Chapter 141: The Ghost Taoist

"This is outrageous." Upon hearing Yan Xuanfei's words, Jiang Xiaofei flew into a towering rage, the murderous intent in his eyes burning even more fiercely than before. Such a demand of a life for a life was clearly nothing more than blatant extortion.

At this moment, he wished he could storm Mount Mao immediately to rescue the Ghost King, but faced with the looming crisis from the Netherworld Kingdom, he found himself caught in a difficult dilemma.

Junyao was also somewhat angered. Although she knew this was a trap meticulously laid by Mount Mao, the life and death of the Ghost King was at stake, and how could she stand idly by and not offer help? Furthermore, since the Ghost King was her younger sister, she could not simply ignore her plight.

She then said in a deep voice, "Stop arguing, both of you. Let me go to Mount Mao alone. I refuse to believe what they can possibly do to me."

"Allow me to say a few words," Elder Feng chimed in at this moment. "The Ghost King naturally must be saved, but the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. We should figure out the situation first before making a move. How about this? Let us first send a few scouts to gather intelligence and ascertain the true state of affairs before we take action."

Jiang Xiaofei nodded slightly and said, "Let us follow Elder Feng's suggestion and dispatch a few scouts to investigate the situation thoroughly first."

At this, Junyao said anxiously, "No, this matter concerns the life and death of my sister, and it brooks no delay. We must set out immediately."

Jiang Xiaofei shook his head and replied, "I know you are worried about your sister, but please do not be impatient. Let me resolve the matter concerning the Netherworld Kingdom first, and then it will not be too late to rescue the Ghost King. I believe Mount Mao would not dare to resort to killing the hostage."

Junyao retorted urgently, "Is the existence and survival of the Underworld really more important than the life of your sister-in-law?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xiaofei was left somewhat speechless. These were two entirely different matters, weren't they? It was not as if he was unconcerned about the Ghost King, but the Netherworld Kingdom was immensely powerful, and Mount Mao was likewise formidable. After all, Mount Mao had stood tall for tens of thousands of years, and its profound foundation was far from being as simple as it appeared on the surface. King Xiao from years ago served as the best example; if Mount Mao had been weak, he would have already stormed their gates long ago.

Just as everyone was struggling with this predicament, a guard suddenly burst in, fell to one knee, and reported, "Reporting to King Fei, an old man outside who calls himself the Ghost Taoist is asking for an audience."

"The Ghost Taoist?" Jiang Xiaofei was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, and then he said joyfully, "Quickly, invite him in."

Just as Jiang Xiaofei's voice fell, an elderly man dressed in a black robe walked in. The old man had a full head of white hair, yet his eyes were sharp and spirited, carrying a naturally imposing and majestic bearing. Following closely behind him was a woman dressed in white clothes, though her face was concealed behind a veil, preventing others from discerning her appearance. However, judging by her tall and jade-like figure, she was undoubtedly a great beauty.

The appearance of the Ghost Taoist naturally drew everyone's attention. After all, he was a supreme overlord of the Spirit Realm. Although he ostensibly possessed the cultivation of the Dao Extremity Realm, everyone knew that the Ghost Taoist was actually an ancient monster who had lived for ten thousand years. While his true cultivation level remained unfathomable and difficult to predict, this did not diminish the awe and reverence people held for him. Even Elder Feng showed a measure of respect toward the Ghost Taoist at this moment; after all, the Ghost Taoist had once been the master of King Xiao, a connection alone that placed him far beyond comparison.

Seeing the Ghost Taoist now, both Junyao and Jiang Xiaofei were pleasantly surprised. After all, the Ghost Taoist could be considered half a master to him, and had it not been for the Ghost Taoist, he and Junyao might never have ended up together. At this moment, his expression turned respectful as he said, "Master, please take a seat."

Upon hearing Jiang Xiaofei's words, the Ghost Taoist did not stand on ceremony and walked directly to an armchair to the side. The veiled woman followed suit and sat down as well, appearing to share an equal footing with the Ghost Taoist.

This sight filled Jiang Xiaofei with a sense of curiosity. Initially, he had assumed the woman was merely an attendant to the Ghost Taoist, but now it did not seem to be the case at all. However, refraining from asking too many questions, he turned his gaze to the Ghost Taoist and asked, "I wonder what brings Master to see me today?"

The Ghost Taoist smiled and said, "You are quite the celebrated figure now. Not only did you slay Young Master Wuji, but you also killed Young Master Changyuan. Your reputation truly spreads far and wide!"

Hearing this, Jiang Xiaofei gave a wry smile and said, "Master, surely you aren't here specifically to make fun of me? I am currently plagued with worry over this very matter."

"Naturally not," the Ghost Taoist replied with a solemn expression. "You have brought a disaster upon yourself, so this old man has naturally come to your aid. Otherwise, do you really think a little fellow like you could single-handedly contend with the entire Netherworld?"

"Then I must trouble you, Master." Hearing this, Jiang Xiaofei felt a surge of great joy. With the Ghost Taoist's assistance, he would have the capital to stand against the Netherworld Kingdom. Furthermore, with the Ghost Taoist acting as the overlord of the Spirit Realm, it was equivalent to having the backing of the entire Spirit Realm.

In response, the Ghost Taoist smiled and said, "You are someone this old man has cast his eye upon, so naturally I cannot simply stand by and watch. Moreover, today I have also brought along a Half-Step Divine Dao expert for you."

"A Half-Step Divine Dao expert?" Jiang Xiaofei's heart leaped with joy upon hearing this, and he involuntarily cast his gaze toward the mysterious woman, knowing that the Ghost Taoist must be referring to her.

At this moment, the others also looked at the woman with a mixture of shock. After all, a Half-Step Divine Dao expert was a supreme monarch between heaven and earth. With such a powerful cultivator assisting their Underworld Kingdom, why should they worry about failing to weather this current crisis?

At this time, the woman seemed to sense Jiang Xiaofei's gaze upon her. She nodded slightly and said, "Hello, my name is Rouge."

"Rouge." Hearing this, Jiang Xiaofei instinctively etched the name into his heart and quickly responded, "Hello, Senior Rouge."

At this, Rouge smiled and said, "King Fei need not be so formal. Just call me Sister Rouge!"

"Would that really be appropriate?" Jiang Xiaofei frowned slightly upon hearing this.

In response, Rouge gave a slight nod to indicate that it was.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiaofei did not press the matter further. Though he did not fully understand Rouge's intentions, having a Half-Step Divine Dao expert as an elder sister was an exceptionally fortunate turn of events. With the help of both Rouge and the Ghost Taoist, he would have nothing to fear from the Netherworld Kingdom! At the same time, he would be able to set off for Mount Mao with peace of mind to rescue the Ghost King.

With this thought, Jiang Xiaofei immediately looked toward the Corpse King and commanded, "Corpse King, take a few powerful experts and accompany me to Mount Mao to rescue the Ghost King."

"That is naturally no problem." Seeing Jiang Xiaofei's gaze upon him, the Corpse King nodded and replied.

Junyao also wore a joyful expression as she said, "I want to go too."

Jiang Xiaofei raised no objection to this and nodded, saying, "Very well, let us set out at once."

Having said this, Jiang Xiaofei turned his gaze back to the Ghost Taoist and said, "I leave the affairs of the Netherworld Kingdom in your hands, Master!"

The Ghost Taoist nodded slightly and said, "Rest assured. With me here, the Underworld Kingdom will come to no harm. However, you must be extremely cautious on this trip to Mount Mao."

Jiang Xiaofei nodded without further ado, then proceeded to activate the Ghost Gate leading to the mortal realm and stepped straight through it.

Seeing this, Junyao, the Corpse King, and the others hurriedly followed behind him.

...

Mount Mao appeared exceptionally serene under the shroud of its powerful mountain-guarding grand array, resembling an immortal realm. Looking out across the interior of the mountain gates, patrolling disciples could be seen everywhere, seemingly on high alert against some hidden threat.

At this moment, upon a massive, wide plaza stood a tall platform, atop which a stone pillar rose into the air. Bound tightly to that stone pillar by massive iron chains was a woman.

It was none other than the Ghost King. However, at this moment, her hair was disheveled, her appearance looked utterly wretched, and trails of fresh blood stained the corners of her mouth.

Down in the plaza below the Ghost King stood several senior Taoist priests. Among them, Ye Yijian shouted coldly, "Ghost King, you might as well save your breath. This is the Soul-Binding Lock, specially designed to suppress the ghostly energy within your body. You will never break free, so you might as well wait for your doom. If you obediently beg for mercy, this seat might just grant you a slightly less painful death."

"In your dreams, you bastard! I will kill you!"