bookbashuk Chapter 21 Zhang Lingqiao
Chapter 21 Zhang Lingqiao
Qingshi Town.
As a mortal town under the jurisdiction of the Zhang family, the once bustling atmosphere has been reduced to closed doors due to the recent disturbances caused by ghosts.
The tragedy in Xiaohe Village is imminent, and the villagers are terrified that they will be the next to be eaten.
"Master, the immortals are so powerful, how come they can't even deal with a little devil?"
"Is it because our hearts are not sincere enough, or should we offer some sacrifices to those ghosts and gods and ask them for our blessings?"
Inside a house in town, an ordinary couple was constantly talking about the recent ghost-eating incident.
The woman looked flustered and kept kowtowing before the shrine in her main room, praying for the safety of her whole family.
"Who knows? The hermit in town said he's already gone to invite other hermits, so it should be fine..."
"Besides, Xiaohe Village is so far away from us..."
Although the man wasn't as panicked as his wife, he wasn't entirely sure himself. He had personally witnessed the immortal staggering back to town, covered in blood.
"What if even the immortals they summoned couldn't defeat them?"
"We've even fought immortals; we mortals can only obediently wait to die..."
The man sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) sighing, while his youngest son peered curiously out the window. Upon noticing two streaks of light entering the town, he jumped up and shouted:
"It's an immortal! An immortal has come to save us!"
"An immortal?"
Upon hearing this, the man immediately stood up and looked out the window. Just as his son had said, he saw two figures falling from mid-air and landing steadily in the town.
His face immediately lit up with joy, and he shouted, "It's an immortal! The immortal has come! We're saved!"
He then grabbed his wife, grabbed his son, and rushed out the door, kneeling down and kowtowing repeatedly.
"Immortal, please save us!"
"Two immortals, please save us!"
Meanwhile, hearing the commotion, people in the surrounding houses opened their doors and led their families to kneel in front of their doors to join in the prayer.
Zhang Lingyu, who had just landed in Qing Shi Town, felt a pang of sadness upon seeing this scene. He sighed and called out:
"Rest assured, everyone, we have come here to slay the demons."
"Please wait inside and don't go out for the next few days."
"Thank you, immortal! Thank you, immortal!"
Upon hearing this, the ordinary people showed some joy on their faces and kept kowtowing.
"Let's go check on Lingqiao's injuries first."
Worried about Zhang Lingqiao's injuries, Zhang Xingfeng urged her on. Knowing the urgency of the situation, Zhang Lingyu quickly followed him into the town.
......
Fortunately, the commotion caused by the two men made Zhang Lingqiao realize that her family had sent reinforcements. She immediately went out to greet them and bowed upon seeing Zhang Xingfeng.
"Lingqiao greets Uncle Sixteen! I didn't expect you to send Uncle Sixteen."
"This must be... Lingyu?"
As Zhang Lingyu's cultivation level continued to improve, his personal temperament also rose. After not seeing him for several years, the woman almost didn't recognize him.
What shocked her even more was that her cousin had already caught up with her in terms of cultivation.
"Lingyu greets Sister Qiao'er."
Zhang Lingyu looked at her cousin, whose face was still somewhat pale, and stepped forward to ask her with concern:
"My sister's injuries haven't healed yet, how can she move around so easily?"
Zhang Lingqiao concealed her surprise and shook her head, saying:
"It's alright, the injuries aren't too serious. I've recovered a lot after taking the medicine. Right now, the matter of that ghost is the most important thing."
"Okay, let's go inside and talk."
Zhang Xingfeng understood the importance of the matter and nodded. Then Zhang Lingyu helped the woman into the house.
"The fact that Uncle Sixteen and Brother Nineteen were able to come to help must mean that there aren't many people available at home."
Zhang Lingqiao understood the family's current situation. Biyue Town was also an important place for the family, and the fact that they could send two people here meant they were under tremendous pressure. She simply said in a low voice:
"I am not clever enough, and I have troubled the family."
"What are you saying, sister? Ghosts are cunning by nature, who knew there was another one? It's already a miracle that you're alive."
Zhang Lingyu offered a word of comfort, and the woman's complexion improved considerably. She then continued:
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. With Uncle Sixteen here, getting sentimental in vain will only make us a laughingstock. Right now, dealing with those two ghosts is the most important thing."
"Speak."
The uncle and nephew looked tense, and Zhang Lingqiao said:
"I usually stay in town to oversee things. In the past month, my subordinates have been reporting from time to time that ordinary people have gone missing in Xiaohe Village. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time and only sent a dozen or so people to investigate."
"We initially thought it was caused by wild animals in the mountains, but none of the people we sent out returned. After waiting for several days, one of them finally escaped."
"He said that the villagers would unconsciously walk towards a cave in the middle of the night, and even breaking their legs wouldn't stop them. Just when they wanted to go back and report, the others in the group also lost their minds and walked towards the cave."
"I initially thought he had escaped by sheer luck, but now it seems he was deliberately allowed to return and deliver the message so that more people would be sent to their deaths."
Xiaohe Village has a small population, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, with almost no other houses nearby.
The ghost was clever; it knew that if it went too far, it would be discovered by cultivators, so it would be better to lure people here so it could have a good feast.
At this point, the woman paused for a moment, then continued:
"When I found out, I rushed there immediately. The cave was located in the back mountain of the village. It reeked of a foul stench and was littered with bones. When I went deeper into the cave, I saw a ghost eating."
"That ghost was as strong as me, but it was still a threat. I fought it and was about to kill it when another one suddenly appeared. That's why I was no match for it and was seriously injured."
The massacre of Xiaohe Village has left the people of Qingshi Town in a state of panic, and Zhang Lingqiao is also feeling uneasy.
Zhang Lingyu's heart sank upon hearing this. The ghosts had a long history and could only be born in places with abundant Yin energy. If they were not eliminated as soon as possible, the two ghosts would eventually take advantage of the Yin energy within them to advance further.
Zhang Xingfeng, who was standing to the side, seemed to be deep in thought and asked:
"How badly were those fifth-level Qi-refining ghosts injured?"
"I have severely injured him, but with the help of those mortal corpses, he will recover sooner or later."
"good!"
Upon hearing this, the man immediately made a decision:
"In that case, let's set off this afternoon and explore the cave tomorrow at noon!"
Ghosts won't come out during the day until they've gained enough power, and they're also difficult to deal with at night when the yin energy is strong. We should go over there now to rest and prepare before we do anything else!
After listening, Zhang Lingqiao took a deep breath and said, "I'll go too!"
"No!"
The suggestion was immediately rejected by the other party.
The reason is simple: her injuries haven't fully healed yet, and if she goes, she won't be of much help. In fact, if something happens later, it will take two people to rescue her.
Zhang Lingqiao knew that the two were worried about her, and not wanting to be a burden to them, she bowed and said:
"In that case, I'll leave it to Uncle Sixteen and Brother Nineteen!"
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