen had not come with good intentions. Humans and ghosts walk different paths; their current politeness was merely a facade for mutual probing. He sought to stall for time, waiting for his mistress, the Mother of Nine-Child Ghosts, to arrive.

"If I wish to leave, do you intend to hold me here?" Liao Chen chuckled, glancing at the scholar. With the Mother of Nine-Child Ghosts absent, these few ghost kings were of no consequence to him.

"If the Daoist wishes to leave, we naturally cannot stop you. However, our mistress has commanded that we must detain you until she arrives to receive you personally." As the scholar spoke, his appearance shifted dramatically. He no longer resembled a refined young man; his face turned a ghastly cyan, his eyes burned blood-red, and the folding fan in his hand transformed into a mourning staff, which he swung toward Liao Chen’s head.

"Very well, let us see what skills you possess." Liao Chen did not hesitate. His peach-wood sword hummed from within his Qiankun bag, appearing instantly before them. Primal Yang purple lightning crackled along the blade, the sound of the thunder-tribulation shaking the soul. As the sword and staff collided, countless bolts of purple lightning leaped onto the mourning staff. Yin and Yang energies clashed violently, and with a thunderous roar, a cloud of black smoke erupted—the mourning staff shattered into pieces. Having struck true, Liao Chen retracted his sword with a smile, grabbed Yun Hua, and leaped into the air.

Below, in the ghost market, countless wandering spirits looked up in terror. Seeing the Daoist master and his disciple, they realized something was amiss. The market dissolved into chaos, with spirits wailing and screaming as some fled and others tried to profit from the confusion. The three ghost kings were livid. The scholar, clutching his broken staff, looked as if he might breathe fire, but he dared not act, wary of the sword in Liao Chen’s hand.

"Nine Heavens Yingyuan Thunder God Puhua Heavenly Venerable, descend!" To break dark evil, lightning is supreme. Liao Chen tossed a purple thunder talisman and cast a seal. As his voice fell, lightning descended from the heavens. Amidst the deafening thunder and flickering electricity, the pavilion that housed the ghost shrine was reduced to nothingness. The three ghost kings were skilled enough to escape physical harm, but they had lost all face.

High above, Liao Chen and Yun Hua stood opposite the three ghost kings. The Cyan-Faced Ghost King roared and drew a three-foot bronze axe, while the female ghost produced a yellow rope, thick with black mist and stained with blood. It was clearly the noose she had used in life, though the stains suggested many lives had been taken since. The scholar, his staff destroyed, unfurled a banner. Liao Chen’s expression darkened instantly. The banner roiled with black mist, and the wails of countless tortured souls echoed from within—a demonic treasure. How many innocent souls had been trapped here? Once inside, they would lose their minds within half a day, becoming mindless husks driven only to kill and consume, suffering eternal torment and fueling the banner's malice.

Liao Chen’s profound cultivation allowed him to withstand the mental assault, but Yun Hua turned pale, and the fox tucked its tail, trembling uncontrollably. Liao Chen quickly tapped two calming talismans onto them, infused with his own power. "Protect yourselves," he whispered, then lunged forward. Purple lightning crackled on his sword, and before the blade even struck, a net of purple electricity enveloped the scholar. The scholar shook his banner, unleashing a torrent of black mist and wailing spirits to intercept the net. The clash of pure Yang lightning and extreme Yin evil caused sparks to fly; the spirits were scorched into wisps of smoke, their screams cut short as they vanished.

Though he expected this, Liao Chen muttered, "Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable," and added the scholar to his list of those who must be purged. To refine souls in such a manner was an affront to heaven. Liao Chen focused on the scholar, while the Cyan-Faced Ghost King charged with his blood-stained axe. The red-clothed female ghost, more cunning, targeted the weaker Yun Hua. However, protected by the copper coins, Yun Hua was no longer vulnerable. Golden light flared, and she ignored the female ghost’s attacks, firing off golden coins and talismans in a barrage. Together with the fox, which occasionally spat fireballs, they held their own.

Liao Chen, fearing the arrival of the Mother of Nine-Child Ghosts, held nothing back. His sword moved like lightning, rapidly thinning the black mist of the scholar’s banner. Meanwhile, Yun Lingzi, the fox, hid in the shadows, waiting for an opening. Soon, Liao Chen feinted at the scholar and struck at the Cyan-Faced Ghost King, simultaneously unleashing a bolt of purple lightning. The ghost king dodged the sword but was struck by the lightning, his head shattered, and he tumbled from the sky. Yun Lingzi pounced, casting a massive orb of Yin fire that used the ghost king's own energy as fuel, incinerating him in seconds.

With the Cyan-Faced Ghost King gone, Yun Lingzi joined the fray. The female ghost began to falter. Just as Liao Chen was about to strike down the scholar, a surge of overwhelming Yin energy erupted from the ground, turning the world pitch-black.

"A Nether Barrier?" Liao Chen sensed the danger. He flung several talismans to force the scholar back, then grabbed Yun Hua and Yun Lingzi. "Go!" The Mother of Nine-Child Ghosts had arrived; staying meant certain death.

"Hehehehe..." A woman’s laughter echoed from all directions. Liao Chen’s face grew grim. Channeling his remaining power into his sword, he prepared to strike at the barrier and force a path out.