Chapter 658: I Have Talented People in Our Great Zhen Too

This was also a temporary camp, with only a few small tents set up. Most of the soldiers had slept in their clothes. Judging by their appearance, they must have died in their sleep, for these were brave, battle-hardened soldiers. Even with rough military martial arts training, it was impossible for them to have lacked the strength to fight.

Although Zuo Wuji was still quite young, he had always possessed a strong character. In recent years, he had undergone intense training, becoming even more experienced than some seasoned martial artists. Therefore, he showed no change in expression as he walked among the scattered bodies, examining them.

Soon after, Wang Ke and the others gathered together again.

"No survivors, all dead." "Same here."

"All their left ears were cut off."

The martial artists' expressions were grim. Even though they had already killed the more than twenty people who had come to take their lives earlier, their anger remained unabated.

"Alas! These were all brave soldiers of Da Zhen. They didn't die on the battlefield, but fell to such vile sneak attacks using evil arts!"

"Those Zuyue scoundrels are truly despicable!"

Wang Ke looked at the surrounding night. Tonight, thin clouds obscured the sky. While there was some starlight, visibility on the ground was still poor.

"Everyone, we must still be careful," Wang Ke cautioned. "Although we have killed those scoundrels, the person who performed the evil art might not have been among those we killed. There might still be danger."

No sooner had Wang Ke finished speaking than he suddenly felt the seal in his embrace gradually heating up. He had encountered this situation many times before; it indicated the approach of an evil entity.

"Everyone, an evil entity is approaching! Hide!"

Startled, the thirty to forty individuals quickly sought cover nearby. Some entered the camp tents, some hid beneath the dead bodies, others leaped into the crowns of nearby trees, or lay flat in the nearby tall grass and hollows. Each one suppressed their breathing and heartbeat.

"Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…"

A gust of strong wind swept through, sending sand and pebbles flying across the ground. Some of those in hiding looked up to glance around, but the swirling sand blinded their eyes, making it impossible to open them. A bone-chilling coldness gradually arrived with the wind, chilling not only their bodies but also their hearts.

Everyone was both alert and tense, knowing that the truly sinister presence might be arriving. The weapons they held, which had previously been stamped with the "Prison" seal, began to emit a faint warmth. The resulting warmth flowed from their arms into their bodies, bringing a subtle yet incredibly confidence-boosting and spirit-lifting warmth.

There was no sound of footsteps, nor of horses' hooves, not even the rustle of clothes being blown by the gale. Yet, voices clearly reached everyone's ears.

"We thought that whoever could stop the Sleep Wind and kill those assassins must be a powerful individual from Da Zhen. Who would have thought it's just a group of mortals?"

"Indeed, what a disappointment. All day long, it's either killing soldiers, or martial artists, or just ordinary folk. We thought today we'd get to contend with a true master from Da Zhen, but it turns out they're still just ants!"

As these voices carried to them, everyone's heart tightened. They knew they had been exposed, but at that moment, the fierce wind obscured their vision, and with it being night, it was difficult to clearly see where the enemies were.

"Ahhh… ahhh… ahhh…"

A martial artist hiding in a nearby hollow was lifted into the air by the wind, screaming in terror. He frantically swung his long blade in the air, but it was utterly futile.

"Splish… splash…"

Blood burst open in the air. Carried by the erratic strong winds, it scattered all around. Wang Ke and many others had blood spattered on their faces and bodies.

"Ah… let me down, let me down…" "Divine Constable Wang, save me…"

Another person was swept up from the tall grass, and then blood sprayed all around.

Zuo Wuji lay beside Wang Ke. In his heart, there was both fear and even greater anger. His hands gripped tightly onto the weeds beside him and his flat staff, and veins bulged on his body.

Wang Ke pressed down firmly on Zuo Wuji. He knew the enemy was not close by; rushing out now would not allow them to attack them. They could only gamble that the enemy, out of contempt, would carelessly approach them.

"You demons, I'll fight you to the death!" "Die, demons!"

"Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang!"

Three martial artists hiding in the trees leaped down together. They drew their weapons and charged towards a spot in the swirling sand. They wildly swung their weapons at the shadows, but found nothing to strike. Instead, a tearing sensation swept through their bodies, and they lost consciousness before they could even cry out in pain.

'These are not opponents on our level; we will die!'

This was the feeling in everyone's hearts; even Wang Ke had a similar thought. The opponents were no longer mere itinerant sorcerers who knew a bit of magic, nor even ordinary evil spirits or ghosts. These were true cultivators.

The seal in his embrace grew hotter and hotter. This heat did not harm Wang Ke; it only brought a warmth throughout his body, allowing his vision to gradually clear. Approximately a hundred paces away, four "figures" in the strong wind were slowly approaching, step by step. They lifted the martial artists into the sky one by one and then shredded them with the wind, seemingly just enjoying the struggles of the martial artists before their deaths.

'Closer, come closer!'

"Hahahahaha, these martial artists have no talismans on them, so killing them is truly easy. It's a pity about their formidable aura; it could have kept us busy for a while."

"Stop playing, let's finish this quickly. Grab a few live ones and take them back for a snack."

The figures walked and chatted, now within thirty paces. At this distance, they had already located all the hidden martial artists, and it was also the distance Wang Ke had anticipated.

"Everyone, attack! Kill!"

Wang Ke roared, suddenly launching his attack. His long blade flashed from its sheath, and his movement style took him directly towards the four figures. The thirty-pace distance was covered in just a breath's time with his footwork.

The other martial artists and Zuo Wuji also leaped up, charging at the four demonic figures from three directions.

But the four figures showed no panic whatsoever. In their eyes, these Da Zhen martial artists were merely fish on a chopping block.

"Heh heh, in such a hurry to die, we still wanted to play around for a bit."

As he spoke, one of them waved a hand, unleashing a fierce wind towards Wang Ke. The seal in Wang Ke's embrace lit up, and a white light also flashed across his blade.

"Die!"

With a flash of his blade, Wang Ke was already in front of the four figures. To the astonished gaze of the two nearby figures, his long blade sliced across the necks of two of them.

A double kill with one strike.

"Thud!" "Thud!"

Two heads, accompanied by gushing blood, flew into the air. But Wang Ke's blade did not stop; as he made that strike, he had already shifted his blade technique to cut down the third person. However, the other two, though startled, reacted quickly. They instantly rose into the wind, soaring ten zhang high, and swiftly moved away from Wang Ke.

Wang Ke's changed blade technique struck empty air. The other martial artists were a step too slow and couldn't land any attacks. They could only throw steel darts and other hidden weapons into the air, but due to the fierce wind, these had little effect. They merely caused the two figures some momentary disarray, ripping a few sleeves, and hitting their arms and lower legs with muffled groans.

"We didn't expect a true master to be lying in ambush!" "What's with this martial artist? Why can he break through the Black Wind barrier?"

The two black-robed men in the sky looked at Wang Ke with shock and uncertainty. They pulled out the hidden weapons from their hands and feet and cast spells to stop their bleeding.

"These martial artists are not simple; we shouldn't stay here long!"

"I was thinking the same thing. Let's head back for now and leave them their dog lives!"

The two figures in the fierce wind were extremely decisive. Without another word, they simply waved their sleeves and turned, riding the wind, somewhat unsteadily, heading north.

"Hahahahaha, those demons are hilarious! With two heads lying here, they still dare to talk big?"

"Hahahahaha…" "They ran away pissing their pants, and still dare to talk tough, hahahahaha…"

"Mere rats, hahahaha…"

The martial artists chased them on the ground and wildly mocked them from afar. But with the strong wind hindering them, they couldn't catch up to the enemy, and gradually, their pursuit slowed.

"Everyone, stop! Let's not chase them anymore…"

Their exhilaration gradually cooled, and all the martial artists stopped. Although the fierce wind around them had diminished considerably, it was still very strong. While they had won, everyone felt a sense of relief at having escaped a great danger.

"Divine Constable Wang, thanks to you, we saved our lives!" "Indeed, we didn't expect these demons to be so rampant, penetrating deep into Da Zhen's rear to kill people!"

"It seemed they wanted to eat people just now? Are they monsters then?"

Wang Ke steadied his breathing; the few moves he had just executed had consumed a considerable amount of physical and mental energy. He replied with a cold laugh.

"Not necessarily monsters; sometimes, people from the evil path are even more terrifying! Whew… whew… Wuji, are you alright?"

"Second Master, don't worry, I'm fine! It's just a shame I couldn't hit those demons!"

Zuo Wuji's exhilaration had not yet subsided. His right hand was still tightly gripping his flat staff. Just as he spoke, everyone felt the wind around them rapidly diminishing, and faint singing drifted from the distance behind them.

"Flowers fluttering in Spring City… snakes and insects chasing all around…"

"Fear not the coming evil… my Dao manifests divine power…"

The song was distant and catchy. At first, it sounded far away, but soon it was close by, and the voice became extremely resonant.

Wang Ke's heart tightened. He instinctively touched the seal on his chest, and finding it warm but not hot, he immediately felt relieved. He looked at all the tense martial artists and said,

"The person approaching must be a righteous master from our side!"

No sooner had Wang Ke finished speaking than a Taoist priest approached from the distance. In a moment, he was close by. He was clad in a Taoist robe, carried a sword on his back, and held a bamboo fish drum in his hand. His immortal-like demeanor clearly marked him as a master.

Passing by the martial artists, the Taoist priest stopped and made a respectful bow. His gaze fell upon Wang Ke.

"I am the humble Taoist Qingsong, here to assist," he said. "Noble heroes, if you don't mind, please accept this talisman. It offers protection from the stars at night and accompanies you with the sun during the day; it should be of some use!"

Taoist Qingsong waved his whisk and flicked his long sleeve. Talismans, each folded into a triangle, flew towards everyone, except for Wang Ke. After everyone instinctively caught a talisman, he said nothing more. He simply headed north, continuing to sing the Taoist song he had heard Ji Yuan hum a few times, finding it quite fitting for the occasion.

"Flowers fluttering in Spring City… snakes and insects chasing all around… Fear not the coming evil… my Dao manifests divine power…"

The Taoist priest vanished from sight in moments. He was clearly pursuing the demonic figures ahead.

Wang Ke watched the direction in which Taoist Qingsong had departed. Although they seemed very different, he felt that the Taoist priest vaguely resembled Mr. Ji. As he watched the master leave, his thoughts turned even more to Ji Yuan, and he couldn't help but say,

"Da Zhen also has its masters!"