Chapter 121 - 103: "What Do You Mean, the Sheep Race Is Carrying the Death Banner to Jiangbei to Loot Corpses?
Chapter 121: Chapter 103: "What Do You Mean, the Sheep Race Is Carrying the Death Banner to Jiangbei to Loot Corpses?
The moment night fell.
Qianxi and a host of Ghost Objects suddenly materialized around Ping City.
In the darkness.
A massive Array was spread across the grounds of the Wilderness.
Crimson lines, drawn with fresh blood, formed the Array’s foundation. Ghost Stones were embedded in its Nodes, and vast quantities of human blood mixed with remains were being drawn toward the lines of the Array.
"..."
Standing beside the Array, Qianxi took a Ghost Stone from Qianqiu and carefully placed it into the final empty Node.
The next moment—
All the lines of the Array converged.
In the darkness, the vast Array pulsed with crimson light like a breathing lung, as if it yearned for something.
And at the very center of the Array stood an Array Platform.
The Array Platform was surrounded by all sorts of Ghost Materials and Heavenly and Earthly Treasures. Above the Array, the faint wails of tormented souls echoed without end.
"The Blood Sacrifice Grand Array is complete."
Qianxi gazed at the empty surface of the Array Platform, his expression calm as he spoke softly, "We need only place the King General Mountain Remains Embryo upon it for the Array to be complete. It will help the King break through to the rank of Ghost King and achieve a grand and everlasting legacy."
"You don’t seem very excited," Qianqiu said, tilting his head to look at Qianxi.
"..."
After a long silence, Qianxi turned to gaze toward Nameless Mountain. "For some reason, I have a faint sense of unease."
"What’s causing it?"
"I arrived in the Jiangbei Wilderness before you did. In that time, I’ve searched nearly the entire expanse, but I haven’t found any sign of the Lady of the House. I suspect she might be dead."
"..."
At this, Qianqiu also fell silent. After a moment, he said hoarsely, "You mean the Lady of the House might have lost the King’s Special Weapon, the Godslaying Spear?"
"That would be... rather unfortunate."
Before Qianxi could reply, Qianqiu continued to murmur, "The last time the King left the Jiangbei Wilderness during the rainy season, he worried he wouldn’t be able to find the Lady of the House, so he left his Special Weapon with her for Positioning. But he also feared that ill-intentioned humans might sense it and bring disaster upon her, so he used his own lifeblood to shroud its aura."
"Without the Main Weapon..."
"...it will be difficult for the King to unleash his full power after he breaks through to the rank of Ghost King."
"But..."
"...how could the Lady of the House have died? The King left her a contingent of Ghost Soldiers to command. As long as she didn’t attack those two human cities, no human could have possibly charged into the eternal night and killed her."
Qianxi’s expression remained impassive. "I found where Qian Hou fell in battle," he said calmly. "It was a human camp in the Wilderness. I suspect the Lady of the House died there as well."
"..."
Qianqiu fell silent once more. There was no time to investigate how the Lady of the House had died in that camp, or why she had lost the King’s Main Weapon. "Have you told the King about this?"
"I didn’t dare. We’ll talk about it when the King arrives."
"Are you going to run?"
"No. I am willing to give my life for the King’s ascension."
"As am I."
The two said no more, their conversation ending abruptly.
...
Time trickled by in the Jiangbei Wilderness.
A few more days passed.
Today was the 28th day of the rainy season, and night was about to fall.
The dreary rain had lasted for a month.
Today, however, the rain was noticeably lighter.
Anyone could tell.
After tonight, the rainy season would be over.
A strange atmosphere hung over Jiangbei City—a mix of relief at having survived and a forcibly suppressed excitement. None of the citizens could sleep tonight. They were all waiting to witness the end of the rainy season with their own eyes. They wanted to celebrate, but the timing felt wrong, as if they feared they might not make it through this final night.
The rainy season was about to end.
Dark undercurrents churned throughout the Jiangbei Wilderness as various factions prepared to make their move.
「At the border of Jiangnan and Jiangbei.」
A merchant caravan traveled slowly across the plains, stopping before a city just before nightfall. The moment the city gates opened, all eyes were drawn to the Banner fluttering above the caravan.
It depicted a ram with one eye socket engulfed in flames.
Everyone who saw this Banner froze in place.
It was the Clan Banner of the Sheep Race!
The Sheep Race had two types of Clan Banners. The other was a "living banner," on which the ram’s eye socket was not aflame. That was an Ordinary Banner, signifying only that the caravan belonged to the Sheep Race.
But this type of Clan Banner was a Death Banner!
It meant this caravan was undertaking the Sheep Race’s most critical and urgent mission. Anyone who dared to stand in their way would face the unbridled wrath of the Sheep Race.
The caravan consisted of three carriages pulled by Skeleton Horses, followed by dozens of armored attendants, also mounted on Skeleton Horses. The eye sockets visible through their helmets revealed a chilling, merciless void.
"We’ve arrived at Jiangnan Shuicheng."
A man in a green robe sat on the first carriage. He wore a wide-brimmed conical hat with a green veil that obscured his face. Leaning lazily against the carriage frame, he smiled and said, "This is the city closest to Jiangbei. I reckon the rainy season in Jiangbei will end tomorrow."
"We can set off for Jiangbei tomorrow."
"This must be your first time setting foot in Jiangbei, right? It’s not a pleasant place—all harsh winds and sand."
His voice drifted into the carriage on the night wind.
The carriage curtain was drawn aside.
A petite woman with the distinct air of Jiangnan poked her head out. She, too, wore a veiled conical hat. After adjusting it, she looked around, her eyes full of anticipation. "I’m a little nervous. I... I’ve never killed anyone before."
"Killing is actually quite simple."
The man in the green robe glanced at the fearful, shocked expressions of the surrounding pedestrians before saying nonchalantly, "You swing your sword, and they die."
"Since the eternal night fell, humans have become the most fragile creatures in this world."
"Jiangbei Old Demon, I have a question for you. How do you have so many enemies? It feels like you have more enemies than all the people I’ve ever met combined."