Chapter 113: Prelude to the Storm

Those who have never experienced the trauma of war can never comprehend its terror. Lingnan Prefecture had only recently endured such a wound, and it had yet to heal. The order that had been painstakingly rebuilt was collapsing completely overnight. And this time, it promised to be far more ferocious than the last.

In a single night, countless villages were slaughtered, and a new wave of refugees flooded into Lingnan. Yet, for them, where could a true sanctuary be found?

In Shouchun County, at the Ning estate, Ning Mingfeng looked at the gathered crowd with a solemn expression, his voice deep: "Is everything prepared?"

Behind him, Ning Mingzhi nodded and replied, "Everything is ready; we can depart at any moment. It is just that many of the medicinal supplies..."

"Then let us depart." Ning Mingfeng interrupted him, tapping his dragon-headed cane with a hint of dissatisfaction. In his eyes, his son was simply too spineless, unable to grasp the gravity of the situation at this critical juncture.

Ning Mingfeng shook his head slightly, his heart finding a sliver of comfort as he thought of his grandson—that prodigy whose depths he could no longer fathom. He turned to Chief Constable Jin and said, "This journey depends entirely on you, Chief Jin."

"Rest assured, Elder. Even without young Master Ning's instructions, I would do the same."

"Then, move out!"

...

Without any rules to constrain them, the Nether Alliance's targets were no longer limited to small villages; the scope had expanded to every county seat. Although the imperial court had recently expanded its recruitment of constables, coping with the situation remained a daunting task. Consequently, many local gentry and powerful clans made the unanimous decision to relocate their households to the commandery seat. In their view, it was the only safe place left in all of Lingnan.

Lingnan Commandery, the Six Fan School.

*Clack!*

In the silent great hall, the sound was piercing. Cold Eagle listened to the constant stream of reports from his subordinates, his expression turning terrifyingly grim. Veins bulged on his forehead as his right hand unconsciously crushed the teacup he held into powder. Everyone could see the fury burning within him. The hall remained deathly silent; no one dared to speak.

"Xuan Mo was actually able to kill five Black Blade warriors of the third stage of Mortal Shedding by himself? How is this possible?" Cold Eagle's pupils constricted in that instant, revealing his inner turmoil and disbelief.

"Could the intelligence be wrong? Are there other accomplices by Xuan Mo's side? Did he expose his tracks deliberately just to bait me?" Cold Eagle wondered.

"What is the current situation?" Cold Eagle reached up to rub his throbbing temples and asked.

"Reporting to you, sir, the main forces of the Nether Alliance have yet to appear. So far, only ordinary ghosts, devoid of true intelligence, have emerged," a constable replied. "But judging by their posture, it seems they intend to launch an all-out war against us."

"War, is it..." Cold Eagle murmured to himself.

Not to mention the world at large, even within the Great Qian Dynasty, there were places where the strange and supernatural held absolute sway. In this world, the strong had always been the ones to dictate the rules.

...

Nether Alliance, Wanren Mountain.

"I truly did not expect you to have such courage, old man," Xuan Mo said, looking at the white-haired elder before him. Although he had prepared for this war, having the support of Elder Qi made things move much more smoothly.

The elder looked at Xuan Mo, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke: "Do you know the key to this war?"

"Naturally, it is the Six Fan School," Xuan Mo replied without hesitation. In the entire Lingnan region, the only entity capable of threatening them was the Six Fan School.

The elder nodded first, then shook his head. "The true key to this war lies in only one person: Shen Sanqian! Therefore, we must take Lingnan before he returns, and then, composed and ready, meet him in our best state. Let the war begin."

...

Ning Xiu, the true catalyst for this war, was currently in the Six Fan School, making his own preparations for the impending catastrophe. If not for him, the conflict between the Nether Alliance and the imperial court might not have erupted for many years. However, his actions in killing the Stone Man, the Red-Clad, and other anomalies led the Nether Alliance to mistakenly believe the imperial court was acting in the shadows. With the so-called "mysterious person" nowhere to be found, they assumed the court's goal was to weaken them slowly, like a frog in boiling water.

Given the personalities of Xuan Mo and his cohorts, they were not about to sit idly by and wait for death, hence the preemptive strike. Yet, in doing so, the Six Fan School viewed the Nether Alliance’s actions as a direct challenge to their authority.

Conflict was inevitable. Of course, another major factor was that the Six Fan School had been without Shen Sanqian's presence for some time. While Cold Eagle was incredibly powerful, his personality possessed significant flaws.

What baffled Ning Xiu was that at a time when manpower was most needed, Cold Eagle had ordered him to stay within the Six Fan School and go nowhere, claiming it was to ensure preparations for the opening of the Xie-Zhi Temple were secure. He had wanted to personally bring Ning Mingfeng and the others over, but had to abandon the idea, sending a letter to Chief Constable Jin for assistance instead. With the war not yet in full swing and the situation not yet at its most chaotic, he hoped they would reach Lingnan Commandery safely.

...

Night fell.

On a secluded mountain path between Shouchun County and Lingnan Commandery, a caravan moved slowly along the road. Three carriages, a dozen oxen and horses, and two large carts fully loaded with goods—this was Ning Mingfeng’s party.

Earlier that day, Ning Mingfeng had already dismissed most of the servants in the estate. Those who remained were the ten members of the main Ning family, along with members of the branch families and the estate's martial guards.

Chief Constable Jin and Zhang Heng stood at the front and back, protecting the caravan. Zhang Heng felt increasingly nervous. As he glanced back, he could faintly see a ghost lurking in the darkness behind their party. The expression on the evil spirit was one of excitement, as if it were gazing upon long-coveted prey. Perhaps knowing the strength of Zhang Heng and Chief Jin, the ghost refused to draw closer, yet it made no move to leave, trailing them at a distance.

Zhang Heng was the first to spot the ghost, and he remained ready to strike at any moment. But when he instinctively glanced at those beside him, his brows knit tightly together. Even though the Ning estate had previously suffered through the incident with the spirits, most of them did not truly grasp the terror these creatures posed. Despite being refugees, there was not a hint of tension on the faces of the younger disciples. They had no idea that danger was closing in.

Chief Constable Jin received a signal from Zhang Heng and hurried to the back of the line. The two men exchanged a look, gripping their sword hilts tightly, their eyes fixed on the ghost that hid within the darkness.