Chapter 282
Chapter 282
The instant the Mojin Talisman was tossed high into the air, the Corpse Fiend let out a string of shrieks and charged toward it.
That reaction told me I’d been right to seize the Mojin Talisman.
Fang Chuanzong had said that the Descendant of the Gold-Touching Captains transferred in by the organization came from a family with experience commanding Ghost Soldiers.
The Mojin Talisman passed down through his family for generations was very likely a Ghost Soldier Talisman.
The organization would certainly have investigated the matter thoroughly and gathered enough evidence to confirm it.
It was just that this Descendant of the Gold-Touching Captains might have possessed plenty of theoretical knowledge, but when it came to an actual clash of arms, he was a little lacking.
Zhao Zixun, however, was different.
More than a century ago, he had accompanied Chen Ping across the country and fought in countless battles. Aside from the battle at Xiaoyingkou, he had been practically undefeated.
He was the greatest general under Chen Ping’s command. He could fight, and he knew exactly how to win!
More importantly, he had already fought the Corpse Fiend over a century ago.
In their first battle, the Corpse Fiend had caught him off guard, and Zhao Zixun had suffered a crushing defeat.
Zhao Zixun had won their second battle.
It was after that second battle that the gravely wounded Corpse Fiend needed spiritual power and Essence Spirit for Corpse-Nurturing. That was what eventually led to the incident with the miners.
That was why the Corpse Fiend reacted so violently the moment Zhao Zixun appeared.
When old enemies met again, their hatred burned fiercer than ever!
As the Mojin Talisman sailed into the air, the Corpse Fiend lunged for it. Zhao Zixun tightened his legs around his mount and pulled sharply on the reins. The warhorse neighed and reared, its forelegs pawing the air.
Seizing the opportunity, the Red Banner Child pushed off from the horse’s back with the tips of his toes and sprang upward. The Red Banner whipped through his hands as his childish voice echoed endlessly through the valley. “Five-Thunder Orthodox Method! Ghost Soldiers, come and obey! Wind, fire, and thunder resound! Aid me and grant me success…”
The Red Banner swept back and forth amid the thunderstorm, snapping fiercely in the wind.
In an instant, the entire Ghost Soldier Formation descended into chaos.
Some of the Ghost Soldiers charged toward the Red Banner, while others turned and fired in the opposite direction. Yin energy swirled throughout the mountain hollow as battle cries shook the heavens.
Amid the chaos, Zhao Zixun leaped together with his warhorse and flung himself backward through the air. Stretching out one long arm, he beat the Corpse Fiend by a split second and caught the Mojin Talisman firmly in his hand.
The instant Zhao Zixun dropped back toward the saddle, the Corpse Fiend thrust the two Golden Mace weapons in its hands straight at him.
Zhao Zixun clearly knew every one of the Corpse Fiend’s moves by heart. With his free hand, he simultaneously drew the saber at his waist. Holding the blade horizontally, he swept it upward from below, then pressed down as its edge scraped along the ridge of a Golden Mace.
Sparks erupted repeatedly between the weapons. Still inverted as he plunged downward, Zhao Zixun drove his saber all the way to the Golden Mace handles. Gritting his teeth, he shoved forward with all his might, sending the Corpse Fiend staggering backward uncontrollably.
Zhao Zixun, meanwhile, landed squarely back in the saddle.
The entire sequence had been swift and dashing, every move brimming with absolute confidence.
This was Zhao Zixun, the great general!
Only after witnessing that did a question occur to me… What had he been doing during all those times we’d faced him as enemies?
Compared to what he had shown today, his previous fighting prowess had been little more than child’s play.
Had the Coffin Nail between his brows been suppressing his strength before?
No. That wasn’t it.
Chen Ping had driven the Coffin Nail into him. The Coffin Nail controlled Zhao Zixun himself, not his abilities.
That left only one possibility: Zhao Zixun had never truly regarded us as enemies in the first place.
He had been holding back!
In the brief moment I stood there stunned, the situation on the battlefield changed beyond recognition.
The Ghost Soldier Formation, which had been united only moments ago, had now split into three factions.
Judging by their clothing and weapons, those who remained in place were all from the Tang Dynasty.
These Ghost Soldiers must have been the warriors who followed the Corpse Fiend back then. Some might even have been death-sworn soldiers.
Most of those summoned by the Red Banner Child through the Red Banner and his command were dressed in Republic of China-era uniforms. The vast majority of this group were likely soldiers who had died and remained on the Ancient Battlefield when Zhao Zixun suffered his defeat all those years ago.
The remaining Ghost Soldiers were a motley bunch. Some wore ancient garb, others modern clothing, and a few were even dressed in tattered prison uniforms…
After landing back on his warhorse, Zhao Zixun raised the Mojin Talisman he had just acquired high above his head. He squeezed the horse’s flanks again and spurred it toward that group of Ghost Soldiers, reins in hand.
The warhorse galloped through the curtain of rain. Gripping the Mojin Talisman, Zhao Zixun shouted, “Heaven is pure, earth is numinous! Let the troops move with the seal, and the generals act at my command…”
At the same time, Red Banner Child landed on the horse’s back and waved the Red Banner. “Five-Thunder Orthodox Method! Ghost Soldiers, heed my call…”
Their voices rose and fell in turn. Each invoked a different Ghost Soldier Commanding Formula to muster and deploy troops. Wherever they passed, the Ghost Soldiers who had been unable to decide which side to join all fell in behind us as one.
Some remained lost and wavering. Zhao Zixun swept his saber out, and the moment his blade fell, those Ghost Soldiers were utterly annihilated!
A great battle was about to begin. Anyone who could not be put to use would be executed on the spot!
That was military law!
“Fall back.”
Fang Chuanzong quietly warned us.
All of us retreated toward the foot of the mountain.
It wasn’t that we didn’t want to help Zhao Zixun. We simply couldn’t.
The Ghost Generals and Ghost Soldiers on both sides had already taken their places, and their battle formations were complete. The moment Red Banner Child waved his banner, this battle became the final showdown between the Corpse Fiend and Zhao Zixun!
This was a battle between Ghost Soldiers.
The scene seemed to take us back more than a century.
Tonight, amid this curtain of rain, the war that had never reached its conclusion would finally come to an end.
All we could do was wait until the battle neared its end, then seize our chance to act.
The members of the various sects sat cross-legged at the foot of the mountain, circulating their qi and forcing the poison from their bodies.
They needed to restore themselves to peak condition during this brief battle between Ghost Soldiers, in case they had to step in afterward.
Hui Yumo remained beside me, protecting me.
Once the Ghost Soldier Formation had taken shape, the Corpse Fiend and Zhao Zixun faced each other in a lengthy standoff. Then Zhao Zixun suddenly squeezed his horse’s flanks, raised his saber, and roared, “Kill!”
The instant the first wave of Ghost Soldiers charged, the Corpse Fiend violently shook its body. The festering boils covering it burst apart, spraying pus in every direction.
Any Ghost Soldiers splashed by the pus began belching black smoke. Like punctured, tattered cloaks rapidly deflating, their combat strength was instantly cut in half.
Before the second wave of Ghost Soldiers could charge, the Corpse Fiend prepared to use the same trick again.
Then came a sudden meow.
The Black Cat, which had been standing obediently on my shoulder, abruptly arched its back and sprang straight at the Corpse Fiend.
Before it even drew close, its tail whipped around. The sparks at the tip twisted into tongues of flame that shot toward the Corpse Fiend.
The Corpse Fiend was still a zombie.
And all zombies feared fire.
The Corpse Fiend was powerful enough that ordinary flames couldn’t hurt it, but the Black Cat came from the Buddhist Order. The sparks at the tip of its tail might have been small, but they were imbued with mystical power!
The Corpse Fiend dodged left and right, thrashing even more frantically and flinging out more pus.
But it was already too late.
The Black Cat had leaped onto Zhao Zixun’s shoulder. After meowing several times, countless scriptural characters appeared around it and formed a Scripture Barrier ahead, blocking the incoming pus.
Having failed, the Corpse Fiend began roaring wildly.
After all, the festering boils on its body were a product of its cultivation. Whether they were depleted or destroyed, the Corpse Fiend would suffer damage.
It might even suffer a backlash.
With another meow, the Black Cat lunged forward. The Scripture Barrier moved with it and slammed heavily into the Corpse Fiend.
The impact drove the Corpse Fiend back several steps in a row.
By then, Zhao Zixun had already seized the opportunity and charged with his saber…