Chapter 11: The Assault on Mount Mao (Part One)

A dreamless night.

At dawn, Jiang Xiaofei rose, washed, and dressed himself, ready for departure. He secured his cosmic pouch and opened the portal to the Ghost Realm.

…

Ghost Realm. As Jiang Xiaofei stepped out from the portal, a gentle laugh sounded in his ears.

“Good morning, Master Fei.”

Recognizing the familiar voice, Jiang Xiaofei looked over and saw Ah Huan standing there, smiling at him.

Jiang Xiaofei smiled in return, saying, “So it’s you, Ah Huan. Did your master send you to greet me?”

“Yes,” Ah Huan nodded. “My master is in the council hall with the three guardians, waiting for you, Master Fei!”

“That’s really kind of you, making a special trip for this,” Jiang Xiaofei said with a smile.

“It’s no trouble at all. Please follow me, Master Fei.” With that, Ah Huan led Jiang Xiaofei onward.

Under Ah Huan’s guidance, Jiang Xiaofei soon arrived at the council hall. Looking inside, he saw the Ghost King seated at the head of the hall. The Ghost King was dressed in a bright red gown, no longer veiled by dark gauze, revealing her stunning features. The white strands drifting across her brow made her look both alluring and somewhat world-weary.

Even Jiang Xiaofei was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected the Ghost King to look like this, so different from his imagination. He had pictured her as a cold, imperious queen.

To the Ghost King’s left sat two men in black, both with somewhat gloomy appearances, as if they were brothers. To her right sat a woman dressed in white, with features as flawless as jade, not at all inferior to the Ghost King. These three, Jiang Xiaofei surmised, must be the three great guardians.

With these thoughts, Jiang Xiaofei stepped into the hall.

“You’re late, brother-in-law,” the Ghost King said with a smile as she noticed him enter.

At her words, the two men and the woman’s eyes lit up. They rose in unison, saying, “Welcome, Master Fei. It’s an honor to have you visit.”

“What’s going on…” Jiang Xiaofei was bewildered.

The Ghost King smiled and said, “Brother-in-law, let me introduce you. These are Guardian Shan and Guardian Ye, and this is Guardian Yan Xuanfei.”

“Oh.” Jiang Xiaofei nodded slightly, looked at the three guardians, and smiled, “So you’re the three great guardians of the Ghost Realm. You’re certainly enthusiastic, but there’s no need for such formalities next time. I’m hardly an outsider, am I, sister-in-law?” He turned to the Ghost King as he spoke.

“Of course you’re not an outsider,” the Ghost King said with a smile, then glared at the three guardians. “No more of this next time, or you’ll answer to me.”

Weren’t you the one who told us to greet Master Fei? The three guardians were inwardly frustrated, but could only sit down in silence.

…

“Brother-in-law, please sit.”

At the Ghost King’s invitation, Jiang Xiaofei nodded and took the only seat beside Yan Xuanfei, exchanging a smile with her before sitting.

Once he had settled, the Ghost King spoke, “Now that everyone is here, let’s discuss our next plan.”

“What plan?” Jiang Xiaofei frowned slightly.

The Ghost King’s gaze turned to Jiang Xiaofei. “The plan to rescue Mo Yi.”

“Maoshan has eight thousand disciples, is heavily guarded, and protected by a legacy formation. It’s easy to defend, hard to attack. While the Ghost Realm’s overall strength isn’t inferior to Maoshan, we’re still at a disadvantage. So, I’ve decided to divide our forces. One group will engage Maoshan’s disciples head-on, while the other sneaks into the Demon Suppression Tower during the chaos to rescue Mo Yi.”

“It’s certainly a thorough plan, but you’re overlooking one thing. Maoshan has many experts. How would you get past them?” Jiang Xiaofei retorted with a cold laugh.

“I’ve considered that. I’ll do my best to keep Maoshan’s experts occupied.”

Jiang Xiaofei was skeptical. “Can you manage that alone?”

The Ghost King smiled, “You forget, brother-in-law, you’re here too.”

“Don’t drag me into this,” Jiang Xiaofei said quickly. “I don’t want to be caught up in your feud with Maoshan.”

Seeing his reluctance, the Ghost King said nothing further but turned to Yan Xuanfei. “The task of rescuing Mo Yi falls to you.”

“Yes, I will see it done,” Yan Xuanfei replied.

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Jiang Xiaofei said, shaking his head as he looked at Yan Xuanfei.

“Why not? Are you questioning Guardian Yan’s strength or doubting my judgment?” The Ghost King frowned.

Yan Xuanfei nodded. “Indeed, Master Fei, I am the strongest among the four guardians.”

“I hope you won’t take offense,” Jiang Xiaofei said with a smile to Yan Xuanfei. “I simply don’t believe you have the strength. The Demon Suppression Tower is ranked first among the ten great ancient artifacts. Its power is not something anyone can break, and it is the foundation of Maoshan. It’s not so easily approached.”

Yan Xuanfei was left speechless.

The Ghost King said, “Brother-in-law’s words are wise. So how can we breach the Demon Suppression Tower?”

Jiang Xiaofei shook his head. “Breaching the tower is impossible. You’ll have to outwit them.”

“How do we do that?” the Ghost King asked.

…

Jiang Xiaofei smiled. “Doesn’t Fang Nan have feelings for your disciple Mo Yi? If we can rescue Fang Nan from his confinement, he’ll naturally seek a way to save Mo Yi.”

The Ghost King nodded approvingly. “Good. We’ll do as you suggest, brother-in-law.”

…

Maoshan stood amidst vast, wild mountains. Within these mountains rose a towering peak, reaching into the clouds as if it bridged heaven and earth.

Looking toward the summit, one could see pavilions hidden in mist, grand halls standing tall, and geese calling overhead—a realm seemingly apart from the world.

This was the site of Maoshan, one of the three great orthodox sects of the Central Plains. Legend had it that a wandering immortal, bored with worldly affairs, founded Maoshan, and from then on it was passed down through generations to the present day. As for the immortal founder, Maoshan’s disciples did not know if such an ancestor truly existed.

At this moment, in an elegant pavilion, a middle-aged man in Daoist robes sat across from another middle-aged man wearing imperial robes.

“Hahaha, Ye Yijian, you’ve lost again!” The man in imperial robes placed a chess piece and laughed heartily.

“Not convinced? Let’s play again.”

Just then, a young man in white rushed into the pavilion, addressing Ye Yijian, “Master, urgent news!”

Ye Yijian frowned. “Can’t you see I’m playing chess with Master Qin Shan of Longhu Mountain? If it’s not something serious, I’ll confine you for ten years.”

“Ten years?” The young man wiped cold sweat from his brow. “Master, it’s truly urgent. Early this morning, while patrolling the foothills, I spotted many from the Ghost Realm acting suspiciously. I suspect they plan to plot against Maoshan.”

Ye Yijian frowned slightly. “I’m already aware. You may go.”

“Yes, Master.” The young man bowed and withdrew.

After he left, Qin Shan smiled at Ye Yijian. “The Ghost Realm is about to storm your mountain, and you still have the leisure to play chess? Aren’t you going to prepare?”

“They wouldn’t dare,” Ye Yijian said with a cold laugh. “Even if the Ghost King personally comes, I’ll still play my chess.”

“You’re certainly confident,” Qin Shan laughed as he played another piece.

“Of course.”