Without needing to be reminded, Zhang Dabiao also began to attack the female ghost fiercely. He had thought that the female ghost, having withdrawn her ghostly form, would be easy to deal with, but he didn't expect her to form a barrier of ghostly energy around herself, completely enveloping her.
The barrier appeared a dark, greenish-black hue. When the Zanshin Ding struck it, ripples would emanate, and the struck area would turn pure black, enhancing its defense against the Zanshin Ding. It was remarkably similar in principle to my Liuyao Yangxuan Formation.
She stood coldly within the barrier, her pale, fish-like eyes fixed on us, sneering, "Bullying a lone ghost with numbers? Do you think I don't know how to call for reinforcements?"
Hearing this, I felt an urge to vomit blood. What do you mean by bullying with numbers? You're the one bullying the two of us! We just wanted you to move, a small matter. If you didn't agree, fine, but you wanted our lives. You're the one who's being excessive.
Distracted, the Liuyao Yangxuan Formation, which I had been controlling, vibrated. Startled, I quickly tightened my focus and increased the speed at which I channeled Xuan Yang True Qi into the formation.
"Brother Zhang, are there any other methods? If so, use them, otherwise, we should run now." Although I was somewhat unwilling to flee, there was no other option. One female ghost was enough for us to handle. Not to mention her potential helpers, just this prolonged drain would be unbearable for me. Moreover, she was calling for reinforcements, which would be the final straw that crushes us.
After her call, a similar howl echoed, low and deep, like a stone rolling down a mountain. Judging by the sound, its strength was likely not inferior to the female ghost's. If it arrived and we were caught between them, we would have no chance of winning.
The howl from the north caused Zhang Dabiao to cease his attack. Instead, he stared intently at the female ghost, "You think you're the only one who can call for help?" he said, raising the Zanshin Ding in his hand.
"Heaven and earth, vast and obscure, nameless wandering, with my blood, I beseech the blessing of the Household Guardian Saint to descend, to aid this disciple in subduing demons and expelling evil... By decree!"
As he finished speaking, the moon, obscured by ghostly energy, suddenly shone brightly. A beam of hazy, green light descended from the sky, accompanied by an oppressive pressure that made it difficult to breathe, descending upon this part of the world.
At this moment, Zhang Dabiao seemed like a different person. His entire body was enveloped in a layer of green light, and the Zanshin Ding in his hand turned from red to green. A surge of immense pressure emanated from Zhang Dabiao, instantly shattering the female ghost's ghostly barrier and also breaking my Liuyao Yangxuan Formation.
With the formation broken, I felt a dull ache in my chest, my blood surging. A sweet, metallic taste filled my nostrils. This was bad; I was suffering a backlash. What surprised me even more was Zhang Dabiao. How could he also summon spirits? And not just any spirit, but Zhong Kui, known as the Heavenly Master who captures ghosts and subdues demons?
The female ghost, who had been looking smug, showed a look of terror the moment the green light descended. The instant her ghostly barrier was broken, she collapsed to the ground, staring at Zhang Dabiao in fear, or rather, at Zhong Kui who had possessed him.
"Bold demon, how dare you sow chaos in the human realm! Surrender yourself immediately, or must this Saintly Lord take action?" The words came from Zhang Dabiao's mouth, but they were spoken by another, unfamiliar voice – rough, domineering, possessing the aura of someone who ruled the world.
Upon hearing this, the female ghost immediately knelt on the ground and whispered in a soft voice, "This… this humble woman, has her hardships in becoming the way she is now… I implore the Saintly Lord to see clearly." After speaking, she kowtowed fiercely to the ground.
"Hmph, the mortal realm has its rules, and the underworld has its laws. If it weren't for the fact that you haven't taken any human lives, this Lord would have devoured you long ago..."
Hearing this, I inwardly thought, "This Zhong Kui, has he eaten too many ghosts that he believes everything this female ghost says? She hasn't harmed people? She's harmed more than one person."
Before I could voice my thoughts, 'Zhang Dabiao' suddenly turned his gaze towards me. Before I could understand his intention, I felt as if I had been kicked in the chest. My body was sent flying through the air, only to crash heavily onto the ground.
*Pfft—*
I felt the pent-up frustration within me could no longer be suppressed. Tilting my head, I spat out a mouthful of blood, and Zhong Kui's voice reached my ears.
"How this Saintly Lord makes his judgment is not for you to comment on. If you dare to speak nonsense again, do not blame this Lord for punishing you."
I shivered at his words, completely taken aback that he knew my innermost thoughts. This was too bizarre! I could believe in ghosts and demons, as I had seen them before, but weren't gods and immortals only present in myths and legends?
The thoughts in my mind were instantly dispelled. I didn't want to be kicked again. Although my chest ached terribly, the feeling of frustration had also subsided considerably. Perhaps he wasn't so bad; he might have seen me suffering from the backlash and was helping me heal. I could only comfort myself with this thought.
After withdrawing his gaze from me, 'Zhang Dabiao' turned his attention to the north, "Still not coming out to accept punishment? Do you expect this Saintly Lord to summon you?"
In the blink of an eye, three figures appeared behind the female ghost, simultaneously kneeling on the ground with their heads buried in the earth, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, unable to utter a single word.
"Right and wrong are known to your hearts. This Lord will not pass judgment; right and wrong are governed by the laws of the underworld..."
As his voice faded, a door emitting black light appeared behind him. Two figures, who looked somewhat familiar, emerged from the door.
"Greetings, Saintly Lord." As soon as Ox-Head and Horse-Face appeared, they immediately knelt and paid their respects.
"You two shall escort them back for judgment."
"As you command!" The two quickly got up from the ground. Simultaneously, a black chain extended from their hands, binding the female ghost and the Old Huang family of three together. They then turned and entered the black door.
After all this was concluded, the halo around Zhang Dabiao gradually dissipated. Afterward, Zhang Dabiao slumped softly to the ground. It was clear that the Household Guardian Saint, Zhong Kui, had departed.
Whether it was an illusion or not, as the halo vanished, I felt the Household Guardian Saint glance at me. The feeling was incredibly peculiar, indescribable in words.
Lying on the ground, my heart pounded erratically. After a long while, it finally calmed down. I never would have imagined that Zhang Dabiao's final resort could summon the Household Guardian Saint.
*Cough cough…*
Zhang Dabiao coughed twice before slowly sitting up from the ground. By the light of the moon, which had just begun to show a sliver, I could see that his face was ashen. I didn't know if it was due to excessive blood loss or the after-effects of spirit possession.
"You kid are truly bold, daring to speak ill of the Saintly Lord in his presence. Aren't you afraid he'll just drag your soul down with him?" Zhang Dabiao managed a smile that was barely better than a grimace and teased me.
"How was I supposed to know he could read minds! He knows everything I'm thinking. If I had known, I wouldn't have dared to have any stray thoughts. Isn't this just creating trouble for myself? If you have this ability, why didn't you use it earlier? Why wait until we were on the verge of death?"
Zhang Dabiao let out a strange laugh. "This is my first time using it, who knew it would be successful? If I had known I could summon the Saintly Lord, I would have done it long ago. Why wait until we were pushed to a dead end by the female ghost?"
I felt an urge to bang my head against a tree. When did Zhang Dabiao start becoming so unreliable? He dared to try a spell he had never used before? Fortunately, it was successful, otherwise, we would have capsized in the gutter today.
"Then, did you summon the true Saintly Lord?"
Zhang Dabiao shook his head. "What are you thinking? This was just a wisp of the Saintly Lord's divine consciousness. The true Saintly Lord cannot be summoned."
Zhang Dabiao did not elaborate on this topic, as everyone has their own secrets. Some secrets are not even revealed to their closest brothers, so I did not press further.
After resting for more than half an hour, once our strength had somewhat recovered, the two of us helped each other home.