Chapter 148 — Internal Strife
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 4 of 7
Ming Li's face was indifferent; he said nothing. You Si likewise kept silent. Only Mr. Ghost said mildly, "The method is indeed a little outdated and crude—but so long as it works, it is a good method."
The King of the Underworld nodded. "True enough. Speaking of it, Senior Venom God was a formidable figure of his generation in our Holy Sect—how is it that every disciple he took is this sort of creature? Truly disappointing."
Cangyan Daoren smiled from the side. "Still, that Qin Wujiu is really quite a character. A pity."
The King of the Underworld glanced at him and could not help laughing again. For a moment no one spoke. Ming Li stood to one side, silently watching the King of the Underworld, and frowned. Somehow, he felt that the King of the Underworld was strange today.
Yet Mingli's thoughts did not travel far down that road, for very soon, in the small town ahead that had only just awakened in the morning light, a heart-rending shriek suddenly burst forth. Swiftly, countless screams rose on every side, and among them one could clearly hear someone crying out in utter terror: "Beast demons, the beast demons are here..."
A shrill and cruel whistling sound came from the south of the town. Out on the distant, peaceful plain, clouds of dust suddenly rose, as though charging warriors had formed an army of thousands, surging forward irresistibly. That cry, sweeping from far to near and laced with excited roars, rushed in with a craving for blood. The five of the Ghost King Sect standing at the other end of the town all leapt into the air and flew toward the town.
As they drew near, even these people who had witnessed countless great scenes could not help but change color at the sight before them. Countless monsters and mutated beasts came howling and roaring out of the dust clouds on the plain—enormous frames, vigorous bodies, sharp teeth and talons—radiating a dense aura of death in the morning light. Meanwhile the townsfolk on the other side were thrown into panic, running madly in every direction, yet no one knew where safety lay.
The dense drumming of running feet grew nearer and louder, until at last it became deafening. More and more beast demons poured in from the south, charging at the town. The ancient roads across the plain and the broad land on either side had become a playground for these creatures; with reddened eyes, the demons howled earth-shakingly and encircled the town. Those poor souls who could not make it inside were swallowed in an instant by the dust the beasts kicked up; in the grey haze blood flashed, screams rang out, and then were extinguished.
On the town walls, some who still clung to the will to live desperately hauled up the drawbridge at the gate, holding the fierce and cruel beasts outside for the moment. But the beast demons seemed to pour endlessly from the south, encircling the town completely.
The five in the sky all drew a sharp breath.
From the wilderness in the distance came a fierce shriek, sharp and piercing to the ear, with a certain clangor to it, seeming to pierce through the dust-filled air and come rushing from afar. The Ghost King's expression changed, and he said in a low voice, "It's here. This must be the beast demon. Everyone be careful, act according to the plan."
The others nodded slightly and then dispersed, leaving only the Ghost King in the air. He cast a few more glances toward the source of the shriek, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, then rose upward, vanished into the clouds of the sky, and was seen no more.
As the shriek grew louder and louder, the countless monsters that had tightly surrounded the town all raised their heads and roared at once. The various piercing sounds mingled together, mixed with the reek of wild beasts and the faint smell of blood on the wind, enough to make one's hair stand on end.