"You're seeking death!"
Qing Gu gritted his teeth, flicked his sleeve, and a shimmering white bone dharma image materialized above his head. With a thunderous boom, Chu Yu's powerful punch landed on the bone image, shattering the bones into a web of cracks. The true qi of a martial artist was exceptionally dense, and Chu Yu, a peak tenth-realm martial artist, possessed even more sustained power. As the force of her first punch waned, she unleashed a swift aerial kick onto the bone image.
In an instant, the bone dharma image splintered. Chu Yu's kick landed heavily on Qing Gu's head.
"Puff—"
With a soft sound, Chu Yu's kick struck a layer of dense protective qi. After all, her opponent was in the upper fifth realm. Qing Gu stared at the young female martial artist before him with a ferocious expression, sneering, "Tsk tsk… you trespass into the Underworld without invitation. Very well, a mere mid-fifth realm dares to be so arrogant. After I kill you, I'll refine you into a servant girl!"
"Do you have that fortune?"
Chu Yu landed swiftly, a smile playing on her lips. With a thunderous roar, she threw another punch, moving like an arrow released from a bow. A single charged punch sent the formidable upper fifth-realm Qing Gu flying. Qing Gu, meanwhile, unfurled his long sleeves mid-air, unleashing waves of death artifacts that attacked Chu Yu from all directions.
Amidst a barrage of dense collisions, Chu Yu's pure fist intent flowed, her fist qi robust and solid. Using her martial artist's body, she withstood the artifact assault, all while launching punch after punch at Qing Gu's physical form. Just as Qing Gu clutched a ball of death energy in his palm, a flying sword suddenly streaked past, piercing his chest and inflicting significant injury.
"How dare you?!"
Qing Gu roared, spreading his left hand, which transformed into countless bone claws that lunged at Chu Yu. But Chu Yu's fist qi was heavy; no matter what techniques he employed, she shattered them with a single punch. For a time, the two battled amidst the forest, sending snow scattering. Waves of energy lifted the falling snow, and the entire mountain trembled.
...
"That's about it."
Lin Zhao pointed his sword blade forward and said solemnly, "Xiang Ji, take your men. Finish them in close combat. Kill as many as you can!"
"Yes, sir!"
Xiang Ji raised his sword, and immediately, a thousand cavalrymen put away their bows, drew their swords, spears, and other weapons. They charged out from the snowy forest and from behind the mountain, slaughtering the remaining Ghost Realm knights like cutting vegetables. Following this, the Snow Region cavalry plunged into the horde of ghoul and giant-mouthed ghost soldiers, their swords slashing indiscriminately, as if entering an uninhabited land.
However, the ghost soldiers and puppets did not passively await their doom. They fiercely counterattacked. In a blink of an eye, several Snow Region cavalrymen were covered in ghost soldiers, their helmets knocked off, and their throats bitten. In a battle of this intensity, there was no way to avoid casualties. But as ferocious as the ghost soldiers were, the Snow Region cavalry could only be even more valiant and skilled to truly protect themselves.
Lin Zhao remained on the hilltop, mounted on his warhorse, surveying the entire battlefield. He had not personally intervened, accustomed to the feeling of a commander controlling the flow of battle. If nothing unexpected happened, this battle was destined to be another quest with compensatory rewards, so there was no longer a need for him to personally enter the fray and slay monsters.
On the rugged mountain path, two figures appeared. They were hunters from a nearby village.
One was a mother draped in a fur robe, and the other was a sturdy, sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth. The youth gazed at the battle of the Snow Region cavalry in the distance, his eyes shining.
"Ben'er!"
The mother placed her hand on the youth's shoulder and said, "Let's go home quickly. It's too dangerous here..."
"Mother."
The youth frowned, "Those... those people... are they protecting us?"
"Mm..."
The mother looked at the group of human cavalry and said, "I don't know which army it is. Those un-human, un-ghost things have targeted us. But... let's hurry home. It's dangerous here, listen to your mother."
"Mother..."
The youth gritted his teeth. "Mother, you saw it too. Many of them have fallen. They are clearly protecting us, yet we do nothing. Is that right? Father taught me when he was alive that a man should stand up when needed, not cower like a turtle enjoying others' protection."
The mother was exasperated. "But you're still too young! Listen to your mother!"
"Mother, you go back to the village first."
The youth clenched his fist and said, "I want to help!"
"You..."
The mother stomped her feet in anger, but the youth still strode forward.
"Little brat, seeking death!"
A Ghost Realm knight, an arrow in his chest, suddenly spurred his horse forward. A blood-red longsword descended from the sky, aimed directly at the crown of the youth's head. However, in an instant, the youth caught the sword bare-handed, a dense wave of fist intent surged through his body, and with a heavy punch, he shattered the knight's longsword into two pieces. He then grabbed the knight's head mid-air and with a "crack," twisted it off.
"Hmm?"
Lin Zhao, on the hillside, also noticed the youth and frowned, "Little fellow, don't go any further. It's dangerous."
The youth looked up at the human cavalry commander. His eyes welled up with excitement. "Sir, I have plenty of strength. I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me."
As he said, the youth charged forward, one punch after another, smashing the heads of several giant-mouthed ghost soldiers who tried to approach. Although the youth's boxing techniques seemed undisciplined, he possessed a dense fist intent for protection. His movements appeared clumsy, but his explosive power was formidable. He even sent a fist into the gaping maw of a giant-mouthed ghost soldier, piercing through its head. His fighting style bore some resemblance to army martial artists.
Lin Zhao watched, smiling and nodding. It was indeed interesting. He didn't seem to need to worry about the youth's life. The eleventh-realm ghost cultivator Qing Gu was already entangled by Chu Yu. No one in this ghost soldier puppet army could harm this youth.
In the distance, the youth's mother looked on in horror. She wanted to pull her son back but couldn't. Looking at Lin Zhao, who stood tall on the hillside mounted on his horse, she dared not even breathe. He was the commander of so many human cavalry, perhaps a great figure. How could a commoner from the countryside provoke such a person? The people in this village had been in seclusion for too long, relying on the tall mountains and deep forests, never interacting with the outside world. Yet, their reverence for the human army was deeply ingrained in their hearts.
...
"Swish!"
A figure landed beside Lin Zhao. It was Chu Yu. She took out a white cloth and wrapped her injured hand. Lin Zhao saw clearly that her hand was already bloody and mangled.
"He has fled alone. We didn't catch him."
Chu Yu said this lightly, smiling. "This ghost army has also retreated. Should we pursue them?"
"Don't pursue a cornered foe."
Lin Zhao looked at her injury and asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Chu Yu smiled. "When I was young, practicing boxing, fighting, or sparring with stronger individuals, wasn't I always battered and bruised? A martial artist's body should be constantly tempered. And although this ghost cultivator's strength was average, he was still an eleventh-realm expert. How could I repel him without shedding blood? After all, I'm not Sister Huang Zhi."
Lin Zhao looked at her and smiled. "It's alright. Your realm will eventually catch up to Huang Zhi's."
"Sir..."
Chu Yu pursed her red lips and looked at Lin Zhao. "Chu Yu has something to ask you."
"Ask."
"Even though Sister Huang Zhi is stronger, and Mu Ya is also much stronger than me, why did you bring me when you set out for Dong Wu Country, and why do you still bring me to fight an eleventh-realm ghost cultivator in this forest?" Her beautiful eyes widened, eager for Lin Zhao's answer.
"It's simple."
Lin Zhao pouted. "You're easy to use."
"Easy to use?"
Chu Yu pouted angrily and stood rooted to the spot. But then, she felt a sense of relief, as if there was nothing to be angry about.
At this moment, Lin Zhao had ordered the troops to withdraw. He then led the Snow Region cavalry to the pair of mother and son. He clasped his hands and said, "Snow Region Heavenly Lake, Bai Yi!"
The mother looked flustered. "We... we are hunters from the mountains..."
"My name is Chen Ben."
The youth blinked his eyes. "Sir, I want to follow you, to kill demons and ghosts, to see the outside world!"
He pointed at Chu Yu, Xiang Ji, and the others behind Lin Zhao, smiling. "I want to be like them, riding tall horses, clad in armor, striking fear into the hearts of demons and ghosts!"
Chu Yu, Xiang Ji, and the others couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
Lin Zhao smiled. "Chen Ben, I see you... you don't seem to have studied boxing at all, and you can't be said to have any boxing techniques, but your explosive power is very strong. You can even kill Ghost Realm knights with a single punch. Has someone guided you?"
"No one guided me."
The youth Chen Ben said, "The elders in the village say I have innate strength. A general once passed by our village and told me I was a born eighth-realm martial artist..."
He scratched his head and smiled shyly. "Sir, I don't quite understand. Is an eighth-realm martial artist very powerful?"
"Very powerful."
Lin Zhao smiled. "But not the most powerful. There is still much room for improvement."
Saying this, Lin Zhao looked at the youth's mother. "Madam, could you take me back to the village and gather everyone? I want to tell the villagers that it's no longer safe here, as you've been targeted by a ghost cultivator. I hope you can move with us to Snow Region Heavenly Lake."
"Snow Region Heavenly Lake..."
The youth's mother exclaimed, "Is that... the place where the human commander Lin Zhao defeated the demons back then?"
"Yes, it's not far."
"Okay, okay..."
The mother smiled and nodded. "I'll take you back to the village!"
Just then, a bell rang. Lin Zhao's efforts had not been in vain—
"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations on completing the [Defeat Qing Gu] quest. You have received quest compensatory rewards: Experience points +45%, Charm +1, Gold coins +2000, Reputation points +500!
...
A rain of golden light descended. He leveled up to level 98, one step closer to level 100!
Not long after, Lin Zhao led the Snow Region cavalry into the village and gathered the hunters from a radius of ten miles. There were as many as 2000+ people. Lin Zhao didn't hesitate, directly explaining his intention to everyone, hoping they would relocate to Snow Region Heavenly Lake as quickly as possible. Snow Region Heavenly Lake would build houses for them and provide them with land. From now on, they would live in Snow Region Heavenly Lake.
Beside him, Chu Yu furrowed her brows slightly, feeling that Lin Zhao had made everything sound too smooth.